Why does Elizabeth II’s death impact us when we don’t know it? A specialist answers

Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September. Her son, Prince Charles, succeeded him and now became King Charles III. The death of the British ruler provoked strong and numerous emotional reactions around the world. The images, broadcast by the TV channels, showed the defeated faces, covered by the tears of strangers who gathered in the Buckingham Palace square. How explain attachment to Queen Elizabeth II ? Because his death happened wanted so many people, like that more or less intense ? What differences are there in the way we experience its disappearance, in England or elsewhere ? Didier Courbet, professor of communication sciences at the University of Aix-Marseille, specialist in media psychology and of the study of fans answers all our questions.

To miss. How to explain the attachment to celebrities, when we do not know them? For some people, their death is sometimes an intense experience …

Didier Courbet. We distinguish four ways of attachment to celebrities.

First there is identification, in which one builds one’s image, one’s identity based on what one believes to be celebrity, on what one perceives about it. Age plays a decisive role. This is not the most common case for Queen Elizabeth II: given her advanced age, only seniors could identify with you.

Then we observe shareholder interaction which consists in consider the star as a very close person : a grandmother, a mother, a friend… It can be completely the case of the queen. One can be as sad as it is lost a family member.

The third way is associate fame with moments in one’s life. Fans often say they feel like it when the star dies, part of their life also passes ; for example, theirs childhood. This death causes a great nostalgia for one’s past. This mode of attachment seems to me central when it comes to the queen. Many people say: I’ve always known her “,” It was my childhood “,” I’ve always seen her on TV, with my parents … “

Finally, there is a fourth, surprising mode: celebrity does the bond between themselves and someone close to them. Often, attachment to a star includes attachment to a loved one, such as a relative. Many Brits, for example, confided this to me in the context of the requests the queen’s death reminded them of their mother’swho adored the queen, or who immediately called their grandmother, a fan of Elizabeth II, when they learned the sad news.

What are the other characteristic points of the way in which the disappearance of Queen Elizabeth II is experienced?

The queen is associated a nationalist questionthat you don’t have with classic celebrities, actors or singers. It represents a country and a monarchy. Current investigations prove this the impact is very different in France and England.

The French are quite inside personal reactions that I have just described. On the contrary, in England, the queen often symbolizes love for the homeland, English morals and values. Kings and queens are real myth built by England for federatedto have a common culture. That’s whya new king is needed immediately in turn embodying tradition. This is also why we are witnessing these ceremonies made up of ritualized gestures or traditional costumes, linked to the old days.

Do you think Queen Elizabeth II’s longevity was instrumental in the impact her death had and made her a special case among celebrity deaths?

Of course. Yes, mathematically, the fact that she is old means that many people know her and are fond of her. Then Elizabeth II has the image ofa psychologically and healthily strong queen. In this, embodies protect the country for decades. It connects the British with their past, their ancient values, their traditions of other times.

Do you think The Crown series played a role in the media portrayal of the queen and the construction of her image?

Studies on this subject have been conducted in England. They revealed that the British had reacted to the series based on their opinion of the monarchy. This is called a selective interpretation. Those who were for the queen saw mostly positive things in the series, although they may have been negatively surprised by some aspects. Those who were relatively opposed to the monarchy were also strengthened in their view. Everyone sticks to their positions. But either way, that’s for sure the series contributes to the myth.

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