With a royal visit on the cards for later this year, it’s worth remembering the first one in 1867 – marred by violence, division and an escaped assassination attempt.
What should have been a simple announcement to a sympathetic public turned into a spider’s web of conspiracy theories across social media. How did it all go so terribly wrong?
Effective strategic communications about Kate Middleton’s condition would have helped the princess better protect her privacy, while building bridges of trust and transparency with the public.
In the 18th century, managing public perceptions of the king’s fitness were as much about the health of the monarchy as they were about the health of monarch.
Canadians should learn the lessons of the U.S. and the U.K. to avoid idealizing a republic with a powerful president and at the same time acknowledge that a constitutional monarchy is no alternative.
The coronations of these kings symbolise more than mere spectacle: they are a declaration of the new monarch’s intent as they transform from heir to sovereign.
Director of History & Policy at the Institute of Historical Research and Professor of British and Commonwealth History, School of Advanced Study, University of London