Analysis of "Scrutinising the British Monarchy"

            In his paper “Scrutinising the British Monarchy: The corporate brand that was shaken, stirred and survived”, John Balmer analyzes the British monarchy through the lens of a corporate heritage brand. By going through the history of the British Crown, he establishes the principals it needs to follow in order to retain value for the people including: continuity, visibility, strategy, sensitivity, respectability, and empathy. Balmer makes the convincing argument that by following these key values, the sovereign is able to remain legitimate, since he or she will be loyal to the people, as is the similar case in any business that serves a community.

            The author greatly stresses that in order for the monarchy to survive, it needs to be active in how it presents itself to the people in terms of following through with change and public service. Balmer goes back in time to the reign of King Edward VII who saw the need to rebuild some aspects of the monarchy. He describes, “Aided by his advisers, the King invigorated the pomp and ceremonial aspects of the British monarchy” (7). It is undeniable that the government has to adjust to its changing times, and Edward VII saw the need for more structure in the symbolism and traditions during his rule. In the same way, Edward VII was very big in the area of philanthropy which led another one of his changes: public service. He found out that in order to show that the crown really does contribute for the betterment of the country, it needs to be aggressive in its acts of benevolence. With the government directly involved, the people of the country are shown that it cares and is ready to stand up for them at any moment.

            Another main theme Balmer has woven into his analysis is the switch in roles between the rulers and the people of a country. Before the people used to serve the king; now the opposite occurs, the kings have to serve the people. This idea also goes back to the government’s necessity to be flexible with change as time goes on. An example Balmer gives of the monarchy considering the people in the televised Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. As a new act, the Coronation was very controversial since “any imperfections in the ceremony or in behavior could be a National embarrassment” (11). However controversial it was, the televised Coronation went through and symbolized how a part of the monarchy had adapted to its present times and let the public be a part of something very important to the country.

            In conclusion, Balmer jumps back to his comparison with a corporate brand. Just as a business thrives on customer satisfaction, the British monarchy can only exist if the people of the country are happy. Monarchies are not a dead government as long as they respect the wishes of the people they serve and are willing to create change as time requires.

Annotated Bibliography 3

1)      Pimlott, Ben. The Queen. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996. Print.

Pimlott’s biography of Queen Elizabeth II gives an intimate view of the palace life and brings up different scenarios and how she has presented herself. The book covers her birth in 1926 up until 1997 when conflicts with Charles and Diana were coming in the view of the public. Also, the biography explains a lot of the history of Great Britain itself when Elizabeth II was growing up. It highlights the major events of her life, such as her coronation and describes how she has kept her poise in the public eye for so long.

The author remains objective with the course of events as they took place for the queen, yet it is clear that he admires the Queen very much.

The biography is a little overwhelming but it will be a good source since it will help me see how the British monarchy has changed over time through the eyes of the same person as they grow up.

Annotated Bibliography 2

1)      Packard, Jerrold M. The Queen and Her Court. London: Robson , 1981. Print.

Packard’s book goes into detail about the various aspects that contribute to the image and surface points of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. It outlines her family, their residences, the titles they possess, as well as honors they all receive. In addition, Packard talks of the different occasions that are important for the Queen and the expense of the lavish lifestyle she lives.

The book itself is very objective and lays out the surface details about the Queen and her family. It aims to demonstrate an understanding of the British monarchy and what it means for the rest of the world.

As a source, this book helps layout the basic concept of the British monarchy and the different people involved. However, it differs from my other sources since it doesn’t cover the debate that is forming over the monarchy and its existence today.

Annotated Bibliography 1

1)      Lacey, Robert. "Vox Populi, Vox Dei." Inside the Kingdom. New York: Penguin, 2009. 46-53. Print.

This chapter of Robert Lacey’s book explains the reasoning behind the religious restrictions that are practiced in Saudi Arabia. Since the government became afraid of revolutions breaking out to overthrow the monarchy in the late 1970s, it responded by taking religion to the extreme. Restrictions started to go in place such as bans on music and women dressing more conservatively. Previously, the House of Saud announced that it was considering reform in its system, however that idea slowly fizzled away. After the 1980s everything had to follow the extreme guidelines the Saudi government had outlined, which proclaimed to follow that of the will of God.

While Lacey tries to remain objective by adding the viewpoints of various locals, there is a biased tone to the text. There is the bias of the author not agreeing with the decisions of the government, since there aren’t many direct quotes from the people who might have agreed. This chapter outlined some of the restrictions placed on the country and the reasons behind them.

This aids my previous source since it adds to the extensiveness of the restrictions placed on Saudi Arabia. It also gives a little history of the reasons behind them and the way live used to be.

Summary for "International: Adapt or Die; Saudi Arabia"

The article “International: Adapt or Die; Saudi Arabia”, featured in The Economist, argues that an increasing number of Saudis desire reform in their country and are continually becoming unhappy with the policies of the Saudi monarchy. For many years the Saudi royal family has had great power in the world because of the empire of oil they hold, but this is not enough since there is trouble brewing in the country itself. The Economist makes the point known that Crown Prince Abdullah, who is currently in charge because King Fahd has become increasingly ill over the past few years, has realized that his country is in plight and is ready to take necessary reform actions in order to save it as well as his family. The article points out that the events of September 11, 2001 and the invasion of Iraq by America have caused unrest in Saudi Arabia; however, bombings have occurred in the country itself my extremists who desire to have a religious republic rather than having a specific royal family in power for many years. As the author says the Saudis want a “quiet life”, yet there is a lot of resentment from the people themselves because of many of the restrictions and policies that are placed upon them. Censorship is heavily practiced by the authorities. For example, newspapers, music in public, and cinemas are a few are of the restricted aspects of society. Women still don’t have many of the same rights as men, since “the religious authorities deem the rightful place for females is home.” The people of the country, especially those that are educated, are becoming unhappy with the fact that Saudi Arabia is kept from enjoying the rights and aspects associated with the modern world, as well as not having say in the government happenings. Because of this unrest, Prince Abdullah is opening up national debates to bring issues, such as giving more power to women, out into the discussion. The article emphasized that he has to try to listen to the views of the people in order to save the royal family and keep the monarchy in place, since opening up and changing issues may seem more important. The author concludes by saying moderate Islamists and secular reformers are ready to work for “greater representation for themselves and greater accountability from the royal rulers.” Whatever the manner of getting there, in order for the Saudi monarchy to survive it has to change and restructure its traditional ways.

Source:

"International: Adapt Or Die; Saudi Arabia;" The Economist Mar 06 2004: 60-44. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 10 Jan. 2012 .