Do the Royals have influence over media and film?

At least 39 bills have been subject to Royal approval, with the senior royals using their power to consent or block new laws in areas such as higher education, paternity pay, and child maintenance.

Andrew George, Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives, which includes land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, said the findings showed the Royals “are playing an active role in the democratic process”.

‘It shows the royals are playing an active role in the democratic process and we need greater transparency in parliament so we can be fully appraised of whether these powers of influence and veto are really appropriate. At any stage this issue could come up and surprise us and we could find parliament is less powerful than we thought it was.’

The power of veto has been used by Prince Charles on more than 12 government bills since 2005 on issues covering gambling to the Olympics.

So do the Royals have influence over media and film too?

Everyone remembers ‘The King’s Speech’

‘The King’s Speech’, a film about King George VI, sparked swooning adulation since opening at British cinemas. Towards the end, it hits all three fantasies at once: a humble speech therapist is forced to reveal that the king is his patient and friend, after his wife finds Queen Elizabeth at their dining table in a hat, pouring tea.

The film’s success was rooted as an interesting, little-known true story. Many younger Britons have only sketchy notions of George VI, perhaps knowing he reigned during the second world war and fathered the present monarch, Elizabeth II. The film shows a shy prince overcoming a bad stammer with the help of an unorthodox Australian therapist, Lionel Logue (who did exist), in time to ascend the throne after the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII. It breathes rare life into his wife, Elizabeth, later revered in the role of Queen Mother, a rather doll-like figure loved for smiling, waving, saying little in public and living to 101.

E!’s new original scripted series, The Royals, is ostensibly based on the lives of the British royal family. But the current Prince and Duchess of Cambridge, better known simply as William and Kate, are not making headlines every weekend for their heavy partying. Actually, they barely make headlines at all, and even the coverage in the UK is pretty subdued, largely limited to basic announcements about places where they made appearances and what Kate Middleton wears. Even Prince Harry, who’s better known for being a “crazy,” rebellious royal, is practically comatose compared to the characters on E!. But is anything from The Royals based on facts or influenced? Well, there are some elements that try to be somewhat close to the lives of the real royals

So what about media advertising, the power of association is widely known. Brands which have no direct link to something positive can benefit from an association to something the consumer loves or respects. The easiest way to do this is by simple repetition. The alliterative mantra ‘Queen and Country’ makes people believe there is something intrinsically patriotic about blindly supporting them, rather than daring to imagine a nation which stand on its own two feet and looks after itself.

To think that the Royals do not make arrangements with the press is I am sure not just a coincidence. The level of access some photographers, even apparently rogue ones, get is staggering. This is one of the richest families in the world with one of the world’s biggest powers protecting them. Being famous celebrities brings a form of power that is easy to underestimate until you see it close up. I will also feel that the Royals also have influence over media and film too.