Essay Sample: Queen Elizabeth II's Impact on Society

Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of the UK. She was born in 1926 and is the first child of Queen Elizabeth and King George VI. She received private education at home hence never attended school of any kind. Before assuming duty as the queen, she undertook public duties in WW2 and as head of the Commonwealth following the death of her father. She has four children, whom she had with her husband, Philip. They include Prince Charles, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward. Over the decades, the Queen of England has enjoyed a role as a ceremonial figurehead in England. However, this has not prevented her from influencing social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of societies across the world. She has done this through her dress codes, her brand endorsements, support for multiracialism, her show of affection, and traveling across the world. It is evident that Queen Elizabeth II and the monarchy have influenced the society, culture, international relations, and diplomacy in positive ways.

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The Queen is renowned for her sense of fashion. Every moment she is seen in public, she must have a handbag and clad in bright colored attire. Many people do not think about the reasons for her choice of attire. The queen's wardrobe plays a greater role in diplomacy than most people would ever imagine. Her trip to Dublin amidst an unstable relationship in the year 2011 will always be marked important in the books of history (Mahon 31). She played a diplomatic role that led to an improved relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom. She stepped off the plane dressed in emerald green, which is the color of the emerald isle. In a time when the power of Britain as a superpower was declining, Britain did not want to lose any more of the support of influential countries.

The queen was Britain's way of projecting Britain's show of reconciliatory intent. The dressing is a major projection of the foreign policy in Britain regarding foreign policy in particular. The Thai King in 1960 arranged a meeting in which Queen Elizabeth II was invited. During her visit to Bangkok, the king awarded her the highest order of chivalry. In the year 1972, she attended a state dinner in Bangkok clad in a yellow dress to match the sash and insignia that was awarded to her by the Thai King in 1960 (Aldrich and McCreery 43). Her diplomatic role helped to maintain a healthy relationship between the two countries for years.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, there were moments of business decline for the British government. The symbol of the crown remained pervasive and influential throughout those years. She has never stood in the way of change or helped in the avoidance of change. All she has done is facilitate change consistently. Her presence on the throne has continuously given Britain the self-assurance it needs.

However, at more than six decades on the throne, her direct positive impacts on the United Kingdom are countless. She was already committed to the commonwealth, previously called the family of nations, long before her ascendance to the throne. She contributed immensely to the transformation of the British Empire in the Commonwealth of nations that is multiracial. There was a firm attempt by some people to remain in control of the colonies.

In 1951, a photo emerged of the queen dancing with Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's president after the attainment of their independence. The whites in South Africa were outraged by the incidence, but this was a statement of her commitment to promoting a multiracial society (Aldrich and McCreery 59). She was going to stand by the side of people in the commonwealth nations without regard to their race, nationality, or ethnicity. Such an image helped to portray the United Kingdom as a nation that is committed to ending racial segregation in the world.

Regarding apartheid in South Africa, the positions of the Queen and the then prime minister Margaret Thatcher were clear and wide apart even though she did not speak publicly about it. Margaret Thatcher was opposed to sanctions against South Africa, which led to an award she received from the government of South Africa. The queen hoped that racial segregation would end in South Africa so they could rejoin the commonwealth nations.

Even though the queen could not dictate the actions of the prime minister, her support for anti-apartheid movements cleansed the image of the United Kingdom in international relations (Myers 35). The release of Nelson Mandela from prison was the major highlight of her support for a multicultural society. He believed he was morally the right person to become the leader of South Africa. Nelson Mandela was awarded the order of merit by the queen upon his election to the office of the president of South Africa. Therefore, the position of the queen regarding racial segregation helped the United Kingdom to keep its reputation intact.

The same approach that defined the values of the queen in South Africa was also adopted in her approach with the U.S. In the year 2007, during her visit to Jamestown, Va., she was celebrating the language that the whole world shares which was first adopted across the Atlantic Ocean (Myers 37). With utmost care, she offered greetings to the Indian chiefs who represented the tribes that had an encounter with the English for the first time 400 years ago. This was an act that only an individual with a high sensitivity to American history and commitment to multiracial democracy could take.

The respect and affection that she projected for the tribes of America and the people, in general, were crucial for the sustenance of positive diplomatic relations between the United States and the United Kingdom. It was an accurate reflection of the government's policy and better yet, from the heart of the queen to that of the Americans. She is not a political leader, but in her way, she has played a part in cleansing the image of the United States in political spheres.

The Queen is a major symbol of the tradition of Britain. The companies in the UK can take advantage of this when searching for markets for their products abroad. Her face is well-known hence it instantly provides a sense of history to companies that use it. For this reason, British brands have continuously benefited from her as the queen of England. Her brand contributes massively to the billions in exports reported annually. Her presence is felt the most by UK citizens that have invested in luxury goods. Regarding China, in a recent survey, Chinese consumers were asked to name words that they identify the most with England, number one on the list was the Queen at 25% (Haye and Ehrman 61). Some of them have also admitted that a connection to royalty has influenced purchases they have made of luxury goods over the years.

Anything that the Queen eats, visits, or holds will have an instant increase in value, yet most of these are always British products. The Ettinger bags, Cornelia James gloves, and James Locks Harts all increased in value because the queen used them. In carrying out marketing for luxury brands, heritage is an important factor, and it is perceived as a major determinant of brand aura and authenticity. There is a higher a chance that lady in China will buy a dress worn by royalty than any other dress. Luxury goods refer to goods that satisfy hedonic needs rather as opposed to functional needs (Haye and Ehrman 66). Britain has benefited from its nature as a monarchy over the years, and Queen Elizabeth II has been a significant contributor to this culture.

Britain stands out in the international market because of its ability to blend innovation and tradition seamlessly. Over the years, people have commended the strong sense of individual style in British fashion. In other words, Britain has the advantage of soft power, which lies in its ability to attract rather than coerce people to embrace its fashion. The royal heritage of Britain contributes the most in providing this soft power, and the Queen has her fair share of contribution. The exact impact that Queen Elizabeth has made is not measurable, but the manner in which the UK uses the high market for diplomatic relations shows how important the queen is. Therefore, when the queen gives a royal warrant for goods she has used to any of the British companies, it is a major boost in brand marketing. This method has been used over the years by Queen Elizabeth to promote British companies.

In the year 2015, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, and Prada all recorded flat or declining sales (Haye and Ehrman 68). In effect, the share value of luxury firms also decreased by a significant margin particularly with the slowdown of China's economy. However, luxury brands in Britain registered record-breaking net income. Some of these companies include Barbour and Burberry, and they all attributed their insulation from the slump to their links with the queen. Royalty reminds the consumers that the brand is authentic.

During her reign, she has had a massive impact on Britain as a nation. She has been the planet's most portrayed woman for decades. Every stamp has been the bearer of her head since her ascendance to the throne. Similarly, millions of notes and coins, billions of stamps, and more than a hundred thousand postcards have been the bearer of her face (Oakland 16). This has led to her recognition in all of the English-speaking countries of the world. Her symbolic supremacy overshadows the literal figurehead that she has become. This supremacy has helped to uphold the culture and heritage of Britain that makes it respected among other nations.

The reign of Queen Elizabeth has helped promote peace between Britain and other nations associated with it. From her reign onwards, plans commenced for transforming the British empire into the commonwealth nations. Alongside her husband Phillip, they embarked on a tour of the world in 1953. This led to historical moments as she became the first monarch in power to visit New Zealand and Australia (Oakland 19). Such tours have been the highlight of her reign, and currently, she holds the title of the head of state that has traveled the most. Such a wide travel experience has helped the royal family retain its ideal image in international relations hence the reason why the Queen is still used by the government to mend broken relations.

Another key Queen Elizabeth moment dates back to the '90s when she silently opposed the apartheid. I believe this is a moment to prove that the monarchy is not influenced by the government. The actions of the Queen were for the interest of millions of people suffering from racial segregation under the apartheid regime. Additionally, awarding Nelson Mandela the highest award of royalty for his fight against apartheid showed the values that the Queen held as a person. Therefore, this was a key moment during her reign that showed the role of the monarchy in providing moral guidance.

Overall, Queen Elizabeth II and the monarchy have shaped the culture, society, international relations, science, and diplomacy efforts of Britain. Her attire has been a major show of diplomatic efforts on Britain's part. Such efforts are what led to the mending of diplomatic relations between Britain and Ireland. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, there were moments of business decline for the British government. The symbol of the crown remained pervasive and influential throughout those years. Her brand enabled British companies to retain their edge over international brands hence making record profits in loss-making seasons. Another key moment in Queen Elizabeth II's reign is her support for Nelson Mandela's fight against apartheid. This helped to cleanse the image of Britain regarding their stance on multiracialism. Therefore, the role of the queen throughout the queen cannot be undermined.