From the punk band Sex Pistols to the cartoon "The Simpsons" to Netflix and the James Bond films, the unmistakable image of Queen Elizabeth II has been used in popular culture throughout her reign. Some with affection, others not so much, but the monarch's omnipresence in art, music and cinema are proof of her importance in the popular imagination.
Music — God Save The Queen
The cover of the Sex Pistols' 1977 single "God Save The Queen", featuring the face of the young queen, whose eyes and mouth are hidden by the names of the band and their hit, is one of the best-known images of the punk movement but also of Elizabeth. II. The cover's author, British artist Jamie Reid, also created a version in which the monarch's face appears with a pin in her lip and swastikas instead of her pupils. Many other songs have been written about the queen, such as "Elizabeth My Dear" (1989) by alternative rock group The Stone Roses, which claims they "will not rest until Elizabeth II loses her throne". In 2005, British electronic music group Basement Jaxx featured a wild monarch who went out at night in London, visits a strip club and even argues in the video for "You Do Not Know Me".
The Portraits of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II posed for over 175 portraits during her reign for artists such as Cecil Beaton, Lucien Freud and Annie Leibovitz. However, the most famous portraits are undoubtedly those made by the king of "pop art", the American Andy Warhol. In 1985, the American artist created a series about influential women, using an official photograph of the queen that he personalized, as he also did with Marilyn Monroe.
film and television
Unmistakable for her sophisticated British accent and brightly colored clothing, the Queen has become a cartoon character, as well as appearing in television shows and movies. Elizabeth II appeared several times in the American animated series "The Simpsons", in the children's cartoon "Peppa Pig" and also appeared in the films "Minions" (2015), "Austin Powers in the Man with the Golden Limb" (2002) and "Run the police are coming!" (1989). Although the sovereign rarely gave interviews, her life was portrayed in films, plays and television programs. In "The King's Speech" (2010), an Oscar-winning film about her father King George VI's struggle to overcome his stutter, the Queen is seen as a girl, while "The Queen" (2006), Elizabeth II faces the wrath of her subjects after the death of her daughter-in-law, Princess Diana, in 1997. However, it was the hit Netflix series "The Crown" that most fully portrayed the Queen's life and her relationship with husband Philip. , with marital disputes, scandals and political crises.
interpreting yourself
After seeing her image used for years, the queen herself took the spotlight in 2012 when she made an appearance in a humorous video for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. In the video, Elizabeth II appears surrounded by her beloved corgi dogs at Buckingham Palace, where she receives the famous spy James Bond, played by Daniel Craig. in a helicopter, flying over London and, finally, parachuting over the British capital's Olympic stadium. In 2016, Elizabeth II appeared in conversations with Prince Harry in a video that also featured former US President Barack Obama to promote the Invictus Games, an international event similar to the Paralympic Games created by the monarch's grandson for wounded soldiers. And on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee, in June of this year, Elizabeth II appeared, at the age of 96, in a video having tea with the cartoon character Paddington Bear, in which, with a mischievous smile, the monarch admits to taking a sandwich. of jam in your inseparable bag.
