From the Sex Pistols to the Simpsons: Elizabeth II and pop culture
From the punk band the Sex Pistols to the cartoon "The Simpsons", passing through Netflix and the James Bond films, the unmistakable image of Queen Elizabeth II was used in popular culture throughout her reign. Some with affection, others not so much, but the omnipresence of the monarch in art, music and cinema is 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", with the face of the young queen, whose eyes and mouth are hidden by the band's names and their hit, is one of the most recognizable images of the punk movement but also of Elizabeth II. The author of the cover, the British artist Jamie Reid, also created a version in which the face of the monarch appears with a pin in the lip and swastikas, instead of her pupils. Many other songs have been written about the Queen, such as "Elizabeth My Dear" (1989) by the alternative rock group The Stone Roses, which states that they "will not rest until Elizabeth II loses her throne". In 2005, British electronic music group Basement Jaxx featured a wild monarch who goes out at night in London, who visits a strip club and even argues in the video clip for "You Do Not Know Me".
The Portraits of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II posed for more than 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 clothes, the Queen has become a cartoon character, as well as appearing in television shows and films. Elizabeth II has appeared numerous times in the American animated series "The Simpsons", in the children's cartoon "Peppa Pig" and has also appeared in the films "Minions" (2015), "Austin Powers in the Man with Goldmember" (2002) and "Get Out". 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 stuttering, 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 best portrayed the Queen's life and her relationship with her husband Philip. , with marital disputes, scandals and political crises.
Interpreting herself
After seeing her image used for years, the Queen herself took center stage in 2012 when she made an appearance in a humorous video for the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games. 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. "Good night, Mr. Bond", says the queen, before the duo simulates boarding in a helicopter, flying over London and, finally, parachuting over the Olympic stadium in the British capital. In 2016, Elizabeth II appeared chatting 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 Paralympics, created by the monarch's grandson for injured soldiers. And on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee, in June this year, Elizabeth II appeared, aged 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 jelly in your inseparable bag.
