1 00:00:07,340 --> 00:00:08,758 Once upon a time, 2 00:00:08,842 --> 00:00:12,095 most of the world was ruled by kings and queens. 3 00:00:12,804 --> 00:00:16,057 In almost every society on Earth, they sat at the top, 4 00:00:16,141 --> 00:00:18,435 claiming their absolute power came from God. 5 00:00:19,436 --> 00:00:21,688 And it worked that way for millennia. 6 00:00:22,605 --> 00:00:27,444 But in the 1600s, a radical idea spread among the masses. 7 00:00:27,527 --> 00:00:29,779 What if everybody was born equal 8 00:00:29,863 --> 00:00:33,366 and people had the right to choose who ruled over them? 9 00:00:33,450 --> 00:00:35,577 This was a revolution of thought, 10 00:00:35,660 --> 00:00:38,329 which turned the monarchy on its head 11 00:00:38,413 --> 00:00:41,207 and inspired actual revolutions. 12 00:00:41,291 --> 00:00:44,711 The world went from almost total royal rule 13 00:00:44,794 --> 00:00:46,129 to this. 14 00:00:46,212 --> 00:00:50,341 There are only 43 monarchies left, with a range of power. 15 00:00:50,425 --> 00:00:52,802 Some still have absolute power. 16 00:00:52,886 --> 00:00:55,096 They all operate differently, but every king... 17 00:00:55,180 --> 00:00:57,390 -...there are no absolute queens, 18 00:00:57,474 --> 00:00:59,392 can make decisions for their citizens, 19 00:00:59,476 --> 00:01:02,228 and their citizens can't vote them out. 20 00:01:02,312 --> 00:01:05,023 That's how monarchies have traditionally worked. 21 00:01:05,106 --> 00:01:07,025 The newer, stranger monarchies, 22 00:01:07,108 --> 00:01:08,526 are over here. 23 00:01:08,610 --> 00:01:10,945 -Some have special protections... - 24 00:01:11,029 --> 00:01:14,824 ...but they all rule over democracies symbolically. 25 00:01:14,908 --> 00:01:16,451 But not too long ago, 26 00:01:16,534 --> 00:01:19,621 they also ruled their countries with unquestioned power. 27 00:01:19,704 --> 00:01:21,873 That's how they got these jobs. 28 00:01:21,956 --> 00:01:23,833 Most of them are European 29 00:01:23,917 --> 00:01:27,086 or former British colonies, like Jamaica. 30 00:01:27,170 --> 00:01:30,423 Having the Queen of England as the head of state of Jamaica 31 00:01:30,507 --> 00:01:33,635 is really ridiculous in the 21st century. 32 00:01:33,718 --> 00:01:35,929 We're supposed to be a post-colonial country, 33 00:01:36,012 --> 00:01:39,057 yet we're hanging on to all of these vestiges of empire. 34 00:01:39,140 --> 00:01:41,518 It's time to get rid of the queen as head of state. 35 00:01:42,685 --> 00:01:45,772 But in Britain, most people support the monarchy. 36 00:01:45,855 --> 00:01:49,234 In fact, every ceremonial monarchy, except one, 37 00:01:49,317 --> 00:01:52,112 enjoys majority support in their home country. 38 00:01:53,196 --> 00:01:56,533 In part, because they sell us on a fairy tale. 39 00:01:56,616 --> 00:01:58,785 We have all grown up on these fairy tales. 40 00:01:58,868 --> 00:02:02,330 Kissing the frog and the frog turns into this prince. 41 00:02:02,413 --> 00:02:05,583 So many of us would have grown up with those kinds of stories. 42 00:02:06,334 --> 00:02:09,504 These fairy-tale moments, these grand weddings, 43 00:02:09,587 --> 00:02:11,506 this sort of a spectacular display. 44 00:02:11,589 --> 00:02:13,883 These are things people can only dream of. 45 00:02:13,967 --> 00:02:16,970 It's sort of Disney movies personified. 46 00:02:17,512 --> 00:02:20,849 And this fantasy, perfected by the British royal family, 47 00:02:20,932 --> 00:02:25,144 is now a big part of how royal families everywhere survive. 48 00:02:26,020 --> 00:02:29,983 The royal family's main goal, above everything else, is survival. 49 00:02:30,066 --> 00:02:31,985 As an elite institution, 50 00:02:32,068 --> 00:02:35,113 more than anything, they're worried about continuity. 51 00:02:35,196 --> 00:02:37,740 So how on earth did they pull it off? 52 00:02:37,824 --> 00:02:40,243 How did they go from absolute rulers 53 00:02:40,326 --> 00:02:42,745 to fairy-tale celebrities? 54 00:02:42,829 --> 00:02:45,498 And how long can the fantasy last? 55 00:02:47,208 --> 00:02:49,919 Now the robe royal is put upon the queen. 56 00:02:51,754 --> 00:02:55,216 The Japanese, they call him the God Emperor. 57 00:02:55,300 --> 00:02:59,304 How well Britain can hold this loose, worldwide structure together 58 00:02:59,387 --> 00:03:02,098 at war's end is of enormous importance for the future. 59 00:03:02,682 --> 00:03:05,935 Tens of thousands lined the streets to glimpse the royal couple. 60 00:03:06,644 --> 00:03:09,939 This was a royal fairy-tale wedding like no other. 61 00:03:12,066 --> 00:03:14,194 The royal family hold a place of respect 62 00:03:14,277 --> 00:03:16,154 and affection in all our hearts. 63 00:03:16,237 --> 00:03:18,239 Their happiness is our happiness. 64 00:03:25,747 --> 00:03:28,958 Ceremonial monarchs are fascinating to watch. 65 00:03:29,042 --> 00:03:32,962 They have all the royal trappings you'd expect from old kings and queens. 66 00:03:33,046 --> 00:03:36,633 Crowns, thrones, palaces. 67 00:03:36,716 --> 00:03:39,052 But they're virtually powerless. 68 00:03:39,135 --> 00:03:42,180 Even the most famous monarch in the world, 69 00:03:42,263 --> 00:03:44,474 Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, 70 00:03:44,557 --> 00:03:46,017 is just a figurehead. 71 00:03:46,601 --> 00:03:49,228 She doesn't have any political power per se. 72 00:03:49,312 --> 00:03:52,148 She doesn't make laws. 73 00:03:52,232 --> 00:03:54,525 She isn't meant to influence 74 00:03:54,609 --> 00:03:58,112 the policies of different politicians or political parties. 75 00:03:58,196 --> 00:04:00,907 Instead, royals do symbolic things, 76 00:04:00,990 --> 00:04:03,701 like officially open Parliament with speeches. 77 00:04:04,535 --> 00:04:07,830 Host monarchs and presidents from around the world. 78 00:04:08,373 --> 00:04:12,627 And stand on balconies and wave. 79 00:04:12,710 --> 00:04:15,672 They really, really like to do that. 80 00:04:17,840 --> 00:04:22,095 Not having political power means that you are essentially uncontentious, 81 00:04:22,178 --> 00:04:26,641 that you can't make decisions that can later be disagreed with by your public. 82 00:04:26,724 --> 00:04:30,937 So being impartial is key to modern constitutional monarchy. 83 00:04:31,020 --> 00:04:34,983 I like most their apolitical nature. They don't take stances on anything. 84 00:04:35,066 --> 00:04:37,860 Having a neutral figure 85 00:04:37,944 --> 00:04:39,821 above all petty politics 86 00:04:39,904 --> 00:04:41,572 couldn't be achieved 87 00:04:41,656 --> 00:04:44,575 if the figurehead, the head of state, 88 00:04:44,659 --> 00:04:46,119 had been elected. 89 00:04:46,202 --> 00:04:49,956 They also have this incredible power to unify a country. 90 00:04:50,039 --> 00:04:53,376 We only need to look at the recent pandemic, 91 00:04:53,459 --> 00:04:56,838 how the queen was able to bring a country together. 92 00:04:56,921 --> 00:05:01,759 We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, 93 00:05:01,843 --> 00:05:03,594 better days will return. 94 00:05:03,678 --> 00:05:06,556 It can also provide a comforting continuity, 95 00:05:06,639 --> 00:05:10,727 seeing the same figure over the years and the decades. 96 00:05:11,394 --> 00:05:14,147 And the same family over centuries. 97 00:05:22,196 --> 00:05:25,366 That is my great-great-grandfather, 98 00:05:25,450 --> 00:05:28,661 Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. 99 00:05:30,455 --> 00:05:34,083 Emperor Franz Joseph was the longest-reigning monarch 100 00:05:34,167 --> 00:05:36,294 in Europe at that time. 101 00:05:37,045 --> 00:05:40,173 He represented the main line of the Habsburgs. 102 00:05:40,256 --> 00:05:44,302 The Habsburgs are one of the oldest European royal dynasties. 103 00:05:44,385 --> 00:05:48,306 Géza's ancestors ruled for more than 600 years. 104 00:05:49,432 --> 00:05:52,060 Today, he lives in Bronxville, New York. 105 00:05:53,186 --> 00:05:57,148 Here in the United States, I am just a commoner, 106 00:05:57,231 --> 00:06:00,234 but back in Europe, there are many circles 107 00:06:00,318 --> 00:06:04,697 where the Habsburgs are still considered as something special. 108 00:06:05,406 --> 00:06:08,076 Other Habsburgs weren't so lucky. 109 00:06:08,159 --> 00:06:11,996 One branch of the family, which split off in the 16th century, 110 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:16,042 became so concerned with keeping power within their bloodline, 111 00:06:16,125 --> 00:06:17,752 they married each other. 112 00:06:18,378 --> 00:06:19,629 A lot. 113 00:06:19,712 --> 00:06:22,465 Cousins, uncles and nieces, 114 00:06:22,548 --> 00:06:24,133 and more cousins, 115 00:06:24,217 --> 00:06:27,095 with unfortunate results. 116 00:06:27,178 --> 00:06:30,807 Like the protruding Habsburg jawline. 117 00:06:30,890 --> 00:06:32,725 It was so deforming, 118 00:06:32,809 --> 00:06:36,354 painters and sculptors tried to minimize 119 00:06:36,437 --> 00:06:38,815 this deformation. 120 00:06:38,898 --> 00:06:41,359 Because of these intermarriages, 121 00:06:41,442 --> 00:06:43,069 in the year 1700, 122 00:06:43,152 --> 00:06:45,780 because no more children were born, 123 00:06:45,863 --> 00:06:47,907 the Spanish line died out. 124 00:06:48,825 --> 00:06:52,912 For Géza, the greatest blessing of not being a reigning royal 125 00:06:52,995 --> 00:06:55,498 is that he can choose who to marry. 126 00:06:55,581 --> 00:06:58,668 I am incredibly blessed 127 00:06:58,751 --> 00:07:02,088 not to have had to marry a royal. 128 00:07:02,171 --> 00:07:04,924 I have the most extraordinary wife, 129 00:07:05,007 --> 00:07:09,470 who has exactly the same interests as I do. 130 00:07:09,554 --> 00:07:12,181 I am a truly lucky man. 131 00:07:12,890 --> 00:07:15,935 Most ceremonial royals have relaxed their rules. 132 00:07:16,018 --> 00:07:18,521 Queen Elizabeth is married to her third cousin. 133 00:07:18,604 --> 00:07:20,940 They both descend from Queen Victoria. 134 00:07:21,023 --> 00:07:24,819 But her grandkids had a lot more freedom to pick their partners. 135 00:07:25,319 --> 00:07:28,823 And in nearly half the countries with ceremonial royals, 136 00:07:28,906 --> 00:07:31,701 the next monarch could be a queen. 137 00:07:31,784 --> 00:07:34,787 Modernizing can be key to survival. 138 00:07:35,955 --> 00:07:37,457 The Japanese monarchy 139 00:07:37,540 --> 00:07:42,879 is the longest hereditary and continuous dynasty in the world. 140 00:07:43,379 --> 00:07:47,800 The current emperor is actually the 126th emperor of Japan. 141 00:07:48,384 --> 00:07:51,679 And the current Empress Masako faced a lot of pressure 142 00:07:51,762 --> 00:07:53,764 to produce the 127th. 143 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,393 So much so, she withdrew from view. 144 00:07:58,477 --> 00:08:01,689 When she finally did give birth, it was to a girl 145 00:08:01,772 --> 00:08:04,525 and girls legally can't take the throne. 146 00:08:05,067 --> 00:08:07,361 Even though she's the daughter of the emperor, 147 00:08:07,445 --> 00:08:09,780 the future of this millennia-old dynasty 148 00:08:09,864 --> 00:08:12,617 rests on the shoulders of this boy. 149 00:08:12,700 --> 00:08:13,951 Her kid cousin. 150 00:08:14,035 --> 00:08:18,831 The big challenge for Japan is going to be this issue of succession. 151 00:08:18,915 --> 00:08:22,251 They are at risk literally of dying out. 152 00:08:22,335 --> 00:08:23,920 In every monarchy, 153 00:08:24,003 --> 00:08:26,130 the basic rule hasn't changed. 154 00:08:26,214 --> 00:08:28,216 Power is inherited. 155 00:08:28,799 --> 00:08:30,718 And so is money. 156 00:08:34,639 --> 00:08:35,890 ♪ Paper ♪ 157 00:08:35,973 --> 00:08:37,975 ♪ All the money paper ♪ 158 00:08:38,643 --> 00:08:41,270 Most ceremonial monarchies get taxpayer money. 159 00:08:41,354 --> 00:08:43,397 Each country calculates it differently, 160 00:08:43,481 --> 00:08:46,943 but none of them get as much as the British royal family. 161 00:08:48,194 --> 00:08:50,404 Some believe this investment pays for itself, 162 00:08:50,488 --> 00:08:53,282 because they generate so much tourism revenue. 163 00:08:53,366 --> 00:08:57,870 By some estimates, more than 700 million dollars every year. 164 00:08:57,954 --> 00:09:00,248 But that's a hard thing to calculate. 165 00:09:00,831 --> 00:09:04,585 Buckingham Palace gets about 15 million visitors a year, 166 00:09:05,169 --> 00:09:07,964 but the Palace of Versailles gets ten million 167 00:09:08,047 --> 00:09:11,676 and France hasn't had a royal family for centuries. 168 00:09:13,177 --> 00:09:16,514 The British monarchy doesn't just rely on tax money, though. 169 00:09:17,473 --> 00:09:20,017 They privately own spectacular properties 170 00:09:20,101 --> 00:09:22,019 bought with public funds. 171 00:09:22,103 --> 00:09:24,355 Expensive collections. 172 00:09:25,022 --> 00:09:27,525 Plus investments we just don't know about, 173 00:09:28,192 --> 00:09:30,736 although we got a glimpse in 2017. 174 00:09:30,820 --> 00:09:32,947 It's one of the biggest data leaks in history. 175 00:09:33,030 --> 00:09:36,325 Millions of leaked documents reveal how the powerful and wealthy, 176 00:09:36,409 --> 00:09:40,788 including the queen, secretly invest vast amounts of money in offshore tax havens. 177 00:09:40,871 --> 00:09:44,292 Around ten million pounds from the queen's personal fortune 178 00:09:44,375 --> 00:09:46,419 were paid into funds in Bermuda. 179 00:09:46,502 --> 00:09:49,839 The fascinating thing for a historian like me 180 00:09:49,922 --> 00:09:54,427 is just how inscrutable royal finances really are. 181 00:09:54,510 --> 00:09:58,848 We don't know what they have. We don't know where they have it. 182 00:09:59,557 --> 00:10:02,143 But we do know a lot of the start-up capital 183 00:10:02,226 --> 00:10:06,606 came from their royal subjects, back when they ruled with absolute power. 184 00:10:07,189 --> 00:10:09,734 They required the lower classes to pay taxes 185 00:10:09,817 --> 00:10:14,280 in exchange for favors, land, protection, or nothing. 186 00:10:14,363 --> 00:10:17,992 Royals could just get what they wanted. Their word was law. 187 00:10:18,075 --> 00:10:21,120 And they used that money to build palaces, 188 00:10:21,203 --> 00:10:24,248 which, in Japan and in Britain, 189 00:10:24,332 --> 00:10:26,167 they still call home today. 190 00:10:26,792 --> 00:10:29,629 They also spent that money on war. 191 00:10:29,712 --> 00:10:31,839 The more places they conquered, 192 00:10:31,922 --> 00:10:36,260 the more people in their lower classes and the more wealth they could extract 193 00:10:36,344 --> 00:10:39,347 to fund more conquests, creating more subjects. 194 00:10:39,430 --> 00:10:41,349 And so on and so on. 195 00:10:41,432 --> 00:10:44,518 And then there was a whole other layer underneath this. 196 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,231 In the 15th century, 197 00:10:49,315 --> 00:10:53,444 European powers began conquering land and people overseas, 198 00:10:53,527 --> 00:10:56,697 until the world was mostly under European royal rule. 199 00:10:57,365 --> 00:11:00,576 This would go on to inspire Japan to invade its neighbors 200 00:11:00,660 --> 00:11:02,703 and build an empire of its own. 201 00:11:03,746 --> 00:11:07,792 But the British Empire was the largest one the world has ever seen. 202 00:11:07,875 --> 00:11:10,086 In 1655, they invaded Jamaica 203 00:11:10,169 --> 00:11:13,255 and turned it into the newest jewel in their empire. 204 00:11:13,839 --> 00:11:16,675 They set up the Royal African Company, 205 00:11:16,759 --> 00:11:21,097 which would go on to ship more enslaved African people to the Americas 206 00:11:21,180 --> 00:11:24,558 than any other single institution ever. 207 00:11:25,142 --> 00:11:28,479 Starting with Charles II, all the way to King William III, 208 00:11:28,562 --> 00:11:32,650 the British royal family had a monopoly on the entire slave trade. 209 00:11:33,150 --> 00:11:35,986 They profited off kidnapping human beings, 210 00:11:36,070 --> 00:11:38,406 transporting them across the world 211 00:11:38,489 --> 00:11:41,867 and selling them to plantation owners as free labor. 212 00:11:42,410 --> 00:11:47,623 Colonialism and enslavement were integrally tied to the monarchy. 213 00:11:47,707 --> 00:11:52,169 A kind of racist ideology of conquest. 214 00:11:52,253 --> 00:11:54,296 The whole business of empire 215 00:11:54,380 --> 00:11:57,717 was about gathering subjects across the globe. 216 00:11:58,551 --> 00:11:59,885 Under William III, 217 00:11:59,969 --> 00:12:02,680 the Royal African Company lost its monopoly. 218 00:12:03,180 --> 00:12:06,851 The royal family had been key early investors in the slave trade, 219 00:12:06,934 --> 00:12:09,603 but it grew into one of Britain's biggest industries, 220 00:12:09,687 --> 00:12:12,648 trafficking nearly three million people 221 00:12:13,649 --> 00:12:16,736 and making many along the routes rich. 222 00:12:16,819 --> 00:12:19,071 And that money compounds. 223 00:12:19,155 --> 00:12:21,782 A major study estimates that Britain owes Jamaica 224 00:12:21,866 --> 00:12:24,785 at least three trillion dollars in reparations, 225 00:12:24,869 --> 00:12:27,037 mostly for the labor of enslaved people. 226 00:12:27,830 --> 00:12:31,584 For the whole Caribbean, it's 9.7 trillion. 227 00:12:32,209 --> 00:12:35,087 Follow the money trail and you can see just how much 228 00:12:35,171 --> 00:12:39,091 the British Empire profited from its colonies around the world. 229 00:12:39,175 --> 00:12:42,762 We must recognize that a grave injustice was done 230 00:12:42,845 --> 00:12:46,515 and the legacy of that injustice remains. 231 00:12:46,599 --> 00:12:51,145 Britain's wealth was fueled by slavery. 232 00:12:51,228 --> 00:12:54,607 The slave trade ended in the early 1800s, 233 00:12:54,690 --> 00:12:58,694 but the world's empires held strong until the next century. 234 00:12:59,945 --> 00:13:02,948 The battle of the continent becomes Europe's total war. 235 00:13:04,033 --> 00:13:06,994 The great shocks of the 20th century, 236 00:13:07,077 --> 00:13:09,914 the First World War, the Second World War. 237 00:13:09,997 --> 00:13:12,750 These events lead to revolution. 238 00:13:12,833 --> 00:13:14,877 And dozens of monarchies fell. 239 00:13:15,753 --> 00:13:17,630 We fled from Hungary, 240 00:13:17,713 --> 00:13:19,381 left everything behind, 241 00:13:19,465 --> 00:13:22,968 and we lived the next years 242 00:13:23,052 --> 00:13:25,471 as refugees. 243 00:13:25,554 --> 00:13:28,057 Japan lost World War II. 244 00:13:28,140 --> 00:13:31,685 The emperor is stripped of this idea 245 00:13:31,769 --> 00:13:33,145 of being a divine being. 246 00:13:33,229 --> 00:13:34,814 He is a mere mortal. 247 00:13:34,897 --> 00:13:37,858 Japan was also stripped of its colonies. 248 00:13:38,734 --> 00:13:40,069 But Britain wasn't 249 00:13:40,152 --> 00:13:42,571 and since it was on the winning side of the wars, 250 00:13:42,655 --> 00:13:44,698 it enjoyed a lot of goodwill. 251 00:13:44,782 --> 00:13:49,119 The monarchy had to figure out how on earth it changed its behavior, 252 00:13:49,203 --> 00:13:50,913 it changed its public image, 253 00:13:50,996 --> 00:13:54,333 in order to survive in the era of democracy. 254 00:13:54,416 --> 00:13:57,419 So they took off their crowns and robes, 255 00:13:57,503 --> 00:13:59,672 and went out into the streets. 256 00:13:59,755 --> 00:14:01,465 The royal family very quickly 257 00:14:01,549 --> 00:14:05,886 pioneers a very deliberate public relations strategy. 258 00:14:05,970 --> 00:14:10,474 It's determined to make its natural enemies, the working classes, 259 00:14:10,558 --> 00:14:11,600 its allies. 260 00:14:12,184 --> 00:14:15,271 This type of reinvention, this spin, 261 00:14:15,354 --> 00:14:17,481 is at the heart of their survival. 262 00:14:18,023 --> 00:14:19,358 Everywhere. 263 00:14:20,109 --> 00:14:22,403 On August 6th, 1962, 264 00:14:22,486 --> 00:14:25,281 Jamaica became an independent nation. 265 00:14:25,364 --> 00:14:29,118 I would have been 11 at Independence. 266 00:14:29,201 --> 00:14:31,662 This was a momentous occasion. 267 00:14:31,745 --> 00:14:36,500 We were moving from being a colony to being an independent country. 268 00:14:36,584 --> 00:14:38,752 But there was a catch. 269 00:14:39,378 --> 00:14:41,422 One of the paradoxes of independence 270 00:14:41,505 --> 00:14:45,342 was when Princess Margaret came to represent the queen. 271 00:14:45,426 --> 00:14:48,053 This was happening around the world. 272 00:14:48,679 --> 00:14:51,682 What we see are carefully choreographed scenes. 273 00:14:51,765 --> 00:14:54,852 They are, according to the images we see in the newsreels, 274 00:14:54,935 --> 00:14:57,021 welcomed by the locals. 275 00:14:57,104 --> 00:15:01,025 They have sought to present this idea that the Empire, now Commonwealth, 276 00:15:01,108 --> 00:15:05,529 is characterized by ideas of harmony, unity, democracy, equality. 277 00:15:05,613 --> 00:15:07,906 And yet, for so long, 278 00:15:07,990 --> 00:15:10,743 the monarchy held an empire together 279 00:15:10,826 --> 00:15:12,703 based on oppression and violence. 280 00:15:13,412 --> 00:15:14,997 Of the 63 British colonies 281 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:17,875 that gained independence in the 20th century, 282 00:15:17,958 --> 00:15:21,128 nearly half chose to become Commonwealth realms 283 00:15:21,211 --> 00:15:23,672 and 15 of them still are. 284 00:15:25,257 --> 00:15:28,886 In other words, Queen Elizabeth II is their queen. 285 00:15:29,511 --> 00:15:33,641 In the early days of independence, there would have been a lot of individuals 286 00:15:33,724 --> 00:15:37,227 who only knew a Jamaica under British rule. 287 00:15:37,311 --> 00:15:38,896 We used to sing, 288 00:15:38,979 --> 00:15:41,815 "Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves." 289 00:15:41,899 --> 00:15:44,109 "Britons never never shall be slaves." 290 00:15:44,193 --> 00:15:48,238 And it never struck our teachers that we were the children of slaves. 291 00:15:48,322 --> 00:15:50,991 How could we be singing a foolish song like that? 292 00:15:51,075 --> 00:15:54,286 That's because we identified with the British. 293 00:15:54,370 --> 00:15:55,788 We were Britons. 294 00:15:56,330 --> 00:15:59,458 Every year, Jamaica’s parliament opens with this. 295 00:15:59,541 --> 00:16:02,211 Men in British-style military uniforms, 296 00:16:02,294 --> 00:16:04,922 and British robes and wigs. 297 00:16:05,005 --> 00:16:07,549 And a speech by Jamaica's Governor-General, 298 00:16:07,633 --> 00:16:10,886 appointed by the Queen of England to represent her. 299 00:16:10,969 --> 00:16:13,305 She also gave him a royal insignia, 300 00:16:13,389 --> 00:16:15,140 which was part of his uniform 301 00:16:15,224 --> 00:16:18,394 until it recently came under scrutiny. 302 00:16:18,477 --> 00:16:22,648 That image that's on the St. Michael insignia 303 00:16:22,731 --> 00:16:27,820 is of an archangel with his foot on the neck of the devil. 304 00:16:27,903 --> 00:16:31,824 And people began to see the symbolic link 305 00:16:31,907 --> 00:16:35,452 between a white colonial master 306 00:16:35,536 --> 00:16:37,830 oppressing a Black subject. 307 00:16:37,913 --> 00:16:40,332 You're like, "Whoa, hold on a minute." 308 00:16:40,416 --> 00:16:44,586 Even the governor-general himself made a comment about revisiting it. 309 00:16:45,212 --> 00:16:49,842 The queen technically owns all of Jamaica’s public land 310 00:16:49,925 --> 00:16:53,887 and the capital has a prominent statue of Queen Victoria. 311 00:16:53,971 --> 00:16:59,017 And the truth is that these are the things that remain 312 00:16:59,101 --> 00:17:01,645 that sometimes we are not conscious of, 313 00:17:01,729 --> 00:17:05,983 but, unconsciously, they kind of reorient the mind. 314 00:17:06,066 --> 00:17:09,028 Having the queen as the head of state 315 00:17:09,111 --> 00:17:11,739 is a classic example of mental slavery. 316 00:17:11,822 --> 00:17:14,533 That we need to emancipate ourselves 317 00:17:14,616 --> 00:17:18,454 from some of these traditions that bind us to the past 318 00:17:18,537 --> 00:17:21,832 and do not enable us to claim full freedom. 319 00:17:22,541 --> 00:17:26,295 But that history is not the story the monarchy wants to tell. 320 00:17:26,378 --> 00:17:28,964 Its brand isn't political anymore. 321 00:17:29,048 --> 00:17:30,132 It's personal. 322 00:17:30,799 --> 00:17:34,136 To be head of the Commonwealth entails long absences abroad. 323 00:17:34,219 --> 00:17:37,056 And what a sacrifice that must be is brought home to us 324 00:17:37,139 --> 00:17:40,517 by these glimpses of the happiness that comes to the royal family 325 00:17:40,601 --> 00:17:42,478 when they are all at home together. 326 00:17:43,812 --> 00:17:48,484 The monarchy have turned this idea of family into a business. 327 00:17:48,567 --> 00:17:52,279 And into a very successful business. It's about emotion. 328 00:17:52,362 --> 00:17:56,366 We can all relate to the image of an ordinary family. 329 00:17:56,450 --> 00:17:58,786 We see this every day now. 330 00:17:58,869 --> 00:18:01,830 It's one of the most popular TV genres, 331 00:18:01,914 --> 00:18:06,085 but the royals pioneered this decades earlier. 332 00:18:06,168 --> 00:18:10,339 For the first time, they started to celebrate things like royal weddings, 333 00:18:10,422 --> 00:18:12,508 royal births, funerals, 334 00:18:12,591 --> 00:18:14,092 as national events. 335 00:18:14,802 --> 00:18:16,178 And global ones. 336 00:18:16,261 --> 00:18:19,348 It's estimated that Prince William and Prince Harry’s weddings 337 00:18:19,431 --> 00:18:23,060 were watched by more than a quarter of the people on Earth. 338 00:18:25,145 --> 00:18:29,733 I have to confess that I watched the wedding of Prince Harry. 339 00:18:29,817 --> 00:18:31,610 It was a grand occasion. 340 00:18:31,693 --> 00:18:35,489 So we do in Jamaica pay attention to these royals, 341 00:18:35,572 --> 00:18:40,244 but it is with a kind of attention you pay to a celebrity. 342 00:18:40,327 --> 00:18:42,704 Why am I a royal watcher? 343 00:18:42,788 --> 00:18:45,332 Because at a thousand years old, 344 00:18:45,415 --> 00:18:47,876 they are the longest, continually running 345 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,546 reality show family in the world. 346 00:18:50,629 --> 00:18:52,256 And the drama never stops. 347 00:18:52,339 --> 00:18:54,508 My favorite memory 348 00:18:54,591 --> 00:18:57,761 is when the queen dressed up in pink 349 00:18:57,845 --> 00:19:02,516 and when Prince Harry and Meghan get their kiss. 350 00:19:02,599 --> 00:19:06,019 It is quite cool to have that tradition there, 351 00:19:06,103 --> 00:19:08,897 because I consider myself a real traditionalist. 352 00:19:08,981 --> 00:19:10,649 I love the influence it has. 353 00:19:11,191 --> 00:19:14,611 In a democracy, we like to think of power working like this. 354 00:19:14,695 --> 00:19:16,780 From the people to the government. 355 00:19:16,864 --> 00:19:20,075 But in our culture, it's still the old triangle. 356 00:19:20,158 --> 00:19:21,577 Royals are at the top, 357 00:19:21,660 --> 00:19:23,745 but instead of God giving them their power... 358 00:19:23,829 --> 00:19:25,581 -...the media does. 359 00:19:25,664 --> 00:19:29,209 They use it and we buy into it. 360 00:19:29,793 --> 00:19:33,088 And that's now the strategy of royals everywhere. 361 00:19:34,089 --> 00:19:37,926 All that media attention comes with a lot of power 362 00:19:38,010 --> 00:19:41,138 and nobody knew that better than Princess Diana. 363 00:19:42,848 --> 00:19:46,268 She was the first royal to redirect that attention 364 00:19:46,351 --> 00:19:47,895 to other issues. 365 00:19:47,978 --> 00:19:50,105 The princess is an inspiration. 366 00:19:50,188 --> 00:19:52,107 By touching and talking to patients, 367 00:19:52,191 --> 00:19:55,319 she reduces the prejudice, stigma, and fear of AIDS. 368 00:19:55,402 --> 00:19:59,865 This visit has convinced me that I must continue to play a part 369 00:19:59,948 --> 00:20:03,660 in the ongoing worldwide campaign to ban landmines. 370 00:20:03,744 --> 00:20:06,413 In many ways, she took on a new role here. 371 00:20:06,496 --> 00:20:10,167 She presented herself as a humanitarian. 372 00:20:10,751 --> 00:20:13,462 Her sons have followed in her footsteps 373 00:20:13,545 --> 00:20:14,963 with their own charity work. 374 00:20:15,047 --> 00:20:17,090 What’s happened with us and with others 375 00:20:17,174 --> 00:20:19,968 is that you have to prioritize your mental health. 376 00:20:20,552 --> 00:20:22,221 But on certain issues, 377 00:20:22,304 --> 00:20:26,308 it's hard to be a humanitarian and stay uncontroversial. 378 00:20:26,391 --> 00:20:29,227 The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement 379 00:20:29,311 --> 00:20:31,939 was a particularly important moment. 380 00:20:32,022 --> 00:20:35,567 Given the colonial past of the UK, 381 00:20:35,651 --> 00:20:38,236 the Commonwealth, and the British royal family, 382 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,365 it makes for a very difficult conversation to have. 383 00:20:41,448 --> 00:20:44,868 Kate and William's charity showed support on Instagram, 384 00:20:44,952 --> 00:20:48,038 but that wasn't under their own names. 385 00:20:48,121 --> 00:20:52,084 The two people we did hear from at that point were Harry and Meghan, 386 00:20:52,167 --> 00:20:55,087 who had already stepped away from the institution. 387 00:20:55,170 --> 00:20:57,422 Prince Harry is on a mission for social change. 388 00:20:57,506 --> 00:20:59,466 Now he's focusing on systemic racism. 389 00:20:59,549 --> 00:21:02,761 He's had an awakening to the issues facing minorities. 390 00:21:02,844 --> 00:21:05,806 There's no way that we can move forward 391 00:21:05,889 --> 00:21:07,808 unless we acknowledge the past. 392 00:21:07,891 --> 00:21:11,812 The world soon learned how personal the issue was 393 00:21:11,895 --> 00:21:16,316 when, in 2021, they did a blockbuster interview with Oprah, 394 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,529 adding that the institution had missed an opportunity. 395 00:21:20,612 --> 00:21:23,699 I could never understand how it wouldn't be seen as 396 00:21:24,533 --> 00:21:26,118 an added benefit, 397 00:21:26,201 --> 00:21:28,495 and a reflection of the world. 398 00:21:28,578 --> 00:21:31,248 At all times, but especially right now. 399 00:21:31,331 --> 00:21:34,876 Here you have one of the greatest assets to the Commonwealth 400 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:36,586 the family could have wished for. 401 00:21:36,670 --> 00:21:39,756 The royal family responded in a statement. 402 00:21:51,184 --> 00:21:54,271 But for many people who live in Commonwealth realms, 403 00:21:54,354 --> 00:21:57,024 these issues are a lot more than a family matter. 404 00:21:57,107 --> 00:21:59,192 It has sparked another debate in Jamaica. 405 00:21:59,276 --> 00:22:02,654 An individual who "rules" us 406 00:22:02,738 --> 00:22:05,115 that doesn't look like us, sound like us. 407 00:22:05,198 --> 00:22:07,492 Even before that Oprah interview, 408 00:22:07,576 --> 00:22:10,662 only 30% of Jamaicans, a record low, 409 00:22:10,746 --> 00:22:13,415 wanted to keep the queen as their head of state. 410 00:22:14,041 --> 00:22:17,669 And Barbados announced that it will officially remove her. 411 00:22:17,753 --> 00:22:19,755 Other countries may follow. 412 00:22:21,590 --> 00:22:23,091 Unlike the British royal family, 413 00:22:23,175 --> 00:22:27,179 the Japanese emperor has started to confront his country's imperial past. 414 00:22:27,262 --> 00:22:30,015 Recalling the past with profound remorse 415 00:22:30,098 --> 00:22:31,266 over the previous war. 416 00:22:31,350 --> 00:22:34,770 That can be seen as a political action, 417 00:22:34,853 --> 00:22:38,315 but at the same time, it is something that has garnered 418 00:22:38,398 --> 00:22:41,360 a lot of respect from the Japanese themselves. 419 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,698 The royal fairy tale has always cut out the other chapters. 420 00:22:47,366 --> 00:22:50,327 The real challenge of monarchy in the 21st century 421 00:22:50,410 --> 00:22:53,955 is about how to keep that mystique and aura. 422 00:22:54,623 --> 00:22:56,750 If you open the doors too widely, 423 00:22:56,833 --> 00:22:59,002 the aura is gone, the mystique is gone, 424 00:22:59,086 --> 00:23:02,214 and you are no different than anyone else. 425 00:23:02,297 --> 00:23:06,093 People want the magic of monarchies. 426 00:23:06,176 --> 00:23:07,761 But for some royals, 427 00:23:07,844 --> 00:23:11,098 holding on to that fairy tale has been a heavy burden 428 00:23:11,890 --> 00:23:14,226 that could cost them their happy ending. 429 00:23:14,768 --> 00:23:18,563 For others, leaving royalty turned out to be their happy ending. 430 00:23:19,606 --> 00:23:22,984 For most royals, maintaining the fairy tale 431 00:23:23,068 --> 00:23:26,696 may mean finally facing the full story. 432 00:23:26,780 --> 00:23:31,201 There is an African saying that until the lion tells a story, 433 00:23:31,284 --> 00:23:33,036 we won't hear the full story, 434 00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:37,332 because the story's traditionally told by the hunters and not by the lions. 435 00:23:37,416 --> 00:23:40,585 And I think it is time for the story of the lion to be told.