ELIZABETH II AS A PHENOMENON OF SUPRAPOLITICAL META-AUTHORITY IN A MEDIATIZED SOCIETY

Abstract

The article analyzes the image of Queen Elizabeth II in global cultural memory and examines the phenomenon of her suprapolitical meta-authority. The aim of the study is to identify the mechanisms through which the symbolic legitimacy of the monarchy was formed under conditions of a mediatized society and historical turbulence. It is demonstrated that the Queen’s long reign shaped a unique type of symbolic power grounded in repetition, ritual, and the moral authority of service. The paper substantiates the thesis of the symbolic conclusion of the “long twentieth century” and the transition to an era of accelerated historical time. Particular attention is devoted to the role of television and digital media in constructing the phenomenon of the “televisual monarchy.” The study concludes that Elizabeth II’s mode of rule serves as an indicator of emerging models of symbolic leadership in the twenty-first century and as their benchmark. Methodologically, the research relies on an interdisciplinary approach combining historical analysis, political anthropology, media studies, and cultural memory studies.