Historian Claims the Royal Family See Photo Opportunities as Their 'Superpower' and 'Vital to the Monarchy's Survival'

Historian Claims the Royal Family See Photo Opportunities as Their 'Superpower' and 'Vital to the Monarchy's Survival'

The British Royal Family are said to view photography as their “very own superpower,” and regard being photographed as being “vital to [their] very survival.” The claims come from the chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces, who also revealed royal tours are dictated a success or failure by the resulting photographs.

Historian Lucy Worsley detailed the importance of the art to the monarchs as part of the promotional trail for a television show in which she appears, titled The Royal Photo Album, for BBC4.  

Speaking to The Times, she said royal tours were often shaped around the various photo opportunities possible.

Every image [from a royal tour] carries a message and nobody understands this better than the royal family.

She event went as far as to say the royal family were among the early adopters of “the wonder of science” of photography, and that they were “quick to realize that photography presented not a problem but an opportunity.”

Worsley’s words come after several years of Kate Middleton’s much publicized love of photography, often opting to take official royal portraits of her children herself. Middleton is a keen amateur photographer, although faced backlash after being made a patron of the National Portrait Gallery, which some felt was unjustified.

The Royal Photo Album was commissioned for BBC Four and is now available on BBC iPlayer.

Lead image by Roméo A. via Unsplash.

Jack Alexander's picture

A 28-year-old self-taught photographer, Jack Alexander specialises in intimate portraits with musicians, actors, and models.

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4 Comments

It’s about time we rid ourselves of this institution and any photographs of them consigned to the history books.

There will come a day when people like this will stop honoring themselves. Wish that day were here now.

no worse than the big orange turd . . . who even produces phony magazine covers of his pathetic self to decorate his mar a lago sideshow

Well he's on the top of the list.