1
00:00:06,005 --> 00:00:07,257
[quiet music plays]
2
00:00:07,340 --> 00:00:08,758
[narrator] Once upon a time,
3
00:00:08,842 --> 00:00:12,095
most of the world
was ruled by kings and queens.
4
00:00:12,804 --> 00:00:16,057
In almost every society on Earth,
they sat at the top,
5
00:00:16,141 --> 00:00:18,435
claiming their absolute power
came from God.
6
00:00:18,518 --> 00:00:19,352
[chimes]
7
00:00:19,436 --> 00:00:21,688
And it worked that way for millennia.
8
00:00:22,605 --> 00:00:27,444
But in the 1600s, a radical idea
spread among the masses.
9
00:00:27,527 --> 00:00:29,779
What if everybody was born equal
10
00:00:29,863 --> 00:00:33,366
and people had the right
to choose who ruled over them?
11
00:00:33,450 --> 00:00:35,577
This was a revolution of thought,
12
00:00:35,660 --> 00:00:38,329
which turned the monarchy on its head
13
00:00:38,413 --> 00:00:41,207
and inspired actual revolutions.
14
00:00:41,291 --> 00:00:44,711
The world went from
almost total royal rule
15
00:00:44,794 --> 00:00:46,129
to this.
16
00:00:46,212 --> 00:00:50,341
There are only 43 monarchies left,
with a range of power.
17
00:00:50,425 --> 00:00:52,802
Some still have absolute power.
18
00:00:52,886 --> 00:00:55,096
They all operate differently,
but every king...
19
00:00:55,180 --> 00:00:57,390
-[chimes]
-...there are no absolute queens,
20
00:00:57,474 --> 00:00:59,392
can make decisions for their citizens,
21
00:00:59,476 --> 00:01:02,228
and their citizens can't vote them out.
22
00:01:02,312 --> 00:01:05,023
That's how monarchies
have traditionally worked.
23
00:01:05,106 --> 00:01:07,025
The newer, stranger monarchies,
24
00:01:07,108 --> 00:01:08,526
are over here.
25
00:01:08,610 --> 00:01:10,945
-Some have special protections...
-[crowd cheers]
26
00:01:11,029 --> 00:01:14,824
...but they all rule over
democracies symbolically.
27
00:01:14,908 --> 00:01:16,451
But not too long ago,
28
00:01:16,534 --> 00:01:19,621
they also ruled their countries
with unquestioned power.
29
00:01:19,704 --> 00:01:21,873
That's how they got these jobs.
30
00:01:21,956 --> 00:01:23,833
Most of them are European
31
00:01:23,917 --> 00:01:27,086
or former British colonies, like Jamaica.
32
00:01:27,170 --> 00:01:30,423
Having the Queen of England
as the head of state of Jamaica
33
00:01:30,507 --> 00:01:33,635
is really ridiculous in the 21st century.
34
00:01:33,718 --> 00:01:35,929
We're supposed to be
a post-colonial country,
35
00:01:36,012 --> 00:01:39,057
yet we're hanging on
to all of these vestiges of empire.
36
00:01:39,140 --> 00:01:41,518
It's time to get rid of the queen
as head of state.
37
00:01:42,685 --> 00:01:45,772
[narrator] But in Britain,
most people support the monarchy.
38
00:01:45,855 --> 00:01:49,234
In fact, every ceremonial monarchy,
except one,
39
00:01:49,317 --> 00:01:52,112
enjoys majority support
in their home country.
40
00:01:53,196 --> 00:01:56,533
In part,
because they sell us on a fairy tale.
41
00:01:56,616 --> 00:01:58,785
We have all grown up on these fairy tales.
42
00:01:58,868 --> 00:02:02,330
Kissing the frog
and the frog turns into this prince.
43
00:02:02,413 --> 00:02:05,583
So many of us would have grown up
with those kinds of stories.
44
00:02:06,334 --> 00:02:09,504
[man] These fairy-tale moments,
these grand weddings,
45
00:02:09,587 --> 00:02:11,506
this sort of a spectacular display.
46
00:02:11,589 --> 00:02:13,883
These are things people can only dream of.
47
00:02:13,967 --> 00:02:16,970
It's sort of Disney movies personified.
48
00:02:17,512 --> 00:02:20,849
[narrator] And this fantasy,
perfected by the British royal family,
49
00:02:20,932 --> 00:02:25,144
is now a big part of how
royal families everywhere survive.
50
00:02:26,020 --> 00:02:29,983
The royal family's main goal,
above everything else, is survival.
51
00:02:30,066 --> 00:02:31,985
As an elite institution,
52
00:02:32,068 --> 00:02:35,113
more than anything,
they're worried about continuity.
53
00:02:35,196 --> 00:02:37,740
[narrator]
So how on earth did they pull it off?
54
00:02:37,824 --> 00:02:40,243
How did they go from absolute rulers
55
00:02:40,326 --> 00:02:42,745
to fairy-tale celebrities?
56
00:02:42,829 --> 00:02:45,498
And how long can the fantasy last?
57
00:02:47,208 --> 00:02:49,919
[announcer] Now the robe royal
is put upon the queen.
58
00:02:50,003 --> 00:02:51,671
[theme music playing]
59
00:02:51,754 --> 00:02:55,216
[announcer 2] The Japanese,
they call him the God Emperor.
60
00:02:55,300 --> 00:02:59,304
[announcer 3] How well Britain can hold
this loose, worldwide structure together
61
00:02:59,387 --> 00:03:02,098
at war's end is of enormous
importance for the future.
62
00:03:02,682 --> 00:03:05,935
[announcer 4] Tens of thousands lined
the streets to glimpse the royal couple.
63
00:03:06,644 --> 00:03:09,939
[announcer 5] This was
a royal fairy-tale wedding like no other.
64
00:03:12,066 --> 00:03:14,194
[announcer 6] The royal family
hold a place of respect
65
00:03:14,277 --> 00:03:16,154
and affection in all our hearts.
66
00:03:16,237 --> 00:03:18,239
Their happiness is our happiness.
67
00:03:22,202 --> 00:03:24,203
[theme music fades]
68
00:03:25,747 --> 00:03:28,958
[Dawson] Ceremonial monarchs
are fascinating to watch.
69
00:03:29,042 --> 00:03:32,962
They have all the royal trappings
you'd expect from old kings and queens.
70
00:03:33,046 --> 00:03:36,633
Crowns, thrones, palaces.
71
00:03:36,716 --> 00:03:39,052
But they're virtually powerless.
72
00:03:39,135 --> 00:03:42,180
Even the most famous monarch in the world,
73
00:03:42,263 --> 00:03:44,474
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II,
74
00:03:44,557 --> 00:03:46,017
is just a figurehead.
75
00:03:46,601 --> 00:03:49,228
She doesn't have
any political power per se.
76
00:03:49,312 --> 00:03:52,148
She doesn't make laws.
77
00:03:52,232 --> 00:03:54,525
She isn't meant to influence
78
00:03:54,609 --> 00:03:58,112
the policies of different politicians
or political parties.
79
00:03:58,196 --> 00:04:00,907
[Dawson]
Instead, royals do symbolic things,
80
00:04:00,990 --> 00:04:03,701
like officially open Parliament
with speeches.
81
00:04:04,535 --> 00:04:07,830
Host monarchs and presidents
from around the world.
82
00:04:08,373 --> 00:04:12,627
And stand on balconies and wave.
83
00:04:12,710 --> 00:04:15,672
They really, really like to do that.
84
00:04:15,755 --> 00:04:17,757
[crowd cheers]
85
00:04:17,840 --> 00:04:22,095
Not having political power means
that you are essentially uncontentious,
86
00:04:22,178 --> 00:04:26,641
that you can't make decisions that can
later be disagreed with by your public.
87
00:04:26,724 --> 00:04:30,937
So being impartial is key
to modern constitutional monarchy.
88
00:04:31,020 --> 00:04:34,983
I like most their apolitical nature.
They don't take stances on anything.
89
00:04:35,066 --> 00:04:37,860
Having a neutral figure
90
00:04:37,944 --> 00:04:39,821
above all petty politics
91
00:04:39,904 --> 00:04:41,572
couldn't be achieved
92
00:04:41,656 --> 00:04:44,575
if the figurehead, the head of state,
93
00:04:44,659 --> 00:04:46,119
had been elected.
94
00:04:46,202 --> 00:04:49,956
They also have this incredible power
to unify a country.
95
00:04:50,039 --> 00:04:53,376
We only need to look
at the recent pandemic,
96
00:04:53,459 --> 00:04:56,838
how the queen was able
to bring a country together.
97
00:04:56,921 --> 00:05:01,759
We should take comfort that while
we may have more still to endure,
98
00:05:01,843 --> 00:05:03,594
better days will return.
99
00:05:03,678 --> 00:05:06,556
[Dawson] It can also provide
a comforting continuity,
100
00:05:06,639 --> 00:05:10,727
seeing the same figure
over the years and the decades.
101
00:05:11,394 --> 00:05:14,147
And the same family over centuries.
102
00:05:15,898 --> 00:05:18,818
[Mozart's "Symphony No. 40" playing]
103
00:05:22,196 --> 00:05:25,366
That is my great-great-grandfather,
104
00:05:25,450 --> 00:05:28,661
Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.
105
00:05:30,455 --> 00:05:34,083
Emperor Franz Joseph
was the longest-reigning monarch
106
00:05:34,167 --> 00:05:36,294
in Europe at that time.
107
00:05:37,045 --> 00:05:40,173
He represented
the main line of the Habsburgs.
108
00:05:40,256 --> 00:05:44,302
[Dawson] The Habsburgs are one
of the oldest European royal dynasties.
109
00:05:44,385 --> 00:05:48,306
Géza's ancestors
ruled for more than 600 years.
110
00:05:49,432 --> 00:05:52,060
Today, he lives in Bronxville, New York.
111
00:05:53,186 --> 00:05:57,148
Here in the United States,
I am just a commoner,
112
00:05:57,231 --> 00:06:00,234
but back in Europe, there are many circles
113
00:06:00,318 --> 00:06:04,697
where the Habsburgs are still
considered as something special.
114
00:06:05,406 --> 00:06:08,076
[Dawson] Other Habsburgs weren't so lucky.
115
00:06:08,159 --> 00:06:11,996
One branch of the family,
which split off in the 16th century,
116
00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:16,042
became so concerned
with keeping power within their bloodline,
117
00:06:16,125 --> 00:06:17,752
they married each other.
118
00:06:18,378 --> 00:06:19,629
A lot.
119
00:06:19,712 --> 00:06:22,465
Cousins, uncles and nieces,
120
00:06:22,548 --> 00:06:24,133
and more cousins,
121
00:06:24,217 --> 00:06:27,095
with unfortunate results.
122
00:06:27,178 --> 00:06:30,807
Like the protruding Habsburg jawline.
123
00:06:30,890 --> 00:06:32,725
It was so deforming,
124
00:06:32,809 --> 00:06:36,354
painters and sculptors tried to minimize
125
00:06:36,437 --> 00:06:38,815
this deformation.
126
00:06:38,898 --> 00:06:41,359
Because of these intermarriages,
127
00:06:41,442 --> 00:06:43,069
in the year 1700,
128
00:06:43,152 --> 00:06:45,780
because no more children were born,
129
00:06:45,863 --> 00:06:47,907
the Spanish line died out.
130
00:06:48,825 --> 00:06:52,912
[Dawson] For Géza, the greatest blessing
of not being a reigning royal
131
00:06:52,995 --> 00:06:55,498
is that he can choose who to marry.
132
00:06:55,581 --> 00:06:58,668
I am incredibly blessed
133
00:06:58,751 --> 00:07:02,088
not to have had to marry a royal.
134
00:07:02,171 --> 00:07:04,924
I have the most extraordinary wife,
135
00:07:05,007 --> 00:07:09,470
who has exactly
the same interests as I do.
136
00:07:09,554 --> 00:07:12,181
I am a truly lucky man.
137
00:07:12,890 --> 00:07:15,935
[Dawson] Most ceremonial royals
have relaxed their rules.
138
00:07:16,018 --> 00:07:18,521
Queen Elizabeth
is married to her third cousin.
139
00:07:18,604 --> 00:07:20,940
They both descend from Queen Victoria.
140
00:07:21,023 --> 00:07:24,819
But her grandkids had a lot more freedom
to pick their partners.
141
00:07:25,319 --> 00:07:28,823
And in nearly half the countries
with ceremonial royals,
142
00:07:28,906 --> 00:07:31,701
the next monarch could be a queen.
143
00:07:31,784 --> 00:07:34,787
Modernizing can be key to survival.
144
00:07:35,955 --> 00:07:37,457
The Japanese monarchy
145
00:07:37,540 --> 00:07:42,879
is the longest hereditary
and continuous dynasty in the world.
146
00:07:43,379 --> 00:07:47,800
The current emperor is actually
the 126th emperor of Japan.
147
00:07:48,384 --> 00:07:51,679
[Dawson] And the current Empress Masako
faced a lot of pressure
148
00:07:51,762 --> 00:07:53,764
to produce the 127th.
149
00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,393
So much so, she withdrew from view.
150
00:07:58,477 --> 00:08:01,689
When she finally did give birth,
it was to a girl
151
00:08:01,772 --> 00:08:04,525
and girls legally can't take the throne.
152
00:08:05,067 --> 00:08:07,361
Even though she's the daughter
of the emperor,
153
00:08:07,445 --> 00:08:09,780
the future of this millennia-old dynasty
154
00:08:09,864 --> 00:08:12,617
rests on the shoulders of this boy.
155
00:08:12,700 --> 00:08:13,951
Her kid cousin.
156
00:08:14,035 --> 00:08:18,831
[Goto] The big challenge for Japan
is going to be this issue of succession.
157
00:08:18,915 --> 00:08:22,251
They are at risk literally of dying out.
158
00:08:22,335 --> 00:08:23,920
[Dawson] In every monarchy,
159
00:08:24,003 --> 00:08:26,130
the basic rule hasn't changed.
160
00:08:26,214 --> 00:08:28,216
Power is inherited.
161
00:08:28,799 --> 00:08:30,718
And so is money.
162
00:08:30,801 --> 00:08:31,969
[bell dings]
163
00:08:32,678 --> 00:08:34,555
["Paperboy" by JS playing]
164
00:08:34,639 --> 00:08:35,890
♪ Paper ♪
165
00:08:35,973 --> 00:08:37,975
♪ All the money paper ♪
166
00:08:38,643 --> 00:08:41,270
[Dawson] Most ceremonial monarchies
get taxpayer money.
167
00:08:41,354 --> 00:08:43,397
Each country calculates it differently,
168
00:08:43,481 --> 00:08:46,943
but none of them
get as much as the British royal family.
169
00:08:48,194 --> 00:08:50,404
Some believe
this investment pays for itself,
170
00:08:50,488 --> 00:08:53,282
because they generate
so much tourism revenue.
171
00:08:53,366 --> 00:08:57,870
By some estimates,
more than 700 million dollars every year.
172
00:08:57,954 --> 00:09:00,248
But that's a hard thing to calculate.
173
00:09:00,831 --> 00:09:04,585
Buckingham Palace
gets about 15 million visitors a year,
174
00:09:05,169 --> 00:09:07,964
but the Palace of Versailles
gets ten million
175
00:09:08,047 --> 00:09:11,676
and France hasn't had
a royal family for centuries.
176
00:09:13,177 --> 00:09:16,514
The British monarchy
doesn't just rely on tax money, though.
177
00:09:17,473 --> 00:09:20,017
They privately own spectacular properties
178
00:09:20,101 --> 00:09:22,019
bought with public funds.
179
00:09:22,103 --> 00:09:24,355
Expensive collections.
180
00:09:25,022 --> 00:09:27,525
Plus investments we just don't know about,
181
00:09:28,192 --> 00:09:30,736
although we got a glimpse in 2017.
182
00:09:30,820 --> 00:09:32,947
It's one of the biggest
data leaks in history.
183
00:09:33,030 --> 00:09:36,325
Millions of leaked documents
reveal how the powerful and wealthy,
184
00:09:36,409 --> 00:09:40,788
including the queen, secretly invest vast
amounts of money in offshore tax havens.
185
00:09:40,871 --> 00:09:44,292
Around ten million pounds
from the queen's personal fortune
186
00:09:44,375 --> 00:09:46,419
were paid into funds in Bermuda.
187
00:09:46,502 --> 00:09:49,839
The fascinating thing
for a historian like me
188
00:09:49,922 --> 00:09:54,427
is just how inscrutable
royal finances really are.
189
00:09:54,510 --> 00:09:58,848
We don't know what they have.
We don't know where they have it.
190
00:09:59,557 --> 00:10:02,143
[Dawson] But we do know
a lot of the start-up capital
191
00:10:02,226 --> 00:10:06,606
came from their royal subjects,
back when they ruled with absolute power.
192
00:10:07,189 --> 00:10:09,734
They required the lower classes
to pay taxes
193
00:10:09,817 --> 00:10:14,280
in exchange for favors,
land, protection, or nothing.
194
00:10:14,363 --> 00:10:17,992
Royals could just get what they wanted.
Their word was law.
195
00:10:18,075 --> 00:10:21,120
And they used that money to build palaces,
196
00:10:21,203 --> 00:10:24,248
which, in Japan and in Britain,
197
00:10:24,332 --> 00:10:26,167
they still call home today.
198
00:10:26,792 --> 00:10:29,629
They also spent that money on war.
199
00:10:29,712 --> 00:10:31,839
The more places they conquered,
200
00:10:31,922 --> 00:10:36,260
the more people in their lower classes
and the more wealth they could extract
201
00:10:36,344 --> 00:10:39,347
to fund more conquests,
creating more subjects.
202
00:10:39,430 --> 00:10:41,349
And so on and so on.
203
00:10:41,432 --> 00:10:44,518
And then there was
a whole other layer underneath this.
204
00:10:45,144 --> 00:10:46,062
[Dawson reads]
205
00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:49,231
In the 15th century,
206
00:10:49,315 --> 00:10:53,444
European powers began
conquering land and people overseas,
207
00:10:53,527 --> 00:10:56,697
until the world was mostly
under European royal rule.
208
00:10:57,365 --> 00:11:00,576
This would go on
to inspire Japan to invade its neighbors
209
00:11:00,660 --> 00:11:02,703
and build an empire of its own.
210
00:11:03,746 --> 00:11:07,792
But the British Empire was
the largest one the world has ever seen.
211
00:11:07,875 --> 00:11:10,086
In 1655, they invaded Jamaica
212
00:11:10,169 --> 00:11:13,255
and turned it into the newest jewel
in their empire.
213
00:11:13,839 --> 00:11:16,675
They set up the Royal African Company,
214
00:11:16,759 --> 00:11:21,097
which would go on to ship more
enslaved African people to the Americas
215
00:11:21,180 --> 00:11:24,558
than any other single institution ever.
216
00:11:25,142 --> 00:11:28,479
Starting with Charles II,
all the way to King William III,
217
00:11:28,562 --> 00:11:32,650
the British royal family had a monopoly
on the entire slave trade.
218
00:11:33,150 --> 00:11:35,986
They profited off kidnapping human beings,
219
00:11:36,070 --> 00:11:38,406
transporting them across the world
220
00:11:38,489 --> 00:11:41,867
and selling them
to plantation owners as free labor.
221
00:11:42,410 --> 00:11:47,623
Colonialism and enslavement
were integrally tied to the monarchy.
222
00:11:47,707 --> 00:11:52,169
A kind of racist ideology of conquest.
223
00:11:52,253 --> 00:11:54,296
The whole business of empire
224
00:11:54,380 --> 00:11:57,717
was about gathering subjects
across the globe.
225
00:11:58,551 --> 00:11:59,885
[Dawson] Under William III,
226
00:11:59,969 --> 00:12:02,680
the Royal African Company
lost its monopoly.
227
00:12:03,180 --> 00:12:06,851
The royal family had been
key early investors in the slave trade,
228
00:12:06,934 --> 00:12:09,603
but it grew into one of Britain's
biggest industries,
229
00:12:09,687 --> 00:12:12,648
trafficking nearly three million people
230
00:12:13,649 --> 00:12:16,736
and making many along the routes rich.
231
00:12:16,819 --> 00:12:19,071
And that money compounds.
232
00:12:19,155 --> 00:12:21,782
A major study estimates
that Britain owes Jamaica
233
00:12:21,866 --> 00:12:24,785
at least three trillion dollars
in reparations,
234
00:12:24,869 --> 00:12:27,037
mostly for the labor of enslaved people.
235
00:12:27,830 --> 00:12:31,584
For the whole Caribbean,
it's 9.7 trillion.
236
00:12:32,209 --> 00:12:35,087
Follow the money trail
and you can see just how much
237
00:12:35,171 --> 00:12:39,091
the British Empire profited
from its colonies around the world.
238
00:12:39,175 --> 00:12:42,762
We must recognize
that a grave injustice was done
239
00:12:42,845 --> 00:12:46,515
and the legacy of that injustice remains.
240
00:12:46,599 --> 00:12:51,145
Britain's wealth was fueled by slavery.
241
00:12:51,228 --> 00:12:54,607
[Dawson] The slave trade ended
in the early 1800s,
242
00:12:54,690 --> 00:12:58,694
but the world's empires
held strong until the next century.
243
00:12:58,778 --> 00:12:59,862
[explosions]
244
00:12:59,945 --> 00:13:02,948
[announcer] The battle of the continent
becomes Europe's total war.
245
00:13:04,033 --> 00:13:06,994
[Owens] The great shocks
of the 20th century,
246
00:13:07,077 --> 00:13:09,914
the First World War, the Second World War.
247
00:13:09,997 --> 00:13:12,750
These events lead to revolution.
248
00:13:12,833 --> 00:13:14,877
[Dawson] And dozens of monarchies fell.
249
00:13:15,753 --> 00:13:17,630
We fled from Hungary,
250
00:13:17,713 --> 00:13:19,381
left everything behind,
251
00:13:19,465 --> 00:13:22,968
and we lived the next years
252
00:13:23,052 --> 00:13:25,471
as refugees.
253
00:13:25,554 --> 00:13:28,057
[Dawson] Japan lost World War II.
254
00:13:28,140 --> 00:13:31,685
[Goto] The emperor is stripped
of this idea
255
00:13:31,769 --> 00:13:33,145
of being a divine being.
256
00:13:33,229 --> 00:13:34,814
He is a mere mortal.
257
00:13:34,897 --> 00:13:37,858
[Dawson] Japan was also stripped
of its colonies.
258
00:13:38,734 --> 00:13:40,069
But Britain wasn't
259
00:13:40,152 --> 00:13:42,571
and since it was
on the winning side of the wars,
260
00:13:42,655 --> 00:13:44,698
it enjoyed a lot of goodwill.
261
00:13:44,782 --> 00:13:49,119
The monarchy had to figure out
how on earth it changed its behavior,
262
00:13:49,203 --> 00:13:50,913
it changed its public image,
263
00:13:50,996 --> 00:13:54,333
in order to survive
in the era of democracy.
264
00:13:54,416 --> 00:13:57,419
[Dawson]
So they took off their crowns and robes,
265
00:13:57,503 --> 00:13:59,672
and went out into the streets.
266
00:13:59,755 --> 00:14:01,465
[Owens] The royal family very quickly
267
00:14:01,549 --> 00:14:05,886
pioneers a very deliberate
public relations strategy.
268
00:14:05,970 --> 00:14:10,474
It's determined to make
its natural enemies, the working classes,
269
00:14:10,558 --> 00:14:11,600
its allies.
270
00:14:12,184 --> 00:14:15,271
[Dawson]
This type of reinvention, this spin,
271
00:14:15,354 --> 00:14:17,481
is at the heart of their survival.
272
00:14:18,023 --> 00:14:19,358
Everywhere.
273
00:14:20,109 --> 00:14:22,403
On August 6th, 1962,
274
00:14:22,486 --> 00:14:25,281
Jamaica became an independent nation.
275
00:14:25,364 --> 00:14:29,118
[Cooper] I would have been 11
at Independence.
276
00:14:29,201 --> 00:14:31,662
This was a momentous occasion.
277
00:14:31,745 --> 00:14:36,500
We were moving from being a colony
to being an independent country.
278
00:14:36,584 --> 00:14:38,752
[Dawson] But there was a catch.
279
00:14:39,378 --> 00:14:41,422
One of the paradoxes of independence
280
00:14:41,505 --> 00:14:45,342
was when Princess Margaret
came to represent the queen.
281
00:14:45,426 --> 00:14:48,053
[Dawson] This was happening
around the world.
282
00:14:48,679 --> 00:14:51,682
[Owens] What we see
are carefully choreographed scenes.
283
00:14:51,765 --> 00:14:54,852
They are, according to the images
we see in the newsreels,
284
00:14:54,935 --> 00:14:57,021
welcomed by the locals.
285
00:14:57,104 --> 00:15:01,025
They have sought to present this idea
that the Empire, now Commonwealth,
286
00:15:01,108 --> 00:15:05,529
is characterized by ideas of harmony,
unity, democracy, equality.
287
00:15:05,613 --> 00:15:07,906
And yet, for so long,
288
00:15:07,990 --> 00:15:10,743
the monarchy held an empire together
289
00:15:10,826 --> 00:15:12,703
based on oppression and violence.
290
00:15:13,412 --> 00:15:14,997
[Dawson] Of the 63 British colonies
291
00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:17,875
that gained independence
in the 20th century,
292
00:15:17,958 --> 00:15:21,128
nearly half chose
to become Commonwealth realms
293
00:15:21,211 --> 00:15:23,672
and 15 of them still are.
294
00:15:25,257 --> 00:15:28,886
In other words,
Queen Elizabeth II is their queen.
295
00:15:29,511 --> 00:15:33,641
In the early days of independence,
there would have been a lot of individuals
296
00:15:33,724 --> 00:15:37,227
who only knew
a Jamaica under British rule.
297
00:15:37,311 --> 00:15:38,896
We used to sing,
298
00:15:38,979 --> 00:15:41,815
"Rule Britannia,
Britannia rules the waves."
299
00:15:41,899 --> 00:15:44,109
"Britons never never shall be slaves."
300
00:15:44,193 --> 00:15:48,238
And it never struck our teachers
that we were the children of slaves.
301
00:15:48,322 --> 00:15:50,991
How could we be singing
a foolish song like that?
302
00:15:51,075 --> 00:15:54,286
That's because
we identified with the British.
303
00:15:54,370 --> 00:15:55,788
We were Britons.
304
00:15:56,330 --> 00:15:59,458
[Dawson] Every year,
Jamaica’s parliament opens with this.
305
00:15:59,541 --> 00:16:02,211
Men in British-style military uniforms,
306
00:16:02,294 --> 00:16:04,922
and British robes and wigs.
307
00:16:05,005 --> 00:16:07,549
And a speech
by Jamaica's Governor-General,
308
00:16:07,633 --> 00:16:10,886
appointed by the Queen of England
to represent her.
309
00:16:10,969 --> 00:16:13,305
She also gave him a royal insignia,
310
00:16:13,389 --> 00:16:15,140
which was part of his uniform
311
00:16:15,224 --> 00:16:18,394
until it recently came under scrutiny.
312
00:16:18,477 --> 00:16:22,648
That image
that's on the St. Michael insignia
313
00:16:22,731 --> 00:16:27,820
is of an archangel
with his foot on the neck of the devil.
314
00:16:27,903 --> 00:16:31,824
And people began to see the symbolic link
315
00:16:31,907 --> 00:16:35,452
between a white colonial master
316
00:16:35,536 --> 00:16:37,830
oppressing a Black subject.
317
00:16:37,913 --> 00:16:40,332
You're like, "Whoa, hold on a minute."
318
00:16:40,416 --> 00:16:44,586
Even the governor-general himself
made a comment about revisiting it.
319
00:16:45,212 --> 00:16:49,842
[Dawson] The queen technically owns
all of Jamaica’s public land
320
00:16:49,925 --> 00:16:53,887
and the capital
has a prominent statue of Queen Victoria.
321
00:16:53,971 --> 00:16:59,017
And the truth is
that these are the things that remain
322
00:16:59,101 --> 00:17:01,645
that sometimes we are not conscious of,
323
00:17:01,729 --> 00:17:05,983
but, unconsciously,
they kind of reorient the mind.
324
00:17:06,066 --> 00:17:09,028
Having the queen as the head of state
325
00:17:09,111 --> 00:17:11,739
is a classic example of mental slavery.
326
00:17:11,822 --> 00:17:14,533
That we need to emancipate ourselves
327
00:17:14,616 --> 00:17:18,454
from some of these traditions
that bind us to the past
328
00:17:18,537 --> 00:17:21,832
and do not enable us
to claim full freedom.
329
00:17:22,541 --> 00:17:26,295
[Dawson] But that history is not the story
the monarchy wants to tell.
330
00:17:26,378 --> 00:17:28,964
Its brand isn't political anymore.
331
00:17:29,048 --> 00:17:30,132
It's personal.
332
00:17:30,799 --> 00:17:34,136
[announcer] To be head of the Commonwealth
entails long absences abroad.
333
00:17:34,219 --> 00:17:37,056
And what a sacrifice that must be
is brought home to us
334
00:17:37,139 --> 00:17:40,517
by these glimpses of the happiness
that comes to the royal family
335
00:17:40,601 --> 00:17:42,478
when they are all at home together.
336
00:17:43,812 --> 00:17:48,484
The monarchy have turned
this idea of family into a business.
337
00:17:48,567 --> 00:17:52,279
And into a very successful business.
It's about emotion.
338
00:17:52,362 --> 00:17:56,366
We can all relate
to the image of an ordinary family.
339
00:17:56,450 --> 00:17:58,786
[Dawson] We see this every day now.
340
00:17:58,869 --> 00:18:01,830
It's one of the most popular TV genres,
341
00:18:01,914 --> 00:18:06,085
but the royals
pioneered this decades earlier.
342
00:18:06,168 --> 00:18:10,339
For the first time, they started
to celebrate things like royal weddings,
343
00:18:10,422 --> 00:18:12,508
royal births, funerals,
344
00:18:12,591 --> 00:18:14,092
as national events.
345
00:18:14,802 --> 00:18:16,178
[Dawson] And global ones.
346
00:18:16,261 --> 00:18:19,348
It's estimated that Prince William
and Prince Harry’s weddings
347
00:18:19,431 --> 00:18:23,060
were watched by more than
a quarter of the people on Earth.
348
00:18:23,143 --> 00:18:25,062
[cheering]
349
00:18:25,145 --> 00:18:29,733
I have to confess that I watched
the wedding of Prince Harry.
350
00:18:29,817 --> 00:18:31,610
It was a grand occasion.
351
00:18:31,693 --> 00:18:35,489
So we do in Jamaica
pay attention to these royals,
352
00:18:35,572 --> 00:18:40,244
but it is with a kind of attention
you pay to a celebrity.
353
00:18:40,327 --> 00:18:42,704
Why am I a royal watcher?
354
00:18:42,788 --> 00:18:45,332
Because at a thousand years old,
355
00:18:45,415 --> 00:18:47,876
they are the longest, continually running
356
00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,546
reality show family in the world.
357
00:18:50,629 --> 00:18:52,256
And the drama never stops.
358
00:18:52,339 --> 00:18:54,508
My favorite memory
359
00:18:54,591 --> 00:18:57,761
is when the queen dressed up in pink
360
00:18:57,845 --> 00:19:02,516
and when Prince Harry and Meghan
get their kiss.
361
00:19:02,599 --> 00:19:06,019
It is quite cool
to have that tradition there,
362
00:19:06,103 --> 00:19:08,897
because I consider myself
a real traditionalist.
363
00:19:08,981 --> 00:19:10,649
I love the influence it has.
364
00:19:11,191 --> 00:19:14,611
[Dawson] In a democracy, we like to think
of power working like this.
365
00:19:14,695 --> 00:19:16,780
From the people to the government.
366
00:19:16,864 --> 00:19:20,075
But in our culture,
it's still the old triangle.
367
00:19:20,158 --> 00:19:21,577
Royals are at the top,
368
00:19:21,660 --> 00:19:23,745
but instead of God giving them
their power...
369
00:19:23,829 --> 00:19:25,581
-[popping sounds]
-...the media does.
370
00:19:25,664 --> 00:19:29,209
They use it and we buy into it.
371
00:19:29,793 --> 00:19:33,088
And that's now the strategy
of royals everywhere.
372
00:19:34,089 --> 00:19:37,926
All that media attention
comes with a lot of power
373
00:19:38,010 --> 00:19:41,138
and nobody knew that better
than Princess Diana.
374
00:19:42,848 --> 00:19:46,268
She was the first royal
to redirect that attention
375
00:19:46,351 --> 00:19:47,895
to other issues.
376
00:19:47,978 --> 00:19:50,105
[announcer]
The princess is an inspiration.
377
00:19:50,188 --> 00:19:52,107
By touching and talking to patients,
378
00:19:52,191 --> 00:19:55,319
she reduces the prejudice,
stigma, and fear of AIDS.
379
00:19:55,402 --> 00:19:59,865
This visit has convinced me
that I must continue to play a part
380
00:19:59,948 --> 00:20:03,660
in the ongoing worldwide campaign
to ban landmines.
381
00:20:03,744 --> 00:20:06,413
In many ways, she took on a new role here.
382
00:20:06,496 --> 00:20:10,167
She presented herself as a humanitarian.
383
00:20:10,751 --> 00:20:13,462
[Dawson] Her sons have followed
in her footsteps
384
00:20:13,545 --> 00:20:14,963
with their own charity work.
385
00:20:15,047 --> 00:20:17,090
What’s happened with us and with others
386
00:20:17,174 --> 00:20:19,968
is that you have
to prioritize your mental health.
387
00:20:20,552 --> 00:20:22,221
[Dawson] But on certain issues,
388
00:20:22,304 --> 00:20:26,308
it's hard to be a humanitarian
and stay uncontroversial.
389
00:20:26,391 --> 00:20:29,227
[Scobie] The resurgence
of the Black Lives Matter movement
390
00:20:29,311 --> 00:20:31,939
was a particularly important moment.
391
00:20:32,022 --> 00:20:35,567
Given the colonial past of the UK,
392
00:20:35,651 --> 00:20:38,236
the Commonwealth,
and the British royal family,
393
00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,365
it makes for
a very difficult conversation to have.
394
00:20:41,448 --> 00:20:44,868
[Dawson] Kate and William's charity
showed support on Instagram,
395
00:20:44,952 --> 00:20:48,038
but that wasn't under their own names.
396
00:20:48,121 --> 00:20:52,084
The two people we did hear from
at that point were Harry and Meghan,
397
00:20:52,167 --> 00:20:55,087
who had already stepped away
from the institution.
398
00:20:55,170 --> 00:20:57,422
Prince Harry is on a mission
for social change.
399
00:20:57,506 --> 00:20:59,466
Now he's focusing on systemic racism.
400
00:20:59,549 --> 00:21:02,761
[announcer] He's had an awakening
to the issues facing minorities.
401
00:21:02,844 --> 00:21:05,806
There's no way that we can move forward
402
00:21:05,889 --> 00:21:07,808
unless we acknowledge the past.
403
00:21:07,891 --> 00:21:11,812
[Dawson] The world soon learned
how personal the issue was
404
00:21:11,895 --> 00:21:16,316
when, in 2021, they did
a blockbuster interview with Oprah,
405
00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:20,529
adding that the institution
had missed an opportunity.
406
00:21:20,612 --> 00:21:23,699
I could never understand
how it wouldn't be seen as
407
00:21:24,533 --> 00:21:26,118
an added benefit,
408
00:21:26,201 --> 00:21:28,495
and a reflection of the world.
409
00:21:28,578 --> 00:21:31,248
At all times, but especially right now.
410
00:21:31,331 --> 00:21:34,876
Here you have one of the greatest
assets to the Commonwealth
411
00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:36,586
the family could have wished for.
412
00:21:36,670 --> 00:21:39,756
[Dawson] The royal family
responded in a statement.
413
00:21:40,340 --> 00:21:42,801
[Dawson reading]
414
00:21:51,184 --> 00:21:54,271
But for many people
who live in Commonwealth realms,
415
00:21:54,354 --> 00:21:57,024
these issues are a lot more
than a family matter.
416
00:21:57,107 --> 00:21:59,192
It has sparked another debate in Jamaica.
417
00:21:59,276 --> 00:22:02,654
An individual who "rules" us
418
00:22:02,738 --> 00:22:05,115
that doesn't look like us, sound like us.
419
00:22:05,198 --> 00:22:07,492
[Dawson] Even before that Oprah interview,
420
00:22:07,576 --> 00:22:10,662
only 30% of Jamaicans, a record low,
421
00:22:10,746 --> 00:22:13,415
wanted to keep the queen
as their head of state.
422
00:22:14,041 --> 00:22:17,669
And Barbados announced
that it will officially remove her.
423
00:22:17,753 --> 00:22:19,755
Other countries may follow.
424
00:22:21,590 --> 00:22:23,091
Unlike the British royal family,
425
00:22:23,175 --> 00:22:27,179
the Japanese emperor has started
to confront his country's imperial past.
426
00:22:27,262 --> 00:22:30,015
[Akihito in Japanese] Recalling the past
with profound remorse
427
00:22:30,098 --> 00:22:31,266
over the previous war.
428
00:22:31,350 --> 00:22:34,770
[Goto in English] That can be seen
as a political action,
429
00:22:34,853 --> 00:22:38,315
but at the same time,
it is something that has garnered
430
00:22:38,398 --> 00:22:41,360
a lot of respect
from the Japanese themselves.
431
00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,698
[Dawson] The royal fairy tale
has always cut out the other chapters.
432
00:22:47,366 --> 00:22:50,327
The real challenge of monarchy
in the 21st century
433
00:22:50,410 --> 00:22:53,955
is about how to keep
that mystique and aura.
434
00:22:54,623 --> 00:22:56,750
If you open the doors too widely,
435
00:22:56,833 --> 00:22:59,002
the aura is gone, the mystique is gone,
436
00:22:59,086 --> 00:23:02,214
and you are no different than anyone else.
437
00:23:02,297 --> 00:23:06,093
People want the magic of monarchies.
438
00:23:06,176 --> 00:23:07,761
[Dawson] But for some royals,
439
00:23:07,844 --> 00:23:11,098
holding on to that fairy tale
has been a heavy burden
440
00:23:11,890 --> 00:23:14,226
that could cost them their happy ending.
441
00:23:14,768 --> 00:23:18,563
For others, leaving royalty
turned out to be their happy ending.
442
00:23:19,606 --> 00:23:22,984
For most royals,
maintaining the fairy tale
443
00:23:23,068 --> 00:23:26,696
may mean finally facing the full story.
444
00:23:26,780 --> 00:23:31,201
There is an African saying
that until the lion tells a story,
445
00:23:31,284 --> 00:23:33,036
we won't hear the full story,
446
00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:37,332
because the story's traditionally told
by the hunters and not by the lions.
447
00:23:37,416 --> 00:23:40,585
And I think it is time
for the story of the lion to be told.
448
00:23:41,336 --> 00:23:43,338
[whimsical music playing]
449
00:23:46,258 --> 00:23:47,426
[music ends]
450
00:23:47,509 --> 00:23:49,511
[closing theme music playing]
451
00:24:14,828 --> 00:24:16,830
[theme music fades]