Chapter 4, The Context, Performance and Meaning of Ritual, The British Monarchy and the 'Invention of Tradition', c. 1820-1977 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 4 opens by noting that in the nineteenth century English elites began to frown on the pomp and circumstance surrounding the British monarchy, but the author notes that today few heads of state are more popular than Queen Elizabeth II. The purpose of the chapter is to analyze these and other changes in attitudes towards English royal ceremonials. The author will analyze attitudes towards the monarchy in terms of their historical context. Repeated rituals like coronations may use the same text but the meaning of the text can change given the context. Rituals and ceremonies are dynamic.

The author, David Cannadine, suggests that ten aspects of ritual...