The Death of an Icon

More than a Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II was a pop culture icon that inspired many artistic individuals.

A treasured muse and remarkable pop culture icon, Queen Elizabeth II was more than England’s longest-ruling monarch. Though she is known for her unwavering dedication to her people, the queen has had various highlights in pop culture that have captured the attention of individuals worldwide.

1969: Tribute from The Beatles

Queen Elizabeth II was the subject of the 26-second song “Her Majesty,” written by The Beatles. The short tune, included as a hidden track on the Beatles’ most popular album “Abbey Road,” expresses admiration for the queen, and is one of her earliest appearances in pop culture.

1977: Crown Controversy with The Sex Pistols

The monarch was the topic of another song titled “God Save the Queen,” written by The Sex Pistols. Unlike the reverent message of “Her Majesty,” this punk-rock track harshly criticized the queen and her perceived indifference towards British citizens. The anti-monarchy song became a major anthem for young Britons who felt isolated from Queen Elizabeth II, whom they viewed as an aloof and overly traditional ruler.

2014: Ironic Appearance at the Iron Throne

Queen Elizabeth II surprised modern audiences by making an appearance at the Iron Throne in a P.R.-boosting trip to the Games of Thrones set. Many assumed that the monarch had seen the popular series, though her lack of knowledge of the show was revealed when she asked actors on set about the show’s premise. Rather than connecting with citizens and the global community over a shared interest in the show, the queen’s appearance at the Iron Throne came off as a blatant publicity stunt.

2018: London Fashion Week

The monarch made an eminent appearance at London Fashion Week, sitting in the front row beside Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour. At the event, Queen Elizabeth II presented the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design to fashion designer Richard Quinn and displayed an authentic passion for innovations in British fashion. In doing so, the monarch shared with the public a more genuine, personable side, detailing her own opinions on fashion and inspiring designers in the process.

With her passing on Sept. 8, 2022, the renowned icon leaves behind a legacy of pop culture inspiration, both positive and negative, for a number of creations during her lifetime. The death of Queen Elizabeth II marks the end of an influential era, and the start of a new reign, with Charles II ascending the throne.

Reference: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/09/queen-elizabeth-in-pop-culture-a-history

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About the Contributors

Christian Festin, Senior Staff Writer

Zoharys Jaen, Lifestyle Editor

Dedicated, hardworking, aggressively extroverted, and perhaps optimistic to a detriment, Zoharys Jaen is in her Senior year at Oxford and has been a member of Gamut staff since the 9th grade. First joining due to encouragement from her English teacher Ms. Galvan, along with being interested in a chance for her work to be published and printed, she now serves as Gamuts Lifestyle editor. Though looking to constantly keep herself busy, she still finds free time to indulge in reading and watching romantic comedies which include the number 10 in their title, such as “10 Things I Hate About You” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” Zoharys both plays and listens to music, her mastered instruments including both the piano to ukulele, and music taste ranging from Classical to K-pop. Her other assorted hobbies and interests include but are not limited to knitting, baking and reading poetry.

Rachel Yoon, Opinion Editor

Joining during the quarantine year after encouragement from her English teacher, Rachel Yoon, a junior at Oxford Academy, is currently in her third year as a Gamut staff member. Skilled in both the arts and writing, she has both written and illustrated for the Gamut before. Rachel likes to paint and draw as a hobby but finds that writing is an easier way to put down her thoughts. She also has an interest in math, recently starting a math blog in hopes of helping others in the subject. With a strained relationship with the app TikTok—deleting it and redownloading it multiple times due to concerning screentime—she watches many cooking videos. As such, Rachel is an avid cook who cooks for herself and her family, following internet-famous cooks like Doobydobap and Cafehailee for inspiration. Despite this, Rachel is a baking hater, finding it a stressful medium compared to cooking’s forgiveness; cooking is a way to keep her focused and productive. Multi-talented and well-rounded, Rachel is serving as this year’s opinion editor!