La reine Elizabeth II est morte : Responses to Her Late Majesty the Queen’s Death in a Republic

France is the country of Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité and the republic for which its people so strongly fought in the French Revolution.  

It was 8th September, 2022, after being numbed by two hours of pew-like seats of a Sorbonne lecture theatre, when I first heard the hushed exclamations of concern for Her Late Majesty’s decline in health. It certainly surprised me at the amount of interest, conversation, and care that was circulating for the late Queen in another country, let alone a republic.  

This article will make a whistle stop tour of France, listening to perspectives of sources such as Le Monde and France 24, and individuals from Normandy to Cannes, and further afield to French speaking Cameroon. Through these perspectives, I will explore the Francophone relationships with the Queen and the British monarchy.  

Ever since events such as William of Normandy’s victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, France and Britain have swung between ‘amitié’ and ‘rivalité’. However, according to France 24, the late Queen Elizabeth II has helped to preserve unity between the two nations. Despite political turbulences, the late Queen has preserved a unique mix of friendship, and rivalry, but most importantly, ‘dans la bonne humeur’.  

“To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was The Queen,” said President Macron. The words of French President Emmanuel Macron’s broadcast on 9th September 2022 reflect the fondness of the French for the late Queen: “She held a special status in France and a special place in the hearts of the French people…The Queen of 16 kingdoms loved France, which loved her back. This evening, the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth are mourning their Queen. The people of France join them in their grief,” said President Emmanuel Macron. 

This fondness ranged from her personality to her presence in political spheres. It is certainly clear from Le Parisien, which states that more than six million people watched the Queen’s funeral in France, that the royal news did not remain in the background in the French media. For many, it was Queen Elizabeth II’s personality which earned her ‘a special place in the hearts of the French people.’ Some, such as journalist Isabelle Rivère from Le Point, would even go as far as to say that a ‘love story’ existed between the Queen and France. Flavie, a student initially from Normandy, recognises that the Queen left a good impression on the French, thanks to her deep interest in the francophone culture and her fluency of French. Many admired the Queen’s humility to serve others and down-to-earth charisma. An individual from Versailles reveals their admiration for the Queen because ‘she dedicated her whole life to serve her country, which is not easy.’ Others, such as student Sophia from Cannes, echo this respect for the Queen’s commitment to a role to which she was never destined: ‘The [late] Queen thought of the people before herself and as French we respect that. We respect a person in power uniting the people.’ Sophia continues to describe the Queen as a role model internationally, which reflects the words of journalist Étienne Gernelle (Le Point, 12 septembre 2022, no. 2614) : “In France, we will remember Elizabeth II for a long time. Much more so than some of our Heads of State and government from over the past seven decades, the duration of her reign.” A student at the Sorbonne regards the British royal family as France’s ‘surrogate royal family’ since they no longer have their own. These words reflect those of Macron’s (‘To us, she was the Queen’), which can be seen to state a shared experience and even affection of a Queen, who not only impacted her own sovereign states, but further afield. 

 However, it is not only on a personal level that she gains respect from the French. It is also ‘her history and attitude [which] command respect’ (Le Point). Many in France recognise the Queen’s tough task to walk the fine line between politics and passivity. In 2017, actor Sir Mark Rylance reflected on the role of a King or Queen, in relation to his role of Hamlet. He identifies harmony and justice as being qualities of a royal ruler. He adds that a King or Queen looks beyond themselves to serve others. Similarly, Francophone individuals recognise that Queen Elizabeth II demonstrated gestures of peace to create harmony despite political schisms. Jacky, born in French-speaking Cameroon and now working in Paris, felt warmly towards the late Queen. For her, the Queen represented values of openness, and a willingness to listen to others, something which made her feel at home in the UK when she worked there as a modern foreign languages teacher. Furthermore, ‘when visiting Paris, Elizabeth II’s words to George Pompidou resonate today as a political testament: ‘We do not drive on the same side of the road, but we do go in the same direction.’  Within this analogy, the Queen reveals her openness to forge bonds of unity rather than create boundaries from political or cultural differences. 

Image courtesy of Rachael Jefferies, ©2022, some rights reserved.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the wider St Andrews Foreign Affairs Review team.