Digital communication strategies of the British Royal Household during the State funeral of Elizabeth II

Abstract

After 60 years on the throne, on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II, head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries, died. The death of this key figure in contemporary history became global news and a communication phenomenon. For years, the so-called Operation London Bridge had collected in all kinds of details the ceremonies and bureaucratic apparatus that would follow the death of the monarch. This research aims, in addition to studying the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, to manage the digital communication developed by the British Royal House. In this sense, the 200 messages published on the official accounts of this institution on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are analyzed, from the death of the monarch (09-08-2022) to her burial (09-19-2022). The results point to a clear planning of online communication, focused on glossing the figure of the queen and disclosing all kinds of details about her funeral chapels and funerals. Another of the findings of this work is the high response of digital audiences to these publications. On the other hand, much less focus has been observed from the British Royal House on issues related to the proclamation of Charles III, as well as much less dissemination among users.