Crown jewel: the soft power of William and Kate’s Nordic visit

Caroline Davies, theguardian.com [original article contains links.]

Queen Victoria image (not from article) from

Royal couple will offer plenty of photo-ops but their real aim is to bolster Britain’s influence

Excerpt:

The former prime minister David Cameron once described the UK as “the soft power superpower”, while the government told a 2014 House of Lords select committee the monarchy was “a unique soft power and diplomatic asset”.

Not all share the FCO’s steadfast belief in royalty’s soft power. “Visits abroad by the royal family may raise the profile locally of the UK,” said Gary Rawnsley, a professor of public diplomacy at Aberystwyth University who has researched soft power. However, research showed that “this does not necessarily convert into affection for the UK – its values or its policies. Neither do such visits change opinion about or behaviour towards the UK, especially when relations at government level are fraught.

“Audiences can have high levels of positive opinion about the royals, but a low opinion of the British government and the way it behaves at home and abroad,” Rawnsley said.

The British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and education opportunities, believes such visits have enormous value for its work. Rachel Launay, its country director in Germany, said of the Cambridges’ visit last year: “People wanted to see a couple who portray a fresh modern image of the British royal family.” The visit meant the “the British Council had the opportunity to introduce them to creative Germans and Brits who are setting the cultural agenda in Berlin together”.

Queen Victoria was extremely savvy about soft power, marrying off her children to European royalty, which makes this trip almost a family affair for William.

King Harald of Norway, 80, is the Queen’s second cousin while King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden, 71, is her third. William, 35, and Kate, 36, will be escorted by Princess Victoria, 40, and Prince Daniel of Sweden, 44, and Prince Haakon, 44, and Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, 44, during their visit.

And so will endure the familial links with future sovereigns of Europe. ...