The passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth II has set in motion a massive ‘rebranding’ campaign decades in the making. What can we learn from the transition from EIIR to CIIIR?

By Xische Editorial, September 22, 2022

The British monarchy is a multifaceted organization with an extraordinary history. The vibrant traditions that have defined the monarchy for hundreds of years have been on full display since the passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth II this month. As the United Kingdom grieves and engages  in traditions surrounding Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, there are larger changes taking place behind the scenes.

The monarchy is in the midst of a brand overhaul as nearly everything associated with the Queen must now be associated with King Charles III. From a brand perspective, there is so much to consider in this transition. 

Let’s start with the details of what is changing. Among the items that will have to eventually be rebranded with the likeness of the King, according to the Wall Street Journal notes, are 29 billion coins and 4.7 billion banknotes currently in circulation. Even the direction the regent is facing on the bank note will need to be a different direction as per tradition. The creation of new bank notes will take some time and the Bank of England has assured a concerned public that banknotes with the Queen’s image will remain legal tender. 

The anthem of the United Kingdom has already changed to include the phrase “God Save the King.” New citizens will pledge allegiance to “His Majesty,” not “her”. Government agencies across the country will need to change their official titles to his “His Majesty’s” (this includes the UK’s armed forces, which will now be His Majesty’s Armed Forces). Perhaps the most interesting changes will take place at the Royal Mail. 

The Journal notes that the Royal Mail’s “distinct, fire engine-red mailboxes are sprinkled on sidewalks across Britain. While it is expected to eventually roll out new stamps bearing the king’s face, its mailboxes—which carry the queen’s cipher, a kind of monogram with her first initial—historically have remained for as long as they’re useful, in some cases more than a century. Despite her 70-year reign, only about 60% of the country’s post boxes were installed under Queen Elizabeth, according to the Royal Mail, while 15% remain from the time of George V, and even some remain bearing the cipher of Queen Victoria.” 

In the British Commonwealth, The Guardian reports, 14 countries recognise the monarch as their head of state. In many cases their constitutions state that the Queen, specifically, is the head of state. In these countries, constitutions will need to be amended to refer to her successor.

This is no small undertaking considering the long reign of Queen Elizabeth but so far the transition has been smooth. What we are watching unfold is a testament to the brand strength of the British monarchy itself. At a time when the idea of monarchy is coming under pressure in some parts of the world (including inside the Commonwealth itself), the British royal family is using this transition to demonstrate its central position to the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. Lest we forget that the British monarch has powers beyond the UK from Australia to Canada. 

One key brand takeaway from this transition therefore is to know your brand. While this might sound simple, the monarchy has gone back to basics and demonstrated a clear connection with the monarch’s centrality in British life.

The Queen’s remarkable popularity among the British public was a great starting point for this transition that King Charles will see through. There are reports that people are waiting days to pay their last respects to the Queen. 

With a clear connection with the core tenets of your brand, building on your strong suits is easy to carry out. All the pomp and circumstance that we are watching unfold on our television screens play into this brand execution. When the funeral events have passed, the British public and the international community will ease into life with the new monarch. Given King Charles’s advanced age, we are actually being primed for life with his son, Prince William. By going to the core of what makes the British Royal family resonate in society, the monarchy is starting that multi-generation shift right now. 

Great brand execution will always come down to bringing out the brand’s strongest components and thinking ahead for any changes that might be on the horizon. That’s exactly what we are seeing on a global scale. Let’s check back in on this transition in a couple of months to see if any pain points took shape and what we can learn from them.