“The Queen of England has become the grandmother of Europe”, according to Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre

70 years of reign. “It’s dizzying,” exclaims Adélaïde de Clermont Tonnerre, editorial director of Point of view and author of historical novels. The writer sees, of course, in the life of Elizabeth II the ideal material for a novel. But the journalist prefers to analyze the impact of this extraordinary reign on society. The author also participated in the special edition of France 2 devoted to the jubilee this Thursday.

For 20 minutes, Adélaïde de Clermont Tonnerre talks about the unique attachment that the public, French in particular, has for the Queen of England. And on the contradictions behind this fascination.

What does Elizabeth II represent for Point of view ?

Point of view grew up with her. The magazine’s first color cover was the Queen’s coronation in 1953. When it was created in 1945, Point of view had to be a Life French style, the first picture magazine French. This magazine is a slice of history. Like Elizabeth II, we have lived through the 20th century.

Is Elizabeth II an actress or a witness of the times she has gone through?

She witnessed the difficulties of the Second World War, in particular. But she was also an actress as head of state. It, and the monarchy with it, have evolved with the times. She adapted to the many events that shook her reign and she agreed to the revolutions in morals. We cannot prejudge the opinions of the queen, who has the duty never to express them, but we can judge the facts. His sister could not marry a divorced man, but his son, Charles, was able to do so with Camilla, who was however the hated mistress… And Harry was able to marry Meghan, a divorced, American. Two generations ago it would have been unthinkable, there would have been blackouts in Buckingham if anyone had dared to contemplate such a thing…

You would almost pass her off as a progressive…

Maybe not no. But, while maintaining traditions and a certain folklore, she is not at all a formal queen. She is deeply human, she uses her intelligence and her subtlety. In this, it is modern. And then she was the first head of state to send an email.

Would you say she is a feminist?

She would deny it, she wouldn’t like that word because she’s of her generation. It’s a word that is still a little scary in its milieu, that we are just beginning to accept. But I think she has done a lot for women. At 25, she had to impose herself in a very very misogynistic environment. She ushered in the modern era of women, being both a mother and having an incredible professional activity. This was also made possible thanks to a husband who agreed to give up a military career which promised to be glorious. He chose to spend his life always three steps behind her. It’s still a pioneering couple.

How do you explain the attachment of your French readers to this figure of an English queen?

He is a character with influence far beyond the Commonwealth. For several years, she has embodied a reassuring figure. We had proof of this with the reactions to his speech during the pandemic. His message of hope, very simple, aroused very moved reactions. His We will meet again resonated with a lot of families, in circles of friends. Its resilience is inspiring.

She was not the only one in this case during the pandemic. And then the French have no king. Why this passion?

We still have the most monarchical Republic there is. Emmanuel Macron understood this well with his concept of the Jupiterian president, he identified this need. Even if the French are not royalists, there is also an attachment to this senior figure who, at her age, continues to fulfill her obligations, to keep her commitments, to make the physical effort to serve the crown. She has become the grandmother of Europe, she embodies the elders. During the pandemic, many elderly people died alone, people lost their grandparents without being able to see them one last time, without being able to attend the funeral. There is this painful recent past in connection with the elders. In this context, Elizabeth II sends a positive message of old age.

Would you say she was a better grandmother than mother?

Maybe. And a very good great-grandmother too. She is in the process of succeeding in her last great challenge: patching up her family after the huge Megxit crisis. She is going to meet her last great-granddaughter. A lot of grandmothers would like to be able to manage their family like that…

The public’s fascination with the royal family is also that: a bit of voyeurism?

Identifying with historical figures is cathartic. Beyond the pageantry, the story, we like to see that they are human, like us. They are born, they grow, they die. They love each other, they tear each other apart… People have an affect for them: love or hatred, pity, empathy.

Is it to tell these stories that you decided, in 2018, to buy the magazine Point of viewthat you lead?

Yes, of course, the royal prism is important to us. But above all, I was afraid that the magazine, which is a nugget, would fall into the wrong hands, those of ill-intentioned people. I am viscerally attached to this title and especially to the people who do it. I saw beyond my personal destiny, I wanted to commit myself to this story, to ensure that Point of view take his destiny into his own hands.

It seems that, like the British family, Point of view arouses less ridicule or condescension than a few years ago. Have you noticed this too?

Absolutely ! Many people have come out daring to say “I like Point of view I read it and I accept it”. I think history interests them. Before, it was a reaction to be curious about our past, because of what remains of it in our society. In an anxiety-provoking, fluctuating world, agitated by geopolitical shocks, people want to re-anchor themselves. It can go through a return to the countryside, the rediscovery of a land, or the passion for kings and queens, witnesses of a past.