Queen Elizabeth II has inspired artists, musicians, and screenwriters across generations. Her death startled not only Britain but the entire world, which had long associated itself with a monarchy that endured for decades. Her reign remains the longest in British history, a fact reflected in pop culture through t-shirts, songs, and cameos in television series and films.
Upgrade-EMV, the newspaper division of the Prensa Ibérica group, provides an overview of Elizabeth II’s appearances in popular culture, highlighting how her image and legacy have permeated media and art.
immortalized by Andy Warhol
Artist Andy Warhol turned to the official photograph of the Silver Jubilee from 1977, captured by Peter Grugeon, to create a vibrant silkscreen portrait of Elizabeth. This work formed part of Warhol’s series The Reign of Queens. The British Crown acquired four of these portraits in 2018 as part of the Queen: Portraits of a Sovereign exhibition, underscoring the enduring resonance of Elizabeth II in contemporary art.
From Sex Pistols to The Beatles
The era of Elizabeth II also intersected with music that challenged establishment norms. The Sex Pistols released God Save the Queen, a track infamous for its provocative critique of the monarchy and national identity. The single appeared on May 27, 1977, amid the Queen’s 25th anniversary celebrations, sparking intense controversy and drawing attention to the tensions between youth culture and royal symbolism. The band used stark imagery to question power and status.
The era also saw influential pop culture references to the monarchy in other genres. The Smiths released The Queen Is Dead, a track brimming with political and social allusions. The album’s early plans reportedly toyed with provocative titles, while Morrissey reflected on encounters with royal imagery as part of a broader critique of authority. These works illustrate how the monarchy became a provocative touchstone for British art and youth expression during the late 20th century.
The Beatles, too, engaged with Elizabeth II in a more courteous, if nuanced, manner. Their songs and correspondence reflected admiration and respect, with a sense that the queen represented a stable, ceremonial figure in a rapidly changing world. Even as later exchanges hinted at a more candid view of monarchy, the Beatles’ sentiment acknowledged the queen as a symbol of grace and continuity under pressure.
The Crown and blockbuster biographies
Elizabeth II’s life has been the subject of numerous film and television portrayals. Among the most watched is Netflix’s The Crown, a series that revisits the history of the British royal family from the moment the queen assumed the throne. In the series, Elizabeth II is portrayed by actors including Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton. Staunton is slated to appear again in the forthcoming fifth season, set to premiere in the near term, with the narrative charting major events such as the marriage and departure of royal figures. The show offers a dramatized lens on the endurance and evolution of the monarchy within contemporary society.
On the big screen, Helen Mirren portrayed Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006), a film directed by Stephen Frears that centers on the royal family’s response to Diana, Princess of Wales, and the broader implications for the monarchy in modern Britain.
The monarch has also appeared in animated formats, with appearances in The Simpsons and other series. There is also a notable moment in music videos and popular culture where royal imagery is referenced in contemporary media, illustrating the queen’s lasting presence in a wide range of artistic expressions.