Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival

There has always been a symbiotic relationship between the Firm and the media, especially the print tabloids, with each needing the other for survival. Queen Elizabeth II was the first to fully embrace the modern media, allowing her coronation ceremony to be broadcast for the first time. This established royal pageantry and the lives of the royals as a form of entertainment. The monarchy has always been intertwined with the military and religion. However, with the reduction of the former’s strength and the loss of interest in the latter over time, the monarchy has increasingly needed the third arm of the media to keep it relevant and connected.

The relationship between the Firm and the press exists in three silos, the first of which is the royal rota. Similar to the White House press corps, members from a group of journalists from different press houses take turns to cover and report back to the pack on events that don’t have open coverage. Only British national print media are part of the rota, with no representation from Commonwealth nations, digital media houses, or reporters from any other countries. Thus, a spot on the rota is highly coveted.