Paganism

Pagans react to the projection of the Queen’s image at Stonehenge

Liz Williams By |

LONDON – In early June, the United Kingdom celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Her Majesty acceded to the throne in February 1952 on the death of her father King George VI, but because there is a tradition of not holding festivities during a period of mourning (and the substantial logistics involved in organising an unexpected Coronation), she was not crowned until June 2nd, 1953.

June 6, 2022, Queen’s Jubilee beacon lighting at Dudley Zoo. Mayor of Dudley Cllr Sue Greenaway lights the beacon with Zoo Director Derek Grove and Deputy Lieutenant Nick Venning – Image credit: Jonathan Hipkiss Photography – Dudley Council from England – Platinum Jubilee Beacon Lighting, CC BY 2.0

However, in order to avoid the time of her father’s death, the Jubilee has been organised for June rather than February (the weather might have played a part here) and a number of celebrations were organised throughout the British Isles, including Trooping the Colour, a series of beacons lit across the country including on Glastonbury Tor, and street parties.

British Pagans obviously occupy a spectrum of responses, from fervent Monarchists to ardent republicans, and everything in between. Some Pagans still take the approach that the Royal family, whatever their virtues or failings as human beings, do still symbolise a link to the land and highlight any synchronicities (Prince William, who will be king after his father Charles, was born on the Summer Solstice, for example). Some take the view that the Royal family is entirely irrelevant in the modern age.

However, most Pagans whom we spoke to were somewhat dismayed, for a variety of reasons, at English Heritage’s approach to celebrating the Jubilee, which was to project a number of images of the Queen onto the stones at Stonehenge, a monument technically owned by the Crown. Objections ranged from issues of taste to actual heresy.

It should perhaps be noted for the sake of clarity that Elizabeth II was at one point made an Honorary Druid: this was in connection to the Welsh cultural festival of the annual Eisteddfod, which also has Druids in a non-religious capacity.

In 1946, at the age of 20, the then-princess was invested as Honorary Ovate of the Bards of Wales at the National Eisteddfod. Dressed in green robes, a sword was passed over her head in the ceremony and she was invested under the name of Elizabeth of Windsor.

The titles of Druid and Archdruid, however, are not religious. They are literary titles of the organization Gorsedd Cymru, a society of Welsh-language poets, writers, musicians, and others who have contributed to the Welsh language and to public life in Wales. Gorsedd Cymru is responsible for the National Eisteddfod of Wales.

Queen Elizabeth is also no longer an Honorary Druid. At the 2019 Eisteddfod in Llanrwst, North Wales, Archdruid Myrddin ap Dafydd said: “She excommunicated herself in 2006 when it was made clear you had to speak Welsh to be a member of the Gorsedd.”

This historical oddity aside, the majority of Pagans in the U.K. seem to have felt that it is inappropriate on some level for the Queen’s image to be projected onto Stonehenge.

We asked on social media for people’s views:

“I understand why some pagans might be upset by the Queen’s image being projected onto the stones (particularly as it looks so very garish and tacky!). However, I think that tolerance should prevail. She has served the country tirelessly for her entire life and that is worthy of some recognition and note.

“Whether this is a good way of doing that is certainly up for debate. However, it isn’t like the projections are permanently defacing anything, so as much as I consider Stonehenge to be a deeply spiritual place, I’m fine about this temporary (albeit unnecessary) light show.

“Whilst to pagans it’s a sacred space, for many it’s just an iconic image associated with the UK and in that context it’s not really hurting anyone is it?

“The next time I am sitting amongst the stones, feeling the energy, history and connections therein, the fact that someone thought it was a good idea to project images of the Queen onto it won’t figure very highly in how I feel about being there, because the soul of the place is so much bigger than one silly idea from an overpaid PR consultant who thought it was a good idea.” Angie Dixon, solitary Pagan

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“What does make this egregious, is the appropriation of pagan places of worship being hijacked and the history not being respected. As [Robin Whitlock] mentioned [on Twitter], it would be unheard of to project an image of the Horned God onto Bucks or Westminster Abbey. It’s the hypocrisy.

“We Pagans celebrate and worship the land and the genus loci. With Stonehenge being a Pagan site, known around the world, this feels like the appropriation of Native American heritage, such as the wearing of the sacred head dress. I am sick and tired of Pagans being made out to be freaks and weirdos. And accepting the mockery. People don’t mock Hinduism for example and that is a Pagan belief. The persecution of Witches through the Burning Times with no apology from the monarchy. As I said, it’s hypocritical.” Debi Wolf Reeves, Witch

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“As a not particularly devout pagan I can’t get worked up about it. I’m not a monarchist either. But if you subscribe to the view that the monarch is wedded to the land then I suppose it’s not an unreasonable thing for EH [English Heritage] to do. Actually now I think about it if the monarch/land link is real then it might explain the mess this country’s in?” Malcolm White, archaeologist and Pagan

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“I do care about the Stonehenge monument being defaced by this infantile screen projection.” Elaine Bailey, elder of the esoteric community

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“Upon watching the images of Queen Elizabeth superimposed on the Stonehenge megaliths, I had to ask myself which represented the greater sense of rigidity and anachronism: the ancient standing stones, or the British monarchy? It’s a hard call.” Andras Corban-Arthen, EarthSpirit Community

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Megan Manson, founder and administrator of Pagans for Secularism said speaking for herself and not the group, “Personally, Stonehenge is for most people a secular monument and I think it’s a good thing that it means different things to different people – Pagans don’t own it! I think projecting the Queen on it looked frightfully tacky but it was a harmless and temporary project so I don’t think it’s a big deal. I have a much bigger problem with having an unelected head of state in the first place!”

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The story made it into the national media, with the Daily Mail complaining about Druids “moaning,” and the question was addressed on Twitter by journalist Jeremy Vine, so at least the country’s Pagans have been able to have their say.

A number of memes subsequently appeared on Facebook depicting the image of the Green Man rather fetchingly broadcast onto St Paul’s Cathedral, riffing off Whitlock’s comments.

Editorial Note: This article was updated to correct Elizabeth’s age in 1946 from 26 to 20. 

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