£130 million. That’s how much it costs to make one of the most expensive shows ever – The Crown, by Netflix. A British period drama that spans the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The question is, why is it so expensive?
Majesty.
Authentic royal regalia. Thousands of bespoke hand-made costumes. The outside of 10 Downing Street (the UK government headquarters) being made from scratch. Rebuilding entire airplane cabins. Filming at castles, cathedrals and stately homes. A Hans Zimmer soundtrack. An Oscar-winning cast. And of course, re-creating the Crown Jewels themselves.
When you watch The Crown, you realise the splendour of the queen. One never turns their back on her, she is addressed first and is always at the head of the table. She opens the houses of Parliament and when the Prime Minister comes to see her for a weekly review, it’s not the queen that bows. Her reach is not just domestic, she heads the Commonwealth – an association of fifty-four countries from the former British Empire. She is not rich; her face is on the money.
That’s majesty.
I think the reason the show is so successful is because it accurately depicts monarchy: the dresses, the royal occasions, the ritual and the pomp seem so real. This living, breathing, ‘normal’ woman, who loves walking the dogs and a Sunday roast, is actually from a completely different world, one that cannot be bought with money or achieved by intellect.
“Monarchy is a calling from God. That’s why you’re crowned in an abbey, not a government building, why you’re anointed, not appointed. It’s an archbishop who puts the crown on your head, not a minister or public servant, which means you’re answerable to God in your duty, not the public.”
The Crown, Season 1, Episode 4. 2016. Netflix.
What does any of this have to do with Jesus? Before we get to him, let’s look at the picture of majesty in Jesus’ day – Rome.
The Roman Empire existed between 27BC – 395AD and at its height, Rome ruled the world from the southern border of Scotland to the eastern border of Iran, an area of 5 million square kilometres. It extended its borders via war, conquering surrounding armies and establishing Roman law, commerce and religion. Our modern world has been so influenced by Rome that we still have many artefacts from this empire today:
- Language – Latin was the dominant language of the Roman Empire. Latin is the common linguistic ancestor of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French and Romanian.
- Infrastructure – roads that the Romans built in the first century still exist and are used today in modern Britain. Ever taken the A1(M), A10 or A46? Cheers Rome.
Empires change history. The Roman empire changed the lives of billions: their upbringing, worldview, education, language and quality of life. Who sat at the centre of all this power? Caesar. Since Julius Caesar was one of Rome’s greatest commanders, Caesar became the title for the emperor. Every empire has a title for its rulers. Caesar. Emperor. Tzar. Sovereign. Head of State. President. King. They all mean the same thing. Their face is on your money. The national anthem praises their glory. They are on your TV. The army wears their colours. We name schools and hospitals after them.
And, like our own monarchy, the Caesars of Rome were so revered that they too, thought their position was divine. By the first century, worship of Caesar was common. And what phrase did Caesar use for himself?
The Son of God.
You can just picture the ceremony, ritual and fanfare as this well-dressed commander-in-chief paraded around the world’s biggest city, with the world’s biggest army, returning from another conquered country. If you close your eyes, you can hear the clamour.
‘Hail Caesar, the Son of God’.
When you have 5 million square kilometres under your rule, can you blame them?
Majesty.
