Can Russians’ love for UK monarchy alter the course of bilateral ties?

The last week in the UK can perhaps be compared with the morning after the Brexit vote. The world has been following, saddened in solidarity with the British people as they lost their monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Two days earlier, news outlets around the globe were discussing the election of Liz Truss as the UK’s new prime minister. At that point, the country was in the hands of two women, which was a great and inspirational example of female empowerment.

The long-serving queen, whose Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in June, was a true example of dedication to the service of one’s country. This legacy, her exemplification of monarchy as a system of rulership in general and her great inspiration for female empowerment could not be left unnoticed by world leaders.

After a few hours, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a very polite message, stating that “Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as high regard on the world stage.” Moreover, Putin was among the first world leaders to congratulate King Charles III after his official accession ceremony. In contrast, Putin did not congratulate Truss, merely stating that her election as UK leader was “far from democratic.”

Why did Russia’s leadership show such different approaches to the two governing institutions of the UK — monarchy and parliament — and what does this suggest for the future direction of Russia-UK relations?

The first engagement between Putin and Elizabeth occurred in 2003, when the former visited the UK. Moscow’s then-Ambassador to the UK Grigory Karasin stated in a recent interview with News.ru: “It was a time for looking at each other, exploring opportunities and generally a time of hope in our bilateral relationship, but unfortunately, since then, British politics has turned the wrong way, turned down the wrong lane.” However, the Western press pointed out an episode that showed tensions during the visit, mentioning that the Russian leader kept the queen waiting for 14 minutes at an engagement.

It seems Putin expressed his condolences and congratulations to the new monarch based on the sympathies of his nation

Dr. Diana Galeeva

Later in the same visit, reports recall a dog reacting defensively toward Putin, with the queen commenting (somewhat breaking with royal protocol, as the monarch usually remains strictly neutral with respect to political matters): “Dogs have interesting instincts, don’t they?”

Charles’s position toward Putin has been even more overt, as he this year became the first royal to condemn Russia’s actions, stating that its invasion of Ukraine was “unconscionable.” He added: “In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression.”

Even with such personal complications, it seems Putin expressed his condolences and congratulations to the new monarch based on the sympathies of his nation. The British monarchy as an institution has always attracted attention from the Russian public despite the political turbulence between the two countries.

Lines from a famous Russian song, “I will move to London,” truly express a widely held view: “And how much you wouldn’t pay to live next to the queen — it doesn’t matter. In order to change my geography, I will finally live like the lords — imposingly.” In other words, British soft power, in which the monarchy plays a fundamental role, has historically played a crucial role in the Russian perception of Britain. Even now, despite Britain’s strongly critical response to Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, Elizabeth’s death shows Russia’s ongoing respect and appreciation for the UK monarchy and its soft power.

With regards to the new prime minister, the Kremlin stated that: “Judging by statements made by Madame Truss when she was still foreign minister… one can say with much certainty that no changes for the better are expected.” Indeed, the UK remains a strong supporter of Ukraine, in addition to its memory of scandals such as the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in 2018.

All of this might suggest that UK-Russia relations will not improve following the twin transitions in power. This is not something new, as relations between the two states have historically never been very close, given their ongoing great power competition. Nonetheless, despite these tense relations, the British monarchy can be said to have won the hearts and minds of the Russian people a long time ago, as they followed with great interest the weddings of Prince William to Kate Middleton and later Prince Harry to Meghan Markle. Arguably, the interest among Russians was even greater than that of many Britons. Perhaps this somehow connects with their nostalgia for their own former ruling dynasty, the Romanovs. This is not clear, but what is clear — even with no potential changes in bilateral relations in sight — is that Russian hearts have been won by the British monarchy, as expressed by the leader of the Russian nation. This link between the two countries will remain.

• Dr. Diana Galeeva was an academic visitor to St. Antony’s College, Oxford University (2019-2022). She is the author of two books: “Qatar: The Practice of Rented Power” (Routledge, 2022) and “Russia and the GCC: The Case of Tatarstan’s Paradiplomacy” (I.B. Tauris/Bloomsbury, 2023). She is also a co-editor of the collection “Post-Brexit Europe and UK: Policy Challenges Towards Iran and the GCC States” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). Twitter: @diana_galeeva