If you live in the UK, you probably already know that the celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee have already begun. The streets have been decorated in red, white and blue bunting, flags are flying high and her Majesty's face can be seen, well, pretty much everywhere. However, one particular Jubilee stunt hasn't gone down as swimmingly as others.
Seeing as this is the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, it makes sense that the UK is 'going big' – and what's bigger than projecting the Queen's face onto Stonehenge, right? While the celebration sounds like quite the spectacle, it's totally backfired in more ways than one. If you're hoping to celebrate the Jubilee but want to avoid any controversies, then why not create some royal-themed art instead with some of the best art supplies?
We've brought two British icons together to mark the #PlatinumJubilee! 👑We’ve projected eight portraits of Queen Elizabeth II onto Stonehenge. Each picture is from a different decade of The Queen’s reign. pic.twitter.com/bnJZeONKXeMay 30, 2022
English Heritage has projected eight photos of the queen from each decade she's reigned on the stones of Stonehenge. The charity has shared a video of the henge's royal makeover on Twitter with the caption, "We've brought two British icons together to mark the Platinum Jubilee".
However, lots of users have been quick to point out the controversy surrounding the patriotic stunt. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument that has become a place of worship for the Druids. And seeing as the Queen is the head of the Church of England, it seems as though the two icons have a conflict of interest.
The photos of the Queen are from each decade of her reign (Image credit: @EH_Stonehenge via Twitter)
We're all for a big advertising stunt, like that leaking billboard we saw back in March, but this henge x her Majesty collab has missed the mark. Even without the controversial back story, we still think that the stunt itself looks tacky with its bright colours. Not to mention the fact that the combination of the rocks and projector have hilariously skewed the Queen's face as well (see below).
Your royal derpness. (Image credit: @EH_Stonehenge via Twitter)
It seems as though we aren't the only ones questioning the royal stunt, with many users on Twitter commenting on the celebration as well. One user replied to English Heritage's tweet, "I don’t understand the concept/correlation? What’s the reasoning behind doing this?" and another said, "This sacred site of Druid worship has nothing to do with the Queen. You are all cursed now,".
Oh they gonna get cursed that's a druid site https://t.co/5ixM6uCWeZMay 30, 2022
At least this horrid defacement isn’t permanent? 🤷🏻♀️ https://t.co/XQoXYYpZSuMay 31, 2022
But genuinely why? https://t.co/DIa77xVUMyMay 30, 2022
We'll have to keep our eyes peeled for some other Jubilee celebrations that aren't so controversial. If you'd like to have a go at creating some art to join in the party, then why not download Photoshop? Or if you'd rather avoid the whole thing and enjoy your bank holiday, then perhaps you'll enjoy spending the weekend reading some of the best graphic design books.
Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
Amelia previously worked as Creative Bloq’s Staff Writer. After completing a degree in Popular Music and a Master’s in Song Writing, Amelia began designing posters, logos, album covers and websites for musicians. She covered a range of topics on Creative Bloq, including posters, optical illusions, logos (she's a particular fan of logo Easter eggs), gaming and illustration. In her free time, she relishes in the likes of art (especially the Pre-Raphaelites), photography and literature. Amelia prides herself on her unorthodox creative methods, her Animal Crossing island and her extensive music library.
