Y’all know how British people love nothing more than a small-sample poll. Well, the latest British poll making headlines is where 2000 Britons were asked about the “best cultural moments” of the past two decades. Apparently, political moments were not included, so they were trying to get “royal weddings” and “the Jubbly” on the list. Would it surprise you to hear that British people think Prince William and Kate’s wedding was a better cultural moment than Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding?
Britain’s best cultural moments of the past 20 years have been revealed. A poll of 2,000 adults found that almost a third of the public (28 per cent) believe the coronation of King Charles was the most significant event of the past two decades. Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilees in 2012 and 2022 (27 per cent) and the lifting of Covid restrictions (26 per cent) came second and third respectively. No fewer than six of the top 20 were royal events.
A fifth of respondents (21 per cent) said the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales was the most iconic event since 2004. But just eight per cent said the same about the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018.
Significant sporting events that made it to the top 10 included the Lionesses winning the Euros in 2022, Andy Murray’s Wimbledon victories and Leicester City’s Premier League title win in 2016. Elsewhere, Susan Boyle’s 2009 Britain’s Got Talent audition has proved a mainstay in the British cultural psyche, with 10 per cent of respondents saying that was the most iconic moment.
Other musical milestones included Elton John’s last UK performance at Glastonbury in 2023 (eight per cent), and Liverpool hosting Eurovision (six per cent) the same year.
The survey did not consider political events, such as the Brexit vote in 2016 or Boris Johnson’s 2019 general election victory.
King Charles’s coronation being named the top cultural moment is… interesting. I get the historical perspective – most people had never seen a British coronation before, that’s how long QEII had been on the throne. But the coronation itself was so dreary and fussy. It felt like it had such a short gossip half-life too – barely anyone spoke about it days later, and the whole coronation conversation was almost solely about Prince Harry’s brief visit. It’s a wonder the Sussexit announcement didn’t make it onto the list, considering they’re still talking about it years later and it seems to be the defining cultural moment of the past two decades. Which is also why the Sussex wedding was a bigger cultural moment, not just for the UK, but around the world. Also: Andy Murray’s Wimbledon wins should have been ranked higher!
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