"A Quiet Competition to Define the Image of the Country for Over Half a Century"

"The arc of the Beatles' evolution from entertainers to counterculture leaders can be traced through their interactions with Elizabeth II. In November 1963, they were nice boys in smart suits playing a Royal Command Performance alongside other 'variety' acts, offering just a hint of cheek (Lennon famously urging the posh set to rattle their jewelry in lieu of clapping). A few years later, the Beatles trooped to Buckingham Palace to receive MBES (it stands for Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) as acknowledgment for their sales impact internationally, and, according to Lennon, smoked a joint in the lavatory to steady their nerves. Then, in November 1969, Lennon returned the award in protest against British interference in the Nigeria-Biafra war, the country's support for America in Vietnam, and, in a flippant final flourish, the sliding chart position of his heroin-inspired solo single 'Cold Turkey.'"

Simon Reynolds at Pitchfork discusses the "disgust and fascination with the monarchy became a British rock tradition over the course of Queen Elizabeth II's reign."