ABSTRACT
This chapter describes that the survival of many contemporary organisations is dependent on them being understood and managed as corporate brands. This is especially so for an arcane institution such as the British Crown. The chapter focuses on critical events that have shaped the Crown during the twentieth century along with one example from the eleventh century. The British Monarchy is the last of the truly great imperial and sacerdotal monarchies. The institution dates back to the ninth century. It is the world's most famous monarchy and is one of the oldest. Until comparatively recently somewhere between a quarter to a third of the world's population were subjects of the British Monarch. The British sovereign is surrounded by sumptuous ceremonies, many of which are of considerable antiquity. For instance, the sovereign is sanctified by the Church during the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey.
