ABSTRACT
The sovereign apparatus seeks out desires, attachments and drives. The royal wedding and its gothic zombie double demonstrate the manner in which we might begin to think about the affective dynamics that are being staged in this moment of sovereignty. In the romantic, the sovereign war power manifests a comforting feeling of protection. But switching genres, in the gothic the uncertainty of the suitor/sovereign reveals the sublime war power in a different light. By playing the actual royal wedding as a modern romance, the symbolic bond between the sovereign and the people promises happiness and joy. The event presents the audience with layers of sovereign affect, each overlapping to create the rich texture of atmosphere. The planes index the sovereign’s war power; they underscore the sovereignty at play in the scene. Genres of political discourses work as a set of interpretative conventions and affective expectations for public political life.
