The longest reign: What next for the British monarchy?

Why do crowned heads still abound throughout Europe in the 21st Century? Is the embodiment of a nation's power best represented by a hereditary head of state or an elected president? The thrill may be gone in many parts of the Commonwealth, but the aura endures.

Even here in Republican France, where the rivalry has run ever since a Normand crossed the Channel in 1066 and where royal heads have rolled, the state is paying respects to Elizabeth Regina. A nod to neighbours whose fate will always be intertwined, or a farewell to a bygone era?

Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Juliette Laurain and Imen Mellaz.

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