French magazine Le Point said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson invited a group of business leaders from all over the world to Windsor Castle to attend a conference on climate change, indicating that he would take revenge on the conferences of French President Emmanuel Macron to enhance France's attractiveness after Brexit. European.
The magazine’s London correspondent Mark Roche said that Johnson will receive top business executives at a conference a month before the 26th climate summit that will be held next October in Glasgow, northern Britain, and that - as an official spokesperson pointed out in a non-diplomatic language - comes in the context of "competing with parties." Organized by Macron in the vicinity of the stately Versailles Palace in order to trade in the environmental commitment of the British government, "hence the choice of Windsor Palace.
The reporter reminded that those conferences, which included several times about two hundred French and foreign business leaders, are still bitterly stuck in Johnson's mind, and he wants to take revenge on them, and the host Queen Elizabeth II will add a charming smile and welcome the participants, because the monarchy is one of the pillars of the new model of The soft power that Britain intends to excel in after leaving the European Union.
A castle with a rich heritage
According to the inventor of the concept of soft power, Robert Nye of Harvard University, it is related to the ability of the state to achieve its goals by resorting to means other than military, economic or diplomatic power, such as the power of culture, creative industries, art of living, universities, media and sports that make soft power a smart force.
In this context - as the reporter says - the effect of royal ceremonies is also part of the intangible economy, which is not based on a material basis but creates value linked to imagination and inspiration, and therefore Windsor Castle - built by William the Conqueror in 1080 on the hill overlooking the Thames Valley - A symbol of the history of a country that was rich, powerful and lord of a colonial empire for a long time, and still has a diplomatic, economic and cultural influence that exceeds its size.
The heritage of this royal castle - as the reporter says - is a national and global heritage at the same time, as it includes ceremonial rooms, furniture and priceless artworks, in addition to the collection of ceramics and old books that make the visitor feel dizzy.
Windsor attracts millions of tourists and benefits hotels, restaurants, breweries and ceramics, thereby benefiting the GDP.
Queen's attraction
And if the French president - as the reporter points out - often uses the Palace of Versailles and his gold and his dazzle to receive foreign dignitaries or heads of multinational corporations, then Windsor Castle far surpasses that, because it is the queen's weekend residence, and a beautiful home that allows living in the countryside And work in the city, unlike Versailles, which seems to be a shrine to a non-existent property, such as Schönbrunn in Vienna, Catherine's Palace in Saint Petersburg, or the National Palace of Pera in Portugal.
The Windsor brand is an essential part of the international reputation of the United Kingdom, and Queen Elizabeth II does not practice diplomacy per se, but rather contributes to the soft power of the kingdom, relying on the legitimacy of history, the art of correct gesture, know-how and the absence of roughness, says the reporter.