Queen Elizabeth II’s Stonehenge images spark controversy before Platinum Jubilee

Some said the World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England, should be left untouched, citing its apparent history as an ancient religious site. Others said it was “distasteful” to turn the prehistoric monument into effectively a billboard.

“This is nuts, or should I say, completely unhenged,” read one of almost 6,000 replies to the tweet.

Others appeared more enthusiastic about the idea, with one person branding the tribute “thronehenge.” The queen’s former press secretary and royal commentator, Dickie Arbiter, called the series of images “beautiful.”

Stonehenge, which is believed to have been built in stages between 3000 and 1520 B.C., has remained at the center of historical speculation for centuries. While the purpose of the site is unknown, English Heritage has concluded that “there must have been a spiritual reason why Neolithic and Bronze Age people put so much effort into building it.”

Other analysts say the sarsen stones may have served as a giant solar calendar so that people knew the time of year. Experts have also concluded that the site hosted feasts and ceremonies, with a 2019 study revealing that Stonehenge served as a “hub for Britain’s earliest mass parties.”

Research and excavations at the site, which also served as a burial place, continue. The stones are positioned to line up with the sun’s movements. Experts from the 17th and 18th centuries believed it served as a Druid temple, and even to this day, modern Druids flock to the site to celebrate the spiritually significant summer and winter solstices.

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English Heritage Trust, the organization responsible for managing hundreds of historic sites including Stonehenge, told The Washington Post that the display was part of “a range of events and activities” organized nationwide at its sites to celebrate the jubilee.

“From the 2012 Summer Olympics to commemorating the centenary of the First World War, Stonehenge has played a part in marking important moments in this country’s recent history, including — now — the Platinum Jubilee,” English Heritage said in a statement.

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Although English Heritage did not comment on the backlash, it said that it has beamed images onto Stonehenge before.

In 2020, as one recent example, the faces of eight people who helped support…