The institution of monarchy may be irrational, Mantel added, but those outside don't have to forget their principles as they observe the "entertainment" the royals provide.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The Council holds the Institution of the Monarchy to be the highest social and political organ in the Kingdom.

UNESCO: Communication and Information

Robert Hardman, a royal correspondent for the Daily Mail, offers a convincing tour of the British monarchy as an institution, apeing the vantage point of the fly-on-the-wall documentary.

ECONOMIST: Why the queen has to be seen to be believed