2006, UK/France/Italy
Biography, Drama, History
Who would have guessed that a movie about the protocol of the British monarchy could be so enthralling? Yet director Stephen Frears (Mrs. Henderson Presents, Dirty Pretty Things) manages to inject interest and sympathy in this fictionalized account of Queen Elizabeth's reaction to the death of Diana, former Princess of Wales.
Upon taking office as British Prime Minister in 1997, it becomes apparent that Tony Blair (Bright Young Things' Michael Sheen) must a learn a bit of the proper etiquette from his royal advisor, Queen Elizabeth (Britain's go-to actress for tough royals, Helen Mirren). Though he was elected as a modernizer, the country still stands by its traditions, down to every last obeisance.
Only a few months later, the leaders find themselves under the turmoil of Diana's death. What the Queen believes to be a private matter that should ultimately be handled by Diana's family, Blair quickly realizes must become a matter of political importance. Despite the fact that it was the fanatical media that killed her, it is this same obsessive media that the leaders allow to dictate their actions. Elizabeth believes she is above such acquiescence, but Blair knows that as her public affection wanes, so does the popularity for her largely figurehead rule.
Frears skillfully allows public opinion to be expressed through actual newscasts and daily papers, while leaving the drama for delving into the personal life of the royals who care little for such constant and particular attention. As the family withdraws themselves to their Balmoral Estate in order to let Diana's sons grieve and hunt, they fail to realize that there are swarms of adoring admirers of the late "people’s princess" outside of the palace gates, flooding the streets with flowers and sentiments. As Blair's office stands on 24-hour watch in order to determine their next public move, assistants tiptoe around Elizabeth while making weak attempts to nudge her in the best media-savvy direction.
Advisor to nine previous prime ministers beginning with Winston Churchill, this woman knows proper royal procedure better than anyone else. Mirren imbibes Her Royal Highness with a sense of unprecedented duty to counsel, based on over fifty years of experience and a lifetime of royal training. Though in comparison to the very public and doting Diana, Elizabeth may appear cold and distant, it is evident that this stoicism is the result of respect for a practice she believes has pressed her country through wars and hardships.
This perspective, however, is a dying viewpoint. As Elizabeth admires a rare 14-point buck on her expansive estate, she mourns its uniqueness in a land of younger, greener cohorts. Recognizing a shift in values by her constituency is a hard pill to swallow, but she must create a compromise in order to ensure that the monarchy does not become overthrown by a country who wishes to be represented rather than controlled.
Frears shapes what could have been either a very dry recollection or a snippy tabloid-like story, and creates an intriguing tale about the differences between elected and inherited political titles and how they are affected by their citizens.