The Queen: A Filmic Representation of the Tragedy’s Aftermath
On September 15, 2006, director Stephen Frears released The Queen to the United Kingdom, the first and arguably most significant (and successful) of British drama films to depict the life and death of Diana, especially the reactions of the members of the royal family to her death. A summary of the movie on Wikipedia describes the movie’s plot as the following:
“The Royal Family regards Diana’s death as a private affair and thus not to be treated as an official Royal death. This is in contrast with the views of Tony Blair and Diana’s ex-husband, Prince Charles, who favour the general public’s desire for an official expression of grief. Matters are further complicated by the media, royal protocol regarding Diana’s official status, and wider issues about Republicanism.”
The movie was also significant in capturing an element I discussed in part of my research paper: how the public clamored for change in the House of Windsor. Even though Tony Blair, Britain’s Prime Minister, gave his own speech hours after her death, the public demanded that the Queen at least attempt to make reparations for the past and make a statement about the death of her former daughter-in-law. Having lost “their” princess, who had successfully redefined the image of British royalty during her lifetime, the people grew increasingly irate over the Queen’s failure to at least publicly address the loss of her former daughter-in-law, especially since Diana was never treated well by her “monster-in-law.”
On September 5, 1997 (the eve of Diana’s funeral), after consulting extensively with Blair, the Queen succumbed to the demands of the public and issued a statement five minute statement about Diana, including the following:
“She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her: her energy, her commitment to others, and especially her devotion to her two boys.”
These events, and the struggle for the Queen to arrive at such a decision, were depicted in the movie by Helen Mirren. Critical reception of her performance included the following:
“Helen Mirren’s portrayal garnered her acclaim from critics around the world. Her portrayal made her a favourite for the Academy Award for Best Actress well before the film was released in theatres. After its showing at the Venice Film Festival, Mirren received a five-minute-long standing ovation” (Harlib, 2006).
The Queen was also the most critically acclaimed film of 2006 with Mirren being the most critically acclaimed actress of the year. The Queen has 97% positive reviews on the film-critics aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. The review for the movie can be seen here.
I watched The Queen this past summer and was surprised by both the stellar performances and the complexity of the reactions to the loss. I personally think that the movie was incredibly well done and helps to shed light on perhaps the most emotionally intense week in Britain’s national history.