.gif)
The Queen (film)
Encyclopedia
The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears
, written
by Peter Morgan
, and starring Helen Mirren
as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II
. Released almost a decade after the event, the film depicts a fictional account of the immediate events following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
on 31 August 1997.
The main plot focuses on the differing views in how to deal with the death of Diana. The Royal Family
, while on their summer residence at Balmoral Castle
, sees her death as a private affair, not to be treated as an official Royal death, in contrast with newly-appointed Prime Minister
Tony Blair
and Diana's ex-husband Prince Charles
, who attempt to reflect the public wish 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 views of Diana's two sons throughout the film are only portrayed through other characters.
The film's release coincided with a revival of favourable public sentiment with respect to the monarchy and a downturn in fortunes for Blair, whose resignation came less than a year later. Michael Sheen
reprised his role as Blair from the Channel 4
television film The Deal, and did so again in The Special Relationship
. The film also earned critical and popular acclaim for Mirren, and some controversy as she had originally refused appointment into the Order of the British Empire
in 1996, only to accept the offer in 2003. Mirren praised the Queen in her Academy Awards
acceptance speech and was invited to dinner at Buckingham Palace on 10 May 2007, but declined to attend due to filming commitments in the United States.
, where Tony Blair
(Michael Sheen
) becomes Britain's Labour
prime minister
. While sitting for an official portrait, the Queen
(Helen Mirren
) talks with the artist about her regret at not being allowed to vote. She is slightly wary of Blair and his pledge to "modernise
" the country, but Blair promises to respect the Royal Family
. When Blair visits Buckingham Palace
to kiss hands
, the Queen follows custom and asks him to form a government in her name.
Three months later, Diana, Princess of Wales
died in a car crash
in the Alma Bridge
tunnel in Paris
along with her companion Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul
. Blair's director of communications
, Alastair Campbell
(Mark Bazeley), prepares a speech in which Diana is described as "the people's princess." Blair gives his speech the next day and the phrase catches on. Over the next few days, millions of people across London
erupt in an outpouring of grief at Buckingham and Kensington Palace
s. Meanwhile, the Royal Family are still at Balmoral Castle
, their summer estate in Aberdeenshire
, Scotland
. Diana's death sparks division among numerous members of the family. The Royal Family observes that, since Diana was divorced from her husband, Prince Charles
(Alex Jennings
) a year earlier, she is no longer a part of the family. They insists that Diana's funeral is a "private affair" and is best left to Diana's noble family, the Spencers
. Charles argues that the mother of a future king cannot be dismissed so lightly, and the Queen allows the use of an aircraft of the British Royal Flight
to bring Diana's body back to England.
In London, flowers pile up along the palace railings, forcing the changing of the Queen's guard to use another gate. British tabloids become inflammatory about the lack of a statement from the Royal Family. Charles leaves no doubt that he shares Blair's views about the need for a statement. As the Royal Family's ratings plummet, Blair's popularity rises, to the delight of his anti-monarchist
advisers and wife Cherie
(Helen McCrory
). However, Blair does not share these sentiments. While disagreeing with the Queen's course of action, he begins to develop an admiration for her. Blair disagrees with his wife's views and tells her that a republican Britain is ludicrous, and begins to denounce the anti-royal disdain of his Labour Party advisors. Blair calls the Queen at Balmoral and recommends measures to regain public confidence for the monarchy: attend a public funeral for Diana
at Westminster Abbey
, fly a Union flag
at half mast over Buckingham Palace and speak to the nation about Diana's life and legacy in a televised address.
Blair's recommendations outrage other members of the Royal Family including Prince Philip
(James Cromwell
) and the Queen Mother
(Sylvia Syms
). Philip is surprised that Elton John
is asked to attend and sing a song, "Candle in the Wind
", in Diana's memory. They view such steps as an undignified surrender to public hysteria. The Queen seems concerned about this and although she shares their feelings, she has doubts as she closely follows the news. She believes that there has been a shift in public values and that perhaps she should abdicate. The Queen Mother dismisses the idea, saying that she is one of the greatest assets the monarchy has ever had, stating: "The real problem will come when you leave." She also reminds the Queen of the promise she made in Cape Town
, South Africa
on her 21st birthday, in which she promised that her "whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong..." Meanwhile, Philip attempts to distract William and Harry
(Jake Taylor Shantos and Dash Barber) from Diana's death by taking them deer stalking
. While venturing out alone in her Land Rover
, the Queen damages the vehicle while crossing a river and is forced to telephone for assistance. She weeps in frustration, but catches sight of a majestic Red Deer
for which William and Harry have been stalking. She is struck by his beauty and the two stare at each other. Hearing a distant gunshot, she shoos the animal away. The Queen decides to carry out the recommendations of Blair. While preparing to return back to London, she is horrified to learn that the deer has been killed on a neighbouring estate, and asks to see the stag and is upset at its loss.
The Royal Family returns to London to inspect the floral tributes, and while being shown on live television, Blair becomes angry at his Labour Party advisors and states that the Queen is admirable and thinks that Diana "threw everything she offered back in her face" and seemed to destroy everything held most dear by the Queen. The Queen later follow Blair's advice and gives a statement, speaking about Diana's life and legacy on live television and describing Diana as "an exceptional and gifted human being." Two months later, Blair visits Buckingham Palace for a weekly meeting. The Queen finally regained her popularity, but she believes that Blair has benefited himself from her acquiescence to his advice and that she will never quite fully recover from "that week." The Queen cautions Blair that one day he too will find that public opinion can rapidly turn against him and declares that times have changed and that the monarchy must "modernise". When Blair suggests that he can help with this, The Queen replies: "Don't get ahead of yourself, Prime Minister. Remember, I'm supposed to be the one advising you."
and produced by Pathé Pictures
and Granada Productions
(ITV Productions). Stephen Frears
had a clause in his contract from The Deal that allowed him to direct any follow-ups or sequels, and he was officially announced as director in September 2003.
The film was shot on location in the United Kingdom
, in England
in London
, Halton House
and Waddesdon Manor
, in Buckinghamshire
, Brocket Hall
in Hertfordshire
and in
Scotland
at Balmoral Castle
and Castle Fraser
in Aberdeenshire
and Blairquhan Castle
and Culzean Castle
in South Ayrshire
.
Mirren says transforming herself into the Queen came almost naturally after the wig and glasses
, since she shares a default facial expression
— a slightly downturned mouth — with the monarch. She regularly reviewed film and video footage of Elizabeth and kept photographs in her trailer during production. She also undertook extensive voice coaching, faithfully reproducing the Queen's delivery of her televised speech to the world. Morgan has said that her performance was so convincing that, by the end of production, crew members who had been accustomed to slouching or relaxing when they addressed her were standing straight up and respectfully folding their hands behind their backs. Mirren arranged to spend time off-camera with the supporting cast playing other members of the Royal Family, including James Cromwell
, Alex Jennings
and Sylvia Syms
so they would be as comfortable with each other as a real family.
Shots involving the Queen were shot in 35mm film and shots of Tony Blair
were shot in 16mm film to enhance the contrast of different worlds.
by Stephen Frears
, writer Peter Morgan
and Robert Lacey
, biographer of Queen Elizabeth II. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD in the USA on 24 April 2007. As of 30 September 2007, The Queen has generated DVD sales of over $23 million.
's hostility to the monarchy has been widely reported, including her refusal to curtsey
. According to Morgan, "cabbage
" is an actual term of endearment Philip uses for his wife (and « mon chou » - “my cabbage” - is a standard affectionate nickname in French).
Other elements represent characteristics associated with people depicted. The electric guitar
seen behind Blair in his personal office is a reference to his past membership in the band Ugly Rumours
while a student. The Newcastle United football jersey
he wears to a family breakfast at 10 Downing Street
is a reference to his support of that team. The film also shows Alastair Campbell coining the term 'the people's princess', when in reality it was Tony Blair who came up with it.
The most notable inaccuracy is that Robin Janvrin
is represented as the Queen's Private Secretary
during the aftermath of Diana's death, but in fact that position was then occupied by Janvrin's predecessor, Sir Robert Fellowes
, a brother-in-law of Diana, Princess of Wales; Janvrin was only the Deputy Private Secretary up until 1999 when he took the position of Private Secretary to the Queen. However, the film is accurate in depicting Janvrin as the person who delivered the news of Diana's accident to Her Majesty at Balmoral during the night.
earned him particular acclaim. Helen Mirren's portrayal garnered her acclaim from critics around the world. Her portrayal made her a favorite 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. Roger Ebert
came out of recovery from surgery to give the film a review. He called it "spellbinding" and gave it four out of four stars. The Queen was 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
.
Amongst the few negative reviews, Slant Magazine
's Nick Schager criticised the insider portraiture of the film as "somewhat less than revelatory, in part because Morgan's script succumbs to cutie-pie jokiness [...] and broad caricature", mentioning particularly "James Cromwell's Prince Philip, who envisions the crowned heads as exiled victims and the gathering crowds as encroaching "Zulus"".
General top ten
79th Academy Awards
(2006)
2006
British Academy Film
(BAFTA) Awards
2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards
2006 Directors Guild of America Awards
2006 Writers Guild of America Awards
2006 Producers Guild of America Awards
64th
Golden Globe Awards
2006
Broadcast Film Critics Association
Awards
2006
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards
2006 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
2006 Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Awards
2006 National Society of Film Critics
Awards
2006 Satellite Awards
2006 National Board of Review Awards
2006 Chicago International Film Festival
2006 British Independent Film Awards
2006 Venice Film Festival
was released on the Milan label on 26 September 2006. The original score
and song
s were composed by Alexandre Desplat
and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra
. The album was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score
. It was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music (lost to the score of Babel
).
Interviews
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
, written
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
by Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
, and starring Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. Released almost a decade after the event, the film depicts a fictional account of the immediate events following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
on 31 August 1997.
The main plot focuses on the differing views in how to deal with the death of Diana. The Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, while on their summer residence at Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
, sees her death as a private affair, not to be treated as an official Royal death, in contrast with newly-appointed Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Diana's ex-husband Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
, who attempt to reflect the public wish 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
Republicanism in the United Kingdom
Republicanism in the United Kingdom is the movement which seeks to remove the British monarchy and replace it with a republic that has a non-hereditary head of state...
. The views of Diana's two sons throughout the film are only portrayed through other characters.
The film's release coincided with a revival of favourable public sentiment with respect to the monarchy and a downturn in fortunes for Blair, whose resignation came less than a year later. Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
reprised his role as Blair from the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television film The Deal, and did so again in The Special Relationship
The Special Relationship (film)
The Special Relationship is a 2010 American-British political film directed by Richard Loncraine from a screenplay by Peter Morgan. It is the third film in Morgan's informal "Blair trilogy", which dramatizes the political career of British Prime Minister Tony Blair , following The Deal and The...
. The film also earned critical and popular acclaim for Mirren, and some controversy as she had originally refused appointment into the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1996, only to accept the offer in 2003. Mirren praised the Queen in her Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
acceptance speech and was invited to dinner at Buckingham Palace on 10 May 2007, but declined to attend due to filming commitments in the United States.
Plot
The film begins after the 1997 British general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
, where Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
(Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
) becomes Britain's Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
prime minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. While sitting for an official portrait, the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
(Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
) talks with the artist about her regret at not being allowed to vote. She is slightly wary of Blair and his pledge to "modernise
Modernization
In the social sciences, modernization or modernisation refers to a model of an evolutionary transition from a 'pre-modern' or 'traditional' to a 'modern' society. The teleology of modernization is described in social evolutionism theories, existing as a template that has been generally followed by...
" the country, but Blair promises to respect the Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
. When Blair visits Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
to kiss hands
Kiss Hands
To kiss hands is a constitutional term used in the United Kingdom to refer to the formal installation of Crown-appointed British government ministers to their office....
, the Queen follows custom and asks him to form a government in her name.
Three months later, Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
died in a car crash
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
in the Alma Bridge
Pont de l'Alma
Pont de l'Alma is an arch bridge in Paris, crossing the Seine. It was named to commemorate the Battle of Alma during the Crimean War, in which the Franco-British alliance achieved victory over the Russian army on September 20, 1854....
tunnel in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
along with her companion Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul
Henri Paul
Henri Paul was the Deputy Head of Security at the Hôtel Ritz Paris. He was the driver at the time of the car accident at the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris that killed him along with Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed on 31 August 1997. Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the sole survivor of...
. Blair's director of communications
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell
Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, best known for his work as Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003, having first started working for Blair in 1994...
(Mark Bazeley), prepares a speech in which Diana is described as "the people's princess." Blair gives his speech the next day and the phrase catches on. Over the next few days, millions of people across London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
erupt in an outpouring of grief at Buckingham and Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
s. Meanwhile, the Royal Family are still at Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
, their summer estate in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Diana's death sparks division among numerous members of the family. The Royal Family observes that, since Diana was divorced from her husband, Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
(Alex Jennings
Alex Jennings
Alex Jennings is an English actor whose roles have included Charles, Prince of Wales in The Queen .-Early years:...
) a year earlier, she is no longer a part of the family. They insists that Diana's funeral is a "private affair" and is best left to Diana's noble family, the Spencers
Spencer family
The Spencer family are a British noble family descended in the male line from Henry Spencer, claimed to be a descendant of the cadet branch of the ancient House Le Despencer , male-line ancestor of the Earls of Sunderland, the later Dukes of Marlborough, and the Earls Spencer...
. Charles argues that the mother of a future king cannot be dismissed so lightly, and the Queen allows the use of an aircraft of the British Royal Flight
No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron RAF
No. 32 Squadron of the Royal Air Force at present operates from RAF Northolt, west London, in the VIP and general air transport roles.-Formation:...
to bring Diana's body back to England.
In London, flowers pile up along the palace railings, forcing the changing of the Queen's guard to use another gate. British tabloids become inflammatory about the lack of a statement from the Royal Family. Charles leaves no doubt that he shares Blair's views about the need for a statement. As the Royal Family's ratings plummet, Blair's popularity rises, to the delight of his anti-monarchist
Republicanism in the United Kingdom
Republicanism in the United Kingdom is the movement which seeks to remove the British monarchy and replace it with a republic that has a non-hereditary head of state...
advisers and wife Cherie
Cherie Blair
Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
(Helen McCrory
Helen McCrory
Helen Elizabeth McCrory is a British actress. She portrayed Cherie Blair in both the 2006 film The Queen and the 2010 film The Special Relationship. She also portrayed Narcissa Malfoy in the final three Harry Potter films....
). However, Blair does not share these sentiments. While disagreeing with the Queen's course of action, he begins to develop an admiration for her. Blair disagrees with his wife's views and tells her that a republican Britain is ludicrous, and begins to denounce the anti-royal disdain of his Labour Party advisors. Blair calls the Queen at Balmoral and recommends measures to regain public confidence for the monarchy: attend a public funeral for Diana
Funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales
The public funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales started on September 6, 1997 at 9:08 am in London, when the tenor bell sounded to signal the departure of the cortege from Kensington Palace. The coffin was carried from the palace on a gun carriage, along Hyde Park to St. James' Palace, where...
at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, fly a Union flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
at half mast over Buckingham Palace and speak to the nation about Diana's life and legacy in a televised address.
Blair's recommendations outrage other members of the Royal Family including Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
(James Cromwell
James Cromwell
James Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor. Some of his more notable roles are in Babe , for which he earned Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Star Trek: First Contact , L.A...
) and the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
(Sylvia Syms
Sylvia Syms
Sylvia M. L. Syms OBE is a British actress. She is probably best known for her roles in the films Woman in a Dressing Gown , Ice-Cold in Alex , No Trees in the Street , Victim and The Tamarind Seed...
). Philip is surprised that Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
is asked to attend and sing a song, "Candle in the Wind
Candle in the Wind 1997
"Candle in the Wind 1997" is a rewritten and rerecorded version of Elton John's own 1973 hit "Candle in the Wind" that was released as a tribute single to the late Diana, Princess of Wales....
", in Diana's memory. They view such steps as an undignified surrender to public hysteria. The Queen seems concerned about this and although she shares their feelings, she has doubts as she closely follows the news. She believes that there has been a shift in public values and that perhaps she should abdicate. The Queen Mother dismisses the idea, saying that she is one of the greatest assets the monarchy has ever had, stating: "The real problem will come when you leave." She also reminds the Queen of the promise she made in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
on her 21st birthday, in which she promised that her "whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong..." Meanwhile, Philip attempts to distract William and Harry
Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
(Jake Taylor Shantos and Dash Barber) from Diana's death by taking them deer stalking
Deer stalking
Deer stalking is a British term for the stealthy pursuit of deer for sporting purposes, historically with dogs such as Scottish Deerhounds, or in modern times typically with a high powered rifle fitted with a telescopic sight to hunt them....
. While venturing out alone in her Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
, the Queen damages the vehicle while crossing a river and is forced to telephone for assistance. She weeps in frustration, but catches sight of a majestic Red Deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
for which William and Harry have been stalking. She is struck by his beauty and the two stare at each other. Hearing a distant gunshot, she shoos the animal away. The Queen decides to carry out the recommendations of Blair. While preparing to return back to London, she is horrified to learn that the deer has been killed on a neighbouring estate, and asks to see the stag and is upset at its loss.
The Royal Family returns to London to inspect the floral tributes, and while being shown on live television, Blair becomes angry at his Labour Party advisors and states that the Queen is admirable and thinks that Diana "threw everything she offered back in her face" and seemed to destroy everything held most dear by the Queen. The Queen later follow Blair's advice and gives a statement, speaking about Diana's life and legacy on live television and describing Diana as "an exceptional and gifted human being." Two months later, Blair visits Buckingham Palace for a weekly meeting. The Queen finally regained her popularity, but she believes that Blair has benefited himself from her acquiescence to his advice and that she will never quite fully recover from "that week." The Queen cautions Blair that one day he too will find that public opinion can rapidly turn against him and declares that times have changed and that the monarchy must "modernise". When Blair suggests that he can help with this, The Queen replies: "Don't get ahead of yourself, Prime Minister. Remember, I'm supposed to be the one advising you."
Cast
| Actor/Actress | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Helen Mirren Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:... |
HM The Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,... |
This film is the fourth time that Mirren has portrayed a British queen: the first was a queen consort Queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort... , Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III... in The Madness of King George The Madness of King George The Madness of King George is a 1994 film directed by Nicholas Hytner and adapted by Alan Bennett from his own play, The Madness of George III. It tells the true story of George III's deteriorating mental health, and his equally declining relationship with his son, the Prince of Wales, particularly... (1994), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... ; the second was a queen regnant, Elizabeth I Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty... , in the 2005 miniseries Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (TV series) Elizabeth I is a 2005 British television miniseries directed by Tom Hooper. The teleplay by Nigel Williams concentrates on the last 25 years of the nearly 45-year-long reign of Elizabeth I of England.... . She also played a police woman undercover as the Queen in The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu is a 1980 comedy film, notable as the final film of Peter Sellers, David Tomlinson and John Le Mesurier. Pre-production began with Richard Quine as director. By the time the film entered production, Piers Haggard had replaced him. Peter Sellers handled the... . |
| Michael Sheen Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991... |
Prime Minister Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and... The Rt Hon The Right Honourable The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere... Tony Blair Tony Blair Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007... MP |
Sheen had previously played Blair in the Channel 4 Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel... television film The Deal, also directed by Frears and written by Morgan. He reprised his role in The Special Relationship The Special Relationship (film) The Special Relationship is a 2010 American-British political film directed by Richard Loncraine from a screenplay by Peter Morgan. It is the third film in Morgan's informal "Blair trilogy", which dramatizes the political career of British Prime Minister Tony Blair , following The Deal and The... . |
| James Cromwell James Cromwell James Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor. Some of his more notable roles are in Babe , for which he earned Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Star Trek: First Contact , L.A... |
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch.... |
|
| Helen McCrory Helen McCrory Helen Elizabeth McCrory is a British actress. She portrayed Cherie Blair in both the 2006 film The Queen and the 2010 film The Special Relationship. She also portrayed Narcissa Malfoy in the final three Harry Potter films.... |
Cherie Blair Cherie Blair Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter... QC Queen's Counsel Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law... |
Tony Blair's wife. Like Sheen, McCrory reprised this role in The Special Relationship. |
| Alex Jennings Alex Jennings Alex Jennings is an English actor whose roles have included Charles, Prince of Wales in The Queen .-Early years:... |
HRH The Prince of Wales Charles, Prince of Wales Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay... |
Diana's ex-husband |
| Roger Allam Roger Allam Roger Allam is an English actor, known primarily for his stage career, although he has performed in film and television. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of the stage musical Les Misérables.... |
Robin Janvrin (later Lord Janvrin) | In this film, Janvrin is Private Secretary to the Queen, although he was the Deputy Private Secretary at the time of Diana's death. |
| Sylvia Syms Sylvia Syms Sylvia M. L. Syms OBE is a British actress. She is probably best known for her roles in the films Woman in a Dressing Gown , Ice-Cold in Alex , No Trees in the Street , Victim and The Tamarind Seed... |
HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II... |
|
| Tim McMullan | Stephen Lamport Stephen Lamport Sir Stephen Mark Jeffrey Lamport, KCVO, DL is Receiver General of Westminster Abbey after a dinstinguished career.He was born in 1951 and educated at Dorking Grammar School, and Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, where he was a Scholar and graduated with a BA , and subsequently... |
Private Secretary to Charles, Prince of Wales |
| Mark Bazeley | Alastair Campbell Alastair Campbell Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, best known for his work as Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003, having first started working for Blair in 1994... |
Director of Communications and Strategy for the Prime Minister |
| Douglas Reith | Lord Airlie David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie David George Coke Patrick Ogilvy, 8th Earl of Airlie, KT, GCVO, PC, JP is the eldest son of David Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Airlie and Lady Alexandra Coke. His younger brother was Sir Angus Ogilvy, the husband of HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent.Born in London, Lord Airlie was educated at Eton, and... |
Lord Chamberlain |
| Jake Taylor Shantos | HRH Prince William of Wales Prince William of Wales Prince William, Duke of Cambridge KG , is the elder son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and third eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh... |
Diana's sons |
| Dash Barber | HRH Prince Harry of Wales Prince Harry of Wales Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh... |
Filming
The screenplay was written by Peter MorganPeter Morgan (screenwriter)
Peter Morgan is an English film writer and playwright best known for writing the films and plays The Deal, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and The Special Relationship.- Early life :...
and produced by Pathé Pictures
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
and Granada Productions
Granada Productions
Granada Productions was a British commercial television production and distribution company. The company took its name from the successful ITV franchise, Granada Television....
(ITV Productions). Stephen Frears
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
had a clause in his contract from The Deal that allowed him to direct any follow-ups or sequels, and he was officially announced as director in September 2003.
The film was shot on location in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Halton House
Halton House
thumb|right|300px|Halton House, BuckinghamshireHalton House is a country house situated in the Chiltern Hills above the village of Halton in Buckinghamshire, England. It was built for Alfred de Rothschild between 1880 and 1883...
and Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon Manor is a country house in the village of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, England. The house was built in the Neo-Renaissance style of a French château between 1874 and 1889 for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild . Since this was the preferred style of the Rothschilds it became also known as...
, in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, Brocket Hall
Brocket Hall
Brocket Hall is a country house in Hertfordshire, England, from London by road. It was built for Sir Matthew Lamb, 1st Baronet, in around 1760 to designs by the architect James Paine. It stands on the site of two predecessors, the first of which was built in 1239 and the second in about 1430. It...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
and in
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
at Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
and Castle Fraser
Castle Fraser
Castle Fraser is the most elaborate Z-plan castle in Scotland and one of the grandest 'Castles of Mar'. It is located near Kemnay in the Aberdeenshire region of Scotland. The castle stands in over of landscaped grounds, woodland and farmland which includes a walled kitchen garden of the 19th...
in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
and Blairquhan Castle
Blairquhan Castle
Blairquhan is a Regency-era castle near Maybole in South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is the historic home of the Hunter-Blair Baronets and remains in the family's possession...
and Culzean Castle
Culzean Castle
Culzean Castle is a castle near Maybole, Carrick, on the Ayrshire coast of Scotland. It is the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland...
in South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....
.
Mirren says transforming herself into the Queen came almost naturally after the wig and glasses
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
, since she shares a default facial expression
Facial expression
A facial expression one or more motions or positions of the muscles in the skin. These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary means of conveying social information among humans, but also occur...
— a slightly downturned mouth — with the monarch. She regularly reviewed film and video footage of Elizabeth and kept photographs in her trailer during production. She also undertook extensive voice coaching, faithfully reproducing the Queen's delivery of her televised speech to the world. Morgan has said that her performance was so convincing that, by the end of production, crew members who had been accustomed to slouching or relaxing when they addressed her were standing straight up and respectfully folding their hands behind their backs. Mirren arranged to spend time off-camera with the supporting cast playing other members of the Royal Family, including James Cromwell
James Cromwell
James Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor. Some of his more notable roles are in Babe , for which he earned Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Star Trek: First Contact , L.A...
, Alex Jennings
Alex Jennings
Alex Jennings is an English actor whose roles have included Charles, Prince of Wales in The Queen .-Early years:...
and Sylvia Syms
Sylvia Syms
Sylvia M. L. Syms OBE is a British actress. She is probably best known for her roles in the films Woman in a Dressing Gown , Ice-Cold in Alex , No Trees in the Street , Victim and The Tamarind Seed...
so they would be as comfortable with each other as a real family.
Shots involving the Queen were shot in 35mm film and shots of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
were shot in 16mm film to enhance the contrast of different worlds.
Television viewership and DVD release
ITV's role in the production of the film allowed them an option for its television premiere and it was broadcast on 2 September 2007(coinciding that weekend with a memorial service to Diana) to an average audience of 7.9 million, winning its timeslot. The DVD was released in the UK on 12 March 2007. Special features include a making-of featurette and an audio commentaryAudio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
by Stephen Frears
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
, writer Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
and Robert Lacey
Robert Lacey
Robert Lacey is a British historian and biographer. He is the author of a number of bestselling biographies, including those of Henry Ford and Queen Elizabeth II, as well as works of popular history....
, biographer of Queen Elizabeth II. It was released on Blu-ray and DVD in the USA on 24 April 2007. As of 30 September 2007, The Queen has generated DVD sales of over $23 million.
Historical accuracy
Some aspects of the characters are known to be true to their real-life counterparts. Cherie BlairCherie Blair
Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...
's hostility to the monarchy has been widely reported, including her refusal to curtsey
Curtsey
A curtsey is a traditional gesture of greeting, in which a girl or woman bends her knees while bowing her head. It is the female equivalent of male bowing in Western cultures...
. According to Morgan, "cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
" is an actual term of endearment Philip uses for his wife (and « mon chou » - “my cabbage” - is a standard affectionate nickname in French).
Other elements represent characteristics associated with people depicted. The electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
seen behind Blair in his personal office is a reference to his past membership in the band Ugly Rumours
Ugly Rumours (band)
Ugly Rumours was the name of a rock band founded in part by former UK prime minister Tony Blair, while studying law at St John's College, Oxford during the early 1970s; he sang and played guitar...
while a student. The Newcastle United football jersey
Jersey (clothing)
A jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn...
he wears to a family breakfast at 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
is a reference to his support of that team. The film also shows Alastair Campbell coining the term 'the people's princess', when in reality it was Tony Blair who came up with it.
The most notable inaccuracy is that Robin Janvrin
Robin Janvrin
Robin Berry Janvrin, Baron Janvrin, GCB, GCVO, QSO, PC was the Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from February 1999 to September 2007. Janvrin was also a .-Early life:...
is represented as the Queen's Private Secretary
Private Secretary to the Sovereign
The Private Secretary to the Sovereign is the senior operational member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, as distinct from the Great Officers of the Household. The Private Secretary is the principal channel of communication with Her Majesty's Government and the...
during the aftermath of Diana's death, but in fact that position was then occupied by Janvrin's predecessor, Sir Robert Fellowes
Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes
Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes, GCB, GCVO, QSO, PC is a former Private Secretary to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1990–1999, and is also known as a brother-in-law of Diana, Princess of Wales.-Family background:...
, a brother-in-law of Diana, Princess of Wales; Janvrin was only the Deputy Private Secretary up until 1999 when he took the position of Private Secretary to the Queen. However, the film is accurate in depicting Janvrin as the person who delivered the news of Diana's accident to Her Majesty at Balmoral during the night.
Box office
The film exceeded box-office expectations; with a budget of $15 million the film has earned $56.4 million in the United States and has a worldwide gross of $120 million.Critical reception
Before the film was released, critics praised both Stephen Frears and Peter Morgan, who later garnered Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay. Michael Sheen's performance as Tony BlairTony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
earned him particular acclaim. Helen Mirren's portrayal garnered her acclaim from critics around the world. Her portrayal made her a favorite for the Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
well before the film was released in theatres. After its showing at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
, Mirren received a five-minute-long standing ovation. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
came out of recovery from surgery to give the film a review. He called it "spellbinding" and gave it four out of four stars. The Queen was 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
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Amongst the few negative reviews, Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Nick Schager criticised the insider portraiture of the film as "somewhat less than revelatory, in part because Morgan's script succumbs to cutie-pie jokiness [...] and broad caricature", mentioning particularly "James Cromwell's Prince Philip, who envisions the crowned heads as exiled victims and the gathering crowds as encroaching "Zulus"".
Top ten lists
The film appeared on many US critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2006.- 1st - Frank Scheck, The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
- 1st - William Arnold, Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Post-IntelligencerThe Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
- 2nd - Lou Lumenick, New York PostNew York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
- 2nd - Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
- 3rd - David AnsenDavid AnsenDavid Ansen is a reviewer and senior editor for Newsweek, where he has been reviewing movies since 1977. He came to Newsweek after several years as the chief film critic at Boston's The Real Paper...
, NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence... - 3rd - Ella Taylor, LA WeeklyLA WeeklyLA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
- 3rd - Richard Schickel, TIME magazineTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
- 3rd - Sheri Linden, The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
- 4th - Chris Kaltenbach, The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
- 4th - Claudia Puig, USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
- 4th - Kenneth TuranKenneth TuranKenneth Turan is an American film critic and Lecturer in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California.-Background:...
, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
(tied with VenusVenus (film)Venus is a 2006 British comedy-drama film starring Peter O'Toole, Leslie Phillips, Vanessa Redgrave and Jodie Whittaker. It is directed by Roger Michell and written by Hanif Kureishi....
) - 4th - Stephen HoldenStephen HoldenStephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... - 5th - Dennis Harvey, VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
- 5th - Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterFormerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
- 5th - Mick LaSalleMick LaSalleMick LaSalle is an American Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] [[film reviewer] and the author of two books on pre-[[Motion Picture Production Code|Hays Code]] Hollywood...
, San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,... - 5th - Stephanie Zacharek, SalonSalon.comSalon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
(tied with Marie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette (2006 film)Marie Antoinette is a 2006 biographical film, written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It is very loosely based on the life of the Queen consort in the years leading up to the French Revolution. It won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design...
) - 6th - Marjorie Baumgarten, The Austin Chronicle
- 6th - Michael Sragow, The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
- 6th - Shawn LevyShawn Anthony LevyShawn Anthony Levy is an American film critic, author and blogger.Born in New York City, and educated at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Irvine, Levy has been the film critic of The Oregonian newspaper in Portland, Oregon since 1997. He is a former Senior Editor...
, The OregonianThe OregonianThe Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850... - 7th - Lawrence Toppman, The Charlotte ObserverThe Charlotte ObserverThe Charlotte Observer, serving Charlotte, North Carolina and its metro area, is the largest newspaper, in terms of circulation, in North Carolina and South Carolina...
- 7th - Peter TraversPeter TraversPeter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
, Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J... - 9th - Jack Mathews, New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsThe Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
- 9th - Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
- 9th - Michael PhillipsMichael Phillips (critic)Michael Phillips is a film critic for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. Previously he was the drama critic of the Tribune; the Los Angeles Times; the St. Paul Pioneer Press; the San Diego Union-Tribune; and the Dallas Times Herald....
, Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is... - 9th - Michael Wilmington, Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
- 9th - Nathan Rabin, The A.V. ClubThe A.V. ClubThe A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
- 9th - Ty Burr, The Boston GlobeThe Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
- 10th - Glenn Kenny, PremierePremiere (magazine)Premiere was an American and New York City-based film magazine published by Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., published between the years 1987 and 2007. The original version of the magazine, Première , was started in France in 1976 and is still being published there.-History:The magazine originally...
- 10th - Staff, Film ThreatFilm ThreatFilm Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
General top ten
- Carina Chocano, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
- Carrie Rickey, The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
- Dana StevensDana Stevens (critic)Dana Shawn Stevens is a movie critic at Slate magazine. She is also a regular on the magazine's weekly cultural podcast the Culture Gabfest.-Life and career:Stevens grew up in Scarsdale, New York...
, SlateSlate (magazine)Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company... - Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
- Liam Lacey and Rick Groen, The Globe and MailThe Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
- Peter Rainer, The Christian Science MonitorThe Christian Science MonitorThe Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
- Ruthe Stein, San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
- Steven Rea, The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
Awards and nominations
Helen Mirren won at least 29 major awards for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II, many of which are listed below. She was nominated for at least 3 more.| Academy Awards record | |
|---|---|
| 1. Best Actress (Helen Mirren) | |
| Golden Globe Awards record | |
| 1. Best Actress (Helen Mirren) | |
| 2. Best Screenplay | |
| BAFTA Awards record | |
| 1. Best Picture | |
| 2. Best Actress (Helen Mirren) | |
79th Academy Awards
79th Academy Awards
The 79th Academy Awards ceremony , honored the best films of 2006 and took place on February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on ABC. Ellen DeGeneres hosted the ceremony for the first time. The producer was Laura Ziskin. The announcers were Don LaFontaine and Gina Tuttle.The nominees were...
(2006)
- Won: Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Nominated: Best Motion Picture of the Year— Andy HarriesAndy HarriesAndrew D. M. Harries is a British television and film producer. After graduating from Hull University in the 1970s, Harries began his television career on the Granada Television current affairs series World in Action, before moving on to freelance work...
, Christine LanganChristine LanganChristine Langan is an English film producer who has been Creative Director of BBC Films since April 2009.After graduating from Cambridge University in 1987 and working in advertising for three years, Langan joined Granada Television's drama serials department where she script edited daytime soap...
, Tracey SeawardTracey SeawardTracey Seaward is an English film producer.Seaward was educated at Wolfreton School and Hull College, before studying film and cultural studies at Trinity College, Leeds. She has produced the Stephen Frears-directed films Dirty Pretty Things , Mrs Henderson Presents , The Queen , Cheri and Tamara... - Nominated: Achievement in Directing — Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
- Nominated: Best Original Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter MorganPeter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
- Nominated: Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) — Alexandre DesplatAlexandre DesplatAlexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer. He has received four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, winning a Golden Globe for his work on The Painted Veil in 2006, and two Grammy nominations. In 2011, Desplat won his first British...
- Nominated: Achievement in Costume Design — Consolata Boyle
2006
60th British Academy Film Awards
The 60th British Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts took place on 11 February 2007, and honoured the best films of 2006....
British Academy Film
British Academy Film Awards
The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . It is the British counterpart of the Oscars. As of 2008, it has taken place in the Royal Opera House, having taken over from the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square...
(BAFTA) Awards
- Won: Best Film
- Won: Actress in a Leading Role — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Nominated: Outstanding British Film — Andy HarriesAndy HarriesAndrew D. M. Harries is a British television and film producer. After graduating from Hull University in the 1970s, Harries began his television career on the Granada Television current affairs series World in Action, before moving on to freelance work...
, Christine LanganChristine LanganChristine Langan is an English film producer who has been Creative Director of BBC Films since April 2009.After graduating from Cambridge University in 1987 and working in advertising for three years, Langan joined Granada Television's drama serials department where she script edited daytime soap...
, Tracey SeawardTracey SeawardTracey Seaward is an English film producer.Seaward was educated at Wolfreton School and Hull College, before studying film and cultural studies at Trinity College, Leeds. She has produced the Stephen Frears-directed films Dirty Pretty Things , Mrs Henderson Presents , The Queen , Cheri and Tamara...
, Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
, Peter MorganPeter MorganPeter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international... - Nominated: The David Lean Award for Achievement in Direction — Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
- Nominated: Actor in a Supporting Role — Michael SheenMichael SheenMichael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
- Nominated: Original Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter MorganPeter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
- Nominated: Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music — Alexandre DesplatAlexandre DesplatAlexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer. He has received four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, winning a Golden Globe for his work on The Painted Veil in 2006, and two Grammy nominations. In 2011, Desplat won his first British...
- Nominated: Editing — Lucia Zucchetti
- Nominated: Costume Design — Consolata Boyle
- Nominated: Makeup and Hair — Daniel Philipps
2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards
A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"...
- Won: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Theatrical movie) — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
2006 Directors Guild of America Awards
Directors Guild of America Awards
The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D.W. Griffith....
- Nominated: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures — Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
2006 Writers Guild of America Awards
- Nominated: Original Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter MorganPeter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
2006 Producers Guild of America Awards
- Nominated: Best Picture of the Year — Andy HarriesAndy HarriesAndrew D. M. Harries is a British television and film producer. After graduating from Hull University in the 1970s, Harries began his television career on the Granada Television current affairs series World in Action, before moving on to freelance work...
, Christine LanganChristine LanganChristine Langan is an English film producer who has been Creative Director of BBC Films since April 2009.After graduating from Cambridge University in 1987 and working in advertising for three years, Langan joined Granada Television's drama serials department where she script edited daytime soap...
, Tracey SeawardTracey SeawardTracey Seaward is an English film producer.Seaward was educated at Wolfreton School and Hull College, before studying film and cultural studies at Trinity College, Leeds. She has produced the Stephen Frears-directed films Dirty Pretty Things , Mrs Henderson Presents , The Queen , Cheri and Tamara...
64th
64th Golden Globe Awards
The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards were aired on January 15, 2007. Some key dates announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association are:The ceremony was broadcast live on NBC...
Golden Globe Awards
- Won: Best Actress, Drama — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Won: Best Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter Morgan (screenwriter)Peter Morgan is an English film writer and playwright best known for writing the films and plays The Deal, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and The Special Relationship.- Early life :...
- Nominated: Best Picture, Drama
- Nominated: Best Director — Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
2006
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2006
The 12th Annual Critics' Choice Awards were presented on 14 January 2007 by the Broadcast Film Critics Association to honor the finest achievements in 2006 filmmaking...
Broadcast Film Critics Association
Broadcast Film Critics Association
The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada , representing approximately 250 television, radio and online critics....
Awards
- Won: Actress in a Leading Role — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Nominated: Best Picture
- Nominated: Best Director — Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
- Nominated: Best Writer — Peter MorganPeter MorganPeter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
2006
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2006
The 10th Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2006, were given on 19 December 2006. -Winners:*Best Actor:**Sacha Baron Cohen - Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan...
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards
- Won: Best Picture
- Won: Best Actress — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Won: Best Supporting Actor — Michael SheenMichael SheenMichael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
- Won: Best Director — Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
- Won: Best Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter Morgan (screenwriter)Peter Morgan is an English film writer and playwright best known for writing the films and plays The Deal, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and The Special Relationship.- Early life :...
2006 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics' Circle Awards are given annually to honor excellence in cinema worldwide by an organization of film reviewers from New York City-based publications. It is considered one of the most important precursors to the Academy Awards....
- Won: Best Actress — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Won: Best Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter Morgan (screenwriter)Peter Morgan is an English film writer and playwright best known for writing the films and plays The Deal, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and The Special Relationship.- Early life :...
2006 Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association was founded in 1975. Its main purpose is to present yearly awards to members of the film industry who have excelled in their fields. These awards are presented each January...
Awards
- Won: Best Actress — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Won: Best Supporting Actor — Michael SheenMichael SheenMichael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
- Won: Best Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter Morgan (screenwriter)Peter Morgan is an English film writer and playwright best known for writing the films and plays The Deal, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and The Special Relationship.- Early life :...
- Won: Best Music — Alexandre DesplatAlexandre DesplatAlexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer. He has received four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, winning a Golden Globe for his work on The Painted Veil in 2006, and two Grammy nominations. In 2011, Desplat won his first British...
- Runner-Up: Best Picture
2006 National Society of Film Critics
National Society of Film Critics
The National Society of Film Critics is an American film critic organization. As of December 2007 the NSFC had approximately 60 members who wrote for a variety of weekly and daily newspapers.-History:...
Awards
- Won: Best Actress — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Won: Best Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter MorganPeter Morgan may refer to:* Peter Morgan , British sports car manufacturer* Peter Morgan , 1978 British Formula Ford champion* Peter Morgan , Wales and British lions international...
2006 Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
- Nominated: Best Motion Picture, Drama
- Won: Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Nominated: Best Director — Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
- Nominated: Best Screenplay, Original — Peter MorganPeter Morgan (screenwriter)Peter Morgan is an English film writer and playwright best known for writing the films and plays The Deal, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and The Special Relationship.- Early life :...
2006 National Board of Review Awards
National Board of Review Awards 2006
The 78th National Board of Review Awards, honoring the best in film for 2006, were given on 6 December 2006.-Top 10 films:#Letters from Iwo Jima #Babel#Blood Diamond#The Departed...
- Won: Best Actress — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
2006 Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
- Won: Audience Choice Award — Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
2006 British Independent Film Awards
British Independent Film Awards
The Moët British Independent Film Awards is an annual award ceremony celebrating achievement in independently funded British film and cinema. Nominations and jury are announced at the beginning of November with the award ceremony taking place in late November or early December.-History:The British...
- Won: Best Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter Morgan (screenwriter)Peter Morgan is an English film writer and playwright best known for writing the films and plays The Deal, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and The Special Relationship.- Early life :...
- Nominated: Best British Independent Film
- Nominated: Best Director — Stephen FrearsStephen FrearsStephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
- Nominated: Best Actress — jennifer harrisJennifer HarrisJennifer Harris is a former player of the Pennsylvania State University Lady Lions basketball team.-High school:Harris played for Central Dauphin High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where she was named a WBCA All-American...
- Nominated: Best Technical Achievement — Alan MacDonaldAlan MacDonaldAlan MacDonald is a children's writer living in Nottingham, England.- Writing :He has worked in a team of writers on TV shows such as Tweenies, Horrid Henry, Fimbles and Oggy and the Cockroaches...
(production design) - Nominated: Best Technical Achievement — Daniel Phillips (makeup)
2006 Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
- Won: Best Actress — Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
- Won: Best Screenplay — Peter MorganPeter Morgan (screenwriter)Peter Morgan is an English film writer and playwright best known for writing the films and plays The Deal, The Queen, Frost/Nixon, and The Special Relationship.- Early life :...
- Nominated: Golden LionGolden LionIl Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
Soundtrack
The soundtrack albumSoundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
was released on the Milan label on 26 September 2006. The original score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
and song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s were composed by Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat is a French film composer. He has received four Academy Award nominations, five BAFTA nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, winning a Golden Globe for his work on The Painted Veil in 2006, and two Grammy nominations. In 2011, Desplat won his first British...
and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
. The album was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score
Academy Award for Best Original Score
The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
. It was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music (lost to the score of Babel
Babel (soundtrack)
Babel is the original soundtrack album, on the Concord label, of the 2006 Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning film Babel starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Adriana Barraza, Gael García Bernal, Rinko Kikuchi and Kôji Yakusho...
).
- The Queen – 2:09
- Hills Of Scotland – 2:25
- People's Princess I – 4:08
- A New Prime Minister – 1:55
- H.R.H. – 2:22
- The Stag – 1:50
- Mourning – 3:50
- Elizabeth & Tony – 2:04
- River Of Sorrow – 1:59
- The Flowers Of Buckingham – 2:28
- The Queen Drives – 1:48
- Night In Balmoral – 1:09
- Tony & Elizabeth – 2:04
- People's Princess II – 4:08
- Queen Of Hearts – 3:33
- Libera Me (Verdi) – 6:27
External links
- The Queen at itv.comItv.comitv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
Interviews
- Helen Mirren on The Queen at The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
- Helen Mirren Interview at The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Michael Sheen Interview at Who