The Queen - Kick-Off Thread - YouLookFab Forum

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The Queen - Kick-Off Thread

Inge

(website)

Good morning everyone. Welcome to our fourth virtual YLF Book Club meet-up.

We are talking about The Queen, the 2006 British film directed by Stephen Frears, with Helen Mirren starring as Queen Elizabeth II.

The movie depicts the first days after Princess Diana’s death in 1997, when the queen's reluctance to release any official statement and the royal family's apparent lack of mourning caused public outrage. With the eyes of the entire nation and the rest of the world upon the royal family, newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair decided to take matters into his own hands and persuade the queen to pay tribute to the “People’s Princess” after all.

I thought Helen Mirren's performance (speech patterns, way of walking, subtle display of emotions) was brilliant. I loved getting a better insight into royal protocol and the relationship between the queen and Mr. Blair. I also very much enjoyed the interaction between the different members of the royal family, the scenes at Balmoral and, of course, all the sartorial choices.

There's plenty to talk about, and I'm super curious to hear what you thought of the movie, so over to you.

Book Club

21 replies

Latest reply was from Jjsloane

Jjsloane

Veteran

Thank you for reminding me I must watch this brilliant film again. I am totally in love with just about anything Helen Mirren does, but I remember really liking this. I will wait to offer my opinions and thoughts after a quick refresher. Looking forward to the discussions.

Isabel

Veteran

This was an interesting movie...I didn't think that I was going to like it but I watched because of Helen Mirren. It was fascinating. Helen was amazing. She conveyed so much with a very staunch affect. She wasn't emotional on the outside, but the gears were turning. She also reminded me of a politician who is really concerned with public opinion though she is not an elected official.

Her clothes were spot on to what I have seen of the Queen's. The sensible shoes, the very refrained clothes...

I will have to come back later to "talk " some more.

Isis

Veteran

I loved Helen Miren! She is amazing and it was fun to watch the way she moved, her facial expressions, her dress; she totally embodied the Queen completely.

As per fashion, I wondered if she was wearing Hermes scarves?

Inge

(website)

Isabel: I too loved how restrained Helen Mirren played the queen, very reserved but still with lots of personality. Just like HRM in real life, I imagine.

Jeanne: Have fun watching the movie again. Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

Isis: Indeed. Queen Elizabeth - and Helen Mirren in the movie - often wears Hermès scarves (and Barbour jackets). I love the contrast between the chic silk scarves and the casual outdoorsy coats and tweed outfits.

Apparently the Barbour jacket was in high demand after "The Queen" was released in New York movie theatres:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new.....rbour.html

Oh, this is fun to browse too, there's lots of info about the queen's wardrobe:
http://www.fashion-era.com/roy.....thes_1.htm

Andrea B.

Oooh, what a fun page of royal fashion, Inge. Thanks for sharing!

Isis

Veteran

Cool link about Queen fashion, Inge! I also liked the contrast between the outdoorsey jackets, practical shoes and the silk scarves as the Queen tromped around in the outdoors. And so those were Hermes scarves! Never heard of them before YLF, and I'm not sure I've ever seen one IRL.

Off to look up Barbour jackets......

Isabel

Veteran

How coincidental regarding the Barbour jacket, I just put one on my wish list, though I had not idea that was what she was wearing. I don't want to dress like the Queen, but apparently we like the same "pieces".

The other thing that really struck me, and I could be wrong, is that she appeared to really dislike Diana.

The Queen really hasn't seemed to change sartorially throughout the years. All her looks are very similar to me. And does she ever wear prints ? All that matching is exhausting to me ( LOL ) but somehow, it works, it is her.

Isabel

Veteran

I was thinking more about this and how the Queen always seems so "proper". One definition of proper is " RESPECTABLE, CORRECT, GENUINE." I think that she is very genuine to what she sees as her duty and tradition. Yet she doesn't, at all, seem adaptable or approachable in a way. She reminds me of a strictly disciplined martial artist or soldier. But with her it seems to be 24 hrs a day. I also find it fascinating that she doesn't seem to care about putting people at ease around her. That everyone is very concerned with protocol at all times. I can't imagine living that way.

So that started me thinking, is there a difference between being "proper" and being "appropriate" ?

ManidipaM

Veteran

Her Majesty really does take her 'uniform' pretty seriously, doesn't she? It's as though she is so wrapped up in being a figurehead that there can be no other 'look' for her --- a sort of visual reminder for herself and for observers that even when it's not in her hand, she does not (indeed, cannot) ever lay down the sceptre.

Oddly, the overwhelming 'flattening' of her this causes as a person --- the general public do not (and again, cannot) see *too* much of her as a common woman who is also a wife, a mother, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a grandmother, a mother-in-law (contrast Diana), even though she IS all these things! --- seems to be echoed in her often deliberately monochromatic outfit selections.

It also strikes me that in many ways, Dame Helen actually *softens* the Queen's real-life style --- though I'm sure a lot of the credit also goes to the director and the wardrobe and make-up teams --- so as to make the on-screen Elizabeth a little more vulnerable, a little more approachable, and (dare I say it?) a little less unsympathetic, even ridiculous... Compare for instance the photos of Mirren-Elizabeth and HRM Elizabeth in this article, noting especially the bouffant hair for one thing, where Helen Mirren's wearing a far more subdued, less stiff, more 'natural' or 'real-life' version of it. Even the way she wears the sash is not as geometric or symmetrical, a little less stiff, just a tiny teensy bit more 'rumpled' to me eye.

ETA: Of course, the corollary is that we don't see as much of this: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20207940,00.html
or this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/life.....0s-fashion
The more flamboyant versions of Queen Elizabeth, rare enough in real-life, almost fade to nothing on the screen. Would it have been too difficult to sustain, to confusing in terms of emotional affect, I wonder?

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

This was a brilliant movie. I watched it a few days ago. I'm collecting my thoughts and will write about it later.

Sihaya

Veteran

I loved this movie a LOT more than I was expecting to. I loved watching the human side as portrayed by the royal family actors. I especially appreciated it because we tend to talk about famous folks as though we know them. And this movie goes to show that there are layers upon layers to the real story. Even though this is a movie. I adore Mirren of course. My girlfriends and I who saw it together also wondered who are the other people in today's world that we would mourn and remember when they die the way the world did with Diana?

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

This is going to seem really self-centered, but, the Queen and I share the same birthday, April 21. Whenever I meet someone with the same birthday, I am curious if we share any personality traits. So -- here goes. We both love dogs, and walking. Although the Queen has a better command of her dogs than I! I have often said, if I need to figure something out, I'll take a walk and the conclusion will come to me. She says something exactly like that at the end of the movie. But there the similarities end.

Whereas the Queen holds fast to her beliefs and traditions, I am flexible to the point where if I were a public figure, I'd be accused of being a wishy-washy flip-flopper. In the movie, her seeming inflexibility is not portrayed favorably (although she eventually gives in and does the sensible thing, as encouraged by Tony Blair). But you have to remember where she comes from! She is a Queen, the eldest child of two, growing up in WW2, and ascending to the throne at age 26 in 1952. Remember, Britain paid a high price for appeasing Germany (Chamberlain, circa 1938). The stalwarts such as Winston Churchill were "right" -- that must have made a big impression on her that one stick's to one's guns.

Alright, enough of my amateur psychological/historical perspective. The movie was brilliant in that it did make you feel she was human, just like one of us. The only thing I left puzzled about was, why exactly was Diana so disliked by the royal family?

rachylou

Veteran

I loved Helen Mirren in this movie. I thought the others were a little campy and odd picks visually.

Anyways, I found this movie very touching. A lot of privilege, but also the biggest burden in the world of loneliness and duty and restriction. I find Queen E. very homey, with her wool skirts and scarves and corgis. Haha, I wouldn't have my chihuahua mutt if she wasn't mixed with corgi!

I also find her totally original when it comes to style: her appearing-in-public clothes do what they need to do. And there are so many aspects of what they need to do: Make her visible in a crowd, speak for decency without being depressing... I find her wardrobe lively and even playful. I will always remember that she has weights sewn into her hems to keep them down in the wind (!)

rachylou

Veteran

I had to come back and add - I totally think that's true, CocoLion. About WWII. The Royal Family STAYED in LONDON during WWII. Think of the bombing, night after night after night. City on fire. The palace itself was hit and still they stayed. They didn't run or escape anything. Then the next 20 years, unlike in the States, was living in the after math of that. Food, cloth, all that was hard to come by. People were living very frugally right into the '60s. That generation got on with it and didn't whinge.

re. Diana: When I was a girl, I loved Diana. Elegant, touching and as the patron of the damaged, she had a compassion and warmth I admired. Which is still true, I think. But as I've gotten older I can also see she was unforgiving towards her own and, honestly, just plain nuts.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I personally found this film both wonderful and very difficult to watch, who really knows what happened behind closed doors. I feel it is important to remember how much the world has changed since Queen Elizabeth II took the throne and how in times of tragedy there is a desire to 'lock out the world' in order to protect the ones you love.

I remember this clip fondly which is taken from a BBC documentary on Windsor Castle and thought it may add some light to the shade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_JKTVkbllI

Inge

(website)

I love that clip, Julie.

Queen Elizabeth was very young when she ascended the throne, and she has been under constant public scrutiny ever since. Sometimes we tend to forget that there's an actual human being behind the public persona, someone who has the same doubts, insecurities and emotions as the rest of us, and who needs to find her own way of dealing with enormously stressful events and setbacks. I think this movie did a very good job of highlighting those aspects.

A few years ago the BBC made a documentary series: "Monarch - The Royal Family at Work". I only saw episode 4, but thought I'd mention it here, because there are several scenes in which you see the less reserved, more compassionate side of the queen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR9LfsN4O9A

Stylewise it's also important to remember that Queen Elizabeth will be 86 this year, and that she is smart to take practicalities into account. E.g. Comfortable footwear when she has to be on her feet for longer times during official events and ceremonies.
I also quite like it that she doesn't stick to "safe" colours, and regularly sports yellow, purples, bright blues and reds etc.

Isabel: I did see a few patterns here and there;-)
http://www.fashion-era.com/ima.....uecoat.jpg
And she could certainly rock a mod look too:
http://www.fashion-era.com/ima.....rqcoat.jpg

rachylou

Veteran

Inge, you're right. Queen Elizabeth is very daring with color. Her hats are very signature too.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I loved this movie! It really made me wonder about the Queen's private personality - and whether it was accurately captured by Helen Mirren (who I think walks on water). I liked her best with her horses and Corgis.

I was in London on the day that Diana was buried. Saw the procession. It was extremely moving. As Julie said, the movie also made me quite sad.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I would imagine from time to time, the public has thought the Queen as being cold or standoffish, particularly after Diana died. But in watching the movie, I came to realize that it's more about how private a person she is. She's a woman who became Queen at such a young age and has ruled with grace and dignity and has always strived to keep her family together and out of the headlines. She must have found the situation very difficult - she needed to remain "professional" (for lack of a better term) but she also needed to show the public she cared.

I found the relationship between the Queen and Mr. Blaire interesting - I had no idea there were so many rules and regulations around that partnership.

christieanne

Veteran

I think the Queen must get frustrated with the other royals who don't take their roles as seriously as she does. It seemed more impatience with Diana than dislike in my mind (although Diana certainly expressed that she was not accepted by the Queen and some others). Queen Elizabeth was not born knowing she would be monarch one day (unlike Queen Victoria) but when her uncle abdicated and her father became King, it seems like the Duty became much more apparent.
My favorite scene is when she is driving the Range rover on her own around the property - she was an ambulance driver in WW2 I think? - and the buck.

Jjsloane

Veteran

I finally got the movie from the library and watched it while sorting some clothes. I hadn't focused on her wardrobe last time I watched and I was fascinated. The fuzzy robe caught my eye several times. Mohair? Seems it would be warm and stiff and very scratchy. I also noticed the same neckline on her (most likely custom?) neverending supply of A line sheath dresses in gorgeous wool. They seem polished and sophisticated (if not a bit fashion forward) and warm. I spotted her in stirrup tights and flats in one of the last scenes. She probably had her wellies on for a walkie. I love that she wiped her tears and blew her nose on her silk scarf (the stag and her)
Lots visually and of course loved Helen's portrayal. Of course one never knows how accurate it was, but I thoroughly enjoyed it a second time.