updated: 03/01/2006
The Queen Mother died in 2002 at the age of 101. She lived through a whole series of events: from the World war I; through the abdication crisis in the 1930s; through World War II; through the end of the British Empire; to the marriage, divorce and death of princess Diana. So it is not surprising that she has appeared as a character in a number of movies and mini-series. Nor it is surprising that the ‘likenesses’ are often unlike each other as they feature her in storylines up to sixty years apart; more surprisingly few of them seem to resemble her at any age.
Cambridge Spies: four bright young men are destined for influential positions in the British government and media – unfortunately they are double agents. Anthony Blunt engages in a couple of knowing conversations with the Queen Mother (Imelda Staunton). Lisa Westcott was hair and makeup designer; Jayne Buxton, Julie Dartnell and Polly Fehily were hair stylist/makeup artists.
Bertie and Elizabeth: tells the story of the couple unwillingly thrust to centre-stage by the abdication. It’s obviously a hard life being a royal to judge from the almost perpetually sour expression of queen Elizabeth (Juliet Aubrey). A mini-series clearly designed to offend no one it simply bored everyone – the IMDb comment summed it up succinctly: ‘Dreck!’. Christine Blundell was the hair & makeup designer.
Edward & Mrs Simpson: told the story of the events leading up to the abdication of Edward VIII – the then Duchess of York (Amanda Reiss) strongly disapproved. Angela Seyfang and Sally Thorpe were the makeup artists.