Has anyone ever seen the 2006 movie "The Queen"? It's been shown several times recently on AMC. It deals with the response (or lack thereof) of Elizabeth II to Princess Diana's death. Helen Mirren does an outstanding job as the queen--in fact, she was invited by the real queen to Buckingham Palace (she couldn't go because she couldn't get away from shooting another movie). I remember when Diana died, and the royal family was widely seen as being appallingly callous for not saying anything for days. But this movie (although it may not be 100% accurate) helps the viewer to at least understand their perspective. Michael Sheen is excellent as Tony Blair, and the portrayal of Prince Philip is hilarious.

Yes, I finally saw it recently on TCM. Enjoyed it alot. As to accuracy, I read that the writer(s) interviewed key participants from all sides (Royal Family and Blair's staff) and got enough matching information that they were fairly sure much of what happens in the film really did happen.

Mirren's portrayal is outstanding. She conveys that Queen Elizabeth really saw nothing wrong in how she was handling Diana's death...and was knocked for a loop and even somewhat humiliated when finally needing to be told by Tony Blair what to do.

I thought the little side story of the Queen and the stag was very interesting, too. Great movie.

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My favorite part is when Charles calls Blair to suggest they do more to honor Diana. When Blair hangs up, he asks his staff why Charles is doing this. They tell him that Charles is afraid of being shot because people are angry at the royal family. Charles thinks that if he's seen doing something, then the queen will be in the firing line instead of him. Blair says, "So it's okay for his mother to take a bullet but not him?! What a family!"

I can't help laughing whenever I think of that.

Helen Mirren gave an incredible performance, as did the actor who played Prince Phillip. Very, very good film.

In a way the film truly makes you feel sorry for the Queen. Here she's devoted her life to serving the people, and yet she really failed them for probably the first time in her life. It threw her for a loop but she did come around, thanks to the utter insistence of Tony Blair and Prince Charles.

Incidentally, I had read years ago that Blair's wife had always an immense distaste for the entire Royal Family, and really did abhor having to curtsy to the Queen...just as is depicted in the movie.

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I have not seen the film but the comments that Prince Philip is funny must be true to life because he is funny. He always breaks "royal protocol" to put his foot in it by trting to be funny. The most famoue being going to China and asking why they all had slanty eyes

OMG!! I just spit food out of my laughing so hard at that. He's England's version of Joe Biden then. haha.

Nobody with knowledge of Prince Philip, whether from the movie or real life, is ever going to accuse him of being politically correct, that's for sure!

I didn't particular enjoy this when I saw it at the cinema, but I might like it more now.

I wrote this in 2006:

There is one moment here in which the camera sweeps us away into a breathtaking shot of rural England, craning high over head and belying any suggestion of either CGI or even an aircraft of some sort. As a whole, though, it looks like a shot-for-TV film, the kind of topical two-parter that might find its way onto channel 4; nothing particularly wrong with that, although with the aesthetic flatness comes an emotional emptiness, of vague interest because of performances, but little to none to those who are not interested by the English monarchy, the English government, or Princess Diana's death. Frivolous.

I dunno how the Queen 'serves' anyone.