Different Perspectives

There are more than a few ways to read this film. Not all of them are automatically relevant to the History and Memory part of Module C, but they may still get you thinking along some interesting lines.

One way of approaching this film is from a religious standpoint, with reference to the idea that a monarch like the Queen is canonised as a literal representation of God's Will on Earth. A lot of this ties into the Queen's view of her job as a holy duty, something that she must do until the day she dies. Blair also supports this idea when he defends the Queen's stance in the latter part of the film - pointing out to his colleagues that (with reference to her personal view of being in service to God) she is in quite a difficult position when the public pressures her to break with tradition.

There is also a feminist way to read the film, with reference to Diana's refusal to "toe the line" in regards to Charles' mistress. This means that her divorce is seen by some of the Royal family (Prince Philip in particular) as an aggressive act in light of the traditionalist view of Royal adultery being acceptable. The Queen is a female leader in a role usually occupied by kings, which adds a twist to this aspect of the film - note her subtle reaction to Philip's condemnation of Diana and the idea that having a mistress is the "done thing".

As with a lot of texts that deal with British royalty, there is also some comment to be made on a class-orientated reading of the film. Traditionally, the Royal family occupies the top spot in the British class system, so the idea that the Queen should bend to the public's will becomes the central struggle within the film's narrative. Prince Philip unflatteringly compares the public to "hordes of Zulus", alluding to images of barbaric peasants who are unfit to suggest action to the likes of the Queen. Suffice to say, the use of real footage where everyday people pass comment on the proceedings is a useful way of reminding the viewer of the working class viewpoint, especially in a film that focuses predominantly on the upper levels of government.

These are just three examples, there would no doubt be plenty of other ways of looking at the film - perhaps from the standpoint of looking at the Royals as celebrities, or a reading that focuses on Tony Blair's courting of public opinion.