The Queen
The story of The Queen is that after Princess Diana’s death, the newly elected prime minister, Tony Blair, offered to help Queen Elizabeth, and she refused. The royal family had their problems with Diana. Charles felt jealous because she had become more popular than he. Phillip disliked her criticism of the Royal Family, and Elizabeth was annoyed that Charles perceived her as a good mother when in reality, she was only that way in public. This story is very important for the world to hear, as we all know the story of Diana's death, but we don't know the story of the aftermath of her death.
The film's main theme is that regular people see the lives of the upper class as their own. This theme is illustrated when Queen Elizabeth and Tony Blair discuss the British people's perception of Diana’s death. Blair says, “It would be a great comfort to your people and would help them with their grief." Elizabeth responds, "their grief?". Elizabeth further remarks “Can you imagine that I'm going to drop everything and go down to London before I can attend to my grandchildren who’ve just lost their mother. Then you're mistaken." This conversation displays how the British people foolishly believe that Diana’s death has covered them with sorrow and misery while they never met or knew her. It also presents that the British people and press are dull-witted for criticizing the Royals for not flying the flag over Buckingham Palace at half mast and for having a private funeral.
The secondary theme of the film is that the media can be deviously manipulative. Currently, the media is so manipulative that it has turned the whole world against the Royals. This message is illustrated throughout the movie as the media and press consistently portrayed Diana as innocent, referring to her as the "People's Princess," despite the film revealing that Diana had badmouthed the Royal Family and frequently gotten into trouble. The media also portrays the Royals, particularly Elizabeth and Charles, as being black and white, evil towards Diana, when there was more to it. Charles was jealous that Diana had become more popular than he, and Elizabeth was kind to Diana as she encouraged the marriage. The press also tries to catch the Royals making a mistake, such as when William and Harry go hunting.
The central theme is that when times change, people struggle to adapt to them. For example, when Diana accidentally drives her Land Rover into a river, she sees a deer who is the last of his kind. The deer symbolizes how times have changed since Elizabeth was crowned. The deer is later hunted by a hunter whom Elizabeth is forced to congratulate. Elizabeth feels guilty for congratulating the hunter.
This theme is further illustrated when Queen Elizabeth and her mother discuss the vow she took and how, even though times have changed, Elizabeth must continue.
