The Queen's Sister
Encyclopedia
The Queen's Sister is a 2005
British television movie
directed by Simon Cellan Jones. The teleplay
by Craig Warner
is a semi-fiction
alized account of the life of Princess Margaret
, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II
, from 1952 until the mid-1970s. It was produced by Touchpaper Television, part of the RDF Media
Group, and was broadcast by Channel 4
. It has been released on DVD
by BBC Video.
, alcoholic
nymphomaniac with few admirable qualities. When Archbishop Fisher of the Church of England
refuses her request to allow her and divorced war hero Peter Townsend, an equerry
to her sister, to wed in a religious ceremony, and her brother-in-law and confidant Prince Philip
advises her she will lose all her material possessions if they engage in a civil union, Margaret ends the relationship and plunges into a hedonistic
lifestyle that frequently draws headlines in the press. She finds herself partnered with Tony Armstrong-Jones
at a party that dissolves into an evening of sexual shenanigans, and she and the impoverished photographer begin to meet frequently for clandestine encounters in his dingy flat. When their relationship is made public, the two wed in an elaborate ceremony that is admired by those who embrace the monarchy
and criticized by politicians who are shocked at the amount of money spent on the occasion while their constituents are struggling to get by on meager wages.
The turbulent marriage falls victim to Margaret's increased drinking and Tony's indiscreet womanizing. She treats him more like a subject than a spouse, and he eventually moves out. When she is caught in flagrante delicto
with the pianist from a restaurant she frequents, she and Tony escape to their hideaway in Mustique
and try to present a united front for the press, but their scheme backfires when they are criticized for their lavish lifestyle in the tropics.
To escape the limelight, Margaret invites herself to the country home of her friends Rachel and Curly Burke. There she meets Roddy Llewellyn
, a considerably younger aspiring pop singer
. Shortly after she learns Robin Douglas-Home
, with whom she once had a highly-publicized affair, has committed suicide
. Roddy suggests she stay with him at his cottage, which he shares with a commune
of friends, to avoid the press, but a diligent photographer manages to catch them in an embrace. Tony Armstrong-Jones then announces the couple will divorce.
Margaret's continued drinking, experimentation with drugs, and deepening depression lead to her being hospitalized for several weeks for what is described as "exhaustion". After her release, she returns to Roddy, who announces he is marrying one of his housemates. Margaret departs for Mustique, and in the film's final moments she is seen standing in the surf and pondering her future.
on March 5, 2006. In his review in Variety
, Brian Lowry called the film "engaging if somewhat tawdry" and "occasional fun" and added, "Lucy Cohu does deliver a regal, rollicking performance in the title role ... [She] makes it all worth watching, conveying the contradictions - she can be down to earth and snotty all at once - that surely helped render Margaret an object of fascination in her time. Yet even with its sumptuous production values as Margaret jet-sets her way across the globe, it's a lightweight confection, especially when held up against the BBC's tony track record with historical fare. In other words, some BBC America productions are really outstanding, and some of them aren't."
On the website DVD Talk
, Paul Mavis observed, "At times funny and satirical, at other times raunchy and low down, The Queen's Sister is always fast-moving and involving ... Propelling [it] along at breakneck speed is the lusty, vibrant performance by Lucy Cohu ... [who] is really quite affecting."
, the film was nominated for Best Single Drama, and nominations went to Lucy Cohu for Best Actress, Simon Cellan Jones for Best Director, and James Keast for Best Costume Design. The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
nominated Cohu for Best Performance by an Actress, and the Royal Television Society
named David Threlfall Best Actor for his performance in this and Shameless
.
2005 in television
The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
British television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
directed by Simon Cellan Jones. The teleplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
by Craig Warner
Craig Warner
Craig Warner is a playwright and screenwriter who lives and works in Suffolk, England. He wrote The Queen's Sister for Channel 4, which was nominated for several BAFTA awards , Maxwell for BBC2, which starred David Suchet as Robert Maxwell, and The Last Days of Lehman Brothers, for which he was...
is a semi-fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
alized account of the life of Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, from 1952 until the mid-1970s. It was produced by Touchpaper Television, part of the RDF Media
RDF Media
Zodiak Media is a Anglo-American television production company. It was formed in 2010 when RDF Media Group was acquired by, and merged with Zodiak Entertainment...
Group, and was broadcast by Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. It has been released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by BBC Video.
Plot
The drama opens with the disclaimer "Some of the following is based on fact. And some isn't", and then proceeds to portray the princess as a self-absorbed, materialisticMaterialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
, alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
nymphomaniac with few admirable qualities. When Archbishop Fisher of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
refuses her request to allow her and divorced war hero Peter Townsend, an equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to her sister, to wed in a religious ceremony, and her brother-in-law and confidant Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
advises her she will lose all her material possessions if they engage in a civil union, Margaret ends the relationship and plunges into a hedonistic
Hedonism
Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
lifestyle that frequently draws headlines in the press. She finds herself partnered with Tony Armstrong-Jones
Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon
Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, GCVO, RDI is an English photographer and film maker. He was married to Princess Margaret, younger daughter of King George VI and younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II....
at a party that dissolves into an evening of sexual shenanigans, and she and the impoverished photographer begin to meet frequently for clandestine encounters in his dingy flat. When their relationship is made public, the two wed in an elaborate ceremony that is admired by those who embrace the monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
and criticized by politicians who are shocked at the amount of money spent on the occasion while their constituents are struggling to get by on meager wages.
The turbulent marriage falls victim to Margaret's increased drinking and Tony's indiscreet womanizing. She treats him more like a subject than a spouse, and he eventually moves out. When she is caught in flagrante delicto
In flagrante delicto
In flagrante delicto or sometimes simply in flagrante is a legal term used to indicate that a criminal has been caught in the act of committing an offence...
with the pianist from a restaurant she frequents, she and Tony escape to their hideaway in Mustique
Mustique
Mustique is a small private island in the West Indies. The island is one of a group of islands called the Grenadines, most of which form part of the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines....
and try to present a united front for the press, but their scheme backfires when they are criticized for their lavish lifestyle in the tropics.
To escape the limelight, Margaret invites herself to the country home of her friends Rachel and Curly Burke. There she meets Roddy Llewellyn
Roddy Llewellyn
Sir Roderic Victor Llewellyn, 5th Baronet is a British baronet, landscape gardener, gardening journalist, author and television presenter...
, a considerably younger aspiring pop singer
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. Shortly after she learns Robin Douglas-Home
Robin Douglas-Home
Cecil Robin Douglas-Home was a Scottish aristocrat, jazz pianist and author.Robin Douglas-Home was the eldest son of the Honourable Henry Douglas-Home from his first marriage to Lady Margaret Spencer...
, with whom she once had a highly-publicized affair, has committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Roddy suggests she stay with him at his cottage, which he shares with a commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
of friends, to avoid the press, but a diligent photographer manages to catch them in an embrace. Tony Armstrong-Jones then announces the couple will divorce.
Margaret's continued drinking, experimentation with drugs, and deepening depression lead to her being hospitalized for several weeks for what is described as "exhaustion". After her release, she returns to Roddy, who announces he is marrying one of his housemates. Margaret departs for Mustique, and in the film's final moments she is seen standing in the surf and pondering her future.
Cast
- Lucy CohuLucy CohuLucy Cohu is an award-winning English stage and film actress, known for portraying Princess Margaret in The Queen's Sister, Evelyn Brogan in Cape Wrath and Alice Carter in Torchwood: Children of Earth.-Background:...
as Princess Margaret - Toby StephensToby StephensToby Stephens is an English stage, television and film actor who has appeared in films in both Hollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for playing megavillain Gustav Graves in the James Bond film Die Another Day , Edward Fairfax Rochester in the BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre and Philip...
as Tony Armstrong-Jones - David ThrelfallDavid ThrelfallDavid Threlfall is an English stage, film and television actor and director best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Channel 4's Manchester-based drama series Shameless. He has also directed several episodes of the show.-Early life:...
as Prince Philip - Aden GillettAden GillettJohn Aden Gillett is a British actor best known for playing the role of Jack Maddox on the popular BBC series The House of Eliott....
as Peter Townsend - Dominic MafhamDominic MafhamDominic Mafham is an English actor. He was born on 11 March 1968.He trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.Dominic began his career at The Royal Shakespeare Company in 1990. He was with the RSC for four years....
as Robin Douglas Home - Simon WoodsSimon WoodsSimon Woods is an English actor best known for his role as Octavian in Season 2 of the British-American television series Rome and the 2005 Pride & Prejudice as Mr. Charles Bingley...
as Roddy Llewellyn - Alex BarclayAlex BarclayEve "Alex" Barclay is an Irish crime writer.Barclay studied journalism at university and worked for a period in fashion and beauty journalism as a copywriter in the RTÉ Guide. In 2003, she left the fashion industry to write Darkhouse, the first of two novels featuring NYPD detective Joe Lucchesi...
as Billy Wallace - Edward Tudor-PoleEdward Tudor-PoleEdward Tudor-Pole is an English musician, singer , TV presenter and actor.- Musical career :Tudor-Pole formed the band Tenpole Tudor in 1974, and eventually came to prominence after appearing in the film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle as a possible replacement for Johnny Rotten in the Sex Pistols...
as Cecil BeatonCecil BeatonSir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, CBE was an English fashion and portrait photographer, diarist, painter, interior designer and an Academy Award-winning stage and costume designer for films and the theatre... - Felicity MontaguFelicity MontaguFelicity Montagu is an English actress, known for her performances in radio and television comedy series and films.Educated at Loughborough University and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, Felicity Montagu has played the foil to a series of prominent comedy characters.-Television:Montagu...
as Gillian Fleming - James WallaceJames WallaceJames Wallace may refer to:*James Wallace , English football player*James Wallace , British Member of Parliament for Horsham, Attorney-General...
as Sunny Blandford - Caroline HarkerCaroline HarkerCaroline Harker is an English stage and television actress, the sister of actress Susannah Harker, and the daughter of actors Polly Adams and Richard Owens...
as Rachel Burke - Sam Spiegel (actor)Sam Spiegel (actor)Sam H. Spiegel is a French actor. He has appeared in both French and English language films, television series and plays. Also a voice over artist and a writer of novels and children's books, Spiegel lives between Paris and London.- Biography :...
as Professor Pierre Lavalle
Critical reception
The show aired on BBC AmericaBBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
on March 5, 2006. In his review in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, Brian Lowry called the film "engaging if somewhat tawdry" and "occasional fun" and added, "Lucy Cohu does deliver a regal, rollicking performance in the title role ... [She] makes it all worth watching, conveying the contradictions - she can be down to earth and snotty all at once - that surely helped render Margaret an object of fascination in her time. Yet even with its sumptuous production values as Margaret jet-sets her way across the globe, it's a lightweight confection, especially when held up against the BBC's tony track record with historical fare. In other words, some BBC America productions are really outstanding, and some of them aren't."
On the website DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
, Paul Mavis observed, "At times funny and satirical, at other times raunchy and low down, The Queen's Sister is always fast-moving and involving ... Propelling [it] along at breakneck speed is the lusty, vibrant performance by Lucy Cohu ... [who] is really quite affecting."
Awards and nominations
In the 2006 British Academy Television AwardsBritish Academy Television Awards 2006
The 2006 British Academy Television Awards were held on Sunday 7 May at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. The ceremony was broadcast on the ITV Network, hosted by television presenter Davina McCall...
, the film was nominated for Best Single Drama, and nominations went to Lucy Cohu for Best Actress, Simon Cellan Jones for Best Director, and James Keast for Best Costume Design. The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is an organization of global broadcasters, with members from nearly 70 countries and over 400 companies...
nominated Cohu for Best Performance by an Actress, and the Royal Television Society
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
named David Threlfall Best Actor for his performance in this and Shameless
Shameless
Shameless is a British television drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004...
.