Tag: elizabeth
Queen’s death: Royal footman Paul Burrell on what Queen Elizabeth was like behind the scenes
Best movies and TV shows to watch about Queen Elizabeth II
All the times Queen Elizabeth II was portrayed in films
There are few who have been portrayed on the big screen more times than the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Britain’s longest ever serving monarch, and the second-longest reigning monarch in world history, the Queen died on Thursday, aged 96. In a statement, the Royal Family announced, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.”
Having reigned for 70 years, the Queen’s standing as a cultural icon can’t be understated, especially on screen. From Oscar-winning drama to slapstick comedies, Queen Elizabeth II has appeared as a character in well over 20 feature films (not to mention many, many more TV shows).
From her first on-screen portrayal in the early seventies to a CGI cameo in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of The BFG, we’ve rounded up the Queen’s various film portrayals below.
Tricia’s Wedding, Steven Walden, 1971
Credit: Screenshot: YouTube / Frameline
A short comedy spoof which involves a glamorous Steven Walden playing a young Queen Elizabeth II at a farcical version of Tricia Nixon’s wedding.
Bons baisers de Hong Kong, Huguette Funfrock, 1975
Another comedy, and the first of several times the Queen was played by French actress Huguette Funfrock. Bons baisers de Hong Kong, which translates to From Hong Kong with Love, centres around four French agents’ bungling attempts to help rescue the Queen from kidnappers (it’s basically a very ridiculous James Bond spoof).
Queen Kong, Jeannette Charles, 1976
The only person to play the Queen more times than Huguette Funfrock is British actress (and undeniable look-a-like) Jeannette Charles. Her role in comedy adventure Queen Kong is brief, but she does manage the Queen’s trademark wave and the iconic line: “We were most certainly not amused.”
Le Bourreau des coeurs, Huguette Funfrock, 1983
Funfrock’s second time playing Queen Elizabeth II came in the 1983 film Le Bourreau des coeurs (a.k.a. The Heartbreaker) — a French comedy about a little-known actor who rockets to fame.
Aces Go Places 3, Huguette Funfrock, 1984
Funfrock’s final outing as the Queen (at least on film) was in Hong Kong comedy (and yet another Bond spoof) Aces Go Places 3, which involves a larger-than-life plot about gem thieves and plenty of strange set-pieces and high speed chases.
National Lampoon’s European Vacation, Jeannette Charles, 1985
Credit: Warner Bros.
Jeannette Charles again, this time popping up nine years after Queen Kong in a dream sequence towards the beginning of National Lampoon’s European Vacation. She’s got more lines in this one, too, and a supporting cast of fellow royal family members.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Jeannette Charles, 1988
Credit: Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
Leslie Nielsen’s calamitous attempt to save the Queen from what he thinks is an assassination attempt has to be one of the more memorable scenes from The Naked Gun (and it’s definitely Jeanette Charles’ most memorable turn as Her Majesty).
The BFG, Angela Thorne, 1989
Credit: Fremantle Media / Shutterstock
The Queen (voiced by Angela Thorne) pops up at the end of the 1989 animation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG to offer Sophie and the rest of the orphans a home in Buckingham Palace, and to bestow a castle on the Big Friendly Giant himself.
The Duke, Carolyn Sadowska, 1999
Like Huguette Funfrock and Jeannette Charles, Carolyn Sadowska is another actress who has specialised in playing the Queen (on this occasion in a fairly ridiculous comedy that centres around a Duke passing his inheritance on to his dog).
Her Majesty, Rachel Wallis, 2001
Her Majesty revolves around a little girl whose royal obsession builds to a fever pitch after she discovers Queen Elizabeth II (Rachel Wallis) is going to be visiting her hometown in New Zealand (despite not actually being in the film all that much, the Queen is still a pretty big part of this story).
Ali G Indahouse, Jeanette Vane, 2002
Credit: Screenshot: Netflix / Film4
We don’t see the Queen’s face in this one, but we do hear her voice meeting Ali G. This one’s probably up there with The Naked Gun in terms of memorability.
Austin Powers in Goldmember, Jeannette Charles, 2002
Credit: Screenshot: Netflix / New Line Cinema
2002 was a bumper year for comedy Queen cameos. A full 36 years after Jeannette Charles made her first film appearance in Queen Kong, she returned to cameo as Her Majesty in the third and final Austin Powers film. It was the last movie she appeared in as the Queen.
What a Girl Wants, Elizabeth Richard, 2003
Credit: Frank Connor / Warner Bros / Kobal / Shutterstock
This is the first film in which impersonator Elizabeth Richard cameos as the Queen, and it’s not the last. It’s also the first of two films in which Colin Firth stars alongside a fictional version of Her Majesty — this time as the father of visiting American teenager (and main character) Daphne Reynolds.
Churchill: The Hollywood Years, Neve Campbell, 2004
Credit: Screenshot: YouTube / Pathe
There have been some fairly slapstick versions of the Queen up until this point, but Churchill: The Hollywood Years really amps it up a notch. The film revolves around Hitler attempting to marry into the Windsors (yep) and stars Christian Slater as a muscled, action hero version of Winston Churchill. It also features Neve Campbell as the machine gun-toting Princess Elizabeth (she was still a few years off becoming Queen at this point).
Royal Faceoff, Lesley Staples, 2006
Another year, another wildly ridiculous Queen portrayal. Like What a Girl Wants, this one involves an American high-schooler getting bizarrely mixed up with the Royal Family (in this case, the main character wants to try and remove the Queen’s face from the world’s currency, or something). British actress Lesley Staples stars as a farcical, dancing version of Queen Elizabeth II.
Rabbit Over the Void, Elena Safonova, 2006
Rabbit Over The Void (or Zayats nad bezdnoy, as it’s known in Russian) is a 2006 comedy about a man trying to convince a Baron that he’s worthy to marry his daughter. Queen Elizabeth II, played by Russian actress Elena Safonova, rides up on a horse near the end of the film for a casual cameo.
The Queen, Dame Helen Mirren, 2006
Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock
Breaking the almost uninterrupted run of farcical comedy cameos is 2006 drama The Queen, which stars a stern Dame Helen Mirren as Her Majesty in the post-Diana years. This is arguably one of the most successful films that the Queen has been fictionalised in: it received a largely positive response from critics and netted Mirren an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
2012, Elizabeth Richard, 2009
It’s a dark and blurry moment, but a fictional Queen Elizabeth II does indeed have a moment being hurried along with her corgis during an evacuation scene in 2009 disaster movie 2012.
The King’s Speech, Freya Wilson, 2010
Credit: Weinstein Co / UK Film Council / See Saw / Kobal / Shutterstock
The King’s Speech — which takes place in the years immediately before the outbreak of WWII – features the youngest film portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II (Freya Wilson), way back before she became the ruling monarch. This one’s definitely the most critically successful film featuring Her Majesty — it was nominated for eight Oscars in 2011 and came away with four.
A Royal Night Out, Sarah Gadon, 2015
Credit: Screenshot: YouTube / Lionsgate
Following handily on from The King’s Speech comes A Royal Night Out — a film that focusses on Princess Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) and her sister Margaret celebrating the end of World War II with a wild night out in 1945.
Minions, Jennifer Saunders, 2015
The Queen has had plenty of unusual film cameos over the years, but fighting a Minion that’s attempting to steal her crown has to be one of the most memorable. We particularly like the way her majesty (voiced by Jennifer Saunders) elbow drops the goggly thief.
The BFG, Penelope Wilton, 2016
Credit: Screenshot: YouTube / Disney
A full 27 years after the animated version of The BFG comes Disney’s live action remake, complete with yet another cameo from the Queen. Penelope Wilton’s version of the monarch is less formal and more sassy.
The Queen’s Corgi, Mari Devon and Julie Walters, 2019
Credit: Screenshot: YouTube / LionsgateFilmsUK
2019 saw Queen Elizabeth II in another CGI outing, this time voiced by Mari Devon and Julie Walters and in a supporting role to the real star of the show: her lost corgi, Rex, voiced by Jack Whitehall, who gets caught up in an adventure in London after getting lost outside the palace.
Spencer, Stella Gonet, 2021.
Credit: Screenshot: YouTube / Neon
Following on from the popularity of The Crown‘s fourth season, which followed Lady Diana Spencer’s relationship with Prince Charles in the 1980s, Spencer takes a look at the same story, this time focussing on a Christmas with the royal family in 1991. Although Lady Diana is the focus Queen Elizabeth II also, of course, has a big part to play, portrayed this time by Stella Gonet.
To conclude, it’s worth noting that there were a couple of other references in IMDb to other films that are harder to track down. One of these was a 1999 TV movie called The Pooch and the Pauper, while the other was an impressively ridiculous-sounding James Bond spoof called Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team (2001).
The Queen has also been portrayed in countless television series — everything from brief Doctor Who cameos to critically acclaimed shows like The Crown, in which she’s been played by Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton.
All the strange ways people found out about Queen Elizabeth II’s death via the internet
The passing of Queen Elizabeth II is an unprecedented event. The 96-year-old was older than most people ever hope to be, and was both the oldest living monarch (as of 2015) and the second longest-ruling sovereign monarch of all time.
What is also unprecedented is the infinite number of ways people heard about her death. Between official publications and tweets to text messages and even the radio, it is almost impossible to predict where people first learned the news.
We’ve gathered some of the most surprising ways people found out, from memes to brand tweets.
From the official British Kebab Awards account:
From an American Girl Doll meme account on Instagram:
From a genuine attempt at flirting:
While just trying getting their groove on:
At a concert by girl group LOONA in Amsterdam:
From The Onion:
From the Twitter account that posts about all the famous people Liza Minelli has outlived:
Through a Trisha Paytas conspiracy theory:
Via their dad, who is more concerned about whether he’ll get to see the next episode of The Great British Bake Off:
Through notorious Instagram gossip site the Shade Room:
From a Destiel meme on Tumblr:
And from iconic British pop duo and twins Jedward, who somehow posted the news one minute before the BBC:
The world reacts to the death of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II has died at age 96, the Royal Family has confirmed.
Bringing a close to 70 years of service, the Queen was Britain’s longest ever serving monarch, and the second-longest reigning monarch in world history.
In a statement on its official website, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.” The Royal Family added, “The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and return to London tomorrow.” Crowds outside the palace reportedly began crying upon the news and later broke into the national anthem. The Union Jack flags above 10 Downing Street have been lowered at half-mast.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, on April 21, 1926, to the then Duke and Duchess of York during her grandfather King George V’s reign.
The 21-year-old Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark on Nov. 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey. Together they had four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. Queen Elizabeth had eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Prince Philip, who passed away in April 2021, was the Queen’s constant companion throughout her reign, and was regularly by her side on official visits.
Her father’s death on Feb. 6 1952 catapulted 25-year-old Elizabeth into the role of queen at a young age. Her coronation took place on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London, officially marking her ascension to the throne.
In Feb. 2022, the Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service. In Sept. 2022, the Royal Family released a statement confirming that doctors were concerned for the Queen’s health. She was said to be comfortable and at Balmoral, the Scottish home of the Royal Family.
Leaders and celebrities inside the UK and globally began to react, mourn, and pay tribute to The Queen. Here’s what they said.
The Royal Family mourns a beloved matriarch
King Charles III, as His Majesty is now known, released a statement saying, “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth and by countless people around the world.”
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held,” the statement continued.
The Royal Family tweeted from their official Twitter account.
The official Instagram account of The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton posted a tribute.
Politicians and world leaders pay tribute
Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke outside 10 Downing Street, paying tribute to the Queen. Truss was appointed PM by the Queen at Balmoral just days ago, on Sept. 6. Truss said “it is a day of great loss” for the nation and that the Queen is “the very spirit of Great Britain”.
Truss also asked for the country to lend support to King Charles III; and “to help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all”. She finished by saying, “God save the King.”
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson also released a statement, saying this is the country’s “saddest day”.
Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford tweeted their tributes.
Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party, issued a statement.
Leaders like Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, Charles Michel, president of the European Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former US President Barack Obama and others, posted tributes.
U.S. President Joe Biden posted a tribute on the White House website.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era,” Biden wrote. “In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.”
“Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special.”
Celebrities remember their queen
Other figures have also paid tribute, from celebrities like Elton John to the official Paddington Bear account.
This story is developing.
Queen Elizabeth II Has Died. Her Internet Legacy Will Live On
Breaking: Queen Elizabeth II Dead at 96
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, has sadly died it has been confirmed.
Full story below…
Earlier today (September 8), Buckingham Palace shocked the world with a statement relaying that The Queen’s wellbeing had taken a turn and that doctors were “concerned for Her Majesty’s health.”
Moments ago, it was formally announced that the beloved royal had passed away today.
» Read more about: Breaking: Queen Elizabeth II Dead at 96 »
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