The Queen

A well done drama documenting the tension between the monarchy and the British subjects over the death of Princess Diana. The Queen is the archetype of the unchanging, ancient institution of the crown that has endured through many centuries. On the other side, the newly elected prime minister, Tony Blair, the progressive young idealist seeks to modernize the country. It was engrossing to watch the developing relationship between the two. Mr. Blair is portrayed in a positive light as one who sympathizes with the people yet has a profound respect for the Queen, who by the way, has outlasted many a prime minister.

The Queen who wants to downplay the death of Diana and keep it as a private matter is confronted with realization that her former daughter in law was the "people's princess" who brought the private, sacred institution of the crown to the commoners. The days of unquestioned reverence of the royal family are appearing to fade into the days gone by and the Queen is pressured to compromise tradition and protocol for the sake of her "popularity." Tony Blair also had his own struggles as disrepect for the monarchy seemed to surround him. His struggle was to maintain the dignity of the Queen while sympathizing with the people.

The actress and actor who played Queen Elizabeth and Tony Blair respectively were superb and in my opinion deserving of Oscars. They seemed to have mastered their characters and portrayed not only their appearance, but personality, facial expressions and mannerisms accurately. I was struck how certain characters seemed to be cast in either a good light or bad light. Especially surprising was how positive Prince Charles was portrayed. He almost appeared saintly while Prince Philip, the Queen's husband, was insensitive and brash toward the memory of Diana and the grief of the people.

I am fascinated with the monarchy. There is almost a mystical nobility and dignity associated with it that brings about a sentiment of reverence. There is something inside us that seeks to honor that which is sacred.

In some sense, the movie is a reflection of spiritual things. The kingdom of God is everlasting. He is unchanging and uncompromising in His holiness and standard of righteousness. Yet cultures and societies want change. They no longer revere the sacred but seek the profane in the name of being progressive. The holy is seen as outdated. They want God to change into their own image.

This movied is definitely worth seeing. We must instill in our children a sense of respect and honor and humility which is pleasing to God.