BloomsburyRez

I thought the same, down to Phillip paraphrasing what Dickie said to him that he’d make mistakes with his own sons. I mentioned in another thread that this season you can believe that Imelda Staunton & Jonathan Pryce are playing the characters established by Claire Foy & Matt Smith (which was not the case last season).

I will have more thoughts on this and other episodes later but first I was happy they continued the tradition of a “cast photo” at the end of an even series number (complete with Phillip exasperated at the photographer). I loved the scene with Elizabeth and Phillip in the chapel and thought their dialogue and the actor’s choices echoed many scenes with Claire Foy and Matt Smith in those early seasons with their comfortable teasing, complete with Phillip joking “put a word in for me” when Elizabeth was going to pray. Finally those last scenes with Elizabeth were so so well done. I loved Imelda Staunton alone but was also very happy we got a sort of three queens final bow. I absolutely loved the first four seasons but hated last season and was worried that like so many shows it would fall apart at the end of the run. Happily it “stuck the landing”. Well done.

So did a dark haired gay man piss off Fellowes at some point? Because Oscar is getting the Thomas tries everything for money plot. The real question is how much money does Oscar have access to? In I think the pilot Agnes says the VanRhin money will and should go to Oscar. I thought it was implied he was living off his salary and Agnes still had her husband’s money. could Oscar access that now or mortgage Agnes’ house?. That would be a hell of a finale for Agnes and co to lose the house.. Although I still think Marion’s stocks are worth millions unbeknownst to all.

Today actually was the 204th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth. But it’s always mind blowing how few generations separated these monarchs. The late Queen remembered and was very close to her grandfather George V (he was Queen Victoria’s grandson). But in fact her own father was only 6 when his great grandmother Queen Victoria died! The two princes did have a double wedding. The older, William was the one who asked about loving his bride. He eventually became William IV after his brother’s death and he and his wife Queen Adelaide were very happy, however they did not have children that lived to adulthood. Adelaide cottage was built for her, it’s the current home of William & Kate. The next brother Edward married Princess Victoria who was the sister of the Prince that Princess Charlotte (the young woman who died in childbirth) was married to. He died a few months after his daughter the future Queen Victoria was born. He was the first royal to travel to Canada & the US, and Prince Edward Island is named for him. And continuing George’s (and Charlotte’s) line, the Queen’s grandfather was George V, her father was George VI, and her great-grandson will be George VII. And if for some reason William & Kate’s oldest son does not become King then England will have the first Queen Regnant named Charlotte.

That was the oldest son the Prince of Wales (later regent then George IV). He had one child with his wife and everyone in the family was delighted that Princess Charlotte of Wales would eventually inherit the throne in her own right. Tragically when giving birth to her son both mother and baby died. Not only did George IV hate his wife she was too old to have children at that point hence Queen Charlotte needing another of her children to step up so to speak.

This was adorable, it’s disappointing that there are only six episodes. I hope we see the courtship at a ball showing the Bridgerton parents meeting and falling in love, cheered on by the Queen and Lady Danbury. Possibly showing another courtship since they briefly mentioned the Hastings family. I think most people know that there really was a race to provide a legitimate grandchild. Putting a spoiler in…….

Here is a photo of Diana at the ballet as shown in this episode. She didn’t just decide to go to the ballet that night. In the divorce episode they talked about her monetary settlement and keeping Kensington Palace apartment but did not include other items which included keeping some of her royal patronages, and the ability of the monarch to request that she attend events if felt warranted. As Diana loved ballet it’s easy to see that she’d want to keep this one.

It was awkward enough seeing a depiction of William as a teen dealing with this. As the baby Harry was probably sheltered more by both of his parents. Plus at a boarding school at that age the others wouldn’t have seen it although probably knew enough to talk about it after the next school break. William was allowed to watch it in the dean’s office as TVs were not allowed. I doubt Harry’s school let him watch it.

Yes given the time frame this covers I did expect at least a brief mention of the Gulf War from the pm in one of the early episodes. And the Berlin Wall was coupled with the break up of the Soviet block, and the continuing shifts of Russia throughout the 90s was a major event. The Romanov funeral would have been as significant to them as any other state funeral or memorial service, especially since the family was cousins to both Phillip and the Queen. I do remember the state visit. I think the Queen was given a few items to bring back to the UK that had belonged to the family, I think a Faberge egg and possibly a piece of jewelry that the Tsarina received from her grandmother Queen Victoria. In the end there are many choices in deciding what to portray in each season and I feel that this season missed the mark. I will also still miss the season we could have had with Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen as Blair, yes it’s a bit of a been there done that (and Sheen is too old) but there is a reason they’ve recreated those roles a few times and at least the Queen wouldn’t look confused in every scene that she’s in.

It was shown in the first three episodes of season two. Phillip uses it on his tour, then the Queen joins him onboard when it arrives in Lisbon.

This is the only season that has not prominently featured the pm and the cabinet. In the past four seasons it’s been such a giant part of the plot not just the famous to Americans pms like Churchill and Thatcher but the others as well. Granted when I rewatch season one I tend to skip most if not all Churchill scenes. This is also the first season that I’d still argue the Queen is the supporting actress not lead. I know Charles & Diana occupied most of the attention of the 90s but it’s still The Crown not The Wales. I’d still also argue that leaving the real Elizabeth aside the character portrayed by Imelda Staunton bares little resemblance to the one established by Claire Foy and continued by Olivia Coleman. Two of my absolute favorite episodes are Vergangenheit and Paterfamilias and in both of those while the Queen was secondary to the main plot in the scenes she was in you had no doubt what she was thinking and doing. One thing I wasn’t bothered about were the complaints that the focus was on William not Harry. Harry was younger when this was all taking place, both of his parents probably did try to shield the baby etc. Plus in keeping with the name The Crown the focus would be on William over the Queen’s other seven grandchildren. With the exception of last season’s episode Favourites the Queen’s two younger sons have had how many scenes or lines of dialogue? The exception is each season’s Margaret centric episode which oddly I’ve liked. I’ve always thought that the real Margaret was such an unpleasant person, absolutely racist and antisemitic but I’ve loved all three Margaret actresses and this season’s Margaret is the only one who feels like a continuation of the established character. I will still watch the final season and if the prequels do happen give those a try, but these ten episodes feel like a different show then the previous forty.

I was disappointed that they didn’t mention that Phillip’s mother Princess Alice was trying different routes to rescue the four girls. She reasoned that she couldn’t help her aunt, the Tsarina and probably not Alexei either. But she really hoped they’d let her and her husband bring the girls to the Isle of Wight. The Mountbattens did spend a great deal of time with the Romanovs.

Not debating that point but I do remember headlines from that time frame as well as late night comic jokes. People were baffled that he chose her over his wife. That era was not kind to women’s appearances (not that it’s improved that much).

This might have been the last time Charles and Diana were in the same room. It’s undoubtedly the last photo of both boys with their parents. In spring 1997 William was confirmed. In the back row are some of his godparents.

I completely agree as someone else who remembers this time period. She was 100% the most famous woman on the planet and even people who didn’t follow the BRF knew who she was. And the thought at the time was why was her husband such an asshole cheating on her with that ugly woman.