That is a big one. The episode implies that she not only wasn’t paying attention to the crisis when it began she also overreacted because they had to do “something” all because she was preoccupied with her son. Is that misogyny? It feels a little like misogyny. We don’t even see if any of the other prime ministers have children but Thatcher is shown going to war because she’s emotional about her son.
Didn’t know that. Yeah, that’s pretty crap.
Innnnnteresting. Thanks.
I loved the episode about Thatcher’s early faux pas at the castle. Fiction or not, it was great.
Do you mean when she went to Balmoral? I didn’t see any faux pas on Thatcher’s part. If anything, it showed what utter irredeemable assholes the entire royal family is. Invite someone to stay with your extended family, then ridicule and mock them because they don’t immediately fit in? Honestly, that’s why so many other countries executed their royals.
No, it showed what utter irredeemable assholes the producers of The Crown wanted you to believe the entire royal family is. You do realize this show is fiction, right?
It’s well-known that Thatcher didn’t like Balmoral–she didn’t like horses or dogs or slogging through the countryside generally–but her memoirs certainly don’t include any mention of humiliations or ridicule, at least one of her biographers has called it “factually all wrong,” and people who know the Queen dispute that she would ever allow her guests to be humiliated in the fashion shown. A columnist in the Guardian reviled the show as akin to fake news, a kind of propaganda, and Hugo Vickers (who has written a number of books about the royals over a span of 45 years) has an entire book devoted to how The Crown has taken real people and put them in fake situations.
Yes, excellent point, especially since I just posted some things from the show that were factually untrue. I was just surprised by panache45’s description of “Thatcher’s early faux pas”, when, as written, the episode showed the royals in a much worse light than her.
I agree. If anything it showed Thatcher in a sympathetic light.
I’m wondering how Dennis Thatcher is seen in the UK. They are portraying him as a sympathetic character.
A good start would be the Private Eye “Dear Bill” letters.
He largely kept himself out of the direct limelight and, as far as I can recall, rarely got caught out causing any personal or political embarrassment to Herself, and if mentioned, it was with some mild - possible affectionate - amusement, even if he was presumed as a typical saloon bar rightwinger, most of whom thought she didn’t go far enough.
It may or may not be relevant that “Rumpole of the Bailey” started running at this time, with Rumpole escaping from “She Who Must Be Obeyed” into frequent bottles of Chateau Thames Embankment…!
See also:
When looking up some of the people mentioned in the show it has struck me how many being shown as unassuming or with typical stiff upper lips were badass war heroes. That includes Denis Thatcher.
That was the generation, right? War heroes were everywhere. You would never, ever, ever have pegged my quiet, gentle grandfather as a war hero, either. But he was.
That’s true but it seems odd that the prerequisite for being the guy who makes sure the queen makes all her appointments is to lead a battalion into battle. That’s not even going into the job of equerry who is an active duty field grade officer.
It seems from his Wikipedia page that his awards in WW2 were for organisational/logistical achievements and activities rather than heroic combat.
You want somebody unflappable and trained to plan movements of people and equipment to a precise timetable, and to put the plans into effect - or more importantly, plans B and C if anything does go wrong - with an air of quiet confidence. Royalty, ordinary soldiers, tanks, field kitchens, mobile bath units - all much the same.
I think there’s also the idea that the military are the ‘Queen’s men’ - they swear their oath to her, and fight in her name, even their uniforms bear her initials, so they feel more duty towards her person than a civil servant.
The British military oath of allegiance. Nothing about the nation, the law, the people or flags here, it’s ALL about her maj:
I… swear by Almighty God (do solemnly, and truly declare and affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, in Person, Crown and Dignity against all enemies, and will observe and obey all orders of Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, and of the (admirals / generals/ air officers) and officers set over me. ( So help me God. )
I should get back to this series. I haven’t watched that one, yet.
Welcome, brack!
Here’s an episode list: The Crown (season 4) - Wikipedia
I think my favorite of S4 was E4, “Favourites,” in which the Queen tries to reconnect with each of her children. The Duke of Edinburgh’s certainty as to which of them is his favourite (Anne), and which is hers (Andrew), was pretty funny.
I’ve found I have become less and less interested as they get closer to present day. I find that I’m more forgiving of the inaccuracies further in the past. I also found myself wishing I could fast forward through the Charles and Diana parts. I keep watching for the acting which is superb and because my girlfriend loves it. The casting for season 5 is interesting.
This. I absolutely loved Season 1, less so with later seasons. I may not even watch Season 5.
If there are really going to be two more seasons (they’ve gone back and forth), I expect the next season is going to be little but Charles and Diana. Unless they’re going to get into some very recent stuff involving the most litigious members of the family (who are also on the Netflix payroll), I’m not sure there’s enough stuff happening for ten episodes after 1997, let alone more.
Season 1 was spectacular. I haven’t watched the last few episodes of season 4 yet. Not that Olivia Coleman is a step down from Claire Foy, she isn’t, it’s just that I find the ones further back in time to be more interested and less driven by what the producers think the audience wants to see- the Chuck and Di show.