I’ve been watching “The Windsors” on Netflix and I have a couple of questions for any royalty watchers that might be reading. I know the show is completely over the top, but some of the characterizations seem to be based on real-life tabloidized reputations.
It is mentioned many times that Kate comes from a gypsy background. I’ve read some comments that state the gypsy thing is supposed to represent her being more normal than the royals that she married into. I feel like there must be something else I’m missing because if they just wanted more normal, they could have made her working class from Birmingham or something.
Secondly, the Queen is conspicuously missing from the show. I recall two times they mentioned her in passing, but only to give a plausible reason why she was missing from an event she should have realistically been at. Everyone else has jokes made about them - even Philip, whilst never shown, is satirized via notes. Is it because she’s the reigning monarch? Because she’s too beloved to make fun of?
Lastly, a thank you to the people who post “Mock the Week” on youtube as it allowed me to understand the Jeremy Corbyn jokes in the episode he was in. And a boo and a hiss to Netflix for making the Christmas special the last one in the series. There wasn’t a lot of continuity necessary in the show, but the Harry-Pippa-Meghan storyline did require some episodes being in the correct order. I was confused until I realized it was supposed to come between seasons one and two.
I’ve enjoyed the show too. I can’t answer your questions, but I hope you don’t mind if I ask a couple of my own.
-In the opening sequence, each royal is shown next to a scene of activities related to them. (Kate with a gypsy cart, Harry with bikini-clad girls, Camilla with foxhounds.) Charles is represent by a pair of pears. Is this just because of his gardening hobby, or is there more to it than that?
-Prince Andrew is shown as being addicted to cruel practical jokes. What’s the background for this?
-Prince Edward is depicted as being constantly impoverished and taking on all kinds of odd jobs to make ends meet. What’s the background for this?
It may be based off him being the only one of the Queen’s children to attempt to have a private career, as a television producer. It wasn’t very successful; he mostly made poorly-rated documentaries about his own family, which made it look more like he was cashing in than doing work.
His wife also tried to retain her pre-marriage job in public relations, which ended in humiliation for her (now mostly forgotten) when one of her “clients” turned out to be a reporter wearing a wire who got her to say indiscreet things.
I assume they don’t do this sort of grotesquerie on the Queen because it might be thought to be going too far, or because there just isn’t a comically credible characteristic to exaggerate and be funny. I don’t think “beloved” comes into it; but it is a common trope for people to say they respect het, but it’s the “hangers on” they don’t care for.
On the other hand, taste and respect didn’t much inhibit the makers of Spitting Image thirty years ago or The Royle Family more recently. Perhaps this team thought they might just sound as though they were re-treading those old jokes.
As for Andrew, no idea - maybe there is some true story behind it (FWIW, there was some recent behind-the-scenes documentary where there was a brief glimpse of him and Anne almost doubled up laughing about something), or maybe it’s just his general reputation as the embarrassing loud uncle over-fond of himself and his status.
I think the pears are meant to represent a similar part of the male anatomy that Charles figuratively lacks in this portrayal (not IRL).
That’s certainly what they look like. There’s also a running gag of Charles wearing kilts (of course without underwear) and suffering from wardrobe malfunctions.
My impression regarding the Queen is that, while they have no concern about “going too far” with everyone else, she’s regarded as being off-limits. No so with Prince Philip. Although he’s unseen, they regularly quote messages from him that are filled with obscenities and bigotry.