Queen Scene

Finally got to see "The Queen" this weekend. It was on a return run at an art theatre nearby, and it was still showing Friday night, so we hopped over there to see it before its run is up.

Of course, Helen Mirren was terrific. I knew she would be. And while it wasn't a riveting movie, it was certainly interesting to see the sort of thing that probably went on behind the scenes the week Diana died.

I remember that weekend...it was Labor Day holiday weekend in the U.S.. Last vacation days of the summer..... And it was mid to late evening here....most people were still up watching television. I remember hearing the news of the car crash and that Diana had been taken to the hospital. For a while, the reports seemed to indicate that her injuries were not life-threatening. Then it was a shock to suddenly hear the report that she was dead. And I remember thinking that due to time zone differences, we were probably hearing this in the U.S. before most people were hearing it in the U.K., since it must have been in the wee hours there. I thought how devastated the entire country would be once they awoke in the morning to this. How very sad.

I do wonder how much of the movie was speculation about what went on behind the scenes. I mean, who would have had access to specifics about that?

And it was interesting to see such different perspectives of Diana from inside the palace versus outside the palace. She was so loved by the public but must have been the daughter-in-law from hell for the Queen, who clearly had a different take on her.

I wonder, did all of that really damage the monarchy in the eyes of the UK public? And what's the attitude today?