‘Give me a German or an Italian Modernist. What does an
Englishman want to change?’
Winston Churchill, The Crown Episode 9.
Television viewing habits have changed
as the internet provides the capacity to binge watch whole season’s worth of
shows; this has affected how we consume visual products and the way these
formerly serialized texts were meant to be seen. Since we can now watch a whole
season in a manner of hours, producers have responded by developing new
products which do not rely on old tricks – like cliffhangers – to keep the
viewers’ attention or to stretch plots out. The new norm means showrunners can
develop and maintain a continuous flow of the visual narrative which in turn
means viewers will not be waiting weeks or more to tune back in. This
requirement also implies the viewer is expected to be a more attentive one who
will watch the show in a continuous form and will not need to be kept up or
reminded about certain facts. This new form has ramifications as can be
observed when confronting a product such as Netflix’s new hit series The Crown. The British have a special
relationship with their monarchy which to them represents something unique;
something that raises them above other nations and adjudicates them a divinity
which fueled their imperialistic ambitions for centuries.
The Crown is a
Netflix production which in of itself is a huge departure from the more
established network or cable station products. It has incredible production
value as the post WW II period is faithfully recreated to the last detail; the
cast is also composed by many recognizable actors and newcomers all who play
their parts with great skill – especially Claire Foy and Matt Smith who almost eclipse
greats such as John Lithgow and Jeremy Northam. The series works through pairs to
contrast power in different relationships and positions; through parings it recreates
a picture of a different time and society; and it also posits possible reasons
why events unfolded the way they did. There are many more pairs that move the
story along, but the following are those which present the most fascinating
possibilities for analysis of the time and the social circumstances that
surrounded the end of the George VI’s reign and the beginning of Elizabeth II’s
own. The other major theme explored is loneliness; the loneliness of power, of
age, of love, etc. The visual text shows many ways in which loneliness
manifests itself as part of the lives of the shows protagonist who are public
figures and known by the world around; yet, when in the privacy of their own
homes or away from the light, are shown to be imperfect like common people.
Elizabeth and Phillip
‘I have nothing to hide from you. Nothing. Porchey is a
friend; and yes, there are those who would have preferred me to marry him.
Indeed, marriage with him might have been easier. Might have even worked better
than ours. But to everyone’s regret and frustration, the only person I have
ever loved is you and can you honestly look me in the eye and say the same? Can
you?.’
Elizabeth to Philip, Episode 9
An unconventional love story only in
the sense of the role reversion that the responsibilities of the crown impose
on Elizabeth. The future queen is portrayed as a resourceful young woman whose
strong will helps her fight through her family’s disapproval over Philip – this
will be the only time when she truly defies the family expectations. This is a
character trait which will be a defining part of her journey through the early
years as queen; it will also feed a constant struggle between the duties of a
sovereign and her wishes as a woman. Philip is portrayed as something of a cad,
constantly sulking, and defying his wife in subtle ways. There is heavy
implying of marital dysfunction and cheating on Philip’s part which is either a
character fault – in a more modern morality look – or his own lashing out at
the power imbalance of the relationship. The truth lies somewhere in the
middle: Philip is always shown – even before the queen’s ascent – to be a very
flirtatious man who enjoys the party lifestyle of a high society British
playboy. All of this would cement the idea of a man who is shallow. The prince
consort was famously ill equipped to deal with the protocol of his position;
the show only allows for one such instance in which he makes fun of a Nigerian King’s
crown. The marriage suffers through the tension of having to invert the roles
of gender; when traditionally Elizabeth should have been a stay at home Lady
caring for estate and children, it falls on Philip instead. He is very quick to
complain to his wife about the fact many times during the show. One example of
such reversal is his overseeing the Clarence House renovations with the
expectation of living there; when Elizabeth’s job requires her move to
Buckingham – as to avoid being seen in similar light to her uncle David, the
former King Edward – he is quick to show his anger and remark that he is being
treated like some woman. One extremely important issue was the dynastic name;
this upset him due to the circumstances surrounding the fall from power of
Philip’s family in Greece and his lack of a last name – he took his uncle’s
Mountbatten when he became a British citizen, so as a child he had none. It
further emasculated him that his children would never carry his own family
name.
Of course, this inversion of the spheres of
influence is not felt in every environment. The bedroom is one place where
viewers can still see and feel Philip’s power – due to Matt Smith’s magnetic
charm which he manages to envelop with a meanness and disdain – and Elizabeth is
nothing more than the cliché 1950’s house wife; the quiet woman who resigns to
seeing her husband leave and doubting his fidelity while she herself is not
allowed even a miniscule chance for blemish. Some of Claire Foy’s most emotive
scenes are of her laying on her side over the conjugal bed; she communicates
all her fear, insecurities, and loneliness with just a look in partial shadows
while showing her back to the side her husband should be occupying. There is
only one scene where viewers can see the couple fight, though we are not privy
to what words are used to combat. We do see the devastating effect on
Elizabeth, just one more sign of her unwavering loneliness.
In the end, it must be said the
relationship of these two was affected by the obvious disdain the Royal Family
had for the young Greek-Dane prince. This disdain extended to the courtiers and
others in contact with the family; this can be offered as an additional explanation
for the malaise Philip showed.
Elizabeth and George
‘And lonely?’
‘Sometimes, which is why it is important to have the right
person by your side’
Elizabeth and George, Episode 1
This is one of the most compelling mirrored
pairs presented by the series. By juxtaposing part of the story of George’s own
ascent to power in the wake of his brother Edwards – David – we viewers can get
a small sense of the effects this responsibility has on others thrust into a
similar position as Elizabeth. Her father was not prepared to bear the weight
of the crown – a fact that is remarked upon many times. Small snippets of
family life show George was the best option to represent the British as a monarch
during the difficult war years. His amicable relationship with Churchill and
stoic appearance – he was seen as a family man himself, the opposite of his
philandering brother – helped keep moral up and overcome the German offensive
long enough for the Allies to offer help.
This relationship is best defined by the words
Margaret and Elizabeth exchange in the series final episode, “Elizabeth is my
pride but Margaret is my joy.” This quote of the old King holds two distinct
views of each of his daughters; of Elizabeth, it specifically states how he
sees her as his heir yet by using the ‘but’ he implicitly states he understands
she is not his. He understands that first child belongs to the kingdom, as she
is not his in the same sense Margaret is. The performance Jared Harris gives in
the role punctuates this message perfectly when he sings Bewitched with the King’s youngest daughter; he shows the King’s
vulnerability but, at the same time, shows the more affectionate side he is
allowed with Margaret. On the other hand, his defining moment with Elizabeth
revolves around a red briefcase. The red briefcase carries papers meant for the
King’s eyes only, but he shares them with the eldest daughter – knowing she is
soon to succeed him. He also answers a question, on loneliness, knowing she
will feel the same too.
They entered their respective reigns under completely
different situations; they could connect and share with each other something
that only David could also understand – and was the reason he renounced to power.
They hold a position few ever have or will; in sharing this, they were able to
share part of the burden and make viewers understand the very real loneliness
of power. Foy performs delicately, never overselling her performance, in moments
such as when she has to tell Margaret how she cannot permit a marriage with
Peter Townsend – even if she understands as a sister – because it would
destabilize the image of the Royal Family.
Elizabeth and Churchill
‘I’ve ordered tea, or something stronger perhaps?’
‘Oh dear, did no one explain? The sovereign never offers a
Prime Minister a refreshment or a chair.’
Elizabeth and Churchill at their first meeting, Episode 3
A battle of wills or of the dignified
versus the effective as Walter Bagehot would put it. These two had, per the
show, a sometimes-contentious relationship but one which was always based on
admiration and respect. It encapsulates the changing of the guard much more
than the struggle between Churchill and Eden, as it posts two diametrically
different characters as representatives of their respective times. This of
course, does not stop Churchill – played by John Lithgow almost as a parallel
to his dance-prohibiting preacher from Footloose
who similarly overreacts and clings to ideas from the past - from hiding
information or intentionally misleading the Queen in attempts to hold onto
power. He rationalizes his actions, such as lying about his strokes and the
precarious health of Anthony Eden, as necessary to protect the government and
the monarchy from the communist threat looming in the east.
This pairing offers the Queen the chance to
cement herself in the eyes of the political class, her dismissal of Churchill
was something necessary and inevitable. Churchill is presented as being past
his prime, yet still a very capable political operator who manages to use the
press to stop the Queen from requesting him to step down. Due to his almost
obsessive interest in the communist regime in the Soviet Union, he neglects to
take the necessary measures to diminish the effects of the Great London Fog of
1952; this fog was a result of ineffective policy over coal use and specific
meteorological conditions which resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. As
mentioned, he avidly uses the press to present himself as the only man
interested in helping the people after his secretary is hit by a bus.
In the end and after Churchill’s second stroke,
the Queen – emboldened by her tutor – gives a dressing down to the Prime
Minister and demands he make way for Eden to assume power. This ushers a new
era for conservative politics, though one which would suffer its own issues. As
will be mentioned later, Eden suffered his own health and addiction problems
which the series imply affected his actions as Prime Minister during the Suez
War. That moment is her final break from vestiges of her father’s reign –
Lascelles will still be a factor according to the show – and her own epoch.
Churchill and Eden
‘At
some point, every leader must ask himself whether by staying in office, he is
giving to the country, or taking from it. Helping or harming. And I would
suggest that for some time now you have been taking and harming.’
Eden to
Churchill, Episode 9
Here we see a pairing that does not
include a royal in any way, but is nonetheless the most important to the
political sphere. Churchill - by the time of the passing of the crown - is a
living legend whose utmost concern is the communist menace rising from the east
under Stalin. He is portrayed as old and disconnected from the more pressing
problems of the people; John Lithgow’s performance in the role offers a broken
man at times, one who refuses to accept his time is gone, and who is clever
enough to outmaneuver his adversaries. Eden on the other hand, is a rising
conservative politician who is being groomed by Churchill to eventually succeed
him; he is shown as a man of many facets such as soldier, scholar, and
politician though he does err on more than one occasion in the latter – for
instance when he tries to unseat Churchill through King George or when he fails
to foresee Nasser’s behavior considering the coming Suez War. Both characters
get personal lives treatments which shed a light on their respective failings;
Eden is shown as a man deeply affected by his health to the point where he
becomes addicted to morphine which would later affect his behavior during one
of the more dramatic periods in British history; while Churchill is shown in a
more positive light as a man who fails in his battle against age.
One major story point in the series is on
Winston Churchill’s 80th birthday painting by George Sutherland. The
arc shown in episode 9 serves to humanize the statesman, and in of itself is
one of the pairing – Sutherland/Churchill – that works on more levels which are
not seen often the show such as the non-Royal families and art as a personal
form of expression or therapy. The painter and his subject are shown as very
different; but as their interactions continue, it becomes apparent how much
they are alike and how the painter is one of the few who really sees him as he
is – also, is the one who is not afraid to tell him so. He helps Churchill
confront his loss to age through the portrait he crafts, and understand Churchill’s
own obsession with art over the loss of his child – a tragedy which they share.
There are many more parings to explore in the
series such as the Queen Mothers, the Queen’s secretaries, the courtiers, etc. The
most interesting aspect of the show is how it reveals a different facet of the
Windsor family, how the known scandals or issues affected them in the private
sphere, the differences in society and how important the symbolism of these
people to a whole nation, and the hidden part of politics at the highest level.
It also lets us
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