The Queen (2006)

Director:

Stephen Frears

Writer:

Peter Morgan (written by)

Release Date:

15 September 2006 (Italy)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

Tradition Prepared Her. Change Will Define Her.

Plot:

After the death of Princess Diana, HM Queen Elizabeth II struggles with her reaction to a sequence of events nobody could have predicted.

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Royal Family | Monarchy | Prime Minister | Speech

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 58 wins & 51 nominations

Cast

Helen Mirren	...	The Queen
James Cromwell	...	Prince Philip
Alex Jennings	...	Prince Charles
Roger Allam	...	Robin Janvrin
Sylvia Syms	...	Queen Mother
Tim McMullan	...	Stephen Lamport
Robin Soans	...	Equerry
Lola Peploe	...	Janvrin's Secretary
Douglas Reith	...	Lord Airlie
Joyce Henderson	...	Balmoral Maid
Pat Laffan	...	Head Ghillie
Amanda Hadingue	...	Queen's Dresser
John McGlynn	...	Balmoral Head Ghillie
Gray O'Brien	...	Charles' Valet
Dolina MacLennan	...	Balmoral Switchboard Operator
Jake Taylor Shantos	...	Prince William
Dash Barber	...	Prince Harry
Michael Sheen	...	Tony Blair
Helen McCrory	...	Cherie Blair
Mark Bazeley	...	Alastair Campbell
Kananu Kirimi	...	Blair's PA
Susan Hitch	...	Blair's Secretary
Julian Firth	...	Blair's Aide
Harry Alexander Coath	...	Euan Blair
Earl Cameron	...	Portrait Artist
Elliot Levey	...	TV Director
Anthony Debaeck	...	Catholic Priest
Emmy Lou Harries	...	Little Girl
Laurence Burg	...	Princess Diana
Michel Gay	...	Dodi Fayed
Wolfgang Pissors	...	German Reporter
Malou Beauvoir	...	American Reporter
Paul Barrett	...	French Bodyguard
Xavier Castano	...	French Bodyguard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Clinton	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tom Cruise	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dodi Fayed	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
James Fiddy	...	No.10 Advisor (uncredited)
Tom Hanks	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Martin Heathcote	...	Secret Service (uncredited)
Elton John	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Forbes KB	...	Biker (uncredited)
Nicole Kidman	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Martyn Lewis	...	Himself - Newsreader (archive footage) (uncredited)
Nelson Mandela	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Trevor McDonald	...	Himself - Newsreader (archive footage) (uncredited)
Nicholas Owen	...	Himself - Newsreader (archive footage) (uncredited)
Camilla Parker-Bowles	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Luciano Pavarotti	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Princess Diana	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tony Red Richards	...	Man in Crowd (uncredited)
Jon Snow	...	Himself - Newsreader (archive footage) (uncredited)
Julia Somerville	...	Herself - Newsreader (archive footage) (uncredited)
Earl Charles Spencer	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Steven Spielberg	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
David Starkey	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tracey Ullman	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ralitsa Vassileva	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Stephen Frears

Writing credits
Peter Morgan		(written by)

Produced by
Andy Harries	....	producer
François Ivernel	....	executive producer
Christine Langan	....	producer
Cameron McCracken	....	executive producer
Scott Rudin	....	executive producer
Tracey Seaward	....	producer

Original Music by
Alexandre Desplat

Cinematography by
Affonso Beato		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lucia Zucchetti

Casting by
Leo Davis

Production Design by
Alan MacDonald

Art Direction by
Matthew Broderick
Franck Schwarz
Ben Smith
Peter Wenham		(supervising art director)

Set Decoration by
Tina Jones

Costume Design by
Consolata Boyle

Makeup Department
Veronique Bosle	....	hair assistant: Paris
Rebecca Cole	....	hair stylist
Rebecca Cole	....	makeup artist
Terry Jarvis	....	wig maker
Fran Needham	....	hair stylist: additional photography
Fran Needham	....	makeup artist: additional photography
Daniel Phillips	....	hair designer
Daniel Phillips	....	makeup designer
Tapio Salmi	....	hair stylist supervisor
Tapio Salmi	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Raphaël Benoliel	....	production manager: France
Sue Calverley	....	production manager
Sean Cooney	....	post-production executive
Alistair Hopkins	....	post-production supervisor
Matt Jones	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Bennett	....	third assistant director: additional photography unit
William Booker	....	first assistant director: second unit
Christel Bordon	....	second assistant director: Paris
Lucy Egerton	....	third assistant director
Jo Gibson	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Joanne Gibson)
Richard Graysmark	....	second assistant director (as Rickay Graysmark)
Toby Hosking	....	second assistant director: additional photography
Gilles Kenny	....	first assistant director: Paris (as Gil Kenny)
Stuart Renfrew	....	first assistant director
Deborah Saban	....	first assistant director: additional photography

Art Department
Perry Bell	....	painter
Gwyneth Binyon	....	art department assistant
Katie Buckley	....	assistant art director
Graham Caulfield	....	drapesmaster
David Chisholm	....	storeman
Sophia Chowdhury	....	assistant set decorator
Will Coubrough	....	art department assistant
Jonathan Downing	....	dressing props
Shane Harford	....	dressing props
Joe Hawthorne	....	carpenter
Jean-François Juvanon	....	painter: Paris
Tim Monroe	....	stand-by art director
Brian Neighbour	....	construction manager
Allen J. Polley	....	property master
Josh Polley	....	trainee props
Douglas Regan	....	painter
Adrian Start	....	chargehand painter
Louis Turner	....	dressing props

Sound Department
Tim Alban	....	foley supervisor
Anna Bertmark	....	assistant sound editor
Richard Davey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Davies	....	supervising sound editor
Nathan Duncan	....	second boom operator
Nathan Duncan	....	sound assistant
Jack Gillies	....	adr editor
Jack Gillies	....	dialogue editor
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Danny Hambrook	....	sound: second unit
James Hamilton	....	foley artist
Peter Lindsay	....	production sound mixer
Keith Marriner	....	supervising dialogue editor
Khama Matiti	....	voiceover recordist
Darko Mocilnikar	....	sound assistant: additional photography
Marc Parazon	....	sound assistant: Paris
James Perry	....	adr recordist
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Malcolm Rose	....	sound maintenance
Chris Sturmer	....	sound consultant: dolby
Jessie Taylor	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Chris Treble	....	foley editor
Rachael Tate	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Steve Breheney	....	special effects supervisor: Emergency House SFX
Evan Green-Hughes	....	special effects coordinator: Emergency House SFX

Visual Effects by
Louie Alexander	....	digital cleanup artist
Nigel Ankers	....	technical director
David Aulds	....	digital paint artist: Framestore CFC
Rodrigo Bernardo	....	systems engineer
Helen Bunker	....	digital compositor: Framestore CFC
Andy Burrow	....	scanning and recording manager: Framestore CFC
Paul Doogan	....	scanning and recording: Framestore CFC
James D. Fleming	....	digital paint artist: Framestore CFC (as James Fleming)
Charlie Habanananda	....	digital intermediate data operator
Alistair Hamer	....	film mastering engineer
Adam Hawkes	....	head of digital retouch and restoration
Charles Howell	....	visual effects producer
Nathan Hughes	....	digital matte painter
Marc Jones	....	matchmove artist: Framestore-CFC
Patricia Llaguno	....	digital compositor
Kevin Lowery	....	high definition engineer
Dan McRae	....	digital paint artist: Framestore CFC
Christophe Meslin	....	head of systems
Maria Michalopoulou	....	data operator
Mike Morrison	....	digital grading assistant
Mark Nelmes	....	visual effects supervisor
Collette Nunes	....	digital cleanup artist: Framestore CFC
Steve Parsons	....	digital paint artist: Framestore CFC
Richard Poet	....	visual effects editor: Framestore CFC
Travis Porter	....	digital compositor
Scott Pritchard	....	digital compositor: Framestore CFC
Cristina Puente	....	compositor: Framestore-CFC
Dave Robinson	....	systems engineer
Aatesh Shah	....	systems engineer: Framestore CFC
Asa Shoul	....	digital colourist
Donna Smith	....	visual effects editorial: Framestore CFC
Nick Stanley	....	digital cleanup artist
Maggie Walby	....	digital I/O: Framestore CFC
Stephen Willey	....	senior systems engineer
Anthony Smith	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Francis Auguy	....	stunt driver: Paris
Christian Bonnichon	....	stunt coordinator: Paris
Elaine Ford	....	stunt coordinator
Frédéric Vallet	....	stunts: motorcycle chase

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Baker	....	Steadicam operator
Simon Baker	....	camera operator
Affonso Beato	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Luke Cairns	....	camera trainee
Wailoon Chung	....	electrician
Matt Cole	....	camera trainee
Guy Cope	....	electrical rigger
Tim Critchell	....	grip
Adam Dale	....	aerial director of photography
Russell Diamond	....	grip
Emma Edwards	....	assistant camera
Warren Ewen	....	rigging gaffer
Mike Farr	....	lighting balloon technician
Dan Garlick	....	second grip
Eugene Grobler	....	lighting technician
Mark Hanlon	....	best boy
Philippe Houdart	....	camera operator
Andy Long	....	gaffer
Chaz Lyon	....	second assistant camera
Vince Madden	....	best boy rigging electrician
Alastair Rae	....	Steadicam operator
Felipe Reinheimer	....	Steadicam operator
Felipe Reinheimer	....	assistant camera
Felipe Reinheimer	....	camera operator
Paul Shottner	....	camera operator
Laurie Sparham	....	still photographer
Simon Tindall	....	focus puller
Charlie Woodburn	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting
Brendan Donnison	....	adr voice casting
Lissy Holm	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kathryn Blight	....	principal costume standby
Christopher Bradshaw	....	wardrobe master
Sue Casey	....	daily costume assistant
Nigel Egerton	....	assistant costume designer
Claire Hardaker	....	costume daily
Hilary MacDonald	....	costume daily
Laura Rushton	....	costume assistant
Maggie Scobbie	....	costume maker
Dulcie Scott	....	costume supervisor: additional photography

Editorial Department
Pani Ahmadi-Moore	....	first assistant editor
Marcus Alexander	....	digital intermediate producer
Chris Andrews	....	negative cutter
Ian Cunningham	....	second assistant editor
Jaynie Miller	....	post-production coordinator
Mike Morrison	....	digital grading assistant
Asa Shoul	....	colorist
Kelly Smith	....	negative cutter

Music Department
David Arch	....	musician: piano
Jean-Pascal Beintus	....	additional orchestrator
Chris Cozens	....	auricle control systems
Alexandre Desplat	....	conductor
Alexandre Desplat	....	orchestrator
Andrew Dudman	....	music mixer
Andrew Dudman	....	music recordist
Carmine Lauri	....	orchestra leader
Tony Lewis	....	music editor
Abbie Lister	....	music supervisor
Alison Stephens	....	musician: mandolin

Transportation Department
Jeff Derby	....	driver
James Downard	....	driver
Lawrence Duncan	....	facilities captain
Richard Eksteen	....	facilities driver
Forbes KB	....	driver: action vehicle
Rob MacKnight	....	driver: unit minibus
Adam Marchand	....	driver
Gary Mavor	....	driver
Tony Power	....	stand-by construction driver
Jan Reichel	....	driver
Nina Ruhkala	....	action vehicle coordinator
Chris J. Smith	....	picture vehicles coordinator
Mickey Davie	....	vehicle technician (uncredited)

Other crew
John Adams	....	military advisor
Naoufel Ben Youssef	....	unit location manager: Paris
Campbell Brand	....	pilot
Jeremy Burnage	....	production coordinator: re-shoots
Mally Chung	....	assistant location manager
Orlagh Collins	....	head of physical production: Pathé
Jonah Coombes	....	location manager: additional photography
Gerry Cott	....	animal handler
Perrine Coulogner	....	assistant location manager
Joss Crowley	....	production runner: additional photography
Adam Curtis	....	archive consultant
Lara Davis	....	production assistant
Tim Desbois	....	aerial coordinator
Linda Drew	....	assistant: Mr. Frears
Jon Duncan	....	production accountant
Cathy Dutheil	....	production secretary Paris
Penny Dyer	....	dialect coach
Giles Edleston	....	location scout
Zoë Edwards	....	production coordinator
Penny Eyles	....	script supervisor
Kerry Gill-Pryde	....	researcher
Synnöve Godeseth	....	location trainee: FT2, re-shoots
Mark Hopkins	....	set runner
Vinnie Jassal	....	location assistant: additional photography
Jenna Jones	....	assistant: Mr. Harries
Jérôme Jouneaux	....	press attache: France
Pat Karam	....	location manager
Marigo Kehoe	....	head of production
Tory Lenosky	....	production runner: additional photography
Amelia McNeil	....	location assistant
Jaynie Miller	....	assistant to producer and director
Jean-Philippe Moreteau	....	assistant location manager
Tracy O'Riordan	....	assistant production coordinator
Michelle Pianca	....	assistant location manager
Celina Radwanski	....	set runner
Kay Raven	....	animal handler
Hallam Rice-Edwards	....	production assistant
Gerry Scott	....	animal handler
Johanna Silverman	....	assistant: Mr. Cromwell
Andy Stephens	....	aerial operations manager: Flying Pictures Ltd.
Katherine Tibbetts	....	travel coordinator
Vanessa Whyte	....	accounting assistant
Rebecca Wolf	....	assistant accountant
Barney Wrightson	....	aerial operations assistant: Flying Pictures Ltd.
Josh Yudkin	....	location manager: additional photography
Gareth Lewis	....	production runner: dailies (uncredited)

Thanks
Sam Frears	....	thanks
Gareth Humphreys	....	thanks
Robert Lacey	....	thanks
Ingrid Seward	....	thanks
Brian Tufano	....	thanks
Tracey Ullman	....	thanks

Production Companies

• BIM Distribuzione
• Canal+
• France 3 Cinéma
• Future Films
• Granada Film Productions
• Pathé Pictures International
• Pathé Renn Productions
• Scott Rudin Productions

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Applause Entertainment (2007) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Avex Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2006) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Cinergia (2007) (Ukraine) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Festive Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Golden Scene (2007) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Golden Village Entertainment (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2006) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Myndform (2006) (Iceland) (theatrical)
• Pathé Pictures International (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• Pathé (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Prime Entertainment (2007) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution Sverige AB (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Zazie Films (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Bazuca Films (2007) (Chile) (TV)
• Icon Home Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Pathé (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Framestore CFC (visual effects)
• Emergency House Special Effects (special effects)

Other Companies

• AP Archive  archive footage courtesy of
• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting equipment supplied by (as ARRI Lighting Rental)
• Abbey Road Studios  music recording and mixing
• Alex Rose Wig Company  wigmaker
• All England Caterers  catering
• Alpha Press  archive footage courtesy of
• Angels the Costumiers  costume supplier
• BBC Motion Gallery  archive footage courtesy of
• Brook Lapping Productions  archive footage courtesy of (as Brook Lapping)
• Cable News Network (CNN)  archive footage courtesy of (as CNN)
• Carlo Manzi Rentals  costume supplier
• Clarity Post Production Sound  foley recording and remixing
• Compuhire  computer and video playback
• Corbis  archive footage courtesy of
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  post-production facilities
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  re-recording (as De Lane Lea Sound Studios Limited)
• Firstep Productions  production services: Paris (as Firstep S.a.r.L)
• Flying Pictures  aerial filming services provided by
• Foreign Office  title design
• Framestore CFC  digital intermediate
• GMTV  archive footage courtesy of
• Hothouse Music  music supervision
• ITN Source  archive footage courtesy of
• Kodak  film stock
• Lofty's Lab  stills processing
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  music performed by
• Milan Records  soundtrack
• Mr. Youngs Preview Theatre  screening facility
• Offline Editing Company, The  cutting rooms
• Offline Editing Company, The  post-production facilities
• PD Sound Design  sound editing
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Paris Musique Service  music preparation
• REX Features  archive footage courtesy of
• SA19  extras casting
• Sapex Scripts  post-production scripts (as Sapex)
• Soho Images  film laboratory services
• The Business  costumes supplied by
• Translux  facilities and trucks
• UK Computamatch  negative cutting (as Computamatch)
• United Casting  extras casting (extras casting)
• Universal Combat Limited  military advice
• Wavevend Communications  walkie talkies

Also Known As:

La regina (Italy)
The Queen (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime:

103 min | Turkey:94 min (TV version)

Country:

UK | France | Italy

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:PG | UK:12A | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Finland:K-3 | Netherlands:AL | France:U | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Germany:o.Al. | Portugal:M/12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:Atp | Norway:A | Denmark:A | Sweden:Btl | Canada:G (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Nova Scotia) | South Korea:12 | Peru:PT | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42527) | Malaysia:U | Norway:10 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Blairquhan Castle, Blairquhan, South Ayrshire, Scotland, UK

Company:

BIM Distribuzione

Trivia:

Joan Plowright was offered the chance to play The Queen Mother.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Tony Blair receives a call from Lord Chamberlain in his car you can see the new shaped S Class driving behind him. This shape was no introduced until 1999, and the film is set in 1997.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Reporter: After weeks of campaigning on the road, Tony Blair and his family finally strolled the few hundred yards to the polling station this election day morning. Amongst the Labour faithful up and down the country, there is an enormous sense of pride in Mr. Blair's achievements, and the confidence that he is about to become the youngest prime minister this century.

Movie Connections:

Features "Panorama: An Interview with HRH the Princess of Wales" (1995)

Soundtrack:

GMTV Reuters

Truly Moving Picture

I saw this film on September 25th, 2006 in Indianapolis. I am one of the judges for the Heartland Film Festival's Truly Moving Picture Award. A Truly Moving Picture "…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life." Heartland gave that award to this film.

Normally I am careful not to give away the ending of a movie in a comment. In this case, the story and the ending are already known. In 1997, Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris trying to escape from the paparazzi. This was about a year after her divorce with Prince Charles. Great Britain and the world mourned her loss in a surprisingly large way. It was as if Princess Diana was an assassinated world political or spiritual leader.

The royal family did not initially react to her death in a human or sensitive way. They alternately said it was a private affair or Princess Diana was no longer royalty since the divorce or we are protecting Princess Diana's two sons or let us grieve alone. But, they were coming off as cold and standoffish to the English people and they were causing the monarchy system to become unpopular and even despised. In steps the new young Prime Minister, Tony Blair, influences Queen Elizabeth II to mourn in public and bring a humanity to the English monarchy.

The real story is the journey of Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth II to get to this final destination.

It is hard to separate what is fact and what is made-up in this film. Many facts are certain because you see historical footage of the bunches of cut flowers growing in front of Buckingham Palace and the then President Clinton making a statement and many clips of Princess Diane throughout her life. But the many behind-the-scenes conversations had to be invented or recalled, so it has to be part fiction and part fact.

The monarchy is not treated kindly in this film. Prince Philip comes off as insensitive and a bearer of grudges. Prince Charles appears to be weak. Queen Elizabeth II, played brilliantly by Helen Mirren, comes off as reserved and complicated. And Tony Blair, played convincingly by Michael Sheen, trumps the royalty by being real and wise and likable.

The storytelling is compelling. Even though you know what will happen, you are intrigued by how the characters get to their ultimate positions.

In the end, Queen Elizabeth II and Tony Blair display a profound love for their country. It is really a story about public dignitaries trying to do the right thing for their country and their families.

FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where you can find a listing of past Crystal Heart Award winners as well as other Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.