The cinematographic Court of Versailles
In the middle of the 17th century, King Louis XIV of France became an icon of absolutism and one of the most powerful kings in Europe. A figure who has gone down in history with the nickname "sun king" but who had to face the shadow of another man: the man in the iron mask. A mysterious character who was imprisoned in the Bastille prison for reasons that are still unknown to this day and that generated a rumor mill worthy of being made into a movie.
These rumors materialized in the film 'The Man in the Iron Mask' (1998), which was based on the theory that the mysterious prisoner was the king's twin brother, whom the famous Three Musketeers had to release to replace his brother. on the throne and thus put an end to the injustices that plagued France. The famous swordsmen are embodied by Gabriel Byrne, Jeremy Irons, Gérard Depardieu, and John Malkovich. The absolute protagonist of the film is Leonardo DiCaprio, who embodies King Louis XIV and the man in the iron mask at the same time.
The heyday experienced by the French monarchy during the reign of Louis XIV would decline when his great-grandson, Louis XVI, ascended the throne. He will be the last king of France and the cause of the French Revolution of 1789, but among so much calamity there was room for a star to shine with its own light: Queen Marie Antoinette.
The queen of Austrian origin died beheaded, but this was only the beginning of a legend that had already been created during her life of excesses and extravagances of hers. All the luxury that surrounded her at the Palace of Versailles has been immortalized and recreated in no more and no less than 10 films! Although without a doubt the best known of all of them is the one directed by Sofia Coppola in 2006, in which the Sovereign was played by Kirsten Dunst. The film had an extensive display of costumes that made it an Oscar winner and had the collaboration of Manolo Blahnik himself.
The great stars of British royalty
Despite the large number of films dedicated to the figure of Marie Antoinette, if there is a Royal Family that takes the cake for having taken over the movie screen more times, that is the British Royal Family. Virtually every English monarch has his own movie and even his own series.
The first of them to be taken to the movies was King Henry II in the classic 'The Lion in Winter (1968), in which the monarch is played by Peter O'Toole and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, for the Oscar-winning actress Katharine Hepburn. She was awarded seven Oscar nominations, of which she won Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Soundtrack. In 2003 a remake of the television movie was made with the same title and with Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close as protagonists.
Another of the most famous monarchs on film and television was Henry VIII, whose eventful love life spawned six films and four television series. Of all the productions based on his figure, the most outstanding is the film 'The Boleyn Sisters (2008), with the brilliant performances of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, and the series 'The Tudors (2007), in which he represents various episodes from the reign of Henry VIII incarnated by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.
Elizabeth I is, along with Henry VIII, the English sovereign whose performance has led the most actors to be nominated for an Oscar: Cate Blanchett in 1998 and 2007 and Judi Dench in 1998. The first of these is undoubtedly the one most associated with the "Virgin Queen" since he incarnated her twice. However, many other established actresses have gotten into the shoes of Elizabeth I: Bette Davis, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren... The last time this queen was brought to the screen was in 2017 through production by José Luis Moreno: 'Queens'.
The other great English monarch turned film star is Queen Victoria, who made her screen debut in 1937 with the film 'Victoria, The Great and has since been portrayed in two television series and seven films. Emily Blunt was nominated for a Golden Globe for her romantic performance in 'The Young Victoria' (2010). Judi Dench has also been nominated for the latest recreation of this monarch in the cinema at the hands of 'Victoria and Abdu l' (2017). The series 'Victoria' is currently being broadcast on the British channel ITV, in which Jenna Coleman gets into the skin of one of the longest-lived queens in the United Kingdom.
The Windsor dynasty inaugurated by George V has grabbed a lot of headlines since it was created in 1917. One of its most prominent members was Edward VII, the king who abdicated the throne to marry his beloved Wallis Simpson. Together they starred in a film love that dazzled Madonna herself, who decided to make her first foray into the cinema by telling her story in 'W.E.' (2012). The person in charge of succeeding him on the throne and father of the current monarch, King George VI, was unfortunately known for his difficulty speaking in public. A defect that inspired the tenderness of director Tom Hopper and that was portrayed in 'The King's Speech' (2010), which won the Oscar for best film and best actor Colin Firth.
The current sovereign Elizabeth II has been no less than her predecessors and enjoys a notable presence in the world of cinema and television. She has been in front of the cameras on several occasions, such as when she filmed a spot with James Bond (Daniel Craig) for the opening of the London Olympic Games in 2012. However, although that video will go down in history, which also They will do it are the various productions that have portrayed the life of the longest-lived monarch in the United Kingdom.
The most famous of all of them is the film 'The Queen' (2006), in which an impeccable and award-winning Helen Mirren gets into the role of the sovereign in one of the most complicated moments of her life: the death of Diana of Wales. But more topical is the series 'The Crown' (2016), which is a new review, like never before, on the long life path of Elizabeth II.
