Royal Wedding Week: Top 5 Films About British Royalty

Did you happen to catch the fantastically awful Lifetime movie William & Kate last week? It was fantastically awful in that wonderful Lifetime movie way. I highly recommend it if you have a taste for cheese like I do and especially if you want to play the drinking game.

But William & Kate is just another addition to a long list of movies focused on the private lives of royals and some of them are actually good! Here's a top 5 of movies focused on British royalty.

5. The Lion in Winter (1968)
Peter O'Toole stars in The Lion in Winter as King Henry II who must decide on his successor while surrounded by the machinations and manipulations of his family and court. Henry Plantagenet reigned from 1154-1189 and Richard was chosen as his successor but the particular events of the film are largely fictional. The reason the film makes this list is the brilliant acting. It's chock full of amazing performances including an Academy Award winning turn by Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine and the film debuts of Anthony Hopkins and Timothy Dalton. The Lion in Winter was shot both in studio and on location in Ireland, Wales and France. Keep an eye out for the stunning stonework of the Montmajour Abbey.

Katherine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter

4. Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
Anne Boleyn is certainly the best known of Henry VIII's wives and one of the best know historical queens (perhaps coming in second only to her daughter Queen Elizabeth I.) Despite her short tenure in both roles, her story has romance, scandal and tragedy - the perfect source material for a good movie. Most recently portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Portman and Natalie Dormer, the role in Anne of the Thousand Days is played by Geneviève Bujold along side Richard Burton as King Henry VIII. The film captures not only the drama of Anne and the King's relationship, but also the opulence of the Tudor court. The lush costumes won an Academy Award and many of the stunning locations were real Tudor castles and gardens, including Anne's real childhood home Hever Castle.

3. Elizabeth (1998) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
The Elizabethan era was a prosperous time when music, literature and theater thrived and a strong woman ruled over it all - a fascinating time to say the least. These 2 films recount Elizabeth I's 44 year reign over England's Golden Age. The first film covers Elizabeth's transformation from a young woman to a strong, willful Queen while the second focuses on the conflict between Protestant England and Catholic Spain as well as Elizabeth's relationship with Sir Walter Raleigh. Cate Blanchett's nuanced portrayal of the Queen drew raves and earned her of the distinction of being the only female actor to be nominated for an Oscar twice for playing the same role. And, as with Anne of a Thousand Days, the costumes and sets match the extravagance of the time. Many of these sets representing the royal palace were staged at the majestic Durham Cathedral, which was voted on the best-loved buildings in England.

Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I

2. The Queen (2006)
Helen Mirren's Academy Award winning performance in The Queen was not her first royal role (she played the current Queen's namesake in Elizabeth I), but portraying a living monarch was no doubt a daunting prospect. The film is set in the not so distant past and revolves around the Queen's struggle to deal with the media scrutiny and her family's pain in the wake of Princess Diana's death. Elizabeth II was roundly criticized at the time for staying sequestered at her summer residence, Balmoral Castle, instead of returning to London, the epicenter of a grieving nation. Of course, Balmoral Castle was not available for filming as it is a in-use royal residence so Blairquhan Castle was used as a stand in.

Helen Mirren in The Queen

1. The King's Speech (2010)
Another Oscar winning performance on this list, Colin Firth plays King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II's father and king of England from 1936-1952. World War II was the defining event of these years and Great Britain needed a strong leader in those trying times. The King's Speech follows George VI as he unexpectedly becomes king after his brother's abdication and tries to become a strong figurehead capable of inspiring his nation. In order to do this, he needs to overcome his stammer with the help of speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). The production designers enhanced the film by expertly recreating depression-era London, particularly with the striking space used as Logue's consulting room (found at 33 Portland Place.)

You can read more about the production design for The King's Speech at The Guardian and if you're still in need of a royal fix, you can check out Frommer's "Best of Royal London for Free".