Queen Elizabeth II and PBS's "Monarchy: The Royal Family At Work"
Queen Elizabeth II has got to be one tough broad. She'd have to be to rule an empire for more than fifty years and still keep her head about her through wars, recessions and while her family splashed themselves all over the gossip pages.
If you're like me and fascinated by her, tonight you can get an inside look at the Queen's life with "Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work" on PBS (8-10PM). It's a six part mini-series that will air over the next two weeks covering the Queen's daily life, state visits and the enormous royal machine that's required to keep the Windsors on the clock.
The film was shot over a period of weeks in 2007 when the Queen made a state visit to the United States, including stops at the White House and the Kentucky Derby.
I gotta tell you, I'm a real sucker for this stuff. The jewels, the gowns, the opulent mansions. One reason I love Newport, Rhode Island so much is being able to tour "the summer cottages," of America's version of royalty like the Vanderbilts. So getting a glimpse into the gorgeous rooms of Buckingham Palace and marveling at the precision as the citizens of Virginia prepare for the Queen's visit, was a real treat.
We even get to see the infamous encounter of the Queen and American photographer Annie Leibovitz, who was commissioned to photograph the Queen before her departure to the US. The gossip pages were all a twitter a couple of months ago about how the Queen stormed out of the photo session and all kinds of drama ensued.
Well, when you watch the documentary, you can see that though the Queen was stretched for time before and during the shoot, according to Annie Leibovitz herself, there was no storming going on.
A couple of things to watch for during the first hour: how the Queen poo, poos Leibovitz's suggestion that she'll look "less dressy" without her crown when she's actually wearing a full blown royal outfit, including cape; how Prince Philip needs the Queen's permission to leave a rope line and go to another event; and how very capable Penny Russell-Smith, Press Secretary to the Queen, looks in her very, very British grey tweeds.
Queen Elizabeth came to power at the young age of twenty-six and she's ruled an empire for more than fifty years. Although many Americans may see her as a leftover of a long ago era, I think she's an amazing woman who's weathered many a terrible storm with class and grace.
And some funky looking hats.
"Monarchy" airs November 12-26 on PBS.
Photo Credits:
The Queen: Anwar Hussein Collection/Getty Images
Buckingham Palace Ballroom: POOL/ Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images
