A Tale of Two Queens: The Crown Episodes 1-3 (with Commentary from Victoria Seasons 1 and 2)

     I have finally taken the opportunity  to watch The Crown, a show which I have had recommended to me even before I had Netflix. Watching it, I was struck by how similar to ITV's Victoria (viewable to us Americans on PBS). Both are about  the early reigns of young British queens and their relationships with those around them. The cast are even similar, with Doctor Who alums in leading roles (Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman as Prince Philip and Victoria respectively) and Alex Jennings playing an uncle for each of the young monarchs. However, there are some differences and I feel I can analyze The Crown better by bringing in comparison to Victoria.
     On of the most striking differences is that of the main couples. While Victoria is about a newly established queen finding domestic bliss, The Crown is about an established family finding a way to be happy in their new position. This difference in when the queen gets married drastically changes the dynamic between the couples. Since Victoria has established herself as a leader before her marriage, Albert must shape his role in Victoria’s life around that. Phillip, in contrast is already the head of the house before Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne, he takes a diminished leadership role within the family poorly. This can make Phillip seem like a complete jerk at times for insisting things should go his way more often. However, if the viewers remember that Phillip is adjusting to his role just as much as Elizabeth, his character becomes much more likeable. One point also in Phillip’s favor is the fact that when Victoria goes into confinement, Albert takes on more powers, more powers that he is reluctant to give up. This does change eventually, but it is worth noting that Albert had less time to get used to this new position while Phillip had been man on top for his entire marriage.
    Another comparison point is the focus. The focus of The Crown is much more targeted towards the political side of life, with some look at family life. This helps further enforce the idea that this is unfamiliar territory for our new queen. Elizabeth is used to being a wife and a mother and is unsure in her new role. This adjustment is shown best is outlined in her unease at being told by he grandmother that she must wear a mask.  Likewise, in Victoria, the titular leader is unsure in matters of love and family, but she knows how to treat her subjects, something we see during the second season in her dealings with the Irish potato famine.
     This shows that Elizabeth and Victoria are very different women, with Elizabeth being a better family woman and Victoria being somewhat more state-savvy. This makes the shows good companion pieces; in a lot of scenarios, such as child rearing or dealing with prime ministers, you can see how a different attitude and skill set affects a person’s reaction to the situation. However, many fans of each series can get somewhat heated in their debates on which series is better. I, for one, remain non-committal. I like Elizabeth as a leader better, but Albert makes a better companion. I like Victoria’s supporting cast better, but The Crown does have more challenging themes, like colonialism. In the end, I recommend The Crown, but maybe watch Victoria afterwards.

The Crown: Just another working woman?

There is something to be said about the American anglophile and the perpetual fascination about our former colonial lords. Recall that America only exists because of its desire to cleave away from Britain to form its own distinct national identity, yet we never stopped admiring our forebears from across the pond and surely that irony isn’t lost on anyone. Why are Americans so enthralled by British culture? The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Harry Potter, James Bond, Monty Python, Gordon Ramsay, Simon Cowell, The Great British Baking Show, The Office, and the list just goes on. Maybe it’s the accent. Whatever the cause, it appears The Crown and it’s portrayals of the British Royal family has also captured the attention of Americans.

            The Crown is another series that seeks to dramatize the Windsors while serving as pseudo-history for those of us who might not otherwise crack open a book on 20th century British history. Of course it shows us the scandals and the familiar scenes that have been depicted over and over again like the Royal Wedding, the Royal Coronation, the Kennedy meeting, and others. However The Crown has been able to accomplish an incredible feat that was attempted with The King’s Speech and The Queen. Netflix has managed to make Queen Elizabeth not just a sympathetic character, but more importantly a relatable character. You may say to yourself “what could possibly be familiar about some incredibly wealthy European monarch?” Well first there’s the obvious, Queen Elizabeth is familiar because she’s been with us so long. Her majesty has been in the public eye since at least 1936 when her father became King, and she’s been the reigning monarch since 1952 (a full year before Elvis recorded his first demo at Star Studios). But outside of how ubiquitous she is in movies, television, history, music, print, and currency, there is something familiar about the struggle of a woman living under immense pressure balancing a personal life and a professional life in an arena dominated by men.

           The Queen is like a lot of working women, despite her obvious aristocratic status. She has a significant other who expects too much, a job that demands all of her free time, and she’s still expected to look and act like a lady. Now it’s possible that we’ve always been a little too critical of Queen Elizabeth, not understanding the pressures that young women face generally speaking that is only exacerbated when they’re under the media microscope. How many times have the tabloids commented on her makeup, her weight, the way she speaks, and cataloged every gaffe or misstep? Maybe we’ve always owed her our sympathy. Conversely, maybe Netflix has just done a damn good job of minimizing the struggles of ordinary folk (like those who died in the Great Fog) and dramatizing whether her Majesty wants to wear gold or platinum. The Queen had a hard day? So did the teachers who were grossly underpaid during Conservative and Labour governments. More importantly, the people living under oppressive colonial rule in Africa had much harder lives than her Majesty who languished over how her son would do in one of the best private schools in the country. Are we meant to weep for her Majesty because the Crown has tremendous production value?

            Regardless of whether her Majesty should be a sympathetic character, I can’t help but feel for her. The Queen reminds me of so many other women I know, who are just doing their best. Yes, some people have harder lives and sometimes it’s indirectly because of her Majesty’s actions but here’s there’s something that’s worth considering. When we observe the world and character’s through this arbitrary “whataboutism” where no one’s struggles mean anything because someone else has it worse, then nothing means anything and that is less than ideal. The Queen lives a different life than the viewer, she owns castles and hosts balls. It is a life of luxury and that’s indisputable, but does an excess of luxury make up for a deficit in education or love? I should say not.