Collective obsession with British royal family continues in films and series: Which one gets them right?

All of last week was about the British coronation, perhaps the biggest event not just for the UK but worldwide. I saw the roads in central London brimming with thousands of people while millions across the countries tuned in to watch King Charles III being officially crowned. Even the nations that practise and celebrate democracy were captivated by the event glorifying monarchy.

It wasn’t just about the coverage of the coronation, consumption of content related to the royal family shot up like never before. Gauging the obsession around the subject, the entertainment industry in the UK as well as the USA churned out documentaries and shows. There were so many tantalising TV shows and documentaries being released (and re-released) in the last few months, it became hard to keep track.

Multiple seasons of the blockbuster series The Crown had already depicted the history of the British royal family but shrouded it in the garb of fiction. As a run-up to the event, I watched a few tantalising and meticulously researched chronicles on King Charles III, offering different perspectives and encapsulating the glittering magnetism of the British monarchy. I don’t want to present you with a new listicle or promote any particular new release. Most documentaries were quickly assembled to cash in on the grand coronation event. But there were a few I felt would stand the test of time for being immensely engaging.

If you could watch one documentary on the new king, I’d recommend King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone. From little-known facts about the eventful childhood to his most scrutinised relationships, from his deep-seated insecurities to his ambitions, this one focuses on humanising the monarch. For me the most poignant revelations were the formative events that influenced him. It’s shocking to know that he went through bullying and isolation and even faced humiliation by his own father — “Charles was the boy who walked alone,” says his schoolmate, Johnny Stonborough in this 90-minute documentary. It also questions if his father’s parenting style was sometimes deeply hurtful. He believed his oldest son (Charles) was ‘not good enough, but [also] not manly enough.’ His father said, “I will put some steel into him, or I give up.” The documentary also tries to establish Prince Harry having similar experiences and complexities while growing up.

That brings me to Prince Harry's (and Meghan Markle's) all-out war against the royal family. Since the last four months, the drawing room conversations in London, have been about the storm generated by the couple’s ranting in the docuseries Harry & Meghan. Each episode of the six-part series ushered different degrees of bitterness particularly towards King Charles and Prince William. The bombshell docuseries had beaten the best of saas-bahu (mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law) TV dramas of India, proving yet again that reality is always stronger and scandalous than fiction. Most traditional Britishers felt that Harry and Meghan crossed the line by disrespecting the family. The series also hampered the Palace’s efforts to endear the Queen Consort to the public. But the officials at Netflix were smiling. It rained eyeballs and dollars for them.

Coming back to the newly crowned King, I also liked Director Tom Jennings’ latest National Geographic documentary Charles: In His Own Words. It builds an intimate portrait of the King using rare footage and interviews. There’s that one standout comment too made by Charles during the announcement of his engagement with Lady Diana Spencer in February 1981. When asked if they were in love, Diana said, "Of course", to which Charles replied, "Whatever 'in love' means”. Or the unprecedented interview in 1994 in which he was asked about the rumours over his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. He was asked if he tried to be "faithful and honourable" to Diana. He answered, "Yes, absolutely," but added later: "Yes… until [the marriage] became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried.” The beauty of Charles: In His Own Words is that it does not shy away from exploring his relationships with Princess Diana and Queen Camilla, the turbulent marriage and his disturbed relationship with Prince Harry. But unlike Harry & Meghan, it stays clear of a sensational approach. It is meticulously researched and deeply engrossing. It also shows his funny and charming side. My favourite moment is the complete sequence of the viral shot when King Charles’ reacts to a leaky pen while signing official documents. Here it gives a context to the pressure of being in limelight every moment and just makes him more human for the viewers.

Though I also watched some other notable ones like the new BBC documentary Charles R: The Making of a Monarch and Charles: Our New King (Apple TV+) but most of them just felt like an assortment of archival and new footage without really providing a new perspective.

While there has been enough content on the new King, Queen Elizabeth and ever popular Princess Diana, a comprehensive and well-researched take on Queen Camilla is missing. There is nothing substantial, particularly from her perspective on various famous and infamous events transpired. I watched a few documentaries, even a docudrama, but each focused mainly on the ‘scandalous’ details about Charles-Camilla affair. The new Amazon documentary My King Charles was promoted right before the coronation for ‘revelations’ about Camilla's secret private jet trips during the affair with Charles. Much water has flown under the bridge.

Being compared with Princess Diana and portrayed as a ‘home breaker’ since decades, it is not easy being Camilla. But I couldn’t find a well-researched series or documentary narrating her side of the story. The 2018 documentary The Real Camilla: HRH the Duchess of Cornwall (Apple TV) had the right access. It gives a candid look on her life as cameras follow Camilla throughout her 70th year, showcasing her royal duties, and her private life with Charles and her family. Many times, throughout this documentary, we are told the Camilla and Charles story as one of the greatest love stories in history. Prince Charles affectionately refers to her as his ‘darling wife’. But by the end, it appears as more of a PR and image building piece. She deserves a better storyteller. For her sake, and for ours. But try to catch up with the ones I recommended. And yes, God Save the King! And Queen!

Yasser is a film commentator and author based in London

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