Top 10 Must-Watch Royal-themed Movies

Marie Antoinette (2006) narrates the story of Maria Antonia, a fourteen-year-old, beautiful, charming, and naive Archduchess of Austria, the youngest among the daughters of Queen Maria-Theresa. In 1770, she was sent by her mother to marry the Dauphin of France, future King Louis XVI, to seal an alliance between two enemy nations. They marry and are encouraged to produce an heir as soon as possible, but the next day it's reported to the king that 'nothing happened' on their wedding night. The king and Marie Antoinette consummate their marriage, and on December 19, 1778, Marie Antoinette gives birth to a daughter, Princess Marie Thérèse Charlotte of France. As the queen matures, she focuses less on social life and more on family, making significant adjustments to finances. A year after her mother's death on November 29, 1780, Marie Antoinette gives birth to a son, Louis-Joseph, Dauphin of France, on October 22, 1781. She also gives birth to another son, Louis-Charles, on March 27, 1785, and another daughter, Princess Sophie, on July 9, 1786, who dies on June 19, 1787, a month before her first birthday. When the French Revolution erupts with the storming of the Bastille, the royal family decides to stay in France, unlike most other monarchies. The Parisian mob forces the family to leave Versailles for Paris. The film concludes with the royal family moving to Tuileries. The final image is Marie-Antoinette's bedroom at Versailles, destroyed by angry rioters.

DETAILS:

• Genre: Drama, History
• Director: Sofia Coppola
• Actors: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Rose Byrne, Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Asia Argento
• Release Date (Theater): October 13, 2006
• Duration: 2 hours 3 minutes

The Other Boleyn Girl portrays the tale of two sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn, driven by their ambitious father and uncle to enhance the family's power and status by seducing the King of England (Eric Bana). Leaving behind the simplicity of country life, the girls are thrust into the dangerous and intriguing world of court life.

From aiding their family's ambitions, their fate becomes a ruthless competition between Anne and Mary for the king's affection. Initially, Mary wins the favor of King Henry and becomes his mistress, bearing him a illegitimate child. However, Anne, clever, resourceful, and unafraid, surpasses both her sister and Henry's wife, Queen Katherine of Aragon, in the king's relentless pursuit.

Despite Mary's genuine affection for Henry, her sister Anne is determined to stop at nothing until she becomes the Queen of England.

DETAILS:

• Genre: Drama, History
• Director: Justin Chadwick
• Actors: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Kristin Scott Thomas
• Release Date (Theater): February 29, 2008
• Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes

Victoria & Abdul is a 2017 British film directed by Stephen Frears based on the book of the same name by Shrabani Basu. Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) travels from India to participate in the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria (Dame Judi Dench). The young clerk is surprised by the Queen's favor.

As Victoria questions the constraints of her long-held position, they forge an unlikely and devoted alliance that her family tries to destroy. As their friendship deepens, the Queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes, reclaiming her happiness.

DETAILS:

• Genre: Drama, History, Biography
• Director: Stephen Frears
• Actors: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Higgins,
• Release Date (Theater): October 6, 2017 Wide
• Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes
  

The Duchess is a 2008 British film directed by Saul Dibb. After a youthful marriage, Georgiana Spencer is delighted to be married off at age 17 in 1774 to the Duke of Devonshire, one of England's wealthiest and most influential peers. While his favor allows for a lavish lifestyle in grand homes and privileged introduction to high society, it comes at a cost.

The Duke only cares for her as the future mother of a male heir, punishing her unsuccessful attempts in that regard, while indulging in affairs himself and ordering her to help raise his illegitimate child, not sparing her only confident Bess Foster. Even after bearing a son, her undisciplined affair with rising politician Charles Grey is irreconcilable.

DETAILS

• Genre: Drama, History
• Director: Saul Dibb
• Actors: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Aidan McArdle, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Simon McBurney
• Release Date (Theater): September 19, 2008
• Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes

Based on the renowned play The Madness of George III by Alan Bennett, The Madness of King George presents a bleak portrayal of the mental decline of King George III of England.

The film's story begins nearly three decades into George's reign, in 1788, as the unstable king (Nigel Hawthorne) starts exhibiting increasingly severe symptoms of mental illness, ranging from violent outbursts to periods of confusion. This vulnerability seems like the perfect opportunity to overthrow George, blaming him for the loss of the American colonies. They turn to support the Prince of Wales (Rupert Everett), but the king's prime minister William Pitt (Julian Wadham) and his wife Queen Charlotte (Helen Mirren) remain determined to protect the throne.

Doctors are continually brought in, but the medical treatments of the era prove futile. In desperation, they turn to Dr. Willis (Ian Holm), a harsh specialist with unconventional methods reminiscent of modern psychiatry. Willis struggles to break through to the mad king, treating him with a disdain and arrogance that George has never experienced before.

DETAILS:

• Genre: Drama, History
• Director: Nicholas Hytner
• Cast: Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm, Rupert Everett, Amanda Donohoe, Rupert Graves,
• Release Date: April 3, 2016
• Movie Runtime: 1h 50m

Henry V is a 2012 British film based on the play of the same name by William Shakespeare. Hal is now a responsible king as Henry V, his rejection of Falstaff hastening the latter's demise. He prepares an expeditionary force to ascend to the throne, capturing the town of Harfleur in a surprise night raid following an inspirational speech. Despite his pity for its inhabitants, Henry allows the soldier Bardolph to be hanged for robbery.

After another peace offer is rejected by the French, Henry prepares for the Battle of Agincourt, wandering disguised in the camp the night before to gauge opinions. The battle is won with minimal losses for the English and the French king, whose daughter Henry marries, declaring him his heir. However, a closing title reveals Henry dying of dysentery at age 35, and we learn his son Henry VI loses the claim to the French throne.

DETAILS:

• Genre: Drama, Romance, History
• Director: Nikolaj Arcel
• Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Paul Scofield, Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench,
• Release Date: November 9, 2012
• Runtime: 2h 17min

Belle (The Tale of Belle) is set in the late 18th century. Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate daughter of Royal Navy Captain Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode) and the enslaved African woman Maria Belle, was taken from the slums of the West Indies after her mother's death in 1769, and placed under the care of her uncle William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, and his wife Elizabeth, living at Kenwood House, a country estate in Hampstead.

Dido and Elizabeth always saw each other as sisters and regarded the Mansfields as their own parents. Dido didn't need to present herself like Elizabeth to find a suitable husband who could elevate her status in society. Instead, Sir John, after his death, provided financial security for Dido, ensuring her financial safety regardless of her marital status. Dido befriends John Davinier (Sam Reid), the son of a local clergyman and an ambitious lawyer, who is researching a case for Lord Mansfield related to an insurance claim filed by a slave ship owner for slaves who died at sea from illness.

Lord Mansfield and John eventually understand a crucial aspect of the case, with John aiming for the case to lead to the abolition of slavery in England. Through Dido's assistance, she and John fall in love. Such a relationship, if brought to light, would face numerous obstacles, including the opposition of Lord and Lady Mansfield as they prefer Oliver Ashford to be a more suitable husband for Dido.

DETAILS:

• Genre: Drama
• Director: Amma Asante
• Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Matthew Goode, Emily Watson
• Production: DJ Films, Isle of Man Film, British Film Institute (BFI)
• Duration: 104 minutes

Mary Queen Of Scots portrays the tragic life of Mary Stuart, also known as Mary I of Scots, who reigned as queen of Scotland from December 1542 to July 1567. She has always held a prominent position in the rankings of the most famous queens of all time, not only in the United Kingdom but also worldwide. Mary's life was a series of political conflicts between France, England, and Scotland, which often led her to flee and be imprisoned. Despite being a revered queen, her legacy was tarnished after her death, being labeled a traitor. Mentioning Mary Stuart without acknowledging Queen Elizabeth I - her cousin and rival in the struggle for the throne - would be incomplete. Despite being family, their patriotism forced them into a battle to protect their countries and their cherished values.

Based on the historical account from John Guy's biography 'The True Life Of Mary Stuart, Queen Of Scots,' Mary Queen Of Scots follows Mary Stuart's journey, who became the Queen of France at the age of 16. Her tumultuous life was marked by unhappy political marriages and deep power struggles. With her complex lineage, the unfortunate queen spent nearly her entire short life grappling with political conspiracies and familial tragedies.

DETAILS:

• Genre: Drama, History, Biography
• Director: Josie Rourke
• Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Joe Alwyn, Jack Lowden
• Release Date: December 21, 2018 (Wide)
• Duration: 2 hours 4 minutes

Farewell, My Queen is a 2012 French film directed by Benoît Jacquot. The story is set in July 1789, three days before the French Revolution, at Versailles. At this time, the people in cities, especially in Paris, are in revolt due to class conflicts, primarily between the rich and the poor. The uprising is fueled by harsh taxation laws that favor the indulgent lifestyles of the nobility, epitomized by Marie Antoinette (Diane Kruger), who spends lavishly on extravagant pleasures.

The protagonist of the film is Sidonie Laborde, a highly loyal reader to the queen. While other servants grumble about sewing carpets and carrying out trivial tasks, Sidonie sees her job as 'a journey to a magical land.' She becomes jealous when an Italian boatman tells her that the queen is having an affair with the Duchess Gabrielle De Polignac. When an elderly woman from the castle (Gabrielle's servant) casually mentions the impending uprising, Sidonie dismisses it as 'meaningless chatter!' And then it all unfolds; on the morning of July 15th, the nobles begin to remove valuables from Versailles, while others whisper about some having escaped from the Bastille prison the night before, on July 14th.

DETAILS:

• Genre: Drama, Historical
• Director: Benoît Jacquot
• Cast: Diane Kruger, Léa Seydoux, Virginie Ledoyen, Xavier Beauvois, Noémie Lvovsky
• Release Date (Online): February 2, 2016
• Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes

The Young Victoria is a British film from 2009 directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, based on the life and reign of Queen Victoria. As the legitimate heir of King William of England, young Victoria is embroiled in the political machinations of her own family. Victoria's mother wants her to sign a regency order, while her Belgian uncle conspires to arrange a marriage between the future queen and Prince Albert, who will become the love of her life.

Overall, The Young Victoria boasts beautiful cinematography, with highlights and enough grandeur and depth of space. The film lacks real peaks, so it's evenly paced, somewhat dull. But in return, viewers are treated to visually stunning performances by well-cast actors, elaborate costumes closely adhering to the queen's painted portraits. Jean-Marc Vallée succeeds remarkably in vividly recreating the rhythm of the timeless love story in British history between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

DETAILS:

• Genre: Drama, Romance, History
• Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
• Cast: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent
• Release Date (Theater): January 8, 2010
• Duration: 1h 44m