The Lost Prince is an unusual project for writer and director Stephen Poliakoff.
Young Prince John was the tragic youngest son of George V and Queen Mary. He was the uncle of the present Queen Elizabeth. Legend has it that because of his epileptic fits and his learning disabilities, he might had also been autistic, he was supposedly shunted away from the public by his regal parents.
Miranda Richardson is certainly cold and aloof as Johnny's mother. While Tom Hollander as King George has his attention diverted with war in Europe and revolution in Russia. Poliakoff cannot resist delving in his own Russian heritage weaving the plight of the Russian royal family into this saga.
Two actors play young Johnny who finds that only his nanny Lalla (Gina McKee) is willing to devote time and attention to him. The film also explores Johnny's relationship with his older brother Prince George who even at a tender age is being prepared by his father to spend his life serving his country whether he likes it or not.
Poliakoff certainly did do a lot of research for his story, although he acknowledges that there was not much documentary evidence to go on. Even then parts of the story is fictionalised for dramatic purposes. There was certainly a greater age gap between Prince George and Prince John for example.
The Lost Prince is a handsomely mounted period drama. However it is not always an exciting story, certainly in its first part. It is the reason why Poliakoff has to pep up the story with anti German sentiments hitting the royal family so they have to consider the name change to Windsor. It is not even certain if Prince John was even an outcast although his fits did mean he stayed elsewhere in the Sandringham House estate.
Young Prince John was the tragic youngest son of George V and Queen Mary. He was the uncle of the present Queen Elizabeth. Legend has it that because of his epileptic fits and his learning disabilities, he might had also been autistic, he was supposedly shunted away from the public by his regal parents.
Miranda Richardson is certainly cold and aloof as Johnny's mother. While Tom Hollander as King George has his attention diverted with war in Europe and revolution in Russia. Poliakoff cannot resist delving in his own Russian heritage weaving the plight of the Russian royal family into this saga.
Two actors play young Johnny who finds that only his nanny Lalla (Gina McKee) is willing to devote time and attention to him. The film also explores Johnny's relationship with his older brother Prince George who even at a tender age is being prepared by his father to spend his life serving his country whether he likes it or not.
Poliakoff certainly did do a lot of research for his story, although he acknowledges that there was not much documentary evidence to go on. Even then parts of the story is fictionalised for dramatic purposes. There was certainly a greater age gap between Prince George and Prince John for example.
The Lost Prince is a handsomely mounted period drama. However it is not always an exciting story, certainly in its first part. It is the reason why Poliakoff has to pep up the story with anti German sentiments hitting the royal family so they have to consider the name change to Windsor. It is not even certain if Prince John was even an outcast although his fits did mean he stayed elsewhere in the Sandringham House estate.