A law prohibiting the marriage of Catholics to the Royal Family is the motivation for keeping the crown prince of Whales (Peter Graves as the future George IV, and no, not the future actor who played a pilot that liked movies about gladiators) away from the widowed Mrs. Fitzherbert (a gorgeous Joyce Howard) who becomes his wife in a marriage not considered legitimate.
King George III (Frederick Valk) and Queen Charlotte (Lily Kann) oppose the romance, and they push him into romances with two uppity women, Wanda Rotha as the queen's lady in waiting, and Margaretta Scott, whose princess Charlotte ends up being queen and whom the prince despises from the moment they meet. History has shown that this was the beginning of a domestic war of the Hanovers, resulting in her being banned from her own husband's coronation.
The Prince George/Maria Fitzherbert romance isn't exactly one of romantic love, and he is often cruel to her, denying the marriage yet keeping her letters. Movies about historical situations like this have to be taken with a grain of salt, embellished to make them more interesting on the screen. Confrontations between the two chosen women as possible brides are delightfully caustic.
Leslie Banks stands out among the supporting cast as William's friend, Charles James Fox, a historical character quite interesting in his own right. While this was indeed a real life story fictionalized with the screen, it has become legendary, with Mrs. Fitzherbert a major character in several movies including "Beau Brummel" and The Madness of King George". Maybe not in the league of real strong romantic dramas, but definitely worth seeing for its superb production design. The ending is both sad and moving, but doesn't make a real impact simply because the romantic structure of the main relationship seems weak and one-sided.
King George III (Frederick Valk) and Queen Charlotte (Lily Kann) oppose the romance, and they push him into romances with two uppity women, Wanda Rotha as the queen's lady in waiting, and Margaretta Scott, whose princess Charlotte ends up being queen and whom the prince despises from the moment they meet. History has shown that this was the beginning of a domestic war of the Hanovers, resulting in her being banned from her own husband's coronation.
The Prince George/Maria Fitzherbert romance isn't exactly one of romantic love, and he is often cruel to her, denying the marriage yet keeping her letters. Movies about historical situations like this have to be taken with a grain of salt, embellished to make them more interesting on the screen. Confrontations between the two chosen women as possible brides are delightfully caustic.
Leslie Banks stands out among the supporting cast as William's friend, Charles James Fox, a historical character quite interesting in his own right. While this was indeed a real life story fictionalized with the screen, it has become legendary, with Mrs. Fitzherbert a major character in several movies including "Beau Brummel" and The Madness of King George". Maybe not in the league of real strong romantic dramas, but definitely worth seeing for its superb production design. The ending is both sad and moving, but doesn't make a real impact simply because the romantic structure of the main relationship seems weak and one-sided.