Bertie and Elizabeth

TV Movie
2002
TV-PG
1h 39m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Juliet Aubrey and James Wilby in Bertie and Elizabeth (2002)

A chronicle of the life of George VI, who was forced to become King following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, and his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth.A chronicle of the life of George VI, who was forced to become King following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, and his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth.A chronicle of the life of George VI, who was forced to become King following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII, and his relationship with his wife, Elizabeth.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

751

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Tommy Lascelles (Paul Brooke) is depicted as the Private Secretary to Bertie from the start of his reign, and certainly from the beginning of the war. In fact, though he had been an Assistant Private Secretary since shortly before King George V's death, he was only promoted to the full role (directly dealing with the King and his boxes, for example) as late in the War as 1943. He remained at post for the rest of the King's reign, several years after retirement age, and into Elizabeth II's first year as Queen. It's best to think of the role as combining two real-life people (Sir Alec Hardinge and Sir Alan "Tommy" Lascelles) into one.

Goofs
When Montgomery comes to the palace after the Battle of Alamein, Princess Elizabeth is wearing ATS uniform. Alamein was in 1942. Elizabeth didn't join the Army until 1945 (she was only 16 in 1942).

Quotes
[Queen Mary and Lady Mabell Airlie notice that Bertie is taking an interest in Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon]
Queen Mary: I think my son is rather keen on the Strathmore girl.
Lady Mabell Airlie: I formed that impression too.
Queen Mary: We could do worse than marry Bertie to a member of the British aristocracy. I mean, *some* of them are quite respectable - yourself, for example.
Lady Mabell Airlie: Has it ever been done? Isn't royal blood supposed to be a unique asset? Surely she'd be the first commoner to marry into the royal family since, umm...
Queen Mary: Anne Boleyn.
Lady Mabell Airlie: Well, that didn't work out, did it?
Queen Mary: Well, my understanding is that until he had her beheaded, the whole thing was a resounding success.

Connections
Featured in The Story of the Costume Drama: The Stars (2008)

Soundtracks
If You Were the Only Girl (In the World)
(uncredited)
Music by Nat Ayer (as Nat D. Ayer)
Lyrics by Clifford Grey

User reviews22

Featured review

6/10

It's like watching the Reader's Digest Version

This television film shows a lot promise despite the historical inaccuracies. It's problem is the fast paced progression through history that provides little opportunity for character exploration and more in depth look at how George VI become one of the best loved and most respected of English Kings. Otherwise, the performances are quite good and the writing in certain scenes is first rate. It's worth a look despite it's obvious flaws.

American Audiences might find the portrayal of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor a bit harsh after years of romantic conditioning but as Russell Baker notes in the segment that is shown after the film on the DVD it represents a more accurate picture of how those in the UK came to view Edward VIII.