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The Play Guide for The Audience was created by:
Jenna Turk
Artistic Associate
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The Audience runs from January 24 to February 18, 2017
For tickets, visit theatrecalgary.com or call (403) 294-7447
Front cover photo by David Cooper
Table of Contents
THE BASICS
The Company
Who’s Who?
The Story
1
2
5
EXPLORATIONS
Meet the Playwright: Peter Morgan
An Interview with Actor Seana McKenna
Designing The Audience Poster with Scott McKowen
Terms to Know
The Audience through the Years: A Queen Comes of Age
Elizabeth’s Road to the Throne
6
8
12
15
17
20
CONVERSATIONS
Conversation Starters
The Queen’s Homes
Corgis: The Queen’s Best Friend
Movie Night: The Queen On-Screen
Recommended Reads from Calgary Public Library
22
23
25
26
27
Sources
29
THE BASICS
-1-
The Company
Theatre Calgary presents
The Audience
by Peter Morgan
THE CAST
Queen Elizabeth II
David Cameron
Winston Churchill
Margaret Thatcher
Bobo MacDonald
Anthony Eden, Archbishop
Equerry
Gordon Brown
Harold Wilson
Young Elizabeth
John Major
Tony Blair
SEANA MCKENNA
PATRICK CREERY
IAN DEAKIN
KELLI FOX
LESLEY GALBECKA
STEPHEN HAIR
CHRISTOPHER HUNT
DECLAN O’REILLY
GRAHAM PERCY
ZASHA RABIE
KEVIN ROTHERY
TREVOR RUEGER
Director
Set & Costume Design
Lighting Design
Sound Design
Assistant Set & Costume Design
Voice & Dialect Coach
Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
Head of Lighting
Head of Sound
Head Stage Carpenter
Wardrobe & Wig Master
Assistant Head Dresser
Stage Hand
Chaperones
MILES POTTER
PATRICK CLARK
KEVIN FRASER
CHRIS JACKO
MICHELLE BOHN
JANE MACFARLANE
PATTI NEICE
SARA TURNER
CATHARINE CRUMB
CHRIS JACKO
SCOTT MORRIS
RON SIEGMUND
RACHEL MICHELLE SHERIDAN
ANDREW KERR
JESELLE LAURÉN,
BIANCA MIRANDA
THE BASICS
-2-
Who’s Who?
Queen Elizabeth II: The Head of the Commonwealth and the
Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New
Zealand. She ascended the throne in 1952 at the age of 25 years old.
(Photo of Queen Elizabeth II in 2015)
Young Elizabeth: Represents Queen Elizabeth II as an 11-year-old
girl. During her first year living in Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth
celebrated her 11th birthday.
(Painting of Elizabeth at the age of 7 by Hungarian painter, Philip de László)
Equerry: An officer of the royal household, a lieutenantcommander, LVO (Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order) Royal
Navy, who attends to Queen Elizabeth II.
(Photo of the Queen’s current Equerry, Wing Commander Samuel Fletcher, Royal
Air Force)
John Major: Her Majesty’s ninth Prime Minister from 1990-1997
and Leader of the Conservative Party.
(Photo of Prime Minister Major from 1996)
THE BASICS
-3-
Winston Churchill: Her Majesty’s first Prime Minister from 19511955, and who had previously been Prime Minister in 1940-1945 as
well as Leader of the Conservative Party.
(Photo of Prime Minister Churchill in 1944)
Harold Wilson: Her Majesty’s fifth Prime Minister from 1964-1970
and 1974-1976 and Leader of the Labour Party.
(Photo of Prime Minster Wilson in 1967)
Bobo MacDonald: Young Elizabeth’s Scottish nanny. Her real
name was Margaret, but ‘Bobo’ was said to be one of the first
words Queen Elizabeth II ever spoke. She served the Queen for 67
years moving from nursery maid to dresser. The Queen’s beloved
Bobo passed away in 1993 at age 89.
(Photo of a young Elizabeth sledding with Bobo)
Gordon Brown: Her Majesty’s eleventh Prime Minister from 20072010 and Leader of the Labour Party.
(Photo of Prime Minister Brown circa 2009)
THE BASICS
-4-
Anthony Eden: Her Majesty’s second Prime Minister from 19551957 and the Leader of the Conservative Party.
(Photo of Prime Minister Eden in 1957)
Tony Blair: Her Majesty’s tenth Prime Minister from 1997-2007
and the Leader of the Labour Party.
(Photo of Prime Minister Blair from 2002)
Margaret Thatcher: Her Majesty’s eighth Prime Minister from
1979-1990 and the Leader of the Conservative Party. She was the
longest serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century, and the
first woman to have held the position.
(Photo of Prime Minister Thatcher circa 1983)
David Cameron: Her Majesty’s twelfth Prime Minister from
2010-2016 and the Leader of the Conservative Party.
(Photo of Prime Minister Cameron from 2010)
THE BASICS
-5-
“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or
short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our
great imperial family to which we all belong.”
-Queen Elizabeth II
The Story
For sixty years Queen Elizabeth II has held a private weekly meeting with
each of her many Prime Ministers. Politicians have come and gone
(Churchill, Cameron, and Thatcher, among others), but she has remained
a constant. The Audience gives a glimpse of the woman behind the crown
and what it’s like to be one of the most famous, and yet most private
people in the world.
EXPLORATIONS
6
Meet the Playwright:
Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan at the Broadway premiere of The Audience in 2015.
(Photo by Walter McBride/WireImage)
Peter Morgan is a British screenwriter and playwright with a talent and
affinity for writing about the monarchy and the government. Born in
Wimbledon, London, in 1963 to refugee parents, Morgan was sent to
boarding school at a young age, and later earned a Fine Arts degree from the
University of Leeds. For fifteen years he struggled as a television writer, but
in 2003 his television film, The Deal, premiered and put him on the map.
Morgan found his niche writing fictionalized reality by telling the tale of the
true-life friendship between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and their plot to
lead the Labour Party.
The Deal led to the production of The Queen, a fictionalized account of the
monarchy’s reaction to the death of Princess Diana, which was released in
2006. The Queen was a huge success for Morgan, earning him Academy
Award and BAFTA nominations for his original screenplay as well as Best
Actress wins for its star Helen Mirren.
In 2006, Morgan’s play Frost/Nixon debuted in London and soon after on
Broadway. Once again, Frost/Nixon was a piece of writing based on real life:
EXPLORATIONS
7
In 1977, television personality David Frost (played by Michael Sheen) did a
series of interviews with former U.S. president, Richard Nixon (played by
Frank Langella) which led to him admitting to his unethical role in the
Watergate scandal. The play was later adapted to film with the play’s actors
reprising their roles.
2006 also marked the theatrical release of The Last King of Scotland which
Morgan co-wrote with Jeremy Brock. It tells the story of a young Scottish
doctor who travels to Uganda to be the personal physician to President Idi
Amin. Once again, Morgan found success with a piece inspired by real
people, and its star, Forest Whitaker, won the Best Actor award at the Oscars,
the BAFTAs and many more.
Since then, Peter Morgan has worked steadily and continued his fascination
with writing based on real people, like the 2008 film The Other Boleyn Girl, the
2013 play The Audience (featuring Helen Mirren reprising her role as
Elizabeth II), and in The Crown which has only recently premiered as a series
on Netflix.
Growing up, Morgan felt like an outsider. Raised by a German-Jewish father,
he spoke German which made him stick out in Wimbledon, so much so that
the local kids nicknamed him “Fritz.” Morgan believes, "If you don't belong
somewhere, it gives you perspective.” It is perhaps this insight that has led
to such sensitivity in his writing. Peter Morgan’s characters may be real, but
he has never met them, yet they are fully realized, complex, and compelling.
“I have to be seen to be believed.”
-Queen Elizabeth II
EXPLORATIONS
8
An Interview with Actor
Seana McKenna (Queen Elizabeth II)
One of Canada’s most acclaimed actors, Seana McKenna, is making her
Theatre Calgary debut as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience this
season. A graduate of the National Theatre School, a veteran of the
Stratford Festival (McKenna has played everything from Juliet to
Cleopatra and Lady Macbeth to Richard III), she is a national treasure,
and we are thrilled to welcome her here! A versatile actor, Seana
McKenna is a passionate and powerful performer full of intelligence
and wit. She makes her Theatre Calgary debut working alongside her
husband, director Miles Potter (familiar to our audiences as the
director of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Doubt). Our Artistic
Associate, Jenna Turk, spoke with her during rehearsals:
What attracted you to the role of Queen Elizabeth II?
I tend to be more attracted to a project as a whole these days. I don’t really have
many roles left that I am dying to do. There are a few, but it’s more the attraction
of coming to a theatre I’ve never played at, working with my husband again,
Miles Potter who is directing it, and with a lot of actors I have never worked with
before. To me, that is very exciting. So, it was the whole enterprise that was
intriguing to me. And also, it’s a really well written play, and you get to do all
these wonderful two-handed scenes with these very complicated human beings.
You know, it’s not called, Queen Elizabeth, it’s called, The Audience. In a funny
way, she’s not actually the protagonist. Although, there are moments when we’re
looking back on her life; it’s almost a memory play, in that she’s looking back at
her life and her decades of reign and assessing it with her good natured sense of
humour. And, you know, maybe I wanted to add it to my list of queens! I have
played Queen Elizabeth I and about ten other queens. And to actually play
EXPLORATIONS
9
someone who’s such an iconic figure and who is alive and well – that’s always an
extra challenge.
What is your process? Do you do much research?
Oh, yes! I’ve read a great deal, I’ve watched a great deal. The interesting thing is
you’re not trying to do an impersonation, because if I was doing an
impersonation I would have a (she changes her dialect) very particular vocal
pattern and I would be talking very quickly. (she drops the dialect) But this is a
private audience. It’s not one of her speeches. This is behind closed doors, so
you’re allowed a little leeway. And it is, of course, fictional…based on fact. It’s
the playwright’s imagination saying, “What would these two people have said?”
And he (Peter Morgan) has done all the research. You know he wrote this play
and then got to flesh it out on The Crown (his recent Netflix series). He writes
with great humanity and insight about these people who have been running the
United Kingdom for the last sixty years.
Though incredibly famous, Queen Elizabeth II is quite private; do you
present a different public face and private face?
Oh, I’m sure! If you talked to my husband about what I’m like at breakfast or
sitting home watching television – of course it’s different! You know, we all have
several layers to our persona and so many times it relies on who you are
speaking to. So if I am speaking to a large group of people, let’s say a curtain
speech – I sat on the board of the Actor’s Fund of Canada for 6 years and we
would do curtain speeches, which is talking to a group as myself but for a cause.
So, that is different than if I am talking to a bunch of students after a show about
the play or if it is a formal speech. It’s different. Different from how I am with
EXPLORATIONS
10
friends in the greenroom. Because you are trying to be articulate. Just as I am
trying and possibly failing miserably right now…
This has always been a fascinating subject for playwrights. You know,
Shakespeare spent much of his time looking at the role of king/queen and the
human being that had to inhabit that role; the role that was oftentimes forced
upon those people; their destiny and how they grappled with it. We see that in
Henry VI, Henry V, Henry VIII, and Richard III.
What does duty mean to you?
Duty is any time you feel a sense of responsibility and where you’re not putting
your own interests at the forefront. Sometimes duty requires sacrifice. A
responsibility which requires sacrifice: The difficult part for Elizabeth, we talk
about her power, but her position is that she must support Parliament.
What is it like working with your husband as director?
Well, you know, Miles will always say, “It’s the working together that’s easy, it’s
the living together that’s hard.” We have done more than twenty productions
together over our careers and a few remounts as well. So, we work together a lot.
I have worked with him more than any other director, so we do have a
shorthand, we do have similar aesthetics, we do tend to like the same kind of
theatre. I really enjoy working with him. He really likes actors which is helpful.
He understands process as well as the product he eventually wants to see. He
knows that there is a time where you have to let an actor do what they need to
do, bring their impulses and instincts and yet then he knows when to come in
and say, “Here’s some guidance.” So, he’s guiding you towards the strongest
choices, the best choices. And, he was an actor, so he’s been there. He gets it.
EXPLORATIONS
11
Is it hard?
It was in the early days, simply because I was so conscious of it, and I certainly
didn’t want people in the room to think that I…had an inside track! Or that it
was going to affect the rehearsal process as a whole. I think it’s harder for other
people in the room, probably. Because if I disagree with him, they might think,
“Oh, is that marital stress??” But it’s actually an actor disagreeing or having a
different take on something than the director. So we talk it out and we sort it out.
I was nervous his first day, his speech, “How’s he going to do?” The hardest is
actually if I find an actor is being unkind to him. That was difficult, because I
have to keep my position as part of the company. And it’s my position not to get
involved with whatever is going on between the director and another actor.
That’s not my business. My allegiance is with my company. That’s very difficult
because I feel the wife-lion coming out! But this company has been a dream.
They are all such wonderful hardworking actors that it’s been great.
If you could have an audience with any one person – living or dead —
who would it be and why?
You know they’re only twenty minutes! Oh, my…. (she pauses) My mom and
dad. They’re gone now. So, you know… Just for twenty minutes. Just for twenty
minutes…
As far as the famous people: I wouldn’t mind sitting down with Elizabeth II.
I gather Her Majesty’s a pretty nice gal. And Elizabeth I, actually. I’d love to have
a sit down with those two women. Gosh, actually if I could sit with Elizabeth I,
Queen Victoria, and Elizabeth II – the longest reigning monarchs in British
history that would be a lunch.
EXPLORATIONS
12
Designing The Audience Poster
with Scott McKowen
Scott McKowen is a renowned illustrator, art director, and graphic
designer. He has created posters for the Shaw Festival, the Stratford
Festival, the Roundabout Theatre Company in New York, Yale
Repertory Theatre, and the National Ballet of Canada among many
others. He and his wife, costume and set designer, Christina Poddubiuk
(she designed The Light in the Piazza for Theatre Calgary last April)
operate Punch & Judy Inc, a small design studio in Stratford, Ontario,
and they often collaborate on concepts for theatre posters. Scott has
designed the marketing materials for Theatre Calgary for the past
eleven years – starting with Dennis Garnhum’s first season here in
2006-07. We spoke with Scott about his process in developing the
poster image for our production of The Audience.
When you begin a project, what do you consider first?
Marketing
for
anything
other
than
theatre
is
relatively
straightforward because you can “show the product.” We are usually at
work on a theatre brochure more than a year before the production exists
to be photographed – often before the casting or even the director is in
place – so my job is always to distill the script down to a visual metaphor
that tells the reader (the potential ticket buyer!) what the play is about.
EXPLORATIONS
13
Theatre Calgary’s poster for The Audience includes both a live
subject (actor Seana McKenna) and found images (photographs
of the Prime Ministers featured in the play), how did you decide
to combine the two? What inspired this concept?
When Dennis Garnhum gave us his playbill to work on, Seana had
already been contracted to play Her Majesty. Dennis wanted the image to
feature his star, and his succinct direction was that he wanted the reader
“instantly to recognize her as Queen Elizabeth.”
It
was
convenient
that
Stratford is home base both
for McKenna and Punch &
Judy (in fact, Christina and
Seana have known each
other since they were at the
National
Theatre
School
together some years ago). Gerry Altenburg, Head of Wigs at the Stratford
Festival, had already been contracted to create Seana’s wigs for the
Calgary production (built from scratch — hand-knotted hair by hair), and
we arranged for Gerry to have one of them completed in time for our
photo shoot.
Did you work with a photographer or anyone else on this
project?
I have collaborated with David Cooper, one of Canada’s leading theatre
and dance photographers, on all of our Theatre Calgary brochures. We
have worked together for over thirty years at the Shaw Festival and at
many other theatre companies on both sides of the border. David is based
EXPLORATIONS
14
in Vancouver – we have shot Theatre Calgary images in his studio there,
in Calgary, and in Niagara-on-the-Lake (where we both work for the
Shaw Festival). For this project
we did the photography in our
Punch & Judy studio in Stratford
– Seana lives only a few blocks
away, Christina styled the shot
with costumes borrowed from
the Stratford Festival warehouse,
Gerry arrived with the wig
styled to perfection, and we had the shot in less than twenty minutes.
What story is this image telling?
It seemed to me that the poster image for The Audience had to represent
both the elected British Government (the Prime Ministers) and, obviously,
the Sovereign. The poster for the London production did this brilliantly
with a profile silhouette of the Queen (like the ones we’re familiar with
seeing on postage stamps over the decades), combined with the front door
of No. 10 Downing Street (a perfect solution for representing the office
rather than any of the individual politicians who have occupied it). We
had to find our own equation for this, obviously. In the silhouette, the
jewels in the crown reminded me of miniature heads and shoulders – so I
tried making a collage with historical photos of the Prime Ministers. I
think it worked well – you don’t see them at first because they are all
much smaller scale than Elizabeth. And that seems appropriate because
she is still on the job long after they have all come and gone!
EXPLORATIONS
15
Terms to Know
Prime Minister: The head of the United Kingdom’s Government and the
leader of his party (Liberal, Conservative, etc.). The PM leads their cabinet
and much of the House of Commons in the law-making process. They may
also appoint or dismiss cabinet members.
Parliament: The supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom
consisting of two houses: the lower house (House of Commons) and the
upper house (House of Lords). The House of Commons is comprised of 650
Members of Parliament (MPs) who are elected by the general public to
represent their interests, included in these MPs are members of the Official
Opposition. Conversely, the members of the House of Lords are appointed
by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister as well as other members
of the House of Lords and are generally considered experts in their fields.
Unlike the fixed number of MPs in the House of Commons, there is no cap
on the number of members in the House of Lords. There are currently over
800 active Lords.
The Government: A group of ministers chosen and led by the Prime
Minister. It comprises the Cabinet and must answer to the House of
Commons.
The Cabinet: 21 ministers and the Prime Minister form the Cabinet which
are the ultimate decision-making body of the government. These ministers
are heads of government departments (otherwise known as Secretaries of
State), for example Secretary of State for Education, for Defence, or for
Health.
EXPLORATIONS
16
The Commonwealth: Formed in 1962 as the British Empire was beginning
to divide, the Commonwealth is composed of 53 member states (countries
and territories) who were (mostly) prior members of the British Empire.
United by language, culture, history, and their shared values of human
rights, democracy and the rule of law, the Commonwealth’s goal is to foster
communication and cooperation between nations.
The Crown: A legal entity (a corporate office) that represents the laws of the
Commonwealth realms. Not to be confused with a physical crown. However,
it is also a title often used to refer to the reigning monarch.
The Monarch: The living embodiment of the Crown and sovereign head of
state in a monarchy (a form of government where a family embodies the
country’s national identity). In the United Kingdom the monarch is Queen
Elizabeth II, and she rules a constitutional monarchy which means that she
does not have absolute power. She must govern in accordance with the UK’s
constitution and work with the parliamentary system.
The Sovereign: Another term used to refer to the reigning monarch, Queen
Elizabeth II. It denotes ultimate power.
Coronation: A formal ceremony where the new monarch of the United
Kingdom is anointed with holy oil, adorned with regalia (like the Crown
jewels) and then crowned at Westminster Abbey. The Coronation usually
takes place a few months after the passing of the previous monarch once it is
appropriate, as it is considered a joyous occasion.
“It has always been easy to hate and destroy. To build and to
cherish is much more difficult.”
-Queen Elizabeth II
EXPLORATIONS
17
The Audience through the Years
Key Moments in the Play
1936
Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI takes the throne; Queen
Elizabeth II is eleven.
1947
On her 21st birthday, then Princess Elizabeth is on a tour of South
Africa and gives a speech broadcast on the radio proclaiming her
devotion to the Commonwealth.
1952
At 25 years of age Queen Elizabeth II ascends the thrown after the
death of her father. Queen Elizabeth II has her first audience with
Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
1953
The coronation celebration occurs, and Queen Elizabeth II becomes
Queen – not just in the eyes of the people, but in the eyes of God at
age 26.
1956
Prime Minister Anthony Eden colludes with France and Israel to
use military force in the Suez Canal conflict with the aim of
regaining Western control of Egypt and removing President Nasser
from power. When the United States fails to support his actions,
Eden is humiliated and Britain is no longer deemed a world power.
Eden resigns the following year with his reputation for peace
keeping in foreign affairs destroyed.
1964
The Labour Party, headed by Harold Wilson, Queen Elizabeth’s
fifth Prime Minister wins the general election by 4 seats.
EXPLORATIONS
1968
18
Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s opponent, Edward Heath, is set to
take the next election in 1970, and Wilson will be forced into the
role of the Leader of the Opposition.
1975
Harold Wilson narrowly wins the 1974 General Election, and the
strain leads to the deterioration of his health.
1986
The Sunday Times publishes an article claiming that a source
“unprecedentedly close” to the queen said that her majesty
Elizabeth II had called Prime Minister Thatcher “uncaring,
confrontational, and socially divisive.” This statement was said to
be made as Thatcher had refused to impose sanctions in South
Africa, and Queen Elizabeth II feared this would lead to a split in
the Commonwealth.
1992
In the spring, a biography by Andrew Morton, Diana: Her True
Story. The book reveals the Princess of Wales’ history of depression
and suicide attempts, and calls out the Prince of Wales on his
infidelity. In December, John Major (Queen Elizabeth II’s ninth
Prime Minister) announces the couple’s “amicable separation.”
1997
With the fall of the Conservative Party, the new Liberals led by
Prime Minister Tony Blair decommission Her Majesty’s Yacht
Britannia.
2003
Tony Blair (Queen Elizabeth’s tenth Prime Minister) joins forces
with the United States’ President George W. Bush, and invades Iraq
with the aim to “disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to
EXPLORATIONS
19
end Saddam Hussein’s support of terrorism, and to free the Iraqi
people.”
2009
Gordon Brown (Queen Elizabeth’s eleventh Prime Minister) is in
office after winning a snap election.
2015
In the spring, the Conservative Party secures an unexpected
majority in the General Election, and Prime Minister David
Cameron is reelected for a second term. Part of his election promise
was to set a date for a referendum on whether or not the United
Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union. In 2016,
the referendum is carried out leading to Britain withdrawing from
the EU (commonly known as BREXIT).
“Retaining the ability to stay calm and collected can at times be
hard. One hallmark of leadership in such a fast-moving world is
allowing sufficient room for quiet thinking and contemplation,
which can enable deeper, cooler consideration of how challenges
and opportunities can best be addressed.”
-Queen Elizabeth II
at the opening of Scotland’s Parliament just after the Brexit vote
EXPLORATIONS
20
Elizabeth’s Road to the Throne
As the granddaughter of the King of England, Queen Elizabeth II lived a
life of privilege from birth; however, the course of her life changed
dramatically when she was eleven years old. In 1936, her grandfather
King George V died leaving her uncle, King Edward VIII, to take his
place. But, King Edward VIII loved a woman named Wallis Simpson who
was a divorced American socialite, and the government would not
support their union. To marry a woman with two ex-husbands who were
still living was unacceptable to the government and the crown for
political, legal, religious, and moral reasons. So, on December 11th 1936,
King Edward VIII abdicated the throne, rejecting his title in order to
marry the love of his life – which he did the next year. They remained
married until his death 35 years later.
This meant that his brother, King George VI, (Queen Elizabeth II’s father)
ascended the throne as the new King of England, which put Queen
Elizabeth II in direct line to the crown.
On February 6th, 1952, after a fifteen year reign (which included
overcoming a speech-impediment, conquering World War II, and
celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s marriage to Prince Philip), King George
VI died. As his eldest child, Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne at 25
EXPLORATIONS
21
years of age. Her father had been ill for some time, suffering from stress
brought on by World War II as well as general poor health exacerbated by
his heavy smoking, and Elizabeth had been standing in for him at public
events since 1951 (she was, in fact, on tour in Africa at the time of her
father’s death), but it was nonetheless a shock. She returned home from
Kenya as Queen.
Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest-reigning monarch in British history
with 2017 marking her 65th year as the Queen of England. Throughout her
reign she has witnessed her world change (the growth of the
Commonwealth, the end of apartheid, and the rise of terrorist extremism)
as well as her own family change (royals divorcing, Princess Diana’s
death, and the addition of the Duchess of Cambridge and the birth of her
two grandbabies, Prince George and Princess Charlotte). There are said to
be no plans for Queen Elizabeth II to abdicate, but members of the Royal
Family have already begun to take over some of her duties. After all,
Queen Elizabeth II did turn 90 this past year. Longer still may she reign
and long live the Queen!
“Today we need a special kind of courage. Not the kind needed in
battle, but a kind which makes us stand up for everything that
we know is right, everything that is true and honest. We need the
kind of courage that can withstand the subtle corruption of the
cynics, so that we can show the world that we are not afraid of
the future.”
-Queen Elizabeth II
CONVERSATIONS
22
Conversation Starters

Who is the most constant figure in your life? How do they support
you?

What does duty mean to you?

Do you present a different public face and private face?

How do you hope you come across, and how do you believe you are
perceived?

Can you think of another contemporary figure (a celebrity, a politician,
etc.) in a similar situation to Queen Elizabeth II?

Would you be willing to give up your privacy for fame?

With Reality-TV, You-Tube, and 24 hour smartphone access is there
such a thing as real privacy today?

How aware are you that Canada is part of the Commonwealth?

What benefit is there to being part of the monarchy?

If you could have an audience with any one person, who would it be
and why?

Did you identify with any one character in particular?

Which Prime Minister was the best match for Queen Elizabeth II?

Seana McKenna portrays Queen Elizabeth at various ages; how did she
and the creative team accomplish this?

If you could be “Queen for a day” what would you do?
CONVERSATIONS
23
The Queen’s Homes
A 25 bedroom townhouse near Hyde Park corner in London
was Queen Elizabeth II’s childhood home. When her uncle,
King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne in December, 1936
and her father became king, her family moved into
Buckingham Palace. Her house at 145 Piccadilly was
destroyed during the blitz in World War II, and a luxury
hotel, the InterContinental London Park Lane, now stands
145 Piccadilly
in its place.
After Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married,
they chose to live in Clarence House, a nineteenth-century
residence situated in London on The Mall adjacent to St.
James Palace. Before they could move in, the home required
extensive renovations which they collaborated on, but
Prince Philip took the lead on matters of design. Clarence
House was where they began their family and is where
Clarence House
their second child, Princess Anne, was born in 1950.
Buckingham Palace first became the principal London
residence of the reigning monarch in 1837 with Queen
Victoria’s ascension, and is now also the home to the
Crown’s administrative offices (it has 775 rooms and the
largest private garden in London). Located in the City of
Westminster, Buckingham Palace with its regal white-grey
Portland stone façade, famous balcony, and gilded railings
and gates is the ultimate symbol of British royalty – and is a
Buckingham Palace
major tourist attraction with the Changing of the Guard
happening daily from April through July and every other
day the rest of the year. Queen Elizabeth II is at home here
throughout the week, and this is where she takes her
weekly audience with the Prime Minister.
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24
Privately owned by Queen Elizabeth II, Sandringham
House is her much-loved country house located near the
village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. Nestled in
20,000 acres of land, the property is often used for royal
shooting parties, and holds many fond memories for Queen
Elizabeth II of her father. Each year she spends the
Sandringham House
anniversary of his death at Sandringham.
Dating back to the 11th century, Windsor Castle first became
a royal residence in 1121, and is the preferred weekend
home to Queen Elizabeth II. Located in the English county
of Berkshire, it is the largest inhabited castle in the world
and the longest occupied palace in Europe. A major fire in
1992 destroyed much of its Upper Ward which housed the
state
apartments,
and
the
restoration
costs
were
approximately 50 million pounds. There was much debate
as to who should cover the costs, and in the end 70% of the
Windsor Castle
funds were raised by opening the doors of Windsor Castle
to the public.
A large estate house in Royal Desside, Aberdeenshire,
Scotland dating back to 1390, Balmoral Castle has been one
of the residences of the royal family since 1852, when it was
privately purchased by Prince Albert. It remains the private
property of the family, and is not owned by the Crown. It is
a working estate with farmland filled with herds of deer
and cattle and ponies. Queen Elizabeth II was in residence
Balmoral Castle
there during the time of the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia, also known as the Royal
Yacht Britannia, is the former royal yacht of the British
Monarch. It was in service from 1954 to 1997 when the
newly elected Liberal government decided it would be
retired do to its extraordinary cost. 412 feet long, it could
HMY Britannia
house 21 officers, 250 Royal Yachtsmen, 1 platoon of Royal
Marines, and 250 guests.
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25
Corgis: The Queen’s Best Friend
Over the course of her life, Queen Elizabeth has
owned more than 30 Corgis. Her family first
began taking the small, short-legged dogs as
family pets in 1933, and the Queen received her
first corgi of her very own on her 18th birthday.
She named her Susan, and from Susan, the
Queen has since bred ten generations of corgis.
The small herding dog originated in Wales with
the name corgi meaning “dwarf dog” in Welsh.
The Pembroke Welsh corgi is Queen Elizabeth
II’s preferred breed as they are known for their
affectionate nature, their intelligence, and for their proclivity for staying
alert: They make very good watchdogs.
The Queen has also introduced a new breed of dog to the world when one
of her corgis mated with her sister Princess Margaret’s dachshund. The
new breed is known as “the dorgi.”
Over the years Queen Elizabeth II’s corgis have become synonymous with
the queen herself as they are constantly at her side at home, travel with
her abroad, and often
appear alongside her
in royal photographs.
The Queen’s fondness
for man’s best friend
has
even
been
commemorated with a
crown coin for the
Queen’s Golden Jubilee
which features Queen
Elizabeth II with a
corgi on her lap.
Long live the corgi!
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26
Movie Night: The Queen On-Screen
Having ruled now for 65 years, her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is an icon,
and like all icons she has been subject to considerable representations of
herself in popular culture, particularly film. Here are some of the most
notable depictions.
The Crown A Netflix original series having only premiered this past
November. It follows Queen Elizabeth II (played by Claire Foy) from her
wedding day in 1947 to present day, and is also written by The Audience’s
Peter Morgan.
The King’s Speech An Oscar-winning British biographical film from
2010 about Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI (played by Colin
Firth), and his struggle to overcome a speech impediment. Freya Wilson
makes a brief appearance as Young Princess Elizabeth.
The Queen A 2006 fictionalized account of the royal family’s response to
the death of Princess Diana. Queen Elizabeth II is played by Helen Mirren,
and the screenplay is written once again by the The Audience’s playwright,
Peter Morgan.
Her Majesty A coming of age film from 2001 about a girl who finally
realizes her dream of having Queen Elizabeth II (played by Rachel Wallis)
visit her small hometown in New Zealand.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! An American
slapstick comedy film released in 1988 featuring Leslie Neilson as a police
detective trying to uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.
Jeannette Charles, the actor portraying Queen Elizabeth II, is known for
her ridiculous interpretation and has also played her in National Lampoon’s
European Vacation (1985) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).
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27
Recommended Reads from Calgary Public Library
By Rosemary Griebel
The Churchill Factor by Boris Johnson
Marking the 50th anniversary of Winston Churchill's death, Boris
Johnson explores what makes up the 'Churchill Factor'—the singular
brilliance of one of the most important leaders of the 20th century.
Our Times: The Age of Elizabeth II by A.N. Wilson
When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, few could have known
the enormous changes that were going to take place in Britain and
around the world during her reign. This book tells the story of how
Britain reinvented itself after the loss of the Empire and the austerity of
the post-war years.
Queen Elizabeth II: A Celebration of Her Majesty’s 90 th
Birthday by Tim Ewert
This beautiful tribute depicts the life, pageantry, and achievements of
the longest reigning monarch told through photos and historic
documents rarely seen before.
The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson
In 1995, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the
island that had become his home, from which came the book, Notes
from a Small Island. Now Bryson sets out on a brand-new journey, from
Bognor Regis on the south coast to Cape Wrath on the northernmost
tip of Scotland, guiding his readers through all that's best and worst
about Britain today.
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28
Small Island
by Andrea Levy
Winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction, this story of emigration,
loss, and love follows four characters – two Jamaicans and two
Britons – as they struggle to find peace in postwar England.
Thatcher’s Trial: 180 Days That Created a Conservative Icon
by Kwasi Kwarteng
Author Kwasi Kwarteng offers a glimpse of Margaret Thatcher's
leadership between March and September 1981, when the UK was
beset by crises that nearly drove Thatcher’s party from office. The
author focuses on how Margaret Thatcher responded to these
challenges, as well as the allies and enemies that resulted from her
uncompromising actions.
White Teeth
by Zadie Smith
A celebrated British debut concerning the intertwined families of a
working-class Londoner and his best friend, a Muslim Bengali.
Young Elizabeth: The Making of a Queen
by Kate Williams
British historian and biographer Kate Williams dives into the life of
Queen Elizabeth II, focusing on her childhood and young adulthood;
portraying those years as the most pivotal of Elizabeth's life.
Click on the book covers to check availability
at Calgary Public Library!
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29
Sources
Ewart, Tim. Queen Elizabeth II: A Celebration of her Majesty’s 90th Birthday.
Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2016.
Ewing, Susan M. Pembroke Welsh Corgi: The Essential Guide for the Pembroke
Welsh Corgi Lover. Neptune City: T.F.H. Publications. Inc., 2011.
Hoggard, Liz. “Peter Morgan: Fights, camera, action…”
www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/peter-morgan-fights
camera-action-432989.html
“Official photographs released for The Queen’s 90th Birthday.” The British
Royal Family (official website), April 21, 2016.
https://www.royal.uk/official-photographs-released-queens-90th-birthday
“Margaret (Bobo) MacDonald; Dresser, Confidante to Queen,” Los Angeles
Times, September 23, 1993.
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-09-25/news/mn-38731_1_princessmargaret
Wright, Robin. “Queen Elizabeth II, The Brexit Queen,” The New Yorker,
July 5, 2016.
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/elizabeth-ii-the-brexit-queen