Around the world, people have a fascination for those born into privilege. And at the top of the heap are those born into royalty, groomed from a young age to take on the responsibilities, and perks, of leadership. From Queen Cleopatra to King Henry VIII to the current Queen of England, filmmakers, like their audiences, have taken a keen interest in what makes these people tick, always trying to expose something of their private lives and challenges, and perhaps even making them seem as human as the rest of us. Pictured: Queen Bette in 'The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'.
An excellent costume drama about Lady Jane Grey, accidental successor to the British throne after the deaths of Henry VIII and his son, Edward VI. A w... Read more
In the early 18th century, England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies... Read more
Helen Mirren is a dead ringer for Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frear's multiple award-winning film that centres on the aftermath of Princess Diana's... Read more
A film version of Alan Bennett's play about the life of one of Britain's most eccentric kings, George III. After thirty years on the throne, George (N... Read more
An intelligent and moving epic based on a Dumas' novel of the events surrounding the notorious St Bartholemew's Day massacre in 16th Century France. T... Read more
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton star in this truly mammoth production filled with spectacle and a cast of thousands. The legendary story of the Qu... Read more
Walter Lang's remake of the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is thematically buttressed by the daring choreography of Jerome Robbins ('West Sid... Read more
Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn tear strips off one another in this grand historical drama about 12th Century King Henry II choosing an heir to th... Read more
Kirsten Dunst stars as the ill-fated French queen in Sofia Coppola's lavish take on the bloated 18th century monarchy. Betrothed to young Louis XVI (... Read more
Johnny Depp plays the hedonistic writer John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, close friend of Charles II (John Malkovich) and a notorius figure in 17th cent... Read more