Vulture Magazine Interview: Is Sally Hawkins’s Spencer Character Based on a Real Person?

I discussed Diana, Princess of Wales and her relationship with her household in an interview with Matthew Jacobs at Vulture Magazine, examining the historical circumstances that inspired the new Spencer movie.

Click here to read “Is Sally Hawkins’s Spencer Character Based on a Real Person?” in Vulture Magazine

New Reader’s Digest Article: 10 Portrayals of Princess Diana in Pop Culture—Ranked

The new film Spencer isn’t the first attempt to bring the story of Diana, Princess of Wales to the big screen. In my recent article for Reader’s Digest, I discuss how 10 other films, TV series, novels and plays portrayed “the People’s Princess”—with varying degrees of success. Traditional biopics are rare. Instead, writers often choose a particular theme or moment from Diana’s life or legacy – or create an alternate history imagining what might have happened to Diana if she had experienced different circumstances.

Click here to read my article, 10 Portrayals of Princess Diana in Pop Culture—Ranked in Reader’s Digest Canada

NBC News Interview: From ‘Spencer’ to ‘The Crown’: Why do we remain captivated by Princess Diana?

I discussed Diana’s legacy in popular culture with Daniel Arkin in NBC News including key themes from films and TV series about Diana and why her life and death has such resonance for screenwriters and audiences alike.

Click here to read From ‘Spencer’ to ‘The Crown’: Why do we remain captivated by Princess Diana? at NBC News

New BBC History Magazine Article: The upstairs/ downstairs world of Downton Abbey: how true to life is it?

My new article in the BBC History Magazine examines the history of domestic service in the early 20th century, comparing the experiences of historical domestic servants to the fictionalized portrayal of domestic service in the television series Downton Abbey.

Click here to read “The upstairs/downstairs world of Downton Abbey: how true to life is it?” in the BBC History Magazine

New BBC History Magazine Article: From balls to Bridgerton: a brief history of debutantes and the social season

My new feature article in History Extra, the online BBC History Magazine is about the history of debutantes and social season from the first Queen Charlotte’s Ball in 1780 to the last presentation of debutantes to the royal family in 1958. In addition to the fashions, parties and traditions of the social season in the United Kingdom, I also discuss debutante traditions in Canada, the United States and Australia.

Click here to read “From balls to Bridgerton: a brief history of debutantes and the social season” at History Extra

Huffington Post Interview: Why Queen Elizabeth Probably Wants To Keep The ‘Royal Family’ Film Hidden Away

In a second article in the Huffington Post, I discussed the controversies surrounding the 1969 Royal Family documentary with Carly Ledbetter. The interview includes reasons why the Royal Family has kept the documentary out of the public eye in recent decades and how the program might be different if it was filmed today.

Click here to read “Why Queen Elizabeth Probably Wants To Keep The ‘Royal Family’ Film Hidden Away” in the Huffington Post

Huffington Post Interview: Standout Moments From The Banned Royal Family Film, According To Royal Experts

I discussed the controversial 1969 Royal Family documentary with Carly Ledbetter from Huffington Post, an early example of the royal family interacting with one another behind palace doors on camera for a public audience. The program has not been officially available to the public in its entirety since the 1970s but appeared online for a brief period in the past few weeks. The interview includes discussion about royal public engagements, portrayals of the royal children on film and the 1968 royal tour of South America.

Click here to read “Standout Moments From The Banned Royal Family Film, According To Royal Experts” in the Huffington Post

Toronto Star Interview: When it comes to the British royal family, Canadians prefer the Netflix version

I discussed The Crown series on Netflix with Susan Delacourt at the Toronto Star, focusing on the uneven coverage of Commonwealth history and the complete absence of Canadian royal tours from the series.

Click here to read “When it comes to the British royal family, Canadians prefer the Netflix version” in The Toronto Star

The interview also appears in the St. Catharines Standard

New Reader’s Digest Canada Article: 10 of the Most Memorable Royal Tours of Canada

My new online article for Readers Digest Canada is about 10 Memorable Royal Tours of Canada from the past 100 Years. Although there have not been any Canadian royal tours portrayed in the Netflix series The Crown, the royal family has spent a lot of time in Canada over the past century.

Click here to read 10 of the Most Memorable Royal Tours of Canada at Reader’s Digest Canada