I discussed the last three episodes of the Harry and Meghan series on Netflix including the conflict between Prince Harry and his brother Prince William, Prince of Wales.
Category Archives: Royalty in TV and Film
HISTORY Interview: Why Princess Diana’s 1995 BBC Interview Shocked the World
I discussed Diana, Princess of Wales, her controversial 1995 BBC Interview and Season 5 of The Crown on Netflix with Jessica Pearce Rotundi at HISTORY
Click here to read Why Princess Diana’s 1995 BBC Interview Shocked the World at HISTORY
Smithsonian Magazine Interview: Why 1992 Was Such a ‘Horrible Year’ for Elizabeth II and the Royal Family
I discussed Queen Elizabeth II’s annus horribilis in 1992 with Meilan Solly at Smithsonian Magazine including the breakdowns of the marriages of three of the Queen’s four children, the fire at Windsor Castle and how these events are being dramatized in Season 5 of The Crown on Netflix.
CBC News Interview: Mixing royal fact and fiction: Why the next season of The Crown is facing more controversy
I discussed Season 5 of The Crown on Netflix, which will be released on November 9, including why this season is more controversial than previous seasons, and how the priorities of historical fiction are different from those of historical scholarship.
I also recently discussed the accession of King Charles III and The Monarchy in Canada with CBC Kids
My interview with CBC Airplay: What Is Queen Elizabeth II’s Legacy to Canada?
New Podcast Interview: “Princess Grace” in Since The World’s Been Turning
I discussed Grace Kelly’s career as an actress and her impact on film, fashion and the Principality of Monaco with the Since The World’s Been Turning Podcast.
Click here to listen to “Princess Grace” at Since The World’s Been Turning.
Seventeen Magazine Interview: The True Story of Queen Charlotte from “Bridgerton”
I discussed the portrayal of Queen Charlotte in the Netflix series Bridgerton and how the Queen was perceived in her own lifetime in an interview with Jasmine Washington at Seventeen Magazine.
Click here to read The True Story of Queen Charlotte from ‘Bridgerton’ in Seventeen Magazine
Winter 2022 Online Course: Behind the Crown: The Monarchy from Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II
My new eight week online course at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies starts Wednesday January 12, 2022. Click here for more information and to register.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
The year 2022 marks Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. It’s an opportunity to look back on the social, political and cultural changes during her long reign. The personal lives of royalty are a popular subject for fiction in novels, films and TV series but the real history is more interesting. Each generation of royalty must respond to the challenges of their times to keep the monarchy relevant and engaged with public opinion. Join Carolyn Harris, historian, commentator and author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting for a lively discussion of the history, politics and cultural significance of the monarchy in the UK and Canada.
CBC News Interview: Contradictions, charisma and a well-known story: Why it’s so hard to become Diana on screen
I discussed the challenges faced by filmmakers and actresses portraying Diana in films dramatizing her life and legacy in an interview with Janet Davison for the CBC Royal Fascinator newsletter.
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.
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