The Crown

[frequent]

I'm disappointed by The Crown Series 3 and apparently I'm not alone. My disappointments however relate to how boring Tony Armstrong-Jones has become. We see nothing of his same-sex interests after the bisexual 3sum romps of Series 2 although he's on the record as saying "I didn't fall in love with boys, but a few men have been in love with me." Then of course there's Prince Philip's bisexual Uncle Dickie (!!). In The Mountbattens: their lives and loves a rent boy claims to have been told by Tom Driberg that Mountbatten "had a something of a fetish for uniforms - handsome young men in military uniforms (with high boots) and beautiful boys in school uniform". Mountbatten was reportedly a regular customer at an upmarket male brothel called the Red House near Rabat "used by senior naval officers". As Winston Churchill once remarked when asked about the traditions of the Royal Navy, there were/are only three - "rum, sodomy and the lash"

[Nirish guy]

Totally agree re Season 3, I hadn't watch any of the show until last weekend when my bf pointed it out and i went on a marathon quest to watch the lot over two weeks ! The first season I couldn't get enough of and thought it was great, the 2nd was "ok" and the third was just boring.

I actually commented also that I wondered had Netflix reduced the production budgets for the later series as the first was immersive and fully immersive with seemingly not a penny spared, where as the shows went on the scenes reduced and reduced, down to a few people sitting in the same room and hours at a time it seems ( to cut out door shooting costs perhaps?). Either way watching it all in one go like that the drop in action and enjoyment was noticeable.

Lets hope it finds it's feet again and doesn't just petter out - as it's not like the Royals haven't given them enough juicy storylines to keep the show running for YEARS !

[Marsilius]

The third series - which I too binge-watched - is particularly notable for its far more hostile attitude to the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen Mother, all of whom are depicted (quite rightly so, by all accounts) as emotionally frigid. Charles is emerging meanwhile as quite pitiable - but this is still, of course, early days yet and there is plenty of time yet for him to develop the Windsor characteristics.

[frequent]

When considering why The Crown is thus, it is worth remembering that Peter Morgan has revealed what drives him. In an interview with the Sunday Times in October 2017, he said that the Queen herself is of ‘limited intelligence’. ‘She’s ninetysomething years old and barely knows what the internet is.’ She and her family are not really humans, they are ‘survival organisms, like a mutating virus’. Moreover, belief in God and the teachings of Jesus Christ, which Morgan knows inspire the Queen’s whole life, is to him ‘deranged’.

The monarchy itself is clearly ‘insane’: ‘[I’m] blessed because the system she is in is so ridiculous and illogical that even just to unpack it from a point of view of reason or logic is such a joy.’

From a review in last week’s Spectator https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/11/...e-crowns-lies/ - Peter Morgan is the scriptwriter for the series I believe

[frequent]

For those who like a bit of Asian beefcake with their Crowns, take a gander at Prince Mateem of Brunei -
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-...brunei-2017-12
https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/m...o-field-dreams

[arsenal]

Just finished episode 3 of series 3 and I'm loving it. Focusing on the Aberfan disaster it's remarkable how many things haven't changed. Aberfan 1966 and Grenfell 2017. Both caused by lack of money.

I find Olivia Coleman's performance as QE II just as one dimensional as I did Claire Foy. The outstanding performance in this series so far is Helena Bonham Carter as the old soak Margaret.

Were he still alive I think Harold Wilson would be delighted with his portrayal not only in this but also in The Audience, the stage play. Some of the dialogue had been lifted directly from that.

[Nirish guy]

Hope that haven't cast anyone for the Harry role yet as if so the poor blighter might be out of a job soon - OR - with more work than he can handle, I'm not quite sure which yet !

[Jellybean]

Hope that haven't cast anyone for the Harry role yet as if so the poor blighter might be out of a job soon - OR - with more work than he can handle, I'm not quite sure which yet !

In view of your comments about Prince Harry, NIrish-guy, I thought the following mock-up might be apposite:

007.jpg

[arsenal]

Charles Dance as Louis Mountbatten. As in the House of Battenberg...from where we get the disgusting looking cake. Probably.

[Nirish guy]

I would say JB that that actually isn't to far off the mark in those circles just now. The Royal family may just pray that whoever is driving Meagan drives carefully as if she genuinely has even the smallest of car accidents in the next while they're SO fucked as no one will believe it wasn't the Duke of E secretly driving the other car ! lol