Bertie and Elizabeth is a 2002 television film directed by Giles Foster and produced by Carlton Television. The film explores the relationship between King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth from their first meeting to the King's death in the winter of 1952. Bertie and Elizabeth was commissioned especially for the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II and was first broadcast on ITV1 on 4 June 2002, only two months after the death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The role of Queen Mary was portrayed by Dame Eileen Atkins, a role she again played in season one of The Crown in 2016.
| Bertie and Elizabeth | |
|---|---|
US DVD cover
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| Written by | Nigel Williams |
| Directed by | Giles Foster |
| Starring | James Wilby Juliet Aubrey Alan Bates Eileen Atkins David Ryall Charles Edwards Paul Brooke Oliver Ford Davies |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 98 minutes[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV1 |
| Release | 4 June 2002 (2002-06-04) |
The film begins with the initial meeting between the then Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. The television drama then moves on through their courtship, marriage, and succession to the throne after the abdicationofEdward VIII. We also see the two royals dealing with the events of the Second World War, as Buckingham Palace is hit and partially destroyed by a Luftwaffe bomb.
The film portrays Bertie's struggle to overcome his stammer, the fear he felt towards his father and the punishing stress the Duke was placed under during the abdication crisis of 1936.
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