The Queen On The Screen

Unless you have been resolutely disconnected from all forms of media for the last 24 hours, it won’t have escaped your notice that Her Majesty, The Queen passed away yesterday at the age of 96.

Whether it has deeply upset you, or simply given you an opportunity to dust off some of your favorite memes, or somewhere in between, it felt like we should do something at Last Movie Outpost. It is, after all, the passing of the longest serving monarch in British history and the Head Of State of 14 countries around the world, plus the Head Of The Commonwealth that spans the globe.

So we thought it appropriate to think about movies and entertainment. As a historical figure and cultural icon Queen Elizabeth was portrayed on both the big screen and the small screen many times. Here are some of the most famous, our favorites, or some of the more obscure.

Bons baisers de Hong Kong – 1975

The Queen was played by French actress Huguette Funfrock three times. In Bons baisers de Hong Kong, which translates to From Hong Kong with Love, she is kidnapped and it falls to four bungling French agents to rescue her in what plays out as a James Bond spoof. Funfrock would play the Queen twice more in Le Bourreau des coeurs in 1983 and Aces Go Places 3 in 1984.

Queen Kong – 1976

As far as we know, only one person has played the Queen more often than Huguette Funfrock, and that is British actress Jeannette Charles. She appears in Queen Kong and delivers her single line : “We were most certainly not amused.”

National Lampoon’s European Vacation – 1985

Jeanette Charles would again play Her Majesty nine years after Queen Kong in a dream sequence towards the beginning of National Lampoon’s European Vacation where the Griswald family fantasize about meeting her. She has a bigger role here than in Queen Kong and other members of the family make an appearance.

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! – 1988

Leslie Nielsen saved the Queen from an assassination attempt in a now famous scene from The Naked Gun as Jeanette Charles plays the role once more. There is a rumor that the real Queen found this scene most amusing when one of her grandchildren showed it to her.

Austin Powers in Goldmember – 2002

It is that woman again, as Jeanette Charles returned over 30 years after her debut as Her Maj. This was the last movie she appeared in as the Queen, knighting Austin Powers for his services for shagadellic grooviness.

Churchill: The Hollywood Years – 2004

Churchill: The Hollywood Years features Hitler attempting to marry into the Royal Family and Christian Slater as an action hero, gun toting version of Winston Churchill. Neve Campbell wields a machine gun as Princess Elizabeth, just a few years before coronation.

The Queen – 2006

The 2006 drama The Queen starred Dame Helen Mirren as Her Majesty in the immediate aftermath of the death of Princess Diana. The performance earned Mirren an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Asked about whether she had ever spoken to The Queen about The Queen, Mirren said: “As for whether the Queen ever saw her portrayal in The Queen, I got the sense that it had been seen and that it had been appreciated. I’ve never heard directly, and I never will.”

The King’s Speech – 2010

The King’s Speech takes place immediately before the outbreak of WWII and features Freya Wilson as Princess Elizabeth in the film cantering on her father, played by Colin Firth. It was nominated for eight Oscars in 2011 and won four of them.

Minions – 2015

Who doesn’t love Minions? The 1960s version of Her Maj was played here by Jennifer Saunders and she helps foil an attempt to steal the Crown Jewels by body slamming a thief before getting her throne back, and rewarding Bob with a tiny crown for his teddy bear Tim, Stuart with an electric guitar, and Kevin with a knighthood.

The BFG – 2016

Spielberg’s live action remake of The BFG performed poorly at the box office for a movie from the ‘Berg, but it featured yet another portrayal of Big Liz played by Penelope Wilton. Here is is played less formally and exhibiting some of the sense of humor the Queen was apparently known for in private.

Ali G In Da House – 2002

We don’t see the Queen’s face in this one, but we do hear Jeanette Vane’s voice meeting Ali G. After a sex scandal involving a sitting Prime Minister and the Queen’s bedroom, Sasha Baron Cohen’s famous forerunner to Borat and Bruno is let loose on the British establishment all the way up to the palace.

Rest in Peace Ma’am and thanks for that laugh out loud James Bond moment during the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Check back every day for new content at Last Movie Outpost.
To like us on Facebook Click Here
To follow us on Twitter Click Here
See our YouTube channel Click Here