Gyles Brandreth, a close friend and confidant of many senior royals, has spoken out about why Prince Philip refused to watch Helen Mirren’s The Queen due to ‘inaccurate portrayal’ (Image: Tim Graham/Getty Images)Sign up to our free email to get all the latest royal news and picturesMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Sign up to our free email to get all the latest royal news and picturesInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeGyles Brandreth, a close friend of the Royal Family and the late Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, has spoken out on why the late Duke of Edinburgh refused to watch Helen Mirren’s 2006 film, The Queen. This Morning star Gyles recalled the tense conversation he once had with Philip about the 2006 film and claims he refused to watch it due to the ‘inaccurate portrayal’ of his wife. According to the Royal commentator, who also makes regular appearances on daytime TV, Philip avoided the film because he heard it showed Mirren, who played Queen Elizabeth II, crying. Philip insisted that was false as “the Queen never cried” so he didn’t watch it.
Gyles Brandreth has revealed why Prince Philip refused to watch Helen Mirren’s film The Queen due to an ‘inaccurate portrayal’
(Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Royal biographer Gyles, who knew both royals, detailed how Philip was “irritated”. On his Rosebud podcast, Gyles recalled: “The Duke of Edinburgh I remember saying to me, when I asked him if he’d seen the film of the Queen with Helen Mirren, he [Philip] said, ‘Why would I want to see that?’ And he [Philip] got irritated.” He continued: “He [Philip] said, ‘apparently they have the Queen crying in the film. The Queen doesn’t cry’. He [Philip] said, ‘An actress would cry, would assume the Queen would cry, but she didn’t cry’.”
Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen film in 2006
Gyles added: “He wasn’t saying it was a virtue not to cry.” Dame Helen Mirren played the monarch on stage and screen, winning an Oscar and BAFTA for her depiction in 2006’s biographical drama The Queen. The 2006 film The Queen was a historical drama directed by Stephen Frears and written by Peter Morgan. Peter also created the hit Netflix series The Crown series ten years later.
Gyles Brandreth is a close friend of the Royal Family, pictured here with King Charles
(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Gyles, the late Queen Elizabeth II found comfort herself after Prince Philip’s death by watching Line of Duty. The MP turned TV personality turned royal biographer recently wrote that the Queen told one of her ladies-in-waiting that she was determined to keep busy following the death of her late husband in April 2021. In his biography, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Gyles detailed that the late monarch enjoyed watching television, and had a preference for dramas which included popular series Line of Duty, which reportedly helped “keep her spirits up” However she sometimes struggled to keep up with the crime drama’s plot and disliked the “constant mumbling” on the BBC series, and other shows.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnDame Helen MirrenPrince PhilipThe QueenThe CrownRoyal Family
