The Lost Prince

I just finished watching the Lost Prince by Stephen Poliakoff (click here to see my past Stephen Poliakoff posts).  It came out in 2003 and originally aired in England. The film centers on the true story of Prince John (son of King George V and Queen Mary). Many forget about Prince John. He suffered from epilepsy and autism. He was locked away and isolated starting at a young age and kept out of the sight of the general public.

The film takes place during a very important time in history. It intertwines several stories that all take place at the very start of the first World War. At the time, most of the European houses were connected in some way. Below is a family tree (click to enlarge) that I created. It shows the connections between some of the very powerful figures of the time.

This film was very interesting to watch. These real stories were truly compelling, but it was the ensemble cast that truly made it worth watching. Miranda Richardson did a wonderful job as Queen Mary (it is funny since as just saw her in the Young Victoria as this character's Great-Grandmother-In-Law). Michael Gambon played Edward VII. Tom Hollander played King George V. Two of my favorite characters in the film were also played by two of my favorite actors. Bill Nighy played Stamfordham and Gina McKee played Lalla. They were both wonderful in the film.

I was probably most impresses by the young actors in the film. Daniel Williams and Matthew James Thomas both played Prince John. Brock Everitt-Elwick and Rollo Weeks both played Prince George. I was very impressed by Rollo Weeks. I have seen him in several roles (my favorite is Berkeley Square), but this was the first time when he was really able to grow as an actor and to show this to the audience.






I would definitely recommend this film to anyone. It is definitely a must-see!