Top 10 Performances of Royals That Were Short But Iconic
#10: Jeannette Charles as Elizabeth II “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” (1988)
Playing the living queen of your actual country could be daunting for some, and while British actress Jeannette Charles made her living at it, she took care to be respectful. Her best appearance as Queen Elizabeth II may be in the zany first installment in “The Naked Gun” trilogy of films. Leslie Nielsen’s Lieutenant Frank Drebin is assigned to prevent the Queen’s assassination during a baseball game. Charles barely speaks a word, but watching her in character as the queen, trying to maintain her regalness as she participates in American pastimes like hot dogs and the wave is comedy gold.
#9: Elsa Lanchester as Anne of Cleves “The Private Life of Henry VIII” (1933)
The short marriage between the notorious King Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves, a German noble, occupies a brief but memorable section of this historical comedy from the early 30s. Though it’s a myth that Henry made the characteristically tactful declaration that she looked like a horse, the marriage still didn’t last long. Playing opposite her real-life husband, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester got to play an Anne who was determined to wriggle out of her marriage to the famously vengeful king. She plays herself off as ugly, clumsy, and so shrill that he will have no choice but to divorce her. It’s so satisfying to watch Anne beat Henry at his own game.
#8: Patrick Stewart as Richard I “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” (1993)
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After the standard buffoonery and ludicrous musical numbers of Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood” parody, who better than Sir Patrick Stewart to play the king known as “the Lionheart?” Playing King Richard I, the absent king who’s off fighting the Crusades while his corrupt brother John runs his kingdom into the ground, Stewart is both believable and hilarious. Even Brooks’ most juvenile puns sound kingly coming out of his mouth. In just a few minutes of screentime, Stewart provides the climax with gravitas, wit, and deadpan humor. It’s obvious he’s having a great time doing it, too.
#7: Edward Norton as Baldwin IV “Kingdom of Heaven” (2005)
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Director Ridley Scott’s fictionalizing of the Crusades is a forgotten epic, but actor Edward Norton’s supporting performance as the masked leper king Baldwin IV was praised by many. The king of Jerusalem is doomed by his affliction, and Norton portrays him as a man who has accepted that life, war, and politics are part of a greater plan. He speaks with gentle authority, and even acting through an unmoving mask, Norton commands in the role. Serving as mentor figure to the crusader Balian, his scenes are short but provide a moral center to the action that follows.
#6: Kathy Burke as Mary I “Elizabeth” (1998)
The Queen Mary of history is known for her heavy reliance on execution. She earned the nickname “Bloody Mary,” after all. As played by comedian Kathy Burke in the 1998 movie about Mary’s younger sister, the eventual Queen Elizabeth, she is a paranoid and vengeful presence. She taunts her Protestant sister with a death warrant, and volleys back and forth between genuine care and resolve that England will remain a Catholic nation after her death. Though she dies, as her real-life counterpart does, so that her sister does become queen, her presence in Elizabeth’s life is proof that a queen can trust no one, not even family.
#5: Jonathan Groff as George III “Hamilton” (2020)
The performer playing King George III has arguably the best gig. You get three hilarious songs and then you get to chill backstage until bows. Played by Jonathan Groff in the original Broadway cast and in the 2020 filmed version of the stage show, King George is a cruel ruler who loves to be bad. Giddy with excitement at the thought of his former colonists tearing each other apart, it makes the real man’s legacy of colonial rule seem appropriately petty. He acts more like a thirteen-year-old who likes to hold magnifying glasses to ants than a true monarch.
#4: John Gielgud as Louis VII “Becket” (1964)
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In just over eight minutes of screentime, British acting legend John Gielgud won acclaim and even an Oscar nomination for his role as the French King Louis VII. After royally shafting his friend, the King of England, upstart bishop Thomas Becket seeks the help of the French. Enter the ornately-dressed, smug, and deliciously petty King Louis. Disarmingly polite and straightforward, the French king is a dapper strategist. He seems friendly enough, but his cheerful demeanor makes his massive influence and love of shady social power plays just that more threatening. He almost dares everyone in the room to question his behavior, knowing full well they can’t.
#3: Helena Bonham Carter as The Queen Mother “The King’s Speech” (2010)
Much of the drama in this Oscar winning period piece is between the king and his speech therapist, but their entire relationship is put into motion by the queen. As the nonplussed but loving queen consort to the unexpected King George VI, Helena Bonham Carter left a huge impression. Her Queen Elizabeth is proper when need be, but her effortless humor pokes fun at the pretension of royal conventions. The way she never seems angry at the king, just a little annoyed, is so funny and so adorable. She knows how serious her husband’s speech issues are, but she never lets herself be too serious.
#2: Robert Shaw as Henry VIII “A Man for All Seasons” (1966)
This Best Picture Oscar winner follows the Lord Chancellor who paid dearly for his principles when the infamous King Henry VIII asked him to renounce his faith. Known for playing roughnecks and sociopaths, Robert Shaw was not the standard Henry VIII. That’s what made him all the more terrifying to watch. Volleying between admiring the natural beauty of his kingdom and berating any subject who did not do his bidding, Henry is a volatile force. Despite the king’s overarching influence over the story, the film’s focus is on More’s faith and politics. It’s hard to ignore Shaw’s presence though. It looms large.
#1: Judi Dench as Elizabeth I “Shakespeare in Love” (1998)
Though it’s not the shortest Oscar winning performance on record, Dame Judi Dench stole the show in just over five minutes as Queen Elizabeth I. The queen acts as a sort of sage character, appearing in only a few scenes. Her more impressive one comes at the end. Suspecting rightly that the theater artists behind Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” have broken the rule forbidding women on stage, the authorities are about to arrest those responsible. Until the queen intervenes, saving everyone’s reputation, the show, and Shakespeare’s career. With tongue-in-cheek humor and an air of sarcasm you might not expect from a queen, she is one of the crown jewels of the movie. Which of these royal performances left the biggest impact on you? Let us know in the comments.
