The program "Smoke and Mirrors" begins with a flashback sequence to May 11, 1937, the day before the coronation of George VI. The opening sequence is a private moment with the stuttering Edward rehearsing his lines like a nervous groom before his wedding. The little princess Elizabeth is providing support in playacting the role of the Archbishop during the anointment ceremony.
Fast forward to 1953 and the preparations for the coronation of Elizabeth II following the death of her beloved father. One of the major themes of "The Crown" is to expose the self-inflicted asceticism of the English monarchs who reluctantly accede to the throne in the name of "duty." The reluctance was apparent in George VI, who lamented the coronation in Westminster Abbey as "a sight I'd hoped I'd never see." Now, the call of duty has fallen in the lap of the 25-year-old Elizabeth, who is navigating her way to the throne through the world of "the grey old men with mustaches."
One of the brilliant touches of the scripting of this program is in the character of Edward VIII, whose abdication indirectly led to the improbable ascension of his niece Elizabeth. Edward (or David as he was known to the royal family) serves as the foil to the superior Anglo-Saxon aristocrats, due to his resentment for the shabby treatment he and his beloved Wallis Simpson received from the British elite.
Even with the passing of seventeen years, David is still snubbed by both the royal family and the haughty Archbishop and must watch the coronation on television from his place of exile in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. David refers to the British royals as "jackals and hyenas" and provides a running commentary filled with contempt, as the televised ceremony proceeds. His most caustic remark is reserved for Elizabeth, who is no more than "an ordinary young woman of modest ability and little imagination."
The program also strikes another low blow at the hapless Philip. After Elizabeth gives him control over the planning of the coronation, he insists on televising the event as a nod to the new technological era and respect for the people. But at heart, Philip is still a classist snob, whose true motivation is to pander to the commoners out of fear for what happened in the violent Greek revolt against his Mountbatten clan. The greatest insult to Philip comes when his spouse forces him kneel before her at the coronation.
It is revealing that the final moment of the "Smoke and Mirrors" program is given to David, as he blasts out a mournful ditty on his bagpipes while residing in exile with the woman he adores.
Fast forward to 1953 and the preparations for the coronation of Elizabeth II following the death of her beloved father. One of the major themes of "The Crown" is to expose the self-inflicted asceticism of the English monarchs who reluctantly accede to the throne in the name of "duty." The reluctance was apparent in George VI, who lamented the coronation in Westminster Abbey as "a sight I'd hoped I'd never see." Now, the call of duty has fallen in the lap of the 25-year-old Elizabeth, who is navigating her way to the throne through the world of "the grey old men with mustaches."
One of the brilliant touches of the scripting of this program is in the character of Edward VIII, whose abdication indirectly led to the improbable ascension of his niece Elizabeth. Edward (or David as he was known to the royal family) serves as the foil to the superior Anglo-Saxon aristocrats, due to his resentment for the shabby treatment he and his beloved Wallis Simpson received from the British elite.
Even with the passing of seventeen years, David is still snubbed by both the royal family and the haughty Archbishop and must watch the coronation on television from his place of exile in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. David refers to the British royals as "jackals and hyenas" and provides a running commentary filled with contempt, as the televised ceremony proceeds. His most caustic remark is reserved for Elizabeth, who is no more than "an ordinary young woman of modest ability and little imagination."
The program also strikes another low blow at the hapless Philip. After Elizabeth gives him control over the planning of the coronation, he insists on televising the event as a nod to the new technological era and respect for the people. But at heart, Philip is still a classist snob, whose true motivation is to pander to the commoners out of fear for what happened in the violent Greek revolt against his Mountbatten clan. The greatest insult to Philip comes when his spouse forces him kneel before her at the coronation.
It is revealing that the final moment of the "Smoke and Mirrors" program is given to David, as he blasts out a mournful ditty on his bagpipes while residing in exile with the woman he adores.