There's nothing quite like palace intrigue.
Royals might still just be people, but unlike most of us, their moments of drama unfold
in front of the whole world.
Some of the most captivating stories in all of history involve those who have occupied
a throne, and there really is no shortage of royal family drama to memorialize on-screen.
For those who have a fascination with all things regal, here's a look at some hidden
gems available to stream now.
Queen Elizabeth II might not have ever worn the crown if not for the stunning abdication
of her uncle, King Edward VIII, who decided to abandon his throne so that he could marry
American socialite Wallis Simpson.
It turned out to be one of the craziest romances in British royal family history.
"Your family will never stand for it.
The Prime Minister will never stand for it."
"Then I'll give up the throne."
"And I will be the most despised woman in the world."
The 2011 film W.E., which was co-written and directed by Madonna, offers a new perspective
on the romance that changed the course of the British monarchy.
The film centers on a modern woman named Wally who copes with her own abusive marriage by
obsessing over the historical details of the relationship between Edward and Wallis.
Despite these very different settings and circumstances, Wally finds some surprising
commonality with Wallis that ultimately helps her to look toward her own future.
Long before the Kingdom of England united with Scotland to become Great Britain, the
island was the center of many bloody turf wars.
Outlaw King encapsulates one of the costly conflicts that erupted in the 14th century
between Scotland's Robert the Bruce and England's King Edward I and his son, the Prince of Wales.
Though Bruce and his fellow Scottish nobles have formally surrendered to Edward when the
story picks up, Bruce soon seizes upon an opportunity to stage a new revolt against
England and is crowned King of Scots.
Facing the much larger and more equipped English army, Bruce must rely on quick tactical decisions
to give him the advantage on the battlefield.
"Wait on my word.
Hold.
Now!"
Outlaw King provides a thrilling, action-packed window into this mighty sliver of Scottish
royal history.
The relationship between each Prime Minister and the respective reigning monarchs of Britain
has always been a fascinating dynamic to document.
That was especially true when it came to Britain's first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Thatcher's 11-year-term on its own is also a subject of fascination and was dramatized
in the 2011 biopic The Iron Lady.
In the film, Thatcher is portrayed in an Academy Award-winning performance by Meryl Streep,
who looks back on her rise and fall as the face of Britain's government.
David Michod's 2019 war epic The King depicts the very brief reign of King Henry V. The
film chronicles his reluctant ascension to the throne of England and his eventual decision
to wage war on France after an apparent assassination attempt.
Henry V, also known as Hal, does not come into power brimming with monarchical ambitions,
and he even attempts to quell some of the conflicts that existed during his father's
reign.
However, he is unable to avoid an adversarial relationship with the Dauphin of France.
"I will drain your body of its blood and bury it under a tree.
A little French tree."
Their conflict escalates onto the battlefield, and Hal proves to be a more competent leader
than even he may have expected.
His sure-footed reign is captured beautifully in The King.
Recorded human history can only tell us so much about the millennia of civilization that
precedes us, so it's up to archaeologists to uncover new clues about the people who
lived in ages past.
In the fascinating documentary Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb, audiences get to follow
along for the actual 2018 discovery of an amazingly well-preserved tomb belonging to
a mysterious Egyptian high priest named Wahtye.
The film follows the scientists as they dig into the tomb, discovering treasures that
date back over 4,000 years.
Wahtye himself appears to have been an important priest who served during Egypt's Fifth Dynasty,
and the information that is derived from his elaborate tomb - about both the kingdom and
this ancient era of history - is invaluable.
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