From The Crown to Blackadder: TV kings and queens – rated bad to best

Who had an accent that could skin a corgi? Who was one of the greatest TV monsters of all time? And who did far too much flashing of their buttocks? We put television monarchs under the microscopeRejoice! For the historical fiction stork has descended from on high with another bundle of monarchical joy. King and Conqueror (BBC) – a hugely entertaining depiction of the events that led to the Battle of Hastings – is the latest addition to that most stately of small-screen genres: the royal drama.Heavy is the head that wears the crown, though! For the portrayal of any British royal – and here we have Harold II (James Norton) and Edward the Confessor (Eddie Marsan) – is subject to a set of unspoken rules, most of which apply to the circumference of the royal nostrils and vowels, all of which must expand to fill the space available and, where necessary, beyond. Continue reading...

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