Still disturbed by the Kings Speech; not the speech itself but the film in general! Did like Rowan Williams’ suggestion in Lost Icons that the death of Diana broke the mystery and magic of monarchy. Long after the death of deference in general society, the sort of deference that took a generation to Flanders, we’re supposed to have finally seen monarchy for what it is; a smoke and mirrors act. The sympathy and affection oozing for George VI’s characterisation doesn’t quite square up. It seems we ‘buy’ monarchy all over again. Terrifying that we docile English absorb these constructions hook, line and orb. I suppose if Hollywood can propel an Austrian body-builder to the Governator it can schpin the Saxe-Coburg and Ghotas to Mr and Mrs Windsor. Blair’s reference to the People’s Princess shows obsequious efforts to inveigle the stream of emotions surrounding Diana’s death. Such unquestioning support enables this bizarre affection to roll on; to the extent that Diana was voted the 3rd Greatest Briton ahead of Shakespeare, Newton and Darwin. So much for meritocracy. I know I know. We can surely separate admiration for great acting from the storyline? Maybe. Williams is a great observer of social change and states:

“The ‘lost icon’ [precious symbol] was not simply the dead princess; it was a whole mythology of social cohesion around anointed authority and mystery.”

The ritual of monarchy is then a layer of glue over a society that has few uniting rituals. The warmth towards Firth’s performance is about a cohesive society; that if we lost monarchy then what on earth would symbolise ‘us’. The answer is ‘we’ would.