On September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 after an incredible 70 years in power as a monarch. Her death left a void in the collective consciousness of nearly everyone in Britain, Royalist or not, as she was the only queen most people knew. No one else has her political experience, even though she has no political power. However, it had an essential constitutional purpose: to invite newly elected prime ministers to form their government. In her 70 years in power, she has done just that, inviting 15 British prime ministers to form and serve under her government, from Winston Churchill to current British Prime Minister Liz Truss, whom she met two days before her death.
From 1952, she held weekly meetings with her Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace so they could report back to Her Majesty the Queen. What they talk about in these meetings is sacrosanct. Both the queen and her prime minister keep their meetings closely guarded and often the highlight of the week.
But given the length of her reign and the number of different personalities who have served as Prime Minister, she has experienced rivalries, petty exasperations, secret power struggles, and even had genuine and lasting feelings and friendships with many of them .
DW’s film Queen Elizabeth II and the British Leader was made for Elizabeth’s platinum anniversary in April 2022, six months before her death, and it breaks down her glamorous relationship with the prime minister. Her first is Winston Churchill, the titan who led Britain during the dark days of World War II. He is a huge fan of the queen and knew her as a child while serving her father, King George VI.
While she generally got on well with most of them, there were some who were “difficult”, most notably Margaret Thatcher, who served as Britain’s No. A female prime minister whom the queen considers “cold”. She also had minor troubles with Tony Blair, who was prime minister from 1997 to 2007, when the royal family faced a major crisis: the death of Princess Diana.
One of her favorites was Harold Wilson, her fifth prime minister and first Labor member. Many warned her that he was anti-monarchist and a socialist, but the two became lifelong friends because he regarded her as an equal cabinet member.
Looking back on her life, most of the living prime ministers who served under her hold her in high esteem, describing her as warm, funny, intelligent and with a deep understanding of the issues at hand. Conversations with her are also considered cathartic and always welcome. She dedicated 70 years of her life to service and the dignity of her reign will be missed and may never be restored.
Directed by: Katharina Wolff, Larissa Klinker
