The Crown as I see it !

I am binge watching, The Crown, now streaming on Netflix. A friend suggested and I started with the first of the drama series and now I am into the fourth . 

At the end of it, I would be aware, much about the personal lives of some of the royals. This is not what I would I have ideally liked to know. But when one watches "The Crown " one should have expected that. I did and though I enjoyed the screenplay, the Queen's language, palaces and their significance, knowing about the events from history,  listening to the political dialogues with much interest, learning about the rigid protocols and the strange courtesys, I must admit that the personal struggles of the members of the royal family and the scandals put me off completely. 

I wonder how the royal family is reacting to this series especially on the divulging of information which though perhaps known to the world may now cause to open up old wounds, the royals would rather prefer to forget. 

It is highly unlikely that the personal stories are going to stay in my mind, long after I am done watching, because I choose to remember tales in movies or theatre where whatever is portrayed is not anything close to being so stark real as in The Crown. 

However, the beautiful locales, the picturesque countrysides, the majestic horses are fascinating to view and to be able to take a peek into the grand palaces is the icing on the cake. Hidden beneath the fairytale lifestyles, gorgeous gowns and kingly robes are ordinary men and women who long for love, recognition and appreciation from their own family members. 

Beneath the facade of luxury and the pride in their ancestry, stories of valour, accession, ego, pomp, abdications, betrayals, wealth and power, lies the desperateness, the anxieties, the pressures of royal commitments, which seldom dissapear to bring about a sense of real calm and unbridled joy, so easily attainable to commoners like you and me.

But then, this is the life of a royale for you. Choose it or leave it. The royal life can be all flattering outwardly with chaos within. Not being able to  grant approval or show great happiness in acts or achievements involving family members, while bound by rules, requires a great amount of energy which can be draining, both mentally and physically and yet a royal is supposed to be just that and show up as if all is well. Is the trend changing ? I think so and I really hope it does. 

The most expensive jewels and flattering dresses can never heal the broken royal hearts that beat unseen. The struggles are real. The voices are lost in the palatial mansions where even the sound of a bell can get drowned in the noise of the vaccuum cleaner, leaving a member alone, depressed and vulnerable.

Here we know about Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, Dukes and Duchess who lead a public life true to their titles, make front page news, are a symbol of respect and act in accordance with the laws in order to bring glory to their lineage and to their country . The life of a royal is not easy at all and that of the reigning monarch is the most difficult of them all. 

Many a time the Queen would wish to express but cannot. The daughterly, sisterly, wifely and maternal instincts are suppressed under the weight of what is expected of the Queen. Yes ! The queen smiles with the head held high, the face upright, never puckered and hardly ever laughs heartily. How difficult must that be ?  

Royal rules are exceedingly demanding and require the royales to be able to adhere to the discipline at all times. Being able to present themselves at their best at all times, while following strict rules in their daily activities is something a commoner like me would perhaps say in a rather relieved manner...." Oh ! My ! Am I not glad that I am a commoner who can live a life on my own terms ? "