"The Lost Prince" (2003) - BBC Miniseries on Prince John, son of George V

[Saragli]

I also loved that piece of music. I cried a little too, it was very moving. I think George finally connected with his son and saw he wasnt useless at that moment. I really liked the ending. When Georgie and LaLa look up at the hill and they have johnny inspecting his "crew" and trying to make the "gaurd" laugh. Such a free and innocent soul. It was nice to see what was happening in the world through a childs eyes. I have a question though. When King Edward VII funeral takes place there is someone telling Georgie and Johnny all of there relatives. Then Johnny feels a seizure coming and he runs to find privacy. He runs into a german prince I think. Did that German Prince have epilepsy like Johnny?

 

[Zonk]

I believe the German prince was the future Kaiser, Wilhem. Who was the son of the Princess Royal (Victoria), who was the aunt of George V.

 

[Elizabeth_Leona]

I watch the mini series just the other week, how sad, I knew a little about him, but this really showed what really went on. by looking at this show it appears not only that he was having seizures but also that he may have had Autism or Aspergers.

The royal family even to this day have always held their emtion in and come across as cold and unfeeling, I can safely say that the first time I ever saw any emotion from any of them was at Prince Rainier's funeral you could see that one of his daughters I think Stephanie was very upset. but then who can stay composed when they are playing Adagio?!

 

[selrahc4]

but this really showed what really went on.

No. It couldn't. It was a movie...a dramatization...fiction based lightly on some known facts.

 

[Elizabeth_Leona]

No. It couldn't. It was a movie...a dramatization...fiction based lightly on some known facts.

what I meant was that we could see what happened to him and where he lived as we all know he is known as the 'forgotten prince' so we do not know too much about him, plus I liked the way they added in about what was going on in the world at that time.

I know that it is a dramatization anything that is made, a movie, book, mini series, etc. can't really be taken too seriously, unless you were there yourself we do not really know what happened, plus everybody has their own interpretation of events that they see.

 

[Saragli]

Who was the actress who played LaLa. I thought she was great and I really connected with her. I was watching it and remembering as a child wishing my nanny was someone like lala rather then the one I had.

 

[Elizabeth_Leona]

Who was the actress who played LaLa. I thought she was great and I really connected with her. I was watching it and remembering as a child wishing my nanny was someone like lala rather then the one I had.

Gina McKee

 

[BeatrixFan]

I thought Miranda Richardson stole every scene she was in. Just amazing. When she was interviewed about 'The Lost Prince' she said she felt a true connection with Mary and felt a sense of sympathy and love for the present Queen, knowing the figure's she'd grown up around.

 

[Iluvbertie]

I believe the German prince was the future Kaiser, Wilhem. Who was the son of the Princess Royal (Victoria), who was the aunt of George V.

By 1910 The Princess Royal's son Wilhelm had been Kaiser for 22 years having succeeded his father, and grandfather, both of whom died in the same year - 1888.

I don't remember the scene specifically and the character may have been the last Kaiser - my point is that he would have been the Kaiser at Edward VII's funeral and not the 'future' Kaiser.

 

[rominet09]

Sad story I knew nothing about, poor little boy

 

[Val3275]

Yes , the character is indeed the Kaiser. He meets John in the corridor, shortly before Edward VII funeral (and before John has a fit).

I saw the Lost Prince last week. It is a very touching movie.

I lked the way they portrayed little Johnnie's dreams about the Tsar and his family coming to live with him or about the Wilhem II and Franz-Joseph (even if this one is very short).
The duke of Kent (Georgie) is a very interesting character as well.

The young actors who play Johnnie and Georgie are amazing.

 

[Royal Fan]

I Loved the movie very sad though .

 

[Avareenah]

As has been said previously in this thread, "The Lost Prince" is quite enjoyable viewing but many, many historical accuracies are in it.

Prince John met the Russian Royal Family once in 1909 when he was but four years old so they are unlikely to have made an enormous impression on him. I simply don't understand why their execution was shown also - nothing whatsoever to do with young Prince John who was at the time living at Wood Farm with his beloved "Lalla".

Several portrayals were inaccurate also - the Tsar, the Kaiser, Queen Mary and the Grand Duchesses are some which come to mind...

 

[dbarn67]

PBS miniseries The Lost Prince

If anyone is interested...PBS is running a miniseries based on the life of King Geoge v and Queen Mary's son Prince John. I came across it late last night. I only caught thelast 10 to 15 minutes but its PBS so i'm sure they're run it again. At the end of the theatrical broadcast there was a documentary covering the life and lifestyle of Tzar Nicholas and Alexandra and Kaiser Wilhelm. Here's the link to the PBS website:

Masterpiece Theatre | The Lost Prince

 

[Mark O]

Lala

Hi, having watched and enjoyed 'the lost prince' on TV again recently, could anyone tell me what became of Lala, who looked after Prince John at York Cottage?

 

[BeatrixFan]

More info can be found here;

Charlotte Bill - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Elly C]

I have just watched a re- run of this mini series & found it very enjoyable - the actors were without exception tremendous, & the production values extremely high. Well done Stephen Poliakoff for writing & directing such a moving piece of drama One aspect I found particularly interesting was the portrayal of Prince George & Prince John. It made me wonder about the accuracy of their close relationship & Prince George's apparent aversion to a naval career while at Dartmouth. I'm also interested to know if the older siblings, Edward & Bertie had much to do with their younger brother - perhaps someone could enlighten me.

 

[Dierna23]

Couldn't agree more. The lost prince is one of my favourite movies.

Sadly I do not know, how the relationship between the older brothers and Johnnie was. I've read the Duke of Windsors memoirs and found no word about Johnnie.

 

[Jeniann]

There wasn't much of a relationship between John and the older brothers. George was the one he was closest to, and I think he may have been fairly close to Mary when he was young. His oldest two brothers were away at school or war during most of the time he was alive. I mean, they weren't total strangers, but it wasn't like with normal siblings. With large royal families usually kids with more than a few years age difference weren't close. Wasn't like it is today.

 

[IloveCP]

I loved this.It was very sad at the end.I loved the actors who played Lalla and John.

 

[pgm1952]

This was a very moving if overly romantic story of that tragic Prince John. I felt that the actress playing Charlotte "Lala" Bill could have also played Princess Victoria, Prince John's spinster aunt as she bears a slight resemblance to her.

I also think life at Sandringham after Edward VII died could have been shown more as it had been (old, fusty, and depressing) including Princess Victoria, Charlotte Knollys, and Sir Dyghton Probin.

And despite the graphic murder scene (of the Romanovs), it was far from how it actually went down. It was still effecting and tragic but not entirely accurate.

 

[Grandduchess24]

I've heard of this movie and because of this British prince apparently the name John is bad luck in The BRF because Diana wanted to name her eldest john after her father? But instead the baby got William Phillip Arthur Louis who we have come to know as prince William of wales,duke of Cambridge .

Also ive always wanted to watch this movie but can't find it anywhere. Help please.much thanks.

 

[IloveCP]

Here it is:

×÷·.·´¯`·)»((Ep1 P1/9))«(·´¯`·.·÷× - YouTube

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I have seen the series again, these Easter days. Fa-bu-lous. Especially the scenery, the royal residences, the uniforms, the doings of a royal Household is one of the best ever recorded. Little Prince George, the later Duke of Kent, has captured my heart. King George V was a stuffy bore in reality and was exactly like that in the series. Queen Mary... phew... I know her as a lady strangled by her self-implemented stiffness and étiquette but in this series she came over as a heartless creature who was more concerned about the public perception of the royal family than about her son Johnnie.

 

[maria-olivia]

I agree Duc and I read George V intelligence was the one of a Lift Boy.
He was terrible with his suns , perhaps for that his second son Albert had problems to speak normally and David did not want to be King.
As for Johnnie , both the King and the Queen did not have a human attitude.

 

[Osipi]

I've found myself watching this program repeatedly whenever it comes on and I totally agree with your assessments of how the characters were portrayed. It also makes me realize just how far the British Royal Family has come in 100 years in regards to human challenges. Johnnie was put away mostly from the rest of the world because of seizures and the attitudes of a society that saw disabilities such as this as a "disgrace" and a weak spot on the family. Its sad to think that if he had been born just 100 years later, he most likely would have lived a longer and full life without ostracism.

 

[Lee-Z]

I agree Duc and I read George V intelligence was the one of a Lift Boy.
He was terrible with his suns , perhaps for that his second son Albert had problems to speak normally and David did not want to be King.
As for Johnnie , both the King and the Queen did not have a human attitude.

And you class a liftboy per definition of high ntelligence? or low intelligence? (by your intonation i gather it might be the latter?)

I think you should keep in mind that this particular movie did not intend to be a documentary and is a work of fiction.

 

[maria-olivia]

This particular movie was translated is french and my book about King George V was also a french translation. But the facts about Prince John cannot be hidden.
A lift boy is in french the job who needs the less intelligence . The day long you go up and down...

 

[SirGyamfi1]

The movie wasn’t necessarily an accurate depiction of what happened. Prince John was taken care and loved by Queen Mary and Alexandra. Queen Mary invited local children to play with him. Lalla Bill did an interview many years ago and explained everything

 

[An Ard Ri]

The series did not portray Queen Mary in a sympathetic light and she came across as rather cold and uncaring.