Julian Jarrold’s (Becoming Jane) latest is an affectionate ‘what-if’ story about the adventures that two real life princesses might have had on a momentous night that brought the whole of London together.
The film sets its sights on V. E. Day in 1945, amid scenes of international celebration as World War II comes to a close. London is overflowing with joy and excess, and two teenagers are allowed out at night for the first time to join the party: Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth, the future Queen of England. Leaving Buckingham Palace for the night, they embark on an adventure, finding themselves exposed to unusual intrigue, romance and danger, before getting home far too late.
Starring Sarah Gadon, Bel Powley, Rupert Everett and Emily Watson, Julian Jarrold’s film is a delightfully entertaining recreation of a particularly heady national moment, and an imagining of a night of unusual freedom for the two ordinarily sheltered young royals.