The Windsors Explained
Genre: | Sitcom/parody |
Director: | Adam Miller |
Starring: | Harry Enfield Haydn Gwynne Hugh Skinner |
Composer: | Ian Masterson |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Language: | English |
Num Series: | 3 |
Num Episodes: | 21 |
Executive Producer: | Robert Wulff-Cochrane Camilla Campbell |
Producer: | Izzy Mant |
Runtime: | 23–25 minutes Specials 48 minutes |
Company: | Noho Film and TV |
Network: | Channel 4 (HD) |
Last Aired: | present |
The Windsors is a British sitcom and parody of the British royal family, the House of Windsor. It was first broadcast on Channel 4 in April 2016 and stars Harry Enfield, Haydn Gwynne, Hugh Skinner, Louise Ford, Richard Goulding, Tom Durant-Pritchard, Kathryn Drysdale, Morgana Robinson, Ellie White, and Celeste Dring.[1]
Written by the co-creators of Star Stories, Bert Tyler-Moore and George Jeffrie, The Windsors is a satirical portrayal of the British royal family. Following the death of Jeffrie from a heart attack in September 2020,[2] Tyler-Moore became sole writer of the series.[3]
A fourth series was scheduled to film in late 2023, following the broadcast of a Coronation special episode earlier in the year.[4] [5] Production was suspended in early 2024.[6]
Synopsis
The Windsors tells the story of the British royal family but re-imagined as a soap opera. Although the stories are completely fictional, they are inspired by real events.[7]
Cast
Main
- Harry Enfield as Prince (later King) Charles,[7] the oldest son of and heir apparent to Elizabeth II, who spends the first three series impatiently waiting for his mother to die so he can finally be King of the United Kingdom. He is portrayed as self-absorbed, naive, overconfident in his abilities, and prone to believe in comically absurd theories, having little knowledge of the world outside the monarchy. He also enjoys inventing whimsical ideas for which he feels under-appreciated. A running gag is his fondness for wearing kilts without any undergarments. He ascends to the throne in the Coronation special.
- Enfield also portrays Charles' two-minutes-older identical twin brother Chuck in Series 2, Episode 3.
- Haydn Gwynne as Princess (later Queen) Camilla,[7] Charles' second wife, depicted as a stereotypical conniving villain determined to become Queen and replace Charles' lineage with her own while also redeeming herself in the eyes of the public as a result of usurping Diana's position. She fixates on various ways in which she might achieve this but never fulfills any of the schemes she imagines.
- Hugh Skinner as Prince William "Wills",[7] Charles' first son and heir apparent, and the most well-meaning of the royals, whose manner of speech exaggerates parts of received pronunciation. He often attempts to leave the monarchy, to get it abolished, or to simply grow out of his family's shadow by pursuing interests and career opportunities outside of royal duties. He also receives advice and counsel from spirits of previous monarchs of England and of the whole UK, as do his wife and brother.
- Louise Ford as Princess Catherine "Kate" (née Middleton),[7] Wills' wife, depicted as a former "gypsy" who wants to better fit in with the royals.
- Richard Goulding (Series 1–2, and Coronation special)[7] and Tom Durant-Pritchard (Series 3)[8] as Prince Harry, Wills' immature, naive younger brother, who is often taken advantage of by women and is illiterate until the end of Series 1.
- Kathryn Drysdale as Meghan Markle (Series 2–3), Harry's second girlfriend and later his wife, portrayed as a shallow narcissist who is still obsessed with her time acting on the American legal drama TV series Suits and presenting herself as a "strong independent woman" despite her desire to marry Harry.
- Morgana Robinson as Pippa Middleton,[7] Kate's sister, depicted as a passive-aggressive, greedy, promiscuous, and envious social climber. She pursues a relationship with Harry and continues trying to win him back after he begins dating Meghan.
- Ellie White as Princess Beatrice[7] and Celeste Dring as Princess Eugenie,[7] Wills and Harry's cousins, depicted as two useless, rich Sloanes searching for a purpose in life.
Recurring
- Matthew Cottle as Prince Edward, Charles' youngest brother, who fails at many things.
- Katy Wix as Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson,[7] Beatrice and Eugenie's mother, who is desperate to be let back into the Royal Family's inner circle.
- Tim Wallers as Prince Andrew,[7] Charles' younger brother and Fergie's former husband, portrayed as a sleazy and manipulative businessman.
- Vicki Pepperdine as Princess Anne, Charles' younger sister, depicted as austere, menacing, and almost ghostlike. Her sudden appearances are preceded by a drop in temperature that freezes people's breath. Her only passion is horses.
- Gordon Kennedy as Alec and Tony Jayawardena as Sandy (Series 1),[7] two Scottish bystanders who comment on events.
- Donovan Blackwood as Baxter (Series 1), a military recruiter and drill instructor with whom Wills trains to become an air ambulance pilot.
- Anna Morris as Princess Sophie (Coronation special), Edward's wife.
Guests
- Gillian Bevan as Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Corey Johnson as Donald Trump (Series 2-3), the President of the United States
- Joseph May as Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada
- Phillip Law as Malcolm Turnbull, the Prime Minister of Australia
- Tom Basden as Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Labour Party
- Jeremy Nicholas as David Dimbleby (Series 1), a celebrated political journalist who covers the public's vote on whether to abolish the monarchy.
- Amy Booth-Steel as Nicola Sturgeon (Series 2), the First Minister of Scotland, who doubles as a villager nicknamed "Flame".
- Julia Deakin as Carole Middleton,[9] Kate's mother
- Simon Day as Mike Middleton,[9] Kate's father
- Tom Stourton as Jack Brooksbank, Eugenie's husband
- Mateo Oxley as Edo Mapelli Mozzi, Beatrice's husband
- Suzette Llewellyn as Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother
- Trevor Cooper as Thomas Markle, Meghan's father and Doria's former husband
Historical Figures
Episodes
Christmas special (2016)
Royal Wedding special (2018)
Coronation special (2023)
Prospective fourth series
A fourth series was unofficially confirmed in spring 2023, prior to the Coronation Special.[5] Plots were revealed to include Charles prolonging his half-hour, weekly meeting with the Prime Minister into "an all-afternoon brainstorming session" and demanding a place in the Cabinet, Wills ending up in a "bromance" with a Welsh nationalist, Harry and Meghan rescuing New Zealand from the brink of leaving the Commonwealth, and Beatrice and Eugenie time-travelling and accidentally altering the order of succession.[10]
Filming for the fourth series was stated as taking place in late 2023 or early 2024.[5] Haydn Gwynne, who portrayed Camilla, died in October 2023.[11]
In April 2024, it was announced that production had been indefinitely postponed on the fourth series, owing to real-life health scares affecting senior members of the Royal Family. It was also reported that plans had been arranged to recast the role of Camilla following Gwynne's death, or to write out the characters of Charles and Camilla completely to concentrate the series "on the younger generations, with their majesties 'away on tour'".[6]
Reception
The Guardian was favourable when it said "High-brow humour this is not. But, despite a number of cast and crew comparing the show to Spitting Image, The Windsors doesn't feel like satire: more a comic drama that makes the odd comment about monarchy."[12]
Channel 4 described the show, in a statement: "The series is a wry take on what the soap opera of their lives (and loves) might just be like. Delving behind the headlines and gossip columns, The Windsors lets our imaginations run riot in this ludicrous parody. Imagine, who really controls the sceptre in Charles and Camilla's marriage? What do the Royals really think of Kate? Does Wills really want to be king? Will Harry ever take Pippa up the aisle or will they end on a bum note? And what do Beatrice and Eugenie actually do for a living?" C4's head of comedy Phil Clarke added: "In The Windsors, our much-loved Royal family is re-imagined through the lens of a soap opera, and although the stories are completely fictional, some are inspired by real events. As a result, writers Bert and George have outdone even the funniest, most ludicrous issue of Hello! magazine ever."[13]
The Daily Telegraph wrote: "The Windsors was low-budget, crude and rude. But it was all done with such cacophonous relish that resistance was useless. There's not much of this kind of punk comedy around on television at the moment, where deep, mordant, The Office-style irony has long been the dominant mode. But who doesn't like a little mischief? You can be a fan of Beethoven and the Buzzcocks too."[14]
In his review for The List, Brian Donaldson wrote: "A pitiful 'parody' of life down Buck House way!. If you were writing a sitcom about the Royal Family, would you have Harry coming over as a bit thick, Fergie being rather attention-seeking and Camilla as a cartoon villain? Of course you wouldn't, as that would be way too obvious; though maybe you could go down that road and put a spin on it somehow? Not Jeffrie and Tyler-Moore as they do the obvious and a whole lot less, such as making Edward out to be a lost soul with an empty diary, having William as a square-jawed helicopter hero and Pippa enjoying people constantly gazing at her 'fantastic arse'. And most incredibly of all, the Duke of Edinburgh is, wait for it, a little bit racist. It's certainly gratifying to see some upcoming Fringe comedy acts landing parts, such as Ellie White and Celeste Dring as the all-too predictably shallow Beatrice and Eugenie while Katy Wix has a blast as their tragically pitiable mum. But, sadly, all the talent on show are let down by a woefully predictable and utterly laugh-free script. Off with their heads!"[15]
Season 2 of The Windsors was described by The Guardian as 'riotous hilarity',[16] while The Telegraph called it a "right royal romp".[17]
Sam Wollaston, writing for The Guardian, said of the Royal Wedding Special, "I worried an hour might be a stretch, but I needn't have", and suggested that the characters of Beatrice and Eugenie should have their own spin-off series.[18]
Endgame stage play
See main article: The Windsors: Endgame. On 9 June 2021, it was announced that a stage play called The Windsors: Endgame would open at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London's West End from 2 August to 9 October 2021. It was written by Jeffrie and Tyler-Moore, directed by Michael Fentiman and featured members of the cast from the TV show including Harry Enfield as Charles, Matthew Cottle as Edward, Tom Durant-Pritchard as Harry and Tim Wallers as Andrew.[19] [20]
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: The Windsors review – Harry Enfield demolishes the monarchy . Wollaston . Sam . . 7 May 2016 . 2016-05-07 .
- Web site: Bennett . Steve . Tributes as The Windsors co-creator George Jeffrie dies at 56 . 25 September 2020. 22 November 2023. . en .
- Web site: The Windsors returns to Channel 4 for a Coronation Special. Channel 4. 6 March 2023. 22 November 2023.
- Web site: The Windsors to return for a new series …and a Coronation special . Chortle . 28 January 2023 . 2023-01-28 .
- Web site: Yossman . K.J. . Royal Family Parody Show ‘The Windsors’ Set for a Fourth Season . Variety . 21 October 2023 . 12 April 2023 . Variety understands work got underway on a fourth season last May but the creative team were sidetracked by the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September and her son Prince Charles’s succession to the throne. “The Windsors” team are set to mark Charles’s coronation next month with a feature-length special, which recently wrapped. A rep for Channel 4 said a fourth season hadn’t yet been confirmed but Variety understands that the team are planning to start shooting later this year or early 2024..
- Web site: Richardson . Jay . The Windsors put "on hold" by Channel 4 after King's cancer diagnosis . British Comedy Guide . 19 April 2024 . 19 April 2024.
- Web site: Channel 4 crowns cast of satirical soap The Windsors . channel4.com . 16 February 2016 . 2016-05-07 .
- Web site: The Windsors' New Prince Harry: 'He's gone from rugger bugger to yogi'. Susannah. Goldsbrough. The Daily Telegraph. 25 February 2020. 24 November 2020.
- Web site: The Windsors cast: Who is in the cast of Royal Family drama The Windsors?. Daily Express. Molli. Mitchell. 5 March 2020. 24 November 2020.
- Web site: THE WINDSORS CONFIRMED FOR FOURTH SERIES ON CHANNEL 4 . TVZone . 21 October 2023 . 21 April 2023.
- Web site: Haydn Gwynne dies aged 66 . British Comedy Guide . 21 October 2023 . 20 October 2023.
- Web site: The Windsors: behind the scenes of a right royal send-up. Alexi. Duggins. The Guardian. 6 May 2016. 14 July 2016.
- Web site: Channel 4 comedy The Windsors to see the funny side of Kate, Wills and the British monarchy. Dowell. Ben. 16 February 2016. Radio Times. 14 July 2016.
- Web site: Wilson. Benji. 6 May 2016. The Daily Telegraph. The Windsors was rude, crude – and a real blast of punk comedy. 14 July 2016.
- Web site: TV review: The Windsors, Channel 4. Donaldson. Brian. 27 April 2016. The List. 14 July 2016.
- Web site: The Windsors review – you'd watch this riotous parody if you were them. Sam Wollaston. 6 July 2017. 12 February 2018. The Guardian.
- News: The Windsors, series 2 episode 1 review: all the subtlety and nuance of a Donald Trump tweet. Michael Hogan. The Telegraph. 5 July 2017. 12 February 2018.
- Web site: The Windsors Royal Wedding Special review – gloriously brazen satire. The Guardian. Sam Wollaston. 15 May 2018.
- Web site: Harry Enfields stars as Prince Charles in THE WINDSORS: ENDGAME in the West End this August. 9 June 2021. bestoftheatre.co.uk. 24 June 2021.
- Web site: Cast announcement for THE WINDSORS: ENDGAME. 24 June 2021. bestoftheatre.co.uk. 24 June 2021.