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Five leading British actresses play the Queen at pivotal times in her reign in this ground-breaking series, mixing dramatised scenes behind palace doors with news archive and testimony from royal insiders. 


This episode lifts the lid on the hidden conflict between the Queen (played by Susan Jameson) and her first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher (played by Lesley Manville).

The Queen and Mrs Thatcher were the two most powerful women in Britain and their strained relationship reached boiling point on 20 July 1986, when the Sunday Times published an explosive cover story.

The article revealed what was claimed to be the Queen"s opinion of Mrs Thatcher, and it made for uncomfortable reading in Downing Street. The Queen was portrayed as being fundamentally opposed to Mrs Thatcher"s policies, and as being concerned about the "uncaring and divisive" nature of the Thatcher regime.

What had brought things to a head was the issue of sanctions against South Africa. The Queen felt extremely protective about her beloved Commonwealth, who were lobbying for Britain to stand up to apartheid. Mrs Thatcher"s refusal to countenance sanctions meant that many countries were threatening to boycott the Commonwealth Games, which were to take place the following month in Edinburgh.

The clock was ticking and the Games were threatening to become a public relations disaster, damaging Britain"s standing at home and abroad.