A Royal Night Out (4½ Stars)

Today is VE Day. It's 75 years since the end of World War Two, as far as Europe was concerned. VE stands for Victory in Europe. The last enemy, Japan, didn't surrender until 2nd September 1945, but as far as Britain was concerned the war was already over. Nobody was dropping bombs on London any more.

The distinction between the two dates, 8th May 1945 and 2nd September 1945, is essential to the film. Airman Jack Hodges has flown more than 50 missions over Germany. He'd like to think the war is over, but for him it isn't. He's just received news that he'll be reassigned to Japan. He signed up to defend his country against Germany, but what does a faraway enemy like Japan mean to him? He just wants to go home to his mother.

One thing that strikes me about the film is the level of patriotism 75 years ago. People were British and proud to be British, and being British meant standing behind their King. The very few who refused to toast the King – and Jack was one of them – were beat up and thrown into the streets.

How did we lose that? When did we lose that? In 1977 there were street parties throughout the country to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth. In 2002 the 50-year anniversary went by unnoticed apart from television broadcasts. I didn't see a single street party. People didn't care.

In 2012 it was slightly different, in Birmingham at least. The annual Gay Pride celebration fell on the same date as the Queen's 60-year anniversary, so the two celebrations were combined. The event's slogan was "Proud to be Gay, Proud to be British".

I was present at the Gay Pride Parade almost every year while I lived in Birmingham, but the 2012 celebrations were by far the most overwhelming. There was magic in the air, more than any of the years before or afterwards.

Being proud to be British means being proud to have a monarch. It's a contradiction to be anti-Royalist and pro-British. The monarchy, and for me that means the Queen, sums up everything about Britain. Maybe it's easy for me to say that today, because the Queen of England is such a noble, distinguished person. It's easy for me to shout "God Save The Queen". Will it be just as easy for me to shout "God Save The King" when her son or her grandson takes over? I don't know. If I live that long you can ask me. I expect I shall always respect the King, even if I have personal reservations about his character. I have no reservations at all about the Queen.

Today most of my friends are anti-Royalists. They complain about the wealth of the Royal Family in comparison to the poverty of the lower classes in England. They don't realise that the Queen isn't the richest person in Britain; she's not even in the top 50. If we really want to redistribute wealth, the Queen isn't the person to start with.

What do we need to win back support for the monarchy? Another war? That would be cynical. A prime minister who's so wretched that people beg for a king to save them? That's unlikely to happen. If a woman who's as wonderful as the Queen can't maintain the affection of her people, what chance do future monarchs have?

The subject matter of "A Royal Night Out" has been handled delicately. It could easily have turned into something tasteless. Sarah Gadon puts on a fine performance as the 19-year-old Princess Elizabeth. She's a young woman who shows immaturity due to having being locked away from the world all her life, but she has an air of dignity in the midst of the common people. All the wealth at her fingertips doesn't make her happy. She's a prisoner of her destiny. She has feelings for Jack Hodges, but she knows that their relationship can never be.

	Order from Amazon.com
	Order from Amazon.co.uk
	Order from Amazon.de