Dec. 13, Lolita Buckner Inniss, law professor and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at SMU Dallas Dedman School of Law, for a piece championing the dignified and efficient style of Queen Elizabeth versus the antics of President Trump. Published in History News Network under the heading A Lesson from “The Crown” for American Elections? Embrace Dignity, Demand Efficiency: https://bit.ly/381vleD
In Season 1 of the Netflix series The Crown , a young Queen Elizabeth II faces a situation that tests her political strength and understanding of her broader role in the English governing system. The series is a work of historical fiction. It employs dramatic license and takes liberties with facts. It is, however, often faithful to the spirit if not the letter of many of the historic figures and situations portrayed. Beyond that, it is also highly engaging, and sometimes causes viewers to question their own concepts of legal and moral rectitude. Though many characters are presented as flawed people, it matters little, for symbolism is the thing. Though surely unintended, the script ofThe Crown provides multiple opportunities to draw comparisons between a monarchy and a presidency — particularly one involving someone like Donald Trump, whose real-life flaws and distressing symbolic impact have heralded, in the words of an old English ballad, a world turned upside down.