I'm a little confused about the scene with Lady Caroline (or maybe I'm over analyzing).
She says she'll take the children to one of the Queen's homes and replies, "Yes" when asked if she is a princess. Who do you think the character is? Is she a relative of the Queen? Does the Queen own many homes that are occupied by people of title?
Please help an (U.S.) American woefully ignorant of the intricacies of the relations between nobility and royalty.
I think "Lady" Caroline was just playing along with their fantasy. I got the impression she was just a rich woman who took them to her own home for tea and pretended that it belonged to the Queen. Remember in the car when they ask her, "Are you a princess?" she is about to say no but haults and says "yes" suggesting she is going to humor them and play along with their dream since of course these children could not go to London to see the Queen by themselves. She had a photo of the Queen on display as it is fairly common for a number of British people (particularly back then) to have a portrait of the Queen in their home.
I don't know how many homes the Queen owns but I would presume that others do not live in them, maybe a little checking on the net could answer that question.
Dear Harlowholic:
I was flipping through channels last nignt and found this gem of a movie that I had never seen before. I am 42. My impression of the scene with Lady Caroline is that she in fact was supposed to be Lady Caroline. When she was asked if she was a princess and, If I remember correctly, Lady Caroline tapped her fingers a few times, took a little sigh and almost rolled her eyes leaving me with the impression that everyone in England should know of her but she, of course, had to keep in mind that she was in the presence of two 7 year old children. I do believe she was supposed to be Lady Caroline.
This is a treasure and, I will be looking to obtain a copy for my collection.
Many Blessings to you.
Lynda
I know the original post is several years old, but I wanted to answer this anyway. <g>
Lady Caroline is a peer in actual fact; her chauffeur (Gregory) addresses her as 'Your Ladyship' at least twice before the children get in the car. When they ask if she's a princess, she goes along with it because she doesn't want to disappoint them. When the butler (Compton?) serves tea, she asks if Gregory had passed along her instructions, and he automatically addresses her as 'Your Ladyship' before correcting himself and saying 'Your Highness', a slip that the children don't catch in their excitement.
Yes, I believe the Queen does own several homes throughout England, and friends are probably invited to stay in them from time to time, even when she's not in residence. Lady Caroline may even be permanently in residence to keep an eye on things in her absence.
The clincher is the corgis. Queen Elizabeth's fondness for these dogs in well-known, and while many people like and own them, to have them in this particular house would seem to indicate that the only fib is that Lady Caroline is royalty rather than a member of the peerage.
I found this entry in Wikipedia: "A grace and favour home is a residential property owned by a monarch by virtue of their position as head of state and leased rent-free to persons as part of an employment package or in gratitude for past services rendered." I think you're correct about Lady Caroline telling the children a little white lie to enhance their experience, (and about the Corgis as well,) which was one of the more charming aspects of the story. A great film!
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