The Madness of King George
Year: 1994
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Cast: Nigel Hawthorne , Helen Mirren , Ian Holm , Amanda Donohoe, Rupert Graves, Rupert Everett , Jim Carter, Geoffrey Palmer , John Wood , Jeremy Child, Cyril Shaps.
Set Locations:
Southern England: Wilton House in Wiltshire was used as
was Arundel Castle in Sussex
Alan Bennett adapted his own play when he wrote the screenplay for Nicholas Hytner’s 1994 movie ‘The Madness of King George’. It tells the story of the deterioration of King George III ’s mental health, which is mirrored by the deterioration in his relationship with his son The Prince of Wales. The film centres on the time of the Regency Crisis of 1788. It also focuses on the fairly primitive medical practices of the time and the thinking of contemporary physicians from that era. Another theme which is developed in the film is the diminishing of the powers of the monarchy in relation to that of Parliament.
The film features an impressive cast including Nigel Hawthorne as King George III. Helen Mirren, Ian Holm, Amanda Donohoe, Rupert Graves and Rupert Everett all add to the roll call of respected names on the credits.
Filming locations include the fabulous Arundel Castle in West Sussex. Set on a hill at the top of the beautiful rural town of Arundel , this magnificent castle and the nearby Priory are part of the attractions that bring thousands of tourists to the area every summer. The Bodleian Library in Oxford also makes an appearance; the library is a popular filming location, with its most notable recent appearance as Hogwarts library in the Harry Potter series of movies. Another very picturesque castle that appears in the film is Broughton Castle at Banbury in Oxfordshire. Often considered to be one of the most beautiful castles in England, Broughton Castle offers a combination of gorgeous orange stone and a picturesque moat and gardens.
Eton College , one of the most famous Public Schools in England, is used as a setting in the film, as is the impressive set of buildings that form the Royal Naval College in Greenwich . St Paul’s Cathedral in London is another well known building that features in the film. The current version of St Paul’s Cathedral was designed by the famous British architect Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London.
Syon House in Brentford, Middlesex, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland, is another building worthy of a visit that can be seen in ‘The Madness of King George’. The premises can even be hired for weddings. The tour of English Heritage continues with appearances in the film by Thame Park in Oxfordshire and Wilton House in Wiltshire, the stately home of the Earl of Pembrokeshire.
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