Sarah Ferguson spent 15 years developing the Oscar-winning historical drama The Young Victoria, turning a lonely Buckingham Palace obsession into an acclaimed cinematic project streaming on Tubi.
The former Duchess of York conceived the film about Queen Victoria while her then-husband flew Royal Navy helicopters. She guarded the script for a decade and a half, rejecting inaccurate Hollywood additions to protect her mother-in-law’s feelings, before partnering with producer Graham King and writer Julian Fellowes.
The Film’s Production Realities
- Sarah Ferguson secured a $35 million budget and filming access to Arundel Castle and Belvoir Castle.
- Princess Beatrice made her acting debut in a minor cameo as a lady-in-waiting during coronation scenes.
- The production won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 2010.
The Film Takes Dramatic Liberties with Royal History
Starring Emily Blunt as Queen Victoria and Rupert Friend as Prince Albert, the movie chronicles the monarch’s early reign and romance. Yet the historical narrative took notable dramatic license, particularly during an assassination sequence where Prince Albert shields the queen with his body, an event unsupported by historical records.
“Oh my God. It has been the biggest worry of mine and the biggest fear … ever, for 15 years, that I would offend the Queen,” Ferguson told The LA Times, explaining her protective stance over the project’s historical parameters.
The Royal Family Reception
Despite Ferguson’s careful oversight, reports from unverified UPI sources indicate Queen Elizabeth II held reservations about certain cinematic liberties due to her deep familiarity with her great-great-grandmother’s actual history.
Princess Beatrice appeared near the beginning of the film during the Westminster Abbey sequences, holding Blunt’s costume train. Emily Blunt told IndieLondon that “Princess Beatrice came in and was incredibly friendly and carried my train, which was very nice and ironic!”
| Production Detail | Key Participant | Accolade or Role |
|---|---|---|
| Directing and Writing | Julian Fellowes | Scriptwriter who a year later would go on to write his career-defining TV series Downton Abbey |
| Costume Design | Academy Award Committee | Won Best Costume Design in 2010 |
| Featured Cameo | Princess Beatrice | First time a member of the British Royal Family had appeared in a non-documentary, scripted feature film |
From Palace Bride to Producer
Ferguson’s fascination with Queen Victoria extends to co-authoring nonfiction books in the 1990s and writing fiction inspired by the royal court.
