The Lost Prince, a screenplay written for UK television, provides a
subtle yet insightful glimpse into life in the early 20th century.
It tells the tale of Johnnie, the epileptic sixth child of George V
and Queen Mary, set against a backdrop of the historical events of
the time. Johnnie not only suffers from severe epilepsy but has
learning difficulties. Completely lacking in awareness of social
norms, he nevertheless possesses considerable naive charm and the
ability to make remarkably astute observations about both people
and situations. When the royal family become aware of the severity
of Johnnie's epilepsy, he is promptly shuffled out of sight, to all
intents and purposes banished to a small house in the country with
only his protective and loving nanny, Lalla, and his tutor. There
they are kept in virtual isolation. The events preceding and during
the First World War take place through the eyes of Johnnie and, to
a lesser extent, his brother George. The Tsar of Russia and his
family visit, and Johnnie is smitten by the Russian girls, who in
turn are charmed by him. This idyllic and opulent prewar existence
of country walks and elaborate banquets contrasts sharply with the
palpable tensions of the war itself, and its effect on the royal
family. The struggles that war brings parallel those of Johnnie for
good health and acceptance. A good set of footnotes explains
Poliakoff's motivation for including specific events and details in
the screenplay and for making certain changes for dramatic effect,
and the inclusion of 16 pages of photos from the TV drama helps put
the words into images. It's the minute details that really make The
Lost Prince; as simple a thing as a glance or a throwaway comment
speaks volumes about the relationships within the royal family, and
between them and the outside world. It is a perceptive portrayal of
royal and political life a century ago, and of a little boy
ostracized for being different. (Kirkus UK)
The screenplay of Poliakoff's award-winning BBC drama about the
forgotten son of King George V and Queen Mary The Lost Prince
follows the life and times of Prince John, the forgotten youngest
son of King George V and Queen Mary, who was born in 1905. Although
remembered as a charming boy, he was diagnosed as epileptic and
suffering from learning difficulties similar to autism and shut
away at the age of twelve at the in Wood Farm near Sandringham to
prevent the family from public embarrassment. He died there when he
was just thirteen. Dramatising the historical facts, Poliakoff
portrays with extraordinary sensitivity, a child's experience of
the Royal Family in the late Edwardian period and during the First
World War. Set against a backdrop of unprecedented upheaval in
Britain, The Lost Prince tells the very human story of a unique
family and an extraordinary boy. Published to tie in with the BBC's
production, broadcast in two feature-length instalments in January
2003, The Lost Prince stars Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson,
Gina McKee, Tom Hollander, John Sessions, Billy Nighy and Bibi
Andersson.
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