ON THE SCREEN
Streaming
Until the 19th century, royal weddings in England were very private. While spectacular in their own way, they were held away from the prying eyes of the public, in chapels within palaces. But Queen Victoria changed all of that. She came to the throne, a single girl of 17, in 1837 and did not marry until early in 1840. So, they pulled out all stops with her wedding, showing her off to the public. Royal weddings thereafter became more and more public, including the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Prince
Phillip in 1947. But the biggest spectacle of all was the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. While we know how the marriage turned out, at the time it was a magical affair, capturing the world’s imagination and attention. This documentary features interviews with people behind the scenes and those who covered the wedding, but the centrepiece is the pristine restored footage. Nostalgic, indulgent, royal fans will enjoy this little time travel journey TROY LENNON
Streaming
The Spanish really know how to do sexy, passionate, dramatic period TV dramas. There have been some great Spanish shows popping up on streaming services of late and this one is no exception. Set in the 1720s in Spain, in the sprawling fictional ancestral home of Diego the Duke of Castamar (Roberto Enriquez), it looks at the events that unfold in his life after the sudden death of his wife, Alba. After more than a year of mourning, he is ordered to return to work at the court of King Philip V (Joan Carreras). The king, who has also recently lost a wife, dismisses Diego’s protest that it is too soon and insists the Duke hold a gala to celebrate. Meanwhile a new maid, Clara (Michelle Jenner) arrives at Castamar. She is elevated to head cook through a series of events. Well educated, Clara has secrets that will no doubt be revealed as the series goes on. There is plenty of intrigue afoot, along with the sumptuous costumes, some sex, sword fights and great performances, what’s not to like?
TROY LENNON