Some Thoughts on “The Crown”
Like so many other people, I greatly anticipated the return of the fourth season of the Netflix series The Crown. Knowing Princess Diana was being introduced this season and being a huge fan, I knew I was going to be bothered and somewhat saddened by her reality. However, nothing prepared me for the intense shock and sadness I experienced while watching episode 7, and it had nothing to do with Princess Di.
If you plan to watch the episode you may want to stop reading because I’m going to relay the plot line. Two adult sisters were introduced who were the nieces of the Queen mother, making them first cousins of Queen Elizabeth and her sister Margaret. The girls had been committed to an insane asylum in their teens and even declared dead in 1940. They were completely abandoned by their families and lived their lengthy lives in an overcrowded institution hidden away. The disturbing diagnosis that was given to the girls was “idiocy” and “imbecility.” In kinder words, the the girls suffered from profound developmental delays.
The loss of love not given to these special girls shook me to my core, but the loss to the Royal Family of the perspective they could have developed through loving these women throughout their life span is quite unfortunate. Imagine what life could have looked like for these girls if they had been raised around their privileged family. It made me think of Helen Keller and the commitment to her growth and education by her family with not even a fraction of the resources available to the royal family. I’m not saying that their conditions were the same and that their outcomes would have mirrored each other. But it is so disturbing that the royal family had unlimited resources and yet these girls were abandoned and declared dead. I realize that The Crown often dramatizes actual events to fit its narrative, but these girls really existed and lived virtually their entire lives in the conditions depicted so forcefully in this episode.
There is no question that the treatment of people with exceptional needs has come a long way, and for that I am so thankful. Hopefully there will never be an end game! Just a continuous movement towards measurable progress. True inclusion, not forced. Many productive day programs to choose from that are filled with happiness and learning so that turning 21 is the next exciting step and not to be dreaded. More companies pitching in and training and hiring differently abled adults. And, somehow I’d love to get behind this, ample beautiful group homes with loving care, recreational outlets and social opportunities that would provide aging parents peace of mind. I don’t want to dream of this…..I want to see this in my lifetime. We have lots of to do.
LET’S GO!!
Peace and love to all.
I too was taken back when the sisters were introduced and agree that having their presence in the Royal House would have made an impact in the Queens life.
Thanks for the comment, Kim! It was so unsettling for me. Merry Christmas to all the Crews!! XO
I love the CROWN and was also taken back this season at the treatment of the sisters/cousins. It saddened me to think the Royal family found this was a better solution than raising the girls with family to love and nuture them. Keep writing, Donna! You are doing good work:)
It was hard to watch to say the least. I kept thinking of all the castles and land The Royals have access to and the girls lived in a crowded institution. No family bond at all. So hard to understand. Thanks for commenting!! XO
Are you familiar with Rosemary Kennedy, the sister of JFK who had developmental delays? The mom Rose tried to take care of her and give her good resources, but when Rosemary became a teenager and “a lot to handle” she turned the care over to Joe Kennedy the Dad. He took her to the “latest greatest Dr.“ to try to “fix her”. That Dr. did a lobotomy on her which was a new experimental procedure at the time. Rosemary declined significantly and spent the rest of her life in an institution. Joe Kennedy did not want the family to visit her because “it would look bad for the family”. Luckily, Eunice, her sister, continued to visit and eventually created Special Olympics in honor of her sister Rosemary. Yes, we have come far, but have a good way to go.
I enjoy reading your posts.
Jodi Z.
Jodi, I am familiar with that terrible story. It is just horrific and haunts me a little when I see pictures of the Kennedys. The bond I have with family members leaves me not capable of understanding how she could be written off. Thank you for your comment and Merry Christmas!! XO
And LOVE the picture of Brian and Donny:)
Thanks, Lenley!I do too! So sweet! XO
This was a shock to see…Especially at the end when they showed real pictures of them and the dates of their life/death. So very sad. and to add insult, they pronounced them dead so no one would know about them as not to tarnish the reputation of “ROYAL BLOOD” Shameful!
Tamara…. I know. The pictures at the end were almost too much to bear. Shameful just scratches the surface. Thank you for commenting and Merry Christmas!! XO