Peter Morgan, the screenwriter behind the series, has revealed how he experienced a ‘breakthrough’ whilst researching the former Prime Minister for The Crown’s upcoming fourth series. The series is set between the 1970s and the early 1990s, and is due to portray Margaret Thatcher’s relationship with the monarch.
The late Mrs Thatcher is due to be portrayed by Gillian Anderson, alongside Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Mr Morgan revealed his surprise when he realised the Queen and Mrs Thatcher were born just half a year apart.
He described the fact as “a big breakthrough for me,” before going on to discuss how both women were similar in many ways.
The Queen meets Margaret Thatcher (R) at the National Portrait Gallery in 2000 (Image: Fiona Hanson / AFP / Getty)
The Crown creator said: “Because of their generation, they had a lot of things in common—they’re both very resilient, very committed, work incredibly hard, have an extraordinary sense of duty. They both have a strong Christian faith.”
Mr Morgan added the two prominent figures were also of the way generation. However, he said the two had “such different ideas” about how to govern Britain.
According to analysts, the two were rumoured to disagree on central political themes of the time, including the miners’ strike.
READ: Queen’s heartwarming comment to actress at honours ceremony exposed
Screenwriter Peter Morgan has described learning about the relationship between the Queen and Mrs Thatcher (Image: Rommel Demano / FilmMagic / Getty)
Indeed, historian Ben Pimlott once described the monarch as “a bit of a leftie” in her own way, according to The Independent.
At other times, the two may have had a closer relationship – they had around 11 years to foster it – with the Queen allegedly expressing sympathy when Mrs Thatcher was forced out of office at the start of the 90s.
Mr Morgan has portrayed both Mrs Thatcher and the Queen in the past, albeit for stage rather than Netflix.
DON’T MISS:
Queen Elizabeth II ‘shoved Michael Sheen’ in OBE incident [INSIGHT]
Meghan Markle opts for THIS favourite fashion choice in three recent appearances [ANALYSIS]
Queen’s fury: Monarch’s Christmas plans at Sandringham left in tatters [INFO]
Margaret Thatcher and the Queen reportedly were similar in many ways and not in others (Image: Jeff Overs / BBC News & Current Affairs / Getty)
His play The Audience, which was released in 2013, imagines the Queen’s private meetings with each of the UK’s prime ministers over a span of around 60 years.
As such, meetings between Mrs Thatcher and the Queen were explored.
There have been real-life scenarios pointing to the relationship between the two as well.
The Queen regularly meets with every prime minister (Image: Chris Jackson / Getty)
Royal Family taxpayer cost graph (Image: EXPRESS)
One such meeting took place in 2005, when the Queen and Prince Philip were invited to Mrs Thatcher’s 80th birthday party.
Lord Powell, a foreign affairs adviser for the former prime minister, said Mrs Thatcher “performed one of her deepest curtsies I’d ever seen,” the Daily Mail claims.
Margaret Thatcher resigned in November 1990. Conservative Prime Minister John Major was then in office until 1997.
Margaret Thatcher was succeeded in office by John Major (Image: Carl Court / Getty)
The Queen has a special relationship with the incumbent Prime Minister of the UK.
Although the monarch does not, by tradition, involve herself in politics or even vote, she regularly meets with whoever holds the keys to Downing Street.
She also has the right to appoint or dismiss the Prime Minister.
