Helen Mirren as the Queen.

That at least is the overwhelming sentiment of the reviews for the new Stephen Frears film, The Queen set at the time of the death of Princess Diana.

The Queen herself is played impeccably by actress Helen Mirren, well known for her TV role in Prime Suspect. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, she said: “I must say I slowly fell in love with her. It started off with, ‘Oh what the hell is this about?’ But as I researched her I fell in love and I never thought that would happen. My parents were very anti-monarchy and anti-class system, but you’ve got to separate your political views, call it your chip on the shoulder, and just look at the person … Having played an essence of the Queen, I’ve lost that chip on my shoulder.”

Her Majesty is definitely the flavour of the moment. Her enduring popularity was confirmed at all of the many 80th birthday celebrations earlier this year.

In a review of the film in today’s UK Sunday Times, Minette Marrin writes :

The more he [Frears] and his great leading actress came to know of the Queen, the more royalist they seem to have become. The result is that they have created a royalist film; it is practically a hagiography. The film The Queen will work public relations wonders for the House of Windsor. This is all the more astonishing because neither Frears nor Helen Mirren is the kind of person you would expect to have a single good word to say about the Queen. Luvvies tend not to be courtiers.

As Helen Mirren said: “I think of all the things the Queen has gone through, the psychological traumas of the war years, 10 prime ministers . . . but she’s had the same values, the values of duty first, self last, and that constancy is extraordinary . . . and of course those values are the ones we cherish today.”