简介：Atwo-partportraitofElizabethII'sgrandparents,KingGeorgeVandQueenMary,whichexaminesthelastinglegacyofthecouplewhorescuedthemonarchyfrompotentialdisaster,andwhoseinfluencepersiststothisday. EpisodeonefocusesonKingGeorgeV.Georgecouldnothavebeenamoreunlikelymoderniser.BornandbroughtupintheVictorianagehewasconservativetohisfingertips.YetinthefaceofunstoppablesocialchangeaftertheFirstWorldWarheturnedouttobearemarkableinnovator,creatingtheHouseofWindsor,embracingdemocraticreform,andreinventingmanyoftheroyaltraditionsthatweknowtoday.Whenhecelebratedhissilverjubileein1935themonarchywasmorepopularthanever. ButasaparentKingGeorgeVwasfarlesssuccessful-hebulliedhischildrenandalienatedhiseldestsonandheir,PrinceEdward.Asonecourtierremarkedatthetime,'theroyalfamilyarelikeducks,theysitontheirchildren'.Bycontrast,KingGeorgehadalovingrelationshipwithhisgranddaughter,andmuchofQueenElizabeth'sstyleandcommitmenttodutycanbetracedbacktothisearlyinfluence. EpisodetwofocusesonQueenMary,whocamefromarelativelyhumbleroyalbackground,butwaspickedasafuturequeenconsortbyQueenVictoria.AtfirstshewasbetrothedtoPrinceEddy,heirtothethrone.ButwhenEddydiedshewasunceremoniouslypassedtohisbrotherGeorge. Despitethearrangedmarriage,KingGeorgeandQueenMaryhadalovingrelationship.Maryreveredthemonarchyandobeyedherhusbandinallthings-eventhelengthofherdresses.Shealwaysputdutyandservicefirst.ButwhenKingGeorgediedin1936,thisoncerigidlyformalcharacteremergedasadeterminedifeccentricroyalmatriarchwithamindofherown. WhentheabdicationcrisisthreatenedthefutureoftheHouseofWindsorshewastherocktowhichthenationturnedasasymbolofstabilityandcontinuity.QueenMarydiedin1953,havinglivedtoseehergranddaughter,Elizabeth,ascendtothethrone.…