A new film speculates on what happened when Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret snuck out of Buckingham Palace to celebrate the end of World War II. Des Sampson talked to the young actors playing the royal sisters.
On May 8, 1945, as the whole of Britain celebrated VE Day - the end of World War II hostilities with Nazi Germany - two teenage girls ignored their parents' pleas to stay at home.
Instead, they crept out to mingle with the fervent throng rejoicing outside their house. Whenthey subsequently vanished, it sparked a frantic search and rescue panic.
That's because they weren't ordinary teenagers, from an ordinary home: they were Princess Elizabeth - the future Queen - and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, who'd fled Buckingham Palace, incognito, to join the festivities in Trafalgar Square.
It's a tale that's retold in A Royal Night Out, with Princess Elizabeth portrayed by Canadian actress Sarah Gadon, and Princess Margaret played by London-born Bel Powley. Their parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), are played by Rupert Everett and Emily Watson.
It's a comedy-drama from director Julian Jarrod, whose last feature was his big screen remake of Brideshead Revisited. This one seems designed to be more of a crowd-pleaser, its release timed to catch the 70th anniversary commemoration of VE Day - and the arrival of another princess.
A Royal Night Out looks back to a time when members of the royal family could pass unrecognised in public. But is there any truth in it?
"They definitely partied on VE Night because while I was doing my research into Princess Margaret I unearthed a Desert Island Discs recording she'd done in the 70s, where she recalls how they went out and how magical it was," says Powley.
"But what she didn't say is what they got up to that night, so we still don't know, even now.
"That gave us the luxury of being able to take the pieces of history that we wanted to use, to weave into our characters, but also the possibility of pushing the boundaries a bit further," she adds. "It allowed us to bring a fantastical side to it, that we could really play with, because what happened that night is based on rumours, rather than documented facts."
Sarah Gadon as Princess Elizabeth in A Royal Night Out.
The pair are shown out on the town, drinking in London boozers and travelling on night buses, as well as enjoying the swankier side of London life, with glamorous parties at The Ritz and dancing at the Chelsea Barracks.
"For me, I think what makes Elizabeth's experience so wonderful on VE Night isn't the partying but that it's a common experience that everyone shares, everyone is celebrating and everyone was feeling that night," says Gadon.
"It was really about her becoming a part of the crowd - of becoming a citizen of London.
"Also, when we recreated the scene in Trafalgar Square, on VE Night, that was a really special evening for me, personally, because both my grandparents had served in World War II and they'd both been in Trafalgar Square on VE Night celebrating," she recounts. "Sadly, they passed away a few years ago, so to be able to recreate that moment in time, that they were a part of, was incredibly poignant for me."
Bel Powley as Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out.
As the evening unfolds and events spiral out of control, the two sisters become separated and suddenly find themselves in Soho's backstreet bars and brothels, unearthing the seedier side of the city, with its gangsters, pimps and prostitutes.
"When I read the script and realised there were scenes in the bars and clubs around Soho, I found it really surreal because those are places I know well, from going there myself," says Powley. "But it's cool to know that where I hang out now, people were going to back in the 40s, too.
"Doing A Royal Night Out was so much fun, especially as it's every little girl's dream to be a princess, at some point of their life."
"Also I've been doing a lot of serious movies recently, so I was grateful to have a chance to play around and do some farcical comedy for this.
"Margaret was really brilliant to portray; she was so energetic, effervescent and fun, especially when she's dancing the Lindy Hop in the ballroom scene.
Rupert Everett as King George VI and Emily Watson as Queen Elizabeth join the royal line-up.
"I'll tell you, that's probably the hardest dance ever invented. It's so fast-paced, with so many spins and men chucking women in the air; it's like Olympic tumbling.
"Even after five hours of lessons I only learned four or five steps, because it's so hard."
In contrast, Princess Elizabeth finds herself navigating her way through a much more delicate dance: the first flutters of romance with an RAF flyer, played by Jack Reynor, who rescues her when she finds herself lost in Soho's side streets.
"There is a spark between them, but what I like about Jack's character, and their relationship, is how well he represents the idea of how classless that night was, at a time in England where class and rank really mattered," says Gadon.
"Although the class difference is not as prevalent now as it was then, it's still something that strikes me whenever I visit Britain. But on VE Night all of that dissolved momentarily and I think their relationship plays homage to that.
"The other thing about this film which I found eye-opening was how much I discovered about the Queen. To be honest, I didn't really have an understanding of everything that she and her family had been through with her father becoming the king, when his brother abdicated, and the whole turmoil her family went through after that," she says.
"The way they handled themselves was so graceful and elegant. She was a really amazing woman to discover, on this level, and I hope that people of my generation discover that too, when they watch the film."
"You know what I really hope?" adds Powley, "I really hope the Royal Family watch this!
"I'm imagining the Queen in her private screening room, in Buckingham Palace, with all her corgis surrounding her, just laughing her head off! I really hope that's the case ..."
What: A Royal Night Out When and where: Advance screenings this weekend at selected cinemas. Opens Thursday
