Mädchenjahre einer Königin (1936) - A Charming, If Inaccurate, Royal Mess

A Royal Fairy Tale

If you are looking for a dry history lesson about the British Empire, you should probably just close this tab right now. This movie doesn't really care about the real Victoria as much as it cares about making a cute romantic comedy.

It is worth watching today if you like those old, glowy movies where everyone looks like they just stepped out of a perfume ad. People who enjoy the 'Sissi' films will probably love this one, but history buffs will likely have a headache by the thirty-minute mark.

The whole thing starts with Victoria, played by Jenny Jugo, finding out she is now the Queen. She is only 18, and you can tell she is both terrified and kind of excited to finally tell her mother to be quiet.

Jenny Jugo is the reason to stay tuned. She has this sparky energy that makes her feel less like a statue and more like a real girl who just wants to go for a walk without twenty guards following her.

The plot is pretty simple. Everyone wants her to marry someone she doesn't know, mostly for 'political reasons' which is just code for 'old men wanting more power.'

She decides to run away to Dover to clear her head. It is the classic 'royal in disguise' trope that we have seen a million times, but it works here because the costumes are so unbelievably fluffy.

There is a scene in an inn where she meets a handsome stranger. We all know who he is, but she doesn't, and the movie spends a long time letting them flirt while the rain pours outside.

The lighting in that inn scene is actually really nice. It has this warm, smoky feeling that makes you want to go grab a blanket and a hot chocolate.

I noticed that some of the extras in the background of the court scenes look incredibly bored. Like, there is one guy in a wig who looks like he is trying to remember if he left the stove on back in 1936.

The advisors, like Lord Melbourne, are played with a lot of huffing and puffing. They treat Victoria like a child, and seeing her snap back at them is the most satisfying part of the whole film.

It reminds me a little bit of the way royalty is handled in The Ragged Road to Romance, though this one has a much bigger budget for lace. 🎀

Sometimes the movie gets a bit slow. There are these long sequences of people walking through hallways that feel like they were just trying to show off how much money they spent on the sets.

And the music? It never stops. It is constantly telling you how to feel, which gets a bit exhausting after an hour.

I found myself wondering if anyone in the 1830s actually moved that fast. Everyone in this movie scurries around like they are in a race, especially the servants.

There is a weird moment where a dog almost trips one of the actors. They kept it in the movie for some reason, and it is honestly the most 'real' thing that happens in the first half.

Compared to something heavy like Hamlet, this is basically cotton candy. It’s light, it’s sweet, and it disappears the moment it's over.

I did think the writing by Ernst Marischka was a bit clunky in the middle. Characters tend to explain their entire plan to the audience while looking into a mirror.

But then you get a shot of the English countryside (which was definitely filmed in a studio or in Germany) and it looks so pretty you forget the dialogue is a bit stiff.

The romance isn't exactly steamy. It is more about long looks and accidental hand touches. It’s very 'polite,' which fits the time it was made, I guess.

I’ve seen better pacing in The Preview Murder Mystery, but that’s a totally different genre so maybe it’s not a fair fight.

One thing that bugged me was the hair. Victoria’s hair seems to change volume between shots. In one scene it’s a neat bun, and in the next, it’s like a cloud of curls that would take three hours to do.

The movie is at its best when it stops trying to be a 'Great Historical Epic' and just lets Jenny Jugo be funny. She has a great face for silent reactions.

It is definitely better than Leichte Kavallerie if you are looking for a lead actress with actual charisma.

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it a nice way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon? Absolutely. ☕

It’s funny how movies from this era all have that same 'shimmer' on the film stock. It makes everything look like a dream, which is probably the point since the real Victoria probably had a much more stressful time.

The ending is exactly what you expect. No surprises here. But the journey is quite sweet, even if it's a bit sugary for some tastes.

I’d say give it a chance if you like old cinema. Just don't use it to study for your history exam or you will definitely fail.