10 Greatest Portrayals Of Monarchs In Movie History

7. Mikkel Følsgaard - A Royal Affair

One of the biggest problems with the notion of keeping your marriages within the same few royal bloodlines throughout Europe is that when there's a hereditary problem, it tends to pop up with more and more frequency, because both parents are likely carriers. Consider the prevalence of hemophilia among the royal descendants of Queen Victoria. The same sort of thing happened with mental illness, which seems to be at least partly linked to a family history. That could explain why you hear of so many mad kings. The reign of Christian VII of Denmark was plagued by periods of mental instability which affected his ability to rule. And it certainly sheds light on the relationship that developed between his wife and his physician, who carried out a lengthy affair. The film A Royal Affair largely focuses on their romantic relationship, but Mikkel Følsgaard's performance as the king is crucial. He manages to strike a chord with audiences -- he avoids the temptation to chew the scenery or to make the character into a true villain. He won the Best Actor award at the Berlin Film Festival, and the film just wouldn't work without him.