Under the Queen's Umbrella (2022)

Our Take: A beautiful, heartwarming, and fast-paced saeguk drama.

The Premise

Under the Queen's Umbrella is a fictional period drama set during the Joseon dynasty. The show centers around Queen Im Hwa Ryung (Kim Hye Soo) as she navigates power struggles among the royal family and court officials while trying to reign in her troublemaking sons and ensure their ascension to the throne.

As the title implies, the Queen spends much of her time running around (literally) trying to protect her sons, the Crown Prince and Grand Princes, and ensure they get a proper education. However, in doing so, she often breaks standard protocols, acting hot-tempered and witty rather than focusing on maintaining an aura of grace and dignity.

What makes this K-drama unique from other historical dramas is the focus on the history of the women in the palace and the power and influence they exert. While King Lee Ho (Choi Won Young) sits on the throne and runs the kingdom with the court officials, the women behind them secretly play chess in the background and vy for power to protect their sons and families.

Motherhood is Daunting

"The duty of a parent is not to lead the way but to show their child the path they have walked."

Being a mother is intimidating - you are raising a full human being and shaping the person they will become when they grow up. But it can also give you strength and a sense of purpose and duty. Through the unique development of each mother-son bond, we can see that there is no one right definition of motherhood, and every mother goes through their own sacred journey.

In the beginning, we see the Queen and the King's concubines scrambling to protect their sons with all their might from the perils of the palace affairs. To shield their sons from the harshness of the world, they spend their days plotting and scheming in ways that ultimately lead many of their sons to go down dangerous paths.

The Queen stands out as a virtuous role model for the rest of the concubines by approaching every obstacle and hardship with compassion, patience, and a strong sense of justice. As much as she wants to handhold her sons and keep them under her umbrella for life, the best thing she can do for them is to embrace their imperfections and give them the breathing room to grow up and choose their paths.

The Queen demonstrates by example that no matter how ruthless or scary the world may be, eventually, we need to let go of our children's hands and allow them to pave their future. From the dynamics between the Queen and her sons, Consort Tae So Yong (Kim Ga Eun) and Prince Bo Gum (Kim Min Ki), Consort Go (Woo Jeong Won) and Prince Sim So (Moon Sung Hyun), and Royal Consort Hwang (Ok Ja Yeon) and Prince Ui Sung (Chani), we see the mothers eventually learn to give their sons freedom to pursue happiness in their own ways.

Choosing Courage

“When things are tough, it is okay to say so. It is alright to show that you are in pain. Only then will others know that you are not alright.”

Oftentimes when we fail, the last thing we want to do is to admit that things didn’t work out the way we expected, especially to those around us. In a society where the winners write history, we’re taught to focus on highlighting our accomplishments and hiding our weaknesses and failures, whether out of embarrassment, shame, or fear of judgment.

But, by choosing to be vulnerable and learning to ask for help, we can let go of our shame and fear and start our journey toward healing and finding inner peace. The reality is that nobody is perfect. We all fall at one point or another. And that’s completely okay. All we can do is keep moving forward and lean on those around us to help us get back up.

A Rare Nod at LGBTQ Representation

Grand Prince Gye Seong's (Yoo Sun Ho) storyline as a cross-dresser was a great addition to the show and seamlessly fit into the broader theme of love and acceptance. Queer people have existed throughout history but are rarely acknowledged on screen or in mainstream media.

When the Queen discovers Grand Prince Gye Seong’s secret, she accepts him for who he is and shields him from those who misunderstand him. When he asks her if she is upset, she tells him, “When I first found out, I was at a loss for a while. But I was not upset. No matter how you look, you will always be my child.” By embracing Gye Seong when he is most vulnerable, the Queen gives him a safe place to land and hopes that someday people will embrace him for his authentic self.

In a society that still does not fully accept people who are different, their unbreakable bond and love for each other gives us hope that “There will come a day when those who have different wishes than others will no longer have to hide.”

Opposites Attract

Crown Princess Cheong Ha’s (Oh Ye Ju) bright personality compliments Crown Prince Seong Nam’s (Moon Sang Min) quiet and reserved demeanor perfectly. Despite her reputation as a troublemaker among matchmakers, Cheong Ha is a modern woman beyond her time. She is fiercely independent, proactively voices what she wants, and goes to great lengths to fight for love and justice. In many ways, she mirrors the Queen's virtuosity, and assures us that the kingdom will be in good hands in the future.

Though some felt that Cheong Ha’s story was unnecessary, watching her relationship blossom with Seong Nam was a nice break from the heavy politics and drama. Cheong Ha pushes Seong Nam out of his comfort zone and teaches him to open his heart to others. Their love for each other is pure and heartwarming, especially when Seong Nam tells Cheong Ha that they do not need to have children as long as she is healthy. Infertility has long been used as a weapon for men to divorce their wives and is a point of contention for many couples today still. So, it was especially touching to see Seong Nam say he is perfectly content with simply having her by his side.

The King and Queen

Despite having numerous concubines, the love, trust, and respect King Lee Ho has for his Queen remains strong and everlasting. He always tries to do right by her and treats her as an equal in their relationship. Even when those around him try to sabotage their relationship or undermine the Queen's authority, his love for her never wavers.

Their marriage gets repeatedly tested, but they continue to lean on other for support and trust in each other to do what is right. It was especially touching when the King chose to reveal the truth behind the deaths of his brother, Crown Prince Tae In, and his son, Crown Prince (Bae In Hyuk), and right his wrongs, even though it meant potentially undermining his authority. At one of his lowest points, the Queen guides the King towards a just path forward and gives him confidence in his accomplishments as the ruler of his kingdom, allowing him to be a sage king to the end.

Final Thoughts

The ending was beautifully shot - a perfect, full-circle conclusion. In the last few moments, we see Crown Prince Seong Nam protect the Queen under his umbrella in the present day and flashbacks of her doing the same for him when he was a child, symbolizing how far they have come since then.

I also want to give a special shout out to Kim Hye Soo as the Queen. She was a true queen and star of the drama, delivering a top-notch performance and carrying the plot to the end. I have watched several of her previous dramas, including hits like Juvenile Justice and Signal, and she always slays.

If you are looking for a comforting and well-written historical drama, this is it. Under the Queen's Umbrella had a consistent plot, great character development, strong family bonds, and lots of positive energy.