The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan

The film ends with Gilbert's knighthood ceremony, but very carefully does not show which British monarch knighted him, although in an earlier scene, it was made clear that Queen Victoria had knighted Sullivan. Gilbert was knighted by Victoria's son, King Edward VII, almost 25 years after Sullivan received the honor. The delay may have been due to Victoria's famous lack of a sense of humor, she was known to admire Sullivan most for his more serious musical compositions, rather than the G&S light operas, which she considered rather frivolous, while everything Gilbert wrote was humorous. The concealment of King Edward's presence at Gilbert's knighthood ceremony may have been done to avoid confusing the audience over Victoria's apparent withholding of the honor from Gilbert.

Referenced in Frasier: They're Playing Our Song (2000)