THE STAG

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I think the stag is quite a complex symbol here, possibly more so than the writers even intended. I saw at first the Monarch of the Glen (look it up its a famous painting), a mythical mystical embodiment of England, of the land itself, of holy but endangered nature, a little like the coyote or the buffalo for america. So we have a meeting of the monarchs and a moment for the Queen to encounter the spiritual aspect of her role as custodian of England's identity. Note she cries here, not just later when it is found dead. At the same time we know it is threatened by the brutish bloodsporting aspect of that same ruling class personified by Phillip. So she is in a sense torn but in fact very clear about her feelings. perhaps showing us that she is not a King, she is a Queen - female/nature/goddess tropes and all that.

The analogy of the stalked Diana didn't occur to me and seems a little trite but the logic is compelling that this was an intention of the writers. I don't think its a major point that the Queen cared more for the stag than Diana. I assumed she simply didn't care for Diana. But she was caring.

I'll just add this scene was extra profound for me as I had the same experience myself early one morning, in the mist, in Scotland. I had just exited the outhouse. I at first took the horns to be the shape of a tree. It was still for a moment then was startled and took off. We both scared eachother. Come to think of it we were warned to keep off the hills at that time as it was hunting season.

Finally, as observed in my post above, the stag is also known as the hart.