Edward the Seventh (television)
Encyclopedia
Edward the Seventh is a 1975 television drama series, made by ATV
in 13 one-hour episodes.
Based on the biography of Edward VII by Philip Magnus, it starred Timothy West
as the elder Edward VII and Simon Gipps-Kent
and Charles Sturridge
as Edward in his youth, Annette Crosbie
as Queen Victoria, Deborah Grant and Helen Ryan
as Queen Alexandra (the former as a young woman, the latter in later life), Robert Hardy
as the Prince Consort, Alison Leggatt
as the Duchess of Kent
, and Felicity Kendal
as Princess Vicky (later Empress Frederick of Germany)
. It was directed by John Gorrie
, who wrote episodes 7-10 with David Butler
writing the remainder of the series.
The series also featured John Gielgud
as Benjamin Disraeli, Michael Hordern
as William Ewart Gladstone
, Harry Andrews
as young Edward's tutor Colonel Bruce, Jane Lapotaire
as Empress Marie of Russia (sister to Alexandra and mother of Emperor Nicholas II
), Christopher Neame
as Kaiser Wilhelm II (King Edward's own nephew) and, in one of his earliest roles, Charles Dance
as Edward's eldest son Eddy
, who died at the age of 28.
The actresses playing Edward's mistresses include Moira Redmond
as Alice Keppel
and Carolyn Seymour
as Daisy Greville
. Francesca Annis
was featured in two episodes as Lillie Langtry
which led to Butler writing a full series about Mrs Langtry's life for Annis to star in, Lillie
.
Only the final three episodes dramatised Edward as King (in line with his short, nine-year reign, which did not begin until he was nearly sixty years old). Annette Crosbie, who won a BAFTA for her performance, was given top billing in the series (appearing in ten out of the thirteen episodes).
It was first broadcast on TV between April and July 1975. In the United States it was shown under the title Edward the King, with episode introductions by Canadian-American broadcaster Robert MacNeil
. In the UK, it is available as a four-disc DVD set, encoded for Region 0, by Network Video. It is also available for the North American market as an extras-less six-disc set.
After only a year of marriage, Queen Victoria has not only given birth to a daughter but learns that she is again pregnant. The Queen takes her role seriously and is fully engaged in matters of State. She has an outstanding relationship with the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne and is concerned that her confinement will limit her abilities to rule. For her husband, Prince Albert, his limited role in the household causes friction in the marriage. He has no say in the hiring of the household staff or the way his child is cared for. More importantly he yearns for a role as an adviser in the political realm. The Queen dearly loves him and over time, he slowly establishes himself as the head of the household and becomes an indispensable adviser. The birth of their second child, Prince Albert Edward, provides the line with a male heir. Even though he's only still a baby, his father is already planning his education.
The young Prince Albert, called Bertie by members of the family, is not having a particularly happy childhood. The elder Prince Albert has very definite views about his son's education including the need for non-stop work, both in the classroom and out, and very strict discipline. Bertie rebels but the only solution seems to be ever more discipline. He's clearly a disappointment to his father who had hoped his son would be a new kind of leader, a scholar who knows and understands the world but that is clearly not to be, at least not to his satisfaction. He soon dismisses his eldest son and spends most of his time ensuring the happiness of his eldest daughter Princess Victoria, known as Vicky. Her marriage is something of a sad time for the Queen and the Prince Consort as they miss her greatly and Bertie feels that he cannot replace his sister in their hearts. Bertie for his part wants to do something useful but his personal wants and desires seem to the furthest thing from his father's mind.
Political relations with the French are important as the Crimean War
against Russia is underway.
After a successful tour of President Buchanan
's America, young Prince Bertie returns home to find that his parents do not see it as a personal success rather one that can be attributed to the monarchy in general. His father tells him he is to go to Oxford to continue his studies but will be under the care of a governor and will not be allowed to mix with other students. Bertie really wants to join the army but his father, at first, refuses, but eventually decides in his favor. He is made a Lieutenant Colonel
in the Grenadier Guards
and sent to Ireland to undergo his training. There he sees a few familiar faces and begins an affair with an Irish music hall performer.
The situation in Italy
creates a conflict for Albert with his relations in the Austrian court. Vicky's son Wilhelm is born with a damaged arm. States in the American South secede, raising the possibility of war. Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent
, dies.
Prince Bertie continues his military training but he is taken to deceiving his superiors and sneaking off with his friends to the music halls. His parents continue their search to find Bertie a suitable wife. Their preference is for a German bride but eventually they settle on Princess Alexandra of Denmark, known to her family as Alix. A brief meeting is arranged for the two at the cathedral in Speyer
, but no final decision is made. Relations with his father deteriorate even further when the Prince Consort receives a confidential letter from a friend telling of Bertie's dalliance with a music hall singer. Bertie is clearly a disappointment to his father, but the elder Prince Albert falls ill and dies of typhoid
toward the end of 1861.
Albert is concerned as trouble between Denmark and Prussia grows. Albert endeavours to avoid war with the United States. President Lincoln
proposes an alliance with France to conquer Canada.
With Queen Victoria in mourning, the Cabinet is concerned that her withdrawal from public duties will have a negative impact on her people. As a result, Bertie assumes many of the public duties of the monarch. He proves to be quite popular and works hard at maintaining the positive face of the monarchy. It is not quite what Bertie has in mind but the Queen refuses any role for him in matters of State. She sees him as an utter failure and refuses to let him participate in any decision-making. The Queen also decides that there is no need to wait the full year of mourning before he can marry and she pushes him to decide on Alix. He and Princess Alix are married and she soon after announces that she is expecting.
Victoria has strong opinions about the Greek succession. The long-simmering problems between Denmark and Prussia lead to conflict within the family and finally an outbreak of war.
Bertie's family continues to grow but Princess Alix is not strong and suffers from general ill health including a bout with rheumatic fever
. Politics continues to cause a rift in the family with Princess Alix refusing to see or have anything to do with Bertie's Prussian relations after the forced annexation of parts of Denmark. It all comes to a head when the King of Prussia asks to call on her. Queen Victoria continues to refuse all public engagements. Bertie finds himself in court as a witness in a divorce case involving a lady with whom he was acquainted. The defeat of the French Empire in the Franco-Prussian War
leads to a rise in Republicanism. Prime Minister Gladstone tries to have the Queen appoint Bertie as Viceroy to Ireland but she rejects the suggestion. Everyone expects the worst when Bertie contracts typhoid and approaches death on the 10th anniversary of his father dying from the same disease.
Victoria and Bertie are critical of Prussia after the war with Denmark and the war with Austria
. Victoria appreciates her consultations with Disraeli. She is pleased by the French withdrawal from Mexico
but chagrined by the death of Emperor Maximilian
.
The Queen continues to refuse all attempts at giving her eldest son any responsibility in matters of State. After a very successful visit to Coventry, the new Prime Minister, Mr. Disraeli, looks for something appropriate for the Prince to do. Bertie suggests that he go on an official State visit to India. To Bertie's surprise and delight, Victoria agrees. It causes major difficulties at home when he informs Alix that she will not be accompanying him. It had always been her dream to visit India and she is heartbroken at being left behind. The trip to India goes well but Bertie must face yet another scandal when Lord Aylesford announces that his wife has been having an affair and he may be divorcing her. Lord Randolph Churchill
offers to intervene in the case - the other party in the tryst is his brother - if the Prince would also intervene with Lord Aylesford to stop a divorce. Bertie flatly refuses leading Churchill to try and force the Prince's hand.
Bertie visits Denmark along with the Russian Czar
and the King of Greece
. He also visits his sister Vicky and her husband Fritz, the Crown Prince of Prussia
. Vicky is concerned about her son William who she knows will some day be Emperor and has fallen under the spell of Bismarck
, whom they dislike with a passion. When the British intervene to put down a mutiny in the Egyptian army, Bertie very much wants to join his Regiment but the Queen will not hear of it. Bertie continues his liaison with Lillie Langtry
. Prime Minister Gladstone
asks the Prince to serve on a Royal Commission on the state of housing for the working classes. Bertie tours some of the poorest districts and is appalled at the conditions he finds there.
Bertie faces scandal on two fronts. He agrees to assist Lady Brooke
to retrieve a letter she wrote to her one-time lover, Lord Charles Beresford
. She is now terrified that Lady Beresford will take some action against her. Bertie somewhat ham-handedly calls on Lady Beresford's lawyer and orders him to destroy it. The lawyer refuses but does agree to ask his client to. He then calls on Lady Beresford with the same request. When Charles Beresford hears of the Prince's action, he hits the roof. Bertie is relieved that Beresford will soon be returning to his posting in the Mediterranean
. But after the matter had appeared long settled, Bertie faces demands for an apology with the threat of making the whole thing public. A second scandal erupts when Lt. Col. Sir William Gordon Cumming is found cheating at baccarat
, an illegal card game. The Prince and others try to settle the matter quietly but Cumming sues to regain his good name and reputation and it all becomes public. Alix and Bertie encourage their eldest son, Prince Eddy, to find a suitable young woman and marry. An early choice
is unable to convert from Catholicism. Although he does eventually find someone, Princess May
, he falls ill and dies.
Britain finds itself at war in South Africa when British colonists attack the Transvaal government
. But Queen Victoria still refuses to let Bertie have any role in matters of State, so he reluctantly spends his time going to the races and as is so often the case, plays host to visiting relations, this time the Czar
and Czarina of Russia at Balmoral
. The King of Greece
appeals to Alexandra for help against the invading Turks
. The Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee; the event is recorded with a new invention which works by displaying a sequence of still photographs through a projector. Victoria is outraged that Gladstone
's funeral is held at Westminster Abbey
. The war with the Boers
is unpopular on the Continent. Bertie is the object of an assassination attempt by a teenage anarchist
in Brussels
. Visitors to Victoria's sickbed include her grandson, the Kaiser. Queen Victoria dies; Bertie becomes King Edward VII.
After a nearly 60 year wait, Bertie becomes King upon the death of his mother Queen Victoria. There is much speculation as to whether he is up to the job. The King's nephew, the German Kaiser, proposes an Anglo-German alliance and the King supports it but several of his Ministers simply do not take him seriously. Although now Queen, Alix is having some trouble adjusting to their new life, refusing to live at Buckingham Palace
and reluctant to leave Marlborough House
, the home designated for the Prince of Wales, their son George. The King's sister, Vicky – the Kaiser's mother – is dying of cancer. The King is frustrated when his coronation
is postponed due to the Boer War
. When it is finally scheduled, it must be postponed again as the King must undergo emergency surgery to remove his appendix; the planned festivities for the populace proceed regardless. Finally, in a more modest ceremony, Bertie and Alix are crowned.
The King grows increasingly frustrated with his limited role as a constitutional monarch. His attempt at engineering a grand alliance with Germany is successful at one level but ultimately rejected by the Government who still see His Majesty as someone not to be taken seriously. Still searching for some way to make an impact, the King announces he will soon go on a Grand Tour of several European nations including Britain's historic enemy, France. His arrival in France is marked by boos and catcalls, but he soon charms them and leaves to great cheers. His nephew Willie, the German Emperor, continues to visit but has become pompous to the point that the King can barely stand being in the same room as him. After the failure to agree an Anglo-German Alliance, Germany begins to expand its army and navy.
The King enters his final years in general ill health. He smokes too much and has put on too much weight. Britain concludes the Triple Entente, concluding a pact with France and Russia but are aware that the German Kaiser, the King's nephew, will inevitably see it as an affront to Germany. Willie still visits his uncle and appears sincere in his love of family and of England. His on-going re-armament of the German army and navy is clearly seen as a threat against the United Kingdom. As a counter-balance the King and Queen set off on a trip to Russia to visit her nephew, the Czar. Having to yet again make amends with Willie, the King visits Germany but it takes a serious toll on his health. Domestically, the King is thrust into a constitutional crisis when the House of Lords refuses to pass a budget approved by the House of Commons. The King's bronchitis worsens and he succumbs on May 6, 1910.
Other royalty
Prime ministers and politicians
British Army and Royal Navy
Diplomats
Others
, had played the monarch in an episode (entitled "Guest of Honour") of the celebrated ITV
period drama Upstairs Downstairs several years earlier.
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
in 13 one-hour episodes.
Based on the biography of Edward VII by Philip Magnus, it starred Timothy West
Timothy West
Timothy Lancaster West, CBE is an English film, stage and television actor.-Career:West's craggy looks ensured a career as a character actor rather than a leading man. He began his career as an Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956, and followed this with several seasons of...
as the elder Edward VII and Simon Gipps-Kent
Simon Gipps-Kent
Simon Gipps-Kent was a British actor, particularly noted as a prolific child actor in the 1970s.His television credits include: the 1973 BBC television adaptation of M.R...
and Charles Sturridge
Charles Sturridge
Charles B. G. Sturridge is an English screenwriter, producer, stage, television and film director.-Personal life:Sturridge was born in London, England to Alyson Bowman Vaughan and Jerome Sturridge. He was educated at Stonyhurst College...
as Edward in his youth, Annette Crosbie
Annette Crosbie
Annette Crosbie, OBE is a Scottish character actor.-Life and career:Crosbie was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, to Presbyterian parents who disapproved of her becoming an actor. Nevertheless, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School while still in her teens...
as Queen Victoria, Deborah Grant and Helen Ryan
Helen Ryan
Helen Ryan is a British actress.Roles include Queen Alexandra in Edward the Seventh.- External links :...
as Queen Alexandra (the former as a young woman, the latter in later life), Robert Hardy
Robert Hardy
Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...
as the Prince Consort, Alison Leggatt
Alison Leggatt
Alison Leggatt was an English character actress.-Career:Born as Alison Joy Leggatt in the Kensington district of London, Leggatt spent the early part of her career primarily on the stage. Her first major film credit was as Aunt Sylvia in This Happy Breed , Noel Coward's homage to the British...
as the Duchess of Kent
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
, and Felicity Kendal
Felicity Kendal
Felicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare...
as Princess Vicky (later Empress Frederick of Germany)
Victoria, Princess Royal
The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
. It was directed by John Gorrie
John Gorrie (director)
John Gorrie is a director.He started out as an actor before becoming assistant floor manager at the BBC. He attended BBCs director's course in early 1963 and his first jobs as a director were for the soap opera Compact and the anthology series Suspense...
, who wrote episodes 7-10 with David Butler
David Butler (screenwriter)
David Butler was a Scottish writer of numerous screenplays and teleplays who won an Emmy Award and was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe...
writing the remainder of the series.
The series also featured John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
as Benjamin Disraeli, Michael Hordern
Michael Hordern
Sir Michael Murray Hordern was an English actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre, which stretched back to before the Second World War.-Personal life:...
as William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
, Harry Andrews
Harry Andrews
Harry Fleetwood Andrews, CBE was an English film actor known for his frequent portrayals of tough military officers. His performance as Sergeant Major Wilson in The Hill alongside Sean Connery earned Andrews the 1965 National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor and a nomination for the...
as young Edward's tutor Colonel Bruce, Jane Lapotaire
Jane Lapotaire
Jane Lapotaire is a British actress.She studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the 1960s. Her role in the title role of Marie Curie first brought her to wide attention...
as Empress Marie of Russia (sister to Alexandra and mother of Emperor Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
), Christopher Neame
Christopher Neame
Christopher Neame is an English actor.-Education:Neame was educated at The King's School, Canterbury, an independent school in Canterbury in Kent.-Life and career:...
as Kaiser Wilhelm II (King Edward's own nephew) and, in one of his earliest roles, Charles Dance
Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. His most famous roles are Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown , Dr Clemens, the doctor of penitentiary Fury 161, who becomes Ellen Ripley's confidante in Alien 3 ,...
as Edward's eldest son Eddy
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale was a member of the British Royal Family. He was the eldest son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales , and the grandson of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria...
, who died at the age of 28.
The actresses playing Edward's mistresses include Moira Redmond
Moira Redmond
Moira Redmond was a British actress.She was born in Bognor Regis, England, the daughter of the actress Molly Redmond and her husband who was a stage manager...
as Alice Keppel
Alice Keppel
Alice Frederica Keppel, née Edmonstone was a British socialite and the most famous mistress of Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Her formal style after marriage was The Hon. Mrs George Keppel. Her daughter, Violet Trefusis, was the lover of poet Vita Sackville-West...
and Carolyn Seymour
Carolyn Seymour
Carolyn Seymour is an English actress, best associated with portraying the role of Abby Grant in the BBC series Survivors in 1975....
as Daisy Greville
Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick
Frances Evelyn "Daisy" Greville, Countess of Warwick was a society beauty, and mistress to King Edward VII.-Family:...
. Francesca Annis
Francesca Annis
Francesca Annis is an English actress, known for her film and television appearances, most recently in the BBC series Wives and Daughters, Cranford, and Deceit.-Early life and education:...
was featured in two episodes as Lillie Langtry
Lillie Langtry
Lillie Langtry , usually spelled Lily Langtry when she was in the U.S., born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton, was a British actress born on the island of Jersey...
which led to Butler writing a full series about Mrs Langtry's life for Annis to star in, Lillie
Lillie
Lillie is a British television serial made by London Weekend Television for ITV and broadcast in 1978.This period serial starred Francesca Annis in the title role of Lillie Langtry...
.
Only the final three episodes dramatised Edward as King (in line with his short, nine-year reign, which did not begin until he was nearly sixty years old). Annette Crosbie, who won a BAFTA for her performance, was given top billing in the series (appearing in ten out of the thirteen episodes).
It was first broadcast on TV between April and July 1975. In the United States it was shown under the title Edward the King, with episode introductions by Canadian-American broadcaster Robert MacNeil
Robert MacNeil
Robert Breckenridge Ware MacNeil, OC, known sometimes as Robin MacNeil, , is currently a novelist and formerly was a television news anchor and journalist who had paired with Jim Lehrer to create The MacNeil/Lehrer Report in 1975.-Early life:MacNeil was born in Montreal, the son of Margaret...
. In the UK, it is available as a four-disc DVD set, encoded for Region 0, by Network Video. It is also available for the North American market as an extras-less six-disc set.
Episodes
- Episode 1: "The Boy"
After only a year of marriage, Queen Victoria has not only given birth to a daughter but learns that she is again pregnant. The Queen takes her role seriously and is fully engaged in matters of State. She has an outstanding relationship with the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne and is concerned that her confinement will limit her abilities to rule. For her husband, Prince Albert, his limited role in the household causes friction in the marriage. He has no say in the hiring of the household staff or the way his child is cared for. More importantly he yearns for a role as an adviser in the political realm. The Queen dearly loves him and over time, he slowly establishes himself as the head of the household and becomes an indispensable adviser. The birth of their second child, Prince Albert Edward, provides the line with a male heir. Even though he's only still a baby, his father is already planning his education.
- Episode 2: "An Experiment in Education"
The young Prince Albert, called Bertie by members of the family, is not having a particularly happy childhood. The elder Prince Albert has very definite views about his son's education including the need for non-stop work, both in the classroom and out, and very strict discipline. Bertie rebels but the only solution seems to be ever more discipline. He's clearly a disappointment to his father who had hoped his son would be a new kind of leader, a scholar who knows and understands the world but that is clearly not to be, at least not to his satisfaction. He soon dismisses his eldest son and spends most of his time ensuring the happiness of his eldest daughter Princess Victoria, known as Vicky. Her marriage is something of a sad time for the Queen and the Prince Consort as they miss her greatly and Bertie feels that he cannot replace his sister in their hearts. Bertie for his part wants to do something useful but his personal wants and desires seem to the furthest thing from his father's mind.
Political relations with the French are important as the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
against Russia is underway.
- Episode 3: "The New World"
After a successful tour of President Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
's America, young Prince Bertie returns home to find that his parents do not see it as a personal success rather one that can be attributed to the monarchy in general. His father tells him he is to go to Oxford to continue his studies but will be under the care of a governor and will not be allowed to mix with other students. Bertie really wants to join the army but his father, at first, refuses, but eventually decides in his favor. He is made a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
and sent to Ireland to undergo his training. There he sees a few familiar faces and begins an affair with an Irish music hall performer.
The situation in Italy
Second Italian War of Independence
The Second War of Italian Independence, Franco-Austrian War, Austro-Sardinian War, or Austro-Piedmontese War , was fought by Napoleon III of France and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia against the Austrian Empire in 1859...
creates a conflict for Albert with his relations in the Austrian court. Vicky's son Wilhelm is born with a damaged arm. States in the American South secede, raising the possibility of war. Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
, dies.
- Episode 4: "Alix"
Prince Bertie continues his military training but he is taken to deceiving his superiors and sneaking off with his friends to the music halls. His parents continue their search to find Bertie a suitable wife. Their preference is for a German bride but eventually they settle on Princess Alexandra of Denmark, known to her family as Alix. A brief meeting is arranged for the two at the cathedral in Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, but no final decision is made. Relations with his father deteriorate even further when the Prince Consort receives a confidential letter from a friend telling of Bertie's dalliance with a music hall singer. Bertie is clearly a disappointment to his father, but the elder Prince Albert falls ill and dies of typhoid
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
toward the end of 1861.
Albert is concerned as trouble between Denmark and Prussia grows. Albert endeavours to avoid war with the United States. President Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
proposes an alliance with France to conquer Canada.
- Episode 5: "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes"
With Queen Victoria in mourning, the Cabinet is concerned that her withdrawal from public duties will have a negative impact on her people. As a result, Bertie assumes many of the public duties of the monarch. He proves to be quite popular and works hard at maintaining the positive face of the monarchy. It is not quite what Bertie has in mind but the Queen refuses any role for him in matters of State. She sees him as an utter failure and refuses to let him participate in any decision-making. The Queen also decides that there is no need to wait the full year of mourning before he can marry and she pushes him to decide on Alix. He and Princess Alix are married and she soon after announces that she is expecting.
Victoria has strong opinions about the Greek succession. The long-simmering problems between Denmark and Prussia lead to conflict within the family and finally an outbreak of war.
- Episode 6: "The Invisible Queen"
Bertie's family continues to grow but Princess Alix is not strong and suffers from general ill health including a bout with rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
. Politics continues to cause a rift in the family with Princess Alix refusing to see or have anything to do with Bertie's Prussian relations after the forced annexation of parts of Denmark. It all comes to a head when the King of Prussia asks to call on her. Queen Victoria continues to refuse all public engagements. Bertie finds himself in court as a witness in a divorce case involving a lady with whom he was acquainted. The defeat of the French Empire in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
leads to a rise in Republicanism. Prime Minister Gladstone tries to have the Queen appoint Bertie as Viceroy to Ireland but she rejects the suggestion. Everyone expects the worst when Bertie contracts typhoid and approaches death on the 10th anniversary of his father dying from the same disease.
Victoria and Bertie are critical of Prussia after the war with Denmark and the war with Austria
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
. Victoria appreciates her consultations with Disraeli. She is pleased by the French withdrawal from Mexico
French intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...
but chagrined by the death of Emperor Maximilian
Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864, with the backing of Napoleon III of France and a group of Mexican monarchists who sought to revive the Mexican monarchy...
.
- Episode 7: "Dearest Prince"
The Queen continues to refuse all attempts at giving her eldest son any responsibility in matters of State. After a very successful visit to Coventry, the new Prime Minister, Mr. Disraeli, looks for something appropriate for the Prince to do. Bertie suggests that he go on an official State visit to India. To Bertie's surprise and delight, Victoria agrees. It causes major difficulties at home when he informs Alix that she will not be accompanying him. It had always been her dream to visit India and she is heartbroken at being left behind. The trip to India goes well but Bertie must face yet another scandal when Lord Aylesford announces that his wife has been having an affair and he may be divorcing her. Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
offers to intervene in the case - the other party in the tryst is his brother - if the Prince would also intervene with Lord Aylesford to stop a divorce. Bertie flatly refuses leading Churchill to try and force the Prince's hand.
- Episode 8: "The Royal Quadrille"
Bertie visits Denmark along with the Russian Czar
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
and the King of Greece
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
. He also visits his sister Vicky and her husband Fritz, the Crown Prince of Prussia
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick III was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days in 1888, the Year of the Three Emperors. Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl known informally as Fritz, was the only son of Emperor William I and was raised in his family's tradition of military service...
. Vicky is concerned about her son William who she knows will some day be Emperor and has fallen under the spell of Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
, whom they dislike with a passion. When the British intervene to put down a mutiny in the Egyptian army, Bertie very much wants to join his Regiment but the Queen will not hear of it. Bertie continues his liaison with Lillie Langtry
Lillie Langtry
Lillie Langtry , usually spelled Lily Langtry when she was in the U.S., born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton, was a British actress born on the island of Jersey...
. Prime Minister Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
asks the Prince to serve on a Royal Commission on the state of housing for the working classes. Bertie tours some of the poorest districts and is appalled at the conditions he finds there.
- Episode 9: "Scandal"
Bertie faces scandal on two fronts. He agrees to assist Lady Brooke
Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick
Frances Evelyn "Daisy" Greville, Countess of Warwick was a society beauty, and mistress to King Edward VII.-Family:...
to retrieve a letter she wrote to her one-time lover, Lord Charles Beresford
Lord Charles Beresford
Charles William de la Poer Beresford, 1st Baron Beresford GCB GCVO , styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British Admiral and Member of Parliament....
. She is now terrified that Lady Beresford will take some action against her. Bertie somewhat ham-handedly calls on Lady Beresford's lawyer and orders him to destroy it. The lawyer refuses but does agree to ask his client to. He then calls on Lady Beresford with the same request. When Charles Beresford hears of the Prince's action, he hits the roof. Bertie is relieved that Beresford will soon be returning to his posting in the Mediterranean
HMS Undaunted (1886)
HMS Undaunted was a ship of the Orlando-class of first-class cruisers built in the yards of Palmer and launched on 3 August 1886 and sold for scrapping on 9 April 1907 to Harris of Bristol.-References:...
. But after the matter had appeared long settled, Bertie faces demands for an apology with the threat of making the whole thing public. A second scandal erupts when Lt. Col. Sir William Gordon Cumming is found cheating at baccarat
Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game, played at casinos and by gamblers. It is believed to have been introduced into France from Italy during the reign of King Charles VIII , and it is similar to Faro and Basset...
, an illegal card game. The Prince and others try to settle the matter quietly but Cumming sues to regain his good name and reputation and it all becomes public. Alix and Bertie encourage their eldest son, Prince Eddy, to find a suitable young woman and marry. An early choice
Princess Hélène d'Orléans
Princess Hélène of Orléans was a member of the Orléans royal family and by marriage Duchess of Aosta.-Family:She was the third of eight children born to Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, and Infanta Maria Isabel of Spain...
is unable to convert from Catholicism. Although he does eventually find someone, Princess May
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, he falls ill and dies.
- Episode 10: "The Years of Waiting"
Britain finds itself at war in South Africa when British colonists attack the Transvaal government
Jameson Raid
The Jameson Raid was a botched raid on Paul Kruger's Transvaal Republic carried out by a British colonial statesman Leander Starr Jameson and his Rhodesian and Bechuanaland policemen over the New Year weekend of 1895–96...
. But Queen Victoria still refuses to let Bertie have any role in matters of State, so he reluctantly spends his time going to the races and as is so often the case, plays host to visiting relations, this time the Czar
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
and Czarina of Russia at Balmoral
Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle is a large estate house in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located near the village of Crathie, west of Ballater and east of Braemar. Balmoral has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852, when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her...
. The King of Greece
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
appeals to Alexandra for help against the invading Turks
Greco-Turkish War (1897)
The Greco-Turkish War of 1897, also called the Thirty Days' War and known as the Black '97 in Greece, was a war fought between the Kingdom of Greece and Ottoman Empire. Its immediate cause was the question over the status of the Ottoman province of Crete, whose Greek majority long desired union...
. The Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee; the event is recorded with a new invention which works by displaying a sequence of still photographs through a projector. Victoria is outraged that Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
's funeral is held at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. The war with the Boers
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
is unpopular on the Continent. Bertie is the object of an assassination attempt by a teenage anarchist
Jean-Baptiste Sipido
Jean-Baptiste Victor Sipido was a Belgian anarchist who became known when he, then a young tinsmith's apprentice, attempted to assassinate the Prince of Wales at the Brussel-Noord railway station in Brussels on April 5, 1900.Accusing the Prince of causing the slaughter of thousands during the Boer...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. Visitors to Victoria's sickbed include her grandson, the Kaiser. Queen Victoria dies; Bertie becomes King Edward VII.
- Episode 11: "King at Last"
After a nearly 60 year wait, Bertie becomes King upon the death of his mother Queen Victoria. There is much speculation as to whether he is up to the job. The King's nephew, the German Kaiser, proposes an Anglo-German alliance and the King supports it but several of his Ministers simply do not take him seriously. Although now Queen, Alix is having some trouble adjusting to their new life, refusing to live at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
and reluctant to leave Marlborough House
Marlborough House
Marlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London, in Pall Mall just east of St James's Palace. It was built for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the favourite and confidante of Queen Anne. The Duchess wanted her new house to be "strong, plain and convenient and good"...
, the home designated for the Prince of Wales, their son George. The King's sister, Vicky – the Kaiser's mother – is dying of cancer. The King is frustrated when his coronation
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
is postponed due to the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. When it is finally scheduled, it must be postponed again as the King must undergo emergency surgery to remove his appendix; the planned festivities for the populace proceed regardless. Finally, in a more modest ceremony, Bertie and Alix are crowned.
- Episode 12: "The Peacemaker"
The King grows increasingly frustrated with his limited role as a constitutional monarch. His attempt at engineering a grand alliance with Germany is successful at one level but ultimately rejected by the Government who still see His Majesty as someone not to be taken seriously. Still searching for some way to make an impact, the King announces he will soon go on a Grand Tour of several European nations including Britain's historic enemy, France. His arrival in France is marked by boos and catcalls, but he soon charms them and leaves to great cheers. His nephew Willie, the German Emperor, continues to visit but has become pompous to the point that the King can barely stand being in the same room as him. After the failure to agree an Anglo-German Alliance, Germany begins to expand its army and navy.
- Episode 13: "Good Old Teddy!"
The King enters his final years in general ill health. He smokes too much and has put on too much weight. Britain concludes the Triple Entente, concluding a pact with France and Russia but are aware that the German Kaiser, the King's nephew, will inevitably see it as an affront to Germany. Willie still visits his uncle and appears sincere in his love of family and of England. His on-going re-armament of the German army and navy is clearly seen as a threat against the United Kingdom. As a counter-balance the King and Queen set off on a trip to Russia to visit her nephew, the Czar. Having to yet again make amends with Willie, the King visits Germany but it takes a serious toll on his health. Domestically, the King is thrust into a constitutional crisis when the House of Lords refuses to pass a budget approved by the House of Commons. The King's bronchitis worsens and he succumbs on May 6, 1910.
Series cast
Royal Family- Annette CrosbieAnnette CrosbieAnnette Crosbie, OBE is a Scottish character actor.-Life and career:Crosbie was born in Gorebridge, Midlothian, Scotland, to Presbyterian parents who disapproved of her becoming an actor. Nevertheless, she joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School while still in her teens...
as Queen Victoria (episodes 1–10) - Timothy WestTimothy WestTimothy Lancaster West, CBE is an English film, stage and television actor.-Career:West's craggy looks ensured a career as a character actor rather than a leading man. He began his career as an Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956, and followed this with several seasons of...
as Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII (episodes 5–13) - Helen RyanHelen RyanHelen Ryan is a British actress.Roles include Queen Alexandra in Edward the Seventh.- External links :...
as Princess AlexandraAlexandra of DenmarkAlexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, later Queen Alexandra (episodes 6–13) - Robert HardyRobert HardyTimothy Sydney Robert Hardy, CBE, FSA is an English actor with a long career in the theatre, film and television. He is also an acknowledged expert on the longbow.-Early life:...
as Prince Albert (episodes 1–4) - Felicity KendalFelicity KendalFelicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare...
as Princess VickyVictoria, Princess RoyalThe Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III...
, later Empress Frederick of Germany (episodes 2–5, 8, 10 and 11) - Charles SturridgeCharles SturridgeCharles B. G. Sturridge is an English screenwriter, producer, stage, television and film director.-Personal life:Sturridge was born in London, England to Alyson Bowman Vaughan and Jerome Sturridge. He was educated at Stonyhurst College...
as Young Bertie, Prince of Wales (episodes 2–4) - Deborah Grant as Young AlexandraAlexandra of DenmarkAlexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
(episodes 4–5) - Christopher NeameChristopher NeameChristopher Neame is an English actor.-Education:Neame was educated at The King's School, Canterbury, an independent school in Canterbury in Kent.-Life and career:...
as Kaiser Wilhelm II (episodes 8 and 10–13) - Jane LapotaireJane LapotaireJane Lapotaire is a British actress.She studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the 1960s. Her role in the title role of Marie Curie first brought her to wide attention...
as Empress Marie of Russia (episodes 6–8 and 10–13) - Alison LeggattAlison LeggattAlison Leggatt was an English character actress.-Career:Born as Alison Joy Leggatt in the Kensington district of London, Leggatt spent the early part of her career primarily on the stage. Her first major film credit was as Aunt Sylvia in This Happy Breed , Noel Coward's homage to the British...
as the Duchess of KentPrincess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-SaalfeldPrincess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
(episodes 1–3) - Charles DanceCharles DanceWalter Charles Dance, OBE is an English actor, screenwriter and director. Dance typically plays assertive bureaucrats or villains. His most famous roles are Guy Perron in The Jewel in the Crown , Dr Clemens, the doctor of penitentiary Fury 161, who becomes Ellen Ripley's confidante in Alien 3 ,...
as Prince Eddy (episodes 8–9) - Michael OsborneMichael Osborne (actor)Michael Osborne is a British television actor.Roles include the future George V of the United Kingdom in Edward the Seventh and Mr. Howard in Grange Hill.- External links :...
as Prince George, Duke of YorkGeorge V of the United KingdomGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, later King George V (episodes 8–13) - Shirley SteedmanShirley SteedmanShirley Steedman is a British actress.Possibly her best known role is Monica in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She also played Princess Alice in Edward the Seventh, and her mother Queen Victoria in a 1976 television adaptation of East Lynne, and other plays and comodies.-External links:...
as Princess AlicePrincess Alice of the United KingdomThe Princess Alice was a member of the British royal family, the third child and second daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.Alice's education was devised by Albert's close friend and adviser, Baron Stockmar...
(episodes 3–6) - Judy LoeJudy LoeJudith M. "Judy" Loe is an English actress. She was the widow of actor Richard Beckinsale and is now married to director Roy Battersby...
as Princess May of TeckMary of TeckMary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, later Queen Mary (episodes 9-13) - Cheryl CampbellCheryl CampbellCheryl Campbell is an English actor of stage, film and television.-Early years:Cheryl Campbell was educated at Francis Bacon Grammar School, St Albans; London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
as Princess BeatricePrincess Beatrice of the United KingdomThe Princess Beatrice was a member of the British Royal Family. She was the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Juan Carlos, King of Spain, is her great-grandson...
(episode 10) - Vanessa Miles as Princess LouisePrincess Louise, Duchess of ArgyllThe Princess Louise was a member of the British Royal Family, the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband, Albert, Prince Consort.Louise's early life was spent moving between the various royal residences in the...
(episode 10) - Madeleine Cannon as Princess Toria (episode 10)
- Rosalyn Elvin as Princess MaudMaud of WalesPrincess Maud of Wales was Queen of Norway as spouse of King Haakon VII. She was a member of the British Royal Family as the youngest daughter of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark and granddaughter of Queen Victoria and also of Christian IX of Denmark. She was the younger sister of George V...
, Queen Maude of Norway (episode 10) - Michael BillingtonMichael Billington (actor)Michael Billington was a popular British film and television actor....
as Tsar Nicholas II of RussiaNicholas II of RussiaNicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
(episodes 10, 12 and 13) - Meriel Brooke as Tsarina Alexandra (episodes 10 and 13)
Other royalty
- Mel Churcher as Princess Hélène d'OrléansPrincess Hélène d'OrléansPrincess Hélène of Orléans was a member of the Orléans royal family and by marriage Duchess of Aosta.-Family:She was the third of eight children born to Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, and Infanta Maria Isabel of Spain...
(episode 9)
Prime ministers and politicians
- Joseph O'ConorJoseph O'ConorJoseph O'Conor was an Anglo-Irish actor and playwright.- Early years :O'Conor was born in Dublin on 14 February 1916, the son of Frances and Daniel O'Conor. His family moved to London, where he attended the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, the University of London and RADA...
as Lord MelbourneWilliam Lamb, 2nd Viscount MelbourneWilliam Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, PC, FRS was a British Whig statesman who served as Home Secretary and Prime Minister . He is best known for his intense and successful mentoring of Queen Victoria, at ages 18-21, in the ways of politics...
(episode 1) - Michael BarringtonMichael BarringtonMichael Barrington was a British actor best known for his television work.His most famous role was as the ineffectual Governor Venables in the popular sitcom Porridge alongside Ronnie Barker and Fulton Mackay.He also appeared on the TV programmes Z-Cars, The Avengers, Private Schulz, Adam Adamant...
as Sir Robert PeelRobert PeelSir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
(episode 1) - John WelshJohn Welsh (actor)John Welsh was an Irish actor.After an early stage career in Dublin, Welsh moved into British film and television in the 1950s. His roles included James Forsyte in the 1967 BBC dramatisation of John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga, as well as the butler Merriman in The Duchess of Duke Street, Sgt...
as the Duke of WellingtonArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonField Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
(episode 1) - André MorellAndré MorellAndré Morell was a British actor. He appeared frequently in theatre, film and on television from the 1930s to the 1970s...
as Lord Palmerston (episodes 2–4) - Peter CollingwoodPeter CollingwoodPeter Collingwood is a British television actor.Roles include Lord John Russell in Edward the Seventh and Mr. Dunkley in Are You Being Served?.- External links :...
as Lord John RussellJohn Russell, 1st Earl RussellJohn Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
(episode 4-5) - Michael HordernMichael HordernSir Michael Murray Hordern was an English actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre, which stretched back to before the Second World War.-Personal life:...
as William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
(episodes 5–6 and 8–10) - John GielgudJohn GielgudSir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
as Benjamin Disraeli (episodes 6–7) - Derek FowldsDerek FowldsDerek Fowlds is an English actor, known for playing Bernard Woolley in popular British television comedies Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister and Oscar Blaketon in the long-running ITV police drama Heartbeat....
as Lord Randolph ChurchillLord Randolph ChurchillLord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
(episode 7) - Richard VernonRichard VernonRichard Vernon was a British actor. He appeared in many feature films and television programmes, often in aristocratic or supercilious roles...
as Lord Salisbury (episodes 9–11) - Edward HardwickeEdward HardwickeEdward Hardwicke , sometimes credited as Edward Hardwick, was an English actor.-Early life and career:...
as Lord RoseberyArchibald Primrose, 5th Earl of RoseberyArchibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, KG, PC was a British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister. Between the death of his father, in 1851, and the death of his grandfather, the 4th Earl, in 1868, he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Dalmeny.Rosebery was a Liberal Imperialist who...
(episode 9) - Lyndon BrookLyndon BrookLyndon Brook was a British actor, on film and television.Born in York, Brook came from an established acting family. His father, Clive Brook, had been a star of the silent movies and had moved to Hollywood to play quintessential Englishmen in a host of films...
as A. J. BalfourArthur BalfourArthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
(episode 10-12) - Geoffrey BayldonGeoffrey BayldonGeoffrey Bayldon is a British actor. After playing roles in many dramas including Shakespeare, he became known for portraying the title role of the children's series Catweazle , after turning down the opportunity to play both the First and Second Doctors in the long-running BBC science fiction...
as Sir Henry Campbell-BannermanHenry Campbell-BannermanSir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
(episode 12-13) - Basil DignamBasil DignamBasil Dignam was an English character actor.Basil Dignam, a native of Sheffield, acted on film and television between 1951 and 1975. He often appeared as an authority figure, such as a police officer, army general or peer....
as H. H. AsquithH. H. AsquithHerbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
(episode 13) - Geoffrey BeeversGeoffrey BeeversGeoffrey Beevers is a British actor who has appeared in many different television roles.Beevers has worked extensively at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond upon Thames, both as an actor ; and as an adaptor/director of George Eliot's novel Adam Bede , for which he won a Time Out Award, and Balzac's...
as David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
(episode 13) - Christopher StrauliChristopher StrauliChristopher Strauli is an English film, television and theatre actor. He is probably most famous for appearing as Norman Binns in the British sitcom Only When I Laugh, alongside James Bolam, Peter Bowles, Richard Wilson and Derrick Branche.-Early life and education:He was born in Harpenden,...
as Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
(episode 13)
British Army and Royal Navy
- Harry AndrewsHarry AndrewsHarry Fleetwood Andrews, CBE was an English film actor known for his frequent portrayals of tough military officers. His performance as Sergeant Major Wilson in The Hill alongside Sean Connery earned Andrews the 1965 National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor and a nomination for the...
as Colonel Bruce (episodes 2–4) - Clive MortonClive MortonClive Morton was an English actor who made many screen appearances, especially on television. In 1955, he appeared in Laurence Olivier's Richard III and is recalled by fans of Doctor Who for his role as Trenchard in The Sea Devils in 1972...
as Lieut. Gen. Owen Williams (episode 9)
Diplomats
- Edward de SouzaEdward de SouzaEdward James de Souza is a British character actor and graduate of RADA with ethnic Portuguese Indian and English origins.-Early life:...
as Luis de Soveral, Portuguese ambassador (episodes 11-13)
Others
- Patience Collier as Baroness Lehzen (episode 1)
- Noel WillmanNoel WillmanNoel Willman was a Irish actor and theatre director of English descent..His films included Androcles and the Lion , The Man Who Knew Too Much , Across the Bridge , Carve Her Name with Pride , The Kiss of the Vampire , Doctor Zhivago , The Reptile...
as Baron StockmarChristian Friedrich, Baron StockmarChristian Friedrich Freiherr von Stockmar was an Anglo-Belgian statesman, who was a leading player in the affairs of the United Kingdom under Queen Victoria.-Early life and education:...
(episodes 1-2) - Guy Slater as Lord Charles Carrington (episodes 3-4 and 6-12)
- Gareth ThomasGareth Thomas (actor)Gareth Thomas is a Welsh actor.Thomas is best known for the part of Roj Blake in the dystopian science fiction television series Blake's 7, but has taken roles in many other films and television programmes, including Adam Brake in Children of the Stones.Thomas trained at RADA and is now an...
as Lord Charles BeresfordLord Charles BeresfordCharles William de la Poer Beresford, 1st Baron Beresford GCB GCVO , styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British Admiral and Member of Parliament....
(episodes 7 and 9) - Francesca AnnisFrancesca AnnisFrancesca Annis is an English actress, known for her film and television appearances, most recently in the BBC series Wives and Daughters, Cranford, and Deceit.-Early life and education:...
as Lillie LangtryLillie LangtryLillie Langtry , usually spelled Lily Langtry when she was in the U.S., born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton, was a British actress born on the island of Jersey...
(episodes 7–8) - Carolyn SeymourCarolyn SeymourCarolyn Seymour is an English actress, best associated with portraying the role of Abby Grant in the BBC series Survivors in 1975....
as Lady BrookeDaisy Greville, Countess of WarwickFrances Evelyn "Daisy" Greville, Countess of Warwick was a society beauty, and mistress to King Edward VII.-Family:...
(episodes 9–10) - Martin Skinner as SipidoJean-Baptiste SipidoJean-Baptiste Victor Sipido was a Belgian anarchist who became known when he, then a young tinsmith's apprentice, attempted to assassinate the Prince of Wales at the Brussel-Noord railway station in Brussels on April 5, 1900.Accusing the Prince of causing the slaughter of thousands during the Boer...
(episode 10) - Moira RedmondMoira RedmondMoira Redmond was a British actress.She was born in Bognor Regis, England, the daughter of the actress Molly Redmond and her husband who was a stage manager...
as Alice KeppelAlice KeppelAlice Frederica Keppel, née Edmonstone was a British socialite and the most famous mistress of Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Her formal style after marriage was The Hon. Mrs George Keppel. Her daughter, Violet Trefusis, was the lover of poet Vita Sackville-West...
(episodes 10–13)
cast notes
Timothy West's father, Lockwood WestLockwood West
Lockwood West was a British actor. He is the father of actor Timothy West and the grandfather of actor Samuel West....
, had played the monarch in an episode (entitled "Guest of Honour") of the celebrated ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
period drama Upstairs Downstairs several years earlier.
Soundtrack
- "The Daring Young Man on the Flying TrapezeThe Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze"The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", originally published under the title "The Flying Trapeze" and also known as "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", is a 19th century popular song about a flying trapeze circus performer, Jules Léotard...
" - "Champagne CharlieChampagne Charlie (song)Champagne Charlie is a music hall song from the 19th century composed by Alfred Lee with lyrics by George Leybourne. It was popularised by performer George Leybourne. The song was first performed at the Sun Music Hall, Knightsbridge in 1867...
" - "The Boy I Love Is Up in the GalleryThe Boy I Love Is up in the Gallery"The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery" is a music hall song written for the music hall star Miss Nelly Power by George Ware in 1885, and made famous by Marie Lloyd...
" (Episode 10) - "A Wand'ring Minstrel I" (Episode 12)