Prince Edmund (Blackadder)
Encyclopedia
Prince Edmund Plantagenet, Duke of Edinburgh is a fictional character
in the first series
of the BBC
sitcom Blackadder
.
(Brian Blessed
) by his Queen Gertrude of Flanders
(Elspet Gray
). Gertrude was at the time of his conception having an affair with Donald MacAngus, 3rd Duke of Argyll. Which of the two men was his biological father is uncertain, although it seems that it was probably MacAngus. A slimy, amoral schemer, Edmund is a complete nonentity in the Royal Family
to everybody except his mother and his brother. The King is utterly contemptuous of his son, frequently calling him by the wrong name and, more frequently, forgetting he even exists, in contrast to the affection in which he holds his eldest son, Prince Harry
(Robert East
). Edmund hatches a "cunning plan" in every episode to elevate himself to the throne over his brother; these plots invariably fail. He is assisted in his every scheme by his henchmen and only friends, Baldrick
(Tony Robinson
) and Lord Percy Percy
(Tim McInnerny
).
In contrast to later versions of the Blackadder character, the original Blackadder is portrayed as incompetent and slow-witted. He does, however, show many traits very similar to his later versions: his "cunning plans" are cunning but rarely work, he makes Baldrick do his dirty work, he despises Lord Percy, he is a schemer, he is creatively insulting, and, most noticeably, he is foolhardy and cowardly at the same time.
Richard III
(Peter Cook
) wins the Battle of Bosworth Field
, but is accidentally killed by his incompetent great-nephew Edmund who thinks he is stealing his horse, who also unintentionally saves the life of the leader of the enemy, Henry Tudor
(Peter Benson
), only realising who he is when seeing a portrait, by which time Henry is escaping from Edmund's bed, where he was recovering. Edmund was going to leave Henry to die in the cottage where they came across him, but as they were leaving Percy overheard Henry say he was rich, so Percy brought him back thinking there would be a reward. Richard IV is proclaimed King
, and Edmund, elevated to Prince, re-styles himself first as "The Black Vegetable" before thinking better of Baldrick's suggestion of "The Black Adder". However, he is haunted by Richard's angry ghost
, including a scene at the feast based on the Ghost of Banquo
scene in Macbeth
. He then meets three witches
who prophesy that he will one day be King; he does not know that they thought he was Henry Tudor.
With King Richard's imminent return from the Crusades
, Dougal MacAngus (Alex Norton
), the King's Supreme Commander
, is awarded Edmund's Scottish
land. In revenge, Edmund plots to kill him by replacing a false dagger with a real one for a play MacAngus is playing a murder victim in, until MacAngus reveals letters that show the Queen had an affair with his father. Thinking that his brother Harry
is illegitimate, Edmund reveals this to the court, only to be humiliated when they reveal that he is more likely the illegitimate one. In revenge, Edmund blows MacAngus' head off with a cannon.
This episode, though inaccurate in its depiction of an English nobleman in medieval times being the duke of anywhere within Scotland, takes the concept of the treacherous (and illegitimate) Edmund from King Lear
further, and also satirizes the Medieval views of entertainment, such as bearded ladies and eunuchs. Edmund also expresses outrage that Morris dancing
is still around in his day and age.
The King, in order to more easily manipulate the huge wealth and property of the Church
, makes Edmund Archbishop of Canterbury
after having the previous one killed for making him lose the Duke of Winchester's lands. Things go well for the reluctant Edmund at first, particularly after he convinces a dying Lord to sign his lands over to the Crown, - until a pair of drunken knights (freshly returned from the Crusades), overkeen to advance in the royal favour, misinterpret a comment made by him [the King], and set out to murder the Archbishop (in reality, the Archbishop
Thomas Becket
was assassinated in 1170 by knights of Henry II
in Canterbury Cathedral
). Edmund, Percy and Baldrick take the fight into a nunnery and, by twisting the truth when the outraged Mother Superior
finds them, Edmund manipulates her into writing to the Vatican
and terminating his hated episcopal career.
To improve international relations with Spain in an attempt to threaten France during a peroid of turmoil in Europe, Richard IV decides to marry Edmund to the Spanish
Infanta (Miriam Margolyes
). Finding her grossly unattractive, Edmund tries to get out of the marriage—firstly by pretending to be gay
and dressing like the Earl of Doncaster, then by attempting to marry Tulley Applebottom, a random peasant woman, which fails when her husband turns up at the ceremony, and then by having Baldrick surreptitiously sleep with the lascivious Infanta so that she is not a virgin. All his schemes fail miserably and so he resigns to his fate. At the last moment, however, the political landscape shifts, and an alliance with Spain is no longer viable—much to Edmund's relief. The King then orders him to marry the 8-year-old Princess Leia of Hungary (Natasha King) instead, and in the closing scene Edmund is reading his new bride a bedtime story.
With Black Death
sweeping across England
, the country is in turmoil, and the King is one of the many who has caught the disease. He is temporarily insane, nearly killing Edmund when mistaking him for one of the Turkish
. The Lords blame witchcraft
, so the Witchsmeller
Pursuivant
(Frank Finlay
) is summoned to identify the culprit. Having heard Edmund insult him earlier, the Witchsmeller immediately decides that Edmund is responsible, and tricks him into failing a trial. With this, he puts him on trial and of course, finds him guilty. Edmund, Percy, and Baldrick are set to be burnt at the stake
, but are saved by Edmund's mother, the Queen, who is secretly an actual witch, and who also causes the death of the Witchsmeller.
January 29, 1498, Saint Juniper
's Day, the day the King of England bestows honours to his kinfolk. When Edmund is reduced by his father to the sole dignity of Lord Warden
of the Royal Privies
, with his dukedom of Edinburgh
being transferred to Thomas, Lord Hastings, while Harry is given numerous honours, he is outraged and plots to seize the throne. He first dismisses Percy and Baldrick. He then rounds up the six most evil
men in England, but on his way back, he is stopped by his arch nemesis and childhood rival, Philip of Burgundy - known to his enemies as The Hawk (Patrick Allen
), who had disguised himself as a retired Morris dancer. He is imprisoned in a cell with snails, but escapes after getting a key from Mad Gerald (Rik Mayall
), made from Gerald's teeth, albeit after a year since being locked up. He then summons the Black Seal who hide in wait for the Hawk. But his band join the Hawk, and he is torture
d horribly by a machine developed by the Hawk specifically for the purpose, which is unnecessarily complicated and designed to grind various parts of Edmund (including his beloved codlings) into mince. Baldrick and Percy poison the conspirators with drugged wine
, but are too late to stop the machine. Edmund survives long enough to be comforted by his family, and the King finally remembers his name, before saying 'Sorry, Edgar,' although he gets his nom de guerre wrong, calling him The Black Dagger. However, they toast the dying Edmund with poisoned wine Percy had left behind. They all die, leaving Edmund King at long last. However, he soon expires himself after he foolishly opts to check that the wine was the killer by sipping it, making him only King for about 30 seconds.
As revealed in Blackadder II
, he has at least three grandsons: one named Osric is kidnapped and his ransom not paid, another named Nathaniel marries a fanatical Puritan
and holds the peerage of Whiteadder, and another one squanders the family fortune "on wine, women and amateur dramatics
"; by the end of his life he ekes out a living doing humorous impressions of Anne of Cleves
. His great-grandson, Edmund, Lord Blackadder
serves as a courtier of Elizabeth I of England
, last member of the Tudor dynasty.
In following series, descendants of Percy and Baldrick continue to appear as characters closely associated with the Blackadders.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the first series
The Black Adder
The Black Adder is the first series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd...
of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Blackadder
Blackadder
Blackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
.
Character overview
Prince Edmund (1461–1498) is the son of King Richard IV of EnglandKing Richard IV of England
King Richard IV of England / XII of Scotland / I of Flanders is a fictional character in the BBC comedy series Blackadder , played by Brian Blessed...
(Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed
Brian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
) by his Queen Gertrude of Flanders
Gertrude of Flanders
Gertrude of Flanders is a fictional character in the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder . She was played by Elspet Gray.In the series, she is the Queen of Flanders in her own right and the wife of King Richard of England and Scotland and mother of Princes Harry and Edmund.In attitude, Gertrude mainly...
(Elspet Gray
Elspet Gray
Elspeth Jean Gray, Baroness Rix is a Scottish actress, known for her work on British television in the 1970s and '80s...
). Gertrude was at the time of his conception having an affair with Donald MacAngus, 3rd Duke of Argyll. Which of the two men was his biological father is uncertain, although it seems that it was probably MacAngus. A slimy, amoral schemer, Edmund is a complete nonentity in the Royal Family
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
to everybody except his mother and his brother. The King is utterly contemptuous of his son, frequently calling him by the wrong name and, more frequently, forgetting he even exists, in contrast to the affection in which he holds his eldest son, Prince Harry
Harry, Prince of Wales (Blackadder)
Prince Henry "Harry" Plantagenet, Earl of March was a fictional character played by Robert East in the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder ....
(Robert East
Robert East (actor)
Robert Gwyn East East is an accomplished theatre and tv actor. He also wrote Incident at Tulse Hill, first produced at the Hampstead Theatre in December 1981 under the direction of Harold Pinter....
). Edmund hatches a "cunning plan" in every episode to elevate himself to the throne over his brother; these plots invariably fail. He is assisted in his every scheme by his henchmen and only friends, Baldrick
Baldrick
Baldrick is the name of several fictional characters featured in the long-running BBC historic comedy television series Blackadder. Each one serves as Edmund Blackadder's servant and sidekick and acts as a foil to the lead character...
(Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
) and Lord Percy Percy
Lord Percy Percy
Lord Percy Percy is the name given to a pair of related fictional characters, played by Tim McInnerny, in the first two series of the popular British sitcom Blackadder. The Lord Percy of Blackadder II is the descendant of that seen in The Black Adder...
(Tim McInnerny
Tim McInnerny
Tim McInnerny is an English actor. He is known for his role as Percy in Blackadder and Blackadder II, and as Captain Darling in Blackadder Goes Forth...
).
In contrast to later versions of the Blackadder character, the original Blackadder is portrayed as incompetent and slow-witted. He does, however, show many traits very similar to his later versions: his "cunning plans" are cunning but rarely work, he makes Baldrick do his dirty work, he despises Lord Percy, he is a schemer, he is creatively insulting, and, most noticeably, he is foolhardy and cowardly at the same time.
Episode list
- The ForetellingThe Foretelling"The Foretelling" was the first episode of the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder . It introduces Edmund Blackadder , and opens with a narrative dispelling the popular depiction of King Richard III of England as a scheming murderer...
Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
(Peter Cook
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
) wins the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
, but is accidentally killed by his incompetent great-nephew Edmund who thinks he is stealing his horse, who also unintentionally saves the life of the leader of the enemy, Henry Tudor
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
(Peter Benson
Peter Benson (actor)
Peter Benson is a British actor probably best known as Bernie Scripps in the popular ITV1 TV-series Heartbeat, a drama about the police in Aidensfield in the 1960s. Benson has played Bernie Scripps in the series since 1995. In the TV-series 'Bernie' Scripps is running Aidensfield Garage, and the...
), only realising who he is when seeing a portrait, by which time Henry is escaping from Edmund's bed, where he was recovering. Edmund was going to leave Henry to die in the cottage where they came across him, but as they were leaving Percy overheard Henry say he was rich, so Percy brought him back thinking there would be a reward. Richard IV is proclaimed King
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
, and Edmund, elevated to Prince, re-styles himself first as "The Black Vegetable" before thinking better of Baldrick's suggestion of "The Black Adder". However, he is haunted by Richard's angry ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
, including a scene at the feast based on the Ghost of Banquo
Banquo
Banquo is a character in William Shakespeare's 1606 play Macbeth. In the play, he is at first an ally to Macbeth and they are together when they meet the Three Witches. After prophesying that Macbeth will become king, the witches tell Banquo that he will not be king himself, but that his...
scene in Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
. He then meets three witches
Three Witches
The Three Witches or Weird Sisters are characters in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth . Their origin lies in Holinshed's Chronicles , a history of England, Scotland and Ireland...
who prophesy that he will one day be King; he does not know that they thought he was Henry Tudor.
- Born to be KingBorn to be King"Born to Be King" is the second episode of The Black Adder, the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder.- Plot :In autumn 1486, King Richard IV departs on a Crusade...
With King Richard's imminent return from the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
, Dougal MacAngus (Alex Norton
Alex Norton
Alexander Hugh "Alex" Norton is a Scottish actor. He is probably best known for his roles as DCI Matt Burke in Taggart, and Eddie in the Renford Rejects....
), the King's Supreme Commander
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, is awarded Edmund's Scottish
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
land. In revenge, Edmund plots to kill him by replacing a false dagger with a real one for a play MacAngus is playing a murder victim in, until MacAngus reveals letters that show the Queen had an affair with his father. Thinking that his brother Harry
Harry, Prince of Wales (Blackadder)
Prince Henry "Harry" Plantagenet, Earl of March was a fictional character played by Robert East in the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder ....
is illegitimate, Edmund reveals this to the court, only to be humiliated when they reveal that he is more likely the illegitimate one. In revenge, Edmund blows MacAngus' head off with a cannon.
This episode, though inaccurate in its depiction of an English nobleman in medieval times being the duke of anywhere within Scotland, takes the concept of the treacherous (and illegitimate) Edmund from King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
further, and also satirizes the Medieval views of entertainment, such as bearded ladies and eunuchs. Edmund also expresses outrage that Morris dancing
Morris dance
Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, handkerchiefs and bells may also be wielded by the dancers...
is still around in his day and age.
- The ArchbishopThe Archbishop"The Archbishop" is the third episode in of the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder .- Plot :In November 1487, the dying Duke of Winchester , the greatest landowner in the kingdom, leaves his lands to the Catholic Church, prompting King Richard to have Godfrey, the Archbishop of Canterbury,...
The King, in order to more easily manipulate the huge wealth and property of the Church
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, makes Edmund Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
after having the previous one killed for making him lose the Duke of Winchester's lands. Things go well for the reluctant Edmund at first, particularly after he convinces a dying Lord to sign his lands over to the Crown, - until a pair of drunken knights (freshly returned from the Crusades), overkeen to advance in the royal favour, misinterpret a comment made by him [the King], and set out to murder the Archbishop (in reality, the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
was assassinated in 1170 by knights of Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
in Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
). Edmund, Percy and Baldrick take the fight into a nunnery and, by twisting the truth when the outraged Mother Superior
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
finds them, Edmund manipulates her into writing to the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
and terminating his hated episcopal career.
- The Queen of Spain's BeardThe Queen of Spain's Beard"The Queen of Spain's Beard" was the fourth episode of the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder.- Plot :In 1492, Richard IV's court is in disarray. In order to secure Spain's allegiance in a war with France, the king tries to get Harry to marry the Spanish Infanta...
To improve international relations with Spain in an attempt to threaten France during a peroid of turmoil in Europe, Richard IV decides to marry Edmund to the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Infanta (Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes, OBE is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence .-Early life:...
). Finding her grossly unattractive, Edmund tries to get out of the marriage—firstly by pretending to be gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and dressing like the Earl of Doncaster, then by attempting to marry Tulley Applebottom, a random peasant woman, which fails when her husband turns up at the ceremony, and then by having Baldrick surreptitiously sleep with the lascivious Infanta so that she is not a virgin. All his schemes fail miserably and so he resigns to his fate. At the last moment, however, the political landscape shifts, and an alliance with Spain is no longer viable—much to Edmund's relief. The King then orders him to marry the 8-year-old Princess Leia of Hungary (Natasha King) instead, and in the closing scene Edmund is reading his new bride a bedtime story.
- Witchsmeller PursuivantWitchsmeller Pursuivant"Witchsmeller Pursuivant" is the fifth episode of The Black Adder, the first series of the BBC One sitcom Blackadder.- Plot :In 1495, the Black Plague is ravaging Europe, and infects King Richard, rendering him more deranged than usual; when Edmund comes to visit, the King nearly stabs him to...
With Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
sweeping across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the country is in turmoil, and the King is one of the many who has caught the disease. He is temporarily insane, nearly killing Edmund when mistaking him for one of the Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
. The Lords blame witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
, so the Witchsmeller
Witch-hunt
A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
Pursuivant
Pursuivant
A pursuivant or, more correctly, pursuivant of arms, is a junior officer of arms. Most pursuivants are attached to official heraldic authorities, such as the College of Arms in London or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. In the mediaeval era, many great nobles employed their own officers of...
(Frank Finlay
Frank Finlay
Francis Finlay, CBE is an English stage, film and television actor.-Personal life:Finlay was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, the son of Margaret and Josiah Finlay, a butcher. A devout Catholic, he belongs to the British Catholic Stage Guild. He was educated at St...
) is summoned to identify the culprit. Having heard Edmund insult him earlier, the Witchsmeller immediately decides that Edmund is responsible, and tricks him into failing a trial. With this, he puts him on trial and of course, finds him guilty. Edmund, Percy, and Baldrick are set to be burnt at the stake
Execution by burning
Death by burning is death brought about by combustion. As a form of capital punishment, burning has a long history as a method in crimes such as treason, heresy, and witchcraft....
, but are saved by Edmund's mother, the Queen, who is secretly an actual witch, and who also causes the death of the Witchsmeller.
- The Black SealThe Black Seal"The Black Seal" is the final of six episodes of the first series of the BBC One sitcom Blackadder .- Plot :On Saint Juniper's Day, 29 January 1498, King Richard IV snubs Prince Edmund, taking away his Duchy and leaving him with the sole dignity of Lord Warden of the Royal Privies, while awarding...
January 29, 1498, Saint Juniper
Saint Juniper
Saint Juniper , called "the renowned jester of the Lord," was one of the original followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. Not much is known about Juniper before he joined the friars. In 1210, he was received into the order of the Franciscans by St. Francis himself. "Would to God, my brothers, I...
's Day, the day the King of England bestows honours to his kinfolk. When Edmund is reduced by his father to the sole dignity of Lord Warden
Lord Warden of the Marches
The Lord Warden of the Marches was an office in the governments of Scotland and England. The holders were responsible for the security of the border between the two nations, and often took part in military action....
of the Royal Privies
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, with his dukedom of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
being transferred to Thomas, Lord Hastings, while Harry is given numerous honours, he is outraged and plots to seize the throne. He first dismisses Percy and Baldrick. He then rounds up the six most evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
men in England, but on his way back, he is stopped by his arch nemesis and childhood rival, Philip of Burgundy - known to his enemies as The Hawk (Patrick Allen
Patrick Allen
John Keith Patrick Allen was a British film, television and voice actor.-Life and career:Allen was born in Nyasaland , where his father was a tobacco farmer. After his parents returned to Britain, he was evacuated to Canada during World War II where he remained to finish his education at McGill...
), who had disguised himself as a retired Morris dancer. He is imprisoned in a cell with snails, but escapes after getting a key from Mad Gerald (Rik Mayall
Rik Mayall
Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
), made from Gerald's teeth, albeit after a year since being locked up. He then summons the Black Seal who hide in wait for the Hawk. But his band join the Hawk, and he is torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d horribly by a machine developed by the Hawk specifically for the purpose, which is unnecessarily complicated and designed to grind various parts of Edmund (including his beloved codlings) into mince. Baldrick and Percy poison the conspirators with drugged wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, but are too late to stop the machine. Edmund survives long enough to be comforted by his family, and the King finally remembers his name, before saying 'Sorry, Edgar,' although he gets his nom de guerre wrong, calling him The Black Dagger. However, they toast the dying Edmund with poisoned wine Percy had left behind. They all die, leaving Edmund King at long last. However, he soon expires himself after he foolishly opts to check that the wine was the killer by sipping it, making him only King for about 30 seconds.
Legacy
The book Blackadder: The Whole Damn Dynasty includes an appendix that expands on the fictional chronology of the television show. This chronicles that following the death of the entire Royal Family, Henry Tudor usurped the throne and re-wrote history to eliminate the reign of Richard IV and, therefore, Edmund. Additionally, Edmund has illegitimate descendants who adopt the surname "Blackadder" and are given noble status.As revealed in Blackadder II
Blackadder II
Blackadder II is the second series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986...
, he has at least three grandsons: one named Osric is kidnapped and his ransom not paid, another named Nathaniel marries a fanatical Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
and holds the peerage of Whiteadder, and another one squanders the family fortune "on wine, women and amateur dramatics
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
"; by the end of his life he ekes out a living doing humorous impressions of Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
. His great-grandson, Edmund, Lord Blackadder
Lord Blackadder
Edmund Blackadder, Lord Blackadder is the main character in the second series of the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder. He is played by Rowan Atkinson.The second series is set in Elizabethan England, and Edmund is a courtier to Queen Elizabeth I...
serves as a courtier of Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, last member of the Tudor dynasty.
In following series, descendants of Percy and Baldrick continue to appear as characters closely associated with the Blackadders.
Titles and honours
- Lord Edmund Plantagenet (1461–1485)
- The Duke of Edinburgh (1461–1498)
- Lord Warden of the Royal Privies (1485–1498)
- The Laird of Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (1485–1487–1498)
- Archbishop of Canterbury (for a brief period in 1487)
- King of England (for about 30 seconds in December 1498)