George Villiers was murdered at the age of 35, three years after James’s death. He was stabbed to death by John Felton, a retired military man who felt that he was being ignored for promotion by the Duke of Buckingham (whose reputation had been seriously damaged by recent events). Year). Over the centuries since then, the Villiers family has remained deeply involved in British royal life and political life, from the mistress of Charles II to the Viceroy of India to a sitting Conservative Party MP. In fact, according to Gerald Malcolm Thomson, George’s father can now be traced as the common ancestor of 16 different British Prime Ministers, including most recently David Cameron. Once established, the power of the nobility rarely wanes. The show hints that the higher you climb, the more you fall, but the landing could be gentler for future generations.
The scene I saw last spring, filmed at Hatfield House instead of James’ London Palace, appeared in the third episode and depicts Mary and George’s return to court. The king is paying a lot of attention to them. It’s a moment of victory. Before Moore, Curran, and Galitzine arrived, the extras were placed in a marble hall and instructed about interruptions, suggestive glances, and whispers. Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, Robert Cecil, and Mary Queen of Scots hang on the walls. A life-size statue of King James stands on the upper floor, overlooking the drawing room. History is particularly dense here, as the dead rise to life while their ancestors watch over them.
Mary & George will be available to watch in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW, and will premiere in the US on Starz on April 5
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