Victoria (Jenna Coleman) gives birth to child number six amidst a backdrop of the Chartists' movement gathering momentum with the petition. At the same time, well after a complicated birth in that Feo wasn't much help and she's watched by Bertie (Laurie Shepherd) and Vicky (Louisa Bay). Police raid their HQ and find guns. Which was a bit obvious in them knowing where to look and that anything would actually be there. Even how they arrested Patrick (Kerr Logan) as if he was a suspect/person of interest and then he making his feelings known to Abigail (Sabrina Bartlett) about how he's never met a woman like her. As I said before, I knew this was suspicious since last ep I said there was more to him than just being some activist or someone who was looking for more freedom. As it's later revealed that he's an agent and the plan, instigated by Palmerston (Laurence Fox) no doubt, was just so Victoria would sign off on troops being on the street and preventing the Chartists from delivering their petition to Parliament.
She's even approached by Wellington (Peter Bowles) and The PM (John Sessions) as well as Palmerston and she was probably more willing to see him as he saved Sophie (Lily Travers) from the mob at her carriage. Wouldn't it have been easier to be more obscure and at least use curtains or something! Of course Victoria still doesn't like him. As well as trying to deal with her people trying to 'kill' her and just wanting them to love her. She also has to (deal) comfort her children, Bertie going on about how they'll kill her, she'll have her head lopped off all cos the Louis Phillippe (Vincent Regan) can't keep his opinions to himself, telling Bertie and Vicky about Charles and also Madame Guillotine. With Victoria having to reassure them; as well as Albert (Tom Hughes). Though Vicky here seems so sure of herself, perhaps she'd have made the better queen in real life, who knows. Albert convinces her to got to Osborne as they'll be safer there.
The other person Victoria has to deal with is Feo (Kate Fleetwood) who tries to undermine her at every opportunity and plot against her. She tells Victoria how she would have been at her wedding but she couldn't afford to and didn't want handouts. Though she didn't hesitate at putting on the necklace or making waves between Albert and Victoria by telling him that she was with Palmerston. With Sophie continually being besotted with Palmerston and Joseph (David Burnett) being enamoured with her: thoughts above his station, well both of them, she being married, but that aside her husband, Monmouth (Nicholas Audsley) is a brute and only cares about their son as he will be Duke one day and nothing more. As the mob marched on the palace, the Louis, Lord Alfred (Jordan Waller) and Monmouth were just all sitting there gambling as if nothing was amiss!
Francatelli (Ferdinand Kingsley) buys the hotel cheaply cos of the Chartists' movement and tells Skerrett (Nell Hudson) he'll be waiting to marry her at the church and she tells him she wants to keep her job and that she doesn't really want to be there, but shows up, taking Brodie (Tommy Knight) there to give her away. Also Abigail visits Victoria and tells her that there was an agent planted in their movement and no one is trying to kill her. As they prepare to take their petition to Parliament, Wellington readies the troops and escorts Victoria; but at the last minutes she has the carriage stopped and tells him she doesn't want her troops to march on Waterloo Bridge and they should be able to present their petition. Which Albert called rather appropriate, re the Battle of Waterloo. Wellington commenting to Victoria that's a "woman's prerogative;" to change her mind.
It was refreshing in many ways to see how Albert was thinking of the people and how he knows they failed them and should've done more for them, whereas Victoria is the opposite and wants her people only to "love me." That's not how you rule and let's not forget the troops in Ireland and how she treated them during the famine. No matter how compassionate and sympathetic she's portrayed here, it's just the reality will always seep through, even if this is just a dramatization. Victoria here appears to be wanting love through surrogacy or proxy, through her people as she never got any when she was a child and is starved for it. Gotta say still can't get into this third series. Also Feo thinking the baby would be named after her, but alas no, it was Louise after Albert's mother! You'd thunk we'd get to see Ernest for once, especially since there's such a royal brood now, I mean nephews and nieces, ya know! But that's my lament!!
No comments:
Post a Comment