The Queen of Spain's Beard

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"The Queen of Spain's Beard" is the fourth episode of the

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historical sitcom ''

The Black Adder ''The Black Adder'' is the first series of the BBC sitcom ''Blackadder'', written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd. The series was originally aired on BBC 1 from 15 June 1983 to 20 ...

'', the first serial in the '' Blackadder'' series. Set in late 15th-century

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, the episode parodies the practice of

political marriage A marriage of state is a diplomatic marriage or union between two members of different nation-states or internally, between two power blocs, usually in authoritarian societies and is a practice which dates back into ancient times, as far back as ear ...

s between the royal houses of Europe which characterised European politics during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

.Roberts, p.118 Its bawdy humour also deals with taboos surrounding

premarital sex Premarital sex is sexual activity which is practiced by people before they are married. Premarital sex is considered a sin by a number of religions and also considered a moral issue which is taboo in many cultures. Since the Sexual Revolutio ...

, gay stereotypes and the practice of

child marriage Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child. * * * * The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a mal ...

. The title of the episode is a play on the words attributed to Sir Francis Drake who "singed the beard of the King of Spain" when he attacked the country in 1587. As with other episodes in this series, the end credits include an acknowledgement of "additional dialogue by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

". One scene includes a parody of '' Richard III'' in which the third messenger announces in deadpan style the death of Lord Wessex. The fictitious

King Richard IV This article lists the characters in the four series and three special episodes of the British sitcom ''Blackadder''. ''Blackadder'' was notable for featuring actors playing many repeating characters across different eras of history, with Rowa ...

retorts, "I like not this news! Bring me some other news!" echoing Richard III's rebuke to a messenger, "There, take thou that till thou bring better news." (Act 4, scene 4) The episode introduces a recurring guest star to the ''Blackadder'' series,

Miriam Margolyes Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The ...

, who plays the part of the Spanish Infanta betrothed to Prince Edmund. Margolyes would later return to play Edmund's

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

aunt, Lady Whiteadder, in the 1986 episode "

Beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

" and the part of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

in ''

Blackadder's Christmas Carol ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol'', a one-off episode of ''Blackadder'', is a parody of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol''. It is set between ''Blackadder the Third'' (1987) and ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' (1989), and is narrated b ...

'' (1988). Margolyes's Infanta is accompanied in "The Queen of Spain's Beard" by an interpreter, played by Jim Broadbent, who would go on to play Albert, Prince Consort opposite her in ''Blackadder's Christmas Carol''. Broadbent was also intended to play Lord Whiteadder in "Beer", but was unavailable for recording.Roberts, p.201 Although "The Queen of Spain's Beard" was originally broadcast as episode 4 of the series, on later broadcasts and DVD releases it has been switched with episode 2, "

Born to Be King ''Born to Be King'' may refer to: * ''Born to Be King'' (2000 film), a Hong Kong crime drama film, part 6 of the ''Young and Dangerous'' film series * ''Born to Be King'' (2014 film), a film written and directed by Peter Capaldi * ''Born to Be K ...

Plot

The year is 1492 and Europe is in disarray as nations go to war and kingdoms rise and fall. In England, Richard IV's court throbs with activity as he and his noblemen plan for war. The King must secure Spain's allegiance in a war with France, and commands his son, Harry, Prince of Wales, to marry the Spanish

Infanta ''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to th ...

. Harry reveals that he is already engaged to a long list of European princesses (and one prince), and so the duty falls to Richard's forgotten son, Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh. Edmund, meanwhile, has been trying unsuccessfully to

woo Woo, WoO, WOO, W.O.O. and variants may refer to: People Woo or Wu, romanization of several East Asian names: * Hu (surname): 胡, 瓠, 護, 戶, 扈, 虎, 呼, 忽, 斛 * Wu (surname): 吳, 伍, 武, 仵, 烏, 鄔, 巫 * Ng (name): 吳, 伍 * ...

the ladies of the court. After a woman pushes him off the castle ramparts in revulsion because she was expecting Harry, Edmund renounces women. His resolve is weakened when he learns that his father has arranged his marriage to the Infanta Maria Escalosa of Spain and he grows excited when he imagines her as a beautiful princess. The Infanta arrives at court and Edmund is horrified to discover that she is ugly, morbidly obese, and sexually voracious. Facilitated by her ever-present interpreter, Don Speekingleesh, she declares undying love for Edmund. Terrified, Edmund retreats to work out a way of getting out of the marriage, which is to take place the following day.

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. Each ...

hatches a plan: if Edmund can convince the Infanta that he " prefers the intimate company of men", she will not be willing to marry him. Baldrick suggests he follow the example of

Earl of Doncaster Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

, which Edmund is initially reticent to do until he realises that no one would ever marry the Earl of Doncaster except, perhaps, the Duke of Beaufort. Edmund then puts on flamboyant clothes and makeup, adopts stereotypically

camp Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

mannerisms and minces his way into court - only to be mistaken for the Earl of Doncaster by his father. Unfortunately, the Infanta misunderstands Edmund's appearance as an attempt to wear traditional Spanish dress to delight her, and her lust for him is kindled further. Edmund's next strategy is to get out of the marriage by marrying someone else. He sends

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

to find a suitable fiancée while Baldrick kidnaps a

Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...

to perform the ceremony. Edmund – still wearing his flamboyantly gay outfit – attempts to marry a giggling peasant girl named, Tully Applebottom. The ceremony is abruptly halted by Tully's enraged husband, who ejects Edmund by threatening him with a scythe, assuming him to be the Earl of Doncaster. On the eve of the wedding, Edmund's last hope is to make the Infanta lose her

virginity Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

, thus making her ineligible for marriage. He sends Baldrick into the Infanta's bedchamber to "deflower" her. In total darkness, Baldrick is heard struggling desperately, while the Infanta's lustful exclamations are helpfully translated for Baldrick by Don Speekingleesh. Edmund, feigning sorrow, informs King Richard that the Infanta is not a virgin. The King brushes the revelation aside – only ''one'' of them has to be a virgin (that one, of course, being Edmund). The following day, the marriage ceremony begins and the Infanta is impatient. A traumatised Baldrick is shown covered in bruises from the previous night's tryst. Unexpectedly, the wedding is suddenly halted when news arrives that Spain, Switzerland, and France have joined forces. Realizing that the only country in Europe England can ally with now is

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

, the King ejects the Infanta from the court, and declares that Edmund must now marry a Hungarian princess. Edmund is disappointed once again — Princess Leia of Hungary turns out to be an eight-year-old girl. The wedding goes ahead, and Edmund spends his entire wedding night wearily reading fairy tales to his child bride.

Cast

The closing credits of this episode list the cast members "in affable order". * Rowan Atkinson as Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh *

Brian Blessed Brian Blessed (; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor, presenter, writer and mountaineer. Blessed is known for portraying PC "Fancy" Smith in ''Z-Cars'', Augustus in the 1976 BBC television production of '' I, Claudius'', King Richard I ...

Elspet Gray Elspet Jean Gray, Baroness Rix (née Gray; 12 April 1929 – 18 February 2013) was a Scottish actress, who first became known for her partnership with her husband, Brian Rix, and later was cast in many television roles in the 1970s and 1980s. S ...

The Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...

* Robert East as Harry, Prince of Wales *

Tim McInnerny Tim McInnerny ( ; born 18 September 1956) is an English actor. He is known for his many roles on stage and television, including as Lord Percy Percy and Captain Darling in the 1980s British sitcom ''Blackadder''. Early life McInnerny was bor ...

Tony Robinson Sir Anthony Robinson (born 15 August 1946) is an English actor, author, broadcaster, comedian, presenter, and political activist. He played Baldrick in the BBC television series ''Blackadder'' and has presented several historical documentarie ...

as Infanta Maria Escalosa of Spain * Jim Broadbent as Don Speekingleesh, an interpreter * Jane Freeman as Tully Applebottom * John Rapley as Rev. Lloyd *

Howard Lew Lewis Howard Lew Lewis (21 August 1941 – 20 January 2018) was a British comedian and actor, best known for his roles in comedy series including ''Maid Marian and Her Merry Men'', ''Brush Strokes'' and ''Chelmsford 123''. Biography Lewis was b ...

as Mr. Applebottom *

Stephen Tate Stephen Tate is a British actor and musical theatre artist. Career Television He is possibly best known for his recurring role as Alan in the 1970s television drama '' Survivors'' and as Dick Meyer in the 1980s comedy drama '' Big Deal'' along ...

as Lord Chiswick * Kenn Wells as the 1st Messenger * Richard Mitchley as the 2nd Messenger * David Nunn as the 3rd and 4th Messengers *

Willoughby Goddard Willoughby Wittenham Rees Goddard (4 July 1926 – 11 April 2008) was an English actor whose trademark rotund figure was well known on television and in films for more than 40 years. Biography Goddard was born in Bicester, Oxfordshire. He p ...

as the Archbishop * Natasha King as Princess Leia of Hungary * Harriet Keevil as Lady on Ramparts

Production

Miriam Margolyes spoke of her enjoyment during the production of "The Queen of Spain's Beard", and was happy to take on role of a fat, hideously ugly Infanta as she held the cast and production team in such affection. It was her first collaboration with Rowan Atkinson, and she expressed admiration that he was able to overcome his

stammer Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the ...

and perform as an actor. Jim Broadbent, who was cast in the role of the Spanish interpreter, had previously worked with Atkinson on ''

Not the Nine O'Clock News ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-cur ...

''. His performance was singled out by writer Richard Curtis as particularly memorable. Broadbent later confessed that he had no idea at the time what a Spanish accent should sound like, and improvised with "a very bad cod Italian accent" — which turned out in the end to be a very successful comedic strategy. Curtis remarked that it was an "astonishing technical feat, to get the rhythms of the English language so completely wrong." Natasha King (Princess Leia of Hungary) has remarked on the kindness of the cast and crew to her as a child actor and recalled that, at the end of filming, Rowan Atkinson presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

Critical assessment

In her assessment of ''The Black Adder'' series, the critic Katharine J. Lewis has examined its comedy genre. She cites several aspects of this episode in particular as elements of traditional situation comedy: the use of scheming, plotting and disguises; and the creation of exaggerated, stereotypical characters (such as the sexually voracious Infanta) for comedic effect. However, Lewis points to its connections with the alternative comedy scene which was growing in the 1980s – Rowan Atkinson, Richard Curtis and John Lloyd had all collaborated on ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' and several actors from the alternative comedy circuit had cameos throughout the series. ''The Black Adder'' is said to draw on the controversial and irreverent material of previous alternative comedy productions to lampoon the customs and practices of the mediaeval world.Lewis, p.116

References

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External links