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

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 BBC1 from 15 June 1983 to 20 Ju ...

'', a BBC's historical comedy franchise. Set in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, during a fictional historical era of the late 15th-century, the episode parodies the practice of intermarriage between the royal houses of European powers - which was a genuine and significant characteristic of European politics at that

time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

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

premarital sex Premarital sex is sex before marriage. It is an act of sex between two people who are not married to each other. Premarital sex is considered a sin by a number of religions and also considered a moral issue which is taboo in many cultures. S ...

, gay stereotypes and the practice of

child marriage Child marriage is a practice involving a marriage or domestic partnership, formal or informal, that includes an individual under 18 and an adult or other child.* * * * Research has found that child marriages have many long-term negative co ...

. The title of the episode may allude to the words attributed to Sir

Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English Exploration, explorer and privateer best known for making the Francis Drake's circumnavigation, second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (bein ...

who "singed the beard of the King of Spain" when he attacked the country in 1587. It may also be a reference to the term "

Beard A beard is the hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals. In humans, beards are most commonly seen on pubescent or adult males, though women have been observed with beards ...

," which in specific circumstances, is associated with insincere or expedient personal relationships. As with other episodes in this series, the end credits include an acknowledgement of "additional dialogue by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 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 Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' in which the third messenger announces in deadpan style the death of Lord Wessex. The fictitious King Richard IV 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 Margolyes ( ; born 18 May 1941) is a British and Australian actress. Known for her work as a character actor across film, television, and stage, she received the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Mingott in Marti ...

, 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 rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...

aunt, Lady Whiteadder, in the 1986 episode "

Beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

" 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 Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in '' Blackadder's Christmas Carol'' (1988). Margolyes's Infanta is accompanied in "The Queen of Spain's Beard" by an interpreter, played by

Jim Broadbent James Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an English actor. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1972, he came to prominence as a character actor for his many roles in film and television. He has received various accolades ...

, who would go on to play

Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband of Queen Victoria. As such, he was consort of the British monarch from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his ...

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".

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 the ...

. 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, or variants, may refer to: People * Wu (surname), and several variants and other transliterations ** Wu (surname 伍) ** Wu (surname 武) ** Ng (name): 吳, 伍 * Hu (surname), also pronounced Woo * Woo (Korean surname) * Woo (Korean give ...

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 and arguably the best friend ...

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, 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: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...

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 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 common English usage ''priest'' re ...

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 a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereo ...

, 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 Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, and France have joined forces. Realizing that the only country in Europe England can ally with now is

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much 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 south, Croatia and ...

, 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 A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the Folklore, folklore genre. Such stories typically feature Magic (supernatural), magic, Incantation, e ...

to his child bride.

Cast

The closing credits of this episode list the cast members "in affable order". *

Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles in the sitcoms ''Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and '' Mr. Bean'' (1990–1995), and in the film series '' Johnny English'' (2003– ...

as Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh *

Brian Blessed Brian Blessed ( ; born 9 October 1936) is an English actor. He is known for his distinctive bushy beard, booming voice, and exuberant personality and performances. He portrayed PC "Fancy" Smith in ''Z-Cars''; Augustus in the 1976 BBC television ...

as King Richard IV *

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. ...

as The Queen * Robert East as Harry, Prince of Wales *

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

as Percy *

Tony Robinson Sir Anthony Robinson (born 15 August 1946) is an English actor, author, broadcaster, and political activist. He played Baldrick in the BBC television sitcom ''Blackadder'' and has presented many historical documentaries, including the Channel ...

as Infanta Maria Escalosa of Spain *

as Don Speekingleesh, an interpreter * Jane Freeman as Tully Applebottom * John Rapley as Rev. Lloyd * Howard Lew Lewis 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'' alongs ...

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 ...

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 characterized externally by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses called blocks in which the person who ...

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 that was broadcast on BBC2 from 16 October 1979 to 8 March 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, the show features satirical ...

''. 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 Alternative comedy is a term coined in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era. The phrase has had different connotations in different contexts: in the UK, it was used to describe ...

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