The Queen of Spain's Beard
Encyclopedia
"The Queen of Spain's Beard" was the fourth episode of the first series of the BBC
sitcom Blackadder
.
's allegiance in a war with France
, the king tries to get Harry
to marry the Spanish
Infanta. The plan, however, could not work, as Harry had already been concurrently engaged to several other European royal women. Richard then reluctantly chooses Edmund
to marry the Infanta.
Edmund, meanwhile, swears off women after being violently rejected by a woman who thought he was Harry. When he hears that he is to be married to the Infanta, however, he is excited by the prospect of a beautiful princess — only to find that the Infanta (Miriam Margolyes
) is overweight and homely. He is repulsed by her, but she falls instantly in love with him. Richard sets the wedding for the following day.
Baldrick
hatches a plan: Edmund should emulate the Earl of Doncaster
and pretend to "prefer the intimate company of men
". Edmund then minces to court dressed in flamboyant clothes and wearing makeup. The plan fails, however, as the Infanta thinks that Edmund is only wearing traditional Spanish dress to please her. Edmund then reasons that he cannot marry the Infanta if he is already married, and so orders Baldrick to abduct
a priest
and Percy
to find a suitable bride. Percy chooses a random peasant woman, Tally Applebottom (Jane Freeman), but she identified herself as Mrs. Applebottom at the altar — confirmed moments later when Mr. Applebottom arrives, threatening Edmund with a scythe.
That night, Edmund schemes that he could still get out of the marriage if the Infanta were not a virgin, and sends Baldrick to join the Infanta in bed, pretending to be Edmund, while Edmund goes to inform his father. Richard brushes the revelation aside, as he had been informed of this when the marriage was arranged and the dowry was decreased accordingly, and also only one of them has to be a virgin (that one, of course, being Edmund).
The marriage ceremony starts ponderously, so much so that the Infanta starts talking fast at the officiating bishop with impatience. Her irritating and ever-present translator (Jim Broadbent
) quotes, "Yes, yes, stupid person, hurry up. I wish to entwine him (Blackadder) again in my broad thighs!". The wedding is ultimately cancelled in the nick of time, however, when news arrives that Spain and France have joined forces. Realising the only country in Europe England can ally with now is Hungary
, the Infanta is booted out of court, and Edmund is then set to marry Princess Leia of Hungary (Natasha King) — an eight-year-old girl; however, Edmund seems resigned to this, happy that he escaped the Infanta.
The episode has a sweet-hearted ending with a distinctly bored Edmund spending his wedding night reading a bed-time story to his child bride.
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...
.
Plot
In 1492, Richard IV's court is in disarray. In order to secure SpainSpain
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...
's allegiance in a war with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the king tries to get 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 ....
to marry the Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
Infanta. The plan, however, could not work, as Harry had already been concurrently engaged to several other European royal women. Richard then reluctantly chooses Edmund
Prince Edmund (Blackadder)
Prince Edmund Plantagenet, Duke of Edinburgh is a fictional character in the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder.-Character overview:...
to marry the Infanta.
Edmund, meanwhile, swears off women after being violently rejected by a woman who thought he was Harry. When he hears that he is to be married to the Infanta, however, he is excited by the prospect of a beautiful princess — only to find that the 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:...
) is overweight and homely. He is repulsed by her, but she falls instantly in love with him. Richard sets the wedding for the following day.
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...
hatches a plan: Edmund should emulate the Earl of Doncaster
Duke of Buccleuch
The title Duke of Buccleuch , formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 20 April 1663 for the Duke of Monmouth, who was the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II of Scotland, England, and Ireland and who had married Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch.Anne...
and pretend to "prefer the intimate company of men
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
". Edmund then minces to court dressed in flamboyant clothes and wearing makeup. The plan fails, however, as the Infanta thinks that Edmund is only wearing traditional Spanish dress to please her. Edmund then reasons that he cannot marry the Infanta if he is already married, and so orders Baldrick to abduct
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and 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...
to find a suitable bride. Percy chooses a random peasant woman, Tally Applebottom (Jane Freeman), but she identified herself as Mrs. Applebottom at the altar — confirmed moments later when Mr. Applebottom arrives, threatening Edmund with a scythe.
That night, Edmund schemes that he could still get out of the marriage if the Infanta were not a virgin, and sends Baldrick to join the Infanta in bed, pretending to be Edmund, while Edmund goes to inform his father. Richard brushes the revelation aside, as he had been informed of this when the marriage was arranged and the dowry was decreased accordingly, and also only one of them has to be a virgin (that one, of course, being Edmund).
The marriage ceremony starts ponderously, so much so that the Infanta starts talking fast at the officiating bishop with impatience. Her irritating and ever-present translator (Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
) quotes, "Yes, yes, stupid person, hurry up. I wish to entwine him (Blackadder) again in my broad thighs!". The wedding is ultimately cancelled in the nick of time, however, when news arrives that Spain and France have joined forces. Realising the only country in Europe England can ally with now is Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, the Infanta is booted out of court, and Edmund is then set to marry Princess Leia of Hungary (Natasha King) — an eight-year-old girl; however, Edmund seems resigned to this, happy that he escaped the Infanta.
The episode has a sweet-hearted ending with a distinctly bored Edmund spending his wedding night reading a bed-time story to his child bride.
Cast
Important characters are in bold.- Rowan AtkinsonRowan AtkinsonRowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
as Prince Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh "The Black Adder"Prince Edmund (Blackadder)Prince Edmund Plantagenet, Duke of Edinburgh is a fictional character in the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder.-Character overview:... - Tony RobinsonTony RobinsonTony 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...
as Baldrick, Bachelor of the Parish of Chigwell - Tim McInnernyTim McInnernyTim 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...
as Percy, Duke of NorthumberlandLord Percy PercyLord 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... - Brian BlessedBrian BlessedBrian 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...
as King Richard IV - Elspet GrayElspet GrayElspeth Jean Gray, Baroness Rix is a Scottish actress, known for her work on British television in the 1970s and '80s...
as Queen Gertrude of FlandersGertrude of FlandersGertrude 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... - Robert EastRobert 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....
as Harry, Prince of WalesHarry, 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 .... - Miriam MargolyesMiriam MargolyesMiriam 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:...
as Infanta Maria Escalosa of Spain - Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
as Don Speekingleesh, an Interpreter - Natasha King as Princess Leia of Hungary
- Jane Freeman as Mrs. Applebottom
- John Rapley as Rev. Lloyd
- Howard Lew LewisHoward Lew LewisHoward Lew Lewis is an English comedian and actor, best known for his roles in comedy series including Maid Marian and her Merry Men and Brush Strokes.-Biography:Lewis' grandmother Dame Ethel Gomer-Lewis was an opera singer...
as Mr. Applebottom - Stephen TateStephen Tate-Television credits:He is possibly best known for his recurring role as Alan in the 1970s television drama Survivors.His other credits include: Z-Cars, The Onedin Line, Blake's 7, Yes Minister, The Black Adder, Boon, The Bill, Minder, Cardiac Arrest, Silent Witness and Emmerdale.-Musical...
as Lord Chiswick - Kenn Wells as the 1st Messenger
- Richard Mitchley as the 2nd Messenger
- David Runn as the 3rd and 4th Messengers
- Willoughby GoddardWilloughby GoddardWilloughby Wittenham Rees Goddard was a British actor whose trademark rotund figure was well known on television and in films for over 40 years.Goddard was born in Bicester, Oxfordshire. He played Mr...
as the Archbishop - Harriet Keevil as the Lady on the Ramparts