We may still be waiting for the first pictures of Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip in The Crown, but there’s good news for fans of another televized queen consort.
We’re talking about Prince Albert, of course, played by Tom Hughes in that other sprawling royal drama Victoria. We’ve seen him meet his wife, the young Queen Victoria, played by Jenna Coleman, and start a family together in the first two seasons, but as every history buff will tell you, there’s a big downer on its way.
But, not during season three, according to series showrunner Daisy Goodwin. Yesterday (July 30) at the TCA (Television Critics Association) summer press tour she reassured fans of the show, saying, “I think we can safely say we’re not going to lose Albert in this series.”
“It starts in 1848,” she went on to explain. “It’s the closest Britain got to a revolution in the 19th century. The whole of Europe is falling apart. The French king has been thrown off the throne… there are riots in Berlin and Victoria and Albert are terrified.”
The next season will also cover the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, England, an international event that was Albert’s brainchild and pet project. Thankfully though it will stop short of 1861, when (spoiler alert) Albert died suddenly at the age of 42.
Phew. We’ve already lost Matt Smith in The Crown, not to mention Rufus Sewell in Victoria. We’re not sure we could take another royal TV bereavement so soon.
Meanwhile, some other interesting tidbits about the new season came to light, including plot points and air date. The new season will start airing on PBS on January 13, 2019, and cover the young queen’s 30s.
“It’s a really interesting time because Victoria just wants the love of her people,” said Daisy. “She’s almost like a child star who’s grown up with this affection and love, and when it’s withdrawn she’s empty and she doesn’t know what she’s for. But Albert thinks to be monarch is not necessarily to give people what they want, but what they need.”
Lewis star Lawrence Fox will join the cast as Lord Palmerston, the charismatic and wayward Foreign Secretary during the 1848 riots, while Harlots star Kate Fleetwood will play Victoria’s penniless half-sister Feodora, who makes an “unexpected return” into the queen’s life.
“There she is, living in a crumbly, draughty castle in the middle of Germany and she’s having a miserable time,” Daisy explained. “And there’s Victoria being Queen of England. It doesn’t go down so well.”
So that’s sibling rivalry, revolution, and revelry on their way, but no royal heartbreak. Yet.
Are you glad Prince Albert will live to see another season?