Edward The King

[Caleb]

I found a photo of Mr. West

[Grace]

Caleb - good photo of Timothy West.  He even looks a bit like Bertie in this one!

Some of you might know that Timothy West is married to the actress Prunella Scales (Sybil from Fawlty Towers  ).  She has also recently played Queen Victoria in a play.  The names escapes me at this moment  .

Helen A - so glad you enjoyed the series.  It really is very well done indeed  .

[Prince_Lieven]

I agree, the casting was great - Felicity Kendal as Vicky and Robert Hardy as PA were good too (he was a very convincing German! ).

[anna]

Some of you might know that Timothy West is married to the actress Prunella Scales (Sybil from Fawlty Towers  ).  She has also recently played Queen Victoria in a play.  The names escapes me at this moment  .

Grace,

I've mentioned this on another thread some time ago, but the play you're thinking of is "An evening with Queen Victoria".
Although  I never had a change to see the play because I don't live in England, I did watch the wonderful documentary "Looking for Victoria" in which Mrs Scales researches the life of Queen Victoria for her stage play. She also portrays Queen Victoria in the historical reconstructions in this programme. She quoted from QV's private diaries from which they say she wrote them late in life and unpublished until now.

Back to Edward the King the series , a real pity they don't make series like that anymore.

I have the dvd's and I watched them more than once. I liked the comments Annete Crosbie and Timothy West give on their portrayals and the making of the series, as I think it's always interesting to know why an actor was chosen to play that specific part and how they developed the characters.
IMO I don't think it's necessary an actor/actress has to resemble the person exactly- can't be. A lot of actresses portrayed Queen Victoria one resembling her more than the other but did you really believe? I think the acting has to convince you, make you believe that's the real Queen Victoria you're looking at and I think Annete Crosbie was very much capable to establish that.
I think the danger of being a look- a like for any actor would be typecasting, like Helen Ryan as Queen Alexandra. She did a wonderful job in the series but appeared several times on tv again as Princess or Queen Alexandra.

Anyone who is been thinking of buying these series on dvd won't be disappointed. Worth every penny!

Anna

[Prince_Lieven]

Helen Ryan was also Queen Wihelmina of the Netherlands in the 2002 drama 'Bertie and Elizabeth'.

[anna]

Yes, I know although I haven't seen it, would love to.

But stil she was typecast as a queen  

Anna

[Marlene]

Helen Ryan was also Queen Wihelmina of the Netherlands in the 2002 drama 'Bertie and Elizabeth'.

And I bought Bertie and Elizabeth on DVD (and Edward and Mrs. Simpson) when I was in London in February

[Caleb]

My mother was ironing as I was watching "Edward the King" & she was refferring to queen Victoria as "the mean queen" & Vicky as "a whiner". Clearly she doesn't appreciate royalty as I do. She has refferred to the Dowager Empress of China as "the cranky lady" But my sister-in-law was telling me that there was a teacher she met, while she & my brother were in Paupa New Guinea who refferred to the Dowager Empress as " the naughty lady", or "the lady with the long fingernails". She did this because they kept changing the spelling on her (it could be spelled: Cixi, Ci-Xi, Tzu Hsi, T'zu-Hsi or Tsu Hsi)  It's pronounced Tsoo- Shee (or Tsoo Sheeh) p.s. this is how it's written in Chinese (it says Tzu Hsi Tai Hou) it basically means "dowager empress Tzu Hsi" I think it should have been " ]Tzu-Hsi Huang Tai Hou" She was also refferred to as "Lao Fo Yeh" ("Old Buddha")

[AnnieB]

I recently rewatched EdwardVII on DVD.  I loved it as much as the first time around. I paid $A 69.95. Ouch! But it was worth it.  Knowing a lot more about royalty the 2nd time around I was particularly impressed by the historical accuracy, eg Vicky and Fritz's wedding was portrayed just like in paintings I have seen, down to where people were standing and the costumes.Robert Hardy was great as Albert. He also played Leicester I think in Elizabeth R.
 My Region 4 DVD of Edward VII has no extra features eg commentaries, not an uncommon problem with region 4 releases of TV series. Someone mentioned Annette Crosbie also played Katherine of Aragon in the Six Wives of Henry VIII. Watch for the cry she gives when Henry tells her he is going to divorce her. Although I havent seen this for over 30 years I swear it is the same cry Victoria gives when Albert dies in Edward VII.
I think the documentary series about Lord Mountbatten was called The Life and Times of Lord Louis Mountbatten. I think it was made in the early to mid 1970s. It was narrated by Mountbatten. I can still hum the credits music, can anyone tell me what the piece was.

[Eddie_uk]

I just looked this series up on amazon price £13.97! Which seems very reasonable. Will definitely be buying it - sounds a wonderful series and right up my street!!! 

[Alixz]

I just recently purchased Edward the King.  I have wanted it for ages, since I saw it on Masterpiece Theater oh, so long ago.

I also just found The Six Wives of Henry VIII and purchased that as well.

Now I just have to find the uninterupted time to enjoy both again.

Thank technology that we can find these gems again and watch them with a new perspective.  I was quite young when "The Six Wives" was on Masterpiece Theater, but I remember loving it.

As for Edward the King, I always remember Alix doing a cart wheel.  That always stuck in my memory.

[Silja]

Jane Lapoitare's portrayal as the Dowager Empress was good acting.

Jane Lapotaire also played Queen Mary in Lady Jane.

[carl fraley]

I received the DVD set as a christmas Gift and LOVED IT!!!  The casting was Pretty Good I think with only a few exceptions...  I think that the portrayal of HIM Alexandra Feodorovna was too too cold especially with her own family, the scene at Balmoral when she was with her "Beloved Grandmama" was cold and distant & from reading some of their privtate letters one would assume theirs was a very close & caring relationship.

HELEN Ryan is Superb!!!

Anyone know if this series was actually shot using the real interiors of any of the Royal Residences??

[Clemence]

I think I'm developing a dependence, I need to watch a bit every day! Does anyone have any idea if there was a book with the DVDs collection and was there ever a soundtrack you think?

[Grace]

Yes!  There were two books released in 1974, about the time the TV series was originally shown.  The author was David Butler (who co-wrote the miniseries with John Gorrie).  They are titled Edward the Seventh: Prince of Hearts and Edward the Seventh: The Peacemaker.  The publisher was Futura Publications Limited.  

Maybe you could get them through Bookfinder or similar?