S02.E05: Marionettes

[formerlyfreedom]

 

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After Elizabeth makes a tone-deaf speech at a Jaguar factory, she and the monarchy come under public attack from an outspoken lord

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[Mindthinkr]

Did anyone else get shades of Pink Floyd when all the clocks rang out nine at the Palace? 

[biakbiak]

Am i weird that I don't see a huge change in her hair?

[Mindthinkr]

2 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Am i weird that I don't see a huge change in her hair?

Nah, I didn't either. I did think it was funny that Philip mentioned that if she wanted more children she needed to let it change more like the movie stars, not the fuddy duddy way she had it done. 

P.S. Who knew she was such a good shot when she dropped the stag? 

[2727]

I have a little trouble believing that Elizabeth and the Queen Mother were quite so disdainful, even in private, of the "regular" people who were invited to the palace in service of Lord Altrincham's egalitarian ideas. Elizabeth had been making public appearances and mingling (albeit in a supervised way) with her subjects since she was a young girl. The show made it seem like she thought a butcher had about as much worth as a street dog.

Edited December 9, 2017 by 2727

[ali59]

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  4 HOURS AGO, BIAKBIAK SAID:

Am i weird that I don't see a huge change in her hair?

 

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Nah, I didn't either. I did think it was funny that Philip mentioned that if she wanted more children she needed to let it change more like the movie stars, not the fuddy duddy way she had it done. 

I noticed the difference.  The new style is the style she wears now.  I'm really glad she went back to her old style.  She was way too young for such a stodgy look.

[Helena Dax]

Was that Asha Greyjoy?

Anyway, the Queen's speech at the factory had me rolling. It's the kind of speech Cersei or Dr. House would make, lol. "My dear lowly subdits, you're too stupid to see it, but your pathetic and boring lives serve their purpose".  Omg, even Philip was shocked and that means something. 

Speaking of Philip, he made me laugh when he was joking about Elizabeth's hair. And I loved his little scene with Margaret. Vidal Baboon, LOL. I think this show is funnier this season. The scene where Elizabeth was talking to that lord was funny too. 

[Calvada]

Elizabeth did age a bit abruptly from young woman to middle-aged, and she was only in her early to mid 30s!  Margaret was the same, but I think for her it was a combination of alcohol and tobacco which aged her.  But compare Elizabeth at the time of her life featured this season, to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.  The helmet hair, the boxy suits, the ever-present handbag, the pearls make Elizabeth seem at least a decade or more older than Catherine is now.  Elizabeth had just turned 34 when Margaret got married, and Catherine will be 36 next month.    

[TaurusRose]

One thing I’ll say for the Brits, no one delivers snark as polished and precise as they do.  I was dying when Elizabeth was mixing it up with Lord Critic and Phillip was critiquing Elizabeth’s hairstyle. I was not a fan of the stag hunt. 

[dubbel zout]

8 hours ago, 2727 said:

I have a little trouble believing that Elizabeth and the Queen Mother were quite so disdainful, even in private, of the "regular" people who were invited to the palace in service of Lord Altrincham's egalitarian ideas. Elizabeth had been making public appearances and mingling (albeit in a supervised way) with her subjects since she was a young girl. The show made it seem like she thought a butcher had about as much worth as a street dog.

I know. I buy the Queen Mother being bitter about losing her perks and privileges—she was the last Empress of India, after all—but sneering at the boxer from Elm Street was a bit much. I've read in more than one place that Queen Elizabeth has no snobbery at all, which makes sense to me because she's at the top of the heap. She has no reason to care about position. She's safe!

5 hours ago, Helena Dax said:

Anyway, the Queen's speech at the factory had me rolling.

I had a hard time believing she wasn't horrified while she was reading it. "Tone-deaf" doesn't begin to describe it.

4 hours ago, Calvada said:

  But compare Elizabeth at the time of her life featured this season, to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.  The helmet hair, the boxy suits, the ever-present handbag, the pearls make Elizabeth seem at least a decade or more older than Catherine is now.  Elizabeth had just turned 34 when Margaret got married, and Catherine will be 36 next month.

This comparison is a bit unfair. The Swinging Sixties were still to come. That was when things really got shaken up. Also, Elizabeth ascended to the throne so young that I think she dressed the way she did so that she was taken more seriously, at least at the beginning. And then it just became how she dressed. She's never been at the forefront of fashion.

I was surprised someone hadn't suggested televising the queen's Christmas speech before Lord Altrincham did. Or maybe someone did and it was shot down, but Lord A's recommendation came at just the right time for it to happen.

[andromeda331]

That speech was awful and so were the Queen Mother's remarks later. 

[Jodithgrace]

Well, we tend to think of the Queen as egalitarian because that's the way she acts. We have no idea how she really feels. I think that she might well have forgotten her ties to the "common people," because for 10 years she had been in the rarified air of her position as Queen. Reconnecting with the people at those public events she now holds has probably made her feel more connected and much less distainful.  Especially since I'm sure all of those people are on their very best behavior. 

[Roseanna]

22 hours ago, Calvada said:

Elizabeth did age a bit abruptly from young woman to middle-aged, and she was only in her early to mid 30s!  Margaret was the same, but I think for her it was a combination of alcohol and tobacco which aged her.  But compare Elizabeth at the time of her life featured this season, to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.  The helmet hair, the boxy suits, the ever-present handbag, the pearls make Elizabeth seem at least a decade or more older than Catherine is now.  Elizabeth had just turned 34 when Margaret got married, and Catherine will be 36 next month.    

 

18 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

This comparison is a bit unfair. The Swinging Sixties were still to come. That was when things really got shaken up. Also, Elizabeth ascended to the throne so young that I think she dressed the way she did so that she was taken more seriously, at least at the beginning. And then it just became how she dressed. She's never been at the forefront of fashion.

I agree with Dubbel Zout the comparision is unfair. When I look at photos, even the students in their 20ies dressed like adults until it suddenly changed.

When Elizabeth visited Finland in 1976, I happened to be quite near to her in the Hietaniemi Heroes' Cementary. I was astonished how her good especially her skin looked. I would never have guessed she was 50 years of age if haven't known it. 

One must also remember that also female Prime Ministers and Presidents dress to underline their authority and power. Only the wives of male Prime Ministers and Presidents, having only a supporting role, strive to be fashion icons.

On 12/9/2017 at 0:46 PM, 2727 said:

I have a little trouble believing that Elizabeth and the Queen Mother were quite so disdainful, even in private, of the "regular" people who were invited to the palace in service of Lord Altrincham's egalitarian ideas. Elizabeth had been making public appearances and mingling (albeit in a supervised way) with her subjects since she was a young girl. The show made it seem like she thought a butcher had about as much worth as a street dog.

 

9 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

Well, we tend to think of the Queen as egalitarian because that's the way she acts. We have no idea how she really feels. I think that she might well have forgotten her ties to the "common people," because for 10 years she had been in the rarified air of her position as Queen. Reconnecting with the people at those public events she now holds has probably made her feel more connected and much less distainful.  Especially since I'm sure all of those people are on their very best behavior. 

I read recently that in Britain in 1940, just as in Finland during the Winter War, old ideals had to be put aside because in the fight against the owerwhelming enemy the ruling elite had nothing else it could depend on but its own people. That would, inter alia, explain why the King and Queen visited f.ex. East End after bombings.

Although I otherwise understand that The Crown is a story about Elizabeth's reign, this episode made me see one of its restrictions: we weren't shown the Labour government after the war and how it changed Britain. Why those changes weren't made in the Court? Was this only due to Lascelles and other like him who were afraid that any change would lead to disaster?

What was the role of George VI and Queen Elizabeth? He was only in 1895, so its no wonder that he was shaped of his youthful experiences. But the future Queen Mother wasn't born royal although perhaps for that reason she tried her hardest to perform like one.       

[dubbel zout]

3 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

Reconnecting with the people at those public events she now holds has probably made her feel more connected and much less distainful.

Being out of touch doesn't equal being contemptuous, though. Out of touch is not knowing how to pay for a bus ride or that not everyone's newspaper is ironed before they read it. Contemptuous is thinking people are worthless because they didn't go to Eton and/or have to work in a car factory doing line work.

I totally buy the queen being out of touch. It's almost inevitable given how she lives. But being contemptuous toward her subjects in unforgivable. Ironically, both of those things are why a number of monarchies fell, so it's a bit odd they had QEQM bitching about it. (Though again, I understand why she's a little bitter about losing some of her perks and privileges.)

[spaceghostess]

17 hours ago, Helena Dax said:

Was that Asha Greyjoy?

Yup! Was so happy to see her getting to play pretty much the polar opposite of Yara. I also found the little budding romance she had with Lord A. really sweet. I'm a sucker for development of characters I'll never see again when it's done so deftly.

[ProudMary]

Michael and Tommy owe Martin a big, fat apology!  I was so glad when Elizabeth put Michael in his place.  

[Cheezwiz]

I found this episode slightly tedious (from my modern vantage point it's hard to imagine an entire nation thrown into an uproar - even a near constitutional crisis (!) over inflammatory remarks by a journalist), but it was punctuated by bits of hilarity, and I thought the post-script about the real-life outcome was interesting.

I was full-on giggle-snorting at Phillip's critique of Elizabeth's new immovable hairdo. He did indeed make this remark in real life apparently. And it appears not a hair on Her Majesty's head has changed since! Bonus giggle: Vidal Baboon!

Martin is my favourite Royal flunky. A good chap as they say. Glad to see his worries were warranted.

I still can't help loving Tommy Lascelles despite his stuffed-shirtedness. How awesome is it that he has two giant Irish wolfhounds as pets? LOVE!

[txhorns79]

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This comparison is a bit unfair. The Swinging Sixties were still to come. That was when things really got shaken up. Also, Elizabeth ascended to the throne so young that I think she dressed the way she did so that she was taken more seriously, at least at the beginning. And then it just became how she dressed. She's never been at the forefront of fashion.

Eh, I think it's more about your last point than anything else.  After all, Margaret isn't that much younger than Elizabeth, but she is much more chic.  Elizabeth just seems to prefer more practical clothing.  Though I did love the conversation she had with Philip on the train about how she looks.  He's so bitchy! 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Yara Greyjoy handing out toffee!

I know that Elizabeth is the protagonist so we are supposed to root for her, but I was cringing as she gave that speech. It came off as patronizing and condescending.

While I understand her chastising Michael for it, Altincham is correct - ultimately the fault lies with her. She should have (1) read the speech beforehand and (2) realized that it was going to sound snobby to anyone who wasn't fortunate enough to be born into a rich family.

My understanding is that a constitutional crisis is when something interferes with the government operating. How is some guy writing an article about the fact that he didn't like the queen's speech a constitutional crisis? Is it a constitutional crisis if the monarch's approval rating dips below 95%?

I don't know a lot about hunting, but I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry when I saw that Rich People Hunting consists of pointing out which animal you want to shoot, letting someone else line up the shot, and then shimmying a few inches closer to pull the trigger so that you can say you shot it yourself.

I was rolling my eyes when Philip was complaining about Elizabeth's new haircut. I can't stand when people act like their spouses/partners need to make every decision about their appearance by first asking themselves, "Will other people find this hot/sexy/attractive?"

Rolling my eyes part two came when QEQM was making it sound like Elizabeth shaking hands with commoners was the end of the monarchy. Oh, the indignities you must suffer to keep living in a castle with servants doing everything for you while the dummies at the factories work their dull monotonous low paying jobs and go home to their dreary, uneventful, lonely lives.

Loved that Elizabeth disappeared from Martin's office like a ghost! I want to see some of those secret passages!

Edited December 11, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Ina123]

15 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Loved that Elizabeth disappeared from Martin's office like a ghost! I want to see some of those secret passages!

Later she does show Jackie Kennedy a secret passage.

17 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

While I understand her chastising Michael for it, Altincham is correct - ultimately the fault lies with her. She should have (1) read the speech beforehand and (2) realized that it was going to sound snobby to anyone who wasn't fortunate enough to be born into a rich family.

 

What's important in that scene and the scenes following is that she LISTENED. She wanted to do better.

[humbleopinion]

In real life, Lord Altincham married Yara and they adopted 2 boys....happy ending.

For Downton Abbey fans...remember the Debutante Ball in which Rose was presented?

That upper crust event was eliminated and replaced with the Queen hosting garden parties where invited guests were butchers, bus drivers, teachers.

[MaggieG]

8 hours ago, Cheezwiz said:

I still can't help loving Tommy Lascelles despite his stuffed-shirtedness. How awesome is it that he has two giant Irish wolfhounds as pets? LOVE!

That scene of him on his couch watching Impact with those two dogs was everything I never knew I wanted.

[dubbel zout]

3 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

In real life, Lord Altincham married Yara and they adopted 2 boys....happy ending.

Aw. That's genuinely lovely.

3 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

That upper crust event was eliminated and replaced with the Queen hosting garden parties where invited guests were butchers, bus drivers, teachers.

Was that scene supposed to be a garden party? That's what I thought we were seeing, but I don't think garden party guests go inside the palace like that. At any rate, the idea that the queen would recoil from meeting her subjects seem very, very wrong to me.

34 minutes ago, MaggieG said:

9 hours ago, Cheezwiz said:

I still can't help loving Tommy Lascelles despite his stuffed-shirtedness. How awesome is it that he has two giant Irish wolfhounds as pets? LOVE!

That scene of him on his couch watching Impact with those two dogs was everything I never knew I wanted.

The Hammer (™Fug Girls recap of the first season) is one of my favorite characters, and Pip Torrens is doing a great job with him.

[JustaPerson]

I love how mysterious and mythical Elizabeth seemed from Lord A's POV. She just appeared and then disappeared, like a ghost!

[humbleopinion]

Here's the lowdown on the garden parties ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-big-question-why-does-the-queen-host-garden-parties-and-who-gets-invited-1689194.html

[BananaPants]

On 12/9/2017 at 10:56 PM, dubbel zout said:

I know. I buy the Queen Mother being bitter about losing her perks and privileges—she was the last Empress of India, after all—but sneering at the boxer from Elm Street was a bit much. I've read in more than one place that Queen Elizabeth has no snobbery at all, which makes sense to me because she's at the top of the heap. She has no reason to care about position. She's safe!

I had always read that the Queen Mother had quite the sense of humor and wit.   Of course she enjoyed luxuries - who wouldn't, in that kind of position?  But she was known by her longtime servants and friends as being a friendly and witty person who could socialize comfortably with people from different walks of life.  

The only evidence I've seen that she was snobbish, vain, or contemptuous was written by a tabloid-level gossip columnist who wrote a biography of the Queen Mother which she also claimed that she was the illegitimate daughter of the family's cook, that Elizabeth and Margaret were conceived via some 1920s version of artificial insemination, and that she spent her entire life scheming to become queen.  Said author claimed that her source for all of this was none other than the Duke of Windsor so I take that with a heaping grain of salt...

[PeterPirate]

Just now, BananaPants said:

I had always read that the Queen Mother had quite the sense of humor and wit.   Of course she enjoyed luxuries - who wouldn't, in that kind of position?  But she was known by her longtime servants and friends as being a friendly and witty person who could socialize comfortably with people from different walks of life.  

The only evidence I've seen that she was snobbish, vain, or contemptuous was written by a tabloid-level gossip columnist who wrote a biography of the Queen Mother which she also claimed that she was the illegitimate daughter of the family's cook, that Elizabeth and Margaret were conceived via some 1920s version of artificial insemination, and that she spent her entire life scheming to become queen.  Said author claimed that her source for all of this was none other than the Duke of Windsor so I take that with a heaping grain of salt...

Yes to this.  I rather think we are looking at a highly dramatized version of real people.  It doesn't necessarily make the show less enjoyable, but I think we would all do well to lower our expectations of historical accuracy.  

I would love it if the Queen really had held a clandestine audience with Lord Altrincham.  But of course, it's fiction.  

For that matter--and I am in no way a follower of the goings on of the royals--but Prince Philip seems quite content in all the photos of him. 

Edited December 12, 2017 by PeterPirate

[txhorns79]

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What's important in that scene and the scenes following is that she LISTENED. She wanted to do better.

I did appreciate she was trying, even if the look on her face made it seem as though she was trying to figure out how to use her mind to blow up Lord Altrincham.  

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Yes to this.  I rather think we are looking at a highly dramatized version of real people.  It doesn't necessarily make the show less enjoyable, but I think we would all do well to lower our expectations of historical accuracy.  

I did roll my eyes a bit at the idea that one editorial suggesting the Queen was out of touch would be considered a constitutional crisis.  I just kept thinking: "Were the English just really bored and needed some drama?"  I get that the Queen is highly valued by her people, but it all seemed very overwrought. 

[irisheyes]

1 hour ago, BananaPants said:

I had always read that the Queen Mother had quite the sense of humor and wit.   Of course she enjoyed luxuries - who wouldn't, in that kind of position?  But she was known by her longtime servants and friends as being a friendly and witty person who could socialize comfortably with people from different walks of life.  

The only evidence I've seen that she was snobbish, vain, or contemptuous was written by a tabloid-level gossip columnist who wrote a biography of the Queen Mother which she also claimed that she was the illegitimate daughter of the family's cook, that Elizabeth and Margaret were conceived via some 1920s version of artificial insemination, and that she spent her entire life scheming to become queen.  Said author claimed that her source for all of this was none other than the Duke of Windsor so I take that with a heaping grain of salt...

Yes!  I keep waiting for the QM that was so beloved by the British public. I excused it last season since she was widowed so unexpectedly, but her snobbery this season is a little off-putting. Hopefully, lovable QM will arrive next season. 

[LilWharveyGal]

Add my voice to the, "Hey, Yara Greyjoy!" chorus.

It was fun to see Martin and Tommy in a scene together so soon after the actors played very different characters in Versailles.

[Cheezwiz]

I find it interesting that the QM has been portrayed in wildly differing ways in movies and tv series. In "The King's Speech" she was clever and determined. In this series, she's depicted as a snobbish entitled air-head.

I think she was a bit of a cipher in real life. Because she was always smiling in public, liked her sherry, and loved going to the races, my impression is that the British public projected  fond memories of their own grannies onto her. Her image was that of e a sweet fun-loving little old lady, but in reality, who knows?

I think the great age she reached (102), also added extra "wow factor" to her persona. Elizabeth II is now 91 - curious to see if she can tie her Mom's record!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

6 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

the look on her face made it seem as though she was trying to figure out how to use her mind to blow up Lord Altrincham. 

Ha, perfect description! I thought she was trying to get lasers to shoot of her eyes to fry him on the spot, but based on the intense amount of concentration I would guess she was actually trying to blow him up!

[Primetimer]

A challenge from a newspaper columnist makes everyone think about refreshing the monarchy, and Elizabeth refreshes her hairstyle.

View the full article

[dubbel zout]

For some reason, what annoyed me the most about this episode was Altrincham being unable/unwilling to type his damn article himself.

[teddysmom]

Elizabeth didn't kill the stag in The Queen she actually shooed it away to try to save it. I have always wondered if the stag was supposed to represent Diana, this beautiful wild creature who everyone was chasing, and in the end Elizabeth felt really bad about its death.

I KNEW Phillip was going to make fun of that haircut.

That speech at the Jaguar plant was just god awful. And the way Elizabeth and the QM were acting when the normals showed up for the lunch. FFS, if a couple wars turned out differently, somebody else would be standing in that castle making fun of you two. Knock off the "we're better" BS.

[txhorns79]

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And the way Elizabeth and the QM were acting when the normals showed up for the lunch. FFS, if a couple wars turned out differently, somebody else would be standing in that castle making fun of you two. Knock off the "we're better" BS.

Seriously, those two were acting like the normals showed up to meet her in tank tops and hot pants.  Everyone looked very nice and respectable, even if QE2 and QM were acting like it was exquisite torture to even have to speak to these people.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Watching that scene made me think of what Anya said on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (right before they kicked Buffy out): “You really do think you're better than we are. But we don't know. We don't know if you're actually better. I mean, you came into the world with certain advantages, sure. I mean, that's the legacy. But you didn't earn it. You didn't work for it. You've never had anybody come up to you and say you deserve these things more than anyone else. They were just handed to you. So that doesn't make you better than us. It makes you luckier than us.”

Elizabeth, David, Philip, and others make snide comments throughout the series about people who are not upper class which irks me because the only difference between the upper class and the lower class is that the upper class were lucky enough not to be born poor. That stroke of luck is all that separates Elizabeth et al from the people who have monotonous factory jobs, who don’t live in castles, who don’t have an army of servants to dress them and feed them and iron their newspapers and clean their bathrooms. 

[kaygeeret]

Brilliant recap...thank you

[Popples]

On 12/11/2017 at 11:45 AM, MaggieG said:

That scene of him on his couch watching Impact with those two dogs was everything I never knew I wanted.

As soon as I saw it, I wanted to make it my wallpaper.

[SeanC]

One feature I like about this show's episodic approach is the little spotlights for one-off historical characters like Lord Altrincham (and the future Lady Altrincham, Patricia Campbell, played by Yara Greyjoy).

[Cheezwiz]

1 hour ago, SeanC said:

One feature I like about this show's episodic approach is the little spotlights for one-off historical characters like Lord Altrincham (and the future Lady Altrincham, Patricia Campbell, played by Yara Greyjoy).

Yes, I'm finding that the episodes this season are almost stand-alone stories that happen to feature the Royals. I've been having a great time disappearing into Wikipedia research rabbit-holes to learn more about the secondary historical figures featured in each episode. #historynerd

[DHDancer]

On 12/11/2017 at 0:07 AM, Cheezwiz said:

I still can't help loving Tommy Lascelles despite his stuffed-shirtedness. How awesome is it that he has two giant Irish wolfhounds as pets? LOVE!

Scottish Deerhounds.  It redeemed him for me as a character as Deerhounds are very discerning :)

[Cheezwiz]

2 minutes ago, DHDancer said:

Scottish Deerhounds.  It redeemed him for me as a character as Deerhounds are very discerning :)

Ah, I mis-identified! They look very similar to Wolfhounds (a breed I adore, and would have if I could, but alas I dwell in an apartment and not on a country estate). I'm sure Deerhounds are cool too! I loved the perplexed looks on all of their faces as they sat on the couch and watched telly.

[DHDancer]

I too love IWs but when researching them found their life expectancy distressing,  Then met a Deerhound at a dressage event and fell in love.  Never regretted having them (first one 1992, said goodbye to the last girl of my breeding on Sunday).   It makes my heart leap seeing them on the screen :)

[Cheezwiz]

6 hours ago, DHDancer said:

I too love IWs but when researching them found their life expectancy distressing,  Then met a Deerhound at a dressage event and fell in love.  Never regretted having them (first one 1992, said goodbye to the last girl of my breeding on Sunday).   It makes my heart leap seeing them on the screen :)

So sorry for the loss of your pet! I've never met any deerhounds, but I've petted and played with some Irish Wolfhounds, and found them irresistible, despite their enormous pony-like stature. Unfortunately the life-span of these gentle giants is heartbreaking - only about 7 or 8 years. I guess the rule of thumb is the larger the dog, the shorter the lifespan. Very sad. But perhaps people who have them treasure them all the more.

[Popples]

13 hours ago, DHDancer said:

Scottish Deerhounds.  It redeemed him for me as a character as Deerhounds are very discerning :)

Thanks for the identification. I'm not familiar with the breed, but thought them absolutely striking.

[Blakeston]

I truly don't understand why they've chosen to portray the Queen Mother as this snooty, dithering fusspot. There's so much fun they could be having with the character, if she was presented with half the spirit, wit and generosity she displayed in real life.

I have to wonder if Peter Morgan was worried that Elizabeth would seem less likable if her mother's personality outshined hers.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Blakeston

[PeterPirate]

1 hour ago, Blakeston said:

I truly don't understand why they've chosen to portray the Queen Mother as this snooty, dithering fusspot. There's so much fun they could be having with the character, if she was presented with half the spirit, wit and generosity she displayed.

I have to wonder if Peter Morgan was worried that Elizabeth would seem less likable if her mother's personality outshined hers.

For that matter, my impression of the real Prince Philip is that he has the kind of dry, snarky wit that would make for a good TWoP/PTV member.  

I suppose it's not possible to have it both ways.  The TV versions of these characters are instruments to dramatize the problems of the monarchy, and the real life versions--except for Margaret--all seem pretty content with their lives.  

[WatchrTina]

I hope that Philip's reputation for snark and the delivery of a wholly inappropriate bon mot is given full voice in a later season.  Apparently he's NOTORIOUS.

[Cheezwiz]

2 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

I hope that Philip's reputation for snark and the delivery of a wholly inappropriate bon mot is given full voice in a later season.  Apparently he's NOTORIOUS.

Oh, there's a treasure trove of horrifying quotes out there. Phillip has had foot-in-mouth disease during his whole time as consort. He definitely tosses wildly inappropriate (unfortunately often racist) comments out with abandon. Admittedly, sometimes he will let something hilarious slip about a fellow aristo.