The shenanigans between Prince Charles and Princess Diana were by no means the only, or even the worst, example of marital discord in the history of the British Royal Family. Leaving aside Henry VIII (who was an English rather than a British monarch), the two worst were George I's treatment of Sophia Dorothea and the mutual loathing between George IV and his wife Queen Caroline, which culminated in her furiously banging on the doors of Westminster Abbey, demanding admission to his Coronation ceremony from which she had been locked out. Both these episodes were made into films in the late forties, the story of the unfortunate Sophia Dorothea being told in "Saraband for Dead Lovers" in 1948.
"Mrs. Fitzherbert" from the preceding year tells the story of George IV's love-life, concentrating less upon Caroline than upon the great love of his life, the beautiful young widow Maria Fitzherbert. Maria was a Roman Catholic, and therefore forbidden by the Act of Succession to marry a member of the Royal Family, but even if she had been willing to convert to Protestantism it is unlikely that the Prince's father George III would have given permission for the marriage. (There was no legal bar in Britain to a commoner marrying into the Royal Family, but there was such a bar under German law, to which as Elector of Hanover George III was subject, which forbade dynastic marriages between persons of unequal rank).
Despite the legal obstacles to their marrying, George and Maria nevertheless went through a form of marriage which they regarded as being religiously valid and thereafter lived together as man and wife. George III and his government, however, disregarded this "marriage", which was void under English law, and saw it as no obstacle to the Prince's marriage to Caroline, which took place after he and Maria had separated.
This is basically the story told in this film, although it does embroider the historical account somewhat. (It suggests, for example, that George broke off his relationship with Maria because of a false rumour that she was having an affair with the Duke of Bedford). It tells its story, however, in a rather pedestrian manner; it attempts to emulate the historical bodice-rippers being produced by Gainsborough Pictures at this time, but never manages to conjure up the sense of passion and tumultuous emotion which were the hallmark of the Gainsborough style.
Another criticism I would have is that the film is in black and white, which makes it rather dull visually. The makers of "Saraband for Dead Lovers" avoided this mistake, realising that the lavish costumes and décor of the Georgian era cried out for the use of colour, making that film a visual feast whereas "Mrs Fitzherbert" is a frugal meal indeed. The acting in "Saraband..." is also much better, with Joan Greenwood making an enchanting heroine, Stewart Granger's a handsome, dashing and sensitive hero and Peter Bull a vulgar, boorish villain for all his royal blood. By contrast, here Peter Graves as the Prince and Joyce Howard as Maria, neither of whom were major stars of the standing of Granger or Greenwood, are both rather stiff and forgettable. "Mrs Fitzherbert" is watchable as a history lesson (if not always an entirely accurate one) but lacking as a human drama. 5/10
Some goofs. The name "Maria" is pronounced in the film in the modern way, ma-REE-a, but the eighteenth-century pronunciation would have been ma-RYE-a. In the film the Prince first meets Maria when he rescues her during the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots of 1780; in reality they did not meet until 1784. During the Gordon Riots scene mention is made of Catholic churches in London; at this date there were no Catholic churches anywhere in Britain. (The opening of Catholic chapels was legalised by an Act of Parliament of 1791; one built at Lulworth in Dorset in 1786 was technically illegal, but the authorities turned a blind eye). George III is portrayed as speaking with a German accent, even though he spent all his life in England and never visited Germany. In a scene set in the 1780s, George offers to give up his right to the throne, stating that his brother William (the future William IV) would make a better king. In fact, at this period the next in line to the throne would have been another brother, Frederick Duke of York, who is never mentioned in the film. He would have become King Frederick I had he not died in 1827, three years before George.
4 out of 4 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
