Anyone watching / watched “A very British scandal”?

Visited Inverary Castle, must have been the late 60's. Spotted the Duke going along a private corridor, and, to my young eyes, he just looked like a dumpy, frumpy old man.
Photos of Margaret as a young women show her to be very beautiful. Perhaps all of those pregnancies aged her?

Yes watching it on catchup. Amazes me how dreadful that class is to each other,
Interesting other thing was the fact that a woman could still be treated like that. Now no one would turn a hair or bother.

I deliberately didn't watch/record because I'd mistaken it for a rerun of A Very English Scandal, which I'd rather enjoyed once but not enough to rewatch.

I read a bit of this thread and decided to give it a go but they both seemed so unpleasant that I didn't last long.

Maremia

Visited Inverary Castle, must have been the late 60's. Spotted the Duke going along a private corridor, and, to my young eyes, he just looked like a dumpy, frumpy old man.
Photos of Margaret as a young women show her to be very beautiful. Perhaps all of those pregnancies aged her?

I think she had the sort of very dark haired beauty that can start to look quite hard as people age. She certainly looked stunning in the wedding photographs from her first wedding. Her first husband seemed to remain very fond of her.

Double standards as usual, men always the king pins

I thought Clare Foy played Anne Boleyn. I thought Jenna Coleman played Victoria in Victoria, or did she play Victoria in something else?

We both really enjoyed it and binged watched it last night. I was a bit loath to watch it as I had read some reviews that said it was not so good. I find it very interesting that on Gransnet most of us have enjoyed it, and feel this is probably due to the fact that most of us are old enough to remember that era.

homefarm

Double standards as usual, men always the king pins

I thought Clare Foy played Anne Boleyn. I thought Jenna Coleman played Victoria in Victoria, or did she play Victoria in something else?

I think you're right re Claire Foy and Jenna Coleman.

Claire Foy played a young Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown too.

As a teenager I wasn’t as gripped by this scandal as I was the Profumo affair which had a lot more glamour and intrigue attached to it.

I just remember my father muttering some jokey comments about the headless man to my mother whose opinion condemned the duchess as a ‘fast piece.’

Nowadays she would be firmly on the side of the duchess and the duke would be a ‘wicked swine!’ ?

That’s so interesting Merlot, your perception of how social changes would influence your mothers view
I remember Profumo - I was about 14 so beginning an interest in news items.

I suspect views of the Duchess would still be negative, given the negative responses of many to say Amber Herd or the accusers in the Epstein case. I suspect the Duke would be unpopular especially if the drug and alcohol fired abuse was publicised
Fascinating story

In the series both seemed most unpleasant people, apart from the court case no one knows what was said and done in private,
has not the same been said of The Crown ?, i watched one episode of The Crown and it certainly wasn’t true.

Anniebach

In the series both seemed most unpleasant people, apart from the court case no one knows what was said and done in private,
has not the same been said of The Crown ?, i watched one episode of The Crown and it certainly wasn’t true.

But it is a drama and not purporting to be a documentary. No one can know totally what is true and what not in this or in The Crown

Yes , but both are being judge as if it was true

I loved it and had lots of empathy for the Duchess, yup spoilt and a bit promiscuous but certainly a victim much the same. Duke of Argyll sounded and looked horrendous !! Three wives at least and financially ruined them all !!

The Duke was a damaged and piteous man, but his treatment of his wife was shocking. That he was supported by the justice system was a disgrace. Also depressing that he was immediately able to marry another wealthy woman to bankroll his sordid and pathetic life.

This drama really highlighted the privileged but aimless and useless lives lead by many of the aristocracy.

It may not all be true and the Duchess was not the nicest person but the Duke did marry three ladies for their money. Horrible person.

To add insult to injury, the Duchess was made to pay the costs of the divorce case - £50,000.

Yes this was on my Christmas to watch list and I’m enjoying it so far, watching it on catch up. Initially I did think they truly deserved one another, both devious characters but he has a really cruel, twisted side, a high class con man who just wanted a new wife with family money to get him out of debt. Nasty scene when he mocked her stammer. There are some good actors in it & Claire Foy plays the part very well, Also interesting to see what fashions the upper classes were wearing at that time, there’s some great costumes. I’ve not seen all episodes yet though.

I’m halfway through. Riveting and depressing in equal measure. How the upper classes flaunt their status and if they have it, wealth. “Man with huge dilapidated castle and bad temper seeks wife with bottomless purse and needy disposition”.

I can’t help but think what us working classes were up to at the time of all this high society living? Ena Sharples in the snug with Minnie Caldwell and Martha Longhurst with their glasses of milk stout comes to mind. Donkey stoning the steps and using the privy in the back yard I suppose.

Donkey stoning the steps and using the privy in the back yard I suppose
Ooh, you took me back there, Urmstongran! (Brought up in working class Manchester)

The Grit in the Pearl by Linsy Spence tells the whole story of Margaret’s life and having read it and re-watched the three episodes a number of the events in the programmes make more sense

This case shows up the whole ridiculousness of the hereditary principle where someone gets a title and gets called “ your grace” or whatever through no achievement of their own, they can be a real DISgrace and still get fawned and forelock tugged at for no good reason. Such titles belong in the middle ages. Let’s hope they die out in the not too distant future.

What fascinates is that so little seems to have changed, it is just that they have learned to manipulate the media now more to their advantage.

Look at the reports on how William apparently fed the media with stories about his brother’s wife to take the focus away from his affair with Catherine’s friend.

Not pleasant.

Look at the reports on how William apparently fed the media with stories about his brother’s wife to take the focus away from his affair with Catherine’s friend.

Whaaaat? I didn't believe any of that.

A word of support for Whitewave’s post about the allegation William had an affair with one of his Katherine’s close friends. It seems that friendship ended as a result. The various mags that produce endless photographs of the Norfolk set at gatherings had numerous pics of Kate looking furious in the direction of her ex friend. If my memory is right, it’s alleged to have happened during K’s 3rd pregnancy.

The allegations first emerged from America, William leaked lies to the media about Harry to cover up talk about an affair.