Shadowless Dreams

NICHOLAS GALITZINE Mary & George Ep. 2 "The Hunt"

I need him like air.

[Mary & George Spoilers] EP6

NICHOLAS GALITZINE as GEORGE VILLIERS

MARY & GEORGE (2024)

NICHOLAS GALITZINE as GEORGE VILLIERS

MARY & GEORGE (2024)

just thinking about the tragedy that is george villiers and his quick but steady rise to power, and despite everything he did to obtain that power, it did not matter in the slightest. it was all dashed away with a simple stab to the gut in the presence of strangers and a man who hated him so much, and in a dirty tavern of all places. because in the end, his life didn’t matter. his power didn’t matter. he didn’t matter. he did not get a death that will be written in the history books. he was not given the significance and attention of a public execution because, frankly, he did not deserve one. everything he did in the years by king james’ side surmounted to absolutely nothing. his actions may have a lasting impact but he himself is lost to time, simply a footnote to the king’s reign. he was already a walking corpse by the time the power he acquired was far too great for him to control, and his ultimate demise is a testimony to how he lived: a poor excuse of a man who let his power and greed become his downfall.

Mary Villiers (nee Beaumont) de jure countess of Buckingham 1814 engraving claiming to be based on a contemporary miniature - this is the only individual portrait I can find of her (sorry, I try and stick to contemporary portraits as much as possible)

If I didn’t need more proof that the writers of Mary and George did not do their homework and instead choose to make things up instead, the way Mary (George’s Mum) has been portrayed is proof.

Just to outline the basics, Mary Beaumont was the daughter of Anthony Beaumont and Ann Armstrong born about 1570. The Beaumont’s were of good standing but had fallen on hard times and it’s likely Mary’s employment as a domestic in the Villiers household was to earn money for a dowry. This does not mean she was illegitimate. Domestic employment was a far more common practice and undertaken by those of much higher social standing than we would assume in this period. Something the showrunners were not aware of and hence the bull about Mary hiding the fact she’s a bastard.

Although Mary is deemed a pretty reprehensible figure by historians and was pretty hated in her own lifetime, she wasn’t the monster the tv show makes out. As far as we know she did not have a girlfriend and crony called Sadie, Mary however was IRL however believed to be carrying on with the one of the bishops - one contemporary tract called him “her cunt creeper.” There is no evidence she murdered anyone and she did not use George as a pawn - he had plenty of ambition and drive of his own and did not to be pushed around.

After the death of his first wife Audrey Saunders in 1587, she married her erstwhile employer Sir George Villiers of Brooskby who was a cousin by marriage and at least 25 years her senior. Although it’s totally possible there’s no evidence he was abusive toward her. Whether this relationship began while Audrey was still alive we don’t know, but at least 4 children resulted from this union, Sir George already had 6 children from his first marriage with his eldest William set to inherit.

Sir George died in 1606 leaving Mary with 4 teenagers with little money of their own, few prospects, and our George was the only one of the sons who was remotely promising. Somehow money was found to send him to France to learn about court life and military matters - it wasn’t a sex school. George returns to England in 1614, is placed in front of King James, and the rest is history.

As George rose up the ranks, Mary did to, with an attention to self promotion and momaging that would put Kris Jenner and Carole Middleton in the dust. She arranged marriages for her children and family members, sold titles, converted to Catholicism, became a member of Henrietta Maria’s household and a countess in her own right after having outlived two other husbands.

She outlived her son and meal ticket George by 4 years, dying in 1632, not having been surprised one whit by her son’s murder.

Happy Mother’s Day

I have discovered a brush

MARY & GEORGE - 1.01 'The Second Son'

MARY AND GEORGE | 1.03 "NOT SO MUCH BY LOVE AS BY AWE"

GHOSTS (US) | Trevor’s Body: George’s costume, requested by @the-princess-of-cats

Favorite Costume Caps: 32/∞