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389:(played by Anne-Marie Duff, Perkins Thierry, and MĂ©lanie Thierry, respectively) are all in French with English subtitles in the British version. In the American version, only the conversation between Minette and Louis, where Louis asks Minette to act as his envoy to Charles is in English (perhaps because of the perception that American audiences dislike subtitles).
571:. The only reference to these wanderings is in the reconciliation scene between Charles and the Duke of Buckingham, when Charles says, responding to Buckingham's statement that, "It's amazing what will do when they feel guilty." Charles' answer, "They think money will make me forget the last twenty years. Well, they will find I have a very good memory."
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Before arriving in
England, at Parliament's invitation, to take up his throne, Charles II promised an amnesty "for all except those exempted by Parliament." After much debate, Parliament decided that all of the enemies of Charles I should be amnestied except for those who had signed the latter's
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of
England. This does not dovetail with the historical reality (see the Durants and Fraser). In fact, Charles maintained his independence of Parliament in his last years only by taking French money. He also ensured his brother's succession to the throne not through royal command but through
429:
The only version available on DVD in the US and Canada is the one broadcast on A&E. The
British DVD retains the full BBC version. Due to technical reasons, the most important impediment being the different television formats used in the two countries, see
283:, but becoming increasingly irritated by the paternalistic way which Hyde behaves towards him. Dismissing Hyde, he takes the reins of power himself, determined that his brother should succeed him in the event of his not having any legitimate children (despite
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Above, Charles kept his friend and adviser, the Duke of
Buckingham, in the dark about the secret provisions of the Treaty of Dover. Buckingham was later sent to Paris to sign a sham treaty with Louis XIV. This is left out of the mini-series
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death warrant. The series portrays
Charles as pardoning some of his father's "murderers" after the brutal execution of a number (in fact 15). In fact, the thirteen not executed were not pardoned, but sentenced to life imprisonment.
551:, shown in a nightmare of Charles II, the real beginning of the latter's story is in his exile in Antwerp in 1658. In fact, this was the last of many places to which Charles wandered in the 15 years of his exile, including the
314:. This version, however, was heavily edited. The original British version is a four part series. For American broadcast, over an hour was edited out, and it was shown in two 90 min (with commercials, 2 hour) installments.
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The production team and the writer made an attempt to make this version as close to history as the constraints of squeezing 27 years of history into 4 hours allow. The script appears to be heavily influenced by
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The edits often make little regard for either the script's continuity or coherence. Unless otherwise stated, items said to have been left out refer to the version shown in
America and the DVD version available.
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All in all, the cuts made by A&E distort the picture of
Charles II's personality and political maneuvers whereas the version shown in Britain displays much more fully Charles II's "shifty insincerity" (as
539:, is referred to as the Earl of Shaftesbury even though he did not obtain the title until 1674. Presumably, both names were used constantly to avoid confusing viewers unfamiliar with the period.
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In one scene, shown in the
British version only, Charles is seen to cast a piece of paper into a fire, in a context that heavily implies it was a marriage contract between himself and
446:" measures), the British version cannot be readily viewed with the vast majority of American set-top DVD players. The aforementioned television format differences also make viewing a
528:. A brief conversation ensues between the King and Churchill. In reality, Lady Castlemaine was at one of her houses and Churchill leapt from a window to avoid a scene with the King.
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The full BBC version gives a more detailed, coherent presentation of the story of
Charles' life and (temporary) victory over his opponents in Parliament.
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in 2004. Composer Rob Lane received an nomination for
Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) at the
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The part where James and Charles are discussing James divorcing Anne was also removed, further confusing viewers not familiar with the history.
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Parliamentary manoeuvres the nation's reluctance to see another civil war so soon after the First and Second English Civil Wars in the 1640s.
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to the throne in 1660. He was deeply traumatised by the execution of his father in 1649, after the former's defeat in the
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by the King in 1661. Thus he is, from that time, properly called Clarendon as he is by historians. In the same manner,
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for an enormous sum of money. Louis also promised six thousand French troops if Charles needed them.
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states that he used Fraser's book as guide to his portrayal of the penultimate Stuart king.
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which contained a secret clause wherein Charles promised Louis XIV, his first cousin, to
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Sir Edward Hyde is so addressed throughout the mini-series even though he had been made
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Charles II Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 29 Sept. 2006
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in 1658. The film's emphasis is on his court, and his conflicts with
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Cultural depictions of Louise de KĂ©rouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth
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The edited American version also leaves out Charles's trickery of
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copy of the British version difficult on US and Canadian TVs.
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Zuzana Hodkova ... Lady in Waiting to Queen Henrietta Maria
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Many things are left out including the full details of the
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The Last King: The Power and the Passion of King Charles II
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Cultural depictions of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough
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Summary of differences between American & UK versions
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Another scene edited out shows "Minette"'s husband, the
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The conversations between "Minette" (Charles' sister
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543:There are also certain omissions in the script.
426:Three scenes of brief nudity were also removed.
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260:– essentially the same issues which led to the
442:article for further details on controversial "
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628:Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine
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484:George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
1282:2003 British television series endings
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1277:2003 British television series debuts
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208:with heavy edits. It was produced by
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25:Charles II: The Power and the Passion
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192:film in four episodes, broadcast on
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619:George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham
480:George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham
334:George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham
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547:While the mini-series begins with
537:Anthony Ashley Cooper, Lord Ashley
367:as the Queen "took the waters" at
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848:Joel Sugerman ... Antwerp servant
741:Thierry Perkins-Lyautey ... King
467:. In the "Making of Charles II"
285:opposition to James's Catholicism
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1302:Cultural depictions of Louis XIV
785:Vitezslav Bouchner ... Victim #3
363:and later, in conversation with
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151:British Broadcasting Corporation
463:'s bestselling 1979 biography
300:32nd International Emmy Awards
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196:in 2003, and produced by the
836:Jan Nemesovsky ... Victim #1
788:Sarah Cameron ... Young girl
244:– beginning just before his
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250:Wars of the Three Kingdoms
18:2003 TV series or program
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791:Brian Caspe ... Doctor #2
775:Henry, Duke of Gloucester
682:Henrietta Anne of England
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767:Nick Bagnall ... Hopkins
710:Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey
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200:in association with the
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839:Michael Pober ... Tutor
637:James, Duke of Monmouth
503:James, Duke of Monmouth
290:The production won the
274:James, Duke of Monmouth
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842:Richard Rowlands ...
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819:Eddie Marsan
815:... Clifford
813:Dorian Lough
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894:Simon Woods
876:Peter Wight
823:Titus Oates
795:Robert East
509:altogether.
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488:John Felton
336:(played by
246:Restoration
160:16 November
88:Robert Lane
53:Directed by
1246:Categories
1195:Television
1087:Joe Wright
1018:BBC Online
946:25 October
937:"Rob Lane"
923:References
715:Diana Rigg
701:Nell Gwynn
592:Roundheads
465:Charles II
408:put in it
258:Parliament
242:Charles II
214:Joe Wright
174:2003-12-07
164:2003-11-16
101:Production
57:Joe Wright
43:Written by
1113:Atonement
995:Durants,
983:Durants,
971:Durants,
763:Charles I
743:Louis XIV
584:Elizabeth
387:Louis XIV
266:Charles I
262:Civil War
37:DVD cover
1221:", 2016)
1219:Nosedive
1031:Archived
872:... M.P.
753:Monsieur
569:Scotland
490:in 1628.
342:James II
268:and the
236:Synopsis
106:Producer
85:Music by
63:Starring
254:Antwerp
194:BBC One
172: (
168: –
162: (
157:Release
147:Network
137:235 min
96:English
1231:(2025)
1207:(2003)
1186:(2021)
1183:Cyrano
1176:(2021)
1166:(2017)
1156:(2015)
1146:(2012)
1136:(2011)
1126:(2009)
1116:(2007)
1106:(2005)
708:....
565:France
561:Jersey
555:, the
381:) and
126:Editor
1133:Hanna
1094:Films
385:with
188:is a
1046:IMDb
948:2021
914:...
905:...
896:...
887:...
878:...
863:...
854:...
821:...
797:...
773:...
761:...
750:...
735:...
726:...
717:...
699:...
690:...
671:...
662:...
653:...
644:...
635:...
626:...
617:...
608:...
599:Cast
580:Mary
436:NTSC
434:and
404:and
402:Will
294:for
226:and
1153:Pan
1044:at
1016:at
559:of
448:VHS
440:DVD
432:PAL
198:BBC
1248::
1217:("
939:.
582:,
563:,
302:.
276:.
232:.
1079:e
1072:t
1065:v
950:.
684:)
176:)
166:)
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