The Palace of Versailles is packed full of schemers, plotters, rulers, lovers and manipulators as the BBC2 drama arrives back on our screens for its third and final series.
Old favourites are set to return (King Louis, of course, and his brother Philippe) but there are also some newcomers at the Palace.
- Philippe returns home a war hero in first look Versailles series 3 images
- Alexander Vlahos confirms Versailles will end after three series
- Stay up to date with the RadioTimes.com newsletter
As Versailles continues this Monday at 9pm on BBC2, here’s everyone you need to know about, and where you’ve seen them before…
George Blagden plays King Louis XIV
Who is King Louis XIV? Louis XIV is at the heart of Versailles, having decided to make his entire court up sticks and move to a lavish new palace outside Paris. In series two we see this ruthless monarch trying to consolidate his power, but as more and more nobles flock to Versailles, has he created a beautiful monster that he can’t control?
Where have I seen him before? George Blagden played Athelstan in Vikings, and Grantaire in Les Misérables. Recently he appeared in the Black Mirror episode Hang the DJ, as Lenny.
Alexander Vlahos plays Prince Philippe
Who is Prince Philippe? Monsieur Philippe d’Orléans is Louis’ little brother, but their relationship is not without friction. In series one, the King had an affair with Philippe’s wife Henriette, and the two frequently clashed over personal and public matters. Philippe is also a formidable soldier and a leader on the battlefield – a sore point with his brother.
Philippe was raised as a girl to prevent him from overshadowing the future king. He still enjoys cross-dressing and will let himself be dominated by his long-term lover, the Chevalier de Lorraine. After the death of his first wife, he remarried in series two to Princess Palatine.
Where have I seen him before? Alexander Vlahos gained a huge fan following when he starred in Merlin. He’s also played Private Keenan in Privates, and Tom Evans in The Indian Doctor.
Elisa Lasowski plays Marie-Thérèse
Who is Marie-Thérèse? Marie-Thérèse is King Louis’ Queen. She doesn’t appreciate being sidelined in favour of his mistresses, but she has little choice in the matter. Docile and pious, she is an isolated figure at court – but will the arrival of Leopold change things for her in series three?
Where have I seen Elisa Lasowski before? Elisa Lasowski popped up briefly in Game of Thrones as Mirelle. She’s the girl with the mouse’s tail approaching the bejewelled-astronaut-skull in David Bowie’s music video for Blackstar (yes, really) and she played Nadzia in Line of Duty back in 2012.
Evan Williams plays Chevalier
Who is Chevalier? Chevalier de Lorraine is the longtime lover of the King’s brother, Philippe.
Where have I seen Evan Williams before? Evan Williams played Luke in the TV series Awkward, and Baxter McNab in Baxter.
Rory Keenan plays Leopold
Who is Leopold? Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I arrives in Versailles as a guest after losing the Franco-Dutch War of 1672-78 to France.
Where have I seen Rory Keenan before? The Irish actor has primarily worked on the stage, but his screen roles include Bilibin in War & Peace, Eric Dunbar in Striking Out, and Donal in Peaky Blinders.
Tygh Runyan plays Fabien Marchal
Who is Fabien Marchal? Fabien Marchal is the chief of Louis’ Stasi-style police force and is an entirely fictional character (though his job may have existed). Louis only has to say “take care of it” and Fabien will make his problem go away. Often that means torture and gruesome murder, both of which Fabien excels at.
Where have I seen Tygh Runyan before? Tygh Runyan is a veteran supporting actor. His CV includes credits in Stargate Universe, Comforting Skin, Road to Nowhere and The Brother. He’s also the lead guitarist in Canadian indie pop band The Awkward Stage.
Jessica Clark plays Princess Palatine
Who is Princess Palatine? Princess Palatine joined in series two. The German princess was chosen to marry Philippe, and it turned out to be a surprisingly good match – despite Philippe’s lack of interest in women.
“Do you know what, I think it is actually a happy marriage,” Vlahos told RadioTimes.com. “I mean, apart from the fact that he’s been forced to marry her for political reasons, on Louis’ behalf, they actually grow to like each other and have a very fond affection towards each other.”
Where have I seen Jessica Clark before? Jessica Clark is a relative newcomer to TV. She has previously played Lena Roy in Doctors, and a graduate student in Silent Witness.
Stuart Bowman plays Bontemps
Who is Bontemps? Bontemps, the Governor of Versailles, is Louis’ long-suffering right hand man. He considers it his duty to defend the King against all plots and advises him on strategy, even when this is a thankless task.
Where have I seen Stuart Bowman before? Stuart Bowman also plays Sergeant Thomson in Gary: Tank Commander. He’ll soon appear in the Keeley Hawes drama Bodyguard.
Maddison Jaizani plays Sophie de Clermont
Who is Sophie? Sophie is the daughter of the Chevalier’s cousin Béatrice, played by Amira Casar. In series one we saw Béatrice’s desperate attempts to lure the King’s attention to her beautiful daughter. She later became the Duchess of Cassel when the King asked her to marry the Duke of Cassel (Pip Torrens), but she poisoned him after he raped her.
Where have I seen Maddison Jaizani before? Maddison Jaizani has also popped up in Into the Badlands and Tyrant.
Catherine Walker plays Madame de Mainenon
Who is Madame de Maintenon? Formerly known as Madame Scarron. The real-life Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon was a widower who had been married to the debt-laden poet Paul Scarron. She was a friend of Louis’ mistress Montespan, and in 1669 became governess to the king’s illegitimate children. The king came to visit and, despite their initial dislike of each other, romance soon blossomed. When the king’s wife died, they married in secret in 1683 and she became his second wife.
Where have I seen her before? In the TV series Critical as Fiona Lomas, or perhaps in The Clinic as Alice O’Brien.
Anna Brewster plays Madame de Montespan
Who is Madame de Montespan? At the beginning of series two, Madame de Montespan was Louis’ mistress. Witty, ambitious and beautiful, she became the most powerful woman in France. But as we enter series three, she has lost her grip on the King and his heart.
Where have I seen Anna Brewster before? You may have caught a glimpse of her in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as Bazine Netal. She’s also been in Material Girl, Silent Witness (as Deana Collier) and The Tudors (as Anna Buckingham).
Daphne Patakia plays Eleanor
Who is Eleanor? In series 3, Louis welcomes the defeated Emperor Leopold and his niece Eleanor to Versailles. Leopold plans to marry her to Spain’s King Charles II to secure his position.
Where have I seen Daphne Patakia before? The Belgian-Greek actress has appeared in a number of films including Djam, Rattrapage, and A Paris Education.
Marie Askehave plays Delphine
Who is Delphine? The Duchesse d’Angers is a wealthy, single woman. She is also a Protestant.
Where have I seen Marie Askehave before? The Danish actress and singer is perhaps best known in the UK for her role as Rie Skovgaard in The Killing. She also played Benedikte Nedergaard in Borgen.
Matthew McNulty plays Guillaume, and Jenny Platt plays his sister Jeanne
Who are Guillaume and Jeanne? A tanner by trade, Guillaume saved Philippe’s life on the battlefield. Now he is back in Paris heading up the business alongside his sister Jeanne, and has the favour (and custom) of the King as reward for his heroics.
Where have I seen Matthew McNulty before? If you’ve been watching The Terror, you’ll recognise Matthew McNulty as Lt Edward Little. He’s also appeared in The Musketeers as Lucien Grimaud, and Black Work as DC Jack Clark. In Misfits he played Seth, the man with the ability to “transfer” powers between all the different characters.
Where have I seen Jenny Platt before? The actress is best known for playing Violet Wilson in Coronation Street.
from Radio Times http://bit.ly/2uSj3Cp
