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Victoria & Albert: Love or Control?
5 Apr
Summary
- A play explores potential coercive control in Victoria and Albert's marriage.
- Victoria's diaries reveal her need for honesty but hid marital strife.
- Albert's influence over Victoria's duties and personal life is examined.
A new play at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, offers a speculative look into the early years of Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert. Screenwriter Daisy Goodwin imagines a narrative where Albert's devotion might have masked coercive control, a stark contrast to the revered model marriage.
The play uses Victoria's diaries as a central element, suggesting they were a space for honesty, yet potentially edited to conceal marital conflicts from Albert's view. Amanda Boxer portrays an aging, fretful Queen Victoria, while Jessica Rhodes embodies a spirited younger version.
Rowan Polonski as Albert is depicted as attempting to shape Victoria's character and suppress her joy. The narrative suggests Albert kept Victoria frequently pregnant and encroached upon her royal duties. Goodwin speculates that Albert's influence made the monarchy appear dull to the public.
Sophie Drake's production navigates the complexities of this relationship, where affection appears to morph into control, and taunting replaces teasing. The play challenges the traditional image of unwavering royal contentment, presenting a more unsettling portrayal of royal life.
