2016 2017

PLAY GUIDE

King Charles III Play Guide written by Chloe Loos, ATC Artistic Intern; edited and designed by Katherine Monberg, ATC Literary Manager.

SUPPORT FOR ATC’S LEARNING & EDUCATION PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY:

APS

Arizona Commission on the Arts

Bank of America Foundation

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

City of Glendale

Community Foundation for Southern Arizona

Cox Charities

Downtown Tucson Partnership

Enterprise Holdings Foundation

Ford Motor Company Fund

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation

JPMorgan Chase

John and Helen Murphy Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture

PICOR Charitable Foundation

Rosemont Copper

Stonewall Foundation

Target

The Boeing Company

The Donald Pitt Family Foundation

The Johnson Family Foundation, Inc.

The Lovell Foundation

The Marshall Foundation

The Maurice and Meta Gross Foundation

The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation

The Stocker Foundation

The WIlliam L. and Ruth T. Pendleton Memorial Fund

Tucson Medical Center

Tucson Pima Arts Council

Wells Fargo

About ATC ..................................................................................................................................................

Introduction to the Play .............................................................................................................................

Meet the Playwright ...................................................................................................................................

Meet the Characters ..................................................................................................................................

The Real Royals .........................................................................................................................................

The Line of Succession .......................................... ...................................................................................

British Parliament and Positions ..............................................................................................................

British Politics ...........................................................................................................................................

Royal Rituals .............................................................................................................................................

King Charles and the Bard ........................................................................................................................

Glossary .....................................................................................................................................................

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Arizona Theatre Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company. This means that all of our artists, administrators and production staff are paid professionals, and the income we receive from ticket sales and contributions goes right back into our budget to create our work, rather than to any particular person as a profit.

Eash season, ATC employs hundreds of actors, directors and designers from all over the country to create the work you see on stage. In addition, ATC currently employs approximately 50 staff members in our production shops and administrative offices in Tucson and Phoenix during our season. Among these people are carpenters, painters, marketing professionals, fundraisers, stage directors, sound and light board operators, tailors, costume designers, box office agents, stage crew - the list is endless - representing am amazing range of talents and skills.

We are also supported by a Board of Trustees, a group of business and community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to assist the theatre in financial and legal matters, advise in marketing and fundraising, and help represent the theatre in our community.

Roughly 150,000 people attend our shows every year, and several thousand of those people support us with charitable contributions in addition to purchasing their tickets. Businesses large and small, private foundations and the city and state governments also support our work financially.

All of this is in support of our vision and mission:

The mission of Arizona Theatre Company is to inspire, engage and entertain - one moment, one production and one audience at a time.

ABOUT ATC

Our mission is to create professional theatre that continually strives to reach new levels of artistic excellence that resonates locally, in the state of Arizona and throughout the nation. In order to fulfill our mission, the theatre produces a broad repertoire ranging from classics to new works, engages artists of the highest caliber, and is committed to assuring access to the broadest spectrum of citizens.

The Temple of Music and Art, the home of ATC shows in downtown Tucson.

The Herberger Theater Center, ATC’s performance venue in downtown Phoenix.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY

Show art by Esser Design.

MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT

Mike Bartlett (Playwright) is currently the Associate Playwright at Paines Plough.

In 2011 he was writer-in-residence at The National Theatre, and in 2007 he was

the Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Royal Court Theatre. His play Love,

Love, Love won Best New Play in the 2011 Theatre Awards U.K., and his play Cock

won an Olivier Award in 2010 for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre;

he won the Writer's Guild Tinniswood and Imison prizes for Not Talking and the

Old Vic New Voices Awards for Artefacts. Theatre credits include: Love, Love, Love

and 13 (National Theatre), Decade (co-writer), Earthquakes in London, Cock,

Contractions, Artefacts, and My Child. Radio credits include: "The Core," "Heart,"

"Liam," "The Steps," "Love Contract," "Not Talking," and "The Family Man," all on

BBC. Screen credits include Earthquakes in London and Hometown. Directing

credits include Honest by D.C. Moore. He is currently under commission from

Headlong Theatre, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, Hampstead Theatre, and

The Royal Court Theatre.

Playwright Mike Bartlett.

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King Charles III

By Mike BartlettDirected by Matt August

Winner of the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Play

The Queen is dead. After a lifetime of waiting, Prince Charles ascends the throne with

Camilla by his side. As William, Kate, and Harry look on, Charles prepares for the

future of power that lies before him...but how will he rule? The play draws on the style

and structure of a Shakespearean history play, but with modern verve, a comic

subplot, and even the occasional appearance of a significant ghost. An exciting and

provocative new drama of political intrigue by Mike Bartlett, King Charles III explores

the people beneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of democracy, and the conscience

of Britain’s most famous family.

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MEET THE CHARACTERS

Actor Adam Haas Hunter, who plays William in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Kate Maher Hyland, who plays Kate in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Cathy Dresbach, who plays Camilla in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Peter Van Norden, who plays Charles in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Gregory North, who plays Mr. Stevens in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Corey Walter Johnson, who plays Mr. Evans in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Harold Dixon, who plays James Reiss in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Dylan Saunders, who plays Harry in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Bill Chameides, who plays various characters in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Christian Miller, who plays various characters in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Kathryn Kellner Brown, who plays various characters in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Jeanne Syquia, who plays Jess in ATC’s King Charles III.

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King Charles III: The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth and the successor to the British throne. He is, for all intents and

purposes, the reigning monarch.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall: The second wife of Charles and the would-be queen consort.

Catherine (Kate), Duchess of Cambridge: William’s wife.

William, Duke of Cambridge: Charles’ eldest son and the heir apparent.

Prince Harry: William’s younger brother, considered a “wild child.”

James Reiss: The Press Secretary to the royal family.

Tristan Evans: The current Prime Minister.

Mark Stevens: The Leader of the Opposition.

Jess: A republican art student.

Actor Cera Naccarato, who plays various characters in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Ali Wood Moser, who plays various characters in ATC’s King Charles III.

Actor Aubrey King, who plays various characters in ATC’s King Charles III.

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Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926, to the Duke and Duchess

of York (laer to become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). Elizabeth and her

younger sister, Princess Margaret, were educated at home by their mother and

governess, Marion Crawford (who later published a biography of the two entitled

The Little Princesses in 1950) and focused on history, language, literature, and

music; she later studied constitutional history and French. Although she was

third in line to the throne, she wasn’t expected to succeed because of the

relative youth of the immediate successor, her uncle Edward. However, Edward

abdicated after his engagement to divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson

produced a national scandal, allowing Elizabeth’s father George to become King

and Elizabeth to become the heir apparent. The royal family remained in the

THE REAL ROYALS

Queen Elizabeth II.

country when Britain entered World War II in 1939, and 14-year-old Elizabeth produced a radio broadcast during the BBC

Children’s Hour to comfort the youth who had been evacuated. Her sense of civil service continued in 1945, when she joined

the Auxiliary Territorial Service – the women’s branch of the British Army – and was trained as a driver and mechanic; she

was promoted to honorary junior commander five months into her service. On July 9, 1947, Elizabeth announced her

engagement to Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. The event was not without controversy, as Prince Philip was not known

for particular wealth, was born, had sisters married into German royalty with links to Nazism, and was part of the Greek

Orthodox Church (from which he converted to Anglicanism). The couple were married in 1947, and Elizabeth gave birth to

their first child, Prince Charles, a year later, soon to be followed by Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.

King George VI died in 1952 after a stretch of poor health and Elizabeth ascended the throne. Interestingly, the royal house

retained the name of Windsor, rather than choosing to bear Philip’s name of Mountbatten. The coronation of Queen

Elizabeth was the first to be televised, and she the early years of her reign continuing the transformation of the British

Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations. France considered joining the Commonwealth but ultimately declined, and the

Treaty of Rome was enacted to establish the European Economic Community, the precursor to the European Union. The

1960s and 1970s also saw a rapid increase in the decolonization of Africa.

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In 1981, six weeks before the wedding of Prince Charles to Diana Spencer, six shots were fired at the queen while riding

horseback in a public ceremony. It was later discovered that the shots were blanks fired by 17-year-old Marcus Sarjeant,

who was sentenced to five years in prison. In 1982, Argentina escalated a sovereignty dispute by invading U.K.-claimed

territories in the South Atlantic, and sparked the ten-week Falklands War. Neither state officially declared war, but the

impact and resentment induced by the conflict persist.

In 1977, Elizabeth celebrated her Silver Jubilee upon the 25th anniversary of her coronation, but they joy would be somewhat

overshadowed by events in the next few years. In 1979, Prince Philip’s uncle, Lord Mountbatten, was assassinated by the

Provisional Irish Republican Army followed soon by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s revelation that art historian Anthony

Blunt, former Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures, had served as a Soviet spy. The final constitutional ties between Canada and

Britain were severed by the Canada Act of 1982, though relations remained cordial.

Also in the 1980s, the press became increasingly interested in reporting the private lives and opinions of the royal family,

leading to a burst of sensationalist stories. However, despite the trials of the 1980s, Elizabeth declared 1992 her annus

horribilis (“horrible year”) due to the marital strife of three of her children: the separations of both of her sons, Andrew and

Charles, and the divorce of her daughter, Anne. Such familial strife was combined with additional unfortunate events: a

state visit to Dresden during which she was pelted with eggs, and a major fire at Windsor Castle.

The queen’s Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 2002 and she again went on tour, despite the deaths of her mother and sister

in the same year. She again toured in 2012 for her Diamond Jubilee, though her travel has decreased in recent years.  She

was unable to attend the biennial meeting of the Commonwealth heads of government in 2013 for the first time in 40 years

and was represented instead by Prince Charles, who is expected to assume increasingly more royal responsibility. To date,

Queen Elizabeth II is both the longest-reigning monarch in British history, and the world’s oldest monarch.

Charles, Prince of Wales

Prince Charles was born November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace. He is

the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, having held the position

since the age of three, and is the oldest person to be next in line for the

throne since Sophia of Hanover, who died in 1714 at the age of 83. Although

Charles originally had a governess, Catherine Peebles, he attended school

from the age of eight onward, making him the first heir apparent to be

educated outside the home. He began his education at Hill House School Charles, Prince of Wales.

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before attending Cheam Prep and Gordonstoun, two of his father’s former schools. He also spent two terms in 1966 at the

Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Australia.

Rather than proceeding directly into the armed forces as per tradition, Charles attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where

he studied anthropology, archaeology, and history, becoming the first heir apparent to earn a university degree. He was

formally named Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on July 26, 1958, though he was not crowned until 1969. Charles served

in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force from 1971 to 1976. In the mid-1970s, he expressed interest in serving as Governor-

General of Australia, but Australian ministers declined the request.

Although Charles was known for romance in his youth, his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten suggested that Charles marry his

granddaughter, Amanda Knatchbull. Charles wrote a letter to her mother, Lady Brabourne (Charles’ godmother), expressing

this interest; she responded positively, but felt that 15-year-old Amanda was too young. Four years later, Lord Mountbtten

was assassinated just as the marriage discussion resumed; Charles proposed to Amanda after his tour of India in 1980 but

she declined, upset by the recent losses of her grandfather, paternal godmother, and youngest brother. Charles instead

married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, whom he had met in 1977 while dating her elder sister. Their surprising courtship was

met with doubt and intense media speculation, and their wedding was the first civil (not religious) marriage within the

Royal family, and was not attended by the parents of the groom.

Charles and Diana had two children: Prince William (born June 21, 1982) and Prince Henry (known as Harry, born September

15, 1984). Their marriage ended within five years due to their incompatibility, 13-year age difference, and concerns about

Charles’ ex-girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles (whom he would marry in 2005). A year after their separation, Princess Diana

was killed in a car accident in Paris, which prompted intense media scrutiny into Charles’ personal affairs. The scandal

escalated to the publication of his personal journals that allowed the public to scrutinize his personal opinions on current

issues, leading Charles to file a court case against the Royal Mail.

Charles has an avid interest in charity and philanthropy, like his mother, and has established seventeen organizations to

date (The Prince’s Charities), and is a patron of more than 350 other charitable organizations. He is also interested in

architecture and urban planning, alternative medicine, and the environment, going so far as to launch his own brand of

organic foods known as Duchy Originals in 1990. He is also noted for his deep respect of other religions, has published

several books, and his hobbies include sports (polo, salmon angling), music (he played cello at Cambridge), and arts

(watercolor). He was declared the hardest-working member of the royal family by The Daily Telegraph in 2008. According to

Time journalist Catherine Mayer, Charles once remarked that “I feel more than anything else it’s my duty to worry about

everybody and their lives in this country, to try to find a way of improving things if I possibly can.”

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Camilla, Duchess of Corwall

Camilla Shand was born into a gentry family on July 17, 1947. Her

father, Major Bruce Shand, was a British officer-turned-

businessman and her mother, Rosalind, was an adoption worker.

She has two siblings: a younger sister, Annabel, and a younger

brother, Mark, who passed away in 2014. As a child, Camilla loved

reading and animals. At the age of 5, she was sent to Dumbrells

School, which had a reputation for being harsh, but Camilla enjoyed

her time there and went on to play ice hockey and stoolball. At age

10, she transferred to Queen’s Gate School and left with one O-level

in 1964. When she was 16, Camilla attended the Mon Fertile

finishing school in Switzerland before moving to France to learn the

language and literature. Upon returning to London, she became a

debutante with an interest in horses, fishing, horticulture,

gardening, and painting, for which she enrolled in private tutoring.Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

In the late 1960s, Camilla met Andrew Parker Bowles and the pair began dating periodically. He began dating Princess

Anne in 1970, while Camilla met and dated Charles from 1971 to 1973. Despite the seemingly serious nature of their

relationship, Charles and Camilla broke up after he joined the Royal Navy. Camilla instead married Parker Bowles; the

wedding was considered the “society wedding of the year” with 800 guests, including Queen Elizabeth II. The couple had

two children: Tom, born in 1974, and Laura, born in 1978, who were raised in the Roman Catholic tradition of their father.

Camilla’s husband travelled often, due to his position in the British Army, and the couple amicably divorced in 1995 after

21 years of marriage. The split was attributed in part to the emotional strain imparted by the death of Camilla’s mother, in

part to the death of Camilla’s mother, which was a difficult time for her.

After the assassination of Lord Mountbatten in 1979, rumors began to spread that Charles and Camilla had rekindled their

relationship, and the couple became public knowledge in the early 1990s. Due to the unfavorable conditions of their early

relationship, Camilla slowly built up a repertoire with the royal family and, as time passed, was seen more often in their

midst at public engagements. After obtaining consent from the Queen, the government, and the Church of England,

Charles and Camilla married in April, 2005.

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Camilla has travelled extensively as the Duchess of Cornwall, and she is a patron or president of many charities, notably

ones regarding health; she is also the honorary Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Navy Medical Service and became

President of the Women of the World Festival in 2015. Her outreach interests include osteoporosis, victims of rape and

sexual abuse, literacy, and animal welfare.

William, Duke of Cambridge

The first child of Charles and Diana, Prince William was born on June 21,

1982. Diana wanted both William and is brother, Henry (Harry) to grow

up with a wide range of experiences, so she took them to amusement

parks as well as outreach centers; he also possess what he dubs a

“Harry Potter scar” from an incident in which he was hit by a golf club in

1991. Princess Diana passed away when William was just 15, and Harry

was 12.

William, Duke of Cambridge.

During his childhood, William attended independent schools and was

privately tutored during the summers. He played football and basketball

and participated in swimming, cross-country running, and clay pigeon

shooting. While at Eton College, he studied Geography, Biology, and

As with his father, the media became very interested in his relationship with his roommate and girlfriend, Catherine

Middleton, whom he began dating in 2003. At the age of 21, William was appointed a Counsellor of State and began

serving in that capacity in 2003, the same year that he and Catherine became engaged. In 2006, William was admitted

into the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and began his military career as a second lieutenant in the Royal Navy and Air

Force, reaching the rank of a sub-lieutenant and flying officer. He then trained with the RAF to become a search and rescue

helicopter pilot, allowing him to take an active role in the army without being deployed.

History of Art; he also continued playing football and added water polo to his athletic repertoire. The choice to attend Eton

was unusual; though Diana’s father and brother had attended Eton, it was traditional among royal men to attend

Gordonstoun instead.Upon graduation, William took a gap year in which he traveled and taught children in South Chile.

After returning to Britain, William enrolled at the University of St. Andrews, where he studied Art History and Geography, and

earned a Scottish M.A. with upper second class honours.

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Catherine and William were married in April 2011, and Catherine gave birth to George in July 2013 and Charlotte in 2014.

Also in 2014, William enrolled in an agricultural management course in order to manage the Duchy of Cornwall. In

mid-2015, he began working as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance. He is also interested in charity and outreach,

for causes such as HIV/AIDs awareness, wildlife preservation, and education.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born on January 9, 1982. She has

a younger sister, Philippa, and a younger brother, James. Her parents

were a former flight dispatcher and flight attendant; the Middleton

family would eventually found a highly successful mail-order party

goods company. Catherine’s father, Michael, worked for British

Airways in Jordan from mid-1984 to late-1986. While living in Jordan,

Catherine attended an English school prior to moving to Berkshire,

where she attended St. Andrew’s School. She also studied at Downe

House (which she left due to bullying), Marlborough College, and

finally graduated from the University of St. Andrews – where she met

William – with an M.A. in History of Art.Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

In November 2006, Catherine began work as a part-time accessories buyer assistant with the Jigsaw clothing chain, while

continuing to help with the family business. Prior to her engagement, Kate had worked with her brother to develop plans for

a new bakery business that would encourage children to cook.

As a result of her relationship with William, the media became highly interested in her activities, prompting her lawyers

and the prince himself to issue warnings to the press on her behalf. The couple briefly separated in 2007, but reconciled

and married on April 29, 2011. That October, commonwealth leaders adopted primogeniture in royal succession, which

would allow the first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to take the throne, regardless of gender. On July 24,

2013, Catherine gave birth to George, who is currently third in the line of succession. Their second child, Charlotte, was

born on May 2, 2015.

In additional to her charity patronage, Catherine is a volunteer leader with the Scout Association in North Wales and lends

support to the M-PACT program (Moving Parents and Children Together), which focuses on the impact of addiction on entire

families. Due to the media’s coverage of Diana’s death, William and Kate both request that the paparazzi maintain a

respectful distance from their personal lives, though they continue to be media favorites in the U.K.

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Henry, Prince of Wales

Henry, Prince of Wales

Prince Henry (Harry) was born September 15, 1984. He was educated at

independent schools and also attended Eton College, where he excelled in

sports. His successful accomplishment of two A-levels enabled him to apply

for commission as an officer; however, he was a reportedly poor student, and

rumors about potential academic dishonesty. Harry spent a gap year in

Australia, as his father did in his own youth.

While in Lesotho, Harry produced the documentary The Forgotten Kingdom and

worked with orphaned children of the region. Known as rebellious in his youth,

he has been dubbed a “wild child” by the media and has occasionally been

caught in compromising language or situations. He has also been

romantically linked with Cressida Bones, and Chelsy Davy, the daughter of

Zimbabwean, South-African businessman Charles Davy.

Harry entered Sandhurst in 2005 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Household Cavalry and was

promoted to lieutenant within two years. It was announced that he would be deployed to Iraq, in accordance with his

wishes, but threats against his person and his fellow soldiers curtailed his plans. He was, however, secretly deployed as a

Forward Air Controller to Afghanistan, a situation made public after the media breached an information blackout. For his

service, Harry was awarded an Operational Service Medal by his aunt, Princess Anne. He then learned to fly helicopters,

attending the same school where his older brother had studied, and successfully completed the Apache training course

thereby allowing him to return to service if needed.

In 2011, Harry was promoted to captain and spent time at a U.S. military base where he learned live-fire training; reports

identify him as a natural pilot. He then returned to Afghanistan in 2012, despite additional threats. In early 2014, Harry

began work as a staff officer at SP# (Defense Engagement) in London. Also in 2014, he launched Invictus Games, a

sporting event for service people injured in the line of duty. Harry began working with the London District’s Personal

Recovery Unit for the MOD’s Defense Recovery Capability scheme in 2015, which helped ensure beneficial recovery plans for

wounded soldiers. He concluded his military career in June 2015. In addition to his appointment as a Counsellor of State at

age 21, like his brother, Harry has often used sports to support charity the military.

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THE LINE OF SUCCESSIONThe British crown is inherited by the descendants of the sovereign, first by their children and next by the nearest collateral

line, meaning the families of the sovereign’s siblings. Succession was previously determined by male-preference

primogeniture, in which the male descendants are prioritized for succession, but was replaced by absolute primogeniture

(birth order) in 2011. Only legitimate Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover that are members of the Church of

England may succeed; while a member of the line of succession may marry someone of an alternate faith, they and their

children may only succeed if they remain in communion with the Church of England.

The first four members of the line of succession who are above the age of 21, as well as the sovereign’s consort, may be

appointed as Counsellors of the State, who perform certain royal duties during the absence or incapacitation of the

sovereign. Other individuals in the line of succession are not required to serve in official capacities, though some members

of the royal family do have legal or official duties.

2 0 1 6 / 2 0 1 7 S E A S O N

ABOUT THE PLAY ( C O N T I N U E D )

LINE OF SUCCESSION

Queen Elizabeth II

Prince Philip Duke of

Edinburgh

DianaPrincess of Wales

Camilla Duchess of Cornwall

Kate Duchess of Cambridge

Captain Mark

Phillips

AutumnPhillips

MikeTindall

Sophie Countessof Wessex

SarahDuchess of York

Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence

CharlesPrince of Wales

#1

HarryPrince Henry

of Wales

#5Zara

Tindall

#16

PrincessEugenie

of York

#8James

Viscount Severn

#10

Mia Grace#17

WilliamDuke of

Cambridge

#2Peter

Phillips

#13

PrincessBeatrice

of York

#7Louise

Lady Louise Windsor

#11PrincessCharlotteof Cambridge

#4Prince

Georgeof Cambridge

#3

AnnePrincess Royal

#12Andrew

Duke of York

#6Edward

Earl of Wessex

#9

Savannah#14

Isia#15

// ////

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U.K. PARLIAMENT AND POSITIONS

U.K. Parliament

Parliament is the highest legislative body in the U.K., led by the current

Sovereign and seated at the Palace of Westminster.   Parliament

consists of the House of Lords (Upper House) and the House of

Commons (Lower House).  The House of Lords is made up of the Lords

Spiritual, the highest bishops of the Church of England, and the Lords

Temporal, peers (members of the nobility) appointed by the Sovereign in

consultation with the Prime Minister. The House of Commons is

democractically elected at least every five years, and refers not to the

term “commoner” but instead to the French commune, meaning

“district.”   Under certain circumstances, the House of Commons can

force a bill without consent of the House of Lords, but all legislation

must be approved by the House of Commons.The Crowned Portcullis of Parliament

Crown-in-Parliament

The Crown in its legislative role, meaning the monarch acting with the advice and consent of parliament. This is based on

the concept of fusion of powers, a system in which the executive and legislative branches of government are combined. The

ultimate authority rests with the monarch, but is delegated to the elected and appointed officials of government. How does

it work? Bills passed by the houses of parliament  -- Acts of Parliament -- are sent to the sovereign or their representative

for Royal Assent, which turns a bill into a law. Theoretically, Assent may be withheld, though this is unprecedented in

modern times – the most recent refusal was by Queen Anne in 1708.

His Majesty’s Government (HMG)

The monarch selects the Prime Minister, who in turn selects the rest of the ministers from the Houses of Parliament. The PM

and the most senior of these ministers serve as the Cabinet, who act as the Privy Council, or closest advisers to the

Sovereign. While the monarch has certain executive powers such as the declaration of war, the making of treaties, and the

appointment of certain officers and honors (the Royal Prerogative), in practice the monarch exercises such authority only in

close consultation with the HM Government.

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Prime Minister

The Prime Minister selected by the monarch must be able to command a majority vote in the House of Commons.  Usually

the outgoing Prime Minister will advise the monarch on best choices for their own successor. The Sovereign holds regular

confidential meetings with the Prime Minister, and after consultation, is expected to abide by the PM’s advice. The

Sovereign, as Head of State, is expected to maintain political neutrality and may not vote or stand in elections.

Speaker of the House

The presiding leader of the House of Commons.  The Sovereign must grant approval, which by modern convention is never

withheld. The Speaker of the House is non-partisan, and votes only in the case of a tie.

Privy Council (Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council)

Formal collective body of advisers to the monarch, made up of senior ministers. The Privy Council enacts Orders in Council,

and advise on the exercise of the Royal Prerogative and the issuance of Royal Charters. The Privy Council used to act as

High Court of Appeal for the British Empire, and continues to hear certain appellate cases, but most judicial activity is now

conducted by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council rather than the collective body. The Sovereign is recognized as the

King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council when acting on the advice of the Privy Council.  Though anyone can technically be

appointed as a Privy Counsellor, appointments are expected in practice to only be made upon the advice of HMG; members

have no automatic right to attend all meetings, but are instead summoned at the discretion of the Prime Minister. The

three senior bishops of the Church of England (the Archbishops of Canterbury, York, and London) automatically become

Privy Counsellors upon their appointment.

Lord Speaker

The presiding leader of the House of Lords, who does vote in legislative actions.

Cabinet of the United Kingdom

The decision-making body of His Majesty’s Government, made up of the Prime Minister and approximately 21 of the most

senior governmental officials, usually heads of departments collectively referred to as Secretaries of State, all of whom

jointly hold the same office and are equal in power. Primarily selected from among the elected members of the House of

Commons, the remaining Cabinet members are selected from the House of Lords at the discretion of the Prime Minister

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Commons, the remaining Cabinet members are selected from the House of Lords at the discretion of the Prime Minister

(though officially this duty belongs to the Sovereign, in practicality it is exercised “on the advice” of the Prime Minister,

whose recommendations are generally followed). The Cabinet is routinely “reshuffled” each summer, and the Cabinet

generally meets each Thursday morning. Decisions are carried out either by individual departments, or by formal Orders in

Council.

Ministers of the Crown

Formal constitutional term referring to a minister or adviser to the Sovereign, who advises the monarch on exercises of the

Royal prerogatives that affect the related minister’s department. The Sovereign is officially advised by a larger privy council,

in actuality the Ministers of the Crown, known as the Ministry, directly guide the monarch as a smaller subset of the privy

council. The traditional Crown ministers are known as the Great Officers of State, who originally emerged from the Royal

Household of medieval monarchies.

Official Opposition (Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition)

The political party with the second-largest number of seats in the House of Commons. A total of 20 days in each legislative

session are designated for opposition debates; 17 of these are determined by the Leader of the Opposition, and 3 are

determined by the leader of the smaller (Tertiary) opposition party. Though the Opposition doesn’t hold any formal power,

they exert influence through the unofficial “usual channels.”

Leader of the Opposition

The leader of the party with the second-most seats in the House of Commons. The Leader of the Opposition is one of only

three Members of the Official Opposition to receive compensation for their roles in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet,

which consists of the senior members of the Opposition and scrutinize their Cabinet counterparts and develop alternative

policies to hold the government accountable for its decisions.

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BRITISH POLITICS IN BRIEF

Brief Timeline of Power

1215: Magna Carta

This document would have an effect on English perception of what a monarch could and could not do. It laid foundations for

the concepts of liberty and direct the kingdom toward a constitutional monarchy. The King was limited to raising money only

with the consent of a “parliament,” which was originally envisioned to consist of the King’s Lords and the Clergy. Over time,

fewer noble people were consulted, and the group evolved into the Lower Chamber (House of Commons).

1642-1651: English Civil War

The Stuarts ascended the throne after the death of Elizabeth I (of House Tudor), who left no heirs; their reign was plagued by

financial and religious problems. Charles I attempted to suspend parliament to raise money himself after various charter

attempts proved to be unprofitable. The war ended with the trial and execution of Charles I, the exile of Charles II, and the

replacement of the English monarchy. Furthermore, the war established that the monarch cannot lead without the

agreement of Parliament.

1652-1659: The Commonwealth/Protectorate

Oliver Cromwell controlled the U.K., now a republic, with assistance from the Rump Parliament, consisting of the remaining

members of the Long Parliament (which had begun in 1640) after Colonel Thomas Pride removed members who were

unsupportive of the bid to try King Charles I for high treason. Upon Cromwell’s death, his son Richard became Lord Protector,

but internal political divisions led to his resignation.

1652-1659: The Commonwealth/Protectorate

Oliver Cromwell controlled the U.K., now a republic, with assistance from the Rump Parliament, consisting of the remaining

members of the Long Parliament (which had begun in 1640) after Colonel Thomas Pride removed members who were

unsupportive of the bid to try King Charles I for high treason. Upon Cromwell’s death, his son Richard became Lord Protector,

but internal political divisions led to his resignation.

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1660: The Restoration

Charles II reunited the English, Scottish, and Irish monarchies through the Declaration of Breda, which promised pardons for

crimes committed during the war for those who recognized him as king, the retention of land obtained during the conflict,

religious tolerance, and the reinstatement of the army under the crown in addition to payment of dues. Parliament amended

many facets of the original Declaration.

1688:The Glorious Revolution

King James II was overthrown by a group of English Parliamentarians and William III of Orange-Nassau, who then assumed

the throne, citing James’ religious tolerance, Catholic faith, and French associations as reasons for his deposition.

1701: Act of Union

Scotland and England joined Britain to ensure a financially stable Protestant kingdom. Queen Anne died heirless in 1714

and the crown transferred to the House of Hanover, surpassing the remaining Stuarts, who served the Catholic faith.

1715: The Jacobite Uprising

Actually a series of conflicts, the Jacobite uprising intended to return James II of England and VII of Scotland to the throne

and regain the crown for the House of Stuart. Sovereign King George I ceded power to parliament in return for their support.

During this time, the term “prime-minister” came into use and the post was filled by Whig leader Robert Walpole in the early

1700s; the arrangement remained through the end of the century.

1832: Reform Act

An Act of Parliament that introduced major changes to the electoral system, intended to fix abuses within the system that

determined how members of the House of Commons were chosen. Before the passage of the Reform Act, members

represented boroughs that were often under the control of a patron. The bill was passed in response to public pressure,

although the House of Lords did not lend their support.

Today

The monarchy largely leaves politics to the U.K.’s politicians, and now serves primarily as a figurehead and icon of Great

Britain.

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ROYAL RITUALS

Opening of Parliament

An annual event, the monarch leads the Royal Procession to the chamber of the House of Lords. An official from the House of

Lords known as Black Rod is sent to summon the House of Commons.  The door to the Commons is symbolically slammed in

his face to represent the independence of the House of Commons from the monarchy – a British monarch has not entered

the House of Commons while it is in session since 1689. Black Rod then strikes his ceremonial staff against the door three

times, is admitted, and tells the House of Commons to attend the monarch. The monarch then reads the Speech from the

Throne, outlining the current governmental agenda. After the monarch leaves, each house considers a bill to symbolize their

right to deliberate independent of the monarch.

National Anthem

“God Save the Queen” has become the de facto national anthem of the U.K., dictated by tradition rather than by any formal

decree of government.

Funerals

State funerals involving specific military and religious ceremony are

automatically held for only the sovereign, and are designated as

national days of mourning.   They can only be granted to others by an

Act of Parliament, and other members of the Royal Family receive a

Royal Ceremonial Funeral instead.

Succession and Coronation

When a ruling monarch dies, the heir to the throne immediately

becomes the Sovereign, but the coronation typically takes place months

later.   This is because the coronation is presented as   a joyous

occasion, that would be inappropriate during a period of mourning.

Elizabeth II and Philip after her coronation.

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Weddings

The practice of wearing a white wedding gown is thought to have begun when Queen Victoria wore one to marry Prince

Albert in 1840.  White garments came into favor with the leisure classes to demonstrate outfits that need not be used for

work, and later came to represent the innocence and purity of the wearer.

Christmas Broadcast

King George V delivered the first of the now-traditional Christmas messages from the monarch in 1932, in an inaugural

broadcast of the BBC World Service, formerly known as the Empire Service.

Currency

The names and likenesses of monarchs began to appear on coins around 800 A.D., to increase international profiles

achieved by foreign trade.

KING CHARLES AND THE BARD

Playwright William Shakespeare.

Mike Bartlett does something unique in King Charles III; he writes a

modern Shakespearean play. By focusing on members of the current royal

family rather than their long-dead ancestors and using language more

suited to our modern ears, Bartlett gives the audience a taste of how

audiences in Shakespeare’s day would have responded to the Bard’s

plays. He uses structural similarities, thematic elements, and references

to classic works in order to let the audience experience the political

intrigue and scandal of the play in a way similar to the experience shared

by Shakespeare’s Elizabethan audiences.

Shakespeare’s works are commonly written in a poetic form known as

iambic pentameter. An iamb is a unit of poetic measurement (known as

a foot) that contains two syllables: one unstressed syllable followed by

one stressed syllable. Penta – the pref-x meaning five – indicates that a

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line contains five feet, and ten syllables in total. Here is an example of iambic pentameter from Shakespeare’s Twelfth

Night: “If music be the food of love, play on.”

Iambic pentameter refers specifically to the rhythm of the poetry or dialogue, in the case of theatre. So, the unstressed and

stressed pattern follows this rhythm: da-DUM/da-DUM/da-DUM/da-DUM/da-DUM. For an easy way to remember, just think

of a human heartbeat. The line above should be read as: “If MUS-ic BE the FOOD of LOVE, play ON.”

Despite the rigid construction, Shakespeare didn’t feel the need to remain strictly true to form, and often experimented with

structure in order to reveal additional meaning. The audience would audibly catch breaks in the meter, allowing

Shakespeare to call special attention to something regarding either the plot or characters’ feelings. For example, he would

sometimes add an extra unstressed beat to the end of a line to express uncertainty or thought as in Hamlet’s problem: “To

be, or not to be: that is the question?” Bartlett, however, often splits remarks into two lines, which Shakespeare did only

rarely .

Verse refers to words with a metrical and poetic structure, and was used by Shakespeare to represent the upper class, while

the lower class often spoke in prose. Prose writing lacks the structure of verse; it often reflects everyday speech. By using

prose, Shakespeare continued to interrupt the rhythm of the play and create contrast between characters. Bartlett works in

a similar way; Harry is introduced in prose as he speaks with his friends and Jess, who also speaks in prose. Harry changes

the way he speaks based on to whom he is speaking, which reveals the tension within his character about the world around

him. Jess does the same; she speaks in verse when asking James for help and at the coronation, but in prose for the

majority of the play. In addition, Bartlett structured his play in a very fluid five-act structure, as seen in most of

Shakespeare’s work.

While his stories cover a wide range of topics and individuals, Shakespeare’s work tends to contain similar themes. Many of

his works involve power, ambition, temptation, appearances versus reality, betrayal, revenge, conflict (both internal and

external), and disorder. While his comedies may echo these themes to a lesser extent, his tragedies are well-known for their

political and societal intrigue as well as complex familial relationships. Many of these themes are echoed in King Charles

III, often expressed as allusions (moments intended to suggest an idea) to characters and stories from Shakespeare’s

canon.

Although the show makes connections to a wide array of Shakespeare’s plays, it most clearly references Macbeth, Hamlet,

King Henry IV, and King Lear, all of which are plays interested in the corruptible nature of power. For example, Catherine

Middleton takes a turn as a Lady Macbeth character scheming for the throne on behalf of her husband and her own

ambition, Charles is cast as both the hesitant Prince Hamlet and the aging King Lear as he distances himself from his

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children, and Harry takes on the characteristics of Prince Hal, a young royal who goes slumming with the lower class,

portrayed against Jess as his Falstaff.

The ghost is an interesting aspect in that it references both Macbeth and Hamlet. Although both plays involve a ghost

advisor or being that communicates something of importance to the protagonist, the ghost of King Charles III includes

shades of the prophetic witches from Macbeth. See if you can spot any other Shakespeare references in the play!

GLOSSARY

10 Downing Street: The headquarters of Her Majesty’s Government and the

residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, which has been held by the

Prime Minister over much of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Abdicate: To give up one’s throne.

Abolish: To formerly put an end to.

Ambulous: Linking to the word ambulatory, it is related to walking.

Armorial: Relating to heraldry, which is the way by which bearings on armor are

designed.

Belfast: The capital of Northern Ireland.

The Blitz: A series of bombing raids over Britain in 1940 and 1941 focused on

industrial targets and civilian areas.

Buckingham Palace: The London residence and headquarters of the monoarch of

the Unite Kingdom. Since Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, there have nearly always been

corgis in the Palace, as she has owned over thirty.

10 Downing Street.

Front gate of Buckingham Palace.

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Princess Diana.

.  Churchill: Winston Churchill is one of the United Kingdom’s better known Prime

Ministers due to his influence during World War II; he also served from 1951 – 1955.  

Constituents: A person who lives and votes in a designated area.

Contravention: An action that breaks a law, treaty, or other official rule.

Coronation: A ceremony marking the formal rise to power of a potential monarch.

Countenance: A person’s face.

Crassly: Lacking refinement or class; tactlessly.

Craven: Cowardly.

Daily Mail: A conservative British tabloid; it is the second biggest selling daily

newspaper currently but was the first to sell a million copies a day.

Diana: Princess Diana of Wales was Charles III’s first wife. Their relationship was

fraught with media coverage and sensationalism due to their incompatibility and

affairs. Diana died only a couple years after their divorce in a car crash.

Doner kebab: a type of kebab, a doner is meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie that is

usually served on a plate or stuffed into a pita or other bread as a sandwich.

Originating in the Middle East, kebabs are popular fast food items around the world.

Edinburgh: The capital of Scotland.

Fair weather friends: A term for people who stop being a friend during difficulty.

Gollum: a creature from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, he was a river folk that

became corrupted by the power of the One Ring into a despicable creature.

Winston Churchill.

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 Ire: anger.

Keen: eagerness, enthusiasm, or excitement.

Kensington Palace: A royal residence in the Royal Borough of Kensington and

Chelsea in London, it the residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well

as, currently, Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke and

Duchess of Kent (as well as their children).

Leeds: A city in West Yorkshire, its history can be traced back to the 5th century.

Leicester Square: A square in the West End of London, it is now an entertainment

center and major tourist center with a number of important movie theatres and

events for the Chinese New Year.

Liverpool: A major city and borough in northwest England. It has been dubbed the

“World Capital City of Pop” by the Guinness World Records, due in part to its

connection with The Beatles.

London: London is the capital of England and the most populated city in the United

Kingdom. It was founded during the Roman Empire, contains four World Heritage

sites, and over 300 languages are spoken in Greater London.

Morbid: Appealing to an unhealthy interest in disturbing, strange, or unpleasant

subjects, especially those relating to death.

Mortgage: A loan used by those who would buy property or real estate.

New Cross: A district of south London that is surrounded by multiple colleges.

NHS: A publically funded health care system known as the National Health Service;

there are four branches correlating with the four countries of the United Kingdom.

Kensington Palace.

Leicester Square.

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 Norfolk: A county in East Anglia, it is mainly rural.

Omnibus: Derives from the Latin for “for all” and originally refers to a vehicle but has other possibly meanings.

Oxbridge: A combined word referring to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge with connotations of superior social status

and intelligence.

Oxford: A city in the southeast of England, it is best known for its University and the exquisite examples of English

architecture as the city has examples of every type since the late Saxon period (around 1000 C.E.).

Patronizing: To treat someone kindly with an underlying air of superiority.

Pensive: Reflecting in deep thought.

Periphery: The outside of an area.

Pleb: A term from ancient Rome used to refer to commoners.

Poised: Grace and elegance.

PR: An abbreviation for public relations, it is the management of information between an organization and the public.

Prerogative: An exclusive right of privilege.

Prol: Short for proletariat, a term that refers to members of the working class.

Purley: A small town in South London.

Quiz Machines: Commercial coin-operated video quiz games that offer cash that are usually found in pubs or bars.

Reading: A town in Berkshire, it was an important location in medieval times due to its Abbey.

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Reagan: A conservative and republican president, Ronald Reagan was the 40th

President of the United States from 1981-1989. He is most known for his economics.

Dubbed Reaganomics, they emphasized tax reduction and the promotion of

unrestricted activity for the free-market.

Royal Mail: A postal service established in 1516, the UK Government sold its shares

in 2015 ending 499 years of public ownership.

St. Martin’s College: Before its merger into the University of Cumbria, St. Martin’s

College had a national reputation in teacher training and nursing, supplying many

teachers in the UK.

Thatcher: Margaret Thatcher was the longest-serving and first female Prime

Minister in the 20th century during her run from 1979 to 1990. She was also the

Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. Politically, she was known for

Thatcherism, which was the accumulation of her conservative policies, political

philosophy, and ‘Iron Lady” type of leadership.

Mersey: A river in northwest England. The quality of the water was adversely

affected by industrialization and underwent a campaign to improve quality in 1985;

in 2009 it was determined to be one of the cleanest rivers in the UK.

“The Right to Warn”: One of the three rights of a monarch as determined by Walter

Bagehot’s The English Constitution published in 1867.

London Evening Standard: The dominant evening paper for London, it became a free

paper in 2009 thus ending 180 years of paid circulation.

The Sun: A highly popular daily paper involved in many controversies.

Former U.S. President, Ronald Reagan.

Former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

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 Trooping of the Colour: The current monarch’s birthday is celebrated by this

pageant. It takes place on a Saturday in June by the Household Division of HRM’s

troops on Horse Guards Parade. It has marked birthdays since 1748, but it has

served as a rallying event for British infantry regimes since the 1600s as they would

recognize their colours (flags) of their regiment.

Tube Platforms: Platforms upon which riders wait for the London Underground.

Virulent: Extremely harmful or toxic effects.

Wagamama: A British Restaurant chain serving Japanese ramen-inspired cuisine.

Westminster Hall: Dating back to 1097, it is the oldest part of Westminster Palace.

Wetherspoons: A pub chain in the UK and Ireland, it was founded in 1979. The

chain is known for converting unconventional places into pubs.

Whitehall: A road in the city of Westminster, it is recognized as the center of Her

Majesty’s Government and is lined with many ministries.

William the Fourth: The last king of the Hanover line, he ascended to the throne in

1830 though he was not expected to inherit the crown due to his two older brothers.

During his reign, there was a time of crisis as many (especially those in the House of

Commons) sought Parliamentary reform, which hadn’t been changed since the 15th

century. William was convinced to dissolve Parliament and the fresh election gained

small victory for the reformists. However, the House of Lords was displeased and it

took a few more years until reformation was secured.

Westminster Hall.

William the Fourth.