PBS (San., Jan. 12, 9p.m. ET)
A-
Done in a clipped, pseudodocumentary style, this hour-long Masterpiece Theatre episode offers a diverting and informative account of the disastrous marriage of George, Prince of Wales (Richard E. Grant), and his German bride, Princess Caroline of Brunswick (Susan Lynch). Temperamentally, theirs was a misalliance from its commencement in 1795. He was offended by her coarse joie de vivre and casual notions of hygiene. She had vague dreams that her love would tame his profligate partying and his depletion of the royal treasury. But she was quickly put off by the fact that he appointed his mistress, the Lady Jersey, to be her lady-in-waiting. The prince and princess eventually lived apart, both throwing themselves into extramarital affairs, although Caroline was able to maintain public sympathy as the spurned wife. The parallels between these ninnies and the current Prince of Wales and Princess Diana—right down to whether the estranged wife's name should be included in the national prayers and the question of which party was more adroit at exploiting the press—are unmistakable, and that is exactly the point. Glorious, stupid royals! How can we get some?
Your Reaction
