THE LION AND THE UNICORN – A DOWNTON ABBEY AU
The Lion and the Unicorn were fighting for the crown.
The Lion beat the Unicorn all around the town.
The passing of King James III sees his only son and heir, Robert, ascend to the throne. As the old saying goes, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown” and the new King could never have anticipated that his reign would start in the shadow of a scandal so epic that it has the power to tear down one of the world’s oldest monarchies.
Married to an American divorcee, Robert sets down a path to overhaul the laws and customs which mean she would not otherwise be recognised as his Queen. Sensing that the Government has its priorities all wrong, the country begins to revolt and the debate as to whether Britain should become a republic rages once more, hitting even closer to home when the King’s youngest daughter has her eyes opened to life in the real world.
Robert is seen to be out of touch and aloof – he’s too removed from ordinary people and their ordinary problems. If the monarchy must remain, however, the general feeling is that the crown should pass to Mary, the new Princess of Wales. The people like Mary, and her marriage to a commoner was exactly what the House of Grantham needed to remain relevant in the modern world. It’s a subject which ultimately drives a wedge between the Princess and her beloved Papa, and hard sacrifices must be made for a future worth having.
Edith is the forgotten Princess. She has neither the charisma of her eldest sister nor Sybil’s wild and rebellious spirit that resonates with her subjects. There are few who would consider her to be their favourite royal, though the advantage of this is that she’s been allowed to largely fade from public view.
The thing about wallflowers though is that they should never be underestimated for they tend to see things that others may not – even if they are hiding their own deep dark secrets.
So settle down, raise a glass, and toast God Save the King…
For only divine intervention can protect him now.
Musings of a Yankee Countess 