Wednesday 15th June. 1.30 PM – Waverley Abbey, Surrey. On location today in the ruins of the Cistercian Abbey which inspired Sir Walter Scott to write his ‘Waverley’ novels. After the blistering heat of the last two days in studios, today it’s overcast and cold – typically for us – but then there is little [...]
The Fortunes of Dr. Dee
Tuesday 13th June. 11.30 AM – ‘B’ Stage, Shepperton Studios. Back in Dr. Dee’s study where the Queen again consults him as the threat from Spain escalates. Whilst Elizabeth often made use of Dee’s services she did not always reward him for his efforts. Following the death of his associate Edward Kelley whilst they were [...]
A Visit to Dr Dee
Monday 12th June. 3.30 PM – ‘B’ Stage, Shepperton Studios. For this scene B Stage has become the study in Mortlake of one of the most fascinating and tragic characters of the Elizabethan era – Dr. John Dee. Dee stood on the tipping point between the mediaeval and modern worlds. Part alchemist and astrologer, part [...]
The Game of State.
Friday 9th June. 11 AM – Wells Cathedral, Somerset. Our last day away on location and filming in the cloister, which is for us a corridor leading to the Presence Chamber in the palace. In these outer chambers and corridors much of the business of court life actually took place. Away from the formal presence [...]
New Life
Thursday 8th June. 9 AM – Wells Cathedral, Somerset. Filming on the extraordinary staircase that runs from the north transept to the chapter house. For us this is the main route into the palace and the place where Bess intercepts Raleigh to tell him some dangerous news.. We will probably never know if Bess’ pregnancy [...]
The Inner Sanctum
Wednesday 7th June. 9 AM – Wells Cathedral, Somerset. Our fourth and last cathedral on this shoot. Here we’re using the Chapter House and staircase leading to it as the outer part of Elizabeth’s palace. The Chapter House at Wells (completes in 1306) is one of the architectural treasures of England. Following the Dissolution of [...]
The Angel of Victory
Tuesday 6th June. 1 PM – Brean Down, Somerset. Elizabeth arrives on horse back in full battle array to inspire the troops. There are a number of sources for Elizabeth’s famous Tilbury speech, perhaps the most famous being Dr. Leonel Sharp’s 1623 letter to the Duke of Buckingham in which he recalls the events he [...]
England’s Last Stand
Monday 5th June. 3 PM – Travelled down to the West Country this morning for two days filming at Brean Down on the Somerset coast. Driving down the coast road it’s easy to find the location today as the rocky peninsular is now capped with a row of Tudor tents. For us this will be [...]
The Archduke
Friday 2nd June. 9 AM – The Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral. The last part of the banquet for the Archduke today. As I’m sure will be pointed out many times when Golden Age is released, Elizabeth’s last major royal suitor was not Charles II of Austria, as we have it, but the Francois, Duke of [...]
The Allegory of the Orrery
Thursday 1st June. 10 AM – The Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral. Continuing the banquet from yesterday. Today we see an allegorical scene – an acting out of the motions of the planets by actors, similar to the mechanical solar system models, or orreries, of later centuries. Elizabethans had a great love of allegory, filling their [...]