Another ‘Royal’ stars Susannah York

Press, 21 August 1979, Page 15

Another ‘Royal’ stars Susannah York

Wrom KEN COATES, London correspondent) After a break of five yeprs from television, York will make

a TV comeback in Britain next month. She will play Mrs Fitzherbert, whose ill-fated marriage to the Prince Regent rocked the throne of England.

The eight-part series, “Prince Regent”, which has cost the 8.8. C. a cool S2M and will be offered to New Zealand television, will begin screening in Britain on September 4.

The 8.8. C. is confident of recouping the huge outlay in revenue from sales around the world. Starring opposite Susannah York will be Peter Egan as the womanising Prince who later became George IV. He is no stranger to historical drama and took the role of Oscar Wilde in the series, “Lillie.” Miss York aged 37, said Mrs Fitzherbert was a marvellous role. “At the start I’m 27 and I have to age into my sixties. The lady was warm and human and her notorious reputation was quite unfair. “Mrs Fitzherbert was well brought up — a devout and very moral Roman Catholic who was widowed twice by her late twenties.” The Prince Regent fell madly in love with Mrs Fitzherbert, explained Susannah York, but she tried hard not to fall for him.

“She even went to France to try to cool things down, but he still kept writing, begging her to come back. “They finally married in a secret ceremony, but were not happy and the marriage was never legally recognised because the Prince was not allowed to marry a Roman Catholic. “The Prince later married Caroline of Brunswick, who eventually became his queen”. In laying out S2M on the series, the 8.8. C. is taking a calculated gamble. But Royal stories, especially those with a lacing of scandal, nearly always make top-rating soap operas and go down well in the United States. First on the scene was "Elizabeth I,” then came “Edward VII”, and “The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Last year millions were glued to their screens watching “Edward and Mrs Simpson” and “Ullie.”