The First Churchills

Season

1969

8.1

TV-Y

The lives of John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, and his wife Sarah.

Episode List

S1 • E1

The Chaste Nymph

John Churchill is an able soldier who has proved himself on many occasions and is a favorite of Kings on both sides of the English Channel. He quickly became a senior officer, based on his skill and not his aristocratic background. He was also a ladies man having affairs with several aristocratic ladies including King Charles II's mistress, the Duchess of Cleveland. At a ball he first meets Sarah Jennings, a pretty young girl who has the good fortune of having the support of Mary, the second Duchess of York. He's immediately taken with her but she doesn't reciprocate. She does however show a spirit that Churchill much admires.

S1 • E2

Bridals

John Churchill pursues the young Sarah Jennings but she is convinced they can have no future together. Sarah is poor, much as Churchill is, and her mother is convinced that Churchill's father will arrange a marriage for his son only with a rich woman. John has no intention of marrying for convenience and has every intention of marrying for love. He stands his ground, as does Sarah, but Duchess of York becomes a good friend indeed when she eases the way for them. Meanwhile, there is much intrigue going at court with certain lords demanding that no Catholics be counselors to the King. As well, the Duke and Duchhess of York arrange for the marriage of their daughter, Mary, to William of Orange. She has a most peculiar reaction when she first sets eyes on her intended.

S1 • E3

Plot, Counter-Plot

John is promoted to Brigadier and much to Sarah's dismay, is off to Holland. There is much intrigue at court with Titus Oates telling King Charles II there is a Jesuit plot to have him killed and install a Catholic King on the throne. There are plotters on all sides however, with others out to discredit the King's brother, the Duke of York and the Earl of Danby, Lord Treasurer. Lord Shaftsbury urges the King to either divorce his wife an remarry in order to producer a Protestant heir or recognize his illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, as his legitimate heir. The King refuses both requests but does ask his brother and heir James, Duke of York to leave the Catholic church in favor of the Church of England. He refuses to do so. Sidney Godolphin is the father of a new son but his wife Meg dies in childbirth.

S1 • E4

The Lion and the Unicorn

King Charles II knows that many of the Lords are plotting against him and moves to take control of the situation. He relocates temporarily to Oxford forcing Parliament to move there as well. He then dissolves that institution but doesn't call elections. He also orders his brother and heir James, the Duke of York, to leave temporarily and relocate to Scotland. Churchill and Godolphin accompanies him but James proves to be difficult and cruel towards the people. Sarah Churchill is going to have a child, much to everyone's delight, though she doesn't necessarily look forward to having her mother stay with her during her lying-in. She also continues her close friendship with Princess Anne, James second daughter, who is to be married to Prince George of Denmark. Anne names her a Lady of the Bedchamber, with a stipend of £200 per year.

S1 • E5

Rebellion

King Charles II suddenly falls ill and dies within a few days. He converts to Roman Catholicism on his deathbed and his brother James becomes King. The new King, a Roman Catholic, manages to calm all fears by expressing his undying support and protection of the Church of England, despite his personal beliefs. He writes to his son-in-law the Prince of Orange and asks him to expel from the Netherlands the Duke of Monmouth, the late King's illegitimate son who has his own aspirations to the throne. The new King also names Churchill a Baron of the English peerage. Monmouth lands in Dorset and proclaims his uncle James to be a Papist and a false King. He begins recruiting an army and with several of his supporters, declares war. King James II asks Churchill to lead an army against his nephew but decides to put someone in command above him when he is reminded that Churchill and Monmouth were once close friends. Brilliant General that he is, Churchill defeats him leaving Monmouth to beg King James and Queen Mary to spare his life. Sarah Churchill and Princess Anne continue their close friendship with the somewhat older Sarah taken to giving the young princess advice, which is generally well received.

S1 • E6

The Protestant Wind

Over time, King James II is not living up to his promise to protect the Protestant faith, at least in the eyes of may of his people. He has surrounded himself with Catholic advisers and has asked Parliament to repeal legislation forbidding Catholic appointments to his Privy Council. When the Queen gives birth to a son - many believe her child died at birth and was substituted with another - several members of the House of Lords invite Prince William of Orange, who is married to King James II's eldest daughter Mary, to come to England and assume the throne. King James II soon realizes that he must flee to France when Churchill and many others go to the Protestant side. In offering the throne to William and Mary, Parliament also agrees that William will be King for his lifetime, even if the Queen should predecease him. The royal court is soon filled with Dutch advisers, much to the consternation of those English Lords who supported the new monarchs. Sarah Churchill meanwhile continues to hold favor with Princess Anne, now next in line to the throne

S1 • E7

Trial of Strength

King James II travels to Catholic Ireland where he is welcomed by the population, with the exception of a few Protestant dominated communities. It is clear that he will push his claim to the throne from there and possibly invade England. King William dispatches Churchill, now the Earl of Marlborough, to Ireland but places a Dutch aristocrat with little military experience above him. Churchill and others are growing weary of being subservient to the King's Dutch cronies and begin to make their objections known. The new Queen also begins to assert her power and orders her sister, Princess Anne, to terminate her relationship with Sarah Churchill. When the Princess refuses to do so, the King takes swift action, canceling all of the Churchills' military and civil appointments and orders the them banished from the Royal Court. The Princess proves to be a loyal friend however, refusing to abandon Sarah and John and inviting her to join them in living elsewhere.

S1 • E8

The Queen Commands

With King William III away commanding his armies, Queen Mary II is left in charge of the affairs of State. She visits her sister Princess Anne who has recently lost her newborn son and again demands that Sarah Churchill be banished. The Princess flatly refuses and the Queen storms out of what would prove to be their final meeting. The Queen continues her machinations against the Churchills and conspires to have documents forged implicating John Churchill in treason. He is soon arrested but fortunately still has friends who support him and realize that he is innocent. Those friends will also become victims of the Queen's wrath. She falls seriously ill however.

S1 • E9

Reconciliation

With the death of Queen Mary II, King William III is now the sole monarch as per the original agreement they had made when invited to occupy the throne. A reconciliation process begins when he invites Princess Anne to a ball. There he makes it clear that there is no love lost between them but that the protection of the Protestant faith is paramount and they must prepare for her eventual succession and that of her 7 year-old son. Sarah Churchill also attend the ball but notes that husband John will not attend until he is summoned personally by the King. The Churchill children are happily married now and producing grandchildren much to the elder Churchills delight. Worried by the Spanish succession and the possibility of yet another European war, King William III summons Churchill and finding that they are of the same mind on the issue, he reinstates him as a Privy Councillor, restores his military rank as well as all titles and privileges at the Royal Court. On William III's death in 1702, Princess Anne ascends to the throne.

S1 • E10

A Famous Victory

With the death of her brother-in-law William III in 1702, Princess Anne becomes Queen. She becomes a popular monarch, even if there are many Jacobites in Parliament who feel that she is not the true monarch. Her friendship with John and Sarah Churchill continues strong, naming John the Duke of Marlborough and providing for him with an annual income that befits his new rank. On the death of Queen Anne's father, the former King James II, King Louis XIV of France recognized James' son as the rightful monarch. This and the issue of the Spanish succession again leads to war with France. Marlborough's military successes continue and his role as head of the army brings endless victories on the battlefield.

S1 • E11

Breaking the Circle

The close friendship between Sarah Churchill and Queen Anne is severely tested. The Queen is a strong advocate of moderation and as such clearly supports the Tories in Parliament. The Whigs have the majority however and she is forever battling them. Sarah is of the view that the Queen has to accommodate herself somewhat to the wishes of the people however the Queen rejects the notion that her advisers should be made up of the majority party in Parliament. She also rejects flatly the suggestion that Lord Sutherland, Sarah's son-in-law and a moderate Whig, be named to the Privy Council. Over time, the Queen comes to reject her advice more and more and Sarah finds herself outside of of the monarchs inner circle. The Queen is now relying far more on Abigail Hill, Sarah's cousin, as her confidant. She has written to the Queen several times but receives no reply and is not able to get a private appointment with her.

S1 • E12

Not Without Honour

The war with France, which has so far lasted the entirety of Queen Anne's reign, continues with the armies under the Duke of Marlborough as the Captain-General of the forces. Victory is at hand however leading to the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. As Sarah becomes older, she becomes more desperate to simply understand what happened with her relationship with the Queen. Her letters go unanswered and her request for a private audience fall on deaf ears. Meanwhile, the influence of her cousin Abigail Hill, whom she had rescued from poverty years before, seemingly knows no bounds. The Queen is thrilled that the Conservatives have a major electoral victory and that she finally has a governing party that she feels she can work with. The question of the succession to the British throne is still a vexing one with Jacobites arguing in favor of James II's son while others wish to follow the agreement of 1701 that the Hanovers would take the throne. The issue is settled and with peace in Europe, the Duke and Duchess continue their lives having made a major mark in history.