COVER Jenna Coleman
As we eagerly await the special seasonal episode of ITV’s Victoria, Yours goes behind the scenes of the show and chats to some of the stars
Snow-covered forests and glades, ice-skating on frozen ponds, frost dappled windows, candle-lit Christmas trees, roaring fires, adorable children... Victoria has the lot – even down to Victoria herself, played by actress Jenna Coleman, and Albert, rumoured to be her real-life beau Tom Hughes, looking a bit like the couple on the old-fashioned Quality Street tin! The two-hour episode, to be shown on Christmas Day evening, was filmed at the height of the summer, but that didn’t stop the cast feeling Christmassy. Actor Ferdinand Kingsley, son of Sir Ben, who plays ItalianBritish chef Francatelli who cooked for Victoria in the 1840s, says: “The seasonally decorated set felt weirdly festive in the middle of August, what with the mistletoe, snow and frost everywhere,” he laughs. “In addition to the incredible set designers, the lighting guys are amazing; they recreated that unique late afternoon December light brilliantly. “I’m so excited to be appearing in a Christmas special – Christmas TV is part of the tradition. Victoria really is the perfect Christmas drama. After all, the Victorians were responsible for much of Christmas as we know it today. And Francatelli was a master at making mince pies – the original type of mince pies. He made pies with sirloin steak for rich people and recommended the poor use tripe!” David Oakes and Margaret Clunie, who play illicit lovers the Duke of Coburg and the Duchess of Sutherland, found the iceskating scenes particularly memorable. “I hadn’t skated since childhood and it was a challenge,” smiles Margaret. “I was initially concerned about skating in a corset and a long dress while holding a muff. I was petrified I’d trip over. I did fall over quite a lot when I was learning how to skate and was very bad at it but actually it was amazing.” David agrees. “We filmed the skating scenes at Harwood House and an icedover lake was constructed – it looked really natural,” he says. “I’d love to do a ‘Victoria-on-ice’ show! “The Christmas special really is very special indeed. It’s lavish and opulent but cosy at the same time. You’ll notice the colours of our costumes are Christmassy, too. There’s more burgundy, greens and reds. And everyone gets their own festive ‘moment’.” In the Christmas special we’ll also see Victoria pregnant again. “It’s her fourth pregnancy – Prince Alfred is on his way – and there are three little ones running around too,” reveals Jenna Coleman, who plays the sovereign. “Even though Victoria is pregnant, she still ice-skates. She hates being pregnant, resents it very much and refuses to let it stop her doing the things she enjoys – like ice skating and dancing at balls, much to the horror of those around her.” Christmas is a family time and for Jenna, that’s what Victoria and Albert were all about. “Along with the set designer and the producers, we went to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight before Christmas last year; Victoria and Albert are the only Royals ever to have lived there as a family,” Jenna says. “It’s undoubtedly palatial but so cosy and homely – and that’s Victoria and Albert. They represent family and home and cosiness and domesticity. This is even more evident in the Christmas special; if you look at some paintings of Christmas scenes of the time, you see they kind of invented Christmas as we know it. We have one brilliant scene with a Christmas card when Victoria asks, ‘Why do you need to send a card? People know it’s Christmas!’ “You see the invention of how Christmas is today. I have some beautiful festive dresses to wear, too – I’m not quite Santa Claus, but it’s all green and red. Victoria really is an amazing show for a Christmas special.” We couldn’t agree more!
‘Even though Victoria is pregnant, she still ice-skates. She hates being pregnant, resents it very much and refuses to let it stop her doing the things she enjoys’