Coronation

 

Coronation
Season 2, Episode 3
Air date	October 16, 2014
Written by	Harley Peyton‏‎
Directed by	Holly Dale
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"This is not a coronation for a king. It is for a king and queen."

—King Francis

Synopsis

Mary Oversteps Her Bounds
With France in a state of famine, as well as religious and political unrest, Mary looks for a way to feed the people, risking the wrath of a vengeful Lord Narcisse. Francis is preoccupied by the harrowing suspicion that his dead father's spirit can possess the living and is haunting Francis as revenge for his murder. As Catherine makes excessive and lavish preparations for a coronation ceremony to give the impression of stability to the realm, Bash confronts the reality of a country plagued by fear, bankruptcy, and murder.

Plot

At a festival in Tent City, Catherine talks to Francis and Mary about their coronation. Mary and Francis are appalled at the expenses being afforded the event but Catherine reminds them they cannot look like a the wounded gazelle they are, or they will give off the appearance that they would be easily usurped. Francis stands up to his mother and assures her Mary will continue to play her part. A spirit reader interrupts their conversation and Francis is concerned. Francis has publicly claimed his son, John Philip, and named him a Baron. He has given Lola lands and a chateau. Ladies of the court prattle on about all the gossip, including the news that Kenna and Bash lost their home in the Plague fires. Kenna wishes that she and Bash had been given lands and such but knows not to begrudge Lola and the baby because of what will make their lives easier. Lord Condé is in for the coronation, and he brought a new friend. Mary and Greer laugh at how quickly he bounced back after setting his lady friend on a ship. His new friend is a courtesan. Mary was hoping he might make a suitable match for Lola, but seeing as he prefers one night stands, a match is out of the question. Lola wishes Francis would have consulted her before letting her favorite nanny go. He makes up an excuse about why he let her go. Francis confronts Lord Narcisse about the grain he was promised. Narcisse claims that he cannot find a workforce to manage the grain, and those that can work are either too hungry or sad about the losses of their family and friends. He blames it on their excuses to be lazy, and yet he does nothing to ensure otherwise. Narcisse does not give Francis the exact date when he can expect the first shipment. A man grabs a basket from a tent an tries to run off with it. He's caught and killed by a guard. Condé finds a mere loaf of bread and a chicken inside the basket, giving further reason for Mary and Francis to feed their people, and fast. The man who has arranged to provide France with grain is afraid of Narcisse. Francis vows to protect him from Narcisse. Francis tasks Bash with finding the nanny and trusts him enough not to ask questions. A German ambassador named Charles Schuler approaches Mary. He wants their Protestant prisoners released and in exchange, he will deliver an abundance of German grain. A Lady Doisneau approaches Bash as the King's Deputy, saying he is her last resort. She believes Lord Barnard killed her husband and begs Bash to investigate it. Catherine chats with Narcisse and sounds proud as she talks about the different kind of King her son is from his father and how he and Mary care for the people more than money or power. Narcisse is angry that Francis double deals behind his back. He's angry that Francis appears to be going to other for grain he has already promised to Francis. He uses money as a motivator, but Catherine knows better. She knows it's about revenge. The woman who earlier watched the snarky bitches talking about Kenna approaches her at the dance. She thinks perhaps she could help. Her husband is helping to dispose of estates of the dead after the Plague and she offers an estate to Kenna. Narcisse threatens Lord Ducasas' son to squelch his deal with the King for grain. Catherine confronts Narcisse. She reminds him he cannot put a price on the loss of his son. She suggests he needs a friend at court. In return she wants grain. He can sell it to her if he won't sell it to Francis. Catherine tries to make a deal, but when Narcisse tries to bribe her even further by requesting someone of his choosing on the King's court, she walks away. Francis wants to talk to the nanny. Mary goes to the Duke, who isn't impressed when she tells him that the King is "intrigued" by the prospect. If he cannot free his friends immediately, he will be leaving before the coronation. He didn't come to watch Rome prop up a new puppet king. Francis wants the spirit speaker to talk directly with the nanny to see if he's being deceived or if she's suffering madness. Bash discovers that the woman's husband was indeed murdered. Mary decides to go behind Francis' back to secure grain because she cannot find him. He's off dallying with spirits. Greer is skeptical that Mary should proceed. The woman is given an elixir. Henry comes back. Plots and plans and plots and plans is what Henry saw in Francis before he died. . Francis returns to the castle to discover Mary making plans on his behalf and demands she do no such thing going forward. The lady who gifted Kenna and Bash a new estate is Lady Barnard - the wife of Lord Barnard, who is suspected of murdering Lady Doisneau's husband. Kenna is shocked she was taken advantage of and approaches Lady Barnard. She defends her husband as the most honest man she knows. However, Lady Barnard warns Kenna that the nobles already hate Bash for trying to take the theone. If he doesn't stop the investigation, it will get much worse for them. During the coronation festivities, Herr Shuller rides up, claiming to be ill used and threatened. The prisoners were not there and they were removed two days prior. He tells Francis that he is exactly like his father. The Duke then has his man thrust upon the stage the torture devices that were found in place of the prisoners - a knee crusher, cat's paw and rat's cage. Threats are made and weapons drawn. The King orders everyone to stand down. Kenna ripped the page of evidence from the journal to save Bash's life. Bash reminds her they are better people than the Barnards. He wants to have the courage to fight, but he can't have her stopping him to save his life. Mary discovers that Condé's courtesan and Condé himself took the prisoners. His lover was captured at sea by the Germans and he traded the prisoners for his lover to be let go. Condé thinks that Francis is no different than Henry because of the deal he and Mary made with Narcisse, which was a ruse to stop a bigger problem. Mary thinks Condé should return the prisoners. He doesn't believe putting country before love is right, but he does it anyway. Francis and Mary stand together, and they are stronger for it. Narcisse finally acknowledges them both and delivers the grain. When Mary asks Condé why he returned the prisoners, he tells her he wanted to be the man that she saw in him. In return, Mary assured his woman was released, although Condé claims that she will not be returning to him, but to her husband and children, because children are a bond you cannot break. Lola again asks Francis why he dismissed Caroline, to which he gives her a vague answer and asks her to leave it at that. Francis and Mary are crowned King and Queen of France. Narcisse joins Catherine by the riverside. He found out Catherine bought grain, but didn't have it delivered to the castle. She had it delivered to a town. She has been generous continuously so that she may be loved and protected by the people. - TV Fanatic

Quotes

King Francis: And it won't hurt to show the nobles, many twice my age, that if you obey me, they can too.
Queen Mary: Are all powerful men so insecure?
King Francis: A few. Many. Most.

Queen Catherine: But how can I possibly help you? I'm irrelevant.

King Francis: There's plenty of time until then.
Queen Mary: Tell that to the people starving outside our walls.

Lord Narcisse: You didn't come here because your heart bleeds for your starving countrymen. What are you hiding?
Queen Catherine: Perhaps I'm hiding a bleeding heart.

Sebastian: We just need the courage to fight.
Lady Kenna: Not if fighting means dying. I won't risk the loss of you. I can't.

Sebastian: I will always fight for what I believe, risk or not.

Lord Narcisse: She speaks for you in this?
King Francis: "She" is my queen.

Louis of Condé: You're a wonder. Queen, diplomat, white knight.

King Francis: I want the same world as you do, the better one. And the only way to build it is together. We do greater things when we act as one, when we trust each other as equals. This is not a coronation for a king. It is for a king and queen.

Queen Catherine: What are you doing out here? There's a party inside to celebrate the new king.
Lord Narcisse: And queen.
Queen Catherine: Her too.

Notes

• Lord Montgomery and King Henry are both mentioned, but do not appear.
• If the coronation were according to Catherine, it would have a banquet for 1,200, a military parade, and a golden-horned unicorn as entertainment.
• Tent City makes its first appearance.
• Lola and Francis' baby is confirmed a baron.
• King Henry continues to haunt Francis by possessing his son's nanny.
• Louis of Condé confirms himself a prince.
• King Francis' Coronation takes place.

Death Toll
- French Citizen
- Lady Doisneau's Husband

Goof
During the scene between Catherine and Narcisse, a skyscraper can be seen in the background of the park.

Trivia

• Coronation landed 1.36 million viewers and a 0.5/1 rating in the target demo, which was up from the previous week.
• The red boats from The Boating Party can be seen at the start of the episode in Tent City.
• Toby Regbo said that the crown made for him was too big and needed to be re-sized to fit around his ears.
• For the Coronation, Queen Mary and King Francis' looks were created and designed by Meredith Markworth-Pollack. The fabric from Mary's dress, was also used for Francis' vest.
• Mary wears gold-plated, Swarovski crystal chandelier earrings from designer Vicki Sarge, valued at $214.00
• Inspiration was taken from Queen Victoria's 1838 Coronation.
• Both crowns used during the coronation scene were very heavy.
• Catherine's necklace is from Oscar de la Renta and her crown was from Deborah Moreland
• Kenna wears a Notte by Marchesa , Greer wears First Lady Michelle Obama's Tadashi Shoji , and Lola is costumed in a vintage 1950s gown accessorized with a beaded shrug from mall retailer Anthropologie's bridal line, Beholden. Bash and Prince Condé wear custom-made designs.

Historical Notes

• Francis was crowned on September 21, 1559.
• Thoughout her time as Queen and Queen Mother, Catherine enjoyed throwing banquettes so much, and creating such extravagant parties that the Kingdom of France annually held Catherine de' Medici's court festivals. She did this from 1547 to 1559 as Queen, then as Queen Mother from 1559 until her death in 1589.

Gallery

Characters

Actor	Character
Adelaide Kane	Mary Stuart
Megan Follows	Queen Catherine
Torrance Coombs	Sebastian
Toby Regbo	King Francis
Celina Sinden	Greer Norwood
Caitlin Stasey	Lady Kenna
Anna Popplewell	Lady Lola
Sean Teale	Louis of Condé
Guest Staring
Craig Parker	Lord Narcisse
Cameo
David Jansen	Herr Schuler
Jane Spidell	Caroline
Cyrus Lane	Lord Ducasse
Diana Cofini	Lady Ducasse
Domenic Ricci	Guy Ducasse
Romano Orzari	Summoner
Kathryn Alexandre	Lady Barnard
Kent Sheridan	Lord Barnard
Nicole De Boer	Lady Doisneau
Karl Westerholm	Boy
Noah Davis	Andre
Harry Judge	Franc
Adrian Griffin	King's Guard
Emily Baretett	Noble Wife #1
Courtney Deelen	Noble Wife #1
Murray Oliver	Nobleman
David Dantés	Balfont

	Character debut
	Speaking debut
	Episode debut