'Belgravia' Episode 2: Was Sophia's illegitimate son Charles Pope a real person in 19th century Britain?
Spoilers for 'Belgravia' Season 1 Episode 2
In Episode 2 of the British period drama 'Belgravia', Anne Trenchard (Tamsin Greig) visits Lady Brockenhurst (Harriet Walter) in order to tell her about the very secret she and her husband Philip Glenister (James Trenchard) had spent the last 25 years hiding.
It is not an easy decision for her, especially since her husband is staunch on his decision of keeping their secret, well, a secret.
But Anne cannot take it anymore. Anne is guilt-ridden after Lady Brockenhurst reveals to her in the previous episode that she doesn't have any more children and that after she and her husband Earl of Brockenhurst (Tom Wilkinson) are dead, there will be "nothing of them left."
She pleads with her husband to come out with the truth but to no avail.
Understanding the pain that Lady Brockenhurst is going through, she writes to her, eventually meeting her.
When she tells her the truth about their grandson, the now grown-up Charles Pope (Jack Bardoe), Lady Brockenhurst refuses to believe that her son Edmund Bellasis (Jeremy Neumark Jones) is ever capable of doing something vile. How can Lord Edmund Bellasis cheat a young girl like this? Asking a friend of his to pose as a clergyman?
No — Lady Brockenhurst refutes the truth Anne lays upon her. Desperate to protect the memory of her son, she resorts to the idea that it was Sophia (Emily Reid) who wooed and cheated him.
But now aware that she has a grandson, Lady Brockenhurst can barely convince herself to keep mum. And in order to get to know him better, she visits him with the offer to invest in his business.
Everyone at the party is perplexed to see this man — wondering what he is doing sitting beside the Lady herself and dining.
Which brings us to the question: Was Charles Pope a real person in 19th century Britain?
No. But the story of his origins is quite true. Julian Fellowes was inspired to base the character of Charles Pope on the true story of Lord Barclay, who had seduced his wife into a false marriage by asking a friend to pose as a friend. They even had children together but the question of their legitimacy for the inheritance was always in question.
Even though they eventually got married officially, their third son was deemed to be the actual heir to the title since their first child was not legitimate. While the couple tried a lot, taking the matter to the House of Lords, the law was strict.
In the upcoming episodes, we will find out if Bardoe's Charles Pope will find out about his truth and how it will affect Belgravia.
Episode 3 will premiere on Sunday, April 26 at 9/8c on Epix.
