Emily Beecham Talks The BBC’s King And Conqueror

What drew you to the part of Edith?

The women are quite invisible in historical accounts of politics, art, and history, but within this story there’s an angle on the female characters’ input alongside the male. There is a lot about Harold and Edith’s romance, they have a complicated relationship. I really wanted to work with James – we’ve been acquaintances for a long time and he’s a very spontaneous and fun actor.

It was quite a juicy script so I hope it’s entertaining to watch Harold and Edith together. James has an infectious energy, and as a producer he also brought a great camaraderie to it. All of us cast are still friends today. I enjoy that time period in particular – I think it feels like things are on a knife edge. It’s a very big time in history.

How did you prepare to play Edith?

The information on Edith was a bit limited and contradictory. Edith the Fair, Edith Swan neck, there are various names for her. Who was Edith to Harold was what I had to figure out. Her marriage to Harold wasn’t recognised by the church because they were married in the Danish style, which put her in a very vulnerable position. Coupled with Harold’s hungry ambition, I think it made for the turbulent drama that we all like on our screens and not in our real life!

Obviously, some of the intimate parts of the story are fictionalised because we can’t know what went on behind closed doors and the historical accounts are limited when it comes to the intimate parts of it. It was a really fun task, to try and make it as real as possible, keep people invested and understand their conflict when she’s losing Harold to his ambition and ego. There is a tug of war between them. Trying to understand a woman of that period with the limited information we have… how they had any feelings of autonomy or how they navigated their life with very little security but their husbands. You have to really be on your toes!

Was there anything surprising you learned about Edith during your research?

She is often remembered in association with Harold, but what I’ve found out about her was that she was a landowner and she must have had her own political instincts in ways. Obviously I’m not saying anything new, that women in historical accounts are generally erased or ignored, so we’re filling in gaps here, but with as much truth and realism as we can.

How would you describe Edith?

When we meet her there is a very physical and emotional charge between her and Harold. I thought of the Harold character as a bit of a bear – there’s a rage and ambition in him that she’s constantly trying to temper and redirect into a way that protects the family and her security. So, the desire and betrayal between them felt real, it felt human. That’s where we find her at the start of the series, full of uncertainty right from the beginning.

Did the costumes, hair and makeup help immerse you in the time period?

The Middle Ages and Anglo-Saxon look felt quite mythic. The long hair is such a statement, and it physically gets in the way all the time. It’s a character in itself. You’re constantly eating it, the technicalities were very challenging with the wig! The dresses and the outfits too, you’re kind of restricted by it but also it’s got a movement to it, a natural and mythic vibe. They’re like tribes in a way – Clémence and Nikolaj have a very different colour scheme and visual. I think the Middle Ages are so gorgeous looking.

What was the atmosphere like on set?

There was a single shot of a scene where they get invaded and the camera follows all the characters around. On that day there were strong gusts of wind and we were in a big sand pit. We had to choreograph and rehearse it a lot because it was in one single shot, so we were getting blinded by the sand and rehearsing it with goggles on. It looked post-apocalyptic, because James was in a pair of shades, wielding this giant broadsword. It was ridiculous, he looked like a cheesy rock star.

I remember Clare [Holman] underneath the blanket in a corner of the room before each shot with plastic goggles on her face in a medieval outfit looking like some kind of odd steampunk. It was a very silly day. And Geoff [Bell] actually ate a real sheep’s eyeball during a scene. There’s a scene where he’s eating a sheep’s head and he popped an eyeball into his mouth. I don’t know if it’s made the cut or not. Geoff is very spontaneous!

How was it working alongside James who was also an executive producer on the series? And what was it like working with the actors playing the Godwin family?

James has a great camaraderie and he did such a good job spinning a lot of plates – producing a show and playing a lead in it. He always brings out the attractive and ugly side of the character’s personality, which is the best acting to watch because it makes it edgy and exciting. I also feel like that’s the best type of person to do romance scenes with, because you can just let your guard down and let chemistry happen. You need a lot of trust to be able to do these kind of things and to open up and to get physically and emotionally close in those scenes.

It felt like a family on set. I know everybody says that, but it’s not always true! But this time it really did, and we still get together and have dinners together.

Why do you think the story of 1066 is still so relevant and discussed to this day?

It changed the shape of things in a huge way. And it’s such a downfall that Harold had. This identity, power, loss, and ambition and it sort of shot himself in the eye! It’s the foundations of how we got where we are now.

What are you most excited for audiences to see in this series?

It’s very cinematic and we made a real effort to find a human side to it, those quieter moments around the battle.