Horrified by news of the famine sweeping Ireland, Victoria tries to persuade the government to take action. Peel is reluctant to send aid fearing it may destabilise his own party.Horrified by news of the famine sweeping Ireland, Victoria tries to persuade the government to take action. Peel is reluctant to send aid fearing it may destabilise his own party.Horrified by news of the famine sweeping Ireland, Victoria tries to persuade the government to take action. Peel is reluctant to send aid fearing it may destabilise his own party.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaEPILOGUE: "Dr. Robert Traill died of typhus fever in 1847. The Irish Potato Famine was the worst disaster of its kind in nineteenth century Europe. At least one million people died in the famine. Another two million emigrated."
- GoofsDuring the potato famine, Victoria is shown with her newly born daughter, Alice. Alice was born in 1843. So, she turned two the year famine began in 1845.
- Quotes
[Victoria is horrified to read about the Irish potato famine]
Dr. Traill: [voiceover, reading his letter in the newspaper] "Famine is advancing with strides so fearful that I verily believe that if some superhuman effort is not made to relieve us, half our population will erelong be blotted from the book of being."
Victoria: Sir Robert, have you read this letter from the rector of Skull? He writes that people in his parish are living off seaweed and nettles.
Trevelyan: As you will see in my memorandum of the 17th, ma'am, nettles contain more nourishment than you might imagine. I believe, when gathered young, the leaves taste like spinach.
Victoria: Doctor Traill writes that people are too weak to bury their dead. And that corpses are left by the side of the road.
Trevelyan: The Irish like to imbibe at funerals. Perhaps that is why they are incapable of digging a decent grave.
Victoria: Aren't you going to do anything, Prime Minister?
Sir Robert Peel: I'm afraid it would not be... desirable for the government to intervene, ma'am.
Trevelyan: [patronisingly] The truth is, ma'am, the population of Ireland has grown beyond its natural limits. It would be immoral of us to interfere in what is an inevitable period of self-regulation.
Victoria: Self-regulation?
Trevelyan: [even more patronisingly] I don't know whether you're familiar with the works of Malthus, ma'am, but this is exactly the sort of situation he predicted. Population growth always outstrips food production, with inevitable results.
[Trevelyan and Peel exchange uncomfortable glances]
Victoria: I think I should like to visit Ireland. I feel I need to see the situation for myself.
Sir Robert Peel: Such a visit would be inadvisable, ma'am.
Victoria: Why not? Surely my presence will bring them some comfort.
Sir Robert Peel: I'm not sure how comforting your presence would be. I could not guarantee your safety.
However, whilst episodes 1-5 of Season Two have been rather lacklustre; Faith, Hope & Charity was an excellent episode because it presented a sympathetic and balanced view of events in Ireland in 1847. Apart from the usual sub-plots, this episode was primarily about the Irish Famine; albeit a snapshot from a small parish in West Cork.
OK, so let's not get into the complex relationship between Britain & Ireland (we're best friends today) but for the British viewer, I dare say that this episode highlights the dark period in Irish history that has too often been overlooked; especially the religious bigotry. However, to the Irish viewer , it gives us a better understanding as to why the government was reluctant to intervene, and a better understanding of Sir Robert Peel's personal struggle between his social conscience and his position as Prime Minister.
Though, let's be honest, Miss Cleary –a lowly servant –would probably not have had an impromptu private audience with the Queen on the subject of the Irish Famine; but the scene is used to good dramatic effect at the end. Otherwise, top marks for this episode. Have your hankies on the ready Míċeál Bolger (Southern Ireland)
- micealbolger
- Oct 2, 2017