The Favourite ending explained: What happens to Sarah and Abigail?

The wacky take on the period drama stars Olivia Colman as Queen Anne and is loosely based on the Queen's real-life relationships with her closest friend Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), the Duchess of Marlborough, and new servant Abigail Masham (Emma Stone).

After Sarah takes Abigail under her wing, it soon becomes clear that she has no intention of remaining a scullery maid, and a fierce rivalry between the two women ensues.

But how does it play out?

The Favourite might seem more straightforward in narrative terms than its predecessors, which include The Lobster and Dogtooth, but Lanthimos complicates things with the final shot of the movie.

So what does that final shot of the film mean? And what happens to Sarah and Abigail? Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of The Favourite.

The Favourite ending explained: What happens to Sarah Churchill and is she banished?

Abigail wastes little time in scheming after she arrives at court and poisons Sarah’s tea. This leads Sarah to ride off into the woods and pass out, where she’s taken in by the madam of a brothel.

When Sarah returns to court, she tries to persuade Anne to send Abigail away and even threatens to reveal her correspondence with Anne, which would, in turn, expose their sexual relationship.

But this soon backfires, with Anne removing Sarah from the palace.

Abigail, meanwhile, has wedded a colonel as a way of ascending from maid to lady and managed to ingratiate herself with Queen Anne – and even make her way into her bed.

In a crucial scene, Sarah warns Anne that Abigail can’t be trusted – unlike herself – but Anne refuses to listen.

Soon enough, Sarah’s predictions come true and, when Sarah sends an apology letter to Anne, Abigail intercepts it and destroys the letter.

Abigail then tells Anne that she has discovered Sarah was embezzling money and, although Anne isn't fooled by Abigail, she believes she has been forsaken by Sarah and uses Abigail's lie as an excuse to exile Sarah and her husband.

What happens to Abigail in The Favourite?

And so, with Sarah out of the picture, Abigail has emerged victorious, but was it worth it?

The ending of the film suggests not.

When Anne sees Abigail cruelly stepping on one of her rabbits, she orders her over and demands that Abigail massage her leg, which she proceeds to do, albeit reluctantly.

Then, as Anne tugs on Abigail’s hair, the image warps and their faces are superimposed over each other, before the rabbit cage is also added to the collage.

What does the ending of The Favourite mean?

This final shot underlines Abigail and Anne's bleak fates, suggesting they're both trapped there now and stuck with one another.

Abigail might think she's won but, like Anne's rabbits, she's just another of the Queen's toys – caged and powerless.

Anne, meanwhile, knows Abigail is a liar and is only keeping her there to make Sarah, who she believes has forsaken her, jealous. And so, really, neither party has won.

The Favourite is available to watch now on Netflix. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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