Meet the cast of the Victoria Christmas special
Buckingham Palace is transformed into a festive wonderland in the festive Victoria Christmas episode, which stars Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes
Mr Francatelli – Ferdinand Kingsley
Who does he play? Charles Elme Francatelli has a family background in Italy, grew up in London and studied cookery in France. He is an excellent chef and the perfect match for Skerrett, who he adores. He also has ambitions outside the palace walls.
Where have I seen him before? Ferdinand Kingsley played the role of Giulio d'Este in the TV series Borgia, and has popped up as Catchlove in Doctor Who. His father is actually Sir Ben Kingsley, star of such films as Ghandi and The Jungle Book.
Prince Ernest – David Oakes
Who does he play? Ernest is Prince Albert's brother, and the two are polar opposites - even though the brothers are very close. He is a flirt and a womaniser, which has left him with a shameful secret: syphilis. Inconveniently, he has also fallen for Harriet, the Duchess of Sutherland.
Where have I seen him before? Before he was the philandering Prince Ernest, David Oakes starred in The White Queen, The Living and the Dead, and The Borgias.
Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland – Margaret Clunie
Who does she play? A trusted member of the Queen's court, Harriet caught the eye of Albert's brother Prince Ernest when she was still married. In the second series she lost her husband the Duke of Sutherland and became a widow, making her eligible to marry again – but she has no idea about Ernest's sexual disease and is hurt that he now seems to have lost his love for her.
Where have I seen her before? You may have caught a glimpse of Margaret Clunie in Upstart Crow as Contessa Silva, or in Endeavour as Elva Piper
Zaris-Angel Hator – Sarah Forbes Bonetta
Who does she play? The Victoria Christmas special introduces us to Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a little girl with a tragic but extraordinary story who became the Queen's goddaughter. Sarah was a princess of the Egbado clan in West Africa, but when she was only four or five years old her family was slaughtered and she was taken as a slave. The child was eventually rescued and given as a "gift" to Queen Victoria, who had her raised in a middle-class British family.
Where have I seen her before? This is Zaris-Angel Hator's debut screen role.
Duchess of Kent, the Queen's mother – Catherine Flemming
Who does she play? Victoria has a strained relationship with her mother, the Duchess of Kent. The Queen spent her childhood as a princess "locked away" at Kensington, controlled by an overprotective mother and her ambitious boyfriend - Sir John Conroy. The Duchess of Kent wants to be loved by her daughter but often misjudges how to go about it, making hurtful comments and becoming resentful about how she is treated.
Where have I seen her before? You've probably only seen Catherine Flemming on screen before if you're a big fan of German TV. She's been in Tatort, Notruf Hafenkante, and Für Immer.
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