BBC Battle Of Hastings Series ‘King And Conqueror’ To Race-Swap Historical English Noble
(Let’s get this out of the way up top: Yes, I know the life of King Canute and the events of Vinland Saga, as seen throughout this article, took place decades before the Battle of Hastings. However, in light of the fact that he was an ancestor of King Harold and how difficult it is to find an interesting picture depicting the event, I ask readers give me a pass on the historical anachronism.)
In the latest case of historical race-swapping, a new television series based on the real-world Battle of Hastings will be going out of its way to depict the conflict’s Anglo-Saxon participants as appropriately diverse.
A join eight-episode production between CBS Studios and the BBC, King and Conqueror will regale viewers with the tale of the aforementioned Battle of Hastings, an October 1066 clash between William, Duke of Normandy (played by Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson (played by Happy Valley star James Norton) over the right to sit upon the English throne, which ultimately went to William after Harold was killed in battle.
“King and Conqueror is the story of a clash that defined the future of a country – and a continent – for a thousand years, the roots of which stretch back decades and extend out through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, struggling for power across two countries and a raging sea,” reads an official description of the series provided by the BBC. “Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men destined to meet at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; two allies with no design on the British throne, who found themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown.”
Given both the physical location and historical time period in which the event took place, the racial make-up of the battle’s Anglo-Saxon and Norman participants was, to say the least, far from what modern standards would call ‘diverse’.
Of course, as this fact does not align with ‘modern standards’, CBS and the BBC have chosen to actively rewrite history with their new series.
Per a new report from UK news outlet The Telegraph, rather than a white actor, the role of King and Conqueror‘s take on the real-world Earl of Mercia, Morcar – a short-time ally of King Harold who actually refused to aid him in the Battle of Hastings in the hopes that he would die and allow either the Earl or his brother to ascend to the throne, only to eventually swear fealty to the victorious William before unsuccessfully rebelling against him – will instead be brought to life by AMC’s Interview with a Vampire actor Elander Moore, himself of white, black, Chinese, and Brazilian descent.
Further, the series will also introduce a completely fictional character know as Thane Thomas (Thane being an Anglo-Saxon title equivalent to ‘nobleman’), as set to be played by 3 Body Problem actor Jason Forbes, to the event.
As of writing, it remains unknown just what role the new character will play in the show’s narrative.
Notably, while insulting, King and Conqueror‘s race-swapping ultimately comes as little surprise, particularly given CBS Studios Senior Vice President of International Co-Productions & Development Lindsey Martin’s previous tease, as made at the time of the series’ announcement, that the series would “offer a bold and fresh take on a story that has endured for nearly 1,000 years.”
As noted above, Morcar is far from the first historical figure to be race-swapped for a recent television production.
In December 2023, the first of that year’s three Doctor Who specials presented viewers with an Indian version of Sir Isaac Newton, as portrayed by The Witcher: Blood Origin actor Nathaniel Curtis.
Further, 2023 also saw the release of Netflix’s Queen Cleopatra, a docu-drama which saw the eponymous Egyptian ruler portrayed by Casualty actor Adele James.
The year prior, Netflix’s Vikings: Valhalla both race and gender-swapped the historical Jarl Haakon by casting Swedish-Black singer Caroline Henderson as the Norwegian ruler.
And in perhaps one of the earliest cases of the practice, the BBC cast The Acolyte‘s Jodie-Turner Smith to portray the titular English queen in their 2020 Anne Boleyn miniseries.
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