Characters
Aliena
Aliena is Bartholomew’s beautiful and intelligent daughter, and the object of William’s obsession. She is our story’s heroine and the love of Jack’s life. After her family’s fall from grace, she uses her resourcefulness to survive and help her brother win back his rightful place as Earl of Shiring. Played by Hayley Atwell.
Bartholomew
Earl of Shiring at the beginning of our story, and supporter of Maud’s right to the throne, Bartholomew’s conspiracy against Stephen’s usurpation of the throne is the cause of his downfall and his children’s – Aliena and Richard - dire suffering. A brave man, he fights William in defense of his Earldom and would sacrifice his own fate for that of his people and the welfare of his children. Played by Donald Sutherland.
Ellen
As a healer, Ellen relies on her instincts and education to help her son Jack, as well as Tom and his family. Her independent spirit and certainty about the validity of her own lifestyle help keep Ellen from being broken by those who think her strange or evil. She methodically plots the bishop’s downfall and fearlessly faces him down at the climax of the story, so that his own actions bring about her final vengeance. Played by Natalia Wörner.
Jack
Jack is an artist, architect, dreamer, and our story's hero. He learns the building trade from Tom as they work on the Kingsbridge Cathedreal, but his artistic talents begin to burgeon, making him a vital part of the cathedral’s future. Vulnerable to bullying by his stepbrother, Alfred, a rivalry develops over their work on the cathedral and intensifies with they both fall in love with Aliena. Played by Eddie Redmayne.
Maud
Maud is King Henry I’s daughter and only surviving legitimate child. She and her illegitimate brother Gloucester go to war with King Stephen over her rightful claim to the throne. Maud’s quest for the throne is challenged by the many nobles who are unwilling to support her because she’s a woman – their feeling being that women are not meant to rule. Played by Alison Pill.
Prior Philip
Philip quickly learns the game of politics when Waleran tricks him and as a result, Waleran becomes Bishop. Regardless of his initial setbacks in his dealings with Waleran and the Hamleigh family, Philip has an innate sense of how to get the best out of people and touches the lives of those around him with sometimes very unexpected results. Philip is the stable centre around which many of the other characters orbit. Played by Matthew Macfadyen.
Regan Hamleigh
Absolutely possessed with the need to move her family up the social ladder, Regan will stop at nothing, readily partnering with Waleran to achieve her goals. Regan inhabits a landscape of endless frustration where nothing she manages to achieve is ever good enough for very long. Regan’s son, William, - who’s so willing a pawn in her plans - is entirely too much like her. Played by Sarah Parish.
Richard
Richard is Bartholomew’s son and heir to the title of Earl of Shiring. His sister, Aliena, helps her younger brother find his inner courage in order to fight for what was wrongfully taken from them. Richard becomes a knight in Stephen’s army and there finds his true destiny as a warrior. His experience in battle provides him and Aliena the key to recovering his Earldom. Played by Sam Claflin.
Stephen
Stephen is the nephew of Henry I and grandson of William the Conqueror. Although an original supporter of Maud, he readily takes the opportunity to succeed her as England’s next ruler. His coronation causes a rebellion incited by Gloucester and Bartholomew. He lives in fear of the suspicious circumstances surrounding his succession to the throne. Played by Tony Curran.
The Archbishop
The Archbishop is the head of the Church in England; an austere man and a friend and supporter of Stephen. He is politically astute enough to recognize the power he suddenly wields on the Church’s behalf when Stephen turns up on his doorstep looking for legitimacy (and also in possession of the English royal treasury). He maneuvers Stephen into taking the oath that if he is King he will support the Church in all ways. Played by Gordon Pinsent.
Tom
Tom is a mason, architect and the first builder of Kingsbridge Cathedral. He is a man who is relentlessly driven by the desire to build great buildings, but also must learn the art of politics as he manages the masons working under him and deals with the clerical and secular forces above him. Tom brings many of the others’ dreams and desires into fruition or, in some cases, to ruin. Played by Rufus Sewell.
Waleran
Waleran’s ruthless manipulation comes from his belief that it is God’s will for him to gain power within the Church and therefore feels justified in using every possible means to that end. Unhampered by any pangs of conscience, Waleran is a most dangerous adversary, and an equally dangerous ally - for he will change sides in the blink of an eye if he sees an advantage in doing so. Played by Ian McShane.
William Hamleigh
William aspires, as per his mother’s wish, to become the Earl of Shiring. He is his mother’s pawn in her master plan to gain power and wealth for her family. William’s upbringing primes him for nothing less than pure evil. His obsession with Aliena becomes the driving force in his life, spurring him to a series of vengeances. Played by David Oakes.
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