Constance Clarke

Constance Clarke
Species:	Human, Sham
Affiliated with:	Women's Royal Naval Service
Place of origin:	Earth
Father:	Constance Clarke's father
Spouse:	Henry Clarke
First appearance:	The End of the Line
Appearances:	see list
Main voice actor:	Miranda Raison

Constance Clarke was a leading WREN of the Women's Royal Naval Service during World War II, working at Bletchley Park in 1944, who travelled with the Doctor in his sixth incarnation and, later, Flip Ramon, forming the TARDIS Gang. She preferred to be addressed as "Mrs Clarke".

Biography

Early life

Constance was born in 1909. (AUDIO: The Middle) She grew up in Nyasaland, later known as Malawi, (AUDIO: Criss-Cross) where her father owned land and employed locals as servants. (AUDIO: The Behemoth) Although her family forbade her from leaving the land through the fence, she frequently did so to explore (AUDIO: Planet of the Rani) and quite often came across mantises. (AUDIO: Quicksilver) They received zero trouble from the native inhabitants. (AUDIO: Criss-Cross)

From the age of nine, Constance learnt how to ride horses and became a skilled horsewoman. (AUDIO: Cry of the Vultriss) She had a great-uncle named Jasper, who lived alone in an expansive manor house and spent his time talking to his dog and taking potshots at rabbits. The Doctor reminded Constance of him. (AUDIO: Shield of the Jötunn)

Life in England

Constance returned to London after her father tragically died of tuberculosis whilst she was a girl, which she described as a difficult time for the family. She completed her schooling and attended Somerville College at the University of Oxford where she received a first in modern languages. At a young age, she married Sub-Lieutenant Henry Clarke of the Naval Intelligence Division. (AUDIO: Criss-Cross) They married in uniform with wilting daffodils. (AUDIO: The Behemoth) The couple found that Constance was unable to bear children. (AUDIO: Quicksilver)

Constance joined the Women's Royal Naval Service and became a leading WREN, beginning work at Bletchley Park in 1940. (AUDIO: Criss-Cross) Whilst there, she undertook an escapology course to which she paid very little attention. (AUDIO: Absolute Power)

In November 1943, Henry was posted to special duties abroad. (AUDIO: Criss-Cross) Just before he left, Constance went in his bag and found a letter indicating that he had been having an affair for some time. However, she chose not to raise the issue with him. Shortly after his departure, Constance went to work at Wavendon. (AUDIO: Quicksilver)

Travels with the Doctor

First meeting with the Doctor

In 1944, Constance met the Sixth Doctor when she chastised him for overworking Sylvia Wimpole. When Major Harris came to check information on the Doctor, she asked him about her husband and if he was still alive. She accompanied the Doctor to Cambridge and asked Robbie Flint about her husband as well. She forced the Doctor to take her with him on his travels, wanting to be taken back to her duties once she decided to finish travelling as she was not a deserter. (AUDIO: Criss-Cross)

Solo travels with the Doctor

Constance meets Template:Redmond. (AUDIO: Planet of the Rani)

Constance went through the Doctor's email in-box and found several emails for Template:Redmond's parole hearing. She visited Teccaurora Penitentiary when the Rani kidnapped her. Raj Kahnu asked her why she travelled with the Doctor and then tried to have her placed in one of his suits of armour. (AUDIO: Planet of the Rani)

The TARDIS landed in 2029 Arizona, where Constance learnt about and was appalled at global warming, having expected future generations to take good care of the Earth after World War II. She was also surprised at the future, not finding it as bright and happy as she expected. She assisted the Doctor in defeating the Talessh. (AUDIO: Shield of the Jötunn)

On one travel with the Doctor, she visited the Parallel Sect where she rescued Tim Hope from being run over by a train. She suggested that they should get back to the train station when she saw the remnants of the driver's cabin. The Doctor left her in the train when he went with Keith Potter to look after the passengers. After Alice Lloyd started acting strangely, Constance left with Tim to find the Doctor. Arriving at the station, she informed the Doctor that the passengers were killing each other as if was an epidemic. The Master threatened her with his Tissue Compression Eliminator. She was delighted when the Doctor defeated the Master's plans. She had Tim's coat on which contained a Relative Dimensional Stabiliser. (AUDIO: The End of the Line)

Constance met the Daleks on Strellin and stabbed a Kaled mutant with a screwdriver. She was a prisoner of the Brotherhood of the Black Petal and was dressed in a cloak for the sake of modesty. (AUDIO: Order of the Daleks)

A Brudvahkian yak spat on Constance during their travels, which the Doctor found amusing. On Teymah, Constance agreed to help Lyam Yce's expedition with translating the language of the Teymahrians using her cryptographic skills. (AUDIO: Absolute Power)

With the Doctor and Flip

Constance with Flip Ramon. (AUDIO: Static)

After asking to be returned to 1944, Constance read a telegraph telling her that Henry was lost in action. In Vienna, Constance found that Henry had married Ana Cook, who was pregnant with his child. She expressed her anger with him and, after defeating the Zerith, left with the Doctor and his former companion Flip Ramon. To their respective irritation, they called one another "Connie" and "Philippa". (AUDIO: Quicksilver)

Constance, the Doctor and Flip landed in Bath in 1756, where she was sickened by the slave trade and the treatment of women and convinced Sarah of her worth. (AUDIO: The Behemoth)

On her thirty-fifth birthday, the TARDIS landed on Formicia, where Constance was separated from the Doctor and Flip and sent to the Middle, which reminded her of Bletchley. From the office, she managed to save Flip from a drone and send a message to the Doctor. (AUDIO: The Middle)

In a duplicate body

Constance and Flip both decided that they wanted to return home to their times. They landed in Abbey Marston, where she died. The Doctor burnt her body with the Static inside whilst her mind survived in a duplicate. In the duplicate, Constance left with the Doctor and Flip after the Static was defeated. (AUDIO: Static)

In her new body, Constance felt unusual and no longer wished to return to 1944 until she felt better. The trio landed on Cygia-Rema where Constance and Flip first encountered the Ice Warriors. Upon helping defeat Vextyr, they remained on the planet for three months to assist the rebuilding effort before leaving in the TARDIS. (AUDIO: Cry of the Vultriss)

Constance visited France in July 1944 with the Doctor and Flip. Despite having already been informed of the outcome of the war by the Doctor, she was excited to visit its end and discover the details behind the allies victory. She had a falling out with Flip over the corporal punishment used by the French against perceived traitors, which Constance felt was justified. The Doctor, Flip and Constance stopped Lucien from taking revenge on all those he thought had harmed France throughout the war. (AUDIO: Scorched Earth)

Personality

Constance on Cygia-Rema. (AUDIO: Cry of the Vultriss)

Given that she was married, when the Doctor introduced her to others as "Constance," she was quick to correct the Doctor to a more formal "Mrs Clarke." (AUDIO: The End of the Line) However, she allowed Lyam Yce, Florrie Solomon and Ammar Elkady to address her by her first name. (AUDIO: Absolute Power) She initially was annoyed when Flip Jackson called her "Connie" but she eventually developed a tolerance to it, (AUDIO: Quicksilver) and even came to like it. (AUDIO: Scorched Earth)

Constance proved capable of great courage and compassion, ready to act to undo wrongs and help those in need. (AUDIO: Order of the Daleks, The End of the Line, Planet of the Rani, The Behemoth) However, being a denizen of the era on the tail end of the second world war, Constance felt no need to disguise her acceptance of punishment to those the masses considered to be a traitor, as was demonstrated by her opinion on the public shaming of Clementine, earning her the ire of Flip, albeit temporarily. (AUDIO: Scorched Earth)

Although Constance was far from the sort to make a fuss about her birthday, she was calm about growing old and was looking forward to retiring, learning a new language and writing her memoirs. (AUDIO: The Middle)

Skills

Constance could play the piano (AUDIO: The Behemoth) and was a skilled horse-rider. (AUDIO: Cry of the Vultriss)

Constance proved a capable cryptographic such as being able to get the language of foreigners. (AUDIO: Absolute Power)

Behind the scenes

Constance first appeared in The End of the Line as an existing companion of the Sixth Doctor. Due to the release date of The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure being changed from September 2015 to August 2015, The End of the Line was released before the character's introductory story.