Abbot of Amboise
The Abbot of Amboise was the right-hand man of the Cardinal of Lorraine, the religious leader of the Catholics in France.
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Abbot was a physical double of the First Doctor, and Steven believed him at first to be the Doctor in disguise. (TV: The Massacre [+]Loading...["The Massacre (TV story)"]) One account suggested that the Abbot actually originated as the Robot Doctor created by the Daleks in an earlier adventure of the real Doctor's, who had had a personality reset and been dropped off on Earth to start a new life. (AUDIO: Fugitive of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Fugitive of the Daleks (audio story)"]) Another account depicted him as simply a human being with a coincidental resemblance to the Doctor. (PROSE: The Massacre [+]Loading...["The Massacre (novelisation)"])
He was strongly anti-Huguenot and a member of the conspiracy to assassinate Admiral Gaspard de Coligny in August 1572. When the plan failed, Marshal Gaspard de Saux-Tavannes blamed the Abbot and had him executed. His death was blamed on the Huguenots, a religious minority living in Paris at the time. (TV: The Massacre [+]Loading...["The Massacre (TV story)"])
Personality[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Abbot believed in the supremacy of the Catholic Church and had a reputation as a strict disciplinarian. He did not mince his words nor did he hesitate to act and Simon Duval believed him to be France's most subtle and devious Catholic politician. (PROSE: The Massacre [+]Loading...["The Massacre (novelisation)"])
Appearance[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Abbot was a white-haired old man who bore what Charles Preslin described as an "uncanny resemblance" to the First Doctor. He had cold eyes and wore black and white robes with a cowl. (PROSE: The Massacre [+]Loading...["The Massacre (novelisation)"])
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- William Hartnell is credited as "Dr. Who" for the first and fourth episodes, "War of God" and "Bell of Doom"; and as "Abbot of Amboise" for the second and third episodes, "The Sea Beggar" and "Priest of Death". He also appears as the Abbot towards the end of "War of God", but is credited only as "Dr. Who". Radio Times credits "William Hartnell as Dr. Who" for all four episodes, but omits the character from its actual cast lists for "The Sea Beggar" and "Priest of Death". The middle two episodes are the only instalments of the series for which no actor is credited as playing the Doctor.
- No official visual record exists of William Hartnell as the Abbot beyond the surviving soundtrack and some fan-made photographs featuring Hartnell's photoshopped head on a cloak. This is because The Massacre was never tele-snapped and no footage is known to have survived — either on 16mm black & white film or 8mm cine film shot off a television screen. However, the cover of the CD release of the soundtrack included a visualisation of the Abbot, as did the cover of the 1992 reprint of the novelisation. If "The Sea Beggar" or "Priest of Death" should turn up again one day, it will be interesting to see how close these visualisations were to the Abbot's actual on-screen appearance.
- Amboise is a genuine French commune, and was served circa 1572 by Marmoutier Abbey. Therefore, a real "Abbot of Amboise" was in existence during the period in which The Massacre is set.[1]
