Madge Cranleigh
Lady Madge Cranleigh, or Madge Beauchamp, was the mother of George and Charles Cranleigh and dowager Marchioness of Cranleigh.
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
Early life[[edit] | [edit source]]
Madge owned a doll which she claimed had been given to her by her father when she was six. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) She became Marchioness of Cranleigh (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) and had two sons: George and Charles. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) By 1923, she was the dowager Marchioness and George was the ninth Marquess of Cranleigh. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"])
Hiding George[[edit] | [edit source]]
George made a return visit to Brazil (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) or Venezuela (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) in 1923 and was brought back to England, insane and disfigured, by Dittar Latoni (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) after a week of torture at the hands of the Butiu (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) or Kojabe Indians. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) Rather than send him to an institution where he would not receive the care he needed, (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) Lady Cranleigh decided to hide him in Cranleigh Hall with Latoni's assistance and claimed that he had died, with only her, Charles and Latoni knowing the truth.
George's fiancée, Ann Talbot, became engaged to marry Charles and remained in the dark about her former lover's survival. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) By the summer of 1925, Latoni had become ill because of his responsibilities (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) and Lady Cranleigh brought in Raymond Digby, a nurse, to assist with George's care. She attended the match at Cranleigh Cricket Club with Sir Robert Muir on the morning of the Cranleighs' annual ball for the Hospital for Sick Children on 11 June 1925 and was introduced by Charles to the Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa and Tegan Jovanka, whom she invited to the party.
During the ball, Lady Cranleigh learnt that George had escaped from Latoni and that he had murdered Digby, whose body was discovered by the Doctor. Lady Cranleigh moved the body and allowed the Doctor to be arrested for attacking Ann despite knowing that George was responsible, (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) after which Charles forced her to tell Ann the truth about George's survival. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"]) She also told Sir Robert after George killed Latoni and kidnapped Nyssa, who greatly resembled Ann, and accepted responsibility. George ultimately died when he fell from the roof of Cranleigh Hall in an accident. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"])
Later life[[edit] | [edit source]]
Lady Cranleigh attended George's funeral and afterwards gave the Doctor a copy of Black Orchid which he promised to treasure. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) Charles and Ann married in 1926, (PROSE: The Sands of Time [+]Loading...["The Sands of Time (novel)"]) which Lady Cranleigh had hoped would put an end to Ann's charity work. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"])
Personality[[edit] | [edit source]]
Lady Cranleigh described herself as being "made of quite stern stuff". (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"])
Appearance[[edit] | [edit source]]
Lady Cranleigh had fair hair. (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]) At the fancy dress party, she dressed as Marie Antoinette. (PROSE: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (novelisation)"])
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Jean Anderson, Renée Asherson, Honor Blackman, Claire Bloom, Faith Brook, Kathleen Byron, Phyllis Calvert, Joan Greenwood, Rachel Kempson, Virginia McKenna, Muriel Pavlow, Maria Redmond, Beryl Reid, Barbara Shelley, Dinah Sheridan, Joan Sims and Elizabeth Spriggs were considered for the role before Barbara Murray was cast.[source needed]
