“When I left the character, it was 4 years ago, 5 years ago so I did the research on what happened [to Bonnie Prince Charlie]. Spending time as an outcast in Scotland for the prince was never his idea, so when you do meet him this season he’s not in a particularly good shape of mind. But there’s plenty of lovely fairy tales, stories that the MacKinnon family wrote about him when he was hiding up near Skye in Scotland so I read all of them.”
Scotland, June 1746: months after the devastating defeat at Culloden, Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Andrew Gower) is still hunted by Government troups. In order to disguise his identity, Flora MacDonald (Shauna MacDonald) dresses him as her Irish maid Betty Burke and together they escape in a boat “over the sea to Skye“.
North Carolina, August 1774: Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) are invited to an event at River Run, the plantation of Jamie’s wealthy Aunt Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy) with Flora MacDonald as the guest of honour. In Wilmington they experience the rising tensions between the Sons of Liberty and those loyal to the British government.
Back at Fraser’s Ridge, Marsali (Lauren Lyle) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) discover a mysterious love charm while husband Roger (Richard Rankin) spends a little bit too much time with the young widow Amy McCallum (Joanne Thomson). Malva Christie (Jessica Reynolds) unveils herself as not quite the innocent girl she has appeared so far.
“Mark me” count: 1
Visit our Gallery for more screencaps from this episode!
Our questions about the context of the #BonnieComeback in Outlander‘s season 6 seem to be answered with the following tweets by actress Shauna MacDonald who revealed she will play Scottish heroine Flora MacDonald on the show.
In A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Diana Gabaldon’s 6th novel in the Outlander series, main characters Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) are invited to a barbecue at River Run, the plantation of Jamie’s wealthy Aunt Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy). Guest of honour is none other than the “Heroine of the Highlands” Flora MacDonald.
“Flora MacDonald, the woman who had saved Charles Stuart from the English after Culloden, dressing him in her maid’s clothes and smuggling him to a rendezvous with the French on the Isle of Skye, was a living legend to the Scottish Highlanders, and her recent arrival in the colony was the subject of vast excitement, news of it coming even as far as the Ridge.”
(Source: Diana Gabaldon – A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Chapter 53 “Principles”)
Shauna MacDonald’s tweet seems to confirm that we will see Aunt Jocasta’s barbecue, which is the perfect opportunity to show Flora’s connection to Bonnie Prince Charlie (Andrew Gower) through flashback scenes.
In another tweet, Shauna MacDonald also thanked director Christiana Ebohon-Green, who directed episodes 6×04 “Hour of the Wolf” and 6×05 “Give me Liberty“. Taking this into consideration, we are pointing a speculative finger at one of these two episodes that will see our #BonnieComeback.
You can watch the entire red carpet on the Outlander Facebook page. Andrew appears at time stamp 38:23 giving a short interview teasing his return as Bonnie Prince Charlie and wearing an “even more ridiculous outfit” than the “human shortbread” one he’s worn before.
In case you missed out on tickets to the Outlander S6 World Premiere Event in London on Thursday, 24 February 2022, you now have the chance to snag one of the limited tickets to attend the permiere virtually.
Registration opens on this website on Friday, 18 February 2022 at 5pm (GMT).
Good luck to everyone 🍀! Don’t forget to share your stories with us if you do attend (virtually or in person!)
StarzPlayUK are hosting an exclusive red carpet event for world premiere of S6 of their hit TV show Outlander at the Royal Festival Hall (Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX) on Thursday, 24 February 2022.
Tickets are free but you will have to be quick to snag one up when registration opens as a special Valentine’s gift on Monday, 14 February 2022 at 10:00 am (GMT). For more information click to this link (this is also where you’ll register for tickets on Monday).
For the first time ever in London, “Outlander” fans can enjoy the newest season at the red carpet premiere event filled with the series stars and accompanied by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus Choir. The screening will be followed by a live and virtual panel with cast and executive producers.
Season 6 of hit TV series Outlander will return after a long “droughtlander” period to our screens on 6 March 2022. The new episodes will be based in parts on Diana Gabaldon’s 6th novel A Breath of Snow and Ashes (other parts of the book had already been covered in the previous season).
It is yet unknown which of these episodes will see the #BonnieComeback but we can’t wait to see Andrew Gower reprise his role as Bonnie Prince Charlie in the upcoming season.
Andrew Gower as “Bonnie Prince” Charles Edward Stuart
Andrew Gower is a guest at the latest episode of The Blue Room Podcast. The Blue Room is an independent website for Andrew’s favourite football team Everton.
In the episode hosts Matt Jones and Rob Vera reflect on Andrew’s work and love of the Toffees (which is the nickname for Everton fans) before they discuss the latest match.
He also reveals that he’s currently developing a feature length version of his short film Humpty Fu*king Dumpty, which he filmed in February 2019 and premiered on 8 May 2020. Fellow Outlander alumni Stephen Walters is back as the film’s writer/director with Michael Knowles (Running Naked) producing. They are hoping to shoot the feature version in early 2022 depending on the progress of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Judging by Andrew Gower‘s filmography on his agent’s website, it seems like he’ll reprise his role as Bonnie Prince Charlie in the upcoming 6th season of Outlander which is currently in post-production and rumoured for a release in early 2022.
Season 6 of the historical drama series is based on the 6th book of Diana Gabaldon‘s Highland saga A Breath of Snow and Ashes which is set just before the American Revolutionary War. Time-travelling WW2 combat nurse Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and her 18th century Highland warrior husband Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) now live in the American colonies and try to build a life for their extended family and a number of Scottish refugees, who used to fight alongside Jamie in the Jacobite Rising of 1745 under the “Young Pretender” Prince Charles Edwad Stuart (Andrew Gower).
In August 1774, Claire and Jamie are invited to a barbecue at River Run, the plantation of Jamie’s wealthy Aunt Jocasta (Maria Doyle Kennedy). Guest of honour for the occassion is none other than the “Heroine of the Highlands” Flora MacDonald, who famously helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape Government troups by dressing him up as her Irish maid Betty Burke.
When Claire meets Flora at the party she reminisces about what became of the Prince after the Battle of Culloden where his Highland army was devastatingly defeated by British forces led by Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (also known as “Butcher Cumberland”).
“Bonnie” Prince Charles Edward Suart and Flora MacDonald
Odd, that it should have been the defeat of Charles Stuart, and his ignominious flight, that made a heroine of Flora MacDonald and united these Highland exciles in a way that they could never have achieved – let alone sustained – had he actually won.
It struck me suddenly that Charlie was likely still alive, quietly drinking himself to death in Rome. In any real way, though, he was long since dead to these people who had loved or hated him. The amber of time had sealed him forever in that one defining moment of his life – Bliadha Tearlach; “Charlie’s Year,” it meant, and even now, I heard people call it that.
(Source: Diana Gabaldon – A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Chapter 54 “Flora MacDonald’s Barbecue”)
It is possible that the TV adaption will use this encounter with Flora MacDonald for a brief flashback to show the Prince’s flight from Scotland in 1746 or maybe it will give us a glimpse at the aged Prince, “quietly drinking himself to death in Rome” as the novel says.
Either way, it’ll definitely be a scene worth seeing – and dare we hope for a final (and 18th) “mark me”?
Andrew Gower as Bonnie Prince Charlie in S2 of Outlander (middle), with the Prince dressed as Betty Burke (left) and Charles Edward Stuart in 1775 (right)
This submission is an important first step to be considered to receive a nomination. Voting for the 2021 Emmy Awards will be held between 17 June and 28 June 2021 and the nominations will be announced on 13 July 2021. Eligible to vote are the members of the Television Academy, who are all industry professionals. You can find more information on the process here.
IndieWire reported the “surprising news” (according to Rachael New and Kate Phillips) in their article and they conclude:
It’s part of the fun that is Miss Scarlet and the Duke, a show that can comprise mystery, murder, romance, and the fun of discussing relationships. If there was any silver lining to the pandemic, it was being able to enjoy not just watching Miss Scarlet, but seeing how much joy it brings to those working on it.“
Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips) and William “The Duke” Wellington (Stuart Martin)
Andrew Gower was submitted for an Emmy nomination in 2016 for his role as Bonnie Prince Charlie on Starz’s Outlander and in 2020 for playing Ezra Spurnrose on Amazon Prime’s Carnival Row.
Andrew Gower Online 