River Rant: Cholomondeley

Published February 23, 2017 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hello, Hosts!

Gooday to you gentleman, I am an avid listener from Westworld days and now Taboo – I am totally enthralled by your insight, research, and top banter. Great chemistry guysCholmondeley would be proud. Actually, on that name (and Big D’s struggles with it), I’m wondering why use the name Cholomondeley? It’s too much of a tongue twister that we all (plus actors / script?) trip over it, surely it’s been chosen for a reason right? So I dug into it and maybe something for a river rant here.

I discover Cholmondeley is a name intrinsically linked with the British Crown; we (I’m a Brit by the way) have a hereditary title called Lord Great Chamberlaina ceremonial role very high up (6th) in the pecking order of the Great Officers of State that serve the Monarch. It’s a hereditary role that flips between 2 families (Willoughby’s and Chalmondeley’s), basically when there is a change in Monarch so too is there a change in the family that assumes this role.

The real 1st Marquess of Cholmondeleycould be the chemist Cholmondeley, he was certainly a rogue e.g. Wikipedia (yes I know!) states In January 1776, Cholmondeley began an affair with the noted beauty Grace Dalrymple Elliot, allegedly taking her up during a Pantheon masquerade ball memories of the caddish behaviour in the ball scene of Episode 4 perhaps? Anyway the 1st Marquess was a well to do chap in his own right but it was only by his marriage to a Lady Bertie that the Lord Great Chamberlain title would be passed down with his / the Cholmondeley family name e.g. the first Lord Great Chamberlain with the Cholmondeley name was the 2nd Marquess of Cholmondeley who interestingly assumed office in 1830 on the coronation of William IV after the death of George IV (who is of course Mark Gatiss’ The Prince Regent). Could this 2nd Marquess be the chemist / chemist’s son?

Taboo does miss the mark in some places, but certainly not in its acting or its use of historical facts, ships, places and people” maybe the chemist Cholmondeley is indeed the 1st (or 2nd) Marquess of Cholmondeley. Now I’m not saying the name or the role of Lord Great Chamberlain is of any significant relevance to the current plot of Taboo and I’m not aware of the role being of power or influence that would necessitate nefarious means to achieve it (and I don’t think the chemist is nefarious” he’s effin’ brilliant!) there is of course status though which is a common motivator for my Polo playing, Port swilling, bed swapping masters” so maybe the name Cholmondeley was an intentionally chosen coincidence in the knowledge that it became very relevant to the Crown in the time of Taboo and still today (current Queen Elizabeth II is being served by her fourth Cholmondeley…she’s outlived 3!).

Anyway I started writing this with every intention of offering up some UK themed Shat the Movies selections but find myself burrowing through a Cholmondeley rabbit hole. So I’ll offer those up in another email.

Loving the work guys!

Cheers,
Tom

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