The Favourite (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Sarah promotes Abigail because her herbal remedy actually works, Abigail's poultice genuinely relieves Queen Anne's gout pain. Although Sarah initially punishes Abigail for the deception, she recognizes the young woman's usefulness and sees potential strategic value in having someone close to the Queen who owes her favor.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Abigail's fall from carriage into muck establishes her as someone who will do whatever it takes to improve her station.

• sarah churchill
• abigail hill
• queen anne
• promotion
• herbal remedy

Anne becomes attached to Abigail because she provides genuine emotional comfort during a period of intense grief and physical suffering. Abigail takes time to discuss Anne's beloved rabbits, each one representing a lost child, which touches the Queen's deep loneliness and need for companionship. Unlike Sarah, who is often blunt and politically ambitious, Abigail appears nurturing and attentive.

Foreshadowing: Abigail's initial act of gathering herbs for the Queen's pain shows her willingness to go beyond her duties.

• queen anne
• abigail hill
• emotional attachment
• rabbits
• grief

The rabbits represent each of Queen Anne's seventeen lost children, nearly all of whom died in infancy or were stillborn. They are her living memorials, and her attachment to them reflects her profound maternal grief and loneliness. This makes Abigail's knowledge of and interest in the rabbits particularly manipulative, as she exploits the Queen's deepest emotional wound.

Foreshadowing: Abigail notices the rabbits early and uses this knowledge to build rapport with Anne.

• queen anne
• rabbits
• lost children
• maternal grief
• symbolism

Abigail meets Samuel Masham in the woods while sneaking out to gather herbs for Queen Anne's gout remedy during one of the Queen's severe attacks. Their encounter is serendipitous, Masham is a dashing young officer, and this initial meeting eventually develops into a genuine romance that becomes important to both characters.

Foreshadowing: The woods scene occurs during Anne's gout attack, which Abigail exploits for advancement.

• abigail hill
• samuel masham
• woods
• herbs
• romance

Sarah loses influence because she becomes injured and incapacitated, removing her from the Queen's daily presence. With Sarah absent, Abigail fills the void, offering comfort and companionship to the ailing Queen. Additionally, Sarah's blunt political demands, particularly pushing for higher taxes to fund the war, create tension with Anne, who begins to prefer Abigail's seemingly gentler company.

Foreshadowing: Sarah's demanding political advice against the war creates friction with Anne throughout the story.

• sarah churchill
• queen anne
• power decline
• injury
• political tension

Robert Harley advocates for peace with France to end the costly war, while Sidney Godolphin argues for continuing the war against the French. Sarah supports Godolphin's pro-war position and convinces Queen Anne to raise taxes to fund military efforts, making Harley her enemy. This political rivalry drives much of the court's tension and manipulation.

Foreshadowing: The war's financial burden is introduced in the opening scenes, establishing the stakes.

• robert harley
• sidney godolphin
• war
• peace
• taxation
• politics

Sarah catches Abigail and Queen Anne in what appears to be an intimate or inappropriate situation, though the exact nature is left ambiguous. Sarah is outraged by this apparent betrayal, but the confrontation paradoxically strengthens Abigail's position with the Queen, as Anne defends Abigail against Sarah's accusations.

Foreshadowing: Abigail's constant attention to the Queen foreshadows this developing relationship.

• sarah churchill
• abigail hill
• queen anne
• compromise
• confrontation

Abigail stepping on the rabbit symbolizes her complete transformation, she has abandoned any genuine humanity or compassion in pursuit of power. The act represents the final destruction of her connection with Anne and demonstrates how far she has fallen from the sympathetic maid who once showed care for the Queen's grief. It is a hollow victory, confirming she has sacrificed everything meaningful for status.

Foreshadowing: Throughout the film, Abigail's manipulation escalates as she abandons earlier empathy.

• abigail hill
• queen anne
• rabbit
• symbolism
• betrayal
• power

Abigail rises by combining genuine usefulness with calculated manipulation: she treats the Queen's gout with herbal remedies, exploits Anne's grief over her rabbits, positions herself as a comforting companion when Sarah is absent, and agrees to spy for Harley. Each step builds her access and influence until she becomes the dominant figure in Anne's court.

Foreshadowing: Her early fall into muck and subsequent bullying establish her desperation and willingness to scheme.

• abigail hill
• manipulation
• ascent
• maid
• power
• queen anne

Abigail's motivation stems from her family's fallen status, her father lost his fortune, leaving her desperate for employment and financial security. Her ambition is driven by a desire to escape poverty and mistreatment, gain respectability, and find security through marriage to Masham. However, as she gains power, her ambition becomes increasingly corrupting, consuming her humanity.

Foreshadowing: Abigail's arrival covered in muck and her family's hardships establish her desperate situation.

• abigail hill
• ambition
• poverty
• family
• status
• masham