The Favourite Game

Sarah Churchill wields real power behind the scenes because Queen Anne is frail in health and uninterested in governance. Having lost multiple children to miscarriage and infancy, Anne retreats into private pursuits, leaving Sarah to steer political decisions and control access to the throne. Their intimate relationship gives Sarah unparalleled influence over the queen.

Early scenes establish Sarah as the true power broker while Anne plays with her rabbits in private, showing where the queen's attention truly lies.

Abigail rises by tending to the Queen's gout using herbal remedies, despite being punished for entering the Queen's private space. Her usefulness catches Sarah Churchill's eye, who sees potential advantage in having someone close to Anne. Sarah promotes Abigail to Lady of the Bedchamber, not realizing this will create her own rival.

Abigail's knowledge of herbs and willingness to enter forbidden spaces foreshadows her eventual manipulation of the Queen.

Abigail drugs the Queen's tea to secure her own position at court. Facing Sarah's attempt to remove her and sensing an opportunity to overtake her cousin, Abigail chooses to drug Anne in order to frame Sarah. This calculated move triggers the chain of events that eventually elevates Abigail and destroys Sarah.

Harley's earlier offer to help Abigail reclaim her noble standing sets up this moment of betrayal.

After being drugged via Abigail's scheme, Sarah wakes up in a brothel, completely disoriented. This shocking reversal demonstrates how quickly fortunes can reverse in court intrigue. Sarah's reputation and standing are severely damaged by this public humiliation, setting the stage for her eventual exile.

The tea drugging directly leads to this moment, showing Abigail's willingness to use any means necessary.

Anne exiles Sarah after being deceived by Abigail's machinations. When Sarah issues an ultimatum demanding Abigail be sent away, Anne chooses Abigail. Though Sarah burns the letters that could have exposed her relationship with the Queen, Anne still banishes her. Abigail then intercepts a reconciliation letter and destroys it, further cementing Sarah's downfall by presenting false embezzlement evidence.

The letters Sarah burns represent the last leverage she had to protect herself, and their destruction seals her fate.

The rabbits represent the children Queen Anne miscarried or lost in infancy. She keeps them as substitutes for the offspring she could never have, making them deeply symbolic of her personal grief and loneliness. This emotional void is what makes her vulnerable to both Sarah's manipulation and later Abigail's influence.

The rabbits appear in early scenes establishing Anne's withdrawal from governance into private sorrow.

Abigail burns Sarah's letter to prevent reconciliation and maintain her own power. When Lord Godolphin urges Anne to repair relations with Sarah and a letter from Sarah promises to arrive, Abigail intercepts and destroys it. This ensures Sarah cannot clear her name or regain favor, allowing Abigail to remain in control.

Abigail's role as Keeper of the Privy Purse gives her access to intercept such communications.

Abigail's abuse of the rabbit symbolizes her complete disregard for the Queen's emotional vulnerabilities. Having risen to power through manipulation, Abigail now behaves cruelly and openly, showing how far she has fallen from the desperate servant who once tended to Anne's gout. This act starkly reveals the Queen's mounting fragility and the erosion of any genuine connection between them.

This cruelty comes after Abigail achieves maximum power, showing her moral decay.

Sarah and Queen Anne share an intimate, sexual relationship that Sarah exploits to maintain power. This bond is what gives Sarah her influence, she controls the queen through affection and access. When Abigail discovers this secret, it becomes valuable leverage, though Abigail ultimately chooses her own advancement over exposing it.

Abigail witnesses their relationship firsthand, understanding the foundation of Sarah's power.

Anne allows Abigail's rise because she fills the emotional void left by her frail health and grief. After Sarah's fall, Anne becomes increasingly dependent on whoever shows her attention. Abigail's presence eases the Queen's loneliness, even as others manipulate her. Anne's own fragility and desire for companionship override her judgment.

The Queen's isolation and her rabbits establish early that she craves connection despite her position.

Abigail aligns with Harley because he offers her a path to reclaim her noble status. After arriving at court as a disgraced servant due to her father's gambling, Abigail sees in Harley a way to escape her menial position. Their alliance allows her to influence war policy and稳固 her position at court, though it ultimately serves Harley's political ambitions more than her own.

Harley's initial offer to recruit Abigail as a spy sets up their eventual partnership.