Starz Series 'Mary & George' Will Unleash a Royal Scandal This April

Starz has set a premiere date for its scandalous new period drama Mary & George, which aims to tell the story of the audacious Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham, a cunning and powerful woman who used her devastatingly handsome son to seduce the King of England and, in doing so, gained a remarkable amount of power for herself. A former AMC production, the series has found itself a new broadcast home on the premium cable network, which honestly feels like a much better fit given its longstanding penchant for female-fronted historical series. (See also: The Serpent Queen, The Spanish Princess, The White Princess)

The Villiers family rose from relatively humble beginnings on the back of Mary's scheming saw them rise to become the most titled and influential family in King James I's court. She arranged marriages, colluded with  essentially groomed her son George as a potential partner for the king, whose interest in men was an open (if generally unspoken) secret at the time.

George became James's lover and his status as a royal favorite came with plenty of rewards. He was appointed Lord High Admiral of England and had the dukedom of Buckinghamshire recreated for him, making him the first commoner elevated to such a position in a century. He remained at the height of royal favor throughout James' reign and even into that of his son, King Charles I, until he was assassinated by an army officer in 1628.