Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘House of Guinness,’ a new era begins for the eponymous family after the death of its patriarch, Benjamin Guinness. His four children— Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben— inherit his fortune, with most of it bestowed upon Arthur and Edward, who must now take care of the business and the family’s reputation. Edward knows that, apart from expanding the business and meeting professional success, he and his siblings must also marry the right people to elevate their social standing. This is where a young woman named Adelaide comes into the picture, though she turns out to be much of a challenge than Edward had anticipated. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Adelaide Becomes an Important Member of the Guinness Family
When the time comes to find a bride for himself, Edward Guinness tells his sister and aunt that he is looking for someone within the family, a cousin who is not too distant not to be trusted. He wants his partner to be able to keep up with his business acumen, and considering everything else he wants in the woman he wants to marry, Adelaide seems to check off all the boxes. However, what makes her a perfect match for Edward is also what makes her not want to marry him. At Arthur’s wedding, she realises that she is being zeroed in on, so instead of politely succumbing to the games of society, she makes it clear that she has no intention of playing them.
Adelaide establishes herself as a woman who knows what she wants and, more importantly, what she doesn’t want. She is strong-willed and assertive and does not worry about her status as a spinster. Rather, she welcomes the freedom that comes with being single at her age, and she is reluctant to give that up, even when she knows she is being pursued by a Guinness. Eventually, she does end up marrying Edward, but by then, it is clear that it is more to serve her own purposes. She wants to help the people of her country, and she knows that the money, power, and influence that come with the Guinness fortune would help her do things that she couldn’t otherwise. This is one of the major reasons why she agrees to marry Edward.
Later, she confesses to him that she doesn’t exactly love him, but he comes close to being a person that she could love. He reciprocates her feelings, especially since he is in love with Ellen Cochrane. It is not confirmed whether the real-life Adelaide had the same arrangement with the real-life Edward. However, as history reveals, the duo went on to have a good marriage, which bore them three children. Edward also found considerable success, financially and socially. Eventually, he was made the Baron of Iveagh, which made Adelaide the Baroness, and in 1905, the title of Viscount and Viscountess of Iveagh was bestowed on them. They also continued to work together to fuel the family’s philanthropic endeavours, which means, all in all, it was quite a successful matrimonial partnership.
Ann Skelly Brings Out the Calm and Composed Nature of Adelaide Guinness
The character of Adelaide Guinness is defined by the composure that she maintains throughout the series, no matter the changes and revelations she has to face. This balanced nature of her personality is brought forth by Dublin-born actress Ann Skelly. Growing up in County Wexford, Ireland, she harboured the dream of becoming an actor at a young age, and started her acting career with a role in the Irish crime drama, ‘Red Rock.’ Since then, she has gone on to become a part of big-budget projects like Netflix’s ‘The Sandman,’ in which she plays the fairy Nuala, and HBO’s ‘The Nevers,’ in which she appears as Penance Adair, a superpowered woman in Victorian times.
Skelly is also known for her roles as Beth Winters in ‘Death and Nightingales,’ Ethelfled in ‘Vikings,’ and Isabel Gore in ‘Four Letters of Love.’ In 2021, she was also unveiled as a Screen Star of Tomorrow. With ‘House of Guinness,’ she continues her streak of playing characters who refuse to bow down to the rules of society and carve their own path. The actress inhabits the role of the seemingly quiet but fierce and determined Adelaide, who exerts more influence than one imagines and holds more power than one anticipates. Skelly delivers a nuanced performance by capturing Adelaide’s poised and stormy nature at the same time.
Read More: House of Guinness Ending Explained: Does Arthur Die?
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