Sir George Howard

"Don't leave me - I'd look a fool in front of the whole town! I know I can't make you love me, but stay with me!"

## Other information

### Portrayed by

Hugh Skinner

**Sir George Howard** is a character in *Harlots* played by Hugh Skinner.

## Biography

Sir George is a baronet. He’s only recently married Lady Caroline Howard and is merrily spending the money she brought to the match, gambling, drinking and whoring. Though he isn’t brutal or cruel, he has a vicious streak. He is obsessed with Charlotte and is prone to jealous rage. He wants to possess her entirely.

He is viewed as a silly, ridiculous man, even by members of his own high society. And only seems to have gotten respect by his stature in society. He is shown to be extremely jealous when it comes to Charlotte, frequently making comments about her being his "property" and commanding her to leave when she is seen speaking to other men.

He is married, however he spends time with Charlotte in London most of the time, seemingly only mentioning his wife when it comes to finances or producing an heir (which he wants Charlotte to have an then give to Catherine to raise), all while spending her dowery away.

## Season 1

In the beginning, Sir George is viewed as a slightly ridiculous man. Even amongst his friends. He claims to be hopelessly in love with Charlotte, but his 'love' turns into slight madness as time goes on.

As time goes on his obsession with Charlotte grows, as does his desire to completely possess her for himself. He gets insanely jealous when he sees Charlotte talking to other men. During a fight, he angrily buys her younger sister Lucy Wells's virginity. When he is unable to preform, he threatens to ask Lucy's mother for a refund. When Lucy begs him not to, he says that in exchange she must exaggerate tales of his performance. When he grabs a handful of her hair, she replies she will tell everyone it was "like the opera". As time goes on, his relationship with Charlotte does not get much better, despite their brief moments of mild happiness.

After seeing Charlotte talking to Daniel Marney, he commands her to leave the party, she retaliates by sleeping with his servant, Thomas Haxby. George then at a masquerade party thrown by Margaret Wells has sex with Lucy again to spite her. When Charlotte tries to leave, he angrily tells her that she is not allowed to leave unless he says so. He then beats and rapes her, and after commands her to go to a dinner party with him. Once they arrive, he tells his friends that he has "made her behave". After more pressing questions from his friends, Charlotte angrily reveals that he had beat and raped her before arriving. Embarrassing him in front of his entire party, leaving his friends horrified.

After Charlotte officially leaves him, George decides he is done with Charlotte for good. He instead goes to Margaret's house and demands to have Lucy and be her keeper. Margaret readily accepts, desperately needing his money and viewing it as the solution to all her families problems. However, he insists on telling Lucy the news immediately himself, despite Margaret's protests. Once upstairs, Lucy is obviously distressed by the news. He tries to force himself on her saying she is "no longer allowed to refuse him ever". Lucy, however, starts screaming and stabs him in the stomach with a knife. George falls to the floor bleeding, and Margaret tells Kitty Carter to send for a surgeon. However, she secretly tells her to send for no one at all, not wanting Lucy to hang for murder.

George constantly asks where the surgeon is, and for Haxby. When he see's Charlotte, he proceeds to blame her for all his misfortunes. Margaret, feeling panicked at the thought of Lucy hanging, decides to strangle him to death rather than let him bleed out. Once he dies, his is dressed up and dragged to his carriage to appear drunk. William North, Jacob, and Nancy Birch drive his body to the river and dump him. He is later pulled from the river.