| Francis Urquhart | |
|---|---|
| House of Cards character | |
 | |
| First appearance | House of Cards |
| Last appearance | The Final Cut |
| Created by | Michael Dobbs |
| Portrayed by | Ian Richardson |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Francis Ewan Urquhart |
| Occupation | Chief Whip Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Series 1) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Series 2 - Series 3) |
| Family | Alaister Urquhart (brother; deceased) William Urquhart (brother) |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Urquhart |
| Significant other | Mattie Storin Sarah Harding |
| Nationality | British |
| Political affiliation | Conservative |
Francis Ewan Urquhart is a fictional character, the villainous protagonist of the 1990 British television series Michael Dobbs' House of Cards trilogy of novels. In the television series, he is portrayed by Ian Richardson, and is a member of the Conservative Party, Urquhart is known to be a ruthless politician who rises from Chief Whip of the Conservative Party to Prime Minister of the United Kingdom through much treachery, deception and murder. He is married to Elizabeth Urquhart, who often persuades him to use a given situation to his advantage.
Urquhart's family has roots in the Scottish aristocracy. He served in the British Army in Cyprus for three years. After resigning his commission, Urquhart studies at the University of Oxford. Turning to politics later, Urquhart joined the Conservative Party and became the MP for the constituency of New Forest in 1974.[citation needed] He served in several ministerial positions before becoming Chief Whip in 1987. Some of Urquhart's dialogue throughout the series is presented in a direct address to the audience, a narrative technique that breaks the fourth wall. These narrative asides are an invention of the television adaptation, as the book used third-person narration throughout.
Urquhart has been described as conniving, Machiavellian, sociopathic, and a symbol of political corruption. Throughout the series, he manipulates and destroys several people, including those he calls friends, for his own ends. He is depicted as being willing to go to any lengths, even murder, to see that his intricate schemes paid off. During the first series, he is the Chief Whip, before achieving his ambitious goal, becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the season finale. The follow-up series To Play the King (1993) and The Final Cut (1995) focus on Urquhart's premiership, as he refuses to relinquish his position until he has beaten Margaret Thatcher's record as longest serving post-war prime minister.[1]
Urquhart is characterised by his usage of the catchphrase, "You might very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment", or a variation thereon, as a plausibly deniable way of agreeing with people and/or leaking information. The catchphrase has been referenced in the House of Commons on many occasions, having entered the national political parlance.[2] Urquhart's character also inspired Frank Underwood, the villainous main protagonist of the American adaptation of House of Cards and portrayed by Kevin Spacey.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
mailwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Youngs, Ian (9 February 2007). "Richardson's rule in House of Cards". BBC. Retrieved 4 June 2008.