Lord Emsworth (Clarence Threepwood)

Who they are

Clarence Threepwood, ninth Earl of Emsworth, is the gentle centre of Blandings Castle. Other people think he is absent-minded because he does not keep their plans in mind. He can pay wonderfully close attention to a flower, a garden bed and the Empress of Blandings. The contrast is the basis of much of the comedy. His wish for a quiet day is not an abdication of feeling: he cares intensely about the creatures and people allowed to flourish without fuss. Wodehouse makes him a man whose priorities are honest, surrounded by relations certain that their priorities must be his.

Something Fresh introduces Blandings in 1915, before the Empress became the great porcine presence of later books. A reader who only knows the pig may be surprised by the opening scarab caper, with newcomers Ashe and Joan in the foreground. Summer Lightning is another excellent entrance if the established household and the Empress are what you want. The linked shelf includes novels and some mixed story collections; the individual guides distinguish which stories actually take place at the castle.

Personality and relationships

Galahad, his younger brother, understands how to defend younger lovers and his own reminiscences. Lady Constance, his sister, tries to keep the household and Clarence suitably ordered. Freddie, his younger son, may have a new scheme or an engagement requiring family attention. Beach, the butler, has the practiced discretion to keep the house functioning through all their plans. Rupert Baxter’s efficiency is a particular challenge to a man who would like no efficiency imposed on his private life.

The Empress is not a decorative joke. Her health, feeding and prospects at a show can organize an entire novel. Emsworth’s attachment gives those competitions emotional stakes even as a book fills with jealousies and misunderstandings among the human guests. His seeming vagueness can also become an ally to someone overlooked by the more socially purposeful members of his family. The reader is invited to see the sense in his preferences.

Best books and memorable moments

On screen

Timothy Spall portrayed Lord Emsworth in BBC One’s Blandings (2013–14); Peter O’Toole portrayed him in the 1995 television film Heavy Weather. Cast and production record. Compare Wodehouse screen, stage and radio versions.