Abbot of Amboise

The Abbot of Amboise was the right-hand man of the Cardinal of Lorraine, the religious leader of the Catholics in France. He was a physical double of the First Doctor, and Steven believed him at first to be the Doctor in disguise.

The Abbot was strongly anti-Huguenot and a member of the conspiracy to assassinate Admiral Gaspard de Coligny in August 1572. When the plan failed, Marshal Gaspard de Saux-Tavannes blamed the Abbot and had him executed. His death was blamed on the Huguenots, a religious minority living in Paris at the time. (TV: The Massacre)

Behind the scenes

 * No official visual record exists of William Hartnell as the Abbot beyond the surviving soundtrack and some fan-made photographs featuring Hartnell's photoshopped head on a cloak. This is because The Massacre was never tele-snapped and no footage is known to have survived.
 * Amboise is a genuine French commune, and was served circa 1572 by Marmoutier Abbey. Therefore, a real 'Abbot of Amboise' was in existence during the period in which The Massacre is set.