The Crown (2016) s04e03 Episode Script
Fairytale
1
The Prince of Wales, Your Majesty.
Thank you.
It's done.
I did it.
- Where?
- In the nursery.
I wanted to talk to you
Nursery?
Hardly the most romantic setting.
Did you get on one knee?
No, I didn't.
- And I'm surprised by the question.
- Why?
I thought, in terms of rank,
the Prince of Wales only ever
knelt before the sovereign.
He didn't say that.
What did you say?
I said, "It's a proposal
of marriage, dear,
not a show of strength." Hmm.
After all that, did she at least accept?
Yes.
Yes.
What did she say?
Yes, please.
That it was the happiest
moment of her life.
Aw
Aw
Aw.
Congratulations.
- Then what?
- I sent her back to London.
Boy, you turn me ♪
- Where does she live?
- Earl's Court, in a flat she shares with
- Prostitutes and Australians.
- What?
- Isn't that who lives in Earl's Court?
- In a flat she shares with friends.
Here's Diana! Diana, over here!
Any news, Lady Di?
Have you just been to Buckingham Palace?
Did you see the Prince of Wales?
From one woman to another,
is he a romantic at heart?
Lady Diana, just one
more question, please.
And?
Now what we have here
is a rather special box of chocolates.
Some are ours, passed
down through the family,
and some are for sale.
Anyway, the idea is that you pick one.
Any one?
- Hmm.
- Um
Oh
Gosh.
Um
This one's lovely.
- That's one of ours.
- Yes, ma'am.
From the Mogok Valley.
Any idea where that is?
Oh, I'm rather thick at geography.
Burma.
There's a legend, ma'am,
that long, long ago,
the northern part of Burma
was inhabited only by wild animals
and poisonous snakes. One day
I think I prefer this one.
Yes, a lovely choice, ma'am.
That's one of yours.
What can you tell us about
that, apart from the price?
It's a 12-carat oval Ceylon
sapphire, Your Majesty.
Surrounded by 14 diamonds.
Set in 18-karat white gold.
And you like that one because
It's the most expensive?
No.
Because it reminds me of
my mother's engagement ring.
And it's the same color as my eyes.
- She is lovely.
- Yes.
But so young.
Yes. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother,
suggested moving Lady
Diana into Buckingham Palace
before the announcement
of the engagement
to protect her from the media.
Oh, that is sensible.
She also thought some
tutorials might be useful
for what will be a
very drastic transition
from teenager to royal princess.
And
Well, the feeling was, if
Your Majesty were agreeable
- That I should be her teacher?
- Well, one queen to the next.
Mother-in-law,
daughter-in-law, might be nice.
Oh no, there's a lot to
learn, a lot to get right.
And you know me. I'm
far too much of a softy.
Mm.
Diana's grandmother,
Lady Fermoy, can do it.
Ma'am.
- Straight in at the deep end.
- Dinner with the family at Clarence House.
So fucking grand!
- So not Earl's Court.
- No.
A toast.
- To no more worries.
- No more flatmates.
No more rent collection or kindergarten.
No more cleaning your sister's flat.
Oh God!
Off to your palaces
and castles and frocks.
And jewels!
And to one day, not too far
away, being the fucking Queen.
Oh
You will call, won't you? And write?
On Palace writing paper. So
that we can show everyone.
- I'll phone morning and night.
- No, you won't.
You'll be too busy trying on tiaras
and having tea brought to you.
Bye!
- Bye!
- Bye, Duch.
Bye, Princess.
- Diana!
- Diana!
Stop where you are,
sir. Get back, please.
Get back.
Thank you.
So there we are
in Manila, in the middle
of a state banquet,
when who barges into the room?
None other than Imelda Marcos.
She makes a beeline straight for me,
saying she's desperate to
show me her Wait for it
- Shoe collection.
- Mm-mm.
Shell collection.
Are you sure?
She was probably trying to say
"shoe," and you misunderstood her.
- Did she have something in her teeth?
- Shoe.
Shell.
No, I can assure you
it was "seashells."
So now the whole dinner party
decants into a convoy of limousines,
we're rushed through
the streets of Manila
- Lady Diana Spencer, Your Majesty.
- I was speaking.
Uh
- Oh dear.
- Sorry.
Your Majesty.
Um
- Your Majesty.
- Hmm.
Your Royal Highness,
I didn't see you there.
Evidently not. I was
the one telling the story
you ruined with your entrance.
Sorry.
Uh-uh This one next.
- Honestly.
- Sir.
"Your Royal Highness" if it's
the first greeting, then "sir."
Now me.
Ma'am.
You don't curtsy to
her. She's not royal.
- Just grand.
- Poor Susan!
So sorry.
Thank goodness we've
got your grandmother
to sort this out.
She's like a regimental sergeant major.
- Aren't you?
- When required.
Urgently required, I'd
say, on tonight's showing.
- You'll iron all this out in no time.
- Ma'am.
Anyway, where was I?
Being rushed through
the streets of Manila.
Yes,
in Madam Marcos's private aquarium
where she keeps a vast
portrait of herself
wearing
It is with the greatest pleasure
that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
announce the betrothal of their
beloved son the Prince of Wales
to the Lady Diana Spencer
daughter of the Earl Spencer
and the Honorable Mrs. Shand Kydd.
Hmm.
Well, many congratulations, sir.
I wonder if you both
remember when you first met.
It was a few years ago now.
I was visiting her sister,
and Diana was still quite young then.
And what was it about her that
made the biggest impression on you?
She was very original and lots of fun.
And for you?
Oh, he was simply marvelous.
What can you tell us
about the actual wedding?
We're not that far on yet,
but for now, we're delighted, really.
Mm-hmm.
I see you're going to bring
a deep and lasting joy to the nation.
And if I may say,
you both look very much in love.
Oh yes, absolutely.
Whatever "in love" means.
Where are you going?
Highgrove.
I have to go back to Gloucestershire
to pick up a few things
for this foreign tour.
Don't look like that.
Like what?
I'll see you at the airport tomorrow.
Why are you so pleased?
'Cause I think she's just
the right person for him.
It's great, innit? It
cheers everybody up
Putting you through now, ma'am.
- Are you calling from the palace?
- I am.
- What's it like?
- I have my own little apartment.
With a maid and a dresser.
- Oh, you're a real princess!
- And a sitting room.
Does the phone have
a little crown on it?
Is the ring tone "God Save the Queen"?
- Telly supper with the boss yet?
- No.
Haven't spent any time with her yet,
even though we're in the same building.
We saw one of your interviews.
- On television.
- Di, you looked great.
Di, they played it on
the six o'clock news.
Did you hear how he answered when
they asked if we were in love?
- He said
- I know. We heard.
Don't worry. He was probably
just a bit embarrassed.
Diana! Over here!
There she is!
Charles, over here!
I'm sorry. This tour
hasn't come at a good time.
Oh, I'll be fine. Locked up
in the palace on my own
It's not for long.
Six weeks.
- Oh, it'll fly by.
- I doubt it.
Kiss her!
Anyway, I'll see you at the altar.
I've asked Mrs. Parker Bowles
to get in touch with you.
Your ex? Why would you do that?
Because she's great fun.
I just thought if ever
you wanted company,
she's the best company.
- Charles!
- Another kiss! Another one!
Big smile!
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
I should warn you, this
won't be one session.
This won't be two sessions.
What any new entry into the
royal family needs to learn
could barely be covered in 20
sessions, but we will do it,
and I will work you hard because
you cannot be allowed to fail.
I propose we divide our lessons
together into three areas.
History. The history
of the royal family,
the Court of St. James's, the
palaces and houses, and the household.
Deportment.
What to wear,
how and where to sit,
when to open your mouth and,
more importantly, what to say.
But based on the horrors
we saw the other night,
I think we need to start with the
all-important sink or swim rules,
rules which if you get a
single one of these wrong,
you're not just in trouble. You're dead.
- Right.
- Beginning with rank and precedence
and identifying which members of
the royal family you must curtsy to,
how, and in which order.
In your current position,
you curtsy to everyone,
but after you become Princess of Wales,
things get a little more complicated
because certain members of the
family will have to curtsy to you.
That in itself changes
depending on whether you're
with the Prince of Wales
Do you know, the one thing I really
hate is when I go to a restaurant
and the waiter comes to the table
and attempts to memorize the order
without writing it down.
You just know it's going to go wrong.
Right. When you are unaccompanied
as Princess of Wales
The music is weaving ♪
The image has gone ♪
Only you and I ♪
It means nothing to me ♪
Good morning.
Good morning, ma'am.
What's all this?
- It's your post, ma'am.
- Right.
Dear Lady Diana,
I don't suppose you'll
ever get to read this,
but I wanted to tell you how much
I enjoyed seeing the interview
you gave with the Prince of Wales
on television the
other day. You looked
- I knew then it must be love.
- a young couple at the start
already has a poster of you and
Prince Charles on her bedroom wall
listening to this special
day on the radio with my mother.
I will send you a traditional
marriage blanket
It's because you love people
no matter where they're from.
you were someone I could talk to
hairstyle, how you
have a smile for everyone.
Please can I be your flower girl?
Because I have never been
one, and my sister has.
Freya, age seven.
Preparation. Arms. One, two.
Three, four. And one, two, three, four.
And point, point, point, and point.
Now finish.
Finish, and our arms come down.
And you present.
As you start low, the first one,
and then the next one higher, then
the next one higher, and then the
At primary schools all over the land,
grateful teachers have
seized upon the wedding
as their
end-of-term project.
The key idea, to send a wedding card
from their class to Prince
Charles and Lady Diana.
This one was done at
a school in Southport,
and it was a pretty imaginative
affair. Everyone joined in,
but it was thought safer to let
the teacher address the envelope.
And I sense a rhythm humming ♪
In a frenzy all the way down her spine ♪
Girls on film ♪
Girls on film ♪
- Your Majesty.
- Good morning, Stephen.
Thank you, John.
There are three equerries to
Her Majesty within the palace,
one of them also performing the role
of Deputy Master of the Household.
In addition to the Queen's Page,
Her Majesty's most
senior personal servant,
there are also three categories of page.
Pages of the Chambers,
Pages of the Presence,
and Pages of the Back Stairs.
Now, shall we move on to
Ladies of the Bedchamber?
If the weather's fine,
Prince Charles will make his
way to the altar and leave later
with Lady Diana in
the 1902 State Landau.
It was first used by King Edward VII
and is now favored by the Queen
to meet foreign heads of state.
Its wet weather replacement will
be the Scottish State Coach
Yes, ma'am?
Could I speak to the Prince of
Wales's private secretary, please?
One moment, please.
I'm afraid there's no answer,
but I'll certainly let
Mr. Adeane know you called.
Thank you.
Yes, ma'am?
I was wondering which number
to call to speak to the Queen.
One moment, please.
Her Majesty is at a reception, ma'am,
but I shall inform her of your call.
Thank you.
Once upon a time
not so long ago
there was a little girl,
and her name was Emily.
Morning, ma'am. More letters for you.
And she had a shop.
There it is.
It was rather an unusual shop
because it didn't sell anything.
You see, everything in that shop window
was a thing that somebody had once lost.
The Prince of Wales and
I are incredibly grateful
that you've all come out
here to join us this evening
in support of a cause that's
incredibly close to our hearts.
Protecting our local wildlife
is, um, crucial.
It is a
You use your hands far too much.
You make gestures when you talk.
Gestures reveal us,
whether we're anxious
or agitated or cross.
It's best not to give that away.
One should never try
to show one's emotions.
Now, Queen Mary famously taught
her ladies-in-waiting to use rope
to stop their arms flapping
about like windmills.
It's better.
Please carry on.
The Prince of Wales and I
are so incredibly grateful
um, for all to all of you
for coming here this evening
and showing your support
to a cause that is so
um, incredibly close
to both of our hearts,
especially the Prince of Wales.
I haven't heard from
him for three weeks.
He must be busy.
But not to ring a single time!
I asked to speak to the Queen,
but she won't see me either.
- Has he sent flowers?
- Nothing.
I get letters from
people all over the world,
but nothing, not a squeak, from
the man I'm supposed to marry.
How are you all?
Good. Penny's taken your room.
Peter's over.
All the time.
Of course, he's in love with Virginia!
- Stop!
- Oh, Duch, we miss you so much!
- Ma'am.
- Over here!
- Lady Di!
- Over here, Lady Di!
- Just a picture, please.
- Di, just a quick snap!
- Don't you want a picture?
- Welcome to Ménage à Trois.
Here she is.
It was so kind of you to write.
Oh, not at all. It's the
very least I could do.
When the Prince of Wales told me
he was going away for six
weeks and not taking you
May I?
Oh
I said, "That's not very nice."
"Your poor brand-spanking-new,
gorgeous, young fiancée,
all alone in the house."
- Actually, left all alone in the palace.
- Yes.
Well, not the house.
That's what the Prince of
Wales calls Buckingham Palace.
It's what they all call it. "The house."
Mm.
Thank you.
The concept here is no main courses,
just starters and desserts.
No need to feel guilty
about ordering pud
'cause it's all you're getting.
I'll have that delicious duck
and truffle ravioli
thing I had last time,
then the orange and
chocolate creamy creation
that's stalked my dreams ever since.
I'll have the same.
Are you sure?
I'm very happy to go with the flow.
Well, he'll love that.
He's so fussy and set in his ways.
He'll love it if you adapt to him.
Trio of chocolate mousses
with vanilla cream and candied orange.
- Lovely!
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Mm! You know, I took the
Prince of Wales here once,
thinking he might like to try
something new. He loathed it.
- Oh?
- Loathed.
And not just the concept
or the décor or the people,
but they made the cardinal mistake
of refusing to put a
soft-boiled egg on top.
What?
He has a soft-boiled
egg with everything.
You must know that.
And he never eats garlic.
Because of this bizarre new rule,
come suppertime, he's always ravenous.
Which new rule?
The lunch rule.
I'd have thought it would've been
one of the first things
you noticed about him.
The Prince of Wales doesn't eat lunch.
- What, never?
- Not if he can help it.
And if he's forced to
because of some engagement,
it puts him in a terrible mood,
and he drones on about gas and bloating,
and "wasted energy due
to needless digestion."
I try to cheer him up,
but when his tummy goes,
so does his sense of humor, I'm afraid.
One of his awful gurus put him onto it.
Well, not gurus, but you know
how he loves to surround himself
with dreary older men
and daddy substitutes.
No.
Darling, you really
know nothing, do you?
You need a proper Fred tutorial.
No, thank you.
Who's Fred?
It's my nickname for the Prince
of Wales. And he calls me Gladys.
It's harmless nonsense, really.
Right.
Anyway, one of his boring friends,
probably Laurens van der Post
Good luck with that, by the way. Snooze.
got into his head and
said that it was only healthy
to eat two meals a day,
and since Fred says that breakfast
was too delicious to give up,
and dinner's too important,
it had to be lunch.
Now that you mention it,
we've hardly been with
one another at lunchtime,
so I haven't really noticed.
Fact is, we've hardly been
with one another at all.
That's not true.
It is.
- You met at Badminton Horse Trials.
- Yes.
Then Verdi's Requiem at the
Albert Hall, with a chaperone.
Granny, yes.
- Who didn't let you out of her sight.
- Not for a second.
Then the weekend at Balmoral,
where you were a complete triumph.
It'll go down in history as one
of the great Balmoral debuts,
the perfect ten. And then
Highgrove?
Golly. He obviously
tells you everything.
Well, we talk most days.
What did you think of it?
His new house.
- Highgrove?
- Mm.
It's, um It's lovely.
- Isn't it?
- Mm.
He asked me what I would do
with it if I was decorating.
- Did he?
- Mm.
Yes. I'm rather good at all that.
And what did you say?
I said I'd like to zhuzh it up
a bit. Make it a bit less stuffy.
Give it a bit of color,
some yellows and peaches.
And don't forget green, his favorite.
And green.
Do you garden?
- Not really.
- He's obsessed by gardening.
Yes, I know.
He's already talking about either
a wild garden or a walled garden.
Both.
- Both.
- Mm.
And a kitchen garden and a
sundial garden. Do you fish?
No, not really.
- What about hunting?
- Not if I can help it.
More of a townie, really.
So you see yourself living more
in London than in the country?
Why do you ask?
Just curious.
Mm.
Now I'm sorry, I can't stay for coffee.
Oh, then let me get this.
Absolutely not. I'm
the senior party here.
Oh please.
Oh, let's go Dutch.
Good idea.
I'm all for sharing.
Lady Spencer is here to see
you. She asked if she could wait.
Thank you. Can I help you, ma'am?
I need to speak to the Prince
of Wales as soon as possible.
I'm afraid he's unavailable.
Is that what he asked you to tell me?
"If my future wife wants to
speak to me, make an excuse"?
No, His Royal Highness is unavailable
because he's on an
aeroplane flying home.
- I thought he was flying back tomorrow.
- He was always flying back today.
What are these?
Those are drawings.
Of what?
I believe it's a bracelet
which the Prince of Wales has had made.
For who?
Yes, ma'am?
I need to speak to the
Queen. I need to speak to her.
- Ma'am
- Don't fob me off.
It is absolutely essential
that I see the Queen.
This wedding can't go ahead.
It'll be a disaster for everyone.
Her Majesty is
unavailable, but I shall
Highgrove.
I vow to thee, my country ♪
All earthly things above ♪
Entire and whole and perfect ♪
The service of my love ♪
The love that asks no questions ♪
The love that stands the test ♪
That lays upon the altar ♪
The dearest and the best ♪
The love that never falters ♪
The love that pays the price ♪
The love that makes undaunted ♪
The final sacrifice ♪
- Your Highness.
- Thank you very much.
- She's there.
- All right.
Everything all right in Gloucestershire?
Why do you ask?
There must have been
something very important
for you to go straight
there from the airport.
As it happens, there was.
Gladys.
She told you.
I saw the bracelet.
I had the bracelet
made as a farewell gift.
A souvenir.
I went to Gloucestershire
for two reasons.
To tell Camilla
face-to-face that it's over.
Over.
And to collect this.
Open it.
A signet ring.
Prince of Wales insignia.
For the Princess of Wales.
Shall we begin the rehearsal?
Marriage is an honorable estate
instituted of God himself,
and therefore is not, by
any, to be enterprised,
nor taken in hand unadvisedly,
lightly, or wantonly,
but reverently, discreetly, soberly,
and in the fear of God.
Charles Philip Arthur George,
wilt thou have this
woman to thy wedded wife?
- Etcetera.
- Yes. Yes.
How were rehearsals?
Mummy and I thought lovely.
Margaret disagrees.
Charles loves someone else.
How many times
can this family make the same mistake?
Forbidding marriages
that should be allowed.
Forcing others that shouldn't.
Paying the consequences each time.
He's marrying Diana.
But he's still in love
with the other one.
Let me say something as a man.
The older Diana gets,
the more confident Diana becomes,
the more beautiful Diana
becomes, which she will
the more Charles will
fall in love with her,
and this will all be fine.
In the meantime, he
juggles them both?
That's how it works.
How it's always worked.
This is madness. We can stop them now,
before they tie the knot.
Not just for the sake of the
monarchy, but for them as human beings.
We have to stop them now.
Mummy?
When your great-grandmother,
Queen Mary,
was a beautiful young princess
she was about to marry
her Prince Charming.
But before they got to the
church, he fell ill and died.
But everyone was so impressed with her,
that they put her together
with his younger brother.
Only one problem. The younger
brother was Prince Charmless.
Dull and shy.
There was no attraction,
certainly no love.
But in order to make the marriage
work, they were encouraged
to focus on the bigger idea.
Duty.
They worked and worked and worked.
And out of that work, a tiny seed grew.
A seed of respect and admiration,
a seed that grew into a flower
they could eventually call love.
They were married for 42 years.
They stabilized a country
that was at war with itself,
and they left the Crown stronger,
while all around them, the
great monarchies of Europe fell.
Now I cannot claim to be
the most intuitive mother,
but I do think I know when
one of my children is unhappy.
Whatever wretchedness
you are feeling now
whatever doubts you harbor
if you could follow the example
of your great-grandmother
love and happiness will surely follow.
The question of the day,
apart from, "What's the
dress going to look like?"
is, "What's the weather going to be?"
Your most detailed
forecast ever then, Jack.
What's it gonna be like from
Buckingham Palace to St. Paul's?
This sunshine says it all,
John, really, doesn't it?
Well, the sun shining down
on a crowd that seems ready
to cheer almost anything that moves,
and it's a crowd that's getting
bigger and bigger by the minute
as the overnight trains and buses
bring thousands more people to the
palace from all over the nation.
Lots of people here went
to the fireworks display
last night in Hyde Park,
and then came straight down
to the palace afterwards
to make sure they get a good spot.
We're now getting closer to that point
when Prince Charles and then
Lady Diana set off for St. Paul's,
a scene that will be quite
literally flashed around the globe.
The King and Queen of the
Belgians, the King of Norway
with the Crown Prince
and Crown Princess,
the Queen of Denmark,
the Prince of Denmark,
the King and Queen of Sweden,
the Queen of the Netherlands,
the Prince of the Netherlands,
Grand-Duke and Grand
Duchess of Luxembourg,
the Prince and Princess of
Liechtenstein, and the Princess of Monaco.
The next time we see that coach,
we'll be peering inside these windows
to see if we can get some idea
of what the wedding
dress really looks like.
Thank you.
Here is the stuff of
which fairy tales are made.
The prince and princess
on their wedding day.
But fairy tales usually
end at this point
with the simple phrase, "They
lived happily ever after."
This may be because fairy tales
regard marriage as an anticlimax
after the romance of courtship.
As husband and wife live out their vows,
loving and cherishing one another,
sharing life's splendors and miseries,
achievements and setbacks,
they will be transformed in the process.
Our faith sees the wedding day
not as the place of arrival,
but the place where the
adventure really begins.
The Prince of Wales, Your Majesty.
Thank you.
It's done.
I did it.
- Where?
- In the nursery.
I wanted to talk to you
Nursery?
Hardly the most romantic setting.
Did you get on one knee?
No, I didn't.
- And I'm surprised by the question.
- Why?
I thought, in terms of rank,
the Prince of Wales only ever
knelt before the sovereign.
He didn't say that.
What did you say?
I said, "It's a proposal
of marriage, dear,
not a show of strength." Hmm.
After all that, did she at least accept?
Yes.
Yes.
What did she say?
Yes, please.
That it was the happiest
moment of her life.
Aw
Aw
Aw.
Congratulations.
- Then what?
- I sent her back to London.
Boy, you turn me ♪
- Where does she live?
- Earl's Court, in a flat she shares with
- Prostitutes and Australians.
- What?
- Isn't that who lives in Earl's Court?
- In a flat she shares with friends.
Here's Diana! Diana, over here!
Any news, Lady Di?
Have you just been to Buckingham Palace?
Did you see the Prince of Wales?
From one woman to another,
is he a romantic at heart?
Lady Diana, just one
more question, please.
And?
Now what we have here
is a rather special box of chocolates.
Some are ours, passed
down through the family,
and some are for sale.
Anyway, the idea is that you pick one.
Any one?
- Hmm.
- Um
Oh
Gosh.
Um
This one's lovely.
- That's one of ours.
- Yes, ma'am.
From the Mogok Valley.
Any idea where that is?
Oh, I'm rather thick at geography.
Burma.
There's a legend, ma'am,
that long, long ago,
the northern part of Burma
was inhabited only by wild animals
and poisonous snakes. One day
I think I prefer this one.
Yes, a lovely choice, ma'am.
That's one of yours.
What can you tell us about
that, apart from the price?
It's a 12-carat oval Ceylon
sapphire, Your Majesty.
Surrounded by 14 diamonds.
Set in 18-karat white gold.
And you like that one because
It's the most expensive?
No.
Because it reminds me of
my mother's engagement ring.
And it's the same color as my eyes.
- She is lovely.
- Yes.
But so young.
Yes. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother,
suggested moving Lady
Diana into Buckingham Palace
before the announcement
of the engagement
to protect her from the media.
Oh, that is sensible.
She also thought some
tutorials might be useful
for what will be a
very drastic transition
from teenager to royal princess.
And
Well, the feeling was, if
Your Majesty were agreeable
- That I should be her teacher?
- Well, one queen to the next.
Mother-in-law,
daughter-in-law, might be nice.
Oh no, there's a lot to
learn, a lot to get right.
And you know me. I'm
far too much of a softy.
Mm.
Diana's grandmother,
Lady Fermoy, can do it.
Ma'am.
- Straight in at the deep end.
- Dinner with the family at Clarence House.
So fucking grand!
- So not Earl's Court.
- No.
A toast.
- To no more worries.
- No more flatmates.
No more rent collection or kindergarten.
No more cleaning your sister's flat.
Oh God!
Off to your palaces
and castles and frocks.
And jewels!
And to one day, not too far
away, being the fucking Queen.
Oh
You will call, won't you? And write?
On Palace writing paper. So
that we can show everyone.
- I'll phone morning and night.
- No, you won't.
You'll be too busy trying on tiaras
and having tea brought to you.
Bye!
- Bye!
- Bye, Duch.
Bye, Princess.
- Diana!
- Diana!
Stop where you are,
sir. Get back, please.
Get back.
Thank you.
So there we are
in Manila, in the middle
of a state banquet,
when who barges into the room?
None other than Imelda Marcos.
She makes a beeline straight for me,
saying she's desperate to
show me her Wait for it
- Shoe collection.
- Mm-mm.
Shell collection.
Are you sure?
She was probably trying to say
"shoe," and you misunderstood her.
- Did she have something in her teeth?
- Shoe.
Shell.
No, I can assure you
it was "seashells."
So now the whole dinner party
decants into a convoy of limousines,
we're rushed through
the streets of Manila
- Lady Diana Spencer, Your Majesty.
- I was speaking.
Uh
- Oh dear.
- Sorry.
Your Majesty.
Um
- Your Majesty.
- Hmm.
Your Royal Highness,
I didn't see you there.
Evidently not. I was
the one telling the story
you ruined with your entrance.
Sorry.
Uh-uh This one next.
- Honestly.
- Sir.
"Your Royal Highness" if it's
the first greeting, then "sir."
Now me.
Ma'am.
You don't curtsy to
her. She's not royal.
- Just grand.
- Poor Susan!
So sorry.
Thank goodness we've
got your grandmother
to sort this out.
She's like a regimental sergeant major.
- Aren't you?
- When required.
Urgently required, I'd
say, on tonight's showing.
- You'll iron all this out in no time.
- Ma'am.
Anyway, where was I?
Being rushed through
the streets of Manila.
Yes,
in Madam Marcos's private aquarium
where she keeps a vast
portrait of herself
wearing
It is with the greatest pleasure
that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh
announce the betrothal of their
beloved son the Prince of Wales
to the Lady Diana Spencer
daughter of the Earl Spencer
and the Honorable Mrs. Shand Kydd.
Hmm.
Well, many congratulations, sir.
I wonder if you both
remember when you first met.
It was a few years ago now.
I was visiting her sister,
and Diana was still quite young then.
And what was it about her that
made the biggest impression on you?
She was very original and lots of fun.
And for you?
Oh, he was simply marvelous.
What can you tell us
about the actual wedding?
We're not that far on yet,
but for now, we're delighted, really.
Mm-hmm.
I see you're going to bring
a deep and lasting joy to the nation.
And if I may say,
you both look very much in love.
Oh yes, absolutely.
Whatever "in love" means.
Where are you going?
Highgrove.
I have to go back to Gloucestershire
to pick up a few things
for this foreign tour.
Don't look like that.
Like what?
I'll see you at the airport tomorrow.
Why are you so pleased?
'Cause I think she's just
the right person for him.
It's great, innit? It
cheers everybody up
Putting you through now, ma'am.
- Are you calling from the palace?
- I am.
- What's it like?
- I have my own little apartment.
With a maid and a dresser.
- Oh, you're a real princess!
- And a sitting room.
Does the phone have
a little crown on it?
Is the ring tone "God Save the Queen"?
- Telly supper with the boss yet?
- No.
Haven't spent any time with her yet,
even though we're in the same building.
We saw one of your interviews.
- On television.
- Di, you looked great.
Di, they played it on
the six o'clock news.
Did you hear how he answered when
they asked if we were in love?
- He said
- I know. We heard.
Don't worry. He was probably
just a bit embarrassed.
Diana! Over here!
There she is!
Charles, over here!
I'm sorry. This tour
hasn't come at a good time.
Oh, I'll be fine. Locked up
in the palace on my own
It's not for long.
Six weeks.
- Oh, it'll fly by.
- I doubt it.
Kiss her!
Anyway, I'll see you at the altar.
I've asked Mrs. Parker Bowles
to get in touch with you.
Your ex? Why would you do that?
Because she's great fun.
I just thought if ever
you wanted company,
she's the best company.
- Charles!
- Another kiss! Another one!
Big smile!
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
I should warn you, this
won't be one session.
This won't be two sessions.
What any new entry into the
royal family needs to learn
could barely be covered in 20
sessions, but we will do it,
and I will work you hard because
you cannot be allowed to fail.
I propose we divide our lessons
together into three areas.
History. The history
of the royal family,
the Court of St. James's, the
palaces and houses, and the household.
Deportment.
What to wear,
how and where to sit,
when to open your mouth and,
more importantly, what to say.
But based on the horrors
we saw the other night,
I think we need to start with the
all-important sink or swim rules,
rules which if you get a
single one of these wrong,
you're not just in trouble. You're dead.
- Right.
- Beginning with rank and precedence
and identifying which members of
the royal family you must curtsy to,
how, and in which order.
In your current position,
you curtsy to everyone,
but after you become Princess of Wales,
things get a little more complicated
because certain members of the
family will have to curtsy to you.
That in itself changes
depending on whether you're
with the Prince of Wales
Do you know, the one thing I really
hate is when I go to a restaurant
and the waiter comes to the table
and attempts to memorize the order
without writing it down.
You just know it's going to go wrong.
Right. When you are unaccompanied
as Princess of Wales
The music is weaving ♪
The image has gone ♪
Only you and I ♪
It means nothing to me ♪
Good morning.
Good morning, ma'am.
What's all this?
- It's your post, ma'am.
- Right.
Dear Lady Diana,
I don't suppose you'll
ever get to read this,
but I wanted to tell you how much
I enjoyed seeing the interview
you gave with the Prince of Wales
on television the
other day. You looked
- I knew then it must be love.
- a young couple at the start
already has a poster of you and
Prince Charles on her bedroom wall
listening to this special
day on the radio with my mother.
I will send you a traditional
marriage blanket
It's because you love people
no matter where they're from.
you were someone I could talk to
hairstyle, how you
have a smile for everyone.
Please can I be your flower girl?
Because I have never been
one, and my sister has.
Freya, age seven.
Preparation. Arms. One, two.
Three, four. And one, two, three, four.
And point, point, point, and point.
Now finish.
Finish, and our arms come down.
And you present.
As you start low, the first one,
and then the next one higher, then
the next one higher, and then the
At primary schools all over the land,
grateful teachers have
seized upon the wedding
as their
end-of-term project.
The key idea, to send a wedding card
from their class to Prince
Charles and Lady Diana.
This one was done at
a school in Southport,
and it was a pretty imaginative
affair. Everyone joined in,
but it was thought safer to let
the teacher address the envelope.
And I sense a rhythm humming ♪
In a frenzy all the way down her spine ♪
Girls on film ♪
Girls on film ♪
- Your Majesty.
- Good morning, Stephen.
Thank you, John.
There are three equerries to
Her Majesty within the palace,
one of them also performing the role
of Deputy Master of the Household.
In addition to the Queen's Page,
Her Majesty's most
senior personal servant,
there are also three categories of page.
Pages of the Chambers,
Pages of the Presence,
and Pages of the Back Stairs.
Now, shall we move on to
Ladies of the Bedchamber?
If the weather's fine,
Prince Charles will make his
way to the altar and leave later
with Lady Diana in
the 1902 State Landau.
It was first used by King Edward VII
and is now favored by the Queen
to meet foreign heads of state.
Its wet weather replacement will
be the Scottish State Coach
Yes, ma'am?
Could I speak to the Prince of
Wales's private secretary, please?
One moment, please.
I'm afraid there's no answer,
but I'll certainly let
Mr. Adeane know you called.
Thank you.
Yes, ma'am?
I was wondering which number
to call to speak to the Queen.
One moment, please.
Her Majesty is at a reception, ma'am,
but I shall inform her of your call.
Thank you.
Once upon a time
not so long ago
there was a little girl,
and her name was Emily.
Morning, ma'am. More letters for you.
And she had a shop.
There it is.
It was rather an unusual shop
because it didn't sell anything.
You see, everything in that shop window
was a thing that somebody had once lost.
The Prince of Wales and
I are incredibly grateful
that you've all come out
here to join us this evening
in support of a cause that's
incredibly close to our hearts.
Protecting our local wildlife
is, um, crucial.
It is a
You use your hands far too much.
You make gestures when you talk.
Gestures reveal us,
whether we're anxious
or agitated or cross.
It's best not to give that away.
One should never try
to show one's emotions.
Now, Queen Mary famously taught
her ladies-in-waiting to use rope
to stop their arms flapping
about like windmills.
It's better.
Please carry on.
The Prince of Wales and I
are so incredibly grateful
um, for all to all of you
for coming here this evening
and showing your support
to a cause that is so
um, incredibly close
to both of our hearts,
especially the Prince of Wales.
I haven't heard from
him for three weeks.
He must be busy.
But not to ring a single time!
I asked to speak to the Queen,
but she won't see me either.
- Has he sent flowers?
- Nothing.
I get letters from
people all over the world,
but nothing, not a squeak, from
the man I'm supposed to marry.
How are you all?
Good. Penny's taken your room.
Peter's over.
All the time.
Of course, he's in love with Virginia!
- Stop!
- Oh, Duch, we miss you so much!
- Ma'am.
- Over here!
- Lady Di!
- Over here, Lady Di!
- Just a picture, please.
- Di, just a quick snap!
- Don't you want a picture?
- Welcome to Ménage à Trois.
Here she is.
It was so kind of you to write.
Oh, not at all. It's the
very least I could do.
When the Prince of Wales told me
he was going away for six
weeks and not taking you
May I?
Oh
I said, "That's not very nice."
"Your poor brand-spanking-new,
gorgeous, young fiancée,
all alone in the house."
- Actually, left all alone in the palace.
- Yes.
Well, not the house.
That's what the Prince of
Wales calls Buckingham Palace.
It's what they all call it. "The house."
Mm.
Thank you.
The concept here is no main courses,
just starters and desserts.
No need to feel guilty
about ordering pud
'cause it's all you're getting.
I'll have that delicious duck
and truffle ravioli
thing I had last time,
then the orange and
chocolate creamy creation
that's stalked my dreams ever since.
I'll have the same.
Are you sure?
I'm very happy to go with the flow.
Well, he'll love that.
He's so fussy and set in his ways.
He'll love it if you adapt to him.
Trio of chocolate mousses
with vanilla cream and candied orange.
- Lovely!
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Mm! You know, I took the
Prince of Wales here once,
thinking he might like to try
something new. He loathed it.
- Oh?
- Loathed.
And not just the concept
or the décor or the people,
but they made the cardinal mistake
of refusing to put a
soft-boiled egg on top.
What?
He has a soft-boiled
egg with everything.
You must know that.
And he never eats garlic.
Because of this bizarre new rule,
come suppertime, he's always ravenous.
Which new rule?
The lunch rule.
I'd have thought it would've been
one of the first things
you noticed about him.
The Prince of Wales doesn't eat lunch.
- What, never?
- Not if he can help it.
And if he's forced to
because of some engagement,
it puts him in a terrible mood,
and he drones on about gas and bloating,
and "wasted energy due
to needless digestion."
I try to cheer him up,
but when his tummy goes,
so does his sense of humor, I'm afraid.
One of his awful gurus put him onto it.
Well, not gurus, but you know
how he loves to surround himself
with dreary older men
and daddy substitutes.
No.
Darling, you really
know nothing, do you?
You need a proper Fred tutorial.
No, thank you.
Who's Fred?
It's my nickname for the Prince
of Wales. And he calls me Gladys.
It's harmless nonsense, really.
Right.
Anyway, one of his boring friends,
probably Laurens van der Post
Good luck with that, by the way. Snooze.
got into his head and
said that it was only healthy
to eat two meals a day,
and since Fred says that breakfast
was too delicious to give up,
and dinner's too important,
it had to be lunch.
Now that you mention it,
we've hardly been with
one another at lunchtime,
so I haven't really noticed.
Fact is, we've hardly been
with one another at all.
That's not true.
It is.
- You met at Badminton Horse Trials.
- Yes.
Then Verdi's Requiem at the
Albert Hall, with a chaperone.
Granny, yes.
- Who didn't let you out of her sight.
- Not for a second.
Then the weekend at Balmoral,
where you were a complete triumph.
It'll go down in history as one
of the great Balmoral debuts,
the perfect ten. And then
Highgrove?
Golly. He obviously
tells you everything.
Well, we talk most days.
What did you think of it?
His new house.
- Highgrove?
- Mm.
It's, um It's lovely.
- Isn't it?
- Mm.
He asked me what I would do
with it if I was decorating.
- Did he?
- Mm.
Yes. I'm rather good at all that.
And what did you say?
I said I'd like to zhuzh it up
a bit. Make it a bit less stuffy.
Give it a bit of color,
some yellows and peaches.
And don't forget green, his favorite.
And green.
Do you garden?
- Not really.
- He's obsessed by gardening.
Yes, I know.
He's already talking about either
a wild garden or a walled garden.
Both.
- Both.
- Mm.
And a kitchen garden and a
sundial garden. Do you fish?
No, not really.
- What about hunting?
- Not if I can help it.
More of a townie, really.
So you see yourself living more
in London than in the country?
Why do you ask?
Just curious.
Mm.
Now I'm sorry, I can't stay for coffee.
Oh, then let me get this.
Absolutely not. I'm
the senior party here.
Oh please.
Oh, let's go Dutch.
Good idea.
I'm all for sharing.
Lady Spencer is here to see
you. She asked if she could wait.
Thank you. Can I help you, ma'am?
I need to speak to the Prince
of Wales as soon as possible.
I'm afraid he's unavailable.
Is that what he asked you to tell me?
"If my future wife wants to
speak to me, make an excuse"?
No, His Royal Highness is unavailable
because he's on an
aeroplane flying home.
- I thought he was flying back tomorrow.
- He was always flying back today.
What are these?
Those are drawings.
Of what?
I believe it's a bracelet
which the Prince of Wales has had made.
For who?
Yes, ma'am?
I need to speak to the
Queen. I need to speak to her.
- Ma'am
- Don't fob me off.
It is absolutely essential
that I see the Queen.
This wedding can't go ahead.
It'll be a disaster for everyone.
Her Majesty is
unavailable, but I shall
Highgrove.
I vow to thee, my country ♪
All earthly things above ♪
Entire and whole and perfect ♪
The service of my love ♪
The love that asks no questions ♪
The love that stands the test ♪
That lays upon the altar ♪
The dearest and the best ♪
The love that never falters ♪
The love that pays the price ♪
The love that makes undaunted ♪
The final sacrifice ♪
- Your Highness.
- Thank you very much.
- She's there.
- All right.
Everything all right in Gloucestershire?
Why do you ask?
There must have been
something very important
for you to go straight
there from the airport.
As it happens, there was.
Gladys.
She told you.
I saw the bracelet.
I had the bracelet
made as a farewell gift.
A souvenir.
I went to Gloucestershire
for two reasons.
To tell Camilla
face-to-face that it's over.
Over.
And to collect this.
Open it.
A signet ring.
Prince of Wales insignia.
For the Princess of Wales.
Shall we begin the rehearsal?
Marriage is an honorable estate
instituted of God himself,
and therefore is not, by
any, to be enterprised,
nor taken in hand unadvisedly,
lightly, or wantonly,
but reverently, discreetly, soberly,
and in the fear of God.
Charles Philip Arthur George,
wilt thou have this
woman to thy wedded wife?
- Etcetera.
- Yes. Yes.
How were rehearsals?
Mummy and I thought lovely.
Margaret disagrees.
Charles loves someone else.
How many times
can this family make the same mistake?
Forbidding marriages
that should be allowed.
Forcing others that shouldn't.
Paying the consequences each time.
He's marrying Diana.
But he's still in love
with the other one.
Let me say something as a man.
The older Diana gets,
the more confident Diana becomes,
the more beautiful Diana
becomes, which she will
the more Charles will
fall in love with her,
and this will all be fine.
In the meantime, he
juggles them both?
That's how it works.
How it's always worked.
This is madness. We can stop them now,
before they tie the knot.
Not just for the sake of the
monarchy, but for them as human beings.
We have to stop them now.
Mummy?
When your great-grandmother,
Queen Mary,
was a beautiful young princess
she was about to marry
her Prince Charming.
But before they got to the
church, he fell ill and died.
But everyone was so impressed with her,
that they put her together
with his younger brother.
Only one problem. The younger
brother was Prince Charmless.
Dull and shy.
There was no attraction,
certainly no love.
But in order to make the marriage
work, they were encouraged
to focus on the bigger idea.
Duty.
They worked and worked and worked.
And out of that work, a tiny seed grew.
A seed of respect and admiration,
a seed that grew into a flower
they could eventually call love.
They were married for 42 years.
They stabilized a country
that was at war with itself,
and they left the Crown stronger,
while all around them, the
great monarchies of Europe fell.
Now I cannot claim to be
the most intuitive mother,
but I do think I know when
one of my children is unhappy.
Whatever wretchedness
you are feeling now
whatever doubts you harbor
if you could follow the example
of your great-grandmother
love and happiness will surely follow.
The question of the day,
apart from, "What's the
dress going to look like?"
is, "What's the weather going to be?"
Your most detailed
forecast ever then, Jack.
What's it gonna be like from
Buckingham Palace to St. Paul's?
This sunshine says it all,
John, really, doesn't it?
Well, the sun shining down
on a crowd that seems ready
to cheer almost anything that moves,
and it's a crowd that's getting
bigger and bigger by the minute
as the overnight trains and buses
bring thousands more people to the
palace from all over the nation.
Lots of people here went
to the fireworks display
last night in Hyde Park,
and then came straight down
to the palace afterwards
to make sure they get a good spot.
We're now getting closer to that point
when Prince Charles and then
Lady Diana set off for St. Paul's,
a scene that will be quite
literally flashed around the globe.
The King and Queen of the
Belgians, the King of Norway
with the Crown Prince
and Crown Princess,
the Queen of Denmark,
the Prince of Denmark,
the King and Queen of Sweden,
the Queen of the Netherlands,
the Prince of the Netherlands,
Grand-Duke and Grand
Duchess of Luxembourg,
the Prince and Princess of
Liechtenstein, and the Princess of Monaco.
The next time we see that coach,
we'll be peering inside these windows
to see if we can get some idea
of what the wedding
dress really looks like.
Thank you.
Here is the stuff of
which fairy tales are made.
The prince and princess
on their wedding day.
But fairy tales usually
end at this point
with the simple phrase, "They
lived happily ever after."
This may be because fairy tales
regard marriage as an anticlimax
after the romance of courtship.
As husband and wife live out their vows,
loving and cherishing one another,
sharing life's splendors and miseries,
achievements and setbacks,
they will be transformed in the process.
Our faith sees the wedding day
not as the place of arrival,
but the place where the
adventure really begins.