The Crown (2016) s04e09 Episode Script

1
Are we late?
- Sorry.
- Go, go, go!
said to the bishop,
if you catch my drift!
Oh, you are naughty!
Brrr
Here you are.
- Dress ready, darling?
- Yes, here we are.
- Shoes?
- Here we go.
Good.
How many people in the world
actually know about this?
Four.
The crowds out in force tonight
outside the Royal Opera House
to welcome Their Royal Highnesses
the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The Prince, of course,
is the president of the
Friends of Covent Garden
who are hosting tonight's event.
Princess Diana, in a
strapless lilac chiffon gown
printed with gold pattern,
receiving the attention.
But it's the prince's night.
His Royal Highness celebrating
his 37th birthday
at this special gala event.
In des Lebens ♪
Frühlingstagen ♪
Ist das Glück ♪
Von mir geflohn ♪
Back in a tick. I'm going
to powder my nose.
Wahrheit wagt ♪
Ich kühn zu sagen ♪
Und die Ketten sind mein Lohn ♪
Uptown girl ♪
She's been living
in her uptown world ♪
I bet she's never had
a backstreet guy ♪
I bet her mama never told her why ♪
I'm gonna try for an uptown girl ♪
been living in her
white bread world ♪
As long as anyone with hot blood can ♪
And now she's looking ♪
For a downtown man ♪
That's what I am ♪
And when she knows what she wants ♪
From her time ♪
And when she wakes up ♪
And makes up her mind ♪
She'll see I'm not so tough ♪
Just because ♪
I'm in love with an uptown girl ♪
You know I've seen her ♪
In her uptown world ♪
She's getting tired ♪
Of her high-class toys ♪
And all the presents ♪
From her uptown boys ♪
She's got a choice ♪
Happy birthday!
What were you thinking?
I was trying to make you happy.
That grotesque, mortifying display
had nothing to do with me
or my happiness.
Eight minutes they were on their feet,
cheering you.
Tomorrow the newspapers will be
about nothing other than you.
People will see it was
about my feelings for you.
If you had any feelings for me,
if you had any understanding of me
if you had anything between your
ears other than self-obsession,
you would know public displays
like that horrify me.
- Everything I do seems to horrify you.
- Increasingly, yes!
I never thought you'd manage this,
but you're really succeeding now.
- And what's that?
- I'm starting to properly loathe you!
What's taken you so long?
The rest of us have been
there for some time!
- What are you doing?
- I'm going back to Gloucestershire.
Of course.
It's where she'll be waiting for you.
I'm sure she'll know exactly
how to make you happy.
Charles and Diana seem
to be getting on again.
Hallelujah.
Apparently, she surprised
him with a dance
last night at the opera house.
- Really?
- Full of high kicks and spins.
Why did you never do that for me?
- Dance on your birthday?
- Yes.
Like Salome.
Because, if memory serves,
you had your own ballerinas for that.
Honestly.
The rubbish you talk sometimes.
It says here they're off to
Switzerland, skiing with friends.
Perhaps their marriage
has turned a corner.
Now, much more importantly,
who is Billy "Jo-el"?
Billy Joel.
- Oh, Joel.
- Yes.
"Uptown Girl."
What are you talking about?
Right.
Right. Obviously, the minute
you can confirm anything.
Anything at all.
I need to see the Queen and the
Duke of Edinburgh immediately.
Prince Charles has been
caught in an avalanche
at the Swiss resort of Klosters.
The Prince of Wales was skiing
with a group of friends
when the avalanche struck
at a quarter to three
had been the warning
of possible avalanches in the region
after heavy snowfall
Rescue helicopters are
attending the scene,
but it is not known whether
the prince has survived.
A desperate rescue
operation is now underway.
Efforts to locate the prince continue
They were on the Haglamadd,
a notoriously challenging
off-piste slope
um
when the avalanche struck.
It seems that two of the party
were hit and swept away.
What
Why were they even skiing if
the conditions were dangerous?
Conditions this morning
were apparently ideal.
And a male body has been found?
Those are the first
unconfirmed reports, yes.
Obviously, every effort possible is
being made to identify the body,
but should the unthinkable
turn out to be true
and the Prince of Wales
is in fact, um
Um
We have contingency plans in place
for all members of the royal family.
"Menai Bridge" is no exception.
It's the code name for the
death of the Prince of Wales.
Yes, thank you, Martin.
Why bridges?
We're all bridges.
I'm London Bridge. Mummy's Tay
Bridge. You're Forth Bridge.
The choice of name
was to suggest a link
between this life and
and the next.
We've had it confirmed.
The Prince of Wales is safe, ma'am.
Although one of the guests,
Mrs. Palmer-Tomkinson,
is still in intensive care,
and the one fatality
was Hugh Lindsay.
- Oh, no.
- His wife
uh, widow
works in the press office.
- Sarah.
- Mmm.
- If you wanted to send a letter
- Of course.
Martin?
Yes, ma'am, just to say
along with the coverage of His
Royal Highness's near escape,
we should also brace ourselves
for more speculation
about the Waleses' marriage.
It seems the prince and princess
had not been on the best of terms
prior to the accident, and
we'd received reports of
arguments and raised voices.
Certain newspapers were
about to run stories,
and although we might expect
a reprieve of a few days,
given the circumstances,
we can't expect it to last for long.
Ma'am.
The Prince and Princess of Wales
are traveling back to
Britain this afternoon,
following a devastating accident
that has cut short their
skiing holiday in Switzerland.
On board their flight will be
the body of Major Hugh Lindsay,
a close friend of the couple, who
died in the avalanche yesterday.
The Prince of Wales was himself
only inches away from death
- They said you were on your way.
- Hello, darling.
Oh, thank you.
What have I done now?
You? Nothing.
But as his sister and confidante,
I thought you might throw
some light on a subject
about which I've been
ostriching, rather.
The true state of Charles's marriage.
You don't want to know.
Actually, I do.
- Tea?
- Yes, please.
Thank you.
The truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth?
Please.
All right.
Once upon a time, there
was a beautiful young girl
who fell madly in love
with a handsome prince.
Unfortunately, the prince was
already in love with someone else,
who was herself in love
with someone else,
and they all lived unhappily ever after.
That's it, in a nutshell.
Do you need more?
A little.
There's already a big age difference,
but Charles is older than his years,
and Diana is younger than hers,
which makes it not an age
gap but an age chasm.
On the face of it, they come from
similar aristocratic backgrounds,
but their personalities come
from different planets.
They have different
interests, different friends.
He doesn't understand her.
She doesn't understand him.
And considering all that,
they've done remarkably well.
But
there comes a point in
any failing marriage,
and here I speak with some experience,
when you realize there's no
point in trying anymore,
and it's easier to just let
the current take you away.
And the minute Harry was
born and duty was done,
the marriage was effectively over,
and they started to find
comfort in the arms of others.
How many others?
Diana's been with her bodyguard,
her riding instructor
- And Charles?
- He's just been with one.
He's also been a bit more discreet.
The only people who
know about Camilla
Pretty much the whole
of Gloucestershire,
who all seem involved
in facilitating it.
You can't conduct an extramarital affair
without somewhere to meet or sleep or
Yes, thank you.
But Diana
Aunt Margot tells me
at Kensington Palace,
it's like a revolving door.
That
"suitors" park outside her office
because it's the only place
with no security cameras.
One after another.
In and out.
In and out.
Unfortunately, the Wales
marriage is a rare example
of something that is actually
worse than the newspapers report.
Sir
the Queen has asked to see you
and the Princess of Wales
at the earliest opportunity.
You must be so shocked
by what's happened.
It's all too awful to comprehend.
But there is something
I want to tell you.
In the moment the avalanche
was bearing down on me,
in that ghastly moment where
I was sure I was going to die,
I had a profound realization.
This whole thing
my marriage, this situation,
the whole charade is madness.
- Hi.
- Hey!
I only want to be with you.
But you are with me.
I mean fully. Completely.
As my wife.
Oh, darling
The rest of it is just a terrible lie
that is making everyone involved
in it, everyone, utterly wretched.
Sir?
Thank you, Nigel.
Mummy.
Thank you both for coming.
I asked you here today
because word has reached me
about the difficulties
you're experiencing.
But something as important as the
marriage of the future monarch
simply cannot be allowed to fail.
Your marriage, all our marriages,
are a reflection on the
integrity of the Crown.
And if they show cracks
that they cannot be relied upon,
then the constancy and stability
that the monarchy is
supposed to represent
is called into question too.
So I would like to ask one
fundamental question of you both.
Does either of you no longer
want this marriage to work?
Well
now that you mention it
I have given it all some thought.
- And
- No.
Wait!
I still want to make this marriage work.
With all my heart.
Then why have you broken your
vows, as I understand you have?
Because
sometimes
you don't know how you
feel about something
until you've nearly had it taken away.
The moment I heard about the avalanche,
and the possibility that
Charles might've
I can't even say it.
In that instant,
I felt an overwhelming
emptiness and loss.
And for the first time,
I saw all the hurt and the pain
that I've been inflicting on you
and you on me.
And suddenly, it all seemed so childish.
So pointless.
And do you understand what it takes
to make a marriage work?
The respect one must
show the other party.
The blind eyes one needs to turn.
The arrangements both
of you must come to.
The freedoms both of you must respect.
And the rules you must abide by.
I am ready to commit to anything.
To go to any lengths.
And I want to say to you
that I'm sorry
for my part
in everything.
Good. Well, that's that, then.
What?
Do I get a chance to speak?
And say what?
What else is there to say?
It's a nightmare.
I had the whole speech prepared,
then out of nowhere, Diana does that.
Ambushes me like that.
And Mummy, well, you know her.
So grateful the subject was over,
she couldn't get out of
the room quickly enough.
Well, I won't let this go.
I spoke to my protection officers.
They all know what she gets up
to, and if anything happens,
if Diana puts even the
slightest foot wrong,
if she even thinks about straying
they'll let me know.
Major Hewitt's gone.
Eyes left.
I gave him the heave-ho.
Everyone else too.
No more little flirtations.
No more plan Bs.
All doors firmly shut.
Any more telephone calls
from Major Hewitt,
make sure to say I'm out.
I don't want to hear from him.
He can't just show up.
He's not welcome here anymore.
Ma'am.
For the first time,
things do feel different.
I feel different.
Because I've realized how much I
want to make this marriage work.
And to that end, with our seventh
anniversary coming up
Well
I've had some ideas.
On the 21st, we have lunch
at the Community Enterprise
Trust in Hartlepool,
followed by a turf-cutting ceremony
at Hilton Colliery redevelopment
site in Sunderland.
What about the 22nd?
A presentation of new colors
to the 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders
at Fort George, Inverness.
I'm trying to find time
for a weekend in Scotland
with Mrs. Parker Bowles.
What about the 29th?
- That might be tricky.
- Why? I'm free the day before.
I'm not due back in Cornwall until
the 2nd, which is a Tuesday.
The 29th is your wedding
anniversary, sir.
Of course.
As a matter of fact,
the Princess of Wales made a point
of requesting you be in
Highgrove that weekend.
She said she had something
specific in mind.
I just can't handle it ♪
This thing called love ♪
I must get round to it ♪
I ain't ready ♪
Crazy little thing called love ♪
Be cool, relax ♪
Get hip ♪
And get on my tracks ♪
Take a back seat, hitchhike ♪
And take a long ride on my motorbike ♪
Until I'm ready ♪
Crazy little thing called love ♪
- Who's that?
- Hello, boys.
Come on. Let's have you.
In you go. Come on.
There's three more over there!
Three in a boat!
Prince overboard!
I'm coming!
- Push me, Harry!
- I'll help.
Right.
Thank you.
Gosh.
Oh, we haven't done our presents.
Right. Yes.
Thank you.
Aedes Althorpianae.
The history of your family home.
Commissioned by your great-great-great
grandfather in 1822.
It's a first edition.
Oh, Charles, that's lovely.
Thank you.
Now me.
It's a bit smaller.
Mmm.
Thank you.
I know how horrified you were
the last time I performed for you,
about how public it was.
I wasn't horrified.
Yes, you were.
I was a little shocked.
- Taken by surprise.
- I know.
But I love to perform.
It's how I can best express myself,
and
how I can show what I really feel.
So this time,
it's just between us.
No public. No one watching.
- What is this?
- Wait, watch.
No more talk of darkness ♪
Forget these wide-eyed fears ♪
I'm here, nothing will harm you ♪
My words will warm and calm you ♪
Let me be your freedom ♪
Let daylight dry your tears ♪
I'm here, with you, beside you ♪
To guard you and to guide you ♪
Say you love me ♪
Every waking moment ♪
Turn my head ♪
With talk of summertime ♪
Say you need me ♪
With you now and always ♪
It was monstrous. Awful.
I thought the agony she inflicted
on me at the opera house
- couldn't be topped.
- What was it?
A video of Diana singing
some dreadful song
in some musical.
- Phantom of the Opera. Imagine!
- What?
On the actual stage in the West End,
in costume, with all the real actors.
- Singing?
- If you could call it that.
I didn't know where to look.
The chap playing the Phantom at
least had a mask to hide behind!
Honestly, there's nothing
more exhausting
than putting on a kind face.
I never realized how much
scaffolding a smile required.
When is this nightmare
ever going to end?
- Oh, Charles.
- What?
I'm going to be frank with you.
No one wants your marriage
to end, not a single person.
Not Diana, not your children,
not your mother or father, not me,
not a single one of your friends,
and, most importantly, not even
the woman you think loves you.
- Oh, what rubbish!
- No, listen!
Listen to me.
No one can bear to watch
the mess you are making,
and someone needs to
explain things to you.
I'm close to Camilla's
husband, as you know
Yes, I'm aware.
and speak to Andrew regularly.
And while theirs is not
a perfect marriage
- Understatement.
- it is a long-lasting marriage.
And, in its own way, a happy marriage.
- She's not happy.
- She's happier than you think.
- That he's bedding most of her friends?
- It's complicated!
The majority of marriages survive
because the majority of
people aren't fantasists.
They are realists
and accept the imperfect
reality of being human.
And although Camilla doubtless has
feelings for you, deep feelings,
it is maybe not quite the great
Romeo-Juliet thing you imagine.
What? You're lying.
No, I'm not. I'm trying to protect you.
I come here seeking comfort from
my sibling, and what do I get?
The unvarnished truth.
What does one have to do to get
some kindness in this family?
I can't stay long.
The children are home.
I need to know.
Do you still have feelings for Andrew?
- What?
- I don't mean normal feelings.
He's your husband and the
father of your children.
I mean special feelings.
Anne told me that
Andrew, not I, was the
big love of your life,
and that your feelings for me
were perhaps not as
deep as I'd imagined.
That's not true.
Andrew has never adored me like you do.
Or shown me the same devotion.
He also doesn't need me like you do.
I do need you.
And that's why it's so important
we both feel the same
and want the same.
And that if the opportunity
were to present itself
and I were able to escape this
calamity of a marriage
that you'd be prepared to do the
same thing and leave Andrew.
Can you make me that promise?
What we both want and what we can
actually do are not the same thing.
It's important we remain realistic, sir.
But you have my word.
My love for you is real.
I should go.
and the environments
are being damaged.
Mrs. Thatcher has been
welcomed in Canberra
by the Australian prime minister
And one
and two and three and four
and turn towards the barre
And arms like this.
Come along, Diana.
And and again. And one
and two and three and
Highgrove.
Sir, the Princess of Wales on the phone.
No.
Very good.
I'm afraid the Prince of
Wales isn't available,
but I will inform him you called.
And I want you ♪
And I want you ♪
And I want you ♪
Hello?
Well, well, well
- Sir.
- Yes.
- Sir.
- Yes.
News from Kensington.
The Princess of Wales has been
meeting Major Hewitt in private.