Victoria

Yah! Yah!

Begging your pardon, ma'am, the messenger from Windsor is here.

He has a black armband on his right arm.

You are the first to know.

And no-one else knows?

I came straight to you, Sir John, as instructed.

Good man. I must get to work.

And I suggest you smarten yourself up.

You are Steward of the Queen's Household now.

The messenger's here.

With a black armband,

Your Majesty.

I can manage, Lehzen.

Alone.

It is my sad duty to inform you that the King breathed his last at twelve minutes past two.

My poor dear uncle.

May God have mercy on his soul.

Your Majesty.

Naughty Dashy.

Gloriana

Hallelujah

Gloriana

Hallelujah

Gloriana, hallelujah

Hallelujah!

Prime Minister?

The King?

- Coffee. - Yes, sir.

Drina, was ist...

- Der Koenig? - Yes, Mama.

Mein liebling.

Mein kleines Madchen is the Queen.

No more German, Mama.

You must remember you are the mother of the Queen of England now.

Oh, Sir John.

That awful old man is dead and now little Drina is Queen.

So, I suppose the first thing to decide is how you will style yourself.

Alexandrina, that's too foreign,

and Victoria is hardly the name for a queen.

We need something more traditional, like Elizabeth perhaps, or Anne.

I think Elizabeth II sounds very well.

Your Majesty.

Lady Flora, don't you think Elizabeth would be an excellent name?

- A reminder of a great queen. - Yes.

Has the Archbishop come? We must not keep him waiting.

Actually, the Archbishop has already left.

You saw him on your own?

I intend to see all my ministers alone.

This is not a game!

In future...

.. you must be accompanied by your mother or me.

William, do stop for a moment.

Is it true the King is dead?

I am on my way now to Kensington to kiss hands with the new Queen.

I hear her tongue is too big for her mouth.

Nonsense, I have seen the Queen and she is perfectly formed.

- So, William, why the long face? - Oh, I'm tired of governing.

I wish I could just retire to Brocket Hall and contemplate the rooks.

The rooks must wait.

Your queen needs you, your party needs you,

and I would very much like a place at court.

In that case, Emma, I say I have no choice but to shoulder my burden.

Good day.

I think it's a little late for Blackstone's commentaries now, Lehzen.

We haven't got very far with our studies of the constitution.

I'll just have to do the best I can.

I suppose I shall be returning to Hanover.

You are not needing a governess now.

Dearest Lehzen, someone has to run my household,

the way I would like it.

The Queen wants all her things

moved into the blue state room tonight.

She will be sleeping there from now on.

I will have to talk to Sir John about that.

No, Mr Penge, you will not.

The Queen has put me in charge of the Royal Household.

I congratulate you, Baroness.

I warn you, Mr Penge.

I intend to run this household according to modern principles of economy.

I will want to see all the accounts,

and that includes the Dressers' Book, Mrs Jenkins.

I will have no patience with extravagance.

So now we are answerable to a governess.

And a German one at that!

God save the Queen.

And all who work for her.

Prime Minister, a moment of your time.

The Queen has led the most sheltered life until now

and her mother is concerned that she should not be overburdened.

As her mother's trusted advisor,

if I were to act as the Queen's private secretary,

you could be sure that your interests would be served most faithfully.

Well, thank you, Sir John. I shall bear that in mind.

Lord Melbourne is here.

Perhaps I should stay as chaperone.

No, a monarch always meets the prime minister alone.

Drina, I mean, Majesty...

.. I have always tried to shield you from these things,

but Lord Melbourne, I'm afraid, is disreputable!

Nevertheless, I will meet him alone.

You may go in now.

May I offer you my condolences on the death of your uncle, Your Majesty.

He was always kind to me.

Though he did have some strange ideas about who I should marry.

I believe he favoured the Prince of Orange.

A prince with a head the size of a pumpkin.

I see you have a keen eye for detail, Ma'am.

May I?

- What's her name? - She doesn't have a name.

She's number 123.

My mother gave her to me on my 11th birthday.

- With the crown? - That came later.

I made it for her on the day I realised I would be queen.

When was that?

I was 13.

I was having a history lesson with Lehzen. She showed me the family tree

and I looked at it for a long time.

And then I realised I was next.

Were you pleased?

I remember thinking my uncle's crown would be too big for me.

I believe you are acquainted with my mother's advisor, Sir John Conroy.

I have met him, Ma'am. I would not say we were acquaintances.

He would like to be your private secretary.

That is out of the question.

- I see. - He means to run me, as he runs my mother.

Well, then, you must have someone else.

Perhaps I might act for you.

There's a great deal of business that needs to be attended to.

The despatch boxes are probably already on their way to you

with documents that require your signature.

Tomorrow is the Privy Council.

Thank you, Lord Melbourne, but when I require assistance, I will ask for it.

In that case, Ma'am.

You are going to Kensington Palace?

To swear allegiance to my niece.

She is very young and rather delicate.

Now your foolish brother is dead, if anything should happen to her,

you are the heir to the throne.

Gentlemen.

Shall we?

My Lords...

.. now that it has pleased Almighty God to call to his mercy my uncle...

Can't hear you.

I know that I'm young.

And some would say my sex puts me at a disadvantage.

But I know my duty,

and I assure you I am ready

for the great responsibility that lies before me.

Your Majesty.

- Lord Ilchester. - Lord Ilchester.

- Lord Howard. - Your Majesty.

- Lord Howard. - Your Majesty.

- Viscount Falkland. - Viscount Falkland.

Lord Shaftesbury.

- Your Majesty. - Lord Fitzroy.

I believe you know this one.

- Your Majesty. - Uncle Cumberland.

- When will you be going to Hanover? - I am in no hurry.

My first loyalty is to the British throne.

I'm sure the people of Hanover will be sorry to hear that.

I believe there's quite a crowd outside

waiting to hear the proclamation.

Perhaps now would be a good time to show yourself on the balcony.

In the proclamation,

I am referred to as Alexandrina Victoria.

But I do not like the name Alexandrina.

From now on...

I wish to be called... Victoria.

Queen Victoria.

This is Miss Skerrett.

She is to work with you, Mrs Jenkins, as a dresser.

But the senior dresser always chooses her own assistants.

- I've already made enquiries. - I've saved you the trouble.

Miss Skerrett was a pupil at the Chiswick Institute

and has come highly recommended by the principal.

I'm sure Mrs Jenkins will be very grateful for the help.

Highly recommended, is it?

Aren't we the lucky ones? What is it they taught you there, hm?

Astronomy? The pianoforte? French?

Some French, ma'am, but mostly needlework,

and how to make myself useful.

At least you're English. There's enough Germans at the palace.

Pumpernickel Palace.

I will do my best, Papa.

Still playing with dolls, Your Royal Highness?

Forgive me. Still playing with dolls, Your Majesty?

You must look over the letters patent.

There are still so many decisions to be made.

And I believe there are several bishoprics to be filled.

I think, Sir John, now that I'm queen,

I do not need your assistance. Thank you.

What?

Do you really imagine that you can step

from the schoolroom straight to the throne without guidance?

Do you have any idea of what is at stake here?

I'd have been better prepared

if you'd allowed me to go out into society

instead of keeping me here at Kensington all the time.

I know my duty is to serve my country.

Mama, you know I'm ready.