Victoria

I did my best to be a friend to your mother

Leopold told me that he believes that he is my father.

Behaving like Ernest will not help.

I appreciate your strength of purpose.

About last night... I'm sorry for how I spoke to you.

You cannot torment yourself forever.

I must repeal the laws protecting the price of wheat.

Vicky's looking rather thin. These midsummer evenings are enchanting.

And now the other way.

Please don't let me interrupt the recital.

Uncle Leopold.

What a surprise. I know I should have written,

but I'm afraid I acted on impulse.

I wanted to see my family.

I missed your birthday, Albert.

I wanted you to have something to remember me by.

How thoughtful.

Please excuse me.

Albert does not seem in a very receptive mood.

Are you surprised?

Everything I do is for the family, Victoria.

Really?

I don't see how your revelation has helped Albert.

A real father wouldn't have been so selfish.

What you are suggesting will be the death of British agriculture.

There are more people living in our towns now than countryside.

Free trade is the only way to make food affordable to everyone.

We have a responsibility to those less fortunate than ourselves.

I take care of my people. I'm talking about members

of the labouring classes not lucky enough to work for you.

I won't do it. I gave my word as a gentleman

to uphold the Corn Laws and I'm not in the habit of breaking my word.

Duke?

20 years ago, when I became prime minister,

I thought I could never support Catholic emancipation,

but when I took office I realised that a leader must put the good

of his country before his own inclinations.

Or even the will of his party.

You have my support, Prime Minister.

'And the King destroyed all the spinning wheels.'

I can remember this story, Lehzen.

You used to read it to me when I was little.

Why's it so cold in here?

Baroness, how many times do I have to ask you?

Please do not leave the windows open whilst Vicky is in the nursery.

She has such a delicate constitution.

I've asked you many times before.

Cannot allow her to catch a chill.

What an old nanny goat you, Albert.

I had the windows open all the time when I was in Kensington, didn't I?

Yes, Majesty. The benefits of fresh air are considerable in my view.

More story. Yes, darling, but first

Mama is just going to open up this window, for some fresh air.

Very well. I shall leave you to your...

fairy tales.

You look like Narcissus,

wondering who the beautiful creature gazing back at him from the pool

could possibly be. Narcissus was a man.

This woman was just thinking how haggard she looks.

That's exactly what I was thinking, too.

Forgive me for interrupting your tete-a-tete,

but I wonder if I might steal my nephew from you, Duchess?

We have some Coburg matters to discuss.

Certainly.

Have you heard of the English saying, 'a bull in the china shop'?

But I am famous throughout the courts of Europe

for my tact, Ernest.

Hm.

It is time for this House

to decide the fate of England.

Will we advance into the future... Hear, hear!

or recede into the past?

Is this a country that can only flourish

in the sickly atmosphere of prohibition and tariffs?

No!

Let trade be free between nations.

Choose the future, not the past!

The Honourable Member for Lincoln.

Mr. Speaker,

is the Tory party really going to stand by

while our prime minister renders us dependent on foreigners for food,

because he has listened to the clamour of the mob?

I call upon all like-minded Tories

to join me in resisting with every parliamentary means

this heinous betrayal of every virtue

that our great party stands for!

Peel may be a friend to the working man,

but he's a traitor to his party.

The Corn Laws, Mr. Penge?

He's caving in to the demands of the Anti-Corn-Law League.

But people are starving, Mr. Penge.

Sometimes, a man must do what he believes to be right.

Sooner or later.

The opposition to repeal is all from my own party.

You're the only man who can pass this bill.

You may be right, ma'am,

but even if I am successful, it will be the end of my career.

They will never forgive me. Don't say that. Your country needs you.

So do I. Not to mention Albert would be...

Albert will be what?

Astonished if the Repeal Bill did not pass.

Oh, of course it will pass.

I hope you are right, sir. Do you know what I think, Sir Robert?

Five years from now, when the Parliament building is completed,

I believe you will be the prime minister that opens it.

Is that the Bible, Miss Coke?

On a Wednesday?

I was just reading about David and Jonathan.

When Jonathan dies, David says he loves him

with a love surpassing women.

I never knew that the Bible could be so tender.

You look smart. Are you going out for dinner?

Yes, I am.

I hope you enjoy yourself. Thank you, Miss Coke.

My apologies.

The Corn Laws debate will go on for days.

The sleeping beauties on our back benches have woken and aren't happy.

My father and his friends think repeal

will be the end of civilisation as we know it.

With respect, the days when men like your father

will rule the country are coming to an end.

Well. Poor Papa.

But let's not talk about politics. No. Oysters and champagne.

Yes, sir.

There's something I must tell you.

You've set a date, haven't you, for your wedding?

I've decided to break off the engagement.

Why? She seems a perfectly admirable wife for a man with prospects.

I think you, of all people, must understand why it cannot be.

Cannot be! How dramatic you are, Drummond.

After Scotland I feel it's only right.

A successful politician needs to have a wife.

Now, you are going to be a successful politician, Drummond,

I know it. You're going to make a difference in the world.

You can't throw that away for some indiscretion.

An indiscretion?

I can't let you jeopardise your career.

Surely that is for me to decide.

You are not thinking clearly, Drummond.

Gentlemen, your oysters.

I find I am not hungry.

One, two...

What do you think, Lehzen? Shall I send for Sir James?

Sir James!

He'll just pull a long face and prescribe calves' foot jelly.

What the Princess needs is some amusement in the fresh air.

Yes, yes, I'm sure you're right.

Why don't we take her for a drive in the park, hm?

Would you like that, darling?

I am just on my way to a meeting.

Then I will accompany you.

A private... meeting.

In Coburg, perhaps I should not have spoken as I did.

Oh, Penge, could you tell the kitchens

the Princess will have bread and milk for supper?

Doesn't the Princess care for pickled herring and sauerkraut?

The Prince has some outlandish ideas about diet.

Hm. But in my experience, he doesn't like to be challenged.

The Queen and I are in full agreement.

No doubt, Baroness, but it's never a good idea to come between husband and wife.

Come in.

Your Royal Highness. I wanted to enquire

as to how the Repeal Bill was progressing.

I have opened up a chasm in my own party, sir.

They accuse me of breaking my word. Oh.

You and I are the same, I think.

Thin-skinned. Hm.

After 30 years in the House, I should be used to it.

But I am no kind of host, sir. Would you care for a brandy?

Thank you.

Well, a toast, therefore, to the thin-skinned.

May we always be stout-hearted.

Do you know, Sir Robert,

when I first came to this country I was so... disappointed.

I could not understand how in such a powerful nation, the politicians

were so determined to keep still, to deny the march of progress.

Hm.

Then I met you and I realized my judgment had been...

hasty.

You must persevere,

for this country's sake, and also, I must say,

for my own.

I wish I had you beside me on the front bench, sir.

Those damned rotten potatoes are the cause of it all.

I think Sir Robert is doing the right thing.

But, with respect, even your support

won't keep that bounder George Bentinck and his cronies

off Peel's back. They would rather be out of power for a generation

than support the best leader the Tory party's ever had.

As Queen, I can do nothing,

but you, Duke, you could talk to them.

If they were my soldiers, I would have them flogged

for insubordination, but the party has no discipline.

I'm afraid they will bring Peel down.

You are too pessimistic, Duke.

You don't win as many battles as I have, ma'am,

by underestimating the enemy.

Victoria, she does look rather flushed.

I do think perhaps she has a fever.

It is a healthy glow, sir. From the fresh air.