Victoria

Order, order!

In the matter of Lajos Kossuth of Hungary.

Who is this tormentor of the Austrian monarchy?

This exile now seeking asylum in Britain?

Mr. Speaker, Kossuth is seen here

as a hero of the common people,

a cat set amongst the fluttering pigeons

of the royal families of Europe.

Order.

Herr Kossuth,

I am the foreign secretary of Great Britain,

and you are most welcome, friend.

Alas, these pigeons,

they fear the conversation.

They are all a-commotion.

Some of them

have even fled their nests.

We seem to be managing all right without them.

And... engage!

Hi-yah!

No mercy, princess.

I know it's the Peninsular War,

but... I'm unclear which battle.

Fuentes de Onoro.

Bertie is the duke of Wellington.

Naturally.

As well as the physical exercise, you see,

there is also a dramatic representation

of military conquest.

So his historical knowledge is expanded.

The English will never take us.

Vive Napoléon!

I wish there were a part for me.

Oh!

Oh!

Well played, sir.

Your Majesty.

Well fought, sir. Well played.

Kossuth was received "rapturously."

Palmerston addressed him as "friend."

Palmerston is a blackguard, and he must be disciplined.

A simpler task were I not 100 miles from Parliament.

We should demonstrate solidarity with our royal counterparts,

not offer sanctuary

to those who seek to annihilate us.

Perhaps I shall write to the emperor

and explain the decision to admit him was not yours.

It wasn't.

Because I wasn't there.

Yes, of course, write a letter.

How else can we participate in government

except by writing letters?

- I didn't cheat. - You did.

Take that!Ow!

Bertie!VICKY: That hurt.

Be gracious in victory.

God's bloody trousers.

I did not enter royal service

to go traipsing around a garden clattering a drum.

Give it up, then.

Like this.

I fear the queen will be very wounded

by Lord Palmerston's remarks.

The man is a scoundrel.

Incorrigible.

I wonder how long we shall remain here.

Your Serene Highness must long for the comforts of home.

My only home, for now, is with my sister;

and if she chooses to live on an island,

so be it.

Though I do wish my bedroom had a view of the sea.

My room looks onto the sea.

Shall we exchange?

How kind you are.

But surely,

you shall be returning home soon?

Your husband must be pining for you.

Do you know what that man has done?

He's sent our son away to boarding school.

The child is six.

It is better that I am here.

Bertie answers to nothing, nothing!

How am I supposed to teach a boy

that...

Oh, but your concern is the report

of your spy in London-- he speaks of what?

Oh, crowds cheering Palmerston, no doubt.

Albert, this is not from London.

It's from Francatelli.

The cook.

He's resigned.

Then he shall be replaced.

Victoria, really,

this is such a, a trivial domestic matter.

Drina, if you will permit,

when we return to London...

Did you know anything about this, Skerrett?

No, ma'am.

Please, um...

Would you mind?

Unleashing your vitriol on Skerrett

is not going to make the situation better.

Vitriol?

I didn't believe you really would.

Well, Mrs. Francatelli,

I did.

And did the world end?

More or less.

They've been at each other's throats for weeks.

Problem is, she's queen of England,

but he's king of the Isle of Wight.

Your turn, my honey.

Do it.

You don't have to say it to her face.

You can write it, like I did.

No.

No, I... I have to say it.

The natural ebb and flow of the staff, Victoria,

is something you must not allow yourself

to be distracted by...Must?

Must?...while we are here.

It is not what matters.

Here, what matters is the children.

Here, they can be occupied.

It is what corrupts the aristocracy,

to have no occupation.

Bertie, for example;

I want Bertie to be able to make things,

to, to repair them when they are broken,

to, to grow the wheat,

make the flour, bake the bread.

But most of all, I want him to... read.

He does not read.

If our children are going to be of value,

it is their duty to be the best.

Our duty to make them so.

I designed this house to be a place

where our children can become superb.

Palmerston has invited Kossuth

to dine with him in his London club.

Albert, that is an insubordination I cannot ignore.

He's lied through his teeth about the Chartists.

And then he... swaggers about,

openly calling me a coward.

Albert, I must return

No, Victoria.

Well, then, London must come to me.

Without your train, Henry,

if that's possible.

Gentlemen,

the prime minister and I have some private business.

Thank you.

We haven't time.

It is not a suggestion.

It's a royal command.

Oh, well.

We couldn't possible refuse one of those, could we?

Can we explore the cave, Papa?

Lead on.

Papa, look!

Well, we must make the most

of what the prince calls, "the amenities."

However unamenable they might seem.

You'll be all right, Your Majesty.

Do you suppose it's possible, actually,

to breathe under the water?

I really don't know, ma'am.

Fish do it.

Hmm.

Right.

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty.

Drina.

Well, I think we have established

the queen of England is...

not a fish.

We came at once, as the situation is clearly urgent.

How may we be of assistance to Your Majesty?

This room is very...

...cozy.

I designed it myself.

Yes, I can see that.

Lord John,

concerning this Kossuth.

It is paramount

we do not antagonize the Austrian monarchy.

I am addressing my prime minister.

Kossuth's reception into Britain

makes my country look duplicitous and weak.

With respect, ma'am...

There is no respect in what you have to say,

Lord Palmerston.

Saying "with respect" does not put it there.

These are matters of foreign diplomacy, ma'am.

I am your foreign secretary.

And we shall come to that.

I understand a member of your cabinet has invited Kossuth

to dine with him-- is that correct?

May... May I speak?

If there is time