Victoria

Good morning, Your Royal Highness.

I am sorry to disturb you, sir, but I've just heard

the Russian exhibits have been held up.

Held, held up?By ice.

In the Baltic.

It's been a long winter.

It has been a long winter.

Well.

Albert,

you must come and have breakfast.

Your Majesty.Ah, Mr. Cole.

You're here already.

Albert, I know you're busy, but you must eat.

The Russian ships have frozen in the Baltic.

I promise the exhibition will be fine

without a few sable pelts and dried herrings.

Actually, ma'am, they were sending samples of minerals

that could...Won't it, Mr. Cole?

Mmm.

Very well.

Awful.

Colonel Sibthorp.

Demanding I put a stop

to this "crystal abomination."

Really.

Can't he see Albert's a visionary?

Perhaps only a wife can truly appreciate his... genius.

What do you mean?Just that...

Your belief in Albert

must be such a solace to him at the moment.

People are being so unkind.

Monmouth says Sophie has taken a turn for the worse.

I had no idea it was so serious.

Did you, Emma?

Why, no, ma'am.

In fact, she has been looking very well of late.

Bloooming, I would say.

She's suffering from...

some kind of inflammation of the brain

that requires complete rest and seclusion.

I am so sorry

to have been the bearer of bad news.

It is so illogical.

The United States have sent

their steam-powered threshing machine,

and now the vice president is concerned

about hailstones breaking the glass roof.

What does it matter

if some lily-livered American won't show up?

The exhibition is for the people,

and I'm sure they can't wait

to see their steam-powered threshing machine.

Hmm.Adelheid.

Let me introduce my foreign secretary,

Lord Palmerston.

Serene Highness.

Adelheid has barely left the school room,

Lord Palmerston.

Heidi,

we must talk about your dress for the exhibition.

I only have two dresses,

and I'm afraid they are not chic.

Then we must go and talk to my dresser.

And I'm sure Feo would be happy

to lend you some of her new jewels.

Feodora, of course,

you will be looking for a match

for Heidi, no?

Eh, she's still so young.

Ah, well, the king of Prussia's brother Sigmund will be coming.

If Heidi were to find him agreeable,

I think it could be most suitable.

Vicky, of course, will marry the crown prince,

but until then, it could be beneficial

to have an ally in Berlin.

Do you not think, Lord Palmerston?

If you say so, sir.

You are most thoughtful, Albert.

"Prince Florizel asked the king if he could marry his daughter.

"And the king, with tears in his eyes,

"gave him his blessing.

"And so Aurora and Florizel were married.

"And they lived happily ever after.

The end."

Now...

Time for bed.

Time for bed.

Good night.

Papa told Aunt Feo

that I'm going to marry the crown prince

and live in Berlin.

But I want to stay here, with you.

Yes, well, you do now,

but one day, you'll want your own family.

But I promise,

when you do marry,

you will marry just as I did-- for love.

Do you think cousin Adelheid will marry for love?

Yes.

Yes, I'm, I'm sure she will.

Will Papa come and say good night?

Maybe not tonight, darling.

Now, bed.

Good night.

Good night, Mama.

Russell.

I've just had a dispatch

from Paris.

There's been a coup,

and Louis Napoleon has declared himself emperor.

Who'd have thought that after Waterloo

there would be another Bonaparte emperor?

Well, he's nothing like his uncle.

He's even shorter,

apparently,

and he has no plans to attack Britain.

How can you be sure?

Well, because he'll be too busy

licking his own country into shape.

You seem very confident.

He may be a Frenchman,

but Louis Napoleon is someone I can do business with.

I want to see my son.I'm sure you do.

However, I think he would find the sight

of his lunatic mother

rather distressing.

Don't you?

Perhaps it's time I sent you

to the asylum,

where you can be properly cared for.

There is nothing wrong with me.

When the queen hears about what you've done,

she will demand that you set me free.

Oh, how remiss of me.

Her Majesty sent over some calf's foot jelly.

She does so hope you'll be better for the exhibition.

What a shame you'll have to disappoint her.

Oh, The Timestoday said,

"The influx of visitors from all over the world

"will likely result in fermentation of a new plague,

just as the Black Death followed the Crusades."

How, how can a, a respectable newspaper print

such utter nonsense?

I don't think there is such a thing

as a respectable paper, sir.

Albert.

Hmm?

Your Majesty.

Ah, you're still working.

How can I sleep

knowing that we have not sold enough tickets?

But I thought the excursion fares

were going to make all the difference.

They are helping, certainly, ma'am,

but no one's buying the season tickets.

It seems that society women

do not wish to rub shoulders

with the ruffians and foreigners.

Might they want to shake hands with their queen?

Why, yes indeed, ma'am.

Mmm, then I think we have a solution, Mr. Cole.

Victoria, no.

I do not want to use you to sell tickets.

And I, Albert,

do not want your great creation to fail.

And more importantly, I want you to get some sleep.

Perhaps you are right.Yes.

Indeed.

Good night, Mr. Cole.

Ma'am.

Come on.

Yes, very well, very well.

It is magnificent, my love.

But it will still be there in the morning.

In Burma,

the kings, they have these sacred elephants

that are silver in color.

And if a king gives an elephant to a subject,

it is seen as a sign of great fortune.

The animals are too sacred to put to work,

and of course they cannot be sold.

They are so expensive to keep,

that sometimes the new owners are forced to choose

between feeding their children

and feeding the beast.

That is what The Timescalled this today.

A white elephant.

I am afraid I have built a monument to my own folly.

Fiddlesticks.

People just have to get used to the idea, that's all.

And if they do not?

Well, if they do not...

Then you will still be my husband,

the father of my children,

my beloved.

Your hand is like ice.

Your Serene Highness!

What are you doing in the park?

I'm coming to see the prince's creation.

Ah.