The Crown

More than half a million people pack Epsom to bursting point.

And now, to watch the coronation derby comes Her Majesty The Queen.

Her car bearing the royal standard

moves slowly down the course from Tatnum Corner.

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh,

the Queen waves acknowledgement to the welcoming cheers.

The crowds pour their appreciation for the dashing handsome couple,

a symbol of a new era.

Half a million people.

At a racecourse.

Thanks to the coronation, your sister is now the most famous woman in the world.

Yes.

But I'm the luckiest.

- And on our romantic trip to Rhodesia... - Official duty in Rhodesia.

- With the man I love. - Secretly love.

I will be the happiest.

I've got a story, chief. It's important.

As long as it's not about the Royal family, Bill, I'm all ears.

It is about the Royal family, chief.

Let me guess, how thanks to one beautiful young woman,

one short televised ceremony...

Oh, thank you, Bob.

A tired anachronistic institution has rejuvenated,

a nation is liberated from the austerity of rationing and war,

our place as a leading power in the world has re-established

when it seemed to be slipping. What a load of bollocks.

- Snifter? - I shouldn't.

- Oh, go on. It's nearly lunchtime. - Papers, sir.

- Thanks, Mary. - My job.

- It's Princess Margaret. - What about her?

Leaving the Abbey on the day of the coronation,

I saw her picking a piece of fluff off a man's uniform.

- Fluff? - Yes. Fluff.

Jesus, Bill, I thought we did serious reporting here.

This is serious

because the man in question, her father's former equerry,

Group Captain Peter Townsend, is a commoner,

and wait for it, a divorced commoner.

Historically, when this lot brush up against divorce

you end up with either reformation or abdication.

Will church and state clash again? It's a big story.

So are comet jet planes dropping out of the sky,

Stalin's death ushering in a power reshuffle in the Soviet Union.

Let me write it up, chief. I've got a feeling about this one.

Based on what?

What are you doing, man?

Picking fluff off a man's jacket that's a gesture as intimate as a kiss,

more intimate, since it suggests the kiss has already happened.

No. I'm sorry, Bill. I can't hold the front page for a bit of fluff.

Let me write it, chief. Then you decide.

All right.

Make sure it's peppery.

- Make sure it pops. - Yes, sir!

Switchboard. Good morning, Your Royal Highness.

Good morning. I would like to speak to my sister, please.

One moment, please.

- London. - Buckingham Palace, please.

- Victoria 48, 32. - Hold the line.

Buckingham Palace, good morning.

Go ahead, please.

I have Her Royal Highness the Princess Margaret for Her Majesty.

- Certainly, sir. - Thank you.

Can you hold the line?

- Sir, Princess Margaret for Her Majesty. - Thank you.

Hello?

I have Her Royal Highness the Princess Margaret for Her Majesty.

Yes, sir, breakfast room.

- Breakfast room - Yes, sir.

Telephone call for you, ma'am.

Yes?

Her Royal Highness the Princess Margaret, Your Majesty.

Thank you.

- Hello, you. - Hello, you.

So, I was wondering if you had a free evening soon

where we all might have dinner together.

- Before I go to Rhodesia. - I'm sure I do.

- Thursday? Mummy's out. - I'd have to check.

- Lovely. - And, who's "us all"?

You, and me, and Philip and...

And I'd like to bring Peter if I may.

- What, Peter-Peter? - Yes, Peter.

Oh.

- What does that mean, oh? - Nothing. Oh, how nice.

There's something we'd like to discuss with you.

- Oh? - There you go again.

- Sorry. Am I going to be given a clue? - No.

Oh.

- Stop it. - Sorry.

- So Thursday evening, then? You'll check? - Fine.

It will be such fun.

Lovely.

Lovely.

Oh.

Here we are.

- Sir. - Lovely, thank you.

Sir.

- What's your name then, my darling? - Thank you, gentlemen, thank you.

Thank you very much, gentlemen, thank you.

You're too kind, you're too kind.

A special guest joins us this afternoon,

who's just returned from a year in post-revolutionary Cairo

working as a photojournalist.

Our fellow lunch club member, Tony Longdon.

All-Night-Longdon.

Thank you, chaps, it's very nice to be back, I must say.

Ladies, might we close the shutters, please?

Lovely!

I am, as Baron says, fresh from the streets of Cairo,

and I'm still trying to digest the hurricane of popular uprising,

violent military coup and revolution that I have just witnessed.

Bloody natives.

You all know King Farouk. Colourful character.

- He owned more than a hundred cars. - Almost as much as me.

- Had them all painted red. - Splendid.

He used to race them through streets of Cairo,

shooting at any pedestrians who happen to get in his way.

- Hear, hear. - Peasant shoot!

Probably why he was forced to abdicate last year.

And now, this man, Nasser, is the name on everyone's lips.

He has the charisma to unite not just his own country,

but the entire Arab world.

Stirring up anti-Western, anti-monarchical sentiment.

This is Shepheard's.

A famous British hotel. A symbol of colonial rule.

Before riots...

- God. - And after.

That writing. What does it say?

"Death to the Imperialists."

However, it's not all doom and gloom.

Mike, got something a little special for you here.

Now, that's what I'm talking about.

- Give him a tip. - Don't tell my wife.

Good tip.

- Where were you today? - Nowhere.

Well, clearly somewhere. But nowhere that would interest you.

It's a lunch club.

- Where? - Soho.

Oh.

With just men.

Talking about women.

No. Talking about Egypt if you must know.

And the revolution that's just taken place there.

Along with the unrest in Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Italy.

Please take note.

Yes, a little bit about the fairer sex over coffee and the odd brandy.

What do you expect? It's a gentlemen's lunch club.

- So, what's the guest list for tonight? - No one.

- Just you, me, Margaret and, oh, Peter. - What? Townsend Peter?

- Why on earth did we have to dress up? - She insisted.

She wanted to make it a special occasion.

With him? Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

He's not been a naughty boy, has he?

I know as much as you do.

It will be fine.

Come on.

- We'd like to be left alone now. - Yes, ma'am.

Just leave it.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

I asked you here tonight because...

there is something I wanted to discuss with you.

I think you already know that over the years

with Peter being so much part of our family,

and away from his own so much, a friendship has developed between us.

And then, ever since Papa's death hitting me so hard,

and with your succession and coronation and you being more and more occupied,

Peter has become almost my sole companion, and I his.

And so when his divorce came through in December last year,

I suppose it was only natural that we both started thinking about

what kind of...

future we might have together

and we have reached a decision in April, wasn't it?

Just before the coronation...

that one day...

we wanted to...

Well, you know...

- Marry? - Yes.

Goodness.

Well, of course, we're aware of the complications and issues at stake.

Oh, Lilibet, you've known for a while about Peter and I.

This can't really be a terrible shock to you.

No, not at all.

It's wonderful.

- Is there anything you'd like to ask us? - Does your wife know?

- No, ex-wife. - She does. We had a frank conversation.

- There is no animosity. - Oh, good.

- And the boys? - They know and seem very happy.

So...

do I have your permission?

As Sovereign?

Oh.

Well...

Of course, I'll have to take advice...

on the how's and where's and...

all official matters, but if it's what you desire...

More than anything in the world.

Then as your sister, I'm never going to oppose it.

Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. I'm so happy. I'm so happy.

Oh, well. Congratulations, both of you.