A Royal Night Out

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1

Hostilities will end officially

at one minute after midnight tonight.

The German war is therefore at an end.

We may allow ourselves

a brief period of rejoicing.

Today is Victory in Europe Day.

Outside Buckingham Palace,

the crowds cheered themselves hoarse.

We want the King!

We want the King!

Lillibet!

Drawing room.

Hurry.

Half past ten,

Archbishop of Canterbury and Mr Churchill.

Goodness.

Will you alert the Yeoman of the Gold Pantry?

Ah, there you are.

Half past 11,

the Australian High Commissioner

will be joining us for coffee.

- Why the hell wasn't I informed?

- Yes.

- At a quarter past 12...

- You know, Mummy,

it is such a special day.

Lillibet and I could go out, couldn't we?

Out?

Out where?

Into the crowds to celebrate

with everyone else.

You'll be far too busy in here.

Quite.

Bertie, darling, sit down.

Where was I? Quarter past 12. Ah...

A Polish delegation will present gifts.

One o'clock, lunch with the French

Ambassador and his wife.

Elizabeth, make sure you have

prepared your remarks.

Yes, Mummy.

Six o'clock, the man from the BBC arrives.

- Ready?

- Hmm-mmm.

The French Ambassador's wife

will be so elegant.

Trs chic.

And, of course, turning up her nose at

la cuisine Anglaise, excrable.

Oh, who cares what they think?

They're only French, after all.

I will deliver my remarks.

And what remark would be

suitable for the French?

"We couldn't have done it without you"?

What-ho, Mickey?

The latest tid-bits, ma'am.

Nice feature on the Curzon Club.

A rather outr spot, it seems.

Oh, thanks awfully, Mickey.

Oh, I say. Look at that.

Everyone in the entire country

will be living it up tonight.

It has to be you who asks them.

They won't listen to me.

Oh! Listen to this.

Listen. Listen.

"The Curzon is considered

by those deep in the know

"to be the best club west of Piccadilly."

"Barely a Bath Oliver's

throw from Claridges,

"just around the corner

from the American Embassy..."

- Margaret.

- "Mr Gregory Peck was there...

"Only last week drinking

martinis and dancing."

Which one is that again?

The Lindy Hop. Come on, bumble feet.

I'll show you.

One, two, three, four...

- Margaret...

- And...

Mickey tells me there's

going to be a wizard

all-nighter at Chelsea Barracks.

One of his friends gave him the password.

Would they let me in, do you think?

- I think so.

- Being a princess.

Just being you would do it.

Really?

The best nightclub in all of Mayfair...

Mummy said, "No."

What kind of "no"?

"No," as in...

"Absolutely not, under any

circumstances whatsoever."

What did she say?

The life we live...

Is not fully our own...

Blah, blah.

Does she think I'm going to end up

on the front page of the Daily Mirror

in the arms of a drunken

sailor or something?

Hardly.

You didn't ask properly.

You can't have done.

Lillibet!

We'll be walled up in

this ghastly mausoleum

for the rest of our blooming lives.

I'm completely cheesed.

Speaking from our Empire's oldest

capital city,

war-battered,

but never for one moment

daunted or dismayed,

I ask you to join me

in that act of thanksgiving.

So far?

Very good. Full of character and sincerity.

- Awfully impressive.

- Oh, you really think so?

- Absolutely.

- We all do.

Go on.

At this hour, when the...

At this hour, when the...

At this hour...

When the dreadful shadow of war

has passed...

- The thing is...

- What?

My sister and I have been brought up

to believe in the importance of sincerity.

Everyone, this is hard enough as it is.

Fairness too.

And for six years now

we've been positively cloistered.

- Like nuns.

- We understood the reference.

Margaret and I deserve the right

to celebrate too, outside.

I agree with her completely.

I'm sure you do.

You know we can't do that.

Besides, what's so special about going out?

I don't know and I never will

unless we go out tonight.

Darlings...

We have invited your closest friends

to be with you tonight,

suitable young people...

My very close,

my extremely suitable friends?

You're always with me

when I give my speeches.

We four. The family should be

together, tonight of all nights.

We would be still, Papa,

in a way,

but with us out there amongst the people.

Hmm. Hardly the same thing.

I could tell you how it was received.

What they really think.

One day, Lillibet,

far off in the future, you shall be Queen.

- I know that, Mummy.

- And your subjects...

My subjects? What do I know about them?

Your subjects need to see you

as incorporating in your person

the very essence of royalty.

One knows about essences and all that,

but one would still like to

have a dance from time to time.

- The Lindy Hop, for example.

- The what-y hop?

Let them go.

We should let them go.

But they might be recognised.

We would be incognito.

Why not?

After all, we had our fun, remember?

It was different for us.

You weren't the heir.

This might be the only chance she gets.

And me.

Well...

That's that, then.

Good.

Now can we please get on

with my bloody speech?

Yippee!

We're off, Mickey! We're off!

Yes, would you be so kind as to

connect me to the Chelsea Barracks?

The Colonel.

We're going out...

Incognito.

Does the tiara rather

give the game away, ma'am?

Yes.

Thanks, Mickey.

What a stunner.

Et moi?

Beautiful.

I thought.

Trafalgar Square for a

splash in the fountains,

then the Curzon,

going on to that wizard all-nighter

at Chelsea Barracks.

Whatever you want. Tonight we're in charge.

There you are. Don't you look lovely.

Well, Captain Pryce and Lieutenant Burridge

from the Guards at Chelsea Barracks

will be your chaperones.

Chaperones?

They will escort you to the Ritz

and stay with you all night long.

Ma'am, we are honoured

by this great and sacred charge.

Lieutenant Burridge?

Deeply, ma'am. Inexpressibly.

I'm sure you will have a wonderful time

under their close and

scrupulous supervision.

- Understood?

- Yes, Mummy.

Back by midnight.

- Midnight?

- That's not fair.

Come on, darling. Peace begins at midnight.

We'd like you to be out there

watching us in the crowd.

Lillibet,

I want to know how they all

really feel at that moment.

Hmm?

One o'clock, not a minute later.

Margaret?

Best behaviour, honestly.

No question.

Now, off you go.

Ladies and gentlemen, get your flags!

Driver, hurry it up, will you?

We have a schedule to keep to.

That's one glorious party out there.

Isn't it marvellous?

Horn, man!

- Horn!

- Yes, sir.

Captain Pryce, Lieutenant Burridge,

do please remember that we are incognito.

Then, Junior Subaltern Windsor,

please do adjust the angle of your cap.

I prefer not to be seen with an officer

who is improperly dressed.

Thank you.

Excuse me, ma'am.

Excuse me! Beg your pardon, ma'am.

Bear with me just a moment, please.

Out of the way, you people.

We need to get through here.

Hey, buddy!

Buddy! Come on up here!

- We got a load of liberated champagne!

- There's so many.

- Excuse me.

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