A United Kingdom Page #3

Where they will decide whether

they wish for me to remain king.

I believe you call it democracy.

LANCASTER :
Mr Khama,

you understand the risks you're taking.

You're forcing the tribe to take sides.

This could cause a dangerous divide.

Make your country... ungovernable.

And it would open up South Africa's

claim to annex Bechuanaland.

Britain has long prevented it.

But for how much longer?

Lancaster just about got

through the evening

without calling me an ungrateful n*gger.

Can they really hand over

an entire country just like that?

They wouldn't risk it.

Malan's regime has very little support

from the British public.

But you're worried.

You know, I've seen the news reels.

I know what's happening in South Africa.

It's poison,

and it's already affecting you here.

That sign outside.

You have those in England too.

I know.

No blacks, no Irish, no dogs.

But I didn't expect it

in your own country.

(SIGHS DEEPLY) Come.

It's your first night in Bechuanaland.

I don't want you to be sad.

Let us not allow

the ugliness of this world

to take our joy away from us.

(RUTH SIGHS)

Another!

(BOTH LAUGH)

Oh...

- Shh, shh.

- What?

Can you hear that?

It's the music from the bar.

Dance with me.

Whoo! Oh!

(BOTH LAUGH)

What...? Ah!

(LIGHTER CLICKS)

SERETSE :
My home.

Our home.

(VILLAGERS SHOUTING)

White woman.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Is that your mother?

(SERETSE SNIFFS)

Uh, no.

No, that is my Uncle Tshekedi's mother.

That is me on the day he became a regent.

(GOATS BLEATING)

(ENGINE STOPS)

(CAR DOOR CLOSES)

(TSHEKEDI SPEAKS SETSWANA)

Uncle... this is Ruth.

I'm very pleased to meet you, sir.

I will speak to my nephew alone.

Refreshments will be provided

for her in the house.

Over two decades of preparing you

to be our king,

and this is how you face me.

A white woman by your side.

- Uncle...

- Are you trying to tear us apart?

I am Naledi, Seretse's sister.

Naledi.

- Seretse's told me so much.

- Please don't.

Why would you do this to us?

To yourself?

Be somewhere and be something

that makes no sense to you?

Look at them.

They are fighting because of you.

I mean you no harm.

Do you understand what mother,

mother, of our nation means?

(SPEAKS SETSWANA)

I married Seretse's uncle

knowing my responsibility.

That one day Seretse's wife

would be chosen from our nation,

and I would hand over to her.

We have waited years for the day

we would see her rule by his side.

Your first duty is to your people.

Your nation.

Seretse, you're a son to me.

Please... be my son.

I will entertain you in my home,

if that is my husband's wish.

But don't insult us.

It's...

...audacious of you to come here,

and present yourself married,

as if it were your right to be our queen.

Who do you think will accept you? The men?

- I...

- Us? The women?

To have a white woman who we must love

and trust and respect as our sovereign?

(LAUGHS MOCKINGLY)

Whoo.

You belong to the whites,

but they won't want you, either.

You insult us all.

Let him go.

We need him more than you.

You will obey me,

and you will divorce her!

No, sir.

I will not.

Then listen to me, boy.

You will stand up

in the kgotla tomorrow...

...and you will renounce your birthright.

And any right to the throne.

We've misjudged this, haven't we?

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

TSHEKEDI :
Would the British

have accepted it

if Princess Elizabeth had come here,

and taken one of us

as her husband?

(CROWD MURMURS IN DISSENT)

A negro king of England. Can you imagine?

She would have been refused!

Every right on her claim to the throne

removed from her!

Just as we must refuse my nephew here!

If he does not divorce this white woman!

Seretse... honour your people.

Do not belittle your kingdom!

(EXHALES)

SERETSE :
Over there in

the royal burial ground lies my father...

...his father and his father before him.

If I had married a woman

of my uncle's choosing,

he would, this day,

proudly be confirming me king,

and the line of royal succession,

centuries old,

would remain unbroken.

I am proud of my lineage,

and I respect my uncle.

But he does not have the right

to decide on my succession to the throne.

I believe the people, and only the people,

should have that right.

My commitment to you has never diminished.

But I am told that you no longer

wish for me to honour my duty

to serve you as your king

because of the colour of the wife

I have chosen.

South Africa's racialist disease

has infected

all our neighbouring countries and us.

Look around you.

Our schools, hospitals, churches

all segregated in practice, if not in law.

Are we now to uphold the abomination

that is apartheid in our own kgotla?

The very same abomination that

has been oppressing us for decades?

Is this to be the future for our Africa?

We should not be fighting for segregation.

We should be fighting for equality.

That is where we should be

focusing our minds,

not on the wife I have chosen,

who means you no harm,

whose only apparent crime

has been to fall in love with me!

And mine to fall in love with her.

(SIGHS)

I cannot serve you without her by my side.

But I cannot force you to accept this.

Africa can never be free,

until all those who live in her,

white and black,

recognise that race must have

no bearing on equality and justice.

I am ready to serve you

because I love my people.

I love this land!

But I love my wife.

And I shall respect your will.

Those who want Seretse as king,

raise your hand.

Pula! Pula!

ALL :
Pula, pula, pula!

Pula, pula, pula!

Pula, pula, pula, pula.

(SHOUTING IN THE DISTANCE)

Ma, what are they shouting?

Pula.

It means "rain".

They're celebrating.

Pula, pula, pula!

Accept the vote and conclude the meeting.

Uncle!

Uncle!

Uncle.

The British are not your allies.

I know exactly what I'm doing,

and why I'm doing it.

Do you, Seretse?

Do you think she is your ally?

Your grandfather had no option,

but to allow outsiders to rule us,

but you... you bring this one

to rule our tribe by choice.

What you are doing

is demeaning to your own people.

This has nothing to do with love!

So next time you look in the mirror,

ask yourself this:

Were you not a king,

would she ever even looked at you?

Now she knows there's

no Buckingham Palace in Serowe,

how long before the village dust

gets in her eyes?

Now you will see how an empire

defends itself, Mr Khama.

(SIGHS)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(SERETSE SPEAKS SETSWANA)

(SHOUTING)

RUTH :
Where will he go?

He will start a new settlement somewhere.

It's our way to avoid conflict.

We stay apart, but we stay at peace.

OLIVIA CANNING :

'Let me show you the blood lilies.'

- SERETSE :
Something to discuss?

- Indeed.

Come. We shall leave the men to it.

My wife is capable of hearing what the

commissioner has to say, Mrs Lancaster.

As you wish.

Though what I have to say

she may not want to hear.

Oh, but I do.

There is going to be a delay

in our acknowledgment

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