Mrs Brown Page #5
- PG
- Year:
- 1997
- 101 min
- 508 Views
VICTORIA:
Why?
PONSONBY:
He thought, perhaps, Your Majesty
might wish to be informed of the
latest developments in government.
VICTORIA:
No. I shall be out walking.
A beat. BERTIE watches closely now. PONSONBY coughs
again, nervous.
PONSONBY:
Then perhaps Your Majesty might
consider it opportune if the Prince of
Wales were to meet him on your behalf?
VICTORIA stiffens. She speaks without turning.
VICTORIA:
On no account.
PONSONBY gives up. Politely, but firmly, BERTIE takes up
the reins.
BERTIE:
Mama, I really do think it's time we
made ourselves a little more ...
available.
VICTORIA carries on knitting.
BERTIE (CONT'D)
I think we must accept our position in
the country is not entirely unrelated
to the continued absence of the
Monarchy from public life.
(silence)
I thought perhaps we might consider a
small gesture of some kind?
VICTORIA looks up sharply.
VICTORIA:
Gesture?
BERTIE:
I thought, a dinner for our
ambassadors perhaps?
VICTORIA:
(cutting in firmly)
No dinners, Bertie.
(beat)
Why are you dressed for outdoors?
BERTIE:
It's so infernally cold in here.
VICTORIA:
Cold is good--
(calling across)
Is that not so, Dr. Jenner?!
JENNER:
I'm sorry, ma'am?
VICTORIA:
Cold is good!
JENNER:
Excellent, ma'am, excellent.
(trying his hand)
But perhaps if her Majesty were to
consider accompanying her new-found
physical vigor with the benefits of
mental activity...
VICTORIA:
(becoming very agitated)
Why am I being lectured in this way?!
JENNER:
Forgive me, Your Majesty. In no way
did I wish to suggest--
VICTORIA:
(cutting across him)
I will not tolerate anybody lecturing
me about the responsibility of the
monarchy....
BERTIE:
Mother....
VICTORIA:
... Least of all my son. It was his
irresponsibility that drove my husband
to his grave.
An appalled silence. With great dignity, BERTIE absorbs
the shock of the insult and quietly steers the conversation
in another direction.
BERTIE:
If it is inconvenient to Her Majesty,
then perhaps she might consider
allowing the Prince of Wales to host--
VICTORIA:
I do believe they send so many boxes
to taunt me.
Doctor Jenner writes to them to say
that my nerves are in an extremely
fragile state and yet they continue to
hound me with box after box after box
after box after box!
Silence. VICTORIA has crossed to the window and stares out
at the view. Having recovered her composure, she turns to
address them all.
VICTORIA (CONT'D)
I wish to take the Princesses for a
swim.
For a moment, nobody believes what they have heard. She
continues.
VICTORIA (CONT'D)
The turns I have been taking in the
grounds have proved most beneficial to
me, and Brown thinks that salt water
will do me good.
Bertie stares at her in silence while PONSONBY and DOCTOR
JENNER exchange a worried look.
EXT. PRIVATE BEACH, ISLE OF WIGHT - DAY
The doors of the Royal bathing-machine swing open and Queen
VICTORIA, in a voluminous swim-dress, sails out like a duck
into the freezing sea. As she does so, the doors of the
other machines open and Princess Helena and Princess Louise
follow her in. Dignity does not allow them to shout out,
but their expressions of constipated agony are a picture.
VICTORIA begins swimming around in a vigorous little
circle.
VICTORIA:
Don't potter, children. Swim.
Hold for a moment on the princesses' miserable faces.
Half an hour later, PONSONBY, DOCTOR JENNER, LADY ELY and
two FOOTMEN watch as BROWN helps VICTORIA up some steps and
onto her horse. He glances at the stiff line of
householders and mutters curtly to himself.
BROWN:
You could buy that lot for garden
ornaments and still see change from
ten guineas.
The household do not hear this, but QUEEN VICTORIA has
overheard and tries to suppress a smile.
As she settles into the saddle, her foot comes loose.
BROWN fastens it into the stirrups.
BROWN (CONT'D)
Lift your foot, woman.
Everyone hears this. VICTORIA obeys. Taking the reins, he
then walks the QUEEN out of the courtyard. As they vanish
from site, we hear...
DISRAELI (O.S.)
This nation is fortunate in so much as
it is not governed by force...
FADE TO BLACK.
CAPTION:
"1866"FADE IN:
INT. THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT - DAY
The speech continues as we follow the progress of a
Tomahawk cartoon doing the rounds of the Tory back benches
from knee to knee. It is entitled, "Where is Britannia?"
and shows an empty throne draped with the Royal cloak.
DISRAELI (O.S.)
... but by a chain of traditions that
have been cherished from generation to
generation, because in them -- in our
traditions -- are embodied all the
laws which have enabled us to create
the greatest empire of modern times...
During the above, the cartoon reaches the front benches and
lands on the knees of the young, earnest STANLEY. As he
frowns at the picture in front of him, DISRAELI winds up.
DISRAELI (CONT'D)
... but, even though we have amassed
great capital and even though we have
established an industry with no
parallel in the world, yet all these
mighty creations are as nothing
compared to the invisible customs that
shape our lives. To those honorable
gentlemen of the opposition who seek
to destroy the essential elements of
this country, I say let them remember:
England cannot begin again.
During this peroration, we see DISRAELI for the first time.
He is handsome, obviously Jewish and wire thin, like
Dickens on Slimfast. He dresses almost dandyishly but
speaks with startling vigor; a combination of brilliance
and cheek that is his key. To cheers from his back
benchers, he sits.
As he looks up, he catches the eye of his opposite on the
Liberal benches. GLADSTONE is different in almost every
respect; dour, dogged, heavy-set and tall. They stare
levelly for a second, then DISRAELI flashes a brilliant
smile.
STANLEY plops the cartoon on his lap.
STANLEY:
Have you seen this?
INT. THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, LOBBY CORRIDOR - DAY
A few minutes later, DISRAELI and STANLEY are strolling
down the busy lobby corridor. Throughout their talk, Tory
back-benchers bustle up to pat their hero on the back and
offer their congratulations.
STANLEY:
Should we take it seriously?
DISRAELI:
The cartoon or Her Majesty's
absenteeism?
STANLEY:
Well, both.
DISRAELI:
The question is, do we need her?
STANLEY:
Surely, you're not suggesting we
dispense--
DISRAELI:
My dear Stanley, a Prime Minister with
only a handful of friends must respect
public opinion.
The pass GLADSTONE in a huddle of cohorts.
DISRAELI (CONT'D)
Gossip counts. Lord Aberdeen was
right. This country is not governed
by wisdom but by talk.
(beat)
Granted, it wouldn't take much to
winkle the old girl out of mourning,
but if public opinion is against her,
then it doesn't do to appear too
close.
STANLEY:
So?
DISRAELI:
We'll see which way the wind blows.
DISRAELI sweeps through a prattle of back-benchers.
EXT. PUBLIC BEACH, ISLE OF WIGHT - DAY
BROWN and ARCHIE crash into the water. It is freezing.
BROWN braces himself against the icy shallows by bellowing
Burns at the sea.
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