Mrs Brown Page #5

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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.

EXT. OSBORNE HOUSE - DAY

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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