Queen Christina

---

Who are you?

I was King of Sweden.

The Lord, in his infinite wisdom...

has seen fit to deprive us

of our noble king...

Gustavus Adolphus...

while Sweden is in the midst

of a grievous war.

For 14 years our arms have served

in the field...

against our enemies.

And in this dark hour, we still fight on...

for the Protestant cause of our country.

Our King is dead...

but his spirit still lives in us...

and in his child, Christina.

Her father, our King...

brought up this child as a boy...

accustomed her ears

to the sound of cannon fire...

and sought to mold her spirit

after his own.

Let's see the child.

Your Majesty...

I swore to the King, your father,

to place this crown upon your head.

And now I swear by my life...

to serve you as I served him.

Men do not cry.

Shall I make my speech now?

Good Lords, and Swedish men...

Queen Christina, by the grace of God...

Queen of the Swedes, the Goths,

and the Vandals, promise you...

to be a good and just king...

to protect you all...

and to guard the kingdom

as our father did...

to rule wisely, and with God's help...

to keep the standard

as we received it from our fathers.

Concerning this war,

which we are bitterly waging...

we promise...

To wage it with courage.

We promise to win it!

I bless you all.

The King is dead, long live the King.

Long live the King!

Your Majesty.

The arrival of Prince Charles forced me

to summon Your Majesty.

The Parliament is in session,

waiting to act on his victories.

After 30 years of war, Sweden now has

the commanding place in Europe.

Now is the time for new, definite actions.

These I want to discuss with you.

There will be enough discussion

in the Parliament.

You have reports for me to sign,

my Lord Treasurer?

I have them here, Your Majesty.

Prince Charles' victory was crushing,

was it not, Chancellor?

Complete, Your Majesty.

Now would be a happy moment...

to announce your betrothal

to Prince Charles.

He returns a national hero.

I look forward to Prince Charles' reception

in the Parliament.

He will love it.

I have heard of the enemy's losses.

What were ours?

10,000 men, 4,000 horses, 200 cannon.

A few more victories like this...

and we will have to hire foreigners

to fight our battles.

In the end, the enemy will pay for it.

In the meantime, it would be a good

moment to vote fresh monies for the war.

The Lord Treasurer will tell Your Majesty

we need it.

He doesn't have to tell me.

These reports tell me.

This war is expensive.

The Parliament clamors for more war.

They clamor for a Swedish marriage

for Your Majesty.

They clamor for an heir of Swedish blood.

In short, Chancellor, they clamor.

Here are your reports. This one I keep.

Thank you, My Lords.

I shall see you in the Parliament.

Your Majesty.

Yes, Count Magnus.

It's so long since I have seen you.

- I saw you yesterday.

- To me that's long since.

I am not an idle woman, Magnus.

I have a war on my hands.

Are you going to marry the national hero?

You are petulant, Magnus,

and I have no time to soothe you.

The Parliament is waiting.

We are eager to greet

our victorious cousin...

Prince Palatine Charles Gustavus.

Welcome, my cousin.

For the great victory you have won,

Sweden is grateful.

We will not forget.

For the fatherland, Your Majesty,

and loyalty to you...

and for glory, no sacrifice is too great!

Our enemy is in retreat and our standards

fly over the fields of their dead.

Now, Your Majesty, would be a good

time to send fresh armies...

and crush these barbarians.

We want to continue what we began

in your father's reign...

until every enemy soldier is disarmed!

This is not an ordinary war

for treasure or conquest.

It is for our faith and for our God.

God is being invoked in many lands

these days, Your Grace.

What about the enemy's God?

When the enemy invokes God,

that is blasphemy, Your Majesty.

I wish I had your confidence, Archbishop.

We of the nobility are willing to back

our noble commander Prince Charles...

to the last man!

I thank the noble Lord.

For your glory, Your Majesty,

I return to the wars with fresh courage.

You have all spoken:

You, my Nobles...

you, my gallant General...

you, my Archbishop...

and you, my hero cousin.

I have heard all your voices.

But what of the peasants?

You peasants have fought this war.

What have you to say?

Will you not speak, father?

What is there for us to say, Your Majesty?

Unbeknownst to us, the war is started

and we are sent, and we go.

You shall go no longer!

There are other things

to live for than wars!

I have had enough of them.

We have been fighting since I was

in the cradle and many years before.

It is enough.

I shall ask the powers to meet

for a speedy and honorable peace.

There must be an end!

What? Peace now? After such a victory?

We have these heretics by the throat.

Let us have them on their knees.

Will you slaughter all of contrary faith,

Archbishop?

You are too ambitious.

But, Your Majesty,

if the enemy refuses to accept our terms?

Offer them terms they will accept.

Your father, the King, must be avenged!

Not avenged, My Lord, justified!

He must be justified!

We must have compensation

for our soldiers.

20 million thalers!

30 million!

I will take their last thaler!

The world rings with the fame

of our armies!

And we shall win still greater glories

for Sweden.

Spoils! Glory!

Flags and trumpets!

What is behind

these high-sounding words?

Death and destruction!

Triumphals of crippled men!

Sweden victorious in a ravaged Europe.

An island in a dead sea!

I tell you, I want no more of it.

I want for my people

security and happiness.

I want to cultivate the arts of peace.

The arts of life!

I want peace, and peace I will have.

Your Majesty.

Every morning I come to wake you...

and every morning

I find you already awake and reading.

It's not right, Your Majesty,

to rob your sleep.

I have so little free time, Aage,

that to spend it sleeping seems a waste.

What a clever fellow is this, Aage.

- Who?

- Molire.

- What is he?

- He writes plays.

He makes fun here of pretentious ladies.

"As for me, Uncle,

all I can say is that I think...

"marriage an altogether shocking thing.

"How is it possible to endure the idea

of sleeping...

"with a man in the room?"

Is that good, Your Majesty?

Not bad, Aage.

They say...

you are going to marry Prince Charles.

Do they? What do you think of it?

I think it's good for a queen

to marry a hero.

What else do they say?

They say...

you prefer the Lord Treasurer.

And what do you think of him?

I don't like him, Your Majesty.

- Why not?

- The right foot.

He's too clever.

Everybody can't be

simple and heroic, Aage.

Well...

I don't like him!

Ebba, come in.

Now don't dally, Your Majesty.

You have a busy day.

Morning, Ebba.

- What are you doing up so early?

- I couldn't sleep.

That means you are happy or unhappy.

Which is it?

- Happy.

- I am glad.

- And what makes you so happy?

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