Queen Christina Page #5

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is known to all Europe.

We look forward

to our further meeting with you.

We would like news

of your men of genius...

of Velzquez and Caldern.

We will hear willingly of your cities...

Toledo and Cdiz...

Madrid and Seville.

My country could have no greater tribute

than Your Majesty's curiosity.

In honoring your great men,

we elevate ourselves.

The Lord Treasurer is waiting,

Your Majesty.

I can't see him.

He says it's very urgent.

- Tell him I don't want to see him.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

Well, Countess?

The Queen can't see you, Your Excellency.

You mean she won't.

She won't, Your Excellency.

I trust you are well, My Lord.

I am beholden to Your Lordship.

I apologize for the rigors of our winter.

I believe the snow delayed you

on your way here.

A few days. It was nothing.

I hope you found suitable shelter.

Our country inns are rough.

I did very well. Thank you, Your Lordship.

The climate here, My Lord, is fit only

for those who are used to it.

It's not suited to foreigners.

I advise you to protect yourself against it.

You must be very careful.

Is this a threat, My Lord?

It's a warning.

A friendly warning.

The Queen will see Your Excellency.

Antonio.

Your Majesty.

You are angry.

I'm not angry.

I appreciate a jest. A royal jest.

However, the diversion being over...

may I conclude my mission

to your unusual country?

My master, the King of Spain,

has commanded me to...

Must we talk about the King of Spain?

Antonio, I feel just the same.

I don't.

I feel unlucky being the thirteenth.

No, but I was lying terribly.

And now you don't love me anymore?

Don't despair, Your Majesty.

My master, the King of Spain, has the

honor of asking your hand in marriage.

It isn't pleasant

to have betrayed one's king...

to have dishonored him in a far country.

Nevertheless, unworthy as I am,

permit me to present...

His Majesty Phillip...

King of Spain, Aragon and Castile...

your royal, humble suitor.

I meant no dishonor to him or to you.

Does he look like that?

I suppose he does.

I have quite a collection of royal portraits.

My suitors usually come in oil.

And I've kept them,

because I love a good painting.

Why did you go out of your way

to make me ridiculous?

All that idiotic talk of love and beauty.

It made my heart beat.

It made me dream like a fool

and talk like one.

I thought you'd understand, when you

saw me again, what had happened.

That it had been so enchanting

to be a woman.

Not a queen,

just a woman in a man's arms.

Yes, if you'd left my heart alone.

But I fell in love with you.

I love you, Antonio.

Look, the coin you gave me

for helping you.

I've slept with it in my hand each night.

Forgive me for being a queen.

What do you want of me?

What do I want?

What?

I want back that room in the inn...

the snow that fell...

the warm fire and the sweet hours...

beloved one.

Christina.

Just as you say, My Lord.

Go out into the streets.

Talk to your fellow citizens.

Explain it to them.

We will, Your Lordship.

This is for the good of Sweden.

Yes, My Lord.

You understand, then, our purpose?

And our motive?

Yes, Your Lordship.

We are happy to be of service to Sweden.

I tell you, Sweden is facing the greatest

danger in her history.

Greater than war.

And it's a danger that hides

in the highest councils of the nation...

in the palace itself.

In the very chamber of the Queen.

Nay, I do not charge

the queen with disloyalty.

But she is under a spell.

The spell of Spanish witchcraft.

The Spaniard is here

with a proposal from Philip of Spain.

Why doesn't she send him away?

Do you want a Spanish sovereign?

No!

Do you want to give up

the palace and faith...

for which our fathers fought and died,

to go to Rome?

No!

You're the most popular man

in the kingdom.

You've only to appear in public

and the mob starts shouting.

You're the only one who can demand

of the Queen to send the Spaniard home.

You're the only one who can

save Sweden from this calamity.

The Council awaits Her Majesty.

Her Majesty drives abroad

with the Spaniard.

The business of the state may wait.

Whatever the Queen does,

Sweden will not suffer.

Send that Spaniard back home!

Send him away!

Down with the Spaniard!

Evidently, my people,

who are said to love me...

do not wish me to be happy.

Our Prince Charles,

who has fought for us...

is kept apart and scorned!

The Queen disports herself

with a Spaniard!

I ask you, Swedes,

will you tolerate this infamy?

No!

Then do something about it!

The Queen!

See? She rides openly with him!

Down with the Spaniard!

Come on!

And I charge you, Magnus...

with having deliberately aroused

the masses against the Queen.

No, the facts speak

for themselves, Chancellor.

The Church will never

permit such a marriage.

The Queen does not contemplate

such a marriage.

Then why doesn't she

send the Spaniard home?

I have been driving in the streets

and I have seen disgraceful things.

How is it that we are not better policed?

In insulting our guests, they insult us.

Why is this not made clear to them?

The people resent this man, Your Majesty.

Not in his own person...

but as interfering with our hopes

of your marriage to Prince Charles.

You have fed them this hope...

when you have known all the time

that I have no wish to gratify it.

I hold you responsible. All of you.

Your Majesty is not considering

to accept King Philip's offer?

No.

In that case, the presence here

of the Spanish envoy is superfluous.

He could go home.

Why?

Do I peer into the lives of my subjects...

and dictate to them

whom they shall love?

Will I serve them less if I am happy?

What strangely foolish title is it

that calls me ruler...

if in what concerns me most nearly,

I'm to have no voice?

It is intolerable.

There is a freedom which is mine...

and which the state cannot take away.

To the unreasonable tyranny of the mob...

and to the malicious tyranny

of palace intrigue...

I shall not submit.

Know this, all of you.

General?

Your Majesty,

the crowd demands to see you.

They demand entrance to the palace.

Are you pleased, Count Magnus?

There's no cause for alarm.

I'm not alarmed, General.

The guards are ready and waiting.

Their guns are primed.

Shall I order them to fire?

No, General.

- Shall I arrest the ringleaders?

- No.

Then what shall I do, Your Majesty?

Let them in, General.

Your Majesty, you cannot do that.

But, Your Majesty...

Let them in.

- Let no one follow me.

- Your Majesty, you must not go alone.

I am not afraid of my subjects.

Dismiss the guards.

Right face. Forward march.

Open the doors.

Your Majesty...

Well, my subjects...

is it a friendly visit?

Will not one of you speak?

No petition? No speech?

You come, then, just for a glimpse of me?

Send the Spaniard home!

You, my good man, come here.

What do you do?

I am a blacksmith, Your Majesty.

Are you a good blacksmith?

I should be.

My father was a blacksmith before me,

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