Queen Christina Page #6

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and his father was before him.

What if I came to your smithy...

and told you

I didn't like your blacksmithing?

You'd think it unreasonable,

and rightly so.

My business is governing.

And I have the knack of it,

as you have yours for your trade...

by inheritance.

My father was a king,

and his father before him.

My father died for Sweden,

and I live for her.

Now, my good people...

go home to your work...

and leave me to mine.

My blessing on all of you.

Long live the Queen!

Too bad, Count Magnus.

Here comes that Spaniard all alone!

Kill the Spaniard!

Fortunate coincidence.

Can I be of help to Your Excellency?

You might call off your hirelings

and let me proceed to the embassy.

I don't understand

Your Excellency's insinuations...

but I can take no chances of complicating

our splendid relations with Spain.

Therefore, I must insist on giving you

my personal protection and escort.

A horse.

The protection offered a prisoner,

Your Excellency?

For your own safety.

You go to the embassy, Pedro.

You hate him.

You have incited this riot against him.

He is safe, Your Majesty,

which but for my intervention...

he might not have been.

I ask you to bring him here to me at once.

I should do so gladly,

could I assume the risk.

Feeling is running high in the city.

There is only one safe course

for Seor Antonio...

that you sign the passport for his return.

You are a jealous upstart, Magnus.

You cannot endure that I love him.

If I am an upstart, Your Majesty...

I glory in it,

for I owe my rise to your favors.

And to be jealous of Antonio

is a high form of patriotism.

This is dangerous for you, Magnus.

Do you realize how dangerous?

Put me to death.

If I die, he dies.

My orders are in good hands.

It is inevitable, Your Majesty.

He or I.

Prepare the passport

for the Spanish envoy.

My Lord Ambassador...

this passport will assure

your safe journey to the border.

Count de la Gardie...

you are responsible

for His Excellency's safety.

Permit me.

Your Excellency...

you will tell your master we're deeply

sensible of the honor he has done to me.

The ship Amaranta...

awaits you at the harbor of Helsingborg.

I wish you...

a safe journey, My Lord.

Can I be of service to Your Excellency?

I have no recourse

against you here, My Lord.

I am an ambassador on foreign soil.

But if you could do me the courtesy

to meet me on neutral ground...

That can be arranged, Your Excellency.

I shall provide convoy

for you to the frontier.

Beyond the frontier,

I shall be at your service...

to give you my personal escort.

Thank you, My Lord.

Your Excellency...

from Her Majesty, the Queen.

Who's there?

It is I, Queen Christina.

I, Axel Oxenstierna.

What drives you here?

I could not go to sleep.

I, too, could not sleep.

I remember when you led me...

a child, up the steps of this throne.

Your father and yourself...

you two have been my life.

And if now you fail me, I fail.

That is too great a burden you put on me.

I have grown up in a great man's shadow.

All my life, I've been a symbol.

A symbol is eternal, changeless...

an abstraction.

A human being is mortal and changeable...

with desires and impulses...

hopes and despairs.

I'm tired of being a symbol, Chancellor.

I long to be a human being.

This longing I cannot suppress.

And yet, you must.

You will.

His hand is upon you. The King's.

I have always listened to you

with awe, Oxenstierna.

I respect no one in the kingdom

as much as you.

Yet, something in me cries out

that this cannot be true...

that one must live for oneself.

After all, Chancellor...

one's own life is all one has.

Yes, Your Majesty...

that is all one has.

Therefore, you must give it up

to your duty.

Greatness demands all.

Am I great, Chancellor?

I feel so little and helpless...

and futile.

Yes, Your Majesty, when you are alone.

But tomorrow...

when this great hall is filled

with the pride of your realm...

you will meet the occasion.

You will do your duty.

You will marry Prince Charles.

Duty.

My heritage, Your Majesty...

and yours.

Her Majesty, the Queen.

My Lords...

we are to hear from Her Majesty's

own lips today...

her decision on a matter...

that is near to all our hearts.

Your Majesty...

I have served your family

for three generations.

My course is almost run.

Today fulfills my work.

In your great wisdom, you have put aside

all thought of a foreign alliance...

however brilliant.

We are happy that the wishes

of your people...

are your wishes.

Only those of Swedish blood...

should sit on the throne of Sweden.

The question of the succession

has long been...

the subject of my earnest consideration.

I am come here today...

to tell you my decision.

There is among us one...

who has served the state faithfully

in war and peace...

one who is also related to me by blood.

I speak of the Prince Palatine,

Charles Gustavus.

I believe I shall be in agreement with you...

in saying that above all others...

he is the man best fitted

for the government of this kingdom.

The Prince has done me the honor

of asking my hand in marriage.

The Prince has my answer.

I have given him the reasons

why I cannot accept this offer.

In the absence of an heir of my blood...

our constitution gives me the right

to nominate for your approval...

my successor.

I believe that no one would

gratify your wishes better...

than Prince Charles Gustavus.

I am resolved, therefore...

here and now...

to place in your hands...

my abdication from the throne of Sweden.

Abdication?

No, Your Majesty, no!

Lord God, Madam.

What do you mean to do?

It troubles us to hear you speak...

of forsaking those that love you as we do.

Can you be better than you are?

You're Queen of all these countries.

And if you leave this large kingdom,

where will you find another?

Continue, good Madam,

as long as you live.

And we'll do all we can

to help you bear the burden.

Yes!

I am grateful for your loyalty.

But there is a voice...

in our souls...

which tells us what to do.

And we obey.

I have no choice.

Here are the emblems of power...

which herewith, I present to you

before God and mankind.

My Lord...

will you take the crown from my head?

No, Your Majesty, I will not do it.

I swore to your father always

to keep that crown upon your head.

I'll have no part in this.

And nor I think is there any here that will.

Colonel.

And now, farewell.

I thank Almighty God...

who caused me to be born

of a royal stock...

and raised me to be a queen

of so large and mighty a kingdom.

I thank, too, those nobles...

who defended the state

when I was a child.

And all of you...

for the fidelity and attachment

you've shown me.

Let me look at you once more.

And so, let me remember you...

with love and loyalty...

till memory is no more.

God bless you.

Farewell.

She'll be on the boat.

If the tide is full

and the wind is with us, we'll sail.

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