The Madness of King George Page #6

- It was a lie!

An ordained minister lied.

That lie will have you

out of that famous farm.

(King) Loose your tame lunatics

across Lincolnshire, you liar.

Liar.

I'm here.

Here...

But I'm not all there.

(Applause builds)

Yes.

(Pitt) I used to sit

with my father when he was ill.

I used to read him Shakespeare.

I never read Shakespeare.

I'm a clergyman.

They've killed the queen.

Did you know that?

No, sir.

Oh, yes, sir.

Are you cold?

It is chilly, sir.

Oh, not for me.

I make the weather

by means of mental powers.

Well, actually, it's not

too bad about the queen

because actually I never

actually married her.

I was married to

the tall one, Elizabeth.

(Speaking German)

Ah-ah! What are you saying, sir?

What do you mean?

(Counting in German)

Don't they speak German

in Lincolnshire?

Allow me to translate, sir.

Her Ladyship

is game for anything.

I just say the word!

- Skirts up...

- Gag!

I'm in there,

or she's down here...

(Muffled protests)

You assured me

you could cure him.

I can, sir, given time.

We do not have time!

- What are you praying for now?

- The king.

You should pray for us.

Because...

if he did die or stay mad...

George!

Who's to stop us

saying we're man and wife?

(Man) Don't you know

who the bridegroom was?

It is a year ago.

Did the bride not mention

she was a Catholic?

Why should she?

Aha! Aha. Here it is.

The prince cannot marry

without the king's permission,

and he cannot marry a Catholic.

You performed

an illegal marriage.

And he only gave me 10 pound.

Well, here's 10 pounds more.

Keep your mouth shut.

Here! That's against the law!

I am the law.

Oh, long, long days, Elizabeth.

And longer for His Majesty.

In the drawing-room, gentlemen.

The doctors, Your Majesty.

Good afternoon, Your Majesty.

And, uh, how are we today?

Blisters have healed up

very nicely,

which won't do at all.

Mother of God.

Get off me, you barbarian!

Ahem.

Bulletin.

"Much better."

Ha. I can't see it.

(Willis) You doubt me, sir?

I'll write it.

Could we mention

the stool this time?

Oh, the stool, the stool.

My dear Pepys, the persistent

excellence of the stool

has been one of this disease's

most tedious features.

When will you get it

into your head,

one can produce

a copious, regular,

and exquisitely-turned

evacuation every day

and still be

a stranger to reason?

(Pitt)

I will not trouble the House

with the detailed contents

of the latest,

and I may say,

generally optimistic bulletin.

(Chattering)

But honourable members would,

I am sure, like to know

that while His Majesty

has had ups and downs...

His...his health continues

steadily to improve.

(Chattering)

Improve? That's a barefaced lie.

Ups and downs?

(Laughter)

Ups and downs?

Mr Speaker, I can,

with your permission,

quote from a copy

of the same bulletin

handed to me by Dr Warren.

(All) Ooh!

Some of these ups and downs...

His Majesty's obscenities!

(Cheering)

His blasphemies!

(Cheering)

His interminable ramblings!

(Cheering)

Suffice to say this optimistic

bulletin concludes thus...

that while His Majesty

has had lucid intervals,

he remains

periodically demented...

(Cheering)

and incapable

of rational thought!

(Cheering)

I put to the House that

we have been deceived too long

over His Majesty's

continuing illness!

(All) Yes! Hear, hear! Yes!

When will we see the bill

appointing the prince regent?

In due course.

(Chanting) When? When? When?

It is still being drafted.

When? When? When? When?

(Chanting) When? When? When?

(Speaker) Order!

(Chanting) When? When? When?

Soon!

(Shouting)

(Speaker) Order! Order!

(Speaker) On Mr Fox's motion

to present the bill,

the House will divide, ayes

to the right, nos to the left.

(Cheering and shouting)

They won, by three votes.

Then we've lost.

Bring in the bill.

The prince must be made regent.

Well?

I'm praying, God damn it.

I'm almost ready

to give you my support.

Now? We don't need you now.

I think you do.

Your boy's married.

She's just his mistress.

I haven't told Mr Pitt...

Yet.

What is it you want?

The good of the country.

To remain as Lord Chancellor.

Well, I'm sure

that can be arranged,

when, and if, we ever manage

to get our hands on government.

The bill is ready, sir.

I'm a snail, Lord Chancellor,

creeping towards the throne.

Even Maria is

becoming impatient.

Only for His Majesty's

recovery, sir.

Now the Lord Chancellor has come

out in favour of Your Highness,

the end is surely in sight.

I have always

been in his favour.

Of course.

Although the present situation

calls for a certain delicacy.

This is your father, sir.

Be kind.

Rely on your oars, sir.

The tide is with you.

The tide?

Rely on my oars?

George!

Your Royal Highness

has but to wait.

Wait?

Ha. Wait.

Lord Chancellor,

my life has been waiting.

I endeavour

to cultivate languor,

but it is difficult

to be languid

when the throne of England

is pending.

People laugh at me.

What must I do

to be taken seriously?

I tell you, sir,

to be Prince of Wales

is not a position...

It is a predicament.

She has more sense than he has.

It takes character to withstand

the rigours of indolence.

Maria is not mentioned.

No, sir. It is a little

early for that.

It will happen, Maria.

I promise you.

Won't it, Thurlow?

Sir.

No.

No, this must not be.

The son in charge

of the father?

He will be put away.

This is his death warrant.

Elizabeth...

I must see him, Elizabeth.

No, I...l cannot do it, ma'am.

Besides,

if Her Majesty sees him,

he-he-he-he still utters

such improprieties.

About what?

About, uh...

About you.

Tell me.

I cannot say.

What is it His Majesty dreams

of doing, Mr Greville, hmm?

Is it this?

Please, madam.

This?

Ooh!

Or this?

Yay hey hey!

Yay!

Whoa! Ooh!

(All laughing)

Come on, lads.

Race you to the door. Come on.

Come on!

I won!

(Laughing)

Oh, Baker.

Baker, before you leave,

I have a secret mission for you.

I want you to hand over

Gibraltar to Spain.

Get Minorca in return.

Can you do that?

I'm a physician, sir.

Well, then you should have

no difficulty. Good afternoon.

Your Majesty.

Have you nothing

to say to me, sir?

Say, madam?

What is there to say?

We were married for 28 years,

never separated, even for a day.

You abandoned me

to my tormentors.

They said

it was for your own good.

My good?

What do they know of my good?

George, they may not

permit me to see you again.

A bill has been prepared

to make the son regent.

Regent? Hmm.

Do you understand?

He is to rule in your place.

Regent?

The fat one?

Hmm.

His Majesty was not told, madam.

He must know.

George, you must know.

Come away.

Do you understand? The son.

The son?

The father pushed aside,

put out, put away, ruled out.

The father not dead even.

By whose authority?

"The Prince of Wales should have

full power and authority."

(Mumbles)

"All authorities,

prerogatives, aides..."

Why was I not told of this?

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