The Young Victoria Page #2

until you play it better than they can.

You don't recommend I find a husband

to play it for me?

I should find one to play it with you,

not for you.

Why don't we ring for some music?

And then we could dance.

I've recently discovered the waltz

and I am quite in love with it.

- Waltzing is not really my forte.

- Oh, dear.

What a shame.

You know the King wants me to marry

my cousin George?

Hmm.

What's he like at chess?

Victoria.

It's alright, Lehzen,

Albert can take me up.

You'll have to hold my hand.

Mama insists. I hope you don't mind.

Not in the least.

What did you want to say?

Only that I understand more

than you think of what your life is.

Do you?

My childhood wasn't easy either.

I lost my mother when I was a boy.

- I know. She died.

- No, er...

That is, she did die eventually, but...

she was sent away long before that.

There was some difficulty.

It was all hushed up

and... no one talks of it now.

But I know what it is to live

alone inside your head,

while never giving a clue

as to your real feelings.

Did Uncle Leopold

ask you to tell me that?

No. Er, he actually told me

never to mention it.

Well, how little he knows me.

Hmm.

May I write to you?

You'll miss the princes

when they're gone, ma'am.

Don't be impertinent.

- Those boys pester you.

- Oh, please, Lehzen.

You don't think I've come this far

to walk into another jail, do you?

- You must marry one day.

- Well, I don't see why.

And if I do, I shall please myself,

not Mama or Uncle Leopold or the King

or anyone else. Trust me.

- Must l?

- Yes, you must.

Be on your guard.

We are going to Windsor

for my uncle's birthday party.

- In the castle of the enemy.

- Your enemy, Sir John, not mine.

- Agree to nothing.

- What should I say about the rooms?

You needed the space.

Appeal to the Queen. It's ridiculous.

I wish you were coming with us.

You're very intent, Baroness.

Are you making a study of me?

Someone should.

- Present Prime Minister?

- Melbourne.

Lord Melbourne.

The Liberal leader who'll probably be

in power when the Princess succeeds.

- He may be troublesome.

- Why?

He puts the interests of England

above those of Europe.

- Which is bad?

- Which is not useful to us.

He wouldn't spill one drop of

English blood to save a foreign throne.

The Viscount Melbourne.

Why would he save a foreign throne

if it wasn't in England's interest?

That is just the kind of thinking

your Uncle Leopold is afraid of.

Which is why he's content to find his

niece is the future Queen of England.

The Duke of Wellington.

In the public mind, the leader of the

Conservative opposition is a pet hero,

Napoleon's conqueror,

the grand old Duke of Wellington.

- But not in fact.

- No.

- You look in very good health, sir.

- Thank you, sir.

- I wish I was. Enjoy the meal.

- Thank you.

The next T ory Prime Minister

will be Sir Robert Peel.

..and Lady Peel.

Which side does Victoria favour?

She's a Liberal. Above all,

she favours Lord Melbourne.

And he'll take full advantage of it.

Her Royal Highness,

Princess Victoria of Kent.

Her Royal Highness,

the Duchess of Kent.

The Lady Flora Hastings.

- Hello, Uncle.

- Look at that demure little head.

And all of us

wondering what's inside it.

We'll find out soon enough.

Lord Melbourne will make her fall

in love with him. It's his method.

- Don't underestimate Victoria.

- Don't underestimate Melbourne.

My dearest niece.

- Won't you greet your cousin George?

- Good evening, George.

How can my niece and nephew have

grown up so when I wasn't looking?

Whereas you are quite unchanged

and as handsome as ever.

If I put my head very close to yours

and speak softly,

- they'll think we're hatching a plot.

- Yes.

If I look a little surprised

- well, then they'll know it.

I wish we saw more of you. But then,

nor you nor I are to blame for that.

The plain fact is, madam,

you have stolen 1 7 rooms!

One cannot steal a room, sir.

The rooms are where you left them.

Now they are used,

before they were empty.

I see. So I have no say

in my own palaces?

Why not move in here

and bring your lrish tinker with you?

The Queen and l

will be happy enough in the lodge!

So would I be, sir, if I thought that

people there would be polite to me!

- How dare you talk...!

- Enough!

You have exhausted the topic.

Conroy tried to force the Princess

Victoria's agreement to a Regency.

She wouldn't sign it, sick as she was.

That says something for her spirit.

Your next birthday

will be quite a landmark.

- I hope we'll see more of you at Court.

- I hope so too, Lord Melbourne.

You know,

should you ever need an ally,...

you have one in me.

The Prime Minister

has more important calls upon his time.

Not at all.

I knew the late Duke of Kent.

Naturally,

I take an interest in his daughter.

- You knew my father?

- Yes.

I'm sorry.

Is it difficult to speak of him?

No. I love to hear from someone who

knew him. For I never did, you see.

Well,... he was a great gentleman.

Of that you can be sure.

Indeed I am.

Excellent company like his brother, the

Regent, but not quite so extravagant.

And kind, like his brother, the King,...

but perhaps not so talkative.

Well, you make him sound

as though he were the best of them.

Oh, I think so, ma'am.

Your leader is hard at work, Duchess.

You see him hover with his net

to catch the pretty butterfly.

And when your party is back in power,

Duke, will you not do the same?

Not nearly as well as Melbourne.

Unfortunately, I have no small talk.

Peel has no manners.

And I would have a hard time

praising her father.

The most brutal officer

I ever encountered.

I thank you

for your good wishes on my birthday.

It has been a long life...

and an interesting one.

But I shall be content

with only a short while more.

Just enough... to dispense

with any thought of a Regency,...

..so that I may pass the Royal

Authority directly to that young lady.

And not... to the hands...

of a person now near me...

..who is surrounded by evil advisers

and who cannot act with propriety in

the station in which she's been placed!

I have been insulted!

Grossly and continually insulted!

She has kept her daughter,

my brother's child, from my Court!

But from now on,

I'd have her know that I am King!

And I will not be flouted

or disobeyed by her

or by that jackanapes

she keeps about her!

Are you alright?

Families, who'd be without them?

Are you listening?

What?

- Well?

- Ma'am, you do have a letter,

but it's not from Germany,

it's from the King.

So it is. Thank you, Watson.

- Don't you see what he wants?

- He increases my income

once I'm 1 8 and he asks to see me

at Court, what is wrong with that?

The King wants to separate you from

your mother. He wants to control you,

to take you from those whose sole aim

is trying to protect you!

No need to shout. The people

will find out our business soon enough

without hearing it from your lips.

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