All language subtitles for The Virgin Queen 2005 S01E01-E02 720p WEB-DL HEVC x265 BONE

[ woman breathing heavily,
footsteps scurrying]

GIRLS' CHORUS:
♪ My care is like my shadow♪

♪ I bear beneath the sun♪

♪ It follows me at all times♪

♪ And flies when I pursue it♪

♪ I freeze and yet
am always burnt♪

♪ Into myself
I've always turned♪

♪ I love and yet
am forced to hate♪

♪ I seem stark mute,
inside I prate...♪

They have summoned
the guard!

God, please help us!

God helps those who help
themselves, Lettice.

The tide is rising;
we must play for time.

Light the candles.

Too gaudy!

If I am to live this night,
I must not outshine her.

Too red!

A gift from the queen herself.

What better choice?

That one.

Lettice!

Remember, child:

Curb your temper,

no matter what she says,

how much she tries
to goad you.

Stay close, Kat.

[ dice rolling]

Go! Go!

[ monkey chirrups]

The signal!

[ chirruping]

Rosary! The rosary!

[ praying quietly]

WOMEN:
...de cetero me non peccaturum

peccandique occasiones
proximas fugiturum. Amen.

Is this how you enter
a princess' chamber?

You forget yourselves,
gentlemen.

The queen will not
receive you.

Her orders stand:

You are to be
confined in the Tower,

pending investigation
into the charges against you.

Fetch her things.

I am with her
day and night.

She never met
this man Wyatt.

If there was a conspiracy,
she took no part in it!

Then she has nothing to fear...

madam.

Quickly.

We must catch the tide.

I will write to her,
plead my case.

You would do well not
to defy her, my lady.

And you, sir,
would do well to remember

I, too, am a king's daughter.

ELIZABETH:
Your Majesty, my dear sister Mary,

I humbly beseech you

to remember
your last promise to me,

that I will not be
condemned without proof.

Now on your command,
I am to be taken to the Tower,

a place surely more fit for
a traitor than a loyal sister.

MAN:
"I beg you, let me come to you

"so that you may hear
my testimony.

"For I swear before God,

"I never practiced,
counseled nor consented

in any conspiracy
against you."

Enough!

She has made fools of you.

This is just more
of her tricks.

She thinks if she buys time,
she can soften my resolve.

Now the tide is lost.

My lord?

MAN:
There is another tide

at dawn, Your
Majesty-- we can...

Transport her in daylight?

So her followers may abduct her,

mount another rebellion
in her name?

Must I think of everything?!

These lines signify what,
my lord?

I believe she was afraid

an incriminating postscript
might be added.

The dawn tide it must be.

My Lord Gardiner.

It is my wish
that you take charge

of her interrogation
at the Tower.

Do not fail me again.

[ door shuts]

Will God punish me,
as I am now punishing her?

He knows you do it in
his service, Your Grace,

as he knows
all things.

It is not just for
your own protection

but that of
your husband.

Only by proving her guilt
in this Protestant plot

can justice be dispensed

and with it, the threat
she poses to you both.

Your father found the strength

to deal with her whore
of a mother.

Now you must do the same
to deal with her bastard child.

And if her guilt
cannot be proved?

ARCHBISHOP:
To break her silence, you must first break her spirit.

GUARD:
Let's go!

[ dogs barking and yelping
in background]

[ bystanders murmuring]

[ praying quietly]

[ bell rings]

[ pronouncing blessing
quietly in Latin]

Amen.

MAN:
Oars!

Sir John Brydges.

He will be your
custodian here, my lady.

Shall we?

I pray you all...

I pray you bear witness that
I come here as no traitor,

but as a true and loyal subject
of the queen,

and shall be until my death.

[ workers laughing]

[ man yelling in agony
in distance]

[ moaning]

[ moaning, chains clanking]

[ agonized shouting continues]

[ desperately]:
No!

A fine pair of lungs
on him, your Mr. Wyatt.

[ tortured cries continue
in distance]

Your castle
in Donnington.

In January you proposed
to visit there, did you not?

Donnington?

Which county
is that?

Berkshire.

I have so many properties.

Thomas Wyatt wrote to you
at that time, did he not,

stating his opposition
to the queen's marriage

and his intention
to overthrow her government?

To put you on the throne
in her place.

SECOND MAN:
Did he not name Donnington Castle

as a base for his rebellion?

That you meet him there
with your supporters?

Had I received
any such communication,

I would have alerted my
sister... and the privy council.

He enlisted the help of France,

assembled four contingents
in as many counties

numbering over 2,000 men
to march on London.

Only a fool would undertake
such a mission

without first gaining

your consent.

Since I am not personally
acquainted with Mr. Wyatt,

I have no insight
into how his mind works,

foolish or otherwise.

Poison was the chosen method

of disposing
of the queen.

A letter to Wyatt
from the French ambassador.

"Death is
the only solution

"to end her disastrous union
with King Philip

and save England
from Spanish rule."

Do you deny you share
such a sentiment?

Like most women, I have
no head for politics, sir.

Every Protestant in the land
condemned the match.

Now, why should you
be the exception?

Wyatt's confession will put
an end to her dissembling.

We're looking at days,
if not hours.

Go no further than your
commission here, Sir John.

[ door thuds closed]

In the future,
we may have to account

for our dealings with her.

LETTICE [ quietly]:
John Seymour...

Duke of Northumberland...

There are scores of them.

Lady Jane Grey.

[ footsteps approaching
outside cell]

[ gasps]

Anne Boleyn.

Her mother is a subject
she does not care to speak of,

much less think of.

[ door creaks open]

[ quietly]:
One of the queen's ladies sent to serve you.

[ quietly]:
Or spy on me.

[ quietly]:
Wyatt's letters, Kat?

Burned with my own hands.

All of them?

Yes.

Then we are
in God's hands now.

[ Elizabeth whimpering
and mumbling fitfully]

No...

[ mumbling]

What...

What... I was...

[ moaning]

Oh, no...

No...

[ voices murmuring]

ELIZABETH:
Someone...

I must... I must...

I must!

I must... I must...

[ lion roars]

[ screams]

[ panting]

Just the animals
in the menagerie.

Hush.

[ dog barking nearby]

[ whimpering]

[ wild cat growls]

I never wrote him a letter
on that matter or any other.

How do you explain your reply,
"I will do as I see cause"?

You're condoning
their conspiracy.

Admit it!

Biding your time, waiting to see

if their insurgence
was successful!

Since I received no letter
on the subject,

it follows I did not
reply to it.

No, you were too artful
to reply in writing.

I could neither
condone nor condemn

a conspiracy
of which I was ignorant, sir.

Though it seems
I am to be condemned

for the ambition of others...

or their malevolency.

MARY:
If she will not admit to her treason,

Wyatt must be made to do it.

GARDINER:
He denies her collusion,

denies ever
communicating with her.

Not the rack
nor the bribe of a reprieve

can move him
otherwise.

The privy council
will never consent

to her trial,
Your Grace,

not without
his testimony

or her own
confession.

To do so, we risk

the mob taking
to the streets on her behalf.

No man will meet his maker

with a lie on his lips,
Your Majesty.

If the rack
cannot persuade Wyatt,

let the prospect of eternal
damnation do it for you...

Prepare his execution warrant.

Now.

Today.

[ door opens]

ELIZABETH:
You were right, Sir John.

The fresh air is
most restorative.

And to see the sky again...

That man--
who is he?

BRYDGES:
Robert Dudley, my lady.

KAT:
Robert is here?

BRYDGES:
Since a year past.

KAT:
On what charge?

BRYDGES:
Treason,

as were his father
and his brother,

before the scaffold
took them.

His time is overdue,
I fear.

Is she acquainted with him?

They were companions
as children...

close companions.

SPECTATOR:
Traitor!

Kill the heretic!

[ crowd jeering]

MAN:
Kill the heretic!

MAN:
Death to the traitor!

[ crowd jeering]

Will people listen to me?!

SPECTATOR:
Kill him!

He's a traitor!

Will people hear me!

SPECTATOR:
Kill the heretic!

Listen to me!

SPECTATOR:
Quiet!

They want me to accuse
my lady Elizabeth

for conspiring in the matter
for which I am charged.

SPECTATOR:
Free him!

Free him!

They think that death will
wrench that lie from me!

But it is not so...
nor ever was!

SPECTATOR:
God bless you, Thomas Wyatt!

She had no knowledge
of my intentions,

nor consented to them
by word or by deed!

As God is my witness...

with my dying breath...

I swear that this is true!

WOMAN:
Long live the lady Elizabeth!

He is innocent.

[ blade slices]

Then she must be dealt with
by other means.

GARDINER:
Your Majesty.

[ banging at door]

It's time.

[ banging on door]

DUDLEY:
For the lady Elizabeth.

You are too late, sir.

She's no longer with us.

WOMAN:
God protect you, Lady Elizabeth.

WOMAN 2:
God be with you, Lady Elizabeth.

God protect you, my lady.

God is with you,
my lady.

MAN:
You were heaven sent, my lady.

WOMAN:
God bless you, my lady.

MAN:
Most gracious Princess Elizabeth.

[ fervent good wishes continue]

PHILIP:
Elizabeth...

[ speaking Spanish]

POLE:
You have the king to thank

for bringing
you here.

It was he who intervened
with the queen on your behalf.

It seems I am
in your debt, Your Highness.

Alas, despite
my endeavors,

I cannot guarantee
your safety.

She persists
in her conviction

you are a threat
to her.

Her mind is
quite set upon it.

It seems the love you
inspire in the people,

inspires only envy
in others.

Their affection is
about the memory of my father,

Your Majesty--
nothing more.

I would speak with
my sister alone,

if it pleases you,
husband.

I know Your Majesty
is ill disposed towards me.

But I beg you,

tell me what it is I have done
to offend you so that I may...

Your pleas are as insincere
as they are tiresome, sister.

And it is God you offend

with your charade
of purity.

I was not raised
in the Catholic doctrine as you,

but I am trying
to learn its ways.

With your help,

with your good
guidance...

Do you think I don't
know hypocrisy

when I see it?

That you can fool me
as you do others!

Not enough that my mother was
left to die alone in exile

while yours stole her place
in our father's favor...

That I was forced to wait
upon her as a mere servant!

Must I now endure the deceit
of her daughter, too?

It is I who now bestow
the favors.

And where I see fit,
the punishment.

The punishment
must fit the crime,

and I have committed none.

If you claim otherwise, then
in justice, you must prove it.

That is still the law
of the land, is it not?

I had hoped my marriage
would bring me comfort,

companionship.

But thanks to you,
it has imprisoned me.

We cannot walk
outside the palace walls

without fear for our lives.

My husband must sleep alone
for his protection,

while I...

I must sleep...

with this beside me!

[ sword crashes to floor]

It's in your mind, is it not?

Seize your chance.

That ambition exists only
in your mind, sister, not mine.

Must there always be
this enmity between us?

Surely it is not beyond us

to put the past to rest,
to reconcile.

My council is
preparing an act of Parliament

to return the country
to the church in Rome.

In time, the Protestant heresy
of our father

will be a ghost
in the people's memory.

Until then,
your confinement will continue...

somewhere less public
than the Tower...

out of their sight
and out of mine.

[ ringing handbell]

GUARD:
Make way!

KAT:
Child, where do they take you?

Where do you take her?
The Tower again?

ELIZABETH:
Kat, help me!

Kat!

KAT:
Child!

POLE:
Why not simply cut the wretched girl from the succession

and have done with it?

No matter.

When the queen
is with child,

the lady Elizabeth
will be

as irrelevant
as she is now inconvenient.

[ door opening]

MAN:
Forgive me, Your Majesty.

I, um...

[ door closes]

That one says too little,

sees too much.

What if there
is no child

and I outlive
the queen?

All our efforts here
will be wasted.

No, if the country is
to remain Catholic,

the lady Elizabeth must convert.

She must be seen to publicly
submit to the authority of Rome.

If, like her father,
she refuses to submit?

As a wife, she must submit
to the authority of her husband.

It was England
I married, my lord.

One sister will do
as well as another.

[ door opens, then shuts]

[ crowd yelling]

MAN:
Oh, Lord!

My lord, he is a martyr!

[ screaming]

MARTYR:
Take comfort, my lord Ridley.

Play the man.

For this day we light
a Protestant torch

that will never be extinguished!

May the Lord save us!

God save them!

[ crowd yelling]

Quench the fire!

It's a sacrilege!
It's a sacrilege.

Jesus Christ,
have mercy upon us.

Jesus Christ.

Oh, oh, oh, Jesus.

[ crowd screaming]

MAN:
My precautions against the release of the lady Elizabeth

continues, Your Majesty,

but I must confess
the duty of it is demanding.

Her...

her ill temper towards
her custody is relentless.

[ groaning in frustration]

MAN:
I am daily challenged by her tempestuous moods,

her incessant demands

to extract a new concession
from me.

I need books, Sir Henry!

The Psalms of David!

The English Bible!

Cicero!

And I ask for my tutor,
Roger Ascham, to attend me,

so I can continue
my studies.

How can I endure this purgatory

without stimulation?

Without conversation?

Without the rigor of debate?

[ groans loudly]

When will my ladies
be returned to me?

Is it not sufficient that your
guards watch me noon and night?

Must I suffer it
from the queen's witches, too?

If she forbids me
to write to her,

I will raise my demands
with the privy council.

Even the most wretched
prisoners in the Tower

have that right,
do they not?

[ scratching]

[ pronouncing blessing quietly in Latin
]

ELIZABETH:
Amen.

[ coughs weakly]

[ scratching on glass]

[ huffs]

[ sighs]

Forgive me, Sir William.

The queen is scrupulous
in matters of security.

Accounts for the
lady Elizabeth's attention,

relating to
her Hatfield property.

[ sniffing]

The expenditure for
your grooms, my lady, seems excessive.

Can you account for it?

[ softly]:
It was the only pretext I could find

for coming without
arousing suspicion.

It began over a year ago.

She reinstated
the Burning of the Heretics Act.

Nearly 300 Protestants
burned at the stake in as many days.

[ sighs]:
The council is divided,

the economy
is decimated

because of this
wretched war in France.

The people are near
to insurgence.

Every time your name is
shouted in the street,

her malice towards you
becomes more fixed.

Even now she's
devising new...

new ways of
disposing of you.

Your marriage to
Don Carlos of Spain

is her latest notion.

Don Carlos is
but ten years old.

It achieves her end:

your exile
from the country.

And if I refuse her?

A mother will go
to any lengths to protect her child,

the more so if
it is heir to the throne.

She is with child?

A queen, a mother and a wife--
her own holy trinity.

The day her child
draws its first breath

could prove to be your last.

You are a symbol
to the people of hope,

of a future without fear,
without repression.

But that is
as much a curse

as it is a blessing.

Every Protestant hothead
who swears allegiance to you

increases the danger
you are in.

If you are to survive,
you must remain invisible

to your allies
and your enemies.

Let his reports speak
not of your defiance

but of your compliance, of
your newfound devotion to Rome.

That way all our survival lies.

I have one life, Sir William.

Must I waste another year
in this godforsaken place?

God has not forsaken us.

He is testing us.

Robert Dudley--
is there any word of him?

He struck a deal
with the king.

He's fighting
alongside him in France

in exchange
for a pardon.

Sir Robert knows the trick
of survival, if nothing else.

[ women laughing and talking
in background]

The king
grows impatient

for word
when he should return.

The doctor said
she was due a month past.

GARDINER:
It seems his wait is over.

No, not now,
not yet.

POLE:
You spoke too soon, my lord.

It is but another
false alarm.

[ thunder rolling]

[ rain pouring]

[ thunder crashes]

[ speaking Spanish]

[ loud thunder]

[ woman moaning inside]

[ moaning tormentedly]

[ thunder rolling]

[ men whispering]

[ loud moaning]

[ screaming]

[ sighing moan]

[ screaming in her dream]

[ hooves thundering]

I have come for her.

[ door opens]

You are to
come to London, to court, my lady.

How so, sir?

The queen is no longer.

She died this morning.

And her child?

It seems there
is no child, nor ever was.

Her symptoms were of a tumor.

Preparations
are in hand

to transfer the realm
in your name, Your Majesty.

A delegation of privy councilors
is on the way

to pronounce you queen.

If she is dead,
prove it to me, sir.

[ gasping]

[ wind howling outside]

How does the weather, Sir Henry?

The wind is harsh today,
my lady... Your Majesty.

I have braved worse, I fancy.

I hope you know that I only
ever acted out of duty.

Then your duty is done, sir.

"This is the work
of the Lord..."

"And it is marvelous
in our eyes."

Your Majesty.

[ crowd shouting approval]

WOMAN:
Your Majesty!

The queen of our hearts!

MAN:
We need you!

You were always in our thoughts!

[ crowd shouting and clapping]

Out with the old,
Sir William.

Let us hope the new
was worth the wait.

[ music playing,
loud festival preparations]

BOY:
"We welcome you, O mighty queen

"Our love in you is sure

"For unto England's sandy shores
you will the truth restore

Your years of exile
are now over..."

TUTOR:
No, no, no.

BOY:
"Your years of exile are now done

For in our midst..."

[ door opens]

MAN:
See how the four degrees of Gemini are rising

with Mercury ruling
the ascendant?

Mercury, as you know,
is the winged messenger of the gods.

He's also strengthened by being
in the tenth house of kings.

Now, see, in the 12th house,

the moon and Jupiter
are together...

But the date, Dr. Dee,
what day does it decree?

By my calculations
and the lunar longitudes,

the 15th day of the month
is the most propitious

for your coronation.

[ door opens]

Your cousin, the Duke
of Norfolk, is waiting outside.

He is most insistent
upon an audience.

He must wait his turn,
like the others.

See how
the buzzards descend.

Be on hand, Dr. Dee.

SIR WILLIAM:
Your Majesty, the Earl of Sussex.

Your Majesty.

Dear cousin.

My lord Norfolk.

I come to serve you.

You have but to name it.

I see your impatience
has not lessened

over the years,
Thomas.

Nor your wit, cousin.

As ever, we are all
diminished by it...

as by your beauty.

I shall take your offer
under advice, cousin.

If it is advice you seek, if
the post of Secretary of State

is not yet taken, then I will...

ELIZABETH:
As you know, I was tutored by the finest scholars in the land.

I am fluent in five languages
and conversant in the principles

of economics and philosophy,
both ancient and modern.

I am also an expert in
literature, music and poetry.

And my horsemanship, they say,
is unparalleled.

But should I ever
require... advice,

you shall be
the first to know it.

Your Majesty.

They were cleaning and, uh...

there it was.

ELIZABETH:
How many more?

They litter the palace
like mouse holes.

This is not the work
of mice, Sir William,

but rats.

Seal them up, all of them.

[ whispering]

He is here?

Your shawl, Lettice.

If anyone asks,
I am at prayer.

Robbie?

[ chuckling]

Look at you...

And how
do I look, pray?

Ah, you want me to worship
at the altar of your beauty,

like all the others
who court your favor?

Mm-hmm.

Is that a frown line
I see?

Oh, yes,
the hands of a queen.

They look the same
to me as always.

I've been waiting for you
to summon me, Bess.

I couldn't wait
any longer.

I trust
your wife is well.

Your court is stuffed full
of married men.

Am I to be
the exception?

Exiled and excluded
with no explanation,

no reprieve?

My father was not a man
to defy, Bess--

on the subject of marriage
or any other.

Am I to be punished
for my obedience to him?

Since you ask, my wife
has been sickly of late

or I would have
come to you sooner--

invited or not.

If she is unwell,
your duty lies with her.

Do you think it's duty
that brings me here?

Ride with me, Bess, hmm?

Ride with me
like you used to.

[ laughs]

I am needed in court.

[ laughing]

The post
of Secretary of State, Sir William.

I can think of no
better man to serve me.

But there is a condition:

Whatever my personal will
or preference,

you shall always give me
the counsel I need,

not what I want to hear--

no matter how much
I rail against you.

I will hold you to
that, Your Majesty.

I would first counsel
caution, if I may,

that you become familiar
with the functions of state,

your new responsibilities,
before you embark...

I have endured
the cautious life too long.

You of all people know that.

You saw how my people
greeted me.

If I am to keep
their hearts, surely I act decisively

with confidence
and purpose.

Then we must start by addressing
the issue of your marriage

before rumor and speculation
undermine their fervor.

The king of Denmark's son
has been mooted

as has King Eric of Sweden.

God's breath, Sir William.

Let us get my coronation
ceremony out of the way

before you plan another
for my nuptials.

The people need to know
the succession is secure,

the realm is safe.

You cannot rule alone, can you?

Is that the list of councilors?

The first are those that
served under your sister.

The second are
those I recommend.

Pembroke is
such a swaggerer.

But he can raise an army
of knights at your command.

Norfolk?

You saw how puffed up he is.

And as my cousin,
he has a claim to the throne,

so he boasts.

All the more reason
to keep him close

to the throne,
where we can see him.

[ quill scratches]

Robert Dudley?

The man's the
son of a traitor.

A rank opportunist.

None of us
are responsible

for the sins
of our fathers, Sir William.

And opportunism is no sin
when it's for survival.

Or in his case,
advancement.

By that token, half the men in
my court could be found wanting.

Will you be inviting
his wife to court also?

A wife's place is at home.

Indulge me in this
one thing, William.

I shall forever be
amenable to your demands.

As you say,
we must act decisively.

[ conversing quietly]

[ quiet conversation continues]

[ quiet conversation continues]

[ conversation stops]

ELIZABETH:
My lords, I bid you welcome.

I require of you nothing more
than faithful hearts

in your preservation of me
and this commonwealth.

Let I with my ruling
and you with your service

make a good account to God

and leave on this earth
some legacy of comfort

in our posterity.

Here are my wishes
and intentions.

I dislike waste and
profligacy in all its forms.

I intend to oversee
the national budget

with the same rigor as with
my households and estates.

My foreign policy shall be
directed by the same principles.

I will always defend
England's shores,

but I will not decimate
our resources

trying to expand on them.

You shall find me
resolute on this.

As for religion...

henceforth all services
will be conducted

not in Latin, but English,
starting with my coronation.

How can my people understand
the power of prayer

unless they first understand
its meaning?

If they are to accept
the Protestant faith,

it must be through persuasion,
not purges.

Let the Catholics keep
their crucifixes and robes,

if they wish.

There is but one Jesus Christ.

The rest is trifles.

She thinks
to make herself legitimate

by legitimizing her faith.

We should live so long.

[ crowd cheering]

She's her father's daughter,
no matter what they say.

The hair proves it.

Look closely, sir,
her eyes are her mother's.

MAN:
Long live Elizabeth, our blessed queen!

ALL:
Long live Elizabeth, our blessed queen!

Long live Elizabeth,
our blessed queen!

Long live Elizabeth,
our blessed queen!

Who's winning?

[ whispering]

Bravo!

ELIZABETH:
You were a most worthy loser, cousin.

I commend you.

But a loser
nonetheless.

Your familiarity
with the queen

is as offensive as it
is disrespectful, sir.

Your need is greater
than mine, I fancy.

It is damp
but is still serviceable.

Next time it will be
your swollen head I aim for!

Judging
by your performance

your aim is nothing
to boast of.

ELIZABETH:
My lord Norfolk,

I will not tolerate threats
of violence in my presence.

God's blood, it is but a game!

Now, shake hands.

Be done with it.

If you think such behavior
finds favor with me, gentlemen,

you are very much mistaken.

That one is not destined
to die in his bed, my lord...

if indeed it is his own bed
that he sleeps in.

ELIZABETH:
Robbie!

Your familiarity
borders on contempt.

One of mine own
by recompense.

No, no, no.

You must open it.

It's a family
heirloom--

my late mother's
favorite piece.

Then by rights
your wife should have it.

Hmm...

Rubies are
not her color.

So... will the Spanish
ambassador be impressed?

Your efforts
are wasted, Bess.

He's old, nearsighted

and has an abhorrence
of red hair.

ELIZABETH:
See the insolence I must endure, Letty?

The Spanish ambassador.

[ speaking Spanish]

He sends this gift
as a little token

of his esteem.

ELIZABETH:
A ruby no less,

and quite a magnificent
specimen, too,

is it not?

As you know,
the word "ruby"

stems from the Latin word
for "red," Your Grace,

symbolizing
both heat and fire and thus passion.

Some might think
such a gift

from the husband
of my late sister

a little...
inappropriate.

Please allow me,
Your Majesty, please.

SIR WILLIAM:
Your Majesty, if I may...

the Earl of Pembroke.

From Spain.

Let us hope she runs out of
suitors before we do space.

DUDLEY:
It was but a fond gesture from a friend, Bess!

You make too much of it.

Your fondness exceeds propriety!

I will not be made to look
like a concubine

before my own court!

You go
too far, Robbie!

Bess, wait!

Your Majesty?!

[ door opens, then slams]

COUNCILOR:
Do we deal with her English suitors first

or the foreign?

SIR WILLIAM:
We are not all assembled yet, sir.

We proceed without Dudley.Hear, hear.

Oh, the Earl of Arran asks

that his name be added
to the list

of those for the queen's hand.

As does the Earl
of Arundel and Rutland.

And the Earl
of Shaftsbury.

Likewise Sir William Pickering.

His bastard children
litter every parish.

Well, the queen seemed
most taken with him

when they met.

This is about state policy,
not the whims of a woman.

Her judgment
cannot be relied upon.

Is not her ill-chosen
attachment to Robert Dudley

proof of that?

NORFOLK:
What advantage is there in a domestic union?

Any Englishman we choose
could cause

dissent and division
in the country.

No, a foreign match is the one.

The Spanish ambassador's
been sniffing round the palace

like a dog on heat.

Is King Philip a contender?

After his bloody purges
when married to her sister,

the queen would never
contemplate such a union.

In terms of a foreign match,

we currently have
the Habsburg proposal...

and the king of Sweden,
of course, weather permitting.

[ councilors chuckle]

NORFOLK:
The Habsburg suite--

which son
does the emperor propose?

His two youngest,
either Ferdinand or Charles.

Charles is the more manly.

The French will be
implacably opposed.

As will Spain.

As will someone
closer to home, I fancy.

NORFOLK:
Then it's Austria.

Shall we make it official?

Our remit is to recommend

our preference
to the queen, my lord.

And her remit is to accept
our recommendation, Sir William.

To do otherwise
flouts our authority.

We have the chance to end

this wretched petticoat
government, my lords.

Let us seize it.

Subject to negotiation,

the queen will marry
the archduke Charles.

Agreed?

[ Dudley sputtering
and grunting]

Is this your doing?

Then you are
a fool indeed.

It was never my intention
for you to witness

such craven indulgence,
Your Majesty.

My shame is already
too much to bear.

Tread carefully, Robbie.

One day you may strain
my patience too far.

[ chuckles]

[ woman laughing]

It's uplifting to hear
her laugh again, is it not?

WOMAN:
A joy indeed, my lord.

Now... you are to stay
with Mrs. Odingsells

until your health
is restored, my love.

She will ensure
your every need is met.

You are all that
I need, husband.

Can you not stay
with me?

[ sighs]

You know the snake pit
of duplicity the court is, Amy.

If I am absent too long,

there are plenty
who will fill the void.

And the queen's favor
can be capricious.

When it shines on you,
her generosity knows no bounds,

and aren't we already
reaping the rewards of that?

The house in Kew
is but a start,

and she speaks
of another in Surrey

and an estate
in Warwickshire.

Is it only for that
you seek her favor?

Power is not
always visible, Amy.

If you have a voice,

you can shape not just
how that power is used,

but your own destiny.

Now, I have risked the Tower
and the scaffold

for such a chance.

Do not ask me
to forgo that now.

Your physician
will attend her daily.

And if the pain...
if she weakens...

I will summon you,
sir, as I promised.

Be vigilant
in your care for her, madam.

She might well be
the best part of me.

Bid me go, Bess.

Say it.

No, we mustn't!

We cannot!

[ panting]

Another one of
your bad dreams, child.

Oh...

ELIZABETH:
Stay close, Kat.

SIR WILLIAM:
Your Majesty, Your Grace...

Your Grace...

Your Grace, Your Maj...

Your Grace... Your Majesty...

Your Britannic Maj... no.

Your Grace,
I am delighted to tell you

that the council has reached
a decision on the issue of...

Now there is another matter
we must attend to,

that of your marriage.

We feel that a match with
the archduke Charles of Austria

is the most propitious.

The negotiating terms
I have drafted.

A union with
the Habsburg empire

will not only assure
your future prosperity,

but will deter any act
of aggression

from France or Spain.

And the archduke has
no principality of his own,

so he's free to reside here

and relieve you
of the burdens of state.

If sharing the
sovereignty deters you,

then let him be
your consort.

That, too,
can be negotiated.

God's breath, what worm
of a man would accept

such a meager status?

If he does,
he will never grace my bed!

In the months since
my accession, Sir William,

have I been negligent
in my duties of state?

The Religious Acts before
Parliament in my name,

the legislation
for the relief of the poor--

was I not instrumental
in their construction?

Your diligence is not
in dispute, Your Grace.

But it is not fitting
for a woman to bear

such weighty
responsibility on her own.

Your duty is now
to secure succession,

providing England with an heir.

As my duty lies

in giving you advice
without fear or favor.

By all means offer
your advice, my lord.

But I am under no obligation
to act upon it!

[ screams]

[ door opens]

I fear I was precipitous
in my response

to the issue of my marriage,
Sir William.

If you will furnish me

with the details
of the archduke's suit,

I shall consider his proposal
most carefully.

[ door opens, then shuts]

So, the sharks have chosen
a minnow to share your throne--

the better to do their bidding.

The archduke Charles
is but a puny boy,

barely weaned from
his mother's breast.

As always,
you exaggerate, Robbie.

He is my age,
more or less.

And well endowed,
so they say.

Mmm, in wealth
and power perhaps.

In other respects...

[ chuckles]

Had anyone bothered
to consult me,

I would have
forewarned them...

how even as a child,
you vowed

never to take a husband.

Dear God, after what
happened to your mother,

who can blame you?

Would you forgo the chance
of motherhood, Bess,

for the sake
of a childish vow?

It's not only men
who can be corrupted by power.

An heir can be
as much a threat as a comfort in that.

But the love of a man is
hardly that of a child.

It can be as fickle.

As can a woman's.

But a woman ruler is not
as other women, is she?

Like the coin

that bears
her image,

there are
two sides to her.

On the one,

she embodies the feminine
frailty of her sex,

and on the other,
she is the body politic,

ordained by God.

Ah, well, then,
it is to the frail and feminine one I must appeal.

Oh, but she listens
only to the counsel of the other.

And how can a woman
be sure

if a man truly loves her
for herself

or for her power
as queen?

Cannot a man
love them both?

Do you think so little
of my honor

that I might
endanger yours?

If you thought
more of your wife,

your honor would
not be in doubt.

Your wit is
your protection, Bess,

but I fear it makes
for a lonely bed.

[ door opens, then shuts]

AMY:
The doctor has ordered

that I must spend my days
resting now, my love,

but a visit from you,
no matter how brief,

will do me more good
than all his potions.

I know that duty to a queen
must come before a wife,

but I keep hearing rumors
from court

about how the queen is apt
to flirt with her courtiers,

how young men mortgage
their estates

to buy outfits
to catch her eye,

how she plays one off
against the other.

Take care, Robert, for such games are about power.

It could be your soul
you mortgage,

for women are not so
well versed in its rules,

so make them up.

Therein danger lies.

The favors she bestows
can be withdrawn

as surely as the clouds
obscure the sun.

I see now
if my life has a purpose,

it is to protect you
from your vanity

and the price you will pay
if you fall prey to hers.

SIR WILLIAM:
Your Majesty,

may I present
Sir Francis Walsingham?

He has come from France
with news for us.

I hope your news is worthy

of rousing me from my slumber,
Sir Francis.

Two weeks ago,

the king of France fell ill
with an ear infection.

He died

on Friday
in Orleans.

SIR WILLIAM:
As a widow, your cousin,

the queen of Scots,

will now be competing
in the marriage market,

to forge her own
political alliance against us.

WALSINGHAM:
I fear her youth and beauty are such

she will be a magnet for
every Catholic prince in Europe.

It is for this I was
so rudely summoned from my bed?

WALSINGHAM:
My agents inform me

she plans to
return to Scotland, Your Majesty,

to rally
her Catholic followers there.

They boast

she is the one true
queen of England.

Only assassination can end
your heretic rule.

SIR WILLIAM:
A view encouraged by the French,

who've pledged to
support that cause.

Henceforth, you must be guarded
at all times.

All your food
must be tasted,

all gifts and tokens
examined for poison.

Your progress amongst the people
must be curtailed...

Curtailed?!

My best defense lies
in the love of my people.

How can they do that
if they cannot see me?

With respect, Your Majesty,
your best defense lies

in marrying someone
the French will fear.

I am not so bereft of logic

I don't know common sense
when I hear it, Sir William.

Have I not said I will consider
the archduke Charles's proposal

most carefully?

Now I bid you
good night,

gentlemen,

lest my own beauty suffer
from my interrupted rest!

[ door opens, then shuts]

MAN:
I come to the point, Majesty.

King Philip has asked...

He asked me to
ascertain if you would do him the honor

of considering
a proposal of marriage from him.

Of course,
the enmity such an alliance will cause

could be costly
for Spain.

Military conflict
with France cannot be ruled out.

And does he ask for nothing
in return for his sacrifice?

Converting to the faith of Rome

is not such a sacrifice
on your part, is it?

Think of the reward--

our two nations
bound by the sacred bond of marriage.

Europe will be on
its knees before us.

We are but a small kingdom

compared to the might
of Spain, my lord.

Such an alliance could threaten
our nation-state.

My people will never
sanction it.

The people will take their cue
from you, Your Majesty.

Such is their love for you.

Please inform the king

that I shall consider
his proposal... most carefully.

Child, you must rise.

Prepare!

Baron Breuner, the archduke
Charles's envoy, has arrived.

And the gifts he brings--
damask, caskets

and a white horse fit
only for a king.

If it's to be
a courtship by proxy,

let us sweep him
off his feet.

I'm sorry to have
to do this to you.

Now, see how attentive she is,
how she leans towards him?

The archduke chose well
in his envoy.

No woman can resist
such a man.

Let's hope
he has the wit to let her win.

If he doesn't,
God help him.

NORFOLK:
Ah, the acid test-- the archduke's portrait.

MAN:
Is she smiling?

I cannot tell.

We are nudging towards
a result, my lords.

I feel it in my bones.

As we were! Quickly!

SIR WILLIAM:
Ah, Baron... come and join us.

I hope your suit
progresses well.

Yes, thank you, it progresses,

though in what direction,
I'm not so certain.

SUSSEX:
Was she not amenable to the archduke's picture?

Oh, yes, she said she found
his features most pleasing.

She also said how
she never trusts the portrait,

how an artist can use his skills

to disguise the faults
of his subject.

Well, I trust that His Lordship
is faultless in the flesh.

[ chuckles]

She insists

on meeting
the archduke personally

before considering
a commitment to him.

She's adamant
on that point.

Then we will issue
a formal invitation

that he may come
to England and...

And if he comes
and she rejects him?

The archduke will never expose
himself to such humiliation.

I've learned
from experience, Baron,

that, like others of her sex,

the queen can tend
to frivolity and prevarication

when faced with a decision.

But time will mellow her.

Sir Robert Dudley's name
was constantly on her lips.

Is there anything there
I should be aware of?

A friend from childhood,
my lord.

Her fondness for him

is nothing more than that
of a sister-- nothing more.

I see.

If she has been neglectful
of her honor,

the archduke will never
countenance a match with her,

nor I collude with it.

My lords.

Thank you.

He has duties at court.

He cannot come.

Will you leave me,
please?

[ door opens, then shuts]

The pearl ones.

[ lively music playing]

[ music stops, court applauds]

[ milder music resumes]

[ music continues]

He has a wife!

You cavort with him
as though he were a suitor!

I treat him as he deserves--
as a loyal and trusted friend!

He is
my only joy, Kat!

When I am with him, the burden
I must carry is lifted.

I am the child
I was never allowed to be.

You, of all people,

know the dark days
of that!

And the talk he plans to poison
his wife so he can marry you--

does that bring you joy, too?

The poison lies with those
saying such vile things!

Who are they? Name them!

KAT:
If you prove yourself unworthy as a queen,

the love of your people
can as easily turn to contempt.

Your enemies
will seize that,

seek to take the throne
away from you!

Is any man worth that price?

The tracts of land
you've given him?

The money, the titles?

Will your next gift be
your virtue

or the realm itself?

Or is one the reward
for the other?

[ gasps]

I'm sorry!

Oh, forgive me.

Say you forgive me.

There has been
no impropriety between us!

God's wounds, when has
there been an opportunity?

Do not my ladies sleep
beside me?

Are there not guards
on my door?

Am I not watched
by a thousand eyes day and night?

And a thousand eyes see
how you look at him, child.

Admit your love
for him.

Only then can you find the
courage to do what you must

and discard him.

We are guilty of nothing
immoral, by thought or deed.

But if I choose so
to dishonor myself,

no one shall forbid me.

No one!

Are you not going
to the fair today?

I was going
to send the servants in my place, my lady.

Oh, do go, Mrs. Odingsells.

I shall be sleeping.

What harm can come to me?

For an hour--
no longer.

Wait for me!

Come.

[ all giggle]

AMY:
I see now if my life has a purpose,

it is to protect you
from your vanity

and the price you will pay
if you fall prey to hers.

[ thunder rolling]

SIR WILLIAM: She has rejected
King Philip of Spain's proposal.

Response to the archduke
Charles is the same.

"I am not minded at this time
to relinquish my single life."

SUSSEX:
She doesn't know her mind.

That's the problem.

She knows it
well enough.

Dudley has cleared the decks
by disposing of his wife.

She is doing the same.

The coroner has not yet
determined the cause of death.

WALSINGHAM:
I fear every court in Europe

is rife with such talk,
Sir William.

My agents report even
the queen of Scots

saying how the queen's favorite
has killed his wife

to make room for her in his bed.

Sir Robert was here
in court that day, sir.

I can vouch for it.

Death by design requires
only a willing mercenary

to service it, my lord.

Thanks to the queen,
Dudley is not without funds.

I will not tolerate such talk of
Her Majesty in my presence, sir!

Do not let your loyalty
blind you, Sir William.

Her complicity is the talk

of every pulpit and parish
in the land.

If she chooses
this corrupt union,

she will go
to bed a queen

and wake up as
Lady Elizabeth again...

if she wakes at all.

ELIZABETH:
Leave us.

The coroner's verdict.

No evidence or presumption
of evil by any third party.

[ sighs deeply]

Then I'm exonerated--
it's over.

Malicious tongues
might take more convincing.

A few weeks, it'll be
but a memory, Bess.

Have to ride it out,
that's all.

It'll be worth the wait,
I promise you.

You know we're destined
to be together, Bess.

Marry me.

Do you not see
your dishonor is mine, too?

I cannot let what started
with such hope for my people

end in shameful ignominy.

There is only dishonor...

[ footsteps passing]

There is only dishonor
where there is guilt.

Or must I swear my innocence
to you, too?

You looking for a reason
not to love me?

Careful, Bess,
you might find one.

We must not, I cannot!

If you love me
as you claim,

you must leave court--
now, today.

If you love me, you would never
ask me to do such a thing.

I do not ask it.

I demand it.

If I am exiled, it will seem
as proof of my guilt.

I'm done for!

All these months you kept me
close, you were using me...

playing with me

for your own callous ends,
as you do all men.

So long as I was married,
you were safe.

Now I am free, you spurn me.

If I leave,
I won't return, Bess.

It will be the last time
you ever see me.

I will have but one mistress
here and no master!

Do you hear me?

[ panting]

I will have no man rule over me!

Send for help.

[ moaning]

MAN'S VOICE:
Boleyn's little bastard.

DOCTOR:
Keep the fire stoked, keep it stoked.

KAT:
This water's cold, Isabella.

Bring more water.

Where's the water?

She is asking for you.

Her successor--
is there a name?

An ancient Arabic
remedy for smallpox.

The patient is entirely
wrapped in red

to sweat the pox out.

SUSSEX:
Can she... see?

Is it in her eyes yet?

Please God, it has not
spread to her brain.

My lords, I...
[ breathing with difficulty]

I fear death possesses me.

A successor, Majesty.

We must have a name.

[ breathing raggedly]

We need a name, Your Grace.

The protector of the realm
shall be...

[ inhales raggedly]

Sir, I cannot hear--
was there a name?

Robert Dudley.

[ inhales raspily]

[ lion roars]

[ screams]

DOCTOR:
Where's the water?

Oh... oh.

KAT:
The queen lives! The queen lives!

We must thank God for our
merciful deliverance, my lords.

[ church bells pealing]

[ shouting excitedly]

[ opens door]

I know the timing is not
propitious, Your Grace,

but there is a matter
of some urgency...

Must you always indulge in these
tiresome preambles, my lord?

If it's urgent, say it.

I am relieved your spirit is
restored along with your health,

Your Majesty.

A decree
from Parliament.

It is their will that
your marriage negotiations

with the archduke Charles
be reopened without delay.

An invitation
to his envoy

has been issued
to that effect.

Issued without my consent?

Without even the meager courtesy
of discussion?

Parliament have yet to approve
your annual subsidy.

Now is not the moment
to antagonize them.

Do they think to blackmail me,
Sir William?

Your illness was a salutary
reminder to us all

of your mortality.

The question of
succession can be detained no longer.

[ ladies talking
and laughing quietly]

Such fuss.

They're barely
visible, child.

If I can see them,
so can others.

[ ladies giggling]

Henceforth, my ladies must
only wear subdued colors, Kat.

There can be but one sun
in the universe!

[ ladies fall silent]

[ animated conversations
and laughter]

[ court applauds]

Honorable members
of Parliament, councilors--

I am told that
some of you still take the view

that I must take a husband.

It is monstrous that the feet
should think to rule the head...

that you presume I shall bend my
will to yours on such a subject.

Was it not God's will that
preserved me from my sickness

for the life I must now lead?

And it shall be
his will alone I obey

on the matter of my marriage.

If he so works my heart to
incline it towards that state,

then I assure you

the realm shall not go destitute
of an heir.

But if it be his will

I continue to live outside
the state of marriage,

I tell you,

I would rather be turned out
of the realm in my petticoats

than defy him!

It is England I married,
my lords.

It shall be sufficient for me
when I die

that a marble headstone declares

that this queen, having lived
for such and such a time,

lived and died... a virgin!

[ court murmuring]

[ panting]

[ court clamoring]

[ court continues clamoring]

[ Elizabeth laughing]

The queen of Scots'
envoy is due.

She will see
no one else.

You'll find
I'm the exception, sir.

"No exceptions,"
she said.

[ door opens]

[ playing energetic melody
on harpsichord]

[ clears throat]

[ stops playing]

[ sighs]

You startled me, sir.

Sir James Melville.

I am honored indeed,
Your Majesty.

I hope my cousin
fared well

in her journey
back to Scotland.

Uncommonly well, Your Majesty.

She relishes being
at home once again.

[ resumes playing melody]

My father composed this ditty.

Charming, is it not?

Indeed so,
Your Majesty.

My cousin, too,
is musical, I hear.

She plays like an angel,
Your Grace.

As dexterously as I?

There is no comparison.

[ chord resonates]

I am told she also
dances sublimely.

MELVILLE:
Oh, she is indeed deft of foot.

"Sublime" is the word,
Your Majesty.

I heard
she is uncommon tall.

Is she not ungainly?

She is as graceful

as a feather in the
breeze, Your Grace.

So... she is taller
than I or...?

Taller by a few inches,
I'd say.

Then she is too tall.

For I am told
I am the perfect height.

Your meeting with her has been
delayed too long, Your Majesty.

Only then can you judge
her true merits for yourself.

In that regard,
she has sent you a gift.

I see now how she has so many
suitors competing for her hand.

No doubt some foreign prince
has caught her eye.

She favors
an Englishman.

Her cousin Lord Darnley
has been mooted in that regard.

Darnley?

That feckless, unstable youth?

And as a Stuart, he has
a claim to my throne.

A union between them both
could pose a serious threat

to the security
of my kingdom, sir.

Scotland is but a footfall away.

As your sister queen,

she seeks only to strengthen
the alliance between you.

Then I have the perfect gift
in mind for her...

to achieve that goal.

ROBBIE [ in background]:
Oh! I would prefer banishment to this--

a hundred times
I would prefer it!

ELIZABETH:
If she marries a Catholic prince,

she will use their power
to seize my throne.

Worse yet
if it's Darnley she chooses!

[ kindly]:
Who else can I trust with such a mission,

who I know
will not betray me?

I... I am a Protestant,
I am a commoner.

She will never countenance
such a match.

The earldom of Leicestershire

has a heritage
akin to royalty, does it not?

And there are
surely worse duties

than to be married to a queen.

You know,
I hadn't yet forsaken all hope of that.

And there is
no greater death

than that
of hope, Bess.

And no greater love
than to sacrifice it.

Is this the frail,
feminine side talking...

or the divine virgin?

Hmm?

For queen and country.

So be it.

Robbie.

[ quavers]:
They say her beauty is unparalleled.

Perhaps it will not be
such a sacrifice.

[ door opens, then slams]

HERALD:
Be it known to all those present

that in recognition of his
steadfast service and loyalty

to the queen and to the realm,

on this day we do confer
upon Robert Dudley

the dignity, splendor and title
of Earl of Leicester.

WALSINGHAM:
The queen of Scotland has defied you, Your Grace.

She has wed Lord Darnley.

WALSINGHAM: "His Holiness Pope Pius V calls

upon all English
Catholic subjects..."

"to renounce
the heretic rule

of Elizabeth Tudor,
usurper queen of England"--

to all intent and purposes,
a warrant for your death.

It's not just
renegade Catholics

acting on the orders
of the pope we must fear.

The queen of Scots
has orchestrated

yet another plot
to depose you.

In her letters to me,

she swears
she has no knowledge of such a conspiracy!

Then her assurances are as
threadbare as her honor.

Reckless she may be,

she is still an anointed
queen, as I am!

Your spies are either lax
in their efficiency

or in their loyalty,
Sir Francis.

In the absence
of a standing army,

they're your best
protection, Your Majesty.

Thanks to their diligence,

her latest intrigue
has been exposed.

It seems she has found
a friend in court,

someone close to you,

who has elected to betray you.

I fear I shall soon have to
sleep with a sword by my side,

as my sister did, for fear of
being murdered in my own bed.

The queen of Scots persists
in her cause to seize my throne.

But unseating a monarch requires
more than force.

Without the support
of the council or Parliament,

it could end in civil war.

So... who better to enlist
to subvert their loyalty

than someone whose
ambitions for advancement

have been thwarted in my court?

Who can conveniently dust
off his Catholicism

as proof of his new
fidelity to Rome?

And do you have proof
of such an intrigue?

Mmm.

Thanks to God and Walsingham.

The sweet talk
in his letters

to the queen of Scots
speak volumes.

Of all qualities,
I prize loyalty the most,

but now I perceive
mercy to be as worthy.

To err is human,
to forgive divine,

but the gateway to forgiveness
must first be confession.

If loyalty be
the issue,

then it is Dudley
who should be called to account.

You think it was mischance
that she came to marry Darnley?

It was Dudley's
backdoor machinations

that he may remain here at court
with you to further...

Impugning my lord Leicester's
integrity insults

not just his good name
but my intelligence, cousin!

And as your cousin,
your blood kin, I tell you,

your trust is fatally misplaced,
and always has been!

Our royal blood is
from birth, Thomas.

How we use its
power thereafter is from choice.

You have made yours, as I have.

And you have chosen her.

[ door shuts]

Take him to the Tower.

Dispose of him!

[ door opens]

I had all but given up
waiting for you,

my sweet Lettice.