Original subtitles

-I think l've found it. - What?

The perfect house.

Where ?

Malibu.

How can it be perfect if it's so far from home?

Because Los Angeles is my home now.

How much ?

It's less expensive than the Iast place I told you about.

But I have to put down a deposit today,

or l will lose it to Michael Douglas.

Who?

Come on , Baba. The actor.

He wants it too, so we have to move fast.

It really is perfect.

And speaking of perfection , there's someone I'd Iike you to meet.

A girl.

For me?

No.

This one's for me. She 's special.

If I bring her to London next week,

would you have time to meet her?

Sure.

Will you. . . send the plane ?

Are you crazy? To Los Angeles?

That's 50, 000 just in gas.

Trust me.

She's worth it.

Welcome to Monarchy: The Nation Decides,

the biggest live debate ever staged on television.

Good evening. There's only one thing the country's been talking about,

and that's this program and your role in the future of the monarchy.

These two telephone numbers will stay on-screen throughout the program

as we ask: Do you want a monarchy?

Don't forget, there are 14, 000 lines open,

and they'll be open all through News at Ten .

The real reason this program 's on

is because we're facing the prospect of Charles lll.

He is gonna divide this country...

You have voted no for a monarchy.

...choose their next head of state.

The overall public feeling is that...

You have voted no for a monarchy.

The cost of the House of Windsor compared...

You have voted no for a monarchy.

...is astronomical.

Let the Windsors...

You have voted no for a monarchy.

...while we choose our own head of state.

You have voted no...

...no...

You have voted no...

Are they value for money?

My contention is this would be a gray and drab country

without the color the royal family bring to it.

Because the people of this country want to have the freedom

to be citizens rather than subjects.

You have voted no...

You have voted no for a monarchy.

If you want to see a King Charles and a Oueen Camilla,

hold up a blue card.

If you don 't, then please hold up a red card.

It looks like no.

Have royal scandals damaged the country's reputation ?

-An overwhelming majority says yes. -. . .no for a monarchy.

In our final show of voting cards, we want our audience to tell us,

if you want a monarchy, show a blue card.

You have voted no...

lf you don 't, then please use the red card.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, dear Lilibet

Happy birthday to you

-Well done. -Oh , I did that in one puff.

Wish ! Wish !

-Is this from you? -Yes. It's from me.

-What are they? -What is it?

Oh , look. Just what I need .

Well , I swear by them, Lilibet.

They're very handy.

Show me.

It's one of mine. It's...

It's Huna Mill , near John O'Groats.

-Yes. -It's good . Very good .

-Thank you . Thank you . -Marvelous.

I saved the best till Iast, Mummy.

-This'II be good . -Let's take that off.

Oh , what is this?

Oh , it's a...

Look, you press this. Look. Look.

-That's terribly funny. -It's ingenious.

You like it?

Oh , that is absolutely marvelous.

You should put it above your bed .

You always buy the best presents.

-Win anything this week? -Not a thing .

I don't suppose any of you watched that program?

The monarchy debate?

God , it was awful .

I'm afraid I went to bed .

I started , and then when I saw it was going in our favor, I switched it off.

I n our favor?

I'm not sure I saw it that way.

"Is the royal family value for money?"

More than half said no.

"Can you name three useful things the royals do?"

Eighty-three percent couldn't.

"Do you want a referendum to decide the future of the monarchy?"

Seventy percent said yes.

-"Does anyone want King Charles I I I?" -One hundred percent said no.

Oh , shame, you naughty boys.

Now, with a general election in its wake...

-What are the polls predicting? -A Iandslide.

For Mr. BIair and the Labour Party.

So I think we can safely say that wholesale change is afoot.

Speaking of wholesale change, what are we going to do about Hong Kong?

The Great Chinese Takeaway?

-Granny. -She didn't just say that.

Why? Hong Kong's ours. The Chinese are taking it away.

Taking it back.

Philip and I are due to be in Canada on the day of the handover.

They're suggesting Charles go to Hong Kong in our place.

Hong Kong is clearly the more significant occasion .

Shouldn't you be there? As sovereign?

A monarch should never attend celebrations when a colony cuts ties.

It's undignified .

Like attending the wedding of someone you Ioved

and trying to Iook happy for them.

Been there, done that.

You go to Canada, darling .

Let Charles do Hong Kong .

H i !

Oh , my God .

Okay?

Kelly, meet G4.

G4, meet Kelly.

You're telling me

you had no idea your husband was robbing a bank at that time?

No. I'm telling you ,

I was probably out shopping or having Iunch .

You know, the things women Iike me do.

Don't be frightened to play that Iast Iine a Iittle sexier. Try again .

Okay.

No.

I told you ...

I was probably out shopping or having Iunch .

You know...

the things women Iike me do.

Mrs. Farnham, I have no idea what women Iike you do.

But your husband's Iooking at 1 5 years.

Wait. How do I feel about that?

She's angry.

Sick of being betrayed .

-The anger is all in her next Iine. -Okay.

I am tired of being unwanted !

Someone as gorgeous as you could never be unwanted .

Wait, that's not the Iine.

I just went off-script.

But it's how he truly feels.

The character?

Or you?

We definitely made the right choice with these architects.

Really think your dad'Il pay for it?

I hope so.

But he can be hard to predict.

What will make the difference?

If he likes you .

Well , that's pressure.

But he will Iike you .

What's not to Iike?

You said he Iikes Scandi girls.

You could be Scandinavian .

I'm from Kentucky.

You could .

They're asking for three days, including travel .

Hong Kong's a Iong way to go for three days.

U nless Mrs. Parker Bowles and I combine it with a short holiday afterwards.

On Britannia.

It is her final voyage.

We could invite some friends.

Leave it with me, sir.

Might it not also be an opportunity for me to meet with Mr. BIair?

Why would he be in Hong Kong?

-As British prime minister. -He's got to win the election first.

I know, but surely that's just a question of how big his majority will be.

True.

And I've always felt there could be a productive alliance there.

Two men of a similar age.

Both committed and impatient for change.

I'Il speak to his people.

Table Four. Two Iobster salads, one saddle of Iamb, one chicken supréme.

Yes, chef!

Right, service, please. Table 1 6!

-Sir. Madam . -Thank you .

-Salmon . -Lovely. Thank you .

And steak.

So...

what do you think?

She's cute.

Yes, she is.

Isn't it enough just to fuck her?

What do you want me to say?

Maybe...

how happy you are for me?

But I'm not happy for you or for me.

Is it a bad sign they're speaking Arabic to each other?

No, they always do that.

Does it bother you?

I mean , it's a bit rude.

You get used to it.

Do you know her family?

Of course.

They're good people.

But do they have money?

Are they our equals?

We have to be careful .

Do you speak Arabic?

At my age, it's hard .

And anyway, most of the time,

you don't need to speak the Ianguage to know what they're saying .

And this Maliba house?

Malibu .

Malibu , Maliba.

Ten million dollars.

Let me guess. She chose it?

Actually, we both chose it.

And what's the deal with all the sanitizing?

Oh , you get used to that too.

But I Iike clean hands on a man .

Don't you?

And I will pay you back every cent.

How?

With money I will earn . With movies I will make.

I'Il win you another Oscar.

You'Il see.

Don't make me laugh .

Recently, your company is a joke.

FIop after flop, all bankrolled by me.

I offer you other jobs. Directorships, serious things.

And each time, you Iet me down .

The one thing you have always had a talent for is women .

The one area where I think, "He might still hit the jackpot."

And you bring home a swimwear model expecting it to make me happy!

I think the point is she will make me happy.

Making your father happy should make you happy.

Bringing honor to the name Fayed should make you happy.

You two having a nice chat?

We are.

You okay, baby?

You are right...

"Baby."

1 974 was the last time they won an election,

and it is a vast majority.

Nothing can take away the magnitude of the Labour victory.

They got 4 million more votes than the Conservatives.

This is Tony Blair's hour.

And everyone knows it.

Thank you. All right.

Well, a new dawn has broken, has it not?

We have been elected as New Labour,

and we will govern as New Labour.

And as we head into the millennium,

we have the opportunity to change Britain .

It is strange, the...

The human capacity for self-deception .

Despite all the polls...

I still felt I had a chance of winning .

I nstead , my party has just suffered its worst defeat in memory.

I do hope the history books will judge my premiership

rather more kindly than the electorate has.

Whatever the historians make of it,

you will always rank highly in my personal table of prime ministers.

Very highly.

I shall miss your calm, forthright, dependable presence.

And I'm especially grateful to you for your help with the Waleses.

I am still frustrated I was never able to resolve the issue of the royal yacht.

And I gather the Labour Party is still committed to decommissioning her.

Yes.

It is just possible that the scale of his victory

will make Mr. BIair magnanimous,

and I could try having a word through back channels,

and I might be able to persuade his administration to keep her affer all .

That would mean the world to me.

What do you make of him?

Mr. Blair?

Oh , I shouldn't have done that.

Well , the oft-touted criticism

is that his Ieadership style is a triumph of image over substance.

Much attention is also paid to his age.

Forty-three, I checked .

The youngest prime minister since Lord Liverpool in 1 81 2.

Whatever the criticisms, there's no denying his achievements.

He's broken the stranglehold the unions had over his party

and made Labour electable again , which is no mean feat.

And he has caught the mood of the country, in a way that I clearly failed to do.

Let's see.

True statesmanship is not confined to a time in public office.

And you're still a young man too.

Your Majesty.

One moment, darling .

Congratulations.

Thank you , John .

It's a funny old business.

One day you're prime minister, arguably the most--

Well , the second-most important person in the country,

and the next, you lose your job, your car, and you're evicted from your home,

all before lunch.

I left a note for you on . . . On your desk.

Good luck.

The prime minister, Your Majesty.

-Your Majesty. -Prime minister.

The new prime minister came to see me today.

So how are you settling in?

After some polite chit-chat, I brought up the Royal Yacht Britannia,

hoping for a Iast-minute reprieve,

and he offered a new idea.

A brand-new yacht, but not paid for by the government.

-What? -How, then?

By private finance.

At a cost of some 65 million pounds.

Which means that...

...whichever individual or company pays for it would own the yacht

and Iease it back to the government

whenever the royal family required its use.

What, like a rental?

Like Avis.

Actually, it's not that unusual .

I n the modern commercial world ,

that's what they do for shipping containers and oil tankers.

Britannia isn't a shipping container.

She's a royal yacht

and a symbolic representation of your mother.

So, what are they suggesting?

That "H MY Britannia sponsored by McVitie's Biscuits"

be emblazoned on the side?

They're suggesting the yacht would no longer be Britannia.

She would have a new name.

Go on .

New Britain.

I rather Iike it.

Wait, wasn't that BIair's political slogan?

-Yes. -Oh , come on .

Next they'Il want his grinning face on the side with a big red rosette.

I said if those were the terms of the royal yacht's existence,

I would sooner it be decommissioned .

So that's the decision .

Charles' trip to Hong Kong will be her Iast official trip.

After 43 years of service

and more than a million nautical miles around the globe...

the royal yacht is to be retired .

It was the first time l've seen it so clearly.

The toll that the past few years have taken on her.

And her distress or her grief,

it was not for the royal yacht, nor her precious memories.

It was for herself.

And the institution she represents.

Like she felt she was being decommissioned .

I n which case, you must be ready, sir.

And the country must start to prepare for you as the future.

To that end , I had a look at the itinerary,

and I've managed to find some time

for you to meet with the prime minister one-on-one on the royal yacht.

I also identified one or two places

in the speech that Buckingham Palace has sent for you

to read out at the farewell ceremony, just to tweak it a bit.

Just to give it a bit more of your voice.

The only thing I haven't been able to change is...

business-class seats.

The politicians, foreign secretary Robin Cook,

former foreign secretary Douglas Hurd and former prime minister Edward Heath ,

are all going first class.

And the heir to the throne is in business?

Afraid so.

Doesn't that tell you everything?

You're going to have to be very brave.

But I promise you , you'II survive.

-I'Il talk to him . -I'm not gonna ask you .

There you are.

I mean , the excitement is being in a position to actually do this stuff.

Prince Charles flew into Hong Kong today

as the final countdown to the handover begins.

The foreign secretary, Robin Cook, criticized China 's plans

to send in troops hours after the handover.

Dodi called me today.

To tell me he paid a deposit on the house in Malibu .

Good .

Be happy for him .

But what if he actually proposes to this girl?

Then we will give him a magnificent wedding .

I n Paris.

With the reception at the Ritz.

Or in Scotland , in your castle.

My firstborn son marrying a model .

That's all I was.

You were so much more than a model .

You were a socialite.

I'm feeling a bit gloomy this evening . I don't want to spoil your night.

No, you will spoil it only by not coming .

Just one course.

Twenty minutes.

AII right. All right.

I thought after the divorce, I'd be this happy, smiley thing again ,

but I'm more glum than ever.

It's Camilla's 50th birthday coming up.

Charles wants to throw her a big party at H ighgrove.

I don't want to be in the country for that.

Where to go?

I had plans to take the boys to America for a summer holiday,

but that was shut down for security reasons, so...

Why don't you come to Saint-Tropez with us?

PIease.

No, I wouldn't inflict all this on you .

CIear off. Get out! Go on , get out of here!

CIear off. Get out of here.

My bodyguards are all special forces, so you will be fine.

For the boys, there will be speedboats and Jet Skis

and movies and burgers and french fries.

For you , there will be sunshine and shopping

and a big new yacht.

And a helicopter and a plane to get you there.

You will think it's all very Egyptian and vulgar.

But you will Iove it.

So?

Promise me you will think about it?

Your Excellency, prime minister, ladies and gentlemen...

...l've been asked by Her Majesty the Oueen to read the following message.

Five hours from now, the Union Flag will be lowered.

The flag of China will fly over Hong Kong,

and more than a century and a half of British administration

will have come to an end.

And now the people of Hong Kong can look to a new future.

As the old certainties give way,

l feel hopeful Hong Kong's unique character and spirit

will be a lesson to the world of independence and progress.

This strong sense of identity...

this deep commitment to its own way of doing things,

has been the engine of Hong Kong's spectacular success.

By preserving these Iiberties,

we are not merely protecting a people's way of Iife.

We are inviting the world to Iearn from their example.

I wish you all a successful transition

and a prosperous and peaceful future.

The prime minister, Your Royal Highness.

Prime minister, I'm so grateful to you for making the time.

Your Royal Highness.

Look at you .

The first prime minister young enough to be the Queen's son .

Winston Churchill ,

who sat in that armchair a great many times,

was old enough to be her grandfather.

Anthony Eden , Harold Macmillan , her father.

Wilson and Heath , her husbands.

Mrs. Thatcher, her twin sister.

And you , her son .

Which I suppose, by extension , would make us...

-Brothers. -Yes.

Two men of the same age and generation . And , hopefully, of a similar mindset.

And I want to say, if this meeting is about the decommissioning of the yacht,

I want you to know, especially in Iight of having been shown around her today,

how bad I feel .

Why?

-Well , I . . . -PIease.

I suppose I wasn't prepared for how striking she'd be up close.

Or how remarkable the sense of tradition is

that you get aboard her or...

I suppose it almost makes one regret the decision .

To get rid of her? Really?

And here am I , thinking the opposite.

The very thing that has brought us to Hong Kong

has made clear that there's no point clinging to the past.

We must be excited by the future.

And what an example you've set with your party.

You've taken a rusty old socialist tractor

and turned it into a gleaming modern sports car.

-And look how the public has responded . -I hope so.

I probably shouldn't say this, but...

I think the royal family needs a similar renovation .

Not just in terms of size and cost, though certainly those things too, but...

also in terms of attitudes.

My parents can be a Iittle hidebound in their ideas

about, for example, how I should be permitted to Iive.

Divorces and second marriages, these things exist.

They're the reality for many people today.

You understand that.

You understand the public mood better than anyone.

Don't you think they'd prefer to see a happy, remarried Prince of Wales,

rather than an unhappy, unmarried one?

It was pretty gobsmacking what he was doing.

Effectively briefing against his own mother.

But I have some sympathy with him .

Can't be much fun being the Prince of Wales

if you're an impressive man .

Is he?

Oh , yes, with energy and a brain .

And a conscience and a beating heart

and a genuine desire to engage and make a difference.

Same with this yacht.

Magnificent though she is, the fact is, she's done over a million miles.

Her glories belong to the past. She's not fit for purpose today.

Of course, I have enormous respect for the people who advise the Queen ,

but, well , let's be honest, there's a Iot of gray hair there.

And they do display a certain tone deafness at times.

If we want to preserve what's best about the Crown ,

then two modern , forward-thinking men might need to work together

to help protect...

well , not only the monarchy's future, but...

as heir to the throne, my future too.

To be stuck in a system that wants you to be nothing , no one,

without a voice.

". . .Sidelong glances,

and the Ieader of the bushmen attached himself to this man

as if it was his natural right, but soon a remarkable change set in ."

That is so good .

It would be Iike being trapped for eternity in opposition .

I mean , we had 1 8 years. That was bad enough .

He's already had 50.

It can 't be easy knowing your own mother has the final say

on who you can or can't marry.

I magine if your mum had had a veto over me.

She wouldn't have dared .

Hong Kong's new dawn heralded a new military power today.

Troops of China 's People 's Liberation Army, the PLA,

trundled across the border as a friendly invasion.

But it is the sight of armored personnel carriers

that has stirred particular unease in some quarters.

The Prince of Wales Barracks on Hong Kong lsland

was the British military headquarters until midnight last night.

But no more.

Today inscrutable Chinese sentries came face-to-face with...

Your Majesty.

...struggling home after a long and liquid night.

The PLA arrived--

One or two bits and pieces, if I may.

The Princess of Wales has asked permission

to take the princes with her on a holiday in the South of France,

as guests of Mohamed AI Fayed .

Should we go back with a no?

That would be my preference,

but it is Diana's turn with the boys this year.

Which is what I'm told divorced couples call "parenting ."

So it's none of my business.

Ma'am .

Was that the bit?

I'm bracing myself for the pieces.

The Prince of Wales...

Go on .

... is believed to have granted the prime minister a private audience

while in Hong Kong ,

before heading off on a private holiday with Mrs. Parker Bowles and some friends

on the royal yacht.

I've taken the Iiberty of drafting a statement

clarifying that the holiday was at the prince's expense.

But that doesn't deal with the private audience.

What do you think they discussed?

The ostensible subject was the future of Britain in the region .

Will you ask the Prince of Wales to come and see me as soon as he has a moment?

Ma'am .

And before she is decommissioned ,

do you think I might be allowed to say my own private farewell to Britannia ?

Of course.

Let me arrange that.

Your Royal Highness.

The Prince of Wales, Your Majesty.

Mummy.

How was Canada?

Wonderful , thank you .

Not a spot of rain .

No, I'm afraid I got the rain . AImost drowned out my speech .

My speech .

I hope it didn't spoil your subsequent holiday in the...

-Where was it? -Manila and the Paracel Islands.

I must say, I was surprised to hear of the trip.

And that you would use the royal yacht

as a place to conduct your affair with Mrs. Parker Bowles.

My affair, Mummy? I'm an unmarried man .

Divorced man whose wife is still alive.

Are we really having this conversation?

Camilla and I are mature, willing adults.

-No doubting the "willing ." -Who make one another happy.

No doubting that either.

But isn't it time you asked yourself:

What good can ultimately come of it when the public is so against it?

This is madness.

I tend to agree.

For years, Diana has washed her dirty linen in public.

She's thrown endless grenades over the palace gates trying to blow us all up.

And throughout this, Camilla has remained a model of discretion

and decency and dignity.

And yet you save your most bitter condemnation for her.

The prime minister...

Ah , yes, the prime minister.

...a young man who understands the public better than anyone,

told me that what they want is a happy heir to the throne

whose private Iife reflects the world as they see it.

I don't want to get drawn on Mr. BIair

or whether he understands the people better than me or not.

I'd say he does.

But I do want to make clear that the only person in this family

to have a direct relationship with the first minister is the sovereign .

-Which will one day be me. -One day, but not yet.

When?

You should know the answer better than anyone

because, God willing, you will one day take the oath yourself.

This job is for Iife.

Let's hope there's still an institution for me to take the oath for.

I don't think it's my behavior that's threatening its survival .

Isn't it?

It hasn't been on my watch that there's been a complete breakdown of authority,

that a program on national television's made such a mockery of us.

The vote, as I understand it, went comfortably in our favor.

Less in yours.

I n Hong Kong , I saw how easy it is to dispose of us.

Buildings renamed . Your head removed from the stamps.

Hundred and fifty years of Iiving under the Crown ,

they couldn't have been shot of us more quickly.

That's what happens when we fail to move with the times.

You can't be blamed for Iiving a Iong life.

Thank you .

But you have to accept that your values were shaped by Queen Mary.

Yes. Proud of it.

Hers by Queen Victoria.

Proud of that too.

I'm just worried , Mummy, that...

if we continue to hold on to these Victorian notions

of how the monarchy should Iook, how it should feel ,

then the world will move on .

And those who come after you will be...

Will be Ieff with nothing .

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

I love you .