All language subtitles for The Crown - S03E04 - Bubbikins

[church bells ring]

[speaks Greek]

[man in Greek] It's over, Mother Superior.

I brought the accounts so you can see.

The money has run out.

[in Greek] But we need medicine.

We need beds.

We need food.

I can't turn people away.

In the past, when funds have run low,

you have managed
to make personal contributions.

I have already sold everything.

[man] Then we have no choice.

The Order must close.

[man in English] And three,

two...

[presenter] Tonight on Meet the Press,
we have a very special guest indeed.

His Royal Highness Prince Philip,
the Duke of Edinburgh.

Here in Washington as part of an 18-day
tour of Canada and the United States.

-Welcome, sir.
-Thank you. Delighted to be here.

Now, so many questions to ask,
so little time.

But one thing we'd like
to clear up right away

for all of us ignorant Americans
who just don't understand.

How come you're not king?

[chuckles]

Because when a king of England marries,
his wife, whoever she is,

automatically becomes queen, correct?

Uh, yes, correct.

So, when the Queen married you,
what happened?

As a fellow male, I am aggrieved.

Yes, and you're right to be.

-Hmm.
-[Philip] No, it's monstrously unjust.

And to continue this theme of injustice,

a recent news dispatch from London
begins this way:

"Queen Elizabeth has not had
a pay raise in over 15 years."

True.

[presenter] The article then goes on
about the significant challenge

the royal family faces in surviving
on the existing allowance.

Is this creating
an awkward situation, sir?

[Philip] Very. We go into the red,
I think, next year.

Which, uh, which is not bad housekeeping,
if you come to think of it.

We've kept the whole thing going
on a budget,

which was based on the costs of...
of over 15 years ago,

when the Queen acceded to the throne.

[presenter]
So, in order to afford everything...

Well, very considerable corners
have had to be cut,

and it is beginning to have its effect.

Now, if nothing happens,
we shall either have to, um...

I mean, I don't know.

We, uh, we may have to move
into smaller premises, who knows?

-Smaller palaces?
-[Philip] Something like that.

We've already embarked
on a general belt-tightening

which has not made life easy.

I mean, for instance,
we had a... we had a small yacht,

which we have had to sell.

Really?

[Philip] I shall probably have
to give up polo fairly soon

and things like that.

[presenter] Thank you.
We'll be back with Meet the Press...

International call, please.
London, England.

01946 0200.

[phone line rings]

-Hello, Ken here.
-Ken, it's John Armstrong.

I'm in New York on the Muhammad Ali story,

and I've just seen the Duke of Edinburgh
give an interview on television here.

Give me 600 words and hold the front page.

-It's yours.
-You won't regret it.

[pen clicks]

[soldier] Present arms!

I had intended to start our agenda
with the situation in Eastern Nigeria,

but given the article in today's Guardian

about His Royal Highness
the Duke of Edinburgh--

Yes, perhaps we ought to start with that.

What was the reaction in Cabinet?

[Wilson] Positive, on the whole.

In view of the gloomy economic forecast,

might I suggest that the government
follows the advice of John Armstrong,

writing in today's Guardian,

and sells off an outdated and
redundant piece of state infrastructure,

the royal family.

[chuckling]

On the whole?

Well, of course the usual suspects
were jumping up and down.

Benn, Crossman, Castle.

You'd expect that.

Perhaps a whip-round,
"Buy the Prince a New Pony"?

In the current economic climate,

with honest working families up
and down the country fighting to survive,

I find a plea of poverty
from a jumped-up freeloader like him

not just inappropriate,
but downright offensive.

[all] Hear, hear!

I'm assuming you know what that family
costs the British taxpayer each year.

Two and a half million.

Now, when you compare that
to the average family--

I do know that. £1,607.

Per year. The royal family costs
more than four times that per day.

-And now they're asking for more! More!
-Outrageous!

Come on, Barbara,
it's not cheap playing polo.

-[laughter]
-How dare they? When half...

[Wilson] It was the reaction
from the rest of them that concerned me.

The fence-sitters.

Before the article,

I would have said there were
six hardliners in Cabinet

in favor of cutting the Civil List

against 14 whom we might call moderates.

Now, the figures are more like ten to ten.

-That's a significant and worrying swing.
-And your own position?

Mine, ma'am?

Yes, Prime Minister, yours.

You hold the casting vote.

Well, I've always been
an ardent supporter of the monarchy,

as the record shows.

But when it comes to a plea of poverty

from the husband
of the richest woman in the world

and an appeal to the British taxpayer
for a pay rise at a time like this,

even I find myself...

conflicted.

[Philip]
I mean, what does he want us to do?

Live in a semi-detached?
Travel everywhere on the omnibus?

Actually, he did mention travel.

That the royal yacht is funded
by the Navy,

our aeroplanes by the Air Force,

and that Margaret's recent holiday
in America

cost the Exchequer £30,000.

For which, I am told,
she did two days' actual work.

Margaret's holiday not only secured
a multi-million pound bailout,

but she also got rave reviews
in every newspaper in the world,

which is a darn sight more
than Mr. Wilson and his...

economically incompetent socialist chums
have achieved.

Leave it with me.

What does that mean?

It means this needs a response.

A robust response.

-Philip...
-You deserve to be paid properly.

We deserve to be paid properly.

Well, I'm not going to rest until we are.

[Philip clears throat]

[indistinct chatter]

[Mother Superior in Greek]
It's a genuine Ceylon sapphire

set in diamonds.

[pawnbroker]
No genuine sapphire is that size.

If even a fraction of that were real,
it would be--

Test it.

[exhales]

When you come up with an honest price,

I will consider selling it.

You can find me at the
Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary.

10 Pefkon Street, Neo Iraklio.

[sirens wail]

[dogs bark in the distance]

[bell rings]

Unbelievable!

The jewelry gangs these days!

The lengths they go to!

-[pawnbroker] Did you arrest her?
-[policeman] Who?

[pawnbroker] The fake nun.

[policeman]
There's nothing fake about her, you idiot.

She's a real nun. And a real princess.

What?

Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark
was born in Windsor Castle.

Her great-uncle was the Tsar of Russia,
her great-grandmother was Queen Victoria,

and her son is married
to the Queen of England.

[indistinct chatter]

Did you come up with a price yet, sweetie?

[Philip] Uh, sweetie, are you there?

Can you hear me?

[switch clicks]

Sweetie?

Sweetie?

-Hello, sweetie?
-[microphone feedback]

[footman] Your Royal Highness.

Hello, sweetie? Can you hear me?
Do pick up.

Hello?

-Your Royal Highness.
-[Philip] Hello? Sweetie?

-Your Majesty.
-[Elizabeth] Yes.

-His Royal Highness the Duke of--
-Not me, I'm afraid.

I'm "darling" or "cabbage."
"Sweetie" is someone else.

[door opens]

Ah, you see? It works.

-You asked to see me.
-Yes.

So...

-I've spoken to Colonel Adeane.
-Yes.

-And Martin Charteris.
-Yes.

-And William Heseltine.
-Oh.

A collection of the people
you most hate in life.

-Hmm.
-Well, we all got together.

In a reptile cage? At a zoo?

No. It was decided that as part
of a new public relations initiative,

-you're going to be launched.
-What?

Well, not like a rocket.

-Well, perhaps a bit like a rocket.
-Ah...

[Philip] And to that end,

I'd like you to participate,
alongside the whole family,

in a landmark film
to be shown on television.

Mm-hmm?

I've told you the story, haven't I?

That when I was a baby...

-Yes.
-...we had to flee Greece.

-Yes, in a lemon crate.
-An orange crate.

And that was because the people had
taken against us as the royal family.

From that moment on,
we were displaced.

In exile.

I was... I was without a proper home,
without a family.

And I... I don't want that for us.

I want people to like us,
to feel that they know us.

[scoffs]

I know you value your privacy,

but I think there's a lot about you
that they would like

if they... if they got a chance.

The fact that, generally,
you're good value for money.

Like a pair of long-lasting boots?

Is there anything one loves more in life
than a pair of long-lasting boots?

-It all sounds hideous.
-Yes.

I thought that's what you'd say.

But if you
and the other reptiles insist...

I'm afraid we do.

[door opens]

-[door closes]
-[scoffs]

[Queen Mother] A film?

[Philip] Yes. It's a...
it's a documentary film.

-Tony, do you want to...
-It means, um... no acting.

No artifice. Just the real thing.

Like one of those wildlife films.

-Oh, I like those.
-Hmm.

Yes, except this time,
we are the endangered species.

[Philip] Yes, exactly. It will follow
all of us in our daily lives

to prove to everyone out there
what we in here already know.

-What's that?
-Well, how hard we all work.

And what good value we represent.

How much we deserve the taxpayers' money.

So we'll all have to get used
to cameras being here all the time?

Not all the time. They will follow us
on and off over the next few months.

So, all of you on best behavior.

It's jolly powerful that light, isn't it?

Back it up, would you, Gary?

-I'm sorry, ma'am.
-Yes, thank you.

[indistinct chatter]

[man] Ronald Lee.

David Salt.

-Terry Edwards.
-Your Majesty.

Sally Phipps.

[Philip] It must all seem very glamorous.

The British Olympic team for lunch,
the American President for dinner,

but it's a lot of work,

a lot of preparation,
and a lot of expense.

In terms of what it actually achieves,

I like think that it, we, are...

worth every penny.

[director] Gents, over here.

Go on.

-Good afternoon, Prime Minister.
-Afternoon.

[Wilson] I was half-expecting cameras here
to greet me.

Lights, microphones...

Oh, you've heard?

Yes.

I'm afraid my husband is quite taken
by the idea of this documentary.

And while
I might not understand television,

I do understand marriage,

and when it is important
to let someone shine.

Now, we have a lot to catch up on,
not least a military coup in Athens.

Yes, um... where, I believe,
your mother-in-law's still living.

According to the Foreign Office,
it's possible she's in some danger.

-[gunfire]
-[screaming]

[announcer in Greek]
This is a public announcement.

The government has fallen,

and the military has assumed control
of the city and the country.

All foreign nationals
must leave immediately.

...a shot of the table and...

And I'll sort of just chat
about preparations.

We'll capture some of your conversations
with the staff.

How long will that take?

We should be ready any second.

Is that the most recent shot list?

-Carry on.
-Yes, sir.

Hello, you.

I spoke to the Prime Minister today.

As you know, Athens is in the throes
of a military coup.

Yes.

The Foreign Office view is
that we should send a plane

to bring your mother to England

-to live here with us.
-Here?

Yes, here. I'm sure you'll agree
there's room at the inn.

-When?
-As soon as possible.

-Tomorrow?
-We can't do that.

-Why not?
-In case you hadn't noticed,

we have cameras
crawling all over the place.

As it happens, I had noticed.

Well, we can't afford to have
my mother jeopardize this film.

-You know what she's like.
-A little eccentric, yes.

No, more than that.

She's not of our world,
nor, frankly, suited to it. She's...

She's been in institutions
most of her adult life. She's not...

She's not well.
And with this film, appearances are vital.

We need to be careful, very careful.
The answer is no.

[Philip] Are you ready?

[clears throat] Come on.

-[director] Camera ready.
-[Philip] Hurry up.

Of course she should come. She's 82.

And if being mother
to the Duke of Edinburgh,

mother-in-law to the Queen
isn't qualification enough,

the fact that she's grandmother
to our future king is.

Bring her over.

Put her in a room next to Princess Anne.
She can keep an eye on her.

Yes, ma'am.

[clapperboard clicks]

[chanting in Greek]

[Alice in Greek] Goodbye, my dear family.

Goodbye...

my dear sisters.

May the Lord bless you.

May the Lord protect you.

[in English] Thank you, dear.

[groans]

[exhales]

Your Royal Highness.

Thank you.

Please, this way.

Your Majesty.

We're so happy to have you here with us,
safe and sound.

You're very kind.

Too kind.

[exhales deeply]

Bubbikins?

I'm afraid your dear son is indisposed
at the moment.

We're in the middle of having a film made.

What?

It doesn't matter.
He'll come and visit you soon.

You must be tired. We'll find someone
to take you to your room.

Thank you.

-Bubbikins?
-Yes.

[chuckles]

Your room, Your Royal Highness.

Oh!

It's lovely.

[Philip clears throat]

Your Royal Highness, just to say
that Princess Alice has arrived.

Thank you, Martin.

[sighs]

[Philip clears throat]

[Alice speaks Greek]

[in English] Mama, please! Please!

Mama!

Sir, they're ready for you.

[man on TV] Early morning, semi-detached,
Highgate, London.

-Industrial consultant Rex...
-[Queen Mother] They're rolling, dear.

We are being filmed watching television.

That people might watch us

watching television
on their own television sets at home.

This really is plumbing new depths
of banality.

[man on TV] They're simple to operate,
and experts predict

that in 20 years' time,

all new houses will be built
with special computer points

and that terminals
will be cheaper to rent

than today's telephones.

-What do we do now?
-Do you expect us to say something?

-Yes.
-Well, what?

Did someone prepare something?

[director] I think the general idea

is it be unscripted
to reflect a normal evening.

[Margaret]
This is nothing like a normal evening.

If it was a normal evening,

we'd all be on our own
in sad isolation in individual palaces.

It wouldn't be crowded like this.

This is like
some kind of nightmare Christmas.

Rex Malik sees a future world

where children could be
virtually educated by computer,

where every home
will have its own terminal

plugged into a central brain...

Uh, perhaps, Your Majesties,
Your Royal Highnesses,

perhaps you might comment
on what's on the television.

That'd be easier if there was something
remotely amusing to watch.

I agree. This is deathly.

Things might improve with a drink.

Everything improves with a drink.

Not everything.

Oh, don't be such a prig.

[snaps fingers] Colin.

-[director] And cut.
-[Margaret] Oh, thank God for that.

[Alice sighs]

Hello?

Hello?

Hello, dear.

Do you mind?

No, no, not at all.

There wasn't a light to be had
anywhere in the palace.

[director] Who's that?

The Duke of Edinburgh's mother,
Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark.

[snaps fingers]

[indistinct chatter]

[Philip] For God's sake.

Somebody stop that.

[shouts] Now! Damn it!

[director] Tell us about your convent.

[Alice] Yes, it's called
the Sisterhood of Martha and Mary,

and it's at 10 Pefkon Street in Athens.

[director] Tell us more about Greece.
Is Greece in trouble today?

Is that what brought you to this...

Stop.

[indistinct chatter]

It's a nightmare.
We have to get her out of here.

-Somewhere no one will see her.
-What?

We are in the middle
of filming a documentary,

which is critical
as a public relations exercise.

On this occasion, the filmmakers
agreed to give up the footage.

Next time, they might not be so kind.

Her presence at the palace threatens
to derail the entire thing.

-Why are you so angry with her?
-I'm not angry.

Yes, you are. You're furious.

Have you even been to see her yet
since she arrived?

-You haven't.
-Let me give you some advice.

Stop patronizing me!

Stop interfering and stop meddling.
Just stop. You know nothing.

I know that she's your mother.

-Technically, yes.
-What is that supposed to mean?

It means she gave birth to me.

She was never a mother.

Philip.

Philip!

[door slams]

Rosa came running to me
in the middle of the night and said,

"We have to get more buckets!"

It was like listening
to an orchestra overnight.

Ping, pong, ping...

[laughter]

It was really quite funny,

except, of course,
we were all soaking wet and jolly cold.

[Elizabeth] Ah, two of you.

-Your Majesty.
-Oh.

Yaya's been telling me the most
incredible stories about her life.

[Elizabeth] Has she?

I just came to make sure
you had everything you need. Please.

Oh, yes. I have more than everything.

But her convent doesn't.

-Darling, shush.
-It needs £200 for the roof.

-Really?
-It's true.

And £300 for new medicine and beds.

So, we're busy writing to patrons
and benefactors, asking for money.

The palace writing paper...

we think it could help.

And if there's anything here
we might consider selling.

Such as?

A painting.

A painting?

Or a clock.

There are so many clocks everywhere.

You wouldn't miss one or two, surely?

It's not quite so simple.
Some of them aren't ours to sell.

But maybe your darling son
will be good enough to make a donation.

Oh.

Bubbikins.

Yes, Bubbikins.

In the meantime,
we'll get you some more cigarettes,

and I promise we'll have a big jumble sale
of all the palace valuables on our return.

Please.

What?

-Morning, Bridget.
-Morning, John.

-[Bridget] Excited to watch tonight?
-[John] I couldn't be more excited.

-Morning, Bridget.
-Good morning.

Right.

Turn it on.

[switch clicks]

Buckingham Palace, known around the world
as the home of Queen Elizabeth II.

-Until now, an impenetrable fortress...
-[Elizabeth gasps] Here we go.

...its inner workings hidden from view.

That is all about to change.

We have been granted
a rare peek behind the curtains

to the home
of the most important family in Britain.

As the day begins...

Oh, no, my hair looks frightful.

How many pounds do they say
the camera adds, dear?

-[laughter]
-Shush.

-But like many of her subjects...
-Turn it up.

...the Queen has an office job,
and with five departments to manage,

she relies heavily
on her private secretaries.

Thank you.

[Adeane] And these are the...

recommendations for the...

[narrator] These men manage all the
Queen's engagements and responsibilities,

and nothing goes on in the palace
without their knowledge.

As the day goes on,
it brings with it more royal duties.

[man]
I hereby list the following titles...

[narrator] First of all,
a meeting of the Privy Council.

Now, you might be wondering
why no one is sitting down.

Well, no one quite knows the answer.

But it certainly helps
to keep things brief.

[Anne] I wonder what's more dull,

having to sit through
one of those meetings

or having to watch it on television.

[narrator] But it's not only the Queen
who has royal duties.

The Queen Mother, too,
carries out many public engagements.

Well, they captured your best side,
at least.

-[laughs]
-[Philip] Shush.

Oh, look, Mummy. It's your big close-up.

I'm ready, Mr. DeMille!

[laughter]

[narrator]
One of Her Majesty's favorite pastimes

is overseeing operations
at the 150-acre stud at Sandringham.

But even then, royal duties never let up.

Nor does the endless round
of functions and receptions.

There's always some kind of occasion
to prepare for,

and, whatever the function,

the quality of food and service
must be second to none.

These events may seem indulgent,
but they are of national importance,

as is the formality.

Ambassadors must be treated
exactly the same

to avoid the impression
that one is favored over another.

[ambassador]
It's been a great honor, Your Majesty.

I found it very interesting, Ambassador.

World problems are so complex,
aren't they?

[narrator]
Of course, it's not all dinners and duty.

Although the Queen and Prince Philip
are often separated from their children,

the holidays are a time for family,

and they make sure to take them
regularly and often.

-Night, John.
-Night, Sally.

[bagpipes play]

[narrator] A favorite destination
is Balmoral Castle...

[laughs]

...the Queen's private residence
in the Highlands of Scotland.

[John] "Last night, the nation
tuned in as one to watch a documentary

that would restore the royal family
to their rightful place

at the heart of the nation's affections.

Sadly, that was not what they got.

It's hard to imagine
what they were thinking,

agreeing to open the doors
to television cameras.

That stripped of all ceremony
and mystery,

we would marvel at how normal they were,
how remarkably like us.

That watching them travel
from castle to castle,

palace to palace
in yachts and aeroplanes we pay for,

stalking on land they own,
fishing on rivers they own,

and cooking barbecues
in forests they own,

we would reflect on
how tirelessly they toil,

what good value for money they represent,

and be moved to increase
the amount of money we pay them."

-[laughter]
-Louder, John. Don't be shy! Come on!

Let's all hear it. Come on, John.

-Come on.
-"Even the most ardent monarchist

must concede that the strongest piece
of armor in the monarchy's arsenal

is its sense of mystery,

-from which derives its air of majesty."
-[woman] Hear, hear!

"The only thing awe-inspiring
about this lot

is the size of their over-inflated
sense of self-entitlement...

[laughter]

...and their ability
to practice a line in small talk

that would have life support patients
reaching for the off switch."

[cheering]

Well done, John. Well done.

[Wilson] Wonderful viewing figures.

The highest
for a factual documentary ever.

And some lovely reviews
in the newspapers this morning.

-They were brutal.
-None that I read.

I like to think I understand television
as well as anyone in the country.

I owe my political life to it.

And that's because I've learned,
over time, how to do it.

How to make it work for me.

Perhaps the royal family
is not best suited to it.

-Television is good for normal people.
-But that was the whole point.

To show everyone that behind palace gates,
we are perfectly normal people.

-No, ma'am, you're not normal.
-Aren't we?

We wake up in the morning,
go to bed at night.

We work, get tired, get colds.

We have uncles that embarrass us,
Christmases to endure.

We are perfectly normal.

But people don't consider you to be and...

if I may say, and this is where
it gets a little complicated...

they don't want you to be normal.

Well, what do they want? Tell me.
It's all any of us want to know.

What do you want from us?

Well, the truth is,
we don't know what we want.

[scoffs]

Other than we want you to be ideal.

An ideal.

No human being is ideal.

Only God is ideal.

Which is why I'd favor the royal family
being kept out of sight,

out of mind,

for our own survival and sanity.

But the thing is we can't be hidden away.

We have to be in full view all the time.

So, what's the answer?

The best we've come up with so far
is ritual and mystery.

Because it keeps us hidden
while still in plain sight.

The smoke and the mirrors,

the mystery and the protocol,

it's not there to keep us apart.

It is there to keep us alive.

[footsteps approach]

-You rang?
-[Philip] Yes.

Sit down.

[Philip clears throat]

Well, it seems the documentary not only
failed to achieve what I had hoped for,

it has somehow achieved the opposite.

Instead of writing about
what good value for money we represent,

these commentators are united
in their mockery of our...

our woodenness, our stupidity,

our vanity, extravagance--

-Well, I did warn you.
-Do not say you warned me.

I did.

It was always a daft idea.
It was always going to backfire.

Is it really necessary for you
to speak your mind

quite so mercilessly at every opportunity?

Well, where do you think I get that from?

[sighs]

So, what are you going to do?

[sighs]

Actually, I was hoping we might talk
about what you're going to do.

I would like to offer you
to The Manchester Guardian

as the subject of a major,
in-depth profile.

Why them? Why not The Daily Telegraph,
or the Daily Mail,

or someone we could expect
to be a little bit friendly?

Because,
in the light of all this criticism,

an endorsement from our most vocal critics
would represent more of a turnaround.

If we can get an endorsement.

You're the most thrifty,
feet on the ground,

low-profile,
unpretentious royal we've got.

If anyone can salvage this, you can.

[Philip] Give me the press secretary.

John, I've just had a phone call
from the palace press secretary.

Oh, let me guess, demanding an apology,

calling my criticism unpatriotic,
treasonous...

No, to offer us an interview
with Princess Anne.

What? Little Miss Dumpy and Grumpy?

Yes, and, uh, most bizarrely of all,

they've specifically requested you
as the writer.

Oh, they really have gone mad.

-North central gate, please, sir.
-[driver] Right you are.

John Armstrong
from The Guardian to see Anne.

Who?

-Princess Anne, for the interview?
-Yes, sir. Right this way.

-Wait here, please, sir.
-Thank you.

-Now, Yaya.
-What?

Run.

Go!

[coughs]

[footsteps approaching]

Mr. Armstrong,
did you not receive the message?

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne
is-is, um...

is unwell,

with a heavy cold, and is indisposed.

-No, they didn't tell me.
-I'm so sorry. I'll see you out.

-Who's that?
-Um, who?

The nun.

That's, uh...

-That's Princess Alice.
-Who?

Mother of His Royal Highness
Duke of Edinburgh.

-[clears throat]
-Oh, do you think she'd talk to me?

Uh, no, certainly not.
Uh, so, if you don't mind...

-I could ask her myself.
-No, that wouldn't be appropriate.

-Please, Mr. Armstrong--
-Hello.

Hello, I'm John Armstrong.

I'm writing an article about
the royal family for The Guardian.

-Can I ask you some questions?
-What?

I'm John Armstrong from The Guardian.
Could we have an interview?

-Yes, of course.
-She said yes.

[Alice coughs]

So, my dear, how can I help you?

Well, I think the people in this country

would be very interested to get to know
the Queen's mother-in-law.

-Really?
-Oh, yes. So...

We should start from the very beginning.

But I'm ancient.

-We could be here a long time.
-And I have all the time in the world.

Well...

I was born in Windsor Castle.

Queen Victoria herself was present
at my birth.

Was she?

Everyone thought I was a slow child.

Slow? In which sense?

-Walking?
-No, dear.

[coughs]

Slow in here.

Right.

I was born deaf.

Oh, I'm sorry.

But otherwise perfectly normal?

Well, I thought so.

But obviously others didn't,

because then
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

[takes notes]

And sent to an asylum.

A mental asylum?

Yes.

I was treated by Sigmund Freud.

He was not a kind man.

Go on.

I was there for just over two years.

Mm-hmm.

And I managed to escape.

-[indistinct conversation]
-[typewriter clicks]

[phone rings]

[prays]

Bubbikins.

[clears throat]

"It is a common staple
of mother-in-law jokes...

that having one come to stay
is a nightmare.

But having this mother-in-law to stay
can only be a blessing."

Oh.

"For Princess Alice is
that rarest of creatures...

a member of a royal family that has
suffered more than the rest of us,

worked harder than the rest of us,

and created more good than the rest of us.

Congenitally deaf,
she was consistently misunderstood,

marginalized and underestimated.

Doctors inflicted untold horrors on her,

X-raying her womb to bring on menopause
and reduce her libido...

and electroshock treatment
to treat her hysteria.

But instead of bitterness,

Princess Alice dedicated her life
to charity work, public service,

and campaigning for social justice,
often at great personal risk."

Well, it goes on and on.

It's a love letter.

I owe you an apology.

Whatever for?

My faithlessness.

All this time, I've been trying
to keep you out of sight of the cameras,

when, quite clearly,
you should have been center stage.

If anyone owes anyone an apology,

we both know it's the other way round.

At least your sisters had something
of their mother.

When we were forced to leave Greece,
I couldn't cope.

I needed care.

I needed help.

But that... that wasn't help
that they gave you.

It was torture.

-They tried their best.
-No.

The treatment they gave you was barbaric.

And your courage in rising above it
was remarkable.

I didn't do it alone.

I couldn't have.

I had help every step of the way.

Now, Bubbikins,
you mentioned faithlessness.

How is your faith?

-Dormant.
-What?

Dormant.

That's not good.

Let this be a mother's gift...

to her child.

The one piece of advice...

Find yourself a faith.

It helps. No...

Not just helps.

It's everything.

Oh, it looks like it's clearing up.

What do you say? A walk?

So, we'll move lunch
with Lord and Lady Casey to the 12th,

meaning there's enough time
for the presentation of the Queen's Colour

to the Central Flying School
at RAF Little Rissington on the 9th.

Well done. Thank you, Michael.
Is that everything?

There is one more thing, ma'am.

The royal family documentary

has had a great deal of interest
from overseas broadcasters.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation,

the Australian Broadcasting Corporation,

-CBS in the United States--
-No.

-Ma'am?
-I don't think so.

Right.

I gather the BBC plans to repeat it
in three weeks' time.

I don't think that either.

As a matter of fact, I think it best if
that documentary were never seen again,

anywhere, by anyone.

Can I leave that with you?

Yes, ma'am.

[sighs]

[indistinct chatter]