Original subtitles

to retreat, Duke.

They should reach Jalalabad within a month.

In January?

The weather will be closing in.

Through the Khyber Pass,

they'll be single file in places.

Damned easy to ambush.

I'm afraid there is no alternative.

Elphinstone believes the Kabul garrison

to be indefensible.

He has no choice, sir.

They have been guaranteed safe passage.

I wouldn't put my faith

in Afghan promises.

Thank you, gentlemen.

I see no reason to trouble the queen with this.

I do not want to distress her at this delicate time.

Ma'am.

This is ridiculous.

Drina, it is too dangerous-- please!

I may have had a baby,

but I'm quite capable of walking down the stairs.

Victoria.

Is this wise,

to be out of bed?

Sir James said at least a month.

This is what I'm telling her, Albert,

but she doesn't listen to me.

I'm not going to stay in that chair for a moment longer.

Your Majesty.

Albert, let's go out.

Let's go out into the fresh air.

I want to go riding.

Riding... are you sure?

Yes, of course I'm sure.

Forgive me, ma'am.

I am afraid it will be most irregular

for you to appear in public before you have been churched.

Churched?

Your Majesty.

It is customary for a woman who has had a child

to be purified

in church before she rejoins society.

And you are?

Drummond, ma'am.

Sir Robert's private secretary.

Well, Mr. Drummond, I am not a woman.

I am a queen.

Almighty God,

we give thee humble thanks that thou hast vouchsafed

to deliver this woman from the pain and peril of childbirth,

and cast out her sin.

The peace and blessing of God Almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,

descend upon thee, and remain forever.

Amen.

What does the Archbishop know

about the pain and peril of childbirth?

The ignominy of having to kneel in front of that old man

as if I had committed some sin, instead of having a baby.

Such a charming ceremony.

I remember how it was after I had you, Victoria.

To be welcomed back into the Church

after receiving such a gift from God.

God had nothing to do with it.

I won! I won!

I've missed this so much.

Let's go round again.

But I've so much to do.

Go!

Albert!

Albert, wait!

You couldn't beat me even with a head start.

Well, perhaps I know how happy it makes you to win, Liebes.

I've missed this too.

Not now, Lehzen.

Mein kleines Mädchen.

What beautiful blue eyes

you have. All babies have blue eyes,

Albert.

I think you should come down to the kitchens, Mr. Penge.

Mr. Craddock has struck one of the kitchen maids.

Can't you see

I'm busy, Brodie?

He has a knife, Mr. Penge.

You are in deep trouble my dear.

May I remind you, Mr. Craddock,

that this is Buckingham Palace,

not Bedlam.

You will give me that knife.

It may be a palace upstairs,

but down here, it's no better than a rookery.

I caught her red-handed

in the pantry with a loaf in her hand.

I was just taking the stale bread for Dash's dinner.

Mr. Francatelli always said just go in there and get it.

But I am not Mr. Francatelli.

Indeed, you are not, Mr. Craddock.

The knife.

Everyone get back to work.

Ma'am.

I'm so glad you've made a full recovery.

I feel much better now I'm back at work, Lord Alfred.

Confinement does not suit me.

Ma'am, may I ask you to look

at my brother Septimus's commission.

It should be on the army list.

Uh, Albert has been doing the boxes in my absence.

I'm sure he would have approved it, though.

Thank you, ma'am. It's most appreciated.

Sir, dispatch from General Elphinstone.

Thank you.

Albert. There you are.

Do you have the boxes?

Boxes? Yes.

It seems I have so much to catch up on.

Ah, no. Do not worry, Liebes.

I have already gone through them.

I've summarized my findings for you here in this memorandum.

Thank you, my angel, but I should like the boxes

to be sent to me, so I can-- I can master the detail.

Of course.

So long as you do not think

you will wear yourself out.

I think I can manage.

To be honest, Miss Skerrett, I do not think that you're ready

for the chief dresser's position.

However I have spoken to the queen,

and for some reason she thinks you should replace

Mrs. Jenkins.

I hope you will justify Her Majesty's faith in you,

Mrs. Skerrett.

But I ain't married, baroness.

Oh, neither was Mrs. Jenkins.

Not to a man, that is.

I remembered you

dress to the left, sir.

The fit should be nice and snug now.

Thank you.

It fits you perfectly.

I'm glad it has your royal approval.

Where are you going all dressed up?

to inspect my regiment.

The Eleventh Hussars?

It won't take me long to get ready.

You want to come with me?

It may be your regiment, Albert, but it is my army.

It does the men good to see their queen,

and Lord knows we need to keep morale high

if the rumours from Afghanistan are true.

Has anyone told the queen?

The prince still feels

there is no need to worry her majesty

so soon after her confinement.

She looks robust enough to me.

But you're prime minister now, Peel.

The uniforms are magnificent.

But are they practical in the field of battle?

The helmets, for example.

The plumes they are... irrelevant.

But so splendid.

I do not think this uniform is designed for modern warfare.

But I think I would feel brave wearing it.

God save the queen!

God save the queen!

I'm glad to see Your Majesty fully recovered.

How fortunate you are to have such an able... substitute.

I try to be of service.

I was wondering, ma'am, if you have come

to a decision regarding your ladies?

More than that, Sir Robert.

The new Mistress of the Robes arrives today.

Oh, and might I inquire as to whom you have chosen?

The Duchess of Bucchleuch.

Have you met her, ma'am?

No.

I have met all your other suggestions, Sir Robert.

She was on your list.

At the very bottom.

I hardly think... If you will excuse me.

Ma'am.

May I, ma'am?

I wanted to see the princess before I go.

I like watching her sleep.

When my children were babies, it was my favourite time too.

Did you like them?

Straight away?

Well... I was pleased they were healthy.

I would have killed anyone that caused them any harm,

but like them?

I think that comes later, ma'am.

Having a baby is a sacrifice

as well as a blessing.

I will miss you, Harriet.

But you must come to the christening.

You're so good with my Coburg in-laws.

Your carriage is here, Harriet.

Till the christening then.

Your Majesty,

The Duchess of Buccleuch

and the Honourable Wilhelmina Coke.

Your Majesty.

Welcome to Buckingham Palace, Duchess.

Oh, I have been here before, ma'am.

Serving Queen Adelaide.

Such a great lady.

May I introduce my niece, Wilhelmina,

as your Maid of Honour.

Keep your back straight.

Madam.

May I show you and Miss Coke to your apartments, Duchess?

I expect you remember the Palace from before, Duchess.

In my day, it was only a house.

But at least it was clean.

My valet tells me that your new Mistress of the Robes

does not like her rooms.

Why aren't we going to the commissioning of HMS Trafalgar?

I went through those boxes this morning.

I know, Albert, but it is a very good thing I did.

You forgot to put Septimus Paget on the list of new commissions.

I did not forget;

I did not find him suitable.

But he is quite charming, like all his family.

Lord M always says, "Every officers' mess needs a Paget."

Well, if Lord Melbourne

understood that charm's not the most important trait

in a soldier, then perhaps we would not be retreating

from Kabul.

Retreating from Kabul?

Well, why didn't you tell me?

I-I did not want to alarm you.

Not alarm me? Albert.

They'll be going through the Khyber Pass in winter.

You know about the Khyber Pass?

Of course I know about the Khyber Pass.

Well, it is no reason for concern, Victoria.

It's only a strategic redeployment.

Really?

They are my soldiers, Albert.

I need to know these things.

And what's more, you have no right to keep it from me.

Forgive me.

I was only trying to make

your life easier. Is that what you were doing?

You and Robert Peel.

You always seem very cosy together.

We have many common interests.

You know he appreciates my ideas for reforming the army.

For improving the uniform.

He also agrees that an officer should only

be promoted on grounds of merit alone

and he was most complimentary about my helmet designs.

I don't give a fig about your helmets.

Where are you going? To the nursery.

Isn't that where you think I belong?

Have you read

The Old Curiosity Shop by Mr. Dickens, ma'am?

I believe it is much admired.

I have just got to the death of Little Nell.

Oh, it is so poignant, ma'am.

I thought I would never stop crying.

Crying over a book.

I've never heard such a thing.

In my day,

no unmarried girl

would be allowed to read novels.

I thought you might like to see the princess, Majesty.

Oh, Lehzen, look-- she's smiling at me.

Wind, more likely.

You had better sit next to me, Mrs. Skerrett.

I'm married to the job now, Brodie.

Well, let's hope you prove

more faithful than your predecessor.

I suppose you will be looking for an assistant now.

I'm sure the baroness will have ideas.

Even the baroness can make mistakes.

From time to time.

Good afternoon, Lord Alfred.

Your Majesty.

I wanted to tell you

that your brother's commission has gone through.

Oh, I cannot thank you enough, ma'am.

Septimus is quite my favourite brother.

I'm sure he will do very well.

Tell me, have you seen the prince?

Why yes, ma'am, I passed him just now

talking to the prime minister.

Ambushed at Gandamack, according to the latest dispatch.

Good afternoon, Your Majesty.

I'm sorry to interrupt you.

I do wonder what it is you're discussing so earnestly.

Army reform or...

perhaps it is the situation in Afghanistan?

I do have some interest in these matters, Sir Robert.

I'm a soldier's daughter.

The prince and I were discussing the new...

Sanitation Commission, ma'am.

The commissioner, a Mr. Chadwick,

has some quite radical thoughts

about the London sewers.

Would you care to hear them?

I'm sure Albert

will explain it to me later.

Tell me is there any news from Kabul?

Nothing.

Nothing reliable.

The mails are uncommon slow.

When you do get word, I want to know.

Immediately.

I hope you don't mind

being outside, Duke.

A soldier is used to marching in cold weather, ma'am.

I have asked you here because...

I want to know how things are in Afghanistan.

About as bad as they can be, ma'am.

Macnaghten, the envoy, hacked to pieces

by Afghans in Kabul.

And that fool Elphinstone,

instead of getting the hell out of there,

dithered until the snows came in.

Four thousand men we had in Kabul.

Let's hope they get home safely.

It sounds like a defeat.

No one wants to call it that.

But yes, ma'am, that's what it is.

Afghanistan is a wretched, godforsaken place.

Nothing but rocks and sand and tribesman

who fight like tigers.

We should have left well alone.

Thank you, Duke, for being so candid with me.

It's an old man's privilege.

And you should know the worst.

If the army don't make it back,

the country will look to you, ma'am, for direction.

I will be ready, Duke.

No, thank you.

Papa?

Ah, good.

Why didn't you tell me

Macnaghten had been hacked to death in Kabul?

Myself and Peel did not think it necessary

until we had hard evidence and a plan to retaliate.

How thoughtful of you.

You have no right to decide what I should or should not know.

I saw no reason to upset you without the facts, Victoria.

I am the sovereign of this country, Albert.

It is not your decision to make.

His Majesty, the King of the Belgians,

His Grand Ducal Highness, the Duke of Saxe Coburg...

Eos! Dash.

...and his Serene Highness, Prince Ernest.

Oh, my dear Victoria.

How well you look.

Motherhood suits you.

Now you will be distracted by those nursery duties

so dear to women's hearts, I hope to help dear Albert

with the burden he must be facing.

I am sure he will appreciate your help

on the Sanitation Commission, Uncle,

while I attend to affairs of state.

I don't spend all my time in the nursery.

Oh, she has the family chin.

It is a pity she's only a girl, Albert.

but plenty of time, eh?

A fine couple like you.

I expect a grandson by Christmas.

She is a delightful baby,

and almost as beautiful as her mother.

Thank you for bringing Eos.

He missed you, so very much.

I have missed him, too.

Dash!

Harriet was always so good with Dash.

Perhaps it is a Whig talent, ma'am.

We have a new

Mistress of the Robes, sir.

So it seems.

What happened to the last one?

She went back to her husband, sir.

You know, I'm most surprised by this soup.

What's this?

I believe it is a prune, sir.

A prune?

They put prunes in the soup?

Cock-a-leekie soup.

A fine Scottish recipe.

My late husband always swore by it

when he had an attack of the gout.

So this is not soup but a medicine.

That would explain the taste.

God in heaven.

A cockscomb.

Give it a good chew, ma'am.

Nothing quite like it

for women at our time of life.

What was the name of our old chef,

Lehzen? Mr. Francatelli, Majesty.

Please tell Mr. Francatelli I would like him to return.

Yes, Majesty.

Another decision made in my absence.

Has there been some upset?

I detect that all is not well

between Victoria and Albert.

Did you have to leave dinner quite so abruptly?

I couldn't bear to sit there for a moment longer.

Evidently!

All I can think about, Albert,

is the one man I thought I could trust--

my husband-- has deceived me.

Deceived?

No, no, no.

There was no deception.

I mere, I merely--

I merely tried to shelter you from something

I thought you would find distressing.

I do not need your shelter, Albert.

You have completely undermined me.

Victoria, please. At least Lord Melbourne

treated me as an equal,

not as some child to be protected

from unpleasantness.

Victoria, do you not understand

if Lord Melbourne and Palmerston had not interfered

in Afghanistan in the first place,

this whole debacle might never have happened.

You know, I think you are tired.

I think your mother was right.

You should have rested for longer.

I am not tired, Albert, I am angry!

Do you know, I think perhaps

I should sleep in my own quarters tonight.

Hopefully by the morning,

you will have recovered your reason.

Kinderspear.

Like gutting the Christmas goose.

I have too many battles to fight.

So.

Victoria?

She has changed so much since the baby.

I do not recognize her.

She's angry with me for not telling her all the truth

about the atrocities in Kabul.

But I only wanted to give her time with the baby,

a respite from her position.

Perhaps Victoria doesn't like you trying to do her job.

I was only trying to help.

Of course.

But Victoria might think that you are trying...

...to control her.

Shall we?

Thank you, Ernest.

You know, I think you will make a very good husband one day.

Not much chance of that unless, of course,

the Duchess of Buccleuch is a widow?

Your Majesty.

Sir Robert asked me to give you the army list, ma'am.

In case you wanted to make any more amendments.

Mr. Drummond?

Yes, ma'am?

Is there any news of General Elphinstone's army?

Of my troops?

Not to my knowledge, ma'am.

But if there is news, I want to be the first to know,

however bad.

Do you understand, Mr. Drummond?

I do, ma'am.

Drummond.

Ma'am, we should discuss the order of ceremony

for the christening.

I thought that motherhood would make her less difficult,

but it has only made her worse.

Albert should give her another baby schnell.

My dear brother, there is no need for such coarseness.

But I think I shall not leave immediately

after the christening.

I have such a happy knack of pouring oil

on troubled waters.

But Victoria is a tempest.

The queen is not happy with the new chef.

Do you know why Mr. Francatelli left?

I have no idea.

But you know where he has gone?

Then I would be grateful, Mrs. Skerrett,

if you could tell him that the queen would like him

to return.

Oh no, baroness. I don't think

I'm the best person to... The queen is relying on you,

Mrs. Skerrett.

Good morning, Mr. Francatelli.

You look very well.

You know that Mrs. Jenkins left. I am chief dresser now.

Did you come here to tell me that?

Because, if so, I have a kitchen to run.

No.

I came here to ask you...

or rather to tell you

that the queen would like you to come back.

Back to the palace?

Well, uh, you can tell Her Majesty

that I wouldn't come back even if she paid me five times

what I'm getting here.

Wait.

That day when you left...

I came to find you, to tell you that...

But I was too late.

Yes,

Mrs. Skerrett,

you were.

An English princess would make all the difference.

In Berlin, Prussia becomes more powerful every year.

And it is so important that it develops in the right way.

My daughter is not even 12 weeks old.

I think that when she is of an age to marry,

she will have her own ideas.

Young ladies have a mind of their own, it is true.

But sometimes, their elders know best.

It is entirely possible I won't have any more children

and the baby will one day be Victoria II.

Oh, nonsense.

Albert is my son and he will not neglect his duties.

Papa. Please.

I am sure that you and Albert will give your country

many princes and princesses.

Actually, Uncle Leopold, what my country needs

right now is a queen.

Not a brood mare.

I commend this child,

Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa,

to the care of her sponsors.

Who answers for this child?

Dost thou renounce

the devil and all his works,

the vain pomp and glory of this world

and the carnal desires of the flesh?

I do.

In the name of the Father,

the Son, and the Holy Ghost,

I baptise this child.

What a charming piece.

I'm glad you like it.

I composed it myself for the occasion.

You? Mm.

It is the leaning Tower of London.

Or perhaps it is a tipsy cake, Your Serene Highness.

'Tis a pleasure to see you again, Duchess.

May I present my husband, sir?

Your Serene Highness.

The palace is not quite the same

without your wife, Duke.

My wife is an ornament wherever she is.

If you'll excuse me.

This is inedible.

Lehzen, when is Mr. Francatelli coming back?

Unfortunately, ma'am, he does not wish to leave

his current position at the Reform Club.

My apologies, Sir Robert.

I thought you would want to know at once.

Excuse me, Duke.

You know, ma'am, my eldest brother

is on the committee at the Reform.

Lord Alfred, how many brothers do you have?

Oh, seven, ma'am.

I could have a word with William if you like.

Please. That would be very kind.

Excuse me, ma'am.

I hate to be the bearer of ill tidings

on such a joyous occasion,

but there is something I must tell you.

I'm sorry to say that the worst has happened in Afghanistan.

Despite being guaranteed safe passage,

the remainder of the column was ambushed near a village

called Gandamack and annihilated.

Four thousand men left Kabul.

There is only one man survivor, a Dr. Brydon.

Despite being wounded, he managed somehow to make it

across the border to a garrison in Jalalabad,

50 miles through hostile territory.

He's just arrived in London.

I must see him.

At once.

One of the Gilzais took a swing at me with his blade

but he got the Blackwood's magazine I'd stuffed in my hat

instead of my scalp; paper had frozen solid.

Doesn't seem right that I should still be alive

when so many decent men are dead.

You have been exceedingly brave, Dr. Brydon.

And I thank you for coming here today.

We all thought about you, ma'am, over there.

My friend,

Captain Souter...

He was singing "God Save the Queen" when he...

When he was, uh...

I wish he was beside me now.

He would say your picture does not do you justice,

ma'am.

Another petition came for you this morning, sir.

It's not me they should be writing to.

We had no business being in Afghanistan,

and now our brave soldiers have paid the price

for their folly of...

Melbourne and Palmerston.

Great game indeed.

I see you have the papers.

A bad day for the country, ma'am.

What a humiliation.

I am quite aware of that, Duchess.

Order! Order!

Can the prime minister explain to the house how it is

that the mighty British Army could be so humiliated

at Gandamack?

I suggest that the real question should be

what were the British Army doing in Afghanistan,

in the first place?

A question the honourable gentleman knows

can only be answered by his party.

That's right, that's right!

Why were we there? Shame.

Order!

We will try to play this down, of course.

But the country will know we've been defeated.

By tribesmen

with barely a dozen muskets between them.

The mighty British Army, defeated by savages.

The army needs to be reformed.

It needs officers of ability, not breeding.

I keep saying that the uniform is impractical.

My designs for the helmet...

This is no time to quibble over helmets, Albert.

We need to do something splendid.

Sir Robert,

I read in the order papers

that HMS Trafalgar is to be commissioned tomorrow.

I have decided to attend.

Are you sure that's wise, ma'am?

This is a time for the country to lick its wounds,

not celebrate a famous victory.

I must agree, Victoria.

Now is the time to attend to your family,

not to parade yourself in public.

I'm sure you agree, Albert.

I do not think we should celebrate defeat.

And you, Duke?

What do you think?

I think you're absolutely right, ma'am.

Trafalgar was a great victory,

but it came after a defeat.

We must remind the nation that its army and navy

are the best in the world.

Thank you, Duke.

Please make the arrangements.

Ma'am.

I will not be able to attend,

Victoria, I have a meeting of the Sanitation Commission.

As you wish,

but I think the fighting spirit of this country

is more important than... plumbing.

Your Royal Highness.

I thought you would be with the queen.

As you see I am not.

Her expression,

it's as if she knows what I am thinking.

When the queen was a little girl, maybe five years old,

she said to me, "I can see you missing your home, Lehzen,

"and sometimes you want to cry.

But I will make you happy again."

She was so young and yet so wise.

I'd forgotten it.

Her Majesty, the queen.

Today...

this becomes my ship.

It is called Trafalgar, after a great victory,

when this country defeated a tyrant

who threatened our very existence.

We have our travails now.

For we have suffered a blow in Kabul.

Brave men have perished in the snows of the Khyber Pass.

We mourn their loss.

But as a soldier's daughter, I know

this nation has the greatest armed forces in the world.

We will snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

And the spirit of Trafalgar burns as bright now

as it has ever done.

Nicely done, ma'am.

Nicely done.

You know Peel, I think little Vicky

is doing her country proud.

They know their queen is there when it counts.

It's disgusting in here, ladies.

Do you think I could cook in a room like this?

Mr. Francatelli, you came back!

These pots and pans are a disgrace, don't you think?

I want them scrubbed

so you can see every one of your little pockmarks in 'em.

Excuse me.

Mrs. Skerrett? Mmm.

Thank you.

Miss... Cleary, ma'am.

The Chiswick Institute sent me

about the junior dressers position.

I expect she is dreaming of her future husband,

the King of Prussia.

Well, that's just the start.

Uncle Leopold would have his way,

we would have a Coburg on every throne in Europe.

I don't want her to be a pawn in some dynastic game.

I want my daughter to be free to marry as I did.

For love.

I'm sorry I was rude about your helmets.

They really are very practical.

But not very splendid.

No.

I just want to make things better, you know.

I know you do.

But you must remember this country has a past

as well as a future.

Do you think our future might...

might involve more of this?