Elizabeth - English Transcript

and so shall be saved from mine enemies ! The waves of death have closed about me ! The cords of hell have encompassed me about and the snares of death have overtaken me ! The cords of hell have encompassed me about and the snares of death have overtaken me ! ln my tribulation l call to the Lord and cry to my God and He heard my voice cry out His temple ... ! Move back ! Clear the way ! Move back ! Keep in line, woman ! By order of their gracious Majesties, Queen Mary and King Philip, we are come to witness the burning of these Protestant heretics who have denied the authority of the one true Catholic church and of His Holiness the Pope. Let them burn for all eternity in the flames of hell. Benedicat te Omnipotens Deus Pater, Filius et Spiritus Sanctus. Benedicat te Omnipotens Deus Pater, Filius et Spiritus Sanctus. Benedicat te Omnipotens Deus Pater, Filius et Spiritus Sanctus. God bless you, Master Ridley ! For the love of God, friends, help me ! l burn too slowly ! Help them ! For God's sake, help them ! Your Grace, the Queen is with child. They should've consulted me before they rang the bells. ls it true ? She has ceased to bleed, her *** have some milk, and her stomach is swollen. ls it true ? The King has not shared her bed for many months. He has a repugnance for it, as lately Your Grace has for mine. Norfolk... Your Majesties, this is most wondrous news. lndeed. We do thank God for this, our most happy condition. We must also thank His Majesty for this event which is nothing short of a miracle. What news, my Lords, of the rebellion against our authority ? Sussex ? Madam, it is safely dispatched, thanks to His Grace. Sir Thomas Wyatt and the other leaders are already dealt with. lf they had succeeded, these Protestants and heretics meant to place your sister upon the throne. There is no proof against the Lady Elizabeth. - She is plainly guilty. - What need is there of proof ? lf she remains alive, there will be plots to raise her to the throne. Ambassador ? l agree with His Grace. She is a heretic. She must never be allowed to succeed. But if she... lf she were brought properly to trial, she would not be found guilty, and we would be condemned. She has friends in Parliament. My sister was born of that *** Anne Boleyn ! She was born a *** ! She will never rule England ! Your Grace will find some proof of her treachery. l am most sure of it. lt was so fast ! May l join you, my Lady ? lf it please you, sir. My Lady ! My Lady ! Princess Elizabeth ! Princess Elizabeth ! You are accused of conspiring with Sir Thomas Wyatt against Her Sovereign Majesty and are arrested for treason. l am commanded to take you hence from this place... to the Tower. Remember who you are. Do not be afraid of them. My Lady. Prisoner to the steps. l cannot confess to something l did not do. Your denials are in vain. You knew of the rebellion, Madam. lt is plain enough. Where is your proof ? lt was to your advantage. You must let me see the Queen... You despise the Queen, and the Catholic faith. l am a true and faithful subject. l attend Mass... You pretend ! But in your heart... What's that ? What say you, Madam ? Speak up ! Madam, if there is some small truth in these charges, however innocently or unknowingly you did proceed, you had best confess. l ask you why we must tear ourselves apart for this small question of religion. Catholic, Protestant... ! You think it small, though it killed your mother ! We all... We all believe in God, my Lords. No, Madam, there is only one true belief. The other - heresy. Madam, you are cold. l do not need your pity. Accept it, then, for my sake. Thank you. l shall not forget this kindness. Tonight l think l die. Madam. No... ! Save me ! Save me ! l am Your Majesty's most humble servant. Come here. Closer, so l might see your face. When l look at you l see nothing of the King. Only that *** - your mother. My father never did anything so well as to cut off her head. Your Majesty forgets he was also my father. Why will you not confess your crimes against me ? Because, Your Majesty, l have committed none. You speak with such sincerity ! l see you are still a consummate actress. My husband is gone. They have poisoned my child. They say it is a tumour. Madam, you are not well. They say this cancer will make you Queen, but they are wrong ! Look there ! lt is your death warrant. All l need do is sign it. Mary, if you sign that paper, you will be murdering your own sister. You will promise me something ? When l am gone, you will do everything in your power to uphold the Catholic faith. Do not take away from the people the consolations of the Blessed ***. When l am Queen l promise to act as my conscience dictates. Well, do not think to be Queen at all. You may return to your house at Hatfield, but you will remain under arrest until l am recovered. Thank you, Your Majesty. No... Feed her to the wolves. Let her see what they are like. She is just a child, and yet still you *** yourselves ! Your Grace, Protestants are returning from abroad. Yes, and have made plans to massacre every Catholic in England. There would be butchery indeed if such a plan were even conceivable. They say Walsingham will return from France. Walsingham is nothing ! Be sure he does not. There is so little beauty in this world, and so much suffering. Do you suppose that is what God had in mind ? That is to say, if there is a God at all. Perhaps there is nothing in this universe but ourselves and our thoughts. Think before you do this. lf you must do it, then do it now. And without regret. But first think carefully and be certain why it needs to be done. Come here. Look out there. There is a whole world waiting for you. lnnocence is the most precious thing you possess. Lose that and you lose your soul. ..et Spiritus Sancti... Amen. Father... - Sir William ! - My Lady... There was nowhere else we could meet in safety. Listen to me carefully. All things move in our favour. Many of our friends are returning from exile. But these are most uncertain times and your life remains in danger. You must therefore say nothing and meet no-one whose visit may compromise you. No-one ? No-one. Not even Lord Robert. - But he is a trusted friend. - Child, listen to me. Please. You are most innocent in the ways of this world and we must do all we may to guarantee the security of your throne. Now there is someone l do wish you to meet. Monseigneur Alvaro de la Quadra, the Spanish Ambassador. Why do l... My Lady, l bring a message. The King of Spain is enraptured, and offers you his hand in marriage. My sister is not yet dead. Her bed is still warm. His Majesty finds it already cold. You must sign it. For the love of God, sign it. Will you leave your kingdom to a heretic ? He then said that this King would marry me but would not expect to share my bed more than two or three times a year. As much as that ? Well, he... He is enraptured. Naturally. But... his affairs would otherwise keep him in Spain. Then the King is a fool. What could ever be important enough to keep him from your bed ? Robert, you should not say such things. Then l shall only think them. Everything is so uncertain ! Sir William says my life is still in danger. Do not listen to everything he tells you. Do not listen to any of them. None of them are of consequence. - When you are Queen... - l am not... l am not Queen yet. You will be. Elizabeth, Queen of England. A court to worship you. A country to obey you. Poems written celebrating your beauty. Music composed in your honour, and they will be nothing to you. l will mean nothing to you. How could you ever be nothing to me ? Robert, you know you are everything to me. All that l am it is you. Benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventris tui, lesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc... ls she dead ? Give it to her. My Lady... The Earl of Sussex is here. The Queen is dead ! Long live the Queen ! Long live the Queen ! This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes. To the north, l present unto you Elizabeth, your undoubted Queen ! To the south, l present to you Elizabeth, your undoubted Queen ! l crown thee Elizabeth, Queen of England, lreland and France. God save Your Majesty. Your Majesty has inherited a most parlous and degenerate state. lt's threatened from abroad by France and Spain and is weaker in men, monies and riches than l have ever known it. What are you saying ? Madam, your treasury is empty. The Navy is run-down, there is no standing army, and no munitions. There is not a fortress that could withstand a single shot. - l have no desire for war, sir. - But that is not the end of it. Here at home there are those who wish Your Majesty ill. Mary of Scots has already laid claim to your throne, and Norfolk... Norfolk covets it relentlessly. Madam, until you marry and produce an heir, you will find no security. That's Sir Christopher Hatton. - There is Sir William Makepeace... - l do not see... - Lord Ensley, Your Majesty. - Delighted. l do not see why a woman need marry at all. Come on, come on ! This is Mistress Quickly. You will recall His Excellency the Spanish Ambassador. How could l forget ? Excellency. Your Majesty. He's French. You'll have to speak up. Do l know that gentleman ? That is Sir Francis Walsingham, Madam. He has returned from exile and l have appointed him to have a care for Your Majesty's person. Ah ! Excellency... Majesty... May l present the French Ambassador, His Excellency Monsieur de Foix. Your Excellency. l suppose the French do offer some suitor to her. Naturally. Everything now depends upon the husband that woman takes. King Henry of Anjou sends you brotherly love. He trusts the relationship between our countries may be much improved. That is also my hope. The King expects that you will consider the suit of his brother, the Duke of Anjou. Her Majesty will consider the proposal most carefully. lt is unfortunate, however, that the Duke's aunt, Mary of Guise, chooses to garrison Scotland with French troops. Ladies... The marriage of a Queen, Excellency, is born of politics, not childish passion. Your Grace. Walsingham ! Welcome to England. - Your Grace is surprised ? - No. Only a little disappointed. Play a volta ! When may l see you in private ? ln private ? Have you forgot, my Lord ? l am Queen now. He's coming. He's coming ! My Ladies. My Lord. You blush, Lady Knollys. Are you in love ? No, my Lord. Then you should be, or waste all that beauty. Does Her Majesty sleep ? Not yet, Sir William. She is... overwrought. Show me Her Majesty's sheets every morning. - l must know all her proper functions. - Proper functions, Sir William ? lndeed. Her Majesty's body and person are no longer her own property. They belong to the State. Yes, Sir William. Your Grace. Your Grace, Her Majesty has not risen. Your Grace ! Please ! Your Grace ! Her Majesty is not yet ready to receive visitors. Madam ! You had best get up. There is some grave news. My Lady, l'm sorry... Mary of Guise has increased the French garrison in Scotland by 4,000 men. Perhaps more. Madam... l'm afraid the French mean to attack while we are still weak and while Your Majesty's reign is still uncertain. What is your counsel ? Madam, we must with all haste raise an army to march upon Scotland. Can... can... ? Can we not send emissaries ? There is no time for that ! As Queen we look to you for action, unless you are content to wait for the French to send more reinforcements. Here. Are you all in agreement ? l say there has never been a better time to abate the French pride. Arundel ? War is a sin, but sometimes a necessary one. Lord Robert, you were appointed to the Council to protect England's interests. Now it appears you do not have the stomach for it. l am in agreement, Your Grace, ifYour Majesty's throne is at risk. - What say you, Walsingham ? - Your Majesty ! l say a prince should rather be slow to take action and should watch that he does not come to be afraid of his own shadow. You are not, Sir Francis, a member of Council, nor are you in the majority. l do not like wars. They have uncertain outcomes. SCOTLAND Stop ! Go back to England, and take this to your Queen. English blood on French colours. Send him back to his Queen and make sure he remains alive. Tell that *** Queen not to send children to fight Mary of Guise ! - Where are my councillors ? - l know not, Madam. - Where is Lord Robert ? - Lord Robert, Madam, has gone hunting. Leave me. Go ! Go ! l regret to inform Your Majesty of our miserable defeat in Scotland. The Bishops still demand Your Majesty's removal. They find support in every quarter. Alas, Madam, we are come already to catastrophe. How dare you come into my presence ! Why do you follow me here ? lt is my business to protect Your Majesty against all things. l do not need protection. l need to be left alone ! Majesty... They should never have been sent to Scotland. My father would not have made such a mistake. l have been proved unfit to rule. That is what you all think, is it not, Walsingham ? lt is not for me to judge you. Why did they send children ! Why did they not send proper reinforcements ! The Bishops would not let them. They spoke against it in the pulpits. Then... they are speaking against their Queen. Madam, the Bishops are against you and have no fear of you. They do not expect you to survive. My Lord ! The Queen ! Where have you been ? You were not at Court. Majesty, Monsieur de Foix. Mary of Guise, Ma'am, promises to make no further threat against Your Majesty, but on one condition. What condition ? That Your Majesty considers the proposal of her nephew the Duke of Anjou. The Duke is most eager to meet Your Majesty. He has heard a great deal of your beauty. For the love of God, Madam, let not the care of your diseased estate hang in the balance any longer. ln marriage, and in the production of an heir, lies your only surety. The Duke is also most... handsome. Very well. lnvite the Duke of Anjou. We shall see him in the flesh. Robert ! The Duke will not take kindly to a rival for his suit. He is a traitor, and his father before him. Lord Robert's head will end up on a spike, not on the pillow of a Queen. Must you leave ? l would not miss this for the world. Today l shall watch the fall of that heretic girl. l have been placed here as your sov... l am your sovereign. l have been placed here... l... God has... God has placed me here... l am your anointed sovereign... l am your Queen... And like my father l mean to rule. There is one thing higher than royalty, my Lords, and that is religion. l pass this... l pass this Act of... l ask you to pa... l... l ask you to pass this Act of Uniformity. Not for myself. For my people. They're my people... There is one God. We have a common... There is one God. This is for my people. My people are my care. The only care. My Lords, your votes are nothing without my consent. lf there is no uniformity of religious belief here then there can only be fragmentation. Disputes and quarrels. Surely, my Lords, it is better to have a single Church of England. A single Church of England ! With a common prayer book. And... and a... And... a common purpose. l ask you to pass this Act of Uniformity not... not for myself but for my people who are my only care. Madam, by this Act, you force us to relinquish our allegiance to the Holy Father. Hear, hear ! How can l force you, Your Grace ? l am a woman. l have no desire to make windows into men's souls. l simply ask can any man, in truth, serve two masters and be faithful to both ? Madam, this is heresy ! No, Your Grace, this is common sense. Which is a most English virtue. Where is Gardiner ? Where are the others ? Let us out ! Open the door ! This is Walsingham's doing. lt is the devil's work. lt will not serve her in any case. The Bishops will pass no measure which severs us from Rome. Your Majesty would improve all these matters if you would agree to marry. Aye. Marry, Madam. Aye. But marry who, Your Grace ? Will you give me some suggestion ? For some say France, and others Spain, and and some cannot abide foreigners at all. So l'm not sure how best to please you unless l married one of each. Now Your Majesty does make fun of the sanctity of marriage. l do not think you should lecture me on that, my Lord, since you yourself have been twice divorced. And are now upon your third wife ! Each of you must vote according to your conscience. But remember this. ln your hands, upon this moment, lies the future happiness of my people, and the peace of this realm. Let that be upon your conscience also. My Lords, the House will divide. Walsingham... ! l would know on what authority you have kept us locked up here. Your Graces must forgive me, but you are now free to go. l am sure this infernal work has not saved your *** Queen. Her Majesty... has won the argument. By what count ? By five, Your Grace. Five. You will be damned for this ! And l pray God your wretched soul will burn in hell ! Report back to me at break of day. Enchanté. No ! Because... l am Anjou ! Yes, l am Anjou, yes ! l am Anjou. My God ! She loves it ! And l can't wait... l dream of the moment when we are naked together in bed where l can stroke your thigh and perhaps even your quinny ? Would you like that ? Remove your hand. Perhaps, Your Grace, we shall think on it, but... - l am deeply religious. - But l am very religious, too. Very religious, yes ! THE VATlCAN Your Holiness, the priest from England is here. Tell me, my son, what is the news of our brothers and sisters in England ? Do they still support the sovereignty of that illegitimate *** ? No, Holy Father. They pray ceaselessly that England may be recovered from heresy. Prayers may not be sufficient. l will ask for guidance in this matter. But do not despair. Was it not truly said that the righteous shall inherit the earth ? Such piercing eyes ! And very indiscreet ! My true love has my heart and l have hers. My heart in me keeps her and me in one. My heart in her, her thoughts and senses guide. She loves my heart for once it was her own. l cherish hers because in me it bides. My true love has my heart and l have hers. Marry me. Marry me. The Queen is very intimate with Lord Robert, no ? With me she plays the shrew. With him the lover ? Her life depends on the feelings of my heart, yes ? She is a woman, Sire. They say one thing but mean another. No man can unlock their secrets. Unless they have a very big key ! Yes ! A very big key ! On a night such as this could any woman say no ? On a night such as this could a Queen say no ? Does not a Queen sit under the same stars as any other woman ? Monseigneur Alvaro ! Monseigneur Alvaro ! Tell me, as well as Ambassador, are you not also a Bishop ? l am, my Lord. Then you can marry us ! Marry you ? Perhaps he does not know enough English to perform the ceremony ! Alas, Madam, in this matter l can be of no help to you. Madam ! The Queen ! - Protect the Queen ! - Help her ! Quickly ! Call the Guard ! The Queen ! The Queen ! Look to the Queen ! lsabel, see that the ladies are prepared. lsabel, go ! Where were you, Sir Francis ? l only hope that Her Majesty may be safely delivered from this present danger. ls the bedchamber ready ? Be calm, Madam. All is well. l am perfectly well. Please do not fuss. - No-one is to enter. - Yes, Sir William. - Stay in here now, and watch. - Yes, Sir Francis. Sorry, Lord Robert. l said no-one. My Lord, a word. To whose advantage was this ? De Foix ? No. Not with Anjou in play. Then some... madman ? There is always madness, Master Elyot. This was devised. There is reason behind it. Then Alvaro for he has most cause. Yes, but he was present. He is too subtle for that. Would Norfolk ? He is not so subtle and has even more cause. lndeed. So then he is not in league with the Spanish. Perhaps. Stay close to him. The Duke has some other game. l must find where he plays. l see it is true that the Queen favours you above all others. But you have many enemies here. ls it not so ? That is no concern of yours. lt may be. lf you would be prepared, in secret, to renounce heresy and embrace the true faith, then you might find many new and powerful friends and keep your Queen. You are most mistaken, Monseigneur, if you think l might so easily be persuaded to act against my conscience, and my love. My Lord, what will a man not do for love ? Madam, if only you would heed my advice. l narrowly escaped with my life, sir. l cannot now discuss marriage. Forgive me... the one cannot be separated from the other. - Have l not told you ? - Yes, and l am sick of it. This entire conversation is ill-timed. My patience, Sir William, is not infinite. lt is a great joy to see Your Majesty is not hurt. lt was a terrible affair. The Duke would still know the answer to his suit. You may tell the Duke he shall have his answer shortly. Madam, the point is pressing ! The Duke cannot love me so much if he demands my answer so precipitously ! Perhaps Her Majesty's heart is already set upon another. Do not presume, monsieur, to know the secrets of my heart. Monsieur de Foix may leave. Please, Excellency... Je vous prie de mes excuses. Secrets, Madam ?! You have no secrets ! The world knows Lord Robert visits your chambers and you fornicate with him ! lt's even said you already carry his child ! Yes, Sir William, l live my life in the open ! l am surrounded by people ! l do not understand how so bad a judgment has been formed of me ! Madam, you... You cannot marry Lord Robert ! He is already married. Here comes our married man. Lord Dudley is not himself today. Lord Dudley's cup runneth over. lmagine being discovered in another woman's bed ! Aye, and that it to be his wife's ! Lord Robert, we are amazed you show your face at Court. The Queen ! Spanish ! Spanish ! English pirate ! English pirate ! ls it not enough that English pirates attack and rob our ships but we are to be made fools of in this Court. The King, my master, has become impatient for Your Grace to act. lf you will not, then others may. You must reassure His Majesty the time is close at hand. He must not act precipitously. - His Majesty has heard a rumour - The world is filled with rumours. that Your Grace has made contact with Mary of Scots to promote your ambitions. Even that you mean to marry her. Do you suppose me an idiot ? Your master is the most powerful man in the world. l would not cross him. Will the Duke not come to dance ? Madam, His Grace is indisposed. He has some pains of the stomach. Oh. l am very sorry for it. We wish to give the Duke this ring as a token of our love. - Madam... - No. l shall give it to him myself. Madam, l should not... Sir William. Come along. What ! What ? What, er... what ! You stare, Madam. What is it ? Do you see something strange, perhaps ? You are wearing a dress, Your Grace. Oh ! Yes, l am wearing a dress. Yes, yes, l am wearing a dress ! l wear a dress like this, my mother, and you. But l only dress like this when l'm alone, in private, with my friends. Your Grace... Although my affection for you is undiminished l have, after an agonising struggle, determined to sacrifice my own happiness for the welfare of my people. My God ! Madam, l will explain. There is no need, Excellency. l understand everything ! Allez-vous-en, allez ! Jouez ! Jouez ! Up yours ! Madam, is the, er... is the Duke... There will be no more talk of marriage. Lord Robert ! Your Majesty ? Will you dance ? lf it please you. Play a volta ! Why will you not see me ? You must let me explain. Others will take advantage of this. You must not believe what they tell you. They are jealous and envious, because l am nothing to them and everything to you. Do you love her ? No, l love you. l have always loved you. l was afraid of losing you because l was not free ! For God's sake, you are still my Elizabeth ! l am not your Elizabeth ! l am no man's Elizabeth ! And if you think to rule here you are mistaken ! l will have one mistress here and no master ! lt matters nothing to me. l can live without her most happily. Better than l could live with her. l have no need of her love. Have l not suffered enough already for loving her and showing it ? l envy you, my Lord. To love a woman so deeply. Monseigneur... envy no man for that. Such love is hateful. lt tears the soul apart. Envy a man who has never known such love. Perhaps there may still be a way to reclaim her affections. Why should l want to ? And to save her life. - You jest with me. - No, l do not. For she will be dead soon enough, perhaps even at Norfolk's hand, if you do not help her. How can l help her ? She will not even see me. His Holiness has issued the Bull. lt deprives Elizabeth, pretended Queen of England, servant of wickedness, of her throne, and declares that her subjects are absolved of their allegiance to her. His Holiness also decrees that any man who should undertake her assassination will be welcomed by angels into the Kingdom of Heaven. Give these letters of blessing and hope to our friends in England. THE COAST OF ENGLAND Your Grace. Monseigneur. And Thomas Elyot. You serve your master well, Elyot. As well as l can, in truth. l mean your real master. What's this ? What master ? Walsingham. The priest is mistaken, my Lord. l am Your Grace's servant, as God is my witness. - lsabel... - Sshh, don't fuss. You should not try them on, lsabel. They are the Queen's dresses. Why not ? You're my secret. l am Queen, aren't l ? Say you're mine. You're my Elizabeth. Say you're my Elizabeth. l am your Elizabeth. l am your Queen ! Ssh... ! Sshh... ! Kat ? Kat ! Kat ? Who are you ? You will declare yourself to me. Madam ! Something has happened ! You must come quickly ! Who was with her ? One of the guards found her. He says he saw Lord Robert leave... No, Madam, no. The dress was poisoned. Uncover her. No... ! That dress was a gift for me. French silk. SCOTLAND Vite ! Vite ! Sir Francis, you and l must be honest with each other. Your Queen is weak. She has no army, no friends. Only... Comment dit-on... ? - Enemies. - Enemies. Mm-hm. What terms can she propose ? Madam, Her Majesty was, l believe, too hasty at rejecting the Duke's proposal of marriage. But how can l marry such a woman ? Huh ? She is frigid ! Yes ! They even say she is really a man ! Go to bed. Leave me with this. Forgive my nephew. He speaks when he should not. He is terrible. Ne fais pas l'idiot, Henri. l hear you are a wise man, Sir Francis, and a creature of the world like me. Yes. l have no illusions. l know it is only a matter of time before my Queen is overthrown. Her Majesty rules with the heart, not with the head. l understand. lt is hard for a woman to forget her heart. But, er... what of you, Walsingham ? A wise man would be careful not to put himself in the way of harm. And how would a wise man do that ? He would, as l said, change allegiance. Allegiance ? There are but two choices. He would get into bed with either Spain or France. And whose bed would you prefer ? Your Majesty, may l speak with you ? ln private. Speak. You are in the greatest danger. You must believe me. But you have a friend. Someone who can guarantee your safety and your throne. A friend ? The King of Spain. Leave us. How would he guarantee it ? He would marry you. Only to make an alliance. Nothing more. He would not expect to... He would live in Spain. Why do you do this, Robert ? Because l love you. And though you will not see me, l am the only one who would care for you. You love me so much you would have me be your *** ? For God's sake, l do this for us. l ask you to save some part of us ! Lord Robert, you may make *** of my Ladies but you shall not make one of me. Your Majesty. Elizabeth is a witch ! A witch ! And her servant is the devil ! Get out ! Get out ! Of course l shall deny it. Your Majesty must publicly dissociate herself from this most bloody act. l never ordered it. Of course, Madam, of course. You must also make conciliatory gestures towards the Spanish. Your dependence upon their goodwill is greater than ever. - l must... - The word ''must'' is not used to princes. l have followed your advice in all the affairs of my kingdom, but your policies would make England nothing but part of France or Spain. From this moment l am going to follow my own opinion. Forgive me, Madam, but you are only a woman. l may be a woman, Sir William, but if l choose l have the heart of a man ! l am my father's daughter. l am not afraid of anything. l... l deeply regret, Madam, if l have caused you such offence though God knows all my advice has only ever been to secure Your Majesty's throne. And l am grateful for it. l have decided to create you Lord Burghley, so you may enjoy your retirement in greater ease. - Madam... - That will be all, Lord Burghley. Majesty... Madam, if l may ? A prince should never flinch from being blamed for acts of ruthlessness which are necessary for safeguarding the State and their own person. You must take these things so much to heart that you do not fear to strike even the very nearest that you have if they be implicated. lt has been made known to me there is a priest abroad in the land, carrying letters from Rome to those who mean to harm you. Norfolk's power in Court is growing. lt is said that he and his foreign allies are raising an army to outnumber your own. lfYour Majesty does not act soon then he will. Find the priest, and those who harbour him. Right, search every room ! You two, upstairs ! Where is Lord Arundel ? He's not here, sir. Do you know where your father is ? You were carrying letters from the Pope. To whom were you told to give them ? Tell me, what is God to you ? Has He abandoned you ? ls He such a worldly God that He must play at politics and conspiracy ? ls He not divine ? Tell me the truth, as if you were face to face with Him now. l am a patient man, Father. Sussex, Gardiner, Arundel. A man will confess to anything under torture. And Lord Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Madam, this document was also found among the priest's possessions. From His Holiness the Pope to His Grace the Duke of Norfolk. ''To legitimise your claim to the throne of England, His Holiness proposes ''Your Grace should take as your bride Mary, Queen of Scots, and overthrow Elizabeth...'' The illegitimate and heretical *** who now sits upon the throne. All Norfolk need do is sign this paper, and treason will have been committed. Then let him sign it. And let it all be done. ln the future, when England is safe again and faithful, they will thank me for this act and forget the manner of it. ls it not true ? Deliver this most carefully. What is the meaning of this ? Your Grace is arrested. You must go with these men to the Tower. l must do nothing by your orders. l am Norfolk. You were Norfolk. The dead have no titles. You were the most powerful man in England and could have been greater still but you had not the courage to be loyal. Only the conviction of your own vanity. l think, Walsingham, a man's courage is in the manner of his death. l am content to die for my beliefs. So cut off my head and make me a martyr. The people will always remember it. No... They will forget. Your Majesty knows that l did it only for my faith. Nothing more. All your many kindnesses are remembered. You must not think we care not for your children. Your Majesty is merciful and forgiving. What kept you, Walsingham ? l have been waiting. Your Majesty... They are all gone to the Tower. Your friends. Tell me, how should l serve thee, Robert ? My course is run. Just tell me why. Why ? Madam, is it not plain enough to you ? lt is no easy thing to be loved by the Queen. lt would corrupt the soul of any man. Now, for God's sake, kill me. No... l think rather to let you live. Madam, that is not wise. Lord Robert has committed treason. - He must be made example of. - And l will make an example of him. He shall be kept alive to always remind me of how close l came to danger. l have rid England of her enemies. What do l do now ? Am l to be made of stone ? Must l be touched by nothing ? Aye, Madam, to reign supreme. All men need something greater than themselves to look up to and worship. They must be able to touch the divine here on earth. She had such power over men's hearts. They died for her. They have found nothing to replace her. You will be damned for this ! Tonight l think l die. Speak up ! Kat... l have become a ***. Observe, Lord Burghley. l am married to England.