- 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 whore ?
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.
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 !
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 !
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 whore ?
For God's sake, l do this for us.
l ask you to save some part of us !
Lord Robert, you may make whores 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 whore
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 virgin.
Observe, Lord Burghley.
l am married
to England.