The Shadow of the Tower (1972) s01e01 Episode Script

(Soldiers shouting, horses whinnying) Henry Tudor! By the grace of God! King of England and of France! Prince of Wales and Lord of Ireland! (Cheering) Do you really think it's true that he's landed? Yes! He tried once before.
- What will he do? - March towards London.
And Uncle Richard will raise an army and march to meet him.
Oh, being shut up here in Yorkshire.
It'll be five days before we know what's happened.
We know what will happen.
Disaffected Welshmen, banished men, riffraff from Brittany.
With a following like that, what chance has Henry Tudor got? But if Henry Tudor wins and you marry him you'll be queen! He won't.
How could he? He's got no real claim to the throne.
Only his mother's royal ascent and that's through a bastard.
His claim isn't even as good as Warwick's.
- Nor is my uncle the King's.
- Cicely, shh.
Elizabeth, I don't like Uncle Richard.
Oh, yes, you do, Edward.
Don't you remember? Uncle Richard said he'd bring you a hawk.
When? When he comes again.
Let them see him naked.
Let them see "King Richard"! Do you think he's dead? Dead or fled.
Ouch! That hurts like the devil.
You'll be all right.
Just be thankful you didn't lose the hand.
- What had happened to your shield, anyway? - Oh, I dropped it.
God save us all! There you are.
(Sighs) - I never thought it would be.
- What? - Well, such a muddle.
- What did you expect? Everyone riding along in two straight lines like a tournament? No, but I thought there'd be more Well, I mean Half the time you don't know what you do mean.
Yes, I do! I mean, you don't expect something so confusing to settle who's going to be king of the realm.
- (Clang) - Ah! - It's all right, it's Lord Lovell.
- Has he got anyone with him? Two men-at-arms.
The Lord Chamberlain of England, reduced to two men-at-arms.
That, dear brother, is more than we managed.
Yes.
Why did he want us to meet him here? It isn't safe.
Surely we ought to be getting into sanctuary.
- There's plenty enough time for that yet.
- Well, I hope so.
(Man) Look after the horses.
- Humphrey.
- My Lord.
- The Earl of Lincoln not here? - Were you expecting him? I sent a message, I don't know if he got it.
- Thomas, how are you? - I got rather a bad wound He's all right, my Lord.
What news of the King? - He's dead.
- What? We heard he'd escaped.
Well, he could have.
We tried to get him away but he saw Henry Tudor in the battle and galloped down to attack him.
That damn temper of his.
This time it's done for us all.
- Is there any food here? - Not much.
The Duke of Norfolk's men were billeted here.
Thomas, go and see what there is.
Yes, sir.
Baines! - Norfolk's dead.
- Yes, I know.
- How did it happen? - Oh, God knows.
Northumberland held off and Stanley joined Tudor at the last minute.
But that wasn't the whole of it.
As we marched to meet Tudor, our men fell away.
As he marched to meet us, men joined him.
Why? Why did they join him? The Lancastrians, I can understand that.
Henry's the last Lancastrian heir, such as he is.
But the Yorkists.
What have they got to gain? - Have you ever seen Tudor, sir? - Yes, in the battle.
A white-faced, filleted fellow.
He won't last.
- Meanwhile? - We do what we can.
With King Richard dead, I don't see what we can do.
Stafford, explain to your brother that Richard was not the last Yorkist heir to the throne.
- I only meant - What did you mean? - Nothing.
- Then be quiet! We don't even know where Elizabeth of York is.
She's in Sheriff Hutton Castle in Yorkshire.
Richard put her there with the Earl of Warwick.
Imprisoned? Kept safe.
- (Laughs) - We're not interested in her.
No, Richard named the Earl of Lincoln as his heir.
Now Richard's gone, Lincoln is our man.
I think he's dead, Uncle.
No! We'd have found his body by now.
So we don't know.
- Is this what you wanted, my Lord? - Is it the proclamation? - My Lord - Just one moment, Oxford.
"the King's pleasure" Yes.
"Prisoners who undertake to keep the King's peace are free to go home.
" Fox, put something else in there.
"Free to go home with their horses and armor.
" - Very well, my Lord.
- We have no spoiling of prisoners who submit.
No, my Lord.
We must find out whether Lincoln's alive or dead.
Don't forget, Richard named him as his heir.
Named him my mother's heir, too.
Yes, he did.
All her land, her money and her property.
And the crown as well.
You know, Uncle, as far as I'm concerned, he's unlucky on both counts.
(Laughter) We must get to London, my Lord, as soon as possible.
- Yes.
- We must take possession of the Tower.
Yes.
Now, those names He means to lodge there.
Well, it is the safest place if we can get there.
We don't know what we'll find between here and London if with Lovell still at large.
- Why wasn't he captured? - Yes.
Lovell's a dangerous man.
Even Richard used to say so.
To the usurper, every man is dangerous.
To the true king no one is.
Sir Robert Brackenbury slain, yes? Do you want the Earl of Lincoln included in the Act of Attainder? No, not yet.
So that's the Duke of Northumberland, the Earl of Surrey and Viscount Lovell.
Northumberland never moved his troops against us.
- No.
- But you're not releasing him? No, Uncle.
Not until we find out why he didn't.
Who is that, Oxford? Fox? Sir Robert Willoughby, my Lord.
(Henry) Willoughby? My Lord, the Earl of Lincoln's escaped.
Sir Giles Daubeney pursued him but he says he lost him beyond Stoke Golding.
Well, we'd better send some troops out to look for him.
- No! - We must find him, my Lord, and discover what he means to do.
If he means to give us his allegiance, he will find us.
If not, we'll know very soon.
We shouldn't stay here, it's too near to Bosworth.
- He might send a troop out to look for us.
- No, not they.
Henry Tudor will need to go straight to London and if he wants to get there safely he'll need to take his whole army with him.
What will he do when he gets there? Repeal the Act of Attainder that makes him and his uncle traitors and pass a new act making us traitors instead.
Humphrey, your brother doesn't like being on the wrong side of the law.
You think he'll marry Elizabeth? Tudor? Yes, of course.
That's the first thing he'll do.
Give himself a claim to the throne.
- He certainly hasn't got any other claim.
- (Owl hoots) Lincoln should be here by now, unless he's dead or captured.
I saw him leave the field.
I sent a message after him.
- He may have submitted.
- Why should be? He's nothing to gain by it and everything to lose.
- (Owl hoots) - What's that? - A troop of horsemen.
- Get out of the way! There's a banner but I can't Yes, sir, it's the Earl of Lincoln.
- Do we call him "Your Majesty"? - Not yet.
Bring a light here! - Lovell.
- Yes, my Lord.
Who else is there? Humphrey Stafford, my Lord, and his brother Thomas.
Sit down, my Lord.
Thomas, pour some wine.
- No, thank you.
- Oh, come, sir.
Just a little wine.
- What is this place? - A farm belonging to the Abbot Sante.
A clean cup.
- You're safe here, then.
- The steward was with Richard.
Still, you'd be well-advised to take sanctuary.
- How about you, sir? - What do you mean? To the true king.
Whoever he may be.
- It was true about his having landed.
- Yes.
Who? Who's landed? You know who, Warwick.
Henry Tudor! - Near here? Will we see him? - No, he's miles away Where is he? And Uncle Richard? I suppose by now the armies might have met and fought and it might be all over.
Henry Tudor dead.
Uncle Richard might have been killed as well.
No.
It'll be one or the other.
Strange, isn't it? We've known his name for so long.
When his mother was our guardian, she talked about him all the time.
And yet we've never seen him.
Now I may never know what he was really like.
I can't understand men fighting for someone they know nothing of.
They think that's the best kind.
Then they can't be disappointed.
What do you know of Henry Tudor? Only that he's completely dominated by his uncle, the mad Welsh earl.
Oxford's close to him too, I believe.
Yes, they stand on either side of him like two gigantic buttresses.
In the middle, a blank.
Ptuh! It's like building a cathedral and forgetting to put in the spire.
Richard of Gloucester had his faults, but at least he was a king and not a nothing.
How much support do you think Henry will find? None in the north, some in Wales.
In the rest of the country, only until they find out they've lost a king and gained a puppet.
Then they'll begin to look around, and what will they find? Elizabeth of York.
Well, they'd never accept her, not a woman.
And she'll be married to Tudor.
Then there's Warwick.
Yes, well, as Richard's nephew, he's the next in line but a boy of nine.
He's simple-minded too, I've always thought.
His father wasn't exactly the scholar of the age.
Clarence had enough sense to blow on his porridge.
His boy hasn't got that much.
We've had enough of child kings.
I can't see anyone accepting Warwick.
That leaves you, sir.
The son of Edward IV's sister.
The only man with an undoubted claim to the crown.
I am expected.
When they look around for you will you still be there? Bring my horse.
- You won't travel tonight? - My men know the way.
We shall be going to Abingdon in the morning.
Why not wait? I am expected elsewhere.
Good night.
So he doesn't want to be king.
What makes you think that? What do you think, my Lord? I think he doesn't want to travel with us.
Not yet.
Well, we'd better get some sleep if we're going to Abingdon.
- Abingdon? No, not now.
- But you said No, the Abbot Sante was rather too well known as a supporter of King Richard.
Henry Tudor would soon look for us there.
Where, then? Nobody knows.
Nobody knows what he'll do.
He's king and yet nobody knows anything about him.
I suppose it's true, about the battle and Uncle Richard.
- They said it was only rumor.
- I feel it's true.
- What do we do? - Wait.
Wait to hear from Tudor.
When his mother talked about him, it sometimes seemed as if she was warning me.
- Warning you? - Yes, I remember once, she said, "He's not like the Plantagenets.
He's a Tudor.
" There's nothing secret about the Plantagenets, they know what they want and they try to get it.
But the Tudors have Welsh royal blood in their veins and that means that there is always something in their hearts which is a mystery to themselves and to everyone else.
And now you'll be married to a mystery! Don't take it for granted as his mother did.
But you know it's always been accepted that you should marry him.
Never! But our father suggested it when Henry Tudor was in Brittany.
But the King didn't mean it.
It was only a bait to bring the Tudors to England.
Well, then why did his mother agree? The Lady Margaret Beaufort would have agreed to anything to get her son on the throne.
And if there was even a chance of marrying him to me After all, whatever anyone says, I am the true heir to the throne.
When Uncle Richard usurped it from our brothers, he took it from me too.
Henry Tudor knows that his best hope of claiming the throne and keeping it is to marry me.
But he needs my consent, and I may not give it.
But you must! No.
He needs me but I don't need him.
He may have won a battle but that doesn't mean he can hold the country.
Whether he does or not depends on me.
Oh, does it? Yes, it does.
If I marry him, the Yorkists will give him their support but if I refuse, they'll turn to Warwick or to Lincoln.
If you refuse, he may put you in prison.
Not unless he wants a rebellion on his hands.
I am Elizabeth of York.
So he's got to come a-wooing! Yes, he has! - Do you think he'll come here? - Here? No! Uncle Richard knew what he was doing when he sent us here.
Henry Tudor may have won a battle but he'd never dare to show his face in Yorkshire.
There's a troop of horsemen coming! I'm going up to the battlements.
Edward, stay with me.
If it's Uncle Richard, will he bring my hawk? No, Uncle Richard is dead.
- Then who is it? - It's a nobleman with a large company.
Fetch my ladies.
I must get ready to greet him.
Perhaps he has come a-wooing.
(Man) Sir Robert Willoughby.
(Elizabeth) Sir Robert Willoughby.
Madam, I am sent here by the King.
He is proceeding to London and it is his will and pleasure that I should escort you there, together with your sister, the Lady Cicely, and the Earl of Warwick.
We are grateful to His Majesty for his consideration.
And we are grateful to you for bringing us his greetings.
We shall be glad to have your protection on the way.
No doubt you will wish to rest your men and horses and we shall need to prepare for the journey.
We will be ready to leave in a week's time.
It is the King's wish that we should set out immediately.
Sir Robert.
Where are we to lodge in London? His Majesty knows that you will be anxious to be reunited with your mother the queen dowager, and therefore he suggests that you and Lady Cicely and the Earl of Warwick should lodge in the Tower.
But my mother is in Westminster.
Nevertheless, the King would like me to escort you to the Tower.
(Crowd cheering) Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond.
Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond.
Lady Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond.
My dearest Mother! Your Majesty! - So, here you are.
- Yes, here I am.
Where you always meant me to be.
Did I? I hear you had a triumphant journey to London.
Yes, all the people seemed glad to see me.
And before you left, you ordered new slates for the town hall at Leicester.
How did you learn about that? Since we have been apart, I have learnt everything I could about you.
There are many slates to be put on many town halls.
I shall need your help to do it.
Madam.
My Lord of Pembroke? Ah! Ah, no, that is too formal, my dear Jasper.
Welcome back to England.
My dear Margaret! How I wish my brother were alive to see this day.
Dear Jasper.
Thank you.
And I see my old friend Richard Fox is here.
Madam.
Tell me, sir, have you sent yet to the Princess Elizabeth? To the Lady Elizabeth? Lady Elizabeth.
- Since her father was never truly king.
- Of course.
Yes, I've sent Sir Robert Willoughby to escort her to London.
We must make arrangements for the wedding.
Not immediately.
A great many people gave support which depended upon your promise to marry Elizabeth.
But my right to the throne does not depend upon that.
No one is going to say that I was not King until I married the Lady Elizabeth.
You are King already! You were proclaimed in France before we left! - And now I will be crowned.
- (Bell tolls) In England.
Master Fox, we are ready for the council meeting.
- Mother, we shall meet at dinner.
- Henry Mother? - There is no better wife for you.
- That remains to be seen.
I tell you so now.
Your advice is always welcome.
I am glad to hear it.
You once wrote to me that she was delicate.
No, not strong but not delicate.
- Is she well made? - Of course! Do you think she can bear children? I'm sure of it.
I gave my word to this marriage and so did you.
It may prove the most useful thing to do.
It may.
But not yet.
Meanwhile - Meanwhile? - We shall meet at dinner.
What date will you set for the coronation? We shall announce it today, and our first parliament.
The sweating sickness is very bad, my Lord.
At least everyone will be too busy worrying about that to care about anything else.
If we all manage to survive the sickness, we may live to be glad of it.
Nephew! Remember Lovell.
Any news of him? Yes.
He's in sanctuary at Colchester.
The Stafford brothers are with him.
We'd better send to make sure they stay there.
Not a great number of us.
Hardly surprising.
Northumberland and Surrey in the Tower, Catesby and John Buck killed.
Executed.
You should do well, as the King's stepfather.
And you as my brother.
I hope so.
- I suppose - What? He's got the crown.
Do you think he can hold on to it? - (Henry) We are ready, master secretary? - Ready, my Lord.
What does he mean to do about Lincoln? My Lords.
It is His Majesty's pleasure to be crowned at Westminster Abbey on October the 30th.
Parliament will Let him come in.
Parliament will be summoned to meet on November the 7th.
The reign of His Majesty King Henry VII will be dated from August the 21st in the year of our Lord 1485.
August the 21st, that's the date Wait a moment, that's wrong.
Wrong, Lord Stanley? It should be the date of the Battle of Bosworth.
August the 22nd.
No, no, no, my dear stepfather.
The day before.
But that would mean That would mean that every man who took up arms for Richard of Gloucester upon that day would automatically be Would automatically be a traitor.
(Spears clash) You are welcome, my Lord.
Thank you for granting me safe conduct.
My Lord of Lincoln, you had only to ask for our protection.
Forgive us, my Lords, for a moment.
- Your message asked to see me.
- Yes, I did not expect a public meeting.
I have learned to distrust secret meetings.
Treachery is conceived in darkness.
Treaties are born in the light.
If you've come here to make a treaty - But have you? - Can a king make a treaty with a subject? Anyone can make a treaty of friendship.
My Lord, you know the Duke of Suffolk has sent to us, offering his allegiance.
My father likes a quiet life.
But you, I think, do not.
I am too young for voluntary retirement.
- You are by nature of an active disposition.
- Yes.
You are accustomed to playing an important part in the affairs of the kingdom and you like to do so.
That need not change because Henry Tudor is on the throne instead of Richard of Gloucester.
You must either help to build the kingdom or to destroy it.
Which is it to be? That is for you to say.
Is it? - Did you know he was going to do this? - No! Harry must be mad, to bring Lincoln into the middle of a council meeting and then in front of everyone He'll never forgive him.
He couldn't leave Lincoln at large with his loyalties still undeclared.
This way he'll know once and for all where he stands.
Will he? President of the Council of the North, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland? Richard of Gloucester placed great trust in you.
The question is, can I do the same? The question is, will you do the same? You're right.
Each of these questions depends on the other.
And unless we make a compact, here and now, each question will go on being asked and not answered and asked again as long as we have any dealings with each other.
Oh.
One of us must be the first to answer yes.
And mean it.
My Lord.
My Lords, the Earl of Lincoln comes here today with our safe conduct.
To show how highly we value him, we offer him a place on our council.
If he refuses, he goes back, with our safe conduct, to sanctuary.
But if he accepts, then from this moment we offer him our entire trust, as he has trusted us in coming here today.
Will you accept this place, my Lord? Your Majesty.
My Lords.
What were we speaking of, master secretary? - The starting date of the reign.
- Yes, my Lord Stanley, thank you.
Our reign will be dated from August the 21st.
But all those who swear allegiance within 40 days will receive a full and free pardon for having borne arms against their King.
Meanwhile, three Commissions will be appointed to examine the loyalty of our subjects in the counties of Hereford, Warwick and Worcester and in the city and suburbs of London.
These commissions will be headed by our uncle, the Earl of Pembroke, and by the Earl of Lincoln.
I see, Your Majesty, a place on your council is no sinecure.
My Lord, you said you wanted to be busy.
(Both laugh) All the public announcements, not a single word.
My name isn't even mentioned! Does he think he can keep the crown without marrying me? The Yorkists would never allow it.
If there are any Yorkists left when he has finished! - He hasn't - Hasn't what? Well, he hasn't killed Surrey or Northumberland, they're in the Tower.
With us! We're only lodged here, we're not imprisoned.
How about Warwick? Is he "only lodged here"? Yes.
Oh, Elizabeth.
Lincoln's become a member of his council, Tudor's going to be King.
I know! He'll send to you soon.
What is it? - There's a rumor.
- Oh? He's considering a French marriage! A French marriage? Oh, he wouldn't.
(Chuckling) He wouldn't.
How long do you think he means to keep us here? - I don't know.
- Well, he can hardly keep us here forever.
If he doesn't marry me he could never let anyone else marry me.
(Footsteps) (Woman) No, do not announce me, I will announce myself! The Countess of Richmond! Do we curtsy to her? It is for her to curtsy to us.
Elizabeth.
Oh How good it is to see you again.
My dear Cicely.
Oh, you have grown since I last saw you! My husband wishes to be remembered to you.
He says I am to tell you how much we have missed the gentle guests in our household.
Please give Lord Stanley our kind remembrances.
I will.
But I'm sure now that we're all in London together, he will come and visit you himself.
I hope you find your rooms comfortable.
The King himself lodged here when he first reached London and he was well satisfied.
But if there is anything you need, you have only to let me know.
I wish the Earl of Warwick could be with us.
The King felt he should have his own household.
Yes, but if we could see him now and then.
- He comes to Mass with you.
- Yes, but He's getting too old now to be in the company of women, and the King was anxious that he should be paid every respect.
He must be very lonely.
He has the company of his servants.
I am sure he is well cared for.
But (Tuts) I must not forget my errand to you.
The coronation is to take place on October the 30th and it will give the king great pleasure if you will both attend.
(Harp playing) (Quiet chatter) I feel like a captive at a Roman triumph.
He has even dressed us for the occasion.
Of course, our clothes are not quite as fine as his.
Well, at least we were given the proper precedence in the procession.
After the Countess of Richmond? While he is King, she will always take precedence over everyone.
Do you know the worst of it? He has made me look so ridiculous.
- He's coming to talk to you.
- Cicely, don't leave me! Do you like music? - Yes.
- So do I.
What do you think of my Welsh harpist? He plays beautifully.
- I created a barony on your behalf today.
- On mine? Sir Robert Willoughby is created Lord Willoughby de Broke.
- I'm sure he deserves it.
- For bringing you safely to London? I think so too.
I hope he looked after you well.
We traveled very fast.
Apparently that was your command.
I knew the countryside would be disturbed with so many soldiers returning home.
I wanted no harm to come to you.
You were very kind.
Not kind.
Careful.
Your Majesty, must the Earl of Warwick return to the Tower? I believe his lodgings are quite comfortable.
He is not lodged there, he is imprisoned! But at least he is safe.
Safe? When I was a child, I knew what it was to be used as the object of other men's ambitions.
No, no, not my uncle or Lord Oxford, but others, who wanted to use me to get near the throne and then sit on it themselves.
I soon learned to recognize them but Warwick is not sharp-sighted.
He has no instinct for self-preservation as I had.
I'll not throw them to their mercy, he's safer in the Tower.
You were wrong.
You are not only careful, you are kind.
No.
No, no, no.
A king can only afford to be kind in little things, never in great ones.
Your Majesty, all those years ago, in Wales and in Brittany, did you always think you would be king? (Chuckles) I can see I shall have to speak the truth to you.
Why is that? Because I think you know falsehood when you see it.
You haven't answered the question.
Did I always expect to be king? No.
Not at first.
But when I got close it's like that children's game of Grandmother's Footsteps.
When first you start tiptoeing towards the throne, you can be sent back and no harm done.
But when I got very close Not to reach it then would have been absurd.
And that's a fault of mine, I don't like to look ridiculous.
That's why I'm careful.
I never step forward without first testing the ground.
No wild leaps into joy? No ludicrous stumbles into disappointment.
(Harp playing stops) I must go and thank my harpist.
I'm glad you like music too.
Did he say anything? No.
Nothing.
(Monks chanting, distant) - How long do we have to stay here? - Just as long as Henry's men are in the town.
They'd know as soon as we left.
It gets dark early now, we could slip out and make our way to Abingdon.
What would we do when we got there? You, my Lord, said that Lincoln would not join with him.
- I didn't say that.
- Then what did you say? I said he might take his time in making the decision.
And now he has made the wrong one! Yes.
Yes, my Lord, he has.
He has made one decision.
There are more to come.
Life is not often like a game of dice, you know.
Everything win or lose on one throw.
No, it's more like chess.
You move forwards, sideways, even backwards, before you achieve the final check.
So while Lincoln's playing his game of chess with Henry Tudor, what do we do? We wait.
If we wait too long he'll be so firmly established that we'll never get rid of him! Patience, patience.
We won't move without knowing who'll be with us.
And if Tudor doesn't marry Elizabeth of York, we might find some of his supporters alongside.
- lfs, mights! - They're getting very restless.
Especially those who pledge their support in exchange for the marriage.
Even Oxford is none too pleased.
- Tudor promised to marry her, didn't he? - Yes, in France, before they ever set out.
Then why do you think he's delayed so long? I suppose he thinks he's got the crown now, he can afford to do without her.
Do you think he can? I think for a clever man, he's made a very stupid mistake.
- (Laughs) - (Door opens) - My Lord of Lincoln! - It's quite all right, my dearest cousin.
I asked if I might visit you and permission was graciously granted.
Cousin Cicely.
We are very glad to see you.
I was pleased to hear that you were a member of the council.
- Pleased? - Interested.
- And a little surprised too, perhaps.
- I? No.
- Why should I be surprised? - I think I was surprised.
As a matter of fact, I think the whole country is astonished to find itself where it is today.
Where is that? It's rather hard to say, isn't it? There's only one man to whom the situation is perfectly clear, and that's Henry Tudor.
- Of course - Yes? There is one thing which may not be quite as clear to him as it is to the rest of us.
And what is that one thing? Or is it a riddle? We love riddles, don't we, Cicely? Certainly.
Riddle, rhymes Which is this? Neither, cousin.
It's plain fact.
Most of the loyalty that was given to Henry Tudor depends on his promise to make you his wife.
Now, if he should break that promise - not that he will, but if he did My dear cousin.
I'm sure that when the date is publicly announced, I'm sure that you as a most trusted councilor of the realm will be the first to know.
(Henry) We have decided, then, that all rivers and waterways are to be dredged and cleaned.
That is to be put in hand immediately.
Is there any further business, master secretary? No, my Lord.
My Lord Stanley, was there some matter you wish to raise? Yes, sir, the matter of Your Majesty's marriage.
My Lord.
Your Majesty, many of your subjects who were formerly Yorkists and are now entirely loyal to you, would feel greatly would feel Doubly loyal? Yes, doubly loyal if you would consent to marry Elizabeth of York.
We have always declared our intention of marrying the Lady Elizabeth.
Yes, but when? It is four months now, sir, since Your Majesty came to the throne.
In this case, undue haste would be insulting to the lady.
But if a date could be set, no matter how far ahead I understand that the lower House of Parliament intends to present a petition to Your Majesty - to that effect.
- Erm To what effect? They mean to beg Your Ma humbly to beg that Your Majesty will set a date for your marriage with Elizabeth of York.
We are glad to hear of that petition.
And we shall be pleased to grant it.
Our marriage will be solemnized in January.
He has made it look as though he's been forced to marry you by Parliament! - Yes.
- But don't you mind? He will never come a-wooing.
It is not in his nature.
But he always does what he means to do.
And if he is marrying me, it is because he wants to.
No, thank you, master secretary.
Well, my Lord Oxford? You, er, timed it very well, my Lord.
Er, you think so? Late enough to prove you didn't need the marriage for the crown, just in time to keep the Yorkists from open protest.
Very shrewd.
Shrewdness had nothing to do with it.
Master secretary, add the Lord of Lincoln's name there, please.
You mean once you'd seen the lady and found her attractive? I mean that I could not marry her before.
We're both descended from Edward III.
Master Fox here discovered that we need a Papal dispensation.
Oh, but surely that was only a formality.
In my situation, every formality is indispensable.
- But now you have it.
- Not quite.
But the Papal legate has given a decision pro tempore.
- So now you can be married.
- Yes, yes.
Now we can be married.
Now what? There's no point in us staying here.
You think we can get out, sir? I suggest we make our attempt during the wedding celebrations.
No doubt his men will be busy drinking his health then.
I shall go north, probably to Lancashire.
Yes, we have friends in York.
We'll go there.
- We'll travel separately? - After we leave Colchester, yes.
My Lord.
You will let us know? Oh, yes.
Certainly.
(# Fanfare) (# Fanfare continues) A footstool for the Queen.
The Queen.
But not yet crowned? There's no need.
As my wife, you are Queen of England.
But only as your wife.
Of course.
Isn't that enough? It must be, mustn't it? You have the crown, you have a wife and now you are secure.
Am I?