The Crown (2016) s05e05 Episode Script
The Way Ahead
1
[thunder rumbling]
[wind rustling reeds gently]
[distant birdsong]
[melancholy music playing slowly]
[Charles] And how does one describe
being Prince of Wales?
I mean, it's hardly a job.
Still less a a vocation.
It's simply a
predicament.
[gunshots firing]
Previous Princes of Wales
have been happy to misspend their lives
in idle dissipation,
but my problem is, I can't bear idleness.
Or dissipation.
Every day, I meet people
from all walks of life.
Ministers, scientists, entrepreneurs,
men and women my age who've gone out
into the world and made their mark.
It's precisely the thing
that I'm not allowed to do.
In any other professional sphere, I'd be
at the peak of my powers.
Instead,
what am I? I'm just a
useless ornament,
stuck in a waiting room,
gathering dust.
[chairs creaking quietly]
There I go again.
Always a little whine with my cheese.
[laughter]
No, it just feels so good
to tell it as it is to close friends.
We understand.
You're a criminally wasted resource, sir.
Look at the extraordinary work
you do with the Prince's Trust.
Turning young lives around,
giving out thousands of grants a year.
Twenty thousand, to be precise.
Our latest initiative is this funding
of evening centers up and down the country
where children from crowded
and low-income households
can come and do their homework.
What a wonderful idea.
Doesn't sound like
an ornament gathering dust to me.
- [laughter]
- [Charles] Oh, thank you, Nancy.
Now, the day's work is still not done,
so will you excuse me?
[chairs creaking softly]
- Good night.
- [guests] Good night, sir.
[indistinct chatter in background]
[scribbling]
One, two, three, pass me up.
Come on, you're doing it so slowly.
Come on!
[laughter and chatter]
- [overlapping chatter]
- [phone ringing]
[phone rings]
- I've got five cards.
- Hello?
Andrew.
- Your Royal Highness.
- [boy] Does that mean I still lose?
[girl] Mummy?
- Is she, um
- She'll be with you in just a moment.
I have to wait
until she picks up in the other room.
[girl] One, two, three, pass me up.
So, is everyone, uh, there together?
[Andrew] Yes, all here.
Such a special time of year.
And is it just the four of you
for Christmas, or?
- [clattering]
- I believe that's her now, sir.
Thank you.
- [phone clatters]
- [Andrew] Right, I'm playing. Move up.
Laura, you been cheating again?
[Camilla] Hello.
Wish you would answer the phone.
I never know what to say.
We're alone now.
I'm in the bedroom.
In bed?
- On top of it.
- Hmm.
- Lucky old bed.
- [Camilla chuckles softly]
Are you still in Cheshire?
I am, yeah.
- Missing you terribly.
- [Camilla exhales]
Back soon though, my darling.
Are you still making the speech
in Oxford tomorrow?
Yes.
That's the reason I called, actually.
Could you bear to quickly listen to it?
Is it very long? We're a full house.
No, short. And punchy.
And a bit controversial.
Which is why I want your opinion.
You always know best when to rein me in.
All right.
Mm.
Remind me of the subject.
The teaching of English language
in schools. [sniffs]
"It is quite astounding
to think that in England,
we have produced one of the world's
most beautiful languages."
"However, the rate at which
that language is degenerating
has become a cause for concern."
"It's a tragedy for the next generation
that in the birthplace
of the language of Keats,
of Shelley, of Shakespeare,
efforts to preserve that language
and uphold the standards of its teaching
are no longer a priority."
"If we look at the way English is used
in business, in the popular press,
or on television programs,
or indeed in our schools,
universities, and institutions,
you'll see just how impoverished
our great mother tongue has become."
[indistinct overlapping radio chatter]
[man] What's the address?
[woman] Sutton Drive. Sutton Drive.
- [man] And what town are you in?
- [woman] Chester.
[man 2] Emergency, tell me
exactly what's happened.
[overlapping radio chatter continues]
[woman 2] Ambulance. I need an ambulance.
[woman 3] Got a minor accident
on the Hedley crossroads,
possible drink driving.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[man 3] Is the patient bleeding?
[man 4] Uh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I think so.
[radio frequencies shifting]
[man 4] Yeah, no, he is bleeding.
[man 5] He's taking the piss.
He's lost it.
[woman 4] Okay, sir, can you calm down
and tell me exactly what's happened?
[Charles] "see just how impoverished
our great mother tongue has become."
"Everything happens
'at the end of the day.'"
"And every situation is a 'win-win.'"
"As Prince of Wales,
I won't be thanked for saying this,
but the rot begins in
the very institutions whose duty it is
to preserve our proud linguistic
and cultural heritage."
"If we want to produce
the next generation of great writers,
we must use our education system
to protect what is surely
our greatest national export,
- the English language."
- [bell dings]
"Which, like any language,
is so much more
than a collection of words."
"It is a means of building bridges
between people of different backgrounds,
cultures, and generations."
What do you think?
[Camilla] I think it's brilliant.
I think you could go further.
Our language is like an endangered species
that needs to be protected.
It's a scandal
the way we're letting it be slaughtered.
[Charles] Well, I quite agree.
But I read it to my private secretary.
He thinks I might have gone too far.
[Camilla] I suppose it might be better
to leave the audience wanting more.
[Charles] Yes.
I suppose one has to be aware of it
in the room.
Just feel one's way along with it, if you
- If you know what I mean.
- [Camilla] Mmm.
You're awfully good
at feeling your way along.
- [Camilla chuckles]
- [Charles] Stop it.
[recording stops]
[editor] It's too dangerous.
If we run this,
we'd risk being responsible
for breaking up a royal marriage.
But, uh, I don't want
our friend crossing the street
and selling it to anyone else either.
So pay him what he wants.
Keep the tape.
Put it in the safe
and hope for another day.
- [elevator dings]
- [automated voice] Lift going down.
Have you gone to sleep?
No, I'm here.
[exhales] Night. Love you.
[Charles] Adore you.
Night.
Night.
[phone beeps off]
[inhales deeply, exhales sharply]
[theme music playing]
[clock ticking]
[Elizabeth] You are both resolved on this?
No doubts? No hesitancy?
This is really what you want?
[exhales softly]
[somber string music plays]
Very well.
- [door opens]
- [footsteps departing]
[Major] With permission, Madam Speaker,
I wish to inform the House
that Buckingham Palace is,
at this moment, issuing this statement.
It reads as follows.
"It is with regret
that the Prince and Princess of Wales
have decided to separate."
"Their Royal Highnesses
have no plans to divorce,
and their constitutional positions
are unaffected."
"We share the great sorrow
which this announcement will cause
and ask the public to join us in praying
that God will bring comfort
and strength to the prince and princess."
[Major] "The decision by the Prince
and Princess of Wales to separate
has been reached amicably."
"They'll continue to participate fully
in the upbringing of their children"
"and will continue to carry out
full and separate programs
of public engagements."
[Major] "The Queen and
the Duke of Edinburgh, though saddened,
understand and sympathize
with the difficulties
that have led to this decision."
That is the text of the announcement.
I'm sure that I speak for the whole House
and millions beyond it
in offering our support
to both the Prince and Princess of Wales
at this difficult time.
[all] Hear, hear.
[somber music intensifies]
[music fades out]
[bagpipes playing somber tune]
When a vessel is in rough seas,
it's sometimes necessary
to alter her course.
That's why we're all here today.
Now, this particular expedition
is the brainchild of the lord chamberlain.
David, did you want to say a few words?
Thank you, sir.
I think we can all agree
the last few years have been
particularly challenging for the monarchy.
The fire at Windsor Castle,
the failure of several royal marriages,
questions being raised
as to the family's value for money,
its relevancy
Yes, all right.
No need to go over it all again.
And so, in consultation
with Her Majesty the Queen
and His Royal Highness
the Duke of Edinburgh,
we've decided to set up
an informal council of war.
A task force to safeguard
the monarchy's survival
in a rapidly changing world.
And, since the idea is to find
new directions for a way forward
Ahead.
Sir?
Ahead, David.
Way ahead.
we would call it the Way Ahead Group.
[Charles] I suppose I should be grateful.
I've been preaching
the gospel of change for
I don't know how long,
and after 25 years, they finally agree.
- And what did they come up with?
- Oh, you ready for this?
Allowing the public into the royal box
at the Albert Hall from time to time.
Mmm. Radical.
Making the requirement to bow or curtsy
to some members
of the royal family optional.
Giving the Royal Air Force Central Band
a more enhanced role
in the Changing of the Guard ceremony
at the Palace.
That's progressive because?
They have women members
within their ranks.
Vive la révolution!
Quite. Meanwhile,
nothing on constitutional reform,
nothing on the monarch
being both head of state
and Supreme Governor
of the Church of England.
How to square that with a country
that's supposed to be a modern democracy?
I told them, we should be
thinking of something much more
radical.
You talk of cost-cutting measures
and reform of the civil list.
I say why not abolish it altogether?
Have the monarchy fund itself.
You talk about including more women
in the pomp and pageantry,
but why not
something more far-reaching than that?
Ending the bar on the eldest daughters
inheriting the throne?
The problem with the ideas
that you've presented today
is that they don't reflect
a modern Britain,
what it looks like,
what it feels like, what its concerns are.
Education, the threat to the environment,
better opportunities
for disadvantaged youth,
things I've been campaigning on for years.
I'm afraid I did get rather carried away.
Even dared bring up our great leader.
To her face.
God.
We all saw the unfortunate poll recently
about Queen Victoria Syndrome
and how many people find the Crown
remote and out of touch.
You claim to want to refresh the monarchy.
Well, what I'm proposing
is precisely that.
A new welfare monarchy
that's less about mystery
and magic and divine right,
and more about our practical role
in today's society.
[Elizabeth] That was
a different Charles today.
Separation from Diana has liberated him.
Energized him.
And what if being informed and in touch
is what people want from their sovereign?
Having controversial opinions
and agitating politically
is not what people want
from their sovereign.
I just think, while we're setting up
committees or task forces,
hoping to find ways forward
it might be useful to acknowledge
that the solution we are looking for
could be right under our noses.
[light opera music playing]
Buzzing around me here.
[speaking indistinctly]
[telephone ringing]
Aylard.
Yes.
Yep.
Yep.
- [man] We've checked our end.
- Right.
Sir.
[opera music continues]
[opera music ends]
The recording was made by
an amateur radio enthusiast.
Having correctly identified your voices,
he then sold it to the Daily Mirror.
At the time, the newspaper decided
not to go ahead with it
because of the potential damage
it might do to the royal marriage.
But now you and the Princess of Wales
have officially separated,
the newspaper feels at liberty to publish.
And I think we must brace ourselves
for the transcripts to be published
in the UK in the coming days.
How can they get away with this?
It's a private conversation.
A private matter between two adults.
No one else's business.
[Aylard] Unfortunately, sir,
while the intentional interception
of private phone calls is illegal,
the amateur radio operator in this case
claims to have stumbled upon
the conversation by chance.
Which could be difficult to disprove.
Don't even remember the conversation.
Have we discovered what was actually said?
No details yet,
but we're told it was intimate.
Very intimate.
- [Charles] What do you think?
- [Camilla] I think it's brilliant.
I think you could go further.
Our language is like an endangered species
that needs to be protected.
It's a scandal
the way we're letting it be slaughtered.
[Charles] I quite agree.
I read it to my private secretary.
He thinks I might have gone too far.
I suppose it might be better to
leave the audience wanting more.
Yes.
I suppose one has to be aware of it
in the room.
Just feel one's way along with it, if you
- If you know what I mean.
- [Camilla] Mmm.
You're awfully good
at feeling your way along.
Stop it.
[Camilla chuckles]
[paper rustles]
[Charles sighs]
[Charles] God, I want
to feel my way along you.
All over you.
Up and down you. In and out.
Particularly in and out.
[Camilla sighs]
That's just what I need at the moment.
[Charles] Is it?
[Camilla] I know it would revive me.
I can't bear a Sunday night without you.
[Charles] God.
[Camilla] It's like that program,
Start the Week.
I can't start the week without you.
[Charles] I fill up your tank.
[Camilla] Yes, you do.
- [Charles] So you can cope.
- [Camilla] Then I'm all right.
[Charles] What about me?
The trouble is,
I need you several times a week.
[Camilla] So do I.
I need you all week.
I need you all the time.
Oh darling, I just want you now.
- [Charles] Do you?
- [Camilla moans]
[Charles] So do I.
[Camilla] Desperately. Desperately.
[Charles] God, I wish I could just
live inside your trousers or something.
It would be so much easier.
[both chuckle]
[Camilla] What are you going to turn into?
A pair of knickers?
Or, God forbid, a Tampax. Just my luck.
[Camilla laughs]
[Camilla] You're a complete idiot.
What a wonderful idea.
My luck to get chucked down the lavatory
and keep on going on and on forever,
swirling around on top, never going down.
[Camilla laughs] Oh, darling.
[both chuckle]
[Charles] Till the next one comes through.
[Camilla] Perhaps you could
just come back as a box.
- [Charles] What sort of box?
- [Camilla] A box of Tampax.
- [Charles chuckles]
- [Camilla] You could just keep going.
[Charles chuckling] That's true.
[tense music playing]
[Camilla] Have you gone to sleep?
[Charles] No, I'm here.
Will you ring me when you wake up?
Night-night, my darling. I do love you.
I love you too.
I don't want to say goodbye.
[Camilla] Neither do I.
[sighs] But you must get some sleep.
[Charles] Bye, darling.
- [Camilla] Bye.
- [Charles] Bye.
Press the button.
[Charles] Going to press the tit.
[Camilla] All right, darling,
I wish you were pressing mine.
[Charles] Oh God.
So do I.
Harder and harder.
[Camilla] Oh, darling
[Charles] Night.
Night.
Love you.
[Charles] Adore you.
Night.
Night.
[phone beeps off]
[inhales deeply, exhales sharply]
[tense music builds]
[newswoman 1] There's uproar in Britain
over the publication
of the so-called Camillagate tapes.
[newsman 1] The call, allegedly between
Prince Charles and a close female friend,
was taped three years ago.
[newswoman 2] He will not come back
from this. The tapes are filthy.
[newsman 2] It's raised doubts whether
the Prince of Wales can ever be king.
[newswoman 3] Yet another royal scandal
making headlines.
Yet another bitter blow
to a monarchy in crisis.
Sally Hinkman, NBC News, London.
- [music fades out]
- [footsteps approaching]
[curtains sliding open]
Here.
I brought you some weapons-grade,
entirely chemical cold medication.
I know you're probably taking
some sort of root or herb.
Garlic, ginger, and elderberry.
[Anne] Mmm. I thought I'd bring you
something that actually works.
Poor you.
It's an assassination.
Complete decimation of my character and
of everything I've worked so hard for.
It's no secret I think, over the years,
you've brought a great many
of your problems upon yourself.
But no one deserves this.
Thank you.
It's the hypocrisy that gets me.
As if none of these journalists have ever
spoken to a lover over the phone.
Said embarrassing things.
It was all a bit embarrassing, wasn't it?
[Anne] Mmm.
It was a little gynecological
for my taste.
Well,
once I'd taken my head out of my hands
- and my fingers out of my throat
- [Charles] God.
there was a surprising residue left,
of being touched by
two teenagers of a certain age being
so gloriously human and
entirely in love.
For that alone, you deserve some credit.
In this family, especially.
- [Charles] You are sweet.
- [Anne] Hmm.
I doubt our dear papa
will see it that way.
All right.
I'll speak to you tomorrow. Or whenever.
[door opens]
[door shuts]
If I weren't so ashamed,
I might confess to admiration
of the sheer scale of your achievement.
In one fell swoop,
you've succeeded in alienating the church
over your moral fitness,
the politicians over
your conduct unbecoming
The House of Commons is in uproar.
They're saying
we've pressed the self-destruct button.
Among your many,
entirely unjustified military honors
is colonel-in-chief
of the Royal Regiment of Wales.
I wonder if you might remind us
of their motto?
[speaking in Welsh]
In English.
Better death than dishonor.
- What's that? Speak up!
- Better death than dishonor.
A sentiment on which
you would do well to reflect.
Are you still here?
It was so painful.
And so public.
And so unnecessary too.
Everyone at HQ is frightened,
my dear father included.
They don't know how the world has changed,
and everyone's just blaming everyone else.
That's no excuse
for gratuitous, sadistic exhibitionism.
It sounds like playground bullying.
The way the sycophants all nodded.
Grateful that his invective
wasn't directed at them for once.
[Camilla sighs]
It leaves me no choice but to
To protect yourself.
To look after yourself.
Yes.
[Charles] Historians will not be able
to pinpoint a moment
when the breakaway happened
because nothing official has happened.
But a change is happening. I ask you
to look around you. What do you see?
Not old stuffy courtiers, but young,
professional men and women of today.
The Way Ahead Group,
or the Lagging Behind Group,
as I like to call them,
was set up to prepare the monarchy
for the coming millennium,
but it seems they hold some confusion
as to which millennium we're actually in.
[soft chuckling]
I think, as a guiding principle, if we're
interested in saving the monarchy,
we should do the exact opposite
of what the Way Ahead Group recommends.
[Aylard] I think we all agree, and polls
certainly show, the monarchy is in a rut.
A dangerous rut.
It's vital that people are given
a reason to believe in
and be excited about the future.
If one asks oneself
what the future of the monarchy is,
then the answer is is you, sir.
But right now the problem is,
no one knows you.
They don't know who you really are,
nor what you think, or feel
I quite agree.
But what should we do about that?
Well, one thought that we had
was that, um perhaps a mature,
progressive, open television special
would be a way to go.
Where the Prince of Wales is
finally given the opportunity
to freely air his voice.
Alongside an expansive
and wide-ranging interview,
we could grant cameras
unprecedented access
to a future king, at work.
An intimate and authoritative profile
of an enlightened,
thoughtful, forward-thinking man
who has been Prince of Wales
for a quarter of a century,
and a chance for him to lay out his vision
for a modern monarchy, a modern Britain.
Who were you thinking of
as the interviewer?
There are a number of candidates
but the name we're most excited about
is Jonathan Dimbleby.
[Charles] Mmm.
[Aylard] He's serious. He's forthright.
He's independent-minded.
County Durham would be ideal
if we're going from South Shields to
[Aylard] People will know
that it's not puffery
or chocolate box royalism with Dimbleby.
There is an element of risk.
[indistinct chatter]
[Aylard] He's bound to ask
about the marriage at some point.
But, in our view, there's
there's a far greater prospect of reward.
[Charles] Mmm.
Just take your time.
Think measured, considered
- Chaps, we all set?
- [man] Ready to go.
- Good.
- [Aylard] Right, this is it.
[Charles] Thank you.
Hello, Jonathan. How are you?
- Sir.
- [Charles] Where do you want me?
Sitting here, please.
- Please.
- [man] Quiet, please.
- Right.
- [man] Five, four, three
- [chime pings]
- [clears throat]
Your Royal Highness, it's
it's fair to say that, in recent years,
the royal family has been
plagued by a certain amount of adversity.
Do you think, with all these setbacks
to your family and to you personally,
that the monarchy can still survive?
Well, more than that.
I hope it can can flourish.
But to do so, it needs to adapt.
It's no secret
that I'm open to the idea of reform.
I think that we're at
a make-or-break time for the monarchy,
and we need to be radical.
But of course, there's only so much
that I can do as Prince of Wales.
[Dimbleby chuckles dryly]
As king, you will also find yourself
at the head of an established church.
In the past, you have shown
an interest in other faiths.
How does that sit with a future role
as Supreme Governor
of the Church of England,
Defender of the Faith?
Because I prefer to think of myself
not as defender of just one faith,
the Church of England,
but as defender of faith in general.
Why should the Church of England
have a monopoly on the Crown?
What about the Jews and Catholics
and Sikhs and Muslims and Hindus?
Are they not its subjects as well?
There is, of course, one question
above all that burns in the public's mind
and that relates to your marriage
to the Princess of Wales.
One of the most serious allegations
concerning your marriage
is that you were repeatedly unfaithful,
and that your close association
with Camilla Parker Bowles
was a deciding factor in its collapse.
How do you answer that?
Mrs. Parker Bowles is
a dear friend of mine,
a wonderful friend
that I'm jolly lucky to have.
And, even within a marriage,
one must still nurture
outside friendships.
And Mrs. Parker Bowles is just one
of a number of friends
that I've been close to over the years.
[Dimbleby] When you married your wife,
you made a pledge before God
to uphold your wedding vows.
Did you at least try to be faithful
from the start?
But of course.
- [Dimbleby] And were you?
- Yes.
Until
until it became
obvious that, uh
the marriage couldn't be saved.
Both of us having
done our best.
At which point, I
tried to do my duty.
[clears throat] But there was
there was nothing to be done.
So, yes, um
[sniffs]
old friendships were rekindled.
[Dimbleby] You've been very forthright
in your response, very honest.
Is it your hope
that this issue will now go away?
[Charles] Well, I'd certainly prefer it.
And the difficulty stems,
I think, from when
when we in the monarchy
set ourselves up as a sort of ideal.
As husbands or as wives or as as parents.
And very often,
the truth is very far from that.
The question people have to ask themselves
is what do they want in their leaders?
Do they want someone who errs,
but who learns from their mistakes,
who grows,
who who recognizes the need for change,
who has a vision?
Or someone who is content
to continue making the same mistakes
and to keep things as they are?
Really, I think that's the clear choice
that, uh, that people are faced with.
[Dimbleby] This desire for progression
extends to many aspects
of your work as Prince of Wales
[reporter 1] Prince Charles bared his soul
to the nation last night
in a television documentary
designed to showcase
his work as Prince of Wales,
and he appeared to have no regrets
as he greeted onlookers today
during his first public appearance
since the program aired.
[cheers and applause]
[reporter 2] His aides were letting it
be known they've been delighted
with the response
to his controversial television profile.
Palace officials said
they'd been deluged with calls of support.
[reporter 3] The program contained
a number of intimate revelations,
including the prince's close friendship
with Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles.
The admission divided viewers
between those who felt it was
a refreshing attempt to clear the air
and those who felt
the prince had made an error of judgment.
There was no comment
from Kensington Palace,
but the Princess of Wales
upstaged her husband
by attending the Serpentine Gallery's
annual summer party this evening,
putting on a defiant display
in what many are already calling
her revenge dress.
[crowd cheering]
- [cheers continue]
- [cameras clicking]
[dramatic music playing]
[reporter 3] The prince and princess
remain focused on their public roles.
But there is little doubt
that the war of the Waleses
has entered a new and more volatile phase.
- [man] Diana!
- [crowd clamoring]
- [woman] Camilla!
- [cameras clicking]
[crowd clamoring]
[man] Camilla! Camilla!
The newspapers called you Plain Jane.
What do you say to that, Camilla?
- [car door slams]
- [engine revs]
Just move back.
[buzzing]
- [doors open]
- [music fades out]
[Major] Reaction to the interview
is divided
between those that feel the prince
has shown himself unfit to be king
and should have had
the good grace to stay silent,
and those that have been
pleasantly surprised
by what they saw and heard.
Interestingly, it was his desire
to be defender of faith in general,
to Jews, Muslims,
Catholics, Sikhs, Hindus,
rather than Defender of the Faith
that has won most favor.
His words having undeniably
connected with whole constituencies
that are traditionally left
unreached by the monarchy.
It is not a monarch's role to campaign
or chase constituencies like a politician
because the Crown itself is
a unifying symbol.
It binds together
a kingdom of four nations
and a worldwide,
multi-racial Commonwealth.
Symbolically.
Charles is frustrated
because the Crown has many
of the functions of an inanimate object.
He prefers to be animate.
But there's a danger in that.
One can end up undoing more than doing.
Your Royal Highness.
You're not eating?
No, I don't have an appetite.
Must say, I'm surprised you do.
Why? It's delicious.
What's all this I hear about a book?
The idea is to do a book
following on from the interview.
Taking some of the points further.
Why?
Because a lot of the important things
I wanted to say
about education and environment
and architecture
got drowned out
by all the hoo-hah about adultery.
- Also, people are interested.
- Mmm.
Maybe not as interested as you think.
Maybe more interested than you think.
If my postbag is anything to go by.
In the 18th century,
it was considered perfectly normal
for the Prince of Wales
to set up shop at Leicester House
to generate fresh ideas.
A shadow monarchy, in essence.
A rival court.
But this is not the 18th century.
And creating rival courts
is not what we do in this family.
We close ranks behind the sovereign,
not criticize her.
We're all after the same thing, Anne.
You sure you won't have
some of this asparagus?
It's fresh from the garden.
[Anne] Right.
[Charles] Thanks for coming.
[kissing]
[somber music plays]
[Anne] For years, I've doubted Charles.
That he wasn't strong enough.
Tough enough.
But look what he's just come through.
First that phone recording,
subsequent humiliation.
Then that interview
and subsequent criticism.
And it hasn't broken him.
The opposite.
He might be as mad as everyone thinks,
but he's not as weak as everyone thinks.
The Charles I saw today was strong.
Confident.
Mature.
Not only does he have
what it takes for the job,
in some ways, he's already begun.
What do you mean?
[Anne] For the past year,
possibly more,
Charles has been slowly but surely
setting up his own court at St James's.
His own Camelot.
His own advisors, his own
modern, progressive agenda.
[indistinct chatter]
[Anne] He knows one day
he will be King Charles III.
And if we want to know
what that will look and feel like
well, he's starting to show us.
[indistinct chatter]
[Charles] The whole point
of the Prince's Trust
is to equip young people like you
with the skills and the confidence
to fulfil your dreams and ambitions.
It's nice to meet you.
[Charles] Now, you may think
that someone of my age and background
wouldn't understand young people
in your communities
and the unfair judgment of society
that you sometimes face.
Well, as it happens,
I do understand a little bit
about what it is
to be criticized and judged.
And I also know
that those judgments are mostly not true.
[laughter, chatter]
[Charles] That people out there
have no idea who I really am.
How about you?
I'm sure that each of you
has something within you.
An unacknowledged greatness.
A talent that deserves to be recognized.
And that's what
the Prince's Trust is all about.
To give you the confidence
to believe in your ideas
and the money to bring them to fruition.
[bicycle bell ringing]
I want to reach those
that have been overlooked. Rejected.
To make sure
that you've been given a chance.
Because it's only
when we risk reaching too far
that we find out
how far it's possible to go.
Thank you.
[cheers and applause]
Thank you very much.
[somber music fades out]
["Don't Sweat the Technique"
by Eric B. & Rakim playing]
Don't sweat the technique ♪
Don't sweat the technique ♪
Let's trace the hits
And check the file ♪
Let's see who bit to detect the style ♪
I flip the script
So they can't get foul ♪
At least not now, it'll take a while ♪
I change the pace to complete the beat ♪
I drop the bass 'til MCs get weak ♪
For every word they trace
It's a scar they keep ♪
'Cause when I speak
They freak to sweat the technique ♪
I made my debut in '86 ♪
With a melody and a President's mix ♪
And now I stay on target
And refuse to miss ♪
And I still make hits with beats ♪
Parties, clubs, in the cars and Jeeps ♪
My underground sound
Vibrates the streets ♪
MCs wanna beef, then I play for keeps ♪
When they sweat the technique ♪
Don't sweat the technique ♪
They wanna know how many rhymes
Have I ripped and wrecked ♪
But researchers never found
All the pieces yet ♪
Scientists try to solve the context ♪
Philosophers are wondering what's next ♪
Pieces are took to labs to observe 'em ♪
They couldn't absorb 'em
They didn't deserve 'em ♪
My ideas are only
For the audience's ears ♪
For my opponents, it might take years ♪
Pencils and pens are swords ♪
Letters put together
From a key to chords ♪
I'm also a sculpture
Formed with structure ♪
Because of my culture
I'm equipped to construct the ♪
Technical styles that'll be
Full of technology ♪
Complete sights and new heights
After I get deep ♪
You don't have to speak, just seek ♪
And peep the technique ♪
[song fades out]
[thunder rumbling]
[wind rustling reeds gently]
[distant birdsong]
[melancholy music playing slowly]
[Charles] And how does one describe
being Prince of Wales?
I mean, it's hardly a job.
Still less a a vocation.
It's simply a
predicament.
[gunshots firing]
Previous Princes of Wales
have been happy to misspend their lives
in idle dissipation,
but my problem is, I can't bear idleness.
Or dissipation.
Every day, I meet people
from all walks of life.
Ministers, scientists, entrepreneurs,
men and women my age who've gone out
into the world and made their mark.
It's precisely the thing
that I'm not allowed to do.
In any other professional sphere, I'd be
at the peak of my powers.
Instead,
what am I? I'm just a
useless ornament,
stuck in a waiting room,
gathering dust.
[chairs creaking quietly]
There I go again.
Always a little whine with my cheese.
[laughter]
No, it just feels so good
to tell it as it is to close friends.
We understand.
You're a criminally wasted resource, sir.
Look at the extraordinary work
you do with the Prince's Trust.
Turning young lives around,
giving out thousands of grants a year.
Twenty thousand, to be precise.
Our latest initiative is this funding
of evening centers up and down the country
where children from crowded
and low-income households
can come and do their homework.
What a wonderful idea.
Doesn't sound like
an ornament gathering dust to me.
- [laughter]
- [Charles] Oh, thank you, Nancy.
Now, the day's work is still not done,
so will you excuse me?
[chairs creaking softly]
- Good night.
- [guests] Good night, sir.
[indistinct chatter in background]
[scribbling]
One, two, three, pass me up.
Come on, you're doing it so slowly.
Come on!
[laughter and chatter]
- [overlapping chatter]
- [phone ringing]
[phone rings]
- I've got five cards.
- Hello?
Andrew.
- Your Royal Highness.
- [boy] Does that mean I still lose?
[girl] Mummy?
- Is she, um
- She'll be with you in just a moment.
I have to wait
until she picks up in the other room.
[girl] One, two, three, pass me up.
So, is everyone, uh, there together?
[Andrew] Yes, all here.
Such a special time of year.
And is it just the four of you
for Christmas, or?
- [clattering]
- I believe that's her now, sir.
Thank you.
- [phone clatters]
- [Andrew] Right, I'm playing. Move up.
Laura, you been cheating again?
[Camilla] Hello.
Wish you would answer the phone.
I never know what to say.
We're alone now.
I'm in the bedroom.
In bed?
- On top of it.
- Hmm.
- Lucky old bed.
- [Camilla chuckles softly]
Are you still in Cheshire?
I am, yeah.
- Missing you terribly.
- [Camilla exhales]
Back soon though, my darling.
Are you still making the speech
in Oxford tomorrow?
Yes.
That's the reason I called, actually.
Could you bear to quickly listen to it?
Is it very long? We're a full house.
No, short. And punchy.
And a bit controversial.
Which is why I want your opinion.
You always know best when to rein me in.
All right.
Mm.
Remind me of the subject.
The teaching of English language
in schools. [sniffs]
"It is quite astounding
to think that in England,
we have produced one of the world's
most beautiful languages."
"However, the rate at which
that language is degenerating
has become a cause for concern."
"It's a tragedy for the next generation
that in the birthplace
of the language of Keats,
of Shelley, of Shakespeare,
efforts to preserve that language
and uphold the standards of its teaching
are no longer a priority."
"If we look at the way English is used
in business, in the popular press,
or on television programs,
or indeed in our schools,
universities, and institutions,
you'll see just how impoverished
our great mother tongue has become."
[indistinct overlapping radio chatter]
[man] What's the address?
[woman] Sutton Drive. Sutton Drive.
- [man] And what town are you in?
- [woman] Chester.
[man 2] Emergency, tell me
exactly what's happened.
[overlapping radio chatter continues]
[woman 2] Ambulance. I need an ambulance.
[woman 3] Got a minor accident
on the Hedley crossroads,
possible drink driving.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[man 3] Is the patient bleeding?
[man 4] Uh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I think so.
[radio frequencies shifting]
[man 4] Yeah, no, he is bleeding.
[man 5] He's taking the piss.
He's lost it.
[woman 4] Okay, sir, can you calm down
and tell me exactly what's happened?
[Charles] "see just how impoverished
our great mother tongue has become."
"Everything happens
'at the end of the day.'"
"And every situation is a 'win-win.'"
"As Prince of Wales,
I won't be thanked for saying this,
but the rot begins in
the very institutions whose duty it is
to preserve our proud linguistic
and cultural heritage."
"If we want to produce
the next generation of great writers,
we must use our education system
to protect what is surely
our greatest national export,
- the English language."
- [bell dings]
"Which, like any language,
is so much more
than a collection of words."
"It is a means of building bridges
between people of different backgrounds,
cultures, and generations."
What do you think?
[Camilla] I think it's brilliant.
I think you could go further.
Our language is like an endangered species
that needs to be protected.
It's a scandal
the way we're letting it be slaughtered.
[Charles] Well, I quite agree.
But I read it to my private secretary.
He thinks I might have gone too far.
[Camilla] I suppose it might be better
to leave the audience wanting more.
[Charles] Yes.
I suppose one has to be aware of it
in the room.
Just feel one's way along with it, if you
- If you know what I mean.
- [Camilla] Mmm.
You're awfully good
at feeling your way along.
- [Camilla chuckles]
- [Charles] Stop it.
[recording stops]
[editor] It's too dangerous.
If we run this,
we'd risk being responsible
for breaking up a royal marriage.
But, uh, I don't want
our friend crossing the street
and selling it to anyone else either.
So pay him what he wants.
Keep the tape.
Put it in the safe
and hope for another day.
- [elevator dings]
- [automated voice] Lift going down.
Have you gone to sleep?
No, I'm here.
[exhales] Night. Love you.
[Charles] Adore you.
Night.
Night.
[phone beeps off]
[inhales deeply, exhales sharply]
[theme music playing]
[clock ticking]
[Elizabeth] You are both resolved on this?
No doubts? No hesitancy?
This is really what you want?
[exhales softly]
[somber string music plays]
Very well.
- [door opens]
- [footsteps departing]
[Major] With permission, Madam Speaker,
I wish to inform the House
that Buckingham Palace is,
at this moment, issuing this statement.
It reads as follows.
"It is with regret
that the Prince and Princess of Wales
have decided to separate."
"Their Royal Highnesses
have no plans to divorce,
and their constitutional positions
are unaffected."
"We share the great sorrow
which this announcement will cause
and ask the public to join us in praying
that God will bring comfort
and strength to the prince and princess."
[Major] "The decision by the Prince
and Princess of Wales to separate
has been reached amicably."
"They'll continue to participate fully
in the upbringing of their children"
"and will continue to carry out
full and separate programs
of public engagements."
[Major] "The Queen and
the Duke of Edinburgh, though saddened,
understand and sympathize
with the difficulties
that have led to this decision."
That is the text of the announcement.
I'm sure that I speak for the whole House
and millions beyond it
in offering our support
to both the Prince and Princess of Wales
at this difficult time.
[all] Hear, hear.
[somber music intensifies]
[music fades out]
[bagpipes playing somber tune]
When a vessel is in rough seas,
it's sometimes necessary
to alter her course.
That's why we're all here today.
Now, this particular expedition
is the brainchild of the lord chamberlain.
David, did you want to say a few words?
Thank you, sir.
I think we can all agree
the last few years have been
particularly challenging for the monarchy.
The fire at Windsor Castle,
the failure of several royal marriages,
questions being raised
as to the family's value for money,
its relevancy
Yes, all right.
No need to go over it all again.
And so, in consultation
with Her Majesty the Queen
and His Royal Highness
the Duke of Edinburgh,
we've decided to set up
an informal council of war.
A task force to safeguard
the monarchy's survival
in a rapidly changing world.
And, since the idea is to find
new directions for a way forward
Ahead.
Sir?
Ahead, David.
Way ahead.
we would call it the Way Ahead Group.
[Charles] I suppose I should be grateful.
I've been preaching
the gospel of change for
I don't know how long,
and after 25 years, they finally agree.
- And what did they come up with?
- Oh, you ready for this?
Allowing the public into the royal box
at the Albert Hall from time to time.
Mmm. Radical.
Making the requirement to bow or curtsy
to some members
of the royal family optional.
Giving the Royal Air Force Central Band
a more enhanced role
in the Changing of the Guard ceremony
at the Palace.
That's progressive because?
They have women members
within their ranks.
Vive la révolution!
Quite. Meanwhile,
nothing on constitutional reform,
nothing on the monarch
being both head of state
and Supreme Governor
of the Church of England.
How to square that with a country
that's supposed to be a modern democracy?
I told them, we should be
thinking of something much more
radical.
You talk of cost-cutting measures
and reform of the civil list.
I say why not abolish it altogether?
Have the monarchy fund itself.
You talk about including more women
in the pomp and pageantry,
but why not
something more far-reaching than that?
Ending the bar on the eldest daughters
inheriting the throne?
The problem with the ideas
that you've presented today
is that they don't reflect
a modern Britain,
what it looks like,
what it feels like, what its concerns are.
Education, the threat to the environment,
better opportunities
for disadvantaged youth,
things I've been campaigning on for years.
I'm afraid I did get rather carried away.
Even dared bring up our great leader.
To her face.
God.
We all saw the unfortunate poll recently
about Queen Victoria Syndrome
and how many people find the Crown
remote and out of touch.
You claim to want to refresh the monarchy.
Well, what I'm proposing
is precisely that.
A new welfare monarchy
that's less about mystery
and magic and divine right,
and more about our practical role
in today's society.
[Elizabeth] That was
a different Charles today.
Separation from Diana has liberated him.
Energized him.
And what if being informed and in touch
is what people want from their sovereign?
Having controversial opinions
and agitating politically
is not what people want
from their sovereign.
I just think, while we're setting up
committees or task forces,
hoping to find ways forward
it might be useful to acknowledge
that the solution we are looking for
could be right under our noses.
[light opera music playing]
Buzzing around me here.
[speaking indistinctly]
[telephone ringing]
Aylard.
Yes.
Yep.
Yep.
- [man] We've checked our end.
- Right.
Sir.
[opera music continues]
[opera music ends]
The recording was made by
an amateur radio enthusiast.
Having correctly identified your voices,
he then sold it to the Daily Mirror.
At the time, the newspaper decided
not to go ahead with it
because of the potential damage
it might do to the royal marriage.
But now you and the Princess of Wales
have officially separated,
the newspaper feels at liberty to publish.
And I think we must brace ourselves
for the transcripts to be published
in the UK in the coming days.
How can they get away with this?
It's a private conversation.
A private matter between two adults.
No one else's business.
[Aylard] Unfortunately, sir,
while the intentional interception
of private phone calls is illegal,
the amateur radio operator in this case
claims to have stumbled upon
the conversation by chance.
Which could be difficult to disprove.
Don't even remember the conversation.
Have we discovered what was actually said?
No details yet,
but we're told it was intimate.
Very intimate.
- [Charles] What do you think?
- [Camilla] I think it's brilliant.
I think you could go further.
Our language is like an endangered species
that needs to be protected.
It's a scandal
the way we're letting it be slaughtered.
[Charles] I quite agree.
I read it to my private secretary.
He thinks I might have gone too far.
I suppose it might be better to
leave the audience wanting more.
Yes.
I suppose one has to be aware of it
in the room.
Just feel one's way along with it, if you
- If you know what I mean.
- [Camilla] Mmm.
You're awfully good
at feeling your way along.
Stop it.
[Camilla chuckles]
[paper rustles]
[Charles sighs]
[Charles] God, I want
to feel my way along you.
All over you.
Up and down you. In and out.
Particularly in and out.
[Camilla sighs]
That's just what I need at the moment.
[Charles] Is it?
[Camilla] I know it would revive me.
I can't bear a Sunday night without you.
[Charles] God.
[Camilla] It's like that program,
Start the Week.
I can't start the week without you.
[Charles] I fill up your tank.
[Camilla] Yes, you do.
- [Charles] So you can cope.
- [Camilla] Then I'm all right.
[Charles] What about me?
The trouble is,
I need you several times a week.
[Camilla] So do I.
I need you all week.
I need you all the time.
Oh darling, I just want you now.
- [Charles] Do you?
- [Camilla moans]
[Charles] So do I.
[Camilla] Desperately. Desperately.
[Charles] God, I wish I could just
live inside your trousers or something.
It would be so much easier.
[both chuckle]
[Camilla] What are you going to turn into?
A pair of knickers?
Or, God forbid, a Tampax. Just my luck.
[Camilla laughs]
[Camilla] You're a complete idiot.
What a wonderful idea.
My luck to get chucked down the lavatory
and keep on going on and on forever,
swirling around on top, never going down.
[Camilla laughs] Oh, darling.
[both chuckle]
[Charles] Till the next one comes through.
[Camilla] Perhaps you could
just come back as a box.
- [Charles] What sort of box?
- [Camilla] A box of Tampax.
- [Charles chuckles]
- [Camilla] You could just keep going.
[Charles chuckling] That's true.
[tense music playing]
[Camilla] Have you gone to sleep?
[Charles] No, I'm here.
Will you ring me when you wake up?
Night-night, my darling. I do love you.
I love you too.
I don't want to say goodbye.
[Camilla] Neither do I.
[sighs] But you must get some sleep.
[Charles] Bye, darling.
- [Camilla] Bye.
- [Charles] Bye.
Press the button.
[Charles] Going to press the tit.
[Camilla] All right, darling,
I wish you were pressing mine.
[Charles] Oh God.
So do I.
Harder and harder.
[Camilla] Oh, darling
[Charles] Night.
Night.
Love you.
[Charles] Adore you.
Night.
Night.
[phone beeps off]
[inhales deeply, exhales sharply]
[tense music builds]
[newswoman 1] There's uproar in Britain
over the publication
of the so-called Camillagate tapes.
[newsman 1] The call, allegedly between
Prince Charles and a close female friend,
was taped three years ago.
[newswoman 2] He will not come back
from this. The tapes are filthy.
[newsman 2] It's raised doubts whether
the Prince of Wales can ever be king.
[newswoman 3] Yet another royal scandal
making headlines.
Yet another bitter blow
to a monarchy in crisis.
Sally Hinkman, NBC News, London.
- [music fades out]
- [footsteps approaching]
[curtains sliding open]
Here.
I brought you some weapons-grade,
entirely chemical cold medication.
I know you're probably taking
some sort of root or herb.
Garlic, ginger, and elderberry.
[Anne] Mmm. I thought I'd bring you
something that actually works.
Poor you.
It's an assassination.
Complete decimation of my character and
of everything I've worked so hard for.
It's no secret I think, over the years,
you've brought a great many
of your problems upon yourself.
But no one deserves this.
Thank you.
It's the hypocrisy that gets me.
As if none of these journalists have ever
spoken to a lover over the phone.
Said embarrassing things.
It was all a bit embarrassing, wasn't it?
[Anne] Mmm.
It was a little gynecological
for my taste.
Well,
once I'd taken my head out of my hands
- and my fingers out of my throat
- [Charles] God.
there was a surprising residue left,
of being touched by
two teenagers of a certain age being
so gloriously human and
entirely in love.
For that alone, you deserve some credit.
In this family, especially.
- [Charles] You are sweet.
- [Anne] Hmm.
I doubt our dear papa
will see it that way.
All right.
I'll speak to you tomorrow. Or whenever.
[door opens]
[door shuts]
If I weren't so ashamed,
I might confess to admiration
of the sheer scale of your achievement.
In one fell swoop,
you've succeeded in alienating the church
over your moral fitness,
the politicians over
your conduct unbecoming
The House of Commons is in uproar.
They're saying
we've pressed the self-destruct button.
Among your many,
entirely unjustified military honors
is colonel-in-chief
of the Royal Regiment of Wales.
I wonder if you might remind us
of their motto?
[speaking in Welsh]
In English.
Better death than dishonor.
- What's that? Speak up!
- Better death than dishonor.
A sentiment on which
you would do well to reflect.
Are you still here?
It was so painful.
And so public.
And so unnecessary too.
Everyone at HQ is frightened,
my dear father included.
They don't know how the world has changed,
and everyone's just blaming everyone else.
That's no excuse
for gratuitous, sadistic exhibitionism.
It sounds like playground bullying.
The way the sycophants all nodded.
Grateful that his invective
wasn't directed at them for once.
[Camilla sighs]
It leaves me no choice but to
To protect yourself.
To look after yourself.
Yes.
[Charles] Historians will not be able
to pinpoint a moment
when the breakaway happened
because nothing official has happened.
But a change is happening. I ask you
to look around you. What do you see?
Not old stuffy courtiers, but young,
professional men and women of today.
The Way Ahead Group,
or the Lagging Behind Group,
as I like to call them,
was set up to prepare the monarchy
for the coming millennium,
but it seems they hold some confusion
as to which millennium we're actually in.
[soft chuckling]
I think, as a guiding principle, if we're
interested in saving the monarchy,
we should do the exact opposite
of what the Way Ahead Group recommends.
[Aylard] I think we all agree, and polls
certainly show, the monarchy is in a rut.
A dangerous rut.
It's vital that people are given
a reason to believe in
and be excited about the future.
If one asks oneself
what the future of the monarchy is,
then the answer is is you, sir.
But right now the problem is,
no one knows you.
They don't know who you really are,
nor what you think, or feel
I quite agree.
But what should we do about that?
Well, one thought that we had
was that, um perhaps a mature,
progressive, open television special
would be a way to go.
Where the Prince of Wales is
finally given the opportunity
to freely air his voice.
Alongside an expansive
and wide-ranging interview,
we could grant cameras
unprecedented access
to a future king, at work.
An intimate and authoritative profile
of an enlightened,
thoughtful, forward-thinking man
who has been Prince of Wales
for a quarter of a century,
and a chance for him to lay out his vision
for a modern monarchy, a modern Britain.
Who were you thinking of
as the interviewer?
There are a number of candidates
but the name we're most excited about
is Jonathan Dimbleby.
[Charles] Mmm.
[Aylard] He's serious. He's forthright.
He's independent-minded.
County Durham would be ideal
if we're going from South Shields to
[Aylard] People will know
that it's not puffery
or chocolate box royalism with Dimbleby.
There is an element of risk.
[indistinct chatter]
[Aylard] He's bound to ask
about the marriage at some point.
But, in our view, there's
there's a far greater prospect of reward.
[Charles] Mmm.
Just take your time.
Think measured, considered
- Chaps, we all set?
- [man] Ready to go.
- Good.
- [Aylard] Right, this is it.
[Charles] Thank you.
Hello, Jonathan. How are you?
- Sir.
- [Charles] Where do you want me?
Sitting here, please.
- Please.
- [man] Quiet, please.
- Right.
- [man] Five, four, three
- [chime pings]
- [clears throat]
Your Royal Highness, it's
it's fair to say that, in recent years,
the royal family has been
plagued by a certain amount of adversity.
Do you think, with all these setbacks
to your family and to you personally,
that the monarchy can still survive?
Well, more than that.
I hope it can can flourish.
But to do so, it needs to adapt.
It's no secret
that I'm open to the idea of reform.
I think that we're at
a make-or-break time for the monarchy,
and we need to be radical.
But of course, there's only so much
that I can do as Prince of Wales.
[Dimbleby chuckles dryly]
As king, you will also find yourself
at the head of an established church.
In the past, you have shown
an interest in other faiths.
How does that sit with a future role
as Supreme Governor
of the Church of England,
Defender of the Faith?
Because I prefer to think of myself
not as defender of just one faith,
the Church of England,
but as defender of faith in general.
Why should the Church of England
have a monopoly on the Crown?
What about the Jews and Catholics
and Sikhs and Muslims and Hindus?
Are they not its subjects as well?
There is, of course, one question
above all that burns in the public's mind
and that relates to your marriage
to the Princess of Wales.
One of the most serious allegations
concerning your marriage
is that you were repeatedly unfaithful,
and that your close association
with Camilla Parker Bowles
was a deciding factor in its collapse.
How do you answer that?
Mrs. Parker Bowles is
a dear friend of mine,
a wonderful friend
that I'm jolly lucky to have.
And, even within a marriage,
one must still nurture
outside friendships.
And Mrs. Parker Bowles is just one
of a number of friends
that I've been close to over the years.
[Dimbleby] When you married your wife,
you made a pledge before God
to uphold your wedding vows.
Did you at least try to be faithful
from the start?
But of course.
- [Dimbleby] And were you?
- Yes.
Until
until it became
obvious that, uh
the marriage couldn't be saved.
Both of us having
done our best.
At which point, I
tried to do my duty.
[clears throat] But there was
there was nothing to be done.
So, yes, um
[sniffs]
old friendships were rekindled.
[Dimbleby] You've been very forthright
in your response, very honest.
Is it your hope
that this issue will now go away?
[Charles] Well, I'd certainly prefer it.
And the difficulty stems,
I think, from when
when we in the monarchy
set ourselves up as a sort of ideal.
As husbands or as wives or as as parents.
And very often,
the truth is very far from that.
The question people have to ask themselves
is what do they want in their leaders?
Do they want someone who errs,
but who learns from their mistakes,
who grows,
who who recognizes the need for change,
who has a vision?
Or someone who is content
to continue making the same mistakes
and to keep things as they are?
Really, I think that's the clear choice
that, uh, that people are faced with.
[Dimbleby] This desire for progression
extends to many aspects
of your work as Prince of Wales
[reporter 1] Prince Charles bared his soul
to the nation last night
in a television documentary
designed to showcase
his work as Prince of Wales,
and he appeared to have no regrets
as he greeted onlookers today
during his first public appearance
since the program aired.
[cheers and applause]
[reporter 2] His aides were letting it
be known they've been delighted
with the response
to his controversial television profile.
Palace officials said
they'd been deluged with calls of support.
[reporter 3] The program contained
a number of intimate revelations,
including the prince's close friendship
with Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles.
The admission divided viewers
between those who felt it was
a refreshing attempt to clear the air
and those who felt
the prince had made an error of judgment.
There was no comment
from Kensington Palace,
but the Princess of Wales
upstaged her husband
by attending the Serpentine Gallery's
annual summer party this evening,
putting on a defiant display
in what many are already calling
her revenge dress.
[crowd cheering]
- [cheers continue]
- [cameras clicking]
[dramatic music playing]
[reporter 3] The prince and princess
remain focused on their public roles.
But there is little doubt
that the war of the Waleses
has entered a new and more volatile phase.
- [man] Diana!
- [crowd clamoring]
- [woman] Camilla!
- [cameras clicking]
[crowd clamoring]
[man] Camilla! Camilla!
The newspapers called you Plain Jane.
What do you say to that, Camilla?
- [car door slams]
- [engine revs]
Just move back.
[buzzing]
- [doors open]
- [music fades out]
[Major] Reaction to the interview
is divided
between those that feel the prince
has shown himself unfit to be king
and should have had
the good grace to stay silent,
and those that have been
pleasantly surprised
by what they saw and heard.
Interestingly, it was his desire
to be defender of faith in general,
to Jews, Muslims,
Catholics, Sikhs, Hindus,
rather than Defender of the Faith
that has won most favor.
His words having undeniably
connected with whole constituencies
that are traditionally left
unreached by the monarchy.
It is not a monarch's role to campaign
or chase constituencies like a politician
because the Crown itself is
a unifying symbol.
It binds together
a kingdom of four nations
and a worldwide,
multi-racial Commonwealth.
Symbolically.
Charles is frustrated
because the Crown has many
of the functions of an inanimate object.
He prefers to be animate.
But there's a danger in that.
One can end up undoing more than doing.
Your Royal Highness.
You're not eating?
No, I don't have an appetite.
Must say, I'm surprised you do.
Why? It's delicious.
What's all this I hear about a book?
The idea is to do a book
following on from the interview.
Taking some of the points further.
Why?
Because a lot of the important things
I wanted to say
about education and environment
and architecture
got drowned out
by all the hoo-hah about adultery.
- Also, people are interested.
- Mmm.
Maybe not as interested as you think.
Maybe more interested than you think.
If my postbag is anything to go by.
In the 18th century,
it was considered perfectly normal
for the Prince of Wales
to set up shop at Leicester House
to generate fresh ideas.
A shadow monarchy, in essence.
A rival court.
But this is not the 18th century.
And creating rival courts
is not what we do in this family.
We close ranks behind the sovereign,
not criticize her.
We're all after the same thing, Anne.
You sure you won't have
some of this asparagus?
It's fresh from the garden.
[Anne] Right.
[Charles] Thanks for coming.
[kissing]
[somber music plays]
[Anne] For years, I've doubted Charles.
That he wasn't strong enough.
Tough enough.
But look what he's just come through.
First that phone recording,
subsequent humiliation.
Then that interview
and subsequent criticism.
And it hasn't broken him.
The opposite.
He might be as mad as everyone thinks,
but he's not as weak as everyone thinks.
The Charles I saw today was strong.
Confident.
Mature.
Not only does he have
what it takes for the job,
in some ways, he's already begun.
What do you mean?
[Anne] For the past year,
possibly more,
Charles has been slowly but surely
setting up his own court at St James's.
His own Camelot.
His own advisors, his own
modern, progressive agenda.
[indistinct chatter]
[Anne] He knows one day
he will be King Charles III.
And if we want to know
what that will look and feel like
well, he's starting to show us.
[indistinct chatter]
[Charles] The whole point
of the Prince's Trust
is to equip young people like you
with the skills and the confidence
to fulfil your dreams and ambitions.
It's nice to meet you.
[Charles] Now, you may think
that someone of my age and background
wouldn't understand young people
in your communities
and the unfair judgment of society
that you sometimes face.
Well, as it happens,
I do understand a little bit
about what it is
to be criticized and judged.
And I also know
that those judgments are mostly not true.
[laughter, chatter]
[Charles] That people out there
have no idea who I really am.
How about you?
I'm sure that each of you
has something within you.
An unacknowledged greatness.
A talent that deserves to be recognized.
And that's what
the Prince's Trust is all about.
To give you the confidence
to believe in your ideas
and the money to bring them to fruition.
[bicycle bell ringing]
I want to reach those
that have been overlooked. Rejected.
To make sure
that you've been given a chance.
Because it's only
when we risk reaching too far
that we find out
how far it's possible to go.
Thank you.
[cheers and applause]
Thank you very much.
[somber music fades out]
["Don't Sweat the Technique"
by Eric B. & Rakim playing]
Don't sweat the technique ♪
Don't sweat the technique ♪
Let's trace the hits
And check the file ♪
Let's see who bit to detect the style ♪
I flip the script
So they can't get foul ♪
At least not now, it'll take a while ♪
I change the pace to complete the beat ♪
I drop the bass 'til MCs get weak ♪
For every word they trace
It's a scar they keep ♪
'Cause when I speak
They freak to sweat the technique ♪
I made my debut in '86 ♪
With a melody and a President's mix ♪
And now I stay on target
And refuse to miss ♪
And I still make hits with beats ♪
Parties, clubs, in the cars and Jeeps ♪
My underground sound
Vibrates the streets ♪
MCs wanna beef, then I play for keeps ♪
When they sweat the technique ♪
Don't sweat the technique ♪
They wanna know how many rhymes
Have I ripped and wrecked ♪
But researchers never found
All the pieces yet ♪
Scientists try to solve the context ♪
Philosophers are wondering what's next ♪
Pieces are took to labs to observe 'em ♪
They couldn't absorb 'em
They didn't deserve 'em ♪
My ideas are only
For the audience's ears ♪
For my opponents, it might take years ♪
Pencils and pens are swords ♪
Letters put together
From a key to chords ♪
I'm also a sculpture
Formed with structure ♪
Because of my culture
I'm equipped to construct the ♪
Technical styles that'll be
Full of technology ♪
Complete sights and new heights
After I get deep ♪
You don't have to speak, just seek ♪
And peep the technique ♪
[song fades out]