The Crown (season 1)

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The Crown (2016–2023) is an English historical drama airing on Netflix about the life of Queen Elizabeth II, beginning with her marriage to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 and ending in the 21st century.

Wolferton Splash [1.1]

King George VI: [waking up the day after the general election] Who won?

King George VI's Valet: Mr. Churchill, Your Majesty. By seventeen seats.

King George VI: Good for him! [after a beat] You didn't hear me say that.

King George VI: You understand, the titles, the dukedom. They're not the job.

Prince Philip: Sir?

King George VI: She is the job. She is the essence of your duty. Loving her. Protecting her. Of course, you'll miss your career. But doing this for her, doing this for me, there may be no greater act of patriotism. Or love.

Prince Philip: I understand, sir.

King George VI: Do you, boy? Do you really?

Hyde Park Corner [1.2]

Prince Philip: Oh, like the hat.

Queen Elizabeth II: It's not a hat. It's a crown.

Anthony Eden: Much of this is just a function of age. He focuses almost entirely on issues relating to America and the Soviet Union, so important domestic matters are falling behind.

King George VI: What do you suggest I do?

Anthony Eden: Well, as sovereign, of course, there is nothing you can do from a constitutional standpoint. But, as a friend, as Albert Windsor, you are the one person I can think of to whom he might listen.

King George VI: Well, that is where we run into difficulties, I'm afraid. I no longer am Albert Windsor. That person was murdered by his elder brother when he abdicated. And, of course, Albert Windsor would dearly love to say to his old friend, Winston Churchill, "Take a step back. Put your feet up. Let the younger generation have a go now." But he is no longer with us and that void has been filled by George VI who, it turns out, is quite the stickler, and would no more allow the sovereign to interfere with the Prime Minister than stand for office himself.

Anthony Eden: Even when it's in the national interest, sir?

King George VI: The national interests? Or Anthony Eden's interest?

Martin Charteris: It would help if we could decide here and now on your name.

Queen Elizabeth II: My name?

Martin Charteris: Yes, ma'am. Your regnal name. That is the name you'll take as queen. Your father took George. Obviously, his name is ... was Albert. Before he abdicated, your uncle took Edward. Of course, his name was David.

Queen Elizabeth II: What's wrong with my name?

Prince Philip: Nothing.

Queen Elizabeth II: Well, then let's not overcomplicate matters unnecessarily. My name is Elizabeth.

Martin Charteris: Then, long live Queen Elizabeth.

Queen Mary: Dearest Lilibet, I know how you loved your papa, my son. And I know you will be as devastated as I am by this loss. But you must put those sentiments to one side now, for duty calls. The grief for your father's death will be felt far and wide. Your people will need your strength and leadership. I have seen three great monarchies brought down through their failure to separate personal indulgences from duty. You must not allow yourself to make similar mistakes. And while you mourn your father, you must also mourn someone else. Elizabeth Mountbatten. For she has now been replaced by another person, Elizabeth Regina. The two Elizabeths will frequently be in conflict with one another. The fact is, the crown must win. Must always win.

Winston Churchill: When the death of the King was announced to us yesterday morning, there struck a deep and somber note in our lives, which resounded far and wide, stilled the clatter and traffic of 20th century life, and made countless millions of human beings around the world pause and look around them. The King was greatly loved by all his peoples. The greatest shocks ever felt by this island fell upon us in his reign. Never, in our long history were we exposed to greater perils of invasion and destruction. The late King, who assumed the heavy burden of the Crown when he succeeded his brother, lived through every minute of this struggle with a heart that never quavered and a spirit undaunted. In the end, death came as a friend. And after a happy day of sunshine and sport, and after a goodnight to those who loved him best, he fell asleep, as every man or woman who strives to fear God and nothing else in the world, may hope to do. Now, I must leave the treasures of the past and turn to the future. Famous have been the reigns of our queens. Some of the greatest periods in our history have unfolded under their scepters. Queen Elizabeth II, like her namesake, Queen Elizabeth I, did not pass her childhood in any certain expectation of the Crown. This new Elizabethan age comes at a time when mankind stands uncertainly poised on the edge of catastrophe. I, whose youth was passed in the august, unchallenged and tranquil glories of the Victorian era, may well fill the thrill in invoking once more the prayer and anthem, God Save the Queen.

Windsor [1.3]

Prince Edward: There are things I wish to say.

Queen Mary: In which capacity? You're no longer their king.

Prince Edward: As a private individual.

Queen Mary: Oh, no one wants to hear from a private individual.

Prince Edward: Well, I beg to differ. The newspapers are for me.

BBC Radio Announcer: This is Windsor Castle. There follows an important announcement from His Royal Highness, the Duke of Windsor.

Prince Edward: A few hours ago, I discharged my last duty as King and Emperor. And, now that I have been succeeded by my brother, the Duke of York, my first words must be to declare my allegiance to him. This I do with all my heart. You all know the reasons which have impelled me to renounce the throne. I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility, and to discharge my duties as King, as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love. This decision has been made less difficult to me by the sure knowledge that my brother has one matchless blessing enjoyed by so many of you and not bestowed on me, a happy home with his wife and children. And now we all have a new King. I wish him, and you, his people, happiness and prosperity with all my heart. God bless you all. God save the King.

Winston Churchill: I so looked forward every Tuesday to my audiences with your, dear papa. His late Majesty was a hero to me and to all his people.

Queen Elizabeth II: Thank you. Do sit down, Prime Minister. I've ordered tea. Or something stronger, perhaps.

Winston Churchill: Oh, dear. Did no one explain? The Sovereign never offers a Prime Minister refreshment. Nor a chair. The precedent set by your great-great-grandmother was to keep us standing like Privy Councillors. To waste time is a grievous sin. And, if there is one thing I have learned in fifty-two years of public service, it is that there is no problem so complex, nor crisis so grave, that it cannot be satisfactorily resolved within twenty minutes. So, shall we make a start?

Queen Mary: [after learning the Queen Mother and Tommy Lascelles cut off Prince Edward's annual allowance] Did they offer any justification?

Prince Edward: Oh, that it would appear insensitive for a member of the extended royal family to be seen to be rewarded and live in luxury. "Extended royal family." I was the most senior member of that family, the King! Now, we barely make ends meet. Every day is a struggle.

Queen Mary: You live in great style from what I've heard. Perhaps you should take a leaf out of your late brother's book. He was frugal, you know.

Prince Edward: He was born frugal. In every department.

Queen Mary: And that frugality earned him great favor. And he passed it on to the women in his family.

Prince Edward: Who just spent 70,000 renovating Clarence House, so no lectures, please, about the frugality of the new Queen.

Queen Mary: That was her husband.

Prince Edward: What, The Foundling?

Queen Mary: Don't call him that.

Queen Mary: Why not? I'd call him by his name, if he had one.

Winston Churchill: Ma'am, word has reached me that it is your desire that you and your children should keep your husband's name, Mountbatten.

Queen Elizabeth II: It is.

Winston Churchill: Ma'am, you must not. It would be a grave mistake. Mountbatten was the adoptive name your husband took when he became a British citizen. His real name, you'll not need reminding, was Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderberg-Glucksberg of the Royal Houses of Denmark and Norway and, latterly, of Greece! I am an old man. Many have questioned my relevance, whether I still have anything to offer in public life. The answer is, I have. Which is to leave in place a Sovereign prepared for office. Which is to leave in place a Sovereign prepared for office. Equipped, armed for her duty. Great things have happened to this country under the sceptres of her queens and you should be no exception.

Queen Elizabeth II: Yes, I am Queen, but I am also a woman. And a wife. To a man whose pride and whose strength were, in part, what attracted me to him. I want to be in a successful marriage. I would argue, stability under this roof might even be in the national interest. Had you considered that?

Winston Churchill: Very well. I will discuss it with Cabinet.

Queen Elizabeth II: No. You will inform the Cabinet, Prime Minister. That is the favour you will do me, in return for one I'm already doing you. I know your party wants you to resign to make way for a younger man. Mr. Eden. I also know that no one will bring up your resignation while you are actively engaged in planning the Coronation. So, by delaying my investiture, you are, in fact, holding onto power. In which case, I would suggest you are, somewhat, in my debt.

Prince Philip: What kind of marriage is this? What kind of family? You've taken my career from me, you've taken my home. You've taken my name. I thought we were in this together.

Act of God [1.4]

Peter Townsend: You sure about this, sir?

Prince Philip: When I got married, my in-laws made me marshal of the Royal Air Force. As a result, I'm the most senior airman in the country, and I can't bloody well fly.

Clement Attlee: What I don't understand is this. Why a Downing Street employee, working for the government, should come to me with this information? I've read the Aeneid, Mr. Thurman. "Do not trust the horse, Trojans. I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts."

Thurman: Mr. Attlee, I entered the civil service to serve the public and to serve government, any government. But I am also a responsible citizen and I cannot stand by while chaos reigns around me. This is not a government. Mr. Attlee, this is a collection of hesitant, frightened, old men unable to unseat a tyrannical, delusional even older one. Yours was the most radical, forward-thinking government this country has ever seen. How you lost the election escapes me.

Clement Attlee: Escapes us all.

Nurse: The Queen is here, Your Majesty.

Queen Mary: Could you be more specific?

Nurse: Ma'am?

Queen Mary: Which queen?

Nurse: Queen Elizabeth, ma'am.

Queen Mary: Which one? There are two.

Nurse: The young one.

Queen Mary: Oh, the Queen.

Nurse: I thought you was all queens. They gave me a sheet.

Queen Mary: We are. I was the queen so long as my husband the king was alive, but since he died, I am no longer the queen, I am simply "Queen Mary." My late son's widow was also the queen, but upon the death of her husband, she became "Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother." Her daughter, "Queen Elizabeth," is now queen, so she is...

Nurse: The Queen.

Queen Mary: Bravo.

Nurse: Nurses and nuns have the same problem. We're all called "Sister."

Queen Mary: So you are.

Nurse: Well, she's outside. The Queen.

Queen Mary: Then let her in, sister.

Queen Elizabeth II: I was listening to the wireless this morning, where they described this fog as an act of God. Now, in your letter that you sent me, you said, "Loyalty to the ideal you have inherited is your duty above everything else, because the calling comes from the highest source, from God himself."

Queen Mary: Yes.

Queen Elizabeth II: Do you really believe that?

Queen Mary: Monarchy is God's sacred mission to grace and dignify the earth, to give ordinary people an ideal to strive towards, an example of nobility and duty to raise them in their wretched lives. Monarchy is a calling from God. That is why you are crowned in an abbey, not a government building. Why you are anointed, not appointed. It's an archbishop that puts the crown on your head, not a minister or public servant. Which means that you are answerable to God in your duty, not the public.

Queen Elizabeth II: I'm not sure that my husband would agree with that. He would argue that in any equitable modern society, that church and state should be separated. That if God has servants they're priests not kings. He would also say that he watched his own family destroyed, because they were seen by the people to embody indefensible and unreasonable ideas.

Queen Mary: Yes, but he represents a royal family of carpetbaggers and parvenus that goes back what? Ninety years? What would he know of Alfred the Great, the Rod of Equity and Mercy, Edward the Confessor, William the Conqueror or Henry the Eighth? It's the Church of England, dear, not the Church of Denmark or Greece.

Winston Churchill: I have witnessed scenes here today, the likes of which we have not seen since the darkest days of the Blitz. But alongside the suffering, I have also seen heroism. And where there is heroism there will always be hope. Only God can lift the fog, but I, as Prime Minister, am in position to ease the suffering. To that end, I pledge to make available with immediate effect more money for hospital staff, more money for equipment, and a full and independent public enquiry into the causes of air pollution to ensure that such a calamity may never befall us again.

Queen Mary: To do nothing is the hardest job of all. And it will take every ounce of energy that you have. To be impartial is not natural, not human. People will always want you to smile or agree or frown. And the minute you do, you will have declared a position. A point of view. And that is the one thing as sovereign that you are not entitled to do. The less you do, the less you say or agree or smile...

Queen Elizabeth II: Or think? Or feel? Or breathe? Or exist?

Queen Mary: The better.

Smoke and Mirrors [1.5]

Prince Philip: Gentlemen, I'd like to start by saying how very honoured I feel to be working with all the great minds and talents here in this room today as we come together to organize the very best coronation for my wife, the Queen. We all know the scale of the challenge that faces us. The eyes of the world will be on us, Britain will be on show and we must put our best foot forward. In such circumstances, the temptation is to roll out the red carpet and follow the precedents set by the grand and successful coronations of the past. But looking to the past for our inspiration would be a mistake in my view. Britain today is not the Britain of past coronations. Assumptions made at the time of my father-in-law's coronation seventeen years ago cannot be made anymore. That is why I think we should adapt this ceremony. Make it less ostentatious. More egalitarian. Show more respect and sensitivity to the real world. We have a new sovereign, young and a woman. Let us give her a coronation that is befitting of the wind of change that she represents, modern and forward-looking at a moment in time where exciting technological developments are making things possible we never dreamt of.

Duke of Windsor: Oils and oaths. Orbs and sceptres. Symbol upon symbol. An unfathomable web of arcane mystery and liturgy, blurring so many lines no clergyman or historian or lawyer could ever untangle any of it.

Party Guest: It's crazy.

Duke of Windsor: On the contrary. It's perfectly sane. Who wants transparency when you can have magic? Who wants prose when you can have poetry? Pull away the veil and what are you left with? An ordinary young woman of modest ability and little imagination. But wrap her up like this, anoint her with oil, and hey, presto, what do you have? A goddess.

Gelignite [1.6]

Tommy Lascelles: Following consultation with the government, the Foreign Office, and Her Majesty's press secretary, the decision has been taken to move forward your posting to Brussels with immediate effect. A car is waiting to take you first to your apartment, where you will pack, and then directly to the airfield. The plane for Brussels leaves in just under three hours. There was some concern that that might not give you enough time, but I felt sure that as a military man packing quickly and unsentimentally would come as second nature to you.

Peter Townsend: But that isn't what was agreed The agreement between Margaret and Her Majesty the Queen, with the certain knowledge of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, was that Margaret and I were to spend some time together upon her return from Rhodesia. Before I travelled to Brussels. Forty-eight hours at least. Your proposal is a direct contravention of that agreement.

Tommy Lascelles: Well, I cannot, nor would I ever presume, to know the intimate details of whatever agreements have or have not been made within the family. What I can tell you is that the position of air attaché at the embassy fell vacant unexpectedly early and needs filling right away.

Peter Townsend: Of course, a crucial position like the air attaché to the embassy at Brussels cannot be left vacant for very long. I ask only that it remain so until after the Princess returns, as I was promised.

Tommy Lascelles: I'm afraid that will not be possible.

Peter Townsend: Tommy, I understand you're only trying to do your job. But one thing the trip to Northern Ireland has made very clear to me is that the romance between Margaret and myself has caught the public eye. There is a momentum for us, a sense of joy and celebration which you would be wise to acknowledge. The people can clearly see the sincerity of the love between Margaret and me, and I would advise you not to reprehend us for that. Such an act could backfire.

Tommy Lascelles: And now, if I may give you some advice in turn, Peter. That when referring to a member of the Royal Family, you use the appropriate title. In this case, Her Royal Highness.

Peter Townsend: When referring to the woman I love, and who loves me, and who is soon to be my wife, I'll call her what I damn well like. Her name is Margaret.

Tommy Lascelles: Car, Townsend. Waiting. Tick, tick, tick.

Scientia Potentia Est [1.7]

John F. Dulles: [seeing Eden slumped in a chair, asleep and audibly snoring] That, gentlemen, is not just a sleeping man. It's a sad metaphor. The second most powerful man in what was once the most powerful country on earth. [spots something] What's that on his arm?

Aide: It looks like blood, sir.

John F. Dulles: Good God.

Queen Elizabeth II: You were my private secretary for two years before Martin Charteris.

Jock Colville: I was.

Queen Elizabeth II: And it was my impression that we always had a good understanding and we were able to speak openly with one another.

Jock Colville: Yes, of course.

Queen Elizabeth II: And trust one another, speak plainly when matters of real importance came up.

Jock Colville: And before Her Majesty says anything else, let me just say how sorry I am. It's been agony. I tried to stop them. I told them my opinion, but they were so insistent we keep it from you. After the second one, I really was of a mind to let you know the truth.

Queen Elizabeth II: Second what?

Jock Colville: Stroke, Ma'am. But they insisted again, everyone keep it quiet, say nothing.

Queen Elizabeth II: I see. And who was it that was doing the insisting?

Jock Colville: Lord Salisbury, ma'am. And the Prime Minister himself. On the rare occasions he was conscious. I see. That is what you asked me here to discuss?

Queen Elizabeth II: No. I asked you here to discuss whether I should take Michael Adeane for my private secretary rather than Martin Charteris. But what you've just told me is far more important.

Queen Elizabeth II: It has come to my attention that for a period of time last week, my Prime Minister was incapacitated. And the Foreign Secretary, too. And that you colluded in keeping that information from me.

Lord Salisbury: Your Maj...

Queen Elizabeth II: No, it is not my job to govern. But it is my job to ensure proper governance. But how can I do that if my ministers lie and plot and hide the truth from me? You have prevented me from doing my duty. You have hampered and bamboozled the proper functioning of the Crown. How could you? My own late father valued you greatly. He believed the phrase, "History teaches, never trust a Cecil." Deeply unfair. Perhaps not.

Queen Elizabeth II: I am just a young woman, starting out in public service. And I would never presume to give a man, so much my senior, and who has given this country so much, a lecture. However, you were at my Coronation.

Winston Churchill: I was.

Queen Elizabeth II: And you therefore heard for yourself as I took the solemn oath to govern the people of my realms according to their respective laws and customs. Now, one of those customs is that their elected Prime Minister should be of reasonably sound body and mind. Not an outrageous expectation, one would've thought.

Winston Churchill: No.

Queen Elizabeth II: But it seems that you have not been of sound body and mind these past weeks. And that you chose to withhold that information from me. A decision which feels like a betrayal, not just of the covenant of trust between us and the institutions that we both represent, but of our own personal relationship. [Queen Elizabeth rises from her chair, moves to the writing desk and pulls out her old notebook. She resumes her seat and begins to read from the book] In 1867, Walter Bagehot wrote, "There are two elements of the Constitution: the efficient and the dignified." The monarch is the dignified and the government the efficient. These two institutions only work when they support each other, when they trust one another. Your actions, your breaking of that trust was irresponsible and it might have had serious ramifications for the security of this country. Is your health better now?

Winston Churchill: It is.

Queen Elizabeth II: Good. But is it sufficiently better? Fit for office better? I would ask you to consider your response in light of the respect that my rank and my office deserve, not that which my age and gender might suggest.

Winston Churchill: Ma'am, I look at you now and I realize that the time is fast approaching for me to step down. Not because I am unwell or unfit for office, but because you are ready. And therefore I have discharged my duty to your father. With your blessing and your forgiveness, I shall continue to serve as the leader of Your Majesty's government.

Pride & Joy [1.8]

Winston Churchill: Never let them see the real Elizabeth Windsor. The cameras, the television. Never let them see that carrying the crown is often a burden. Let them look at you but let them see only the eternal.

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: I don't want to sound self-piteous but loss has followed loss. First and foremost, the loss of a husband. Then the loss of a home, having to leave the palace. The loss of motherhood, as daughters become adults. Loss of a routine, a sense of purpose. The loss of a Crown. Imagine, seventeen years' experience as Queen and being the head of the family. Bertie was a wonderful husband and father, but he needed a great deal of help as King. And then we lose him and, at precisely the moment when they should be giving me more to do, stop me falling into despair, they take it all aw ... They take it all away. They put it all into the hands of a girl who's totally unequipped for it.

Queen Elizabeth II: I am aware that I am surrounded by people who feel they could do the job better. Strong people with powerful characters, more natural leaders, perhaps better-suited to leading from the front, making a mark. But, for better or worse, the Crown has landed on my head. And I say we go.

Assassins [1.9]

Winston Churchill: That is not a painting. It's a humiliation. "How shall I paint him today? Ah! Sitting on a chair, producing a stool. A broken, sagging, pitiful creature, squeezing and squeezing!"

Graham Sutherland: That's not how it's being seen.

Winston Churchill: That is how it is. And I will not accept it.

Graham Sutherland: I don't think it's wise to reject it. It was commissioned by the members of the joint Houses of Parliament as a sign of respect.

Winston Churchill: Well, then they should have commissioned an artist who is respectful, instead of a Judas wielding his murderous brush. Look at it! It is a betrayal of friendship. And an unpatriotic, treacherous, cowardly assault by the individualistic left.

Graham Sutherland: As regards the friendship...

Winston Churchill: Clearly, there is none.

Graham Sutherland: I accepted this commission because I admired you and I came through the experience admiring you even more.

Winston Churchill: You make monsters of everyone you admire?

Graham Sutherland: It's not vindictive. It's art. It's not personal.

Winston Churchill: Well, you are a lost soul. A narcissist without direction or certainty.

Graham Sutherland: Please, sir. Don't overreact. Give it time. I showed those sketches to your wife throughout the process. She remarked on how accurate they were.

Winston Churchill: That is the whole point. It is not a reasonably truthful image of me!

Graham Sutherland: It is, sir.

Winston Churchill: It is not! It is cruel!

Graham Sutherland: Age is cruel! If you see decay, it's because there's decay. If you see frailty, it's because there's frailty. I can't be blamed for what is. And I refuse to hide and disguise what I see. If you're engaged in a fight with something, then it's not with me. It's with your own blindness.

Queen Elizabeth II: I have nothing to hide from you. Nothing. Porchey is a friend. And yes, there are those who would have preferred me to marry him. Indeed, marriage with him might have been easier. Might have even worked better than ours. But to everyone's regret and frustration ... The only person I have ever loved is you. And can you honestly look me in the eye and say the same? Can you?

Queen Elizabeth II: My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen. Dear Winston and Lady Churchill. My confidence in Sir Anthony is complete. And I know he will lead the country on to great achievements, but it would be useless to pretend that either he or any of those successors who may one day follow him in office, will ever, for me, be able to hold the place of my first Prime Minister, to whom my husband and I owe so much. And for whose wise guidance, during the early years of my reign, I shall always be so profoundly grateful. I will remember you always for your magnanimity, your courage at all times. And for your unfailing humor. Founded in your unrivaled mastery of the English language. I take comfort from the fact, that in losing my constitutional adviser, I gain a wise counsellor to whom I shall look for help and support in the days which lie ahead. May there be many of them.

Gloriana [1.10]

Cecil Beaton: "All hail sage Lady, whom a grateful Isle hath blessed. Not moving, not breathing. Our very own goddess. Glorious Gloriana." Forgetting Elizabeth Windsor now. Now only Elizabeth Regina.