CREATED BY Peter Morgan EPISODE 3.04 “Bubbikins” As the royal family makes a documentary to boost their image, an unexpected guest arrives from Greece, throwing a wrench into Philip’s publicity plans. WRITTEN BY: Peter Morgan DIRECTED BY: Benjamin Caron ORIGINAL BROADCAST: November 17, 2019 NOTE: This is a transcription of the spoken dialogue and audio, with time-code reference, provided without cost by 8FLiX.com for your entertainment, convenience, and study. This version may not be exactly as written in the original script; however, the intellectual property is still reserved by the original source and may be subject to copyright. EPISODE CAST Olivia Colman ... Queen Elizabeth II Tobias Menzies ... Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Jane Lapotaire ... Princess Alice Erin Doherty ... Princess Anne Jason Watkins ... Harold Wilson Helena Bonham Carter ... Princess Margaret Ben Daniels ... Lord Snowdon Marion Bailey ... Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother David Rintoul ... Michael Adeane Charles Edwards ... Martin Charteris Colin Morgan ... John Armstrong Michael Thomas ... Duke of Gloucester Penny Downie ... Duchess of Gloucester Robert Wilfort ... Documentary Director Mark Dexter ... Tony Benn P a g e | 1 1 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:08,960 [church bells ring] 2 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:38,960 [speaks Greek] 3 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:54,600 [man in Greek] It's over, Mother Superior. 4 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,000 I brought the accounts so you can see. 5 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,040 The money has run out. 6 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,520 [in Greek] But we need medicine. 7 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,160 We need beds. 8 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:05,840 We need food. 9 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:10,360 I can't turn people away. 10 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,440 In the past, when funds have run low, 11 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,160 you have managed to make personal contributions. 12 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,080 I have already sold everything. 13 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,640 [man] Then we have no choice. 14 8FLiX.com TRANSCRIPTS DATABASE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY P a g e | 2 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,360 The Order must close. 15 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:56,280 [man in English] And three, 16 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:57,360 two... 17 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,920 [presenter] Tonight on Meet the Press, we have a very special guest indeed. 18 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,680 His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. 19 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:13,960 Here in Washington as part of an 18-day tour of Canada and the United States. 20 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,360 -Welcome, sir. -Thank you. Delighted to be here. 21 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,320 Now, so many questions to ask, so little time. 22 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,880 But one thing we'd like to clear up right away 23 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,240 for all of us ignorant Americans who just don't understand. 24 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:28,680 How come you're not king? 25 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:29,960 [chuckles] 8FLiX.com TRANSCRIPTS DATABASE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY P a g e | 3 26 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:34,200 Because when a king of England marries, his wife, whoever she is, 27 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,400 automatically becomes queen, correct? 28 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:37,720 Uh, yes, correct. 29 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,080 So, when the Queen married you, what happened? 30 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,440 As a fellow male, I am aggrieved. 31 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:46,600 Yes, and you're right to be. 32 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,520 -Hmm. -[Philip] No, it's monstrously unjust. 33 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,960 And to continue this theme of injustice, 34 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:58,040 a recent news dispatch from London begins this way: 35 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,920 "Queen Elizabeth has not had a pay raise in over 15 years." 36 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:02,880 True. 37 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,720 [presenter] The article then goes on about the significant challenge 8FLiX.com TRANSCRIPTS DATABASE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY P a g e | 4 38 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,840 the royal family faces in surviving on the existing allowance. 39 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,880 Is this creating an awkward situation, sir? 40 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,160 [Philip] Very. We go into the red, I think, next year. 41 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:23,120 Which, uh, which is not bad housekeeping, if you come to think of it. 42 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,280 We've kept the whole thing going on a budget, 43 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,360 which was based on the costs of... of over 15 years ago, 44 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,560 when the Queen acceded to the throne. 45 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,800 [presenter] So, in order to afford everything... 46 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,240 Well, very considerable corners have had to be cut, 47 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:42,640 and it is beginning to have its effect. 48 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,240 Now, if nothing happens, we shall either have to, um... 49 8FLiX.com TRANSCRIPTS DATABASE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY P a g e | 5 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:49,080 I mean, I don't know. 50 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,560 We, uh, we may have to move into smaller premises, who knows? 51 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,480 -Smaller palaces? -[Philip] Something like that. 52 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,760 We've already embarked on a general belt-tightening 53 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:02,600 which has not made life easy. 54 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,000 I mean, for instance, we had a... we had a small yacht, 55 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:07,680 which we have had to sell. 56 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:08,680 Really? 57 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,320 [Philip] I shall probably have to give up polo fairly soon 58 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:12,720 and things like that. 59 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,560 [presenter] Thank you. We'll be back with Meet the Press... 60 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,840 International call, please. London, England. 8FLiX.com TRANSCRIPTS DATABASE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY P a g e | 6 61 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,720 01946 0200. 62 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:27,840 [phone line rings] 63 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,400 -Hello, Ken here. -Ken, it's John Armstrong. 64 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,480 I'm in New York on the Muhammad Ali story, 65 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,160 and I've just seen the Duke of Edinburgh give an interview on television here. 66 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,560 Give me 600 words and hold the front page. 67 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:41,800 -It's yours. -You won't regret it. 68 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,240 [pen clicks] 69 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,040 [soldier] Present arms! 70 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:19,680 I had intended to start our agenda with the situation in Eastern Nigeria, 71 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:21,880 but given the article in today's Guardian 72 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,120 about His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh-- 73 8FLiX.com TRANSCRIPTS DATABASE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY P a g e | 7 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,560 Yes, perhaps we ought to start with that. 74 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:29,360 What was the reaction in Cabinet? 75 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,000 [Wilson] Positive, on the whole. 76 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,440 In view of the gloomy economic forecast, 77 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,720 might I suggest that the government follows the advice of John Armstrong, 78 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:38,400 writing in today's Guardian, 79 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:42,280 and sells off an outdated and redundant piece of state infrastructure, 80 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:43,440 the royal family. 81 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,040 [chuckling] 82 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:46,760 On the whole? 83 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:49,440 Well, of course the usual suspects were jumping up and down.