Episode Four
Thanks to the opposition of His Majesty, opinion polls report a thirteen percent swing against Urquhart’s government and dissatisfaction with his policies. Urquhart agrees to give the BBC an interview, which interestingly the King has declined to take part in. A chance explosion at a block of flats however affords him an even greater platform, but people are more interested in the reactions of the King, who simply offers his assistance and says, and it becomes his unintended catchphrase, “Please let me help”, whereas Urquhart does not want to roll up his sleeve and get stuck in. The gulf between the two men, the different ways they approach and see things, could not be more clearly defined. Urquhart sees the disaster as nothing more than a photo opportunity, a chance to be “seen among the people”, whereas the King does not care about the political advantage of being there, he only wishes to help and do what he can. Urquhart can begin to feel a very cold wind blowing. He knows he is losing the people, and whether he cares for them or not, without them he is finished. It is their votes, after all, who put him in power, and they have the ability to topple him.
Elizabeth, seeing the sudden weakness in her husband, counsels him to hit back, and hit back hard. The first salvo is to leak to the press the rumour (which is actually true, but they neither know nor care) that David Mycroft is gay. Not a crime, certainly, but something that will hopefully shake the public’s confidence in His Majesty. “King’s best friend a shirtlifter?” crows Stamper. “How low can Palace morals sink?” Urquhart smiles his shark’s smile. He has something now to get his teeth into. Oh, something small, certainly, but the smallest wounds can be torn into huge, gaping gashes, given enough time. Stamper is, however, less than pleased to hear of his boss’s plans for him, should they win the election. Urquhart wants him to remain as Chief Whip, which does not at all fit in with Stamper’s plans, or validate what he believed he has been promised. Urquhart does not seem to care either way.
When he finds Sarah rifling through his filing cabinets looking for a file on Mattie Storrin, Stamper believes the time has come to play his hand, and has her brought to him, where he plays her the recording of what really happened just prior to Mattie’s death. It becomes clear now that this was the gloved hand that picked up Mattie’s dictaphone after she fell, and now he intends using it to bring about Urquhart’s downfall. Urquhart, meanwhile, goes to see the princess, to impress upon her in no uncertain manner that should he engineer the ascension of her son to the throne he will expect the new king to take, and follow, his “advice” ---- basically, toe the line and do as he is told. He does not want to replace one problem with another, younger one. The princess assures him their interests coincide and she will make that plain to her young son.
Back at the Palace, Chloe warns the King that trouble is brewing and that riots are foreseen. She suggests he go on a nationwide tour to try to get the people behind him and calm the tensions. He agrees, as she reveals her feelings for him and he reciprocates. Urquhart does his television interview, using the opportunity to drop the bombshell that has been uncovered by Sarah in her research, that the reason the gas main blew in the flats was because one of the residents was trying to bypass the meter. “Reckless greed”, he says stonily “and irresponsibility killed those people.” He then goes on to announce the reintroduction of National Service, in an effort to “Get our young people off their backsides.” It’s a pretty clever plan: if all the young people are serving in the military there won’t be too many of them protesting and rioting and causing trouble on the streets. And a spell in the army will soon knock the rebellious feelings out of them as they fall into line.
The King’s tour of the underprivileged areas goes well until a kidnapping of the monarch is staged (obviously Urquhart’s people) and then the Prime Minister is able to reveal that, despite His Majesty’s orders to the contrary, a crack team of SAS men has been shadowing the King and are able to spring into action when needed. It is a masterstoke: it turns the king into a pompous, naive, too-trusting fool and the Prime Minister into a pragmatic experienced man of the world who has only the safety of the royal personage at heart. The opinion polls begin to climb again in favour of the government. David Mycroft, under increasing pressure, resigns his post and reveals he is gay. Stamper tells Sarah he is going to wait until the result of tomorrow’s election is no longer in doubt, and when Urquhart has been re-elected he will go to the police with the tape. This will of course force the resignation of the Prime Minister and Stamper will take over his job.
Corder has had people monitoring the conversation though, and word gets back to Urquhart, who knows there is only one way to ensure his survival. As the results come in, a victory for the government, he sets about getting rid of the only two who could rain on his parade. As Sarah goes to meet Chloe at the Palace, believing that what she has is best in the hands of the King, her car explodes and Stamper is similarly dealt with as he arrives at the police station. Having won the election, Urquhart goes to the Palace to demand the abdication of the King. He refuses, but in his heart he must know it is the only course left open to him. He has lost the popular support: the people have spoken, and they have spoken for the Prime Minister. He has failed, and Urquhart will not suffer a monarch who opposes him, nor, at this point, will the people. He is finished.
And Francis Urquhart has, once again, triumphed.
QUOTES
Urquhart: “You do need me, you know; otherwise you haven’t really got a programme.”
BBC man: “True, but if I may say so Prime Minister, your need is the greater at the moment.”
(How true: Urquhart has lost touch with the common man --- not that he ever wanted to be in touch with him, Heaven forbid! But it must look like he cares, even if he does not. This interview will, if nothing else, get people to listen to him and allow him a platform on which to defend his government’s policies, and perhaps take a few shots at a defenceless king, while he’s at it).
Urquhart (to camera): “It’s not as easy as we thought, to fight a king. But I will not let him conquer me. Nothing will prise me loose. I am ready to do anything.”
(To underline the point, we see a replay of Mattie Storrin’s death plunge. Yes, in order to hold on to power, the PM is ready to do absolutely anything.)
Urquhart (to camera): “Every event is a photo opportunity in disguise, playing right into the hands of the king.”
(Urquhart cannot see, comprehend or believe that His Majesty, visiting the site of the disaster, is doing so for other than political reasons. He genuinely cares. See “A boy in a man’s world” for more on this)
The King: “I have no intentions of speaking to the press, or anyone else, other than the victims of this bloody disaster!”
Urquhart: “Your Majesty.”
The King: “Prime Minister.”
Urquhart: “We could have done without all this public posturing, Sir.”
The King: “I came to comfort my people, that’s all.”
Urquhart: “I’m sure they’re thrilled to bits, Sir. Pat a few heads if you must but no public speaking please. We don’t want you making an issue out of this now do we?”
The King: “Damn you, man! Don’t judge me by your own degraded standards! You may wish to make political capital out of tragedy; all I want to do is help.”
Urquhart: “You bloody hypocrite!”
Urquhart: “I thought Chief Whip again.After all, it’s what you’re best at, isn’t it?”
Stamper: “You led me to expect it would be a senior cabinet post. You led me to expect it would be Home Secretary.”
Urquhart: “Did I? Well, perhaps it will. But you’re such a good frightener, Tim. You’d be wasted in one of those kid gloves jobs.”
Stamper: “Has it ever occurred to you that you presume too much?”
Urquhart: “Not in your case Tim, no. I think I know you rather well, don’t you?”
(He may think so indeed, but here is one of the few times Urquhart is underestimating his underling. He cannot even conceive of Stamper turning against him, and thinks that he can keep kicking him like a dog, that he will never bite. He believes he has him totally under his control, and does not see him as any kind of threat. He’s also correct: Stamper is not suited for higher office; he simply has not the finesse required for such sensitive posts.)
Sarah: “We don’t have to be enemies, Tim. I’m not going to be here for long.”
(Oh, how prophetic those words are, though she has no idea how literal that sentence will turn out to be!)
Stamper: “All I ever wanted to do was serve him, be close to him. But I see now what I should have seen all along. I was entirely instrumental to his plans. Disposable, like those little plastic razors you can get now. Apparently, you can get a couple of good shaves from them and then you just throw them away.”
Urquhart: “We are not a nation of social workers, or clients of social workers! We are not, please God, a nation of deserving cases! We are a fierce, proud nation, and we are still, God willing, a nation to be reckoned with!”
Urquhart: “We talk a lot about freedom, but do any of us really believe in it?”
Sarah: “I do.”
Urquhart: “Yes, perhaps you do. But most people don’t want it at all. Most people are weak and stupid and cowardly and contemptible.”
(Never has he been more honest about what he thinks of his fellow man. And there’s more. In one of the most chilling speeches --- private, of course: he would never dare say such things in public -- Urquhart outlines his thinking behind conscription...)
Urquhart: “The great beauty of conscription is that we can use these eighteen to twenty-three years olds to subdue their younger brothers in the towns and in those ghastly estates, and then we can think about exporting them: use the British fighting man to redress the balance of trade.”
Sarah: “You really mean that, don’t you?”
Urquhart: “Why not? Nobody wants these young people, not even their own parents. They have no skills, they have no education, they have no self-discipline. They are utterly useless, but were going to make them useful, Sarah. Like factory farming.”
THE FINAL CONFRONTATION BETWEEN URQUHART AND THE KING
The King: “Congratulations, Mr. Urquhart.”
Urquhart: “Thank you Your Majesty. Frankly, I would have thought you would have preferred to dispense with such pleasantries.”
The King: “Oh by all means. I’m heartily sorry that you’re still Prime Minister, but I’m not in the least downhearted. The tide is turning against you and I’m happy to have been able to have played my part in that. I believe you’ll be out within the year.”
Urquhart: “Your opinions, Sir, are no longer of any interest to anyone but yourself. You have risked everything in opposing me, and you have lost. I have come here to demand your abdication from the throne.”
The King: “The people won’t back you, Urquhart.”
Urquhart: “I shan’t need to consult them again, Sir. They have re-elected me. And I cannot and will not tolerate a monarch who is bitterly and publicly opposed to me. You must abdicate Sir; it is the only honourable course. You must see that.”
The King: “Oh well I don’t think you’re in any position to speak of honourable courses. I’ll continue to oppose you openly and publicly while I remain on the throne, and if I am forced to relinquish the throne I shall continue to fight you as a commoner. I shall welcome the opportunity, and I shall take very keen pleasure in defeating you in the polls.”
Urquhart: “I wouldn’t bet on it, Sir. I’m afraid you won’t be of much interest as a commoner. I doubt if anyone will be particularly interested in what you have to say. You have no constituency, you see. No powerbase. You represent nothing but one talentless and discredited family, and very soon you won’t represent even that. You will represent nothing. You will mean nothing. You will
be nothing.”
The King: “Well, we’ll see. I spent my whole life preparing to be king.”
Urquhart: “I feel no compunction, Sir. You tried to destroy me.”
The King: “I didn't want to destroy you man! You wanted to destroy the monarchy!”
Urquhart: “Not at all sir,! Don’t you understand what I’m telling you? I have no wish to. It is you I wished to destroy, not the monarchy. My family came south with James I. We were defenders of the crown before your family were even heard of. It is to defend the idea of a constitutional monarch that I now demand your abdication.”
The King: “You’re a monster, Urquhart!”
Urquhart: “You might very well think that, Sir, but your opinion doesn’t really count for much now, does it?”
URQUHART’S CLOSING SPEECH (TO US)
“Well, what would you have? Britain must be governed, and you know who will do it best. If you will the end, you must will the means. These things happen all over the world. Believe me, it’s all for the best. What’s the matter? You do trust me, don’t you? Of course you do!”
A boy in a man’s world?
Urquhart sees it as political posturing, and he does so because he is doing the very same thing when both he and the King visit the site of the gas leak at the flats. But the King genuinely does not see it as such. To him, this is almost as if he is not the king, and is just a private citizen offering his condolences and any help he can. Because Francis can conceive of doing nothing without there being something in it for him, some advantage, some payback, some sort of political capital he can cash in on, he does not believe that anyone --- never mind anyone in power --- would make such a journey without milking it for all it’s worth.
When he sees, to his horror, that the King is in fact true to his word --- he doesn’t talk to the press, makes no statements, not even to criticise Urquhart’s government, and this would be the perfect chance to do so --- he begins to realise that for the first time since he decided to take on the Palace he may be in danger of becoming out of his depth. If this is a war, then in this one almost random act of kindness as he runs down the embankment and asks to help with a stretchered victim, His Majesty may have scored, even unwillingly or unwittingly, something of a major victory.
And all of this happens because of the King’s naivete and his basic humanity. If this has been planned it could not have gone better, but it was not planned. It just happened, as things often do, and the popularity of the government, despite no actual conscious effort on the part of the king, begins to plummet.
But when the PM turns the King's innocence and gullibility against him, and turns the tide in the process, as he is so adept at doing, public opinion reverses as the people realise, or are shown, that this is not a man they can really trust to make the right decisions. His fight against Urquhart is in ruins, and when the newly-elected Prime Minister comes to demand he step down, there is no lonelier figure than his as Urquhart leaves the Palace, having explained why there is no alternative for the young king. At this point, he truly is a boy in a man’s world, and he is alone.
The betrayer betrayed
If he was thinking of turning against Francis before, the hammerblow of being told he is not going to get a senior cabinet post after the election makes up Stamper’s mind for him, and he decides to play his ace in the hole. He brings Sarah in on the fact that he has possession of the cassette out of Mattie Storrin’s dictaphone, a ticking time-bomb, a smoking gun that can shoot Francis right though the heart. Not only will it force his removal from the top office, it will land him in jail for murder, as he freely confesses to one and perpetrates the other on tape. Why does he use Sarah as his agent? You would have to think that he sees delicious irony in using both the object of FU’s obsession and the perceived rival for his place at the Prime Minister’s table to depose him, a female Brutus for Julius Caesar, and also, he knows that it will hurt Sarah, finding our that the man she professes to be in love with is a self-confessed murderer. It will either make or destroy her career, but to do either she will have to play the part Stamper wishes her to play, that of Judas. There is, for Stamper, a savage symmetry in that.
And now, as Sarah listens to his heartless plan for the youth of the nation, Sarah too know s that she must turn against Urquhart. The man is completely unprincipled, ready to sell the flower of their youth into eternal bondage, serving in foreign wars and essentially being hired out to the highest bidder, government-sponsored mercenaries, probably all under-the-table, very hush-hush, but he fully intends to do it. When he asks her the question he asked Mattie, just before he threw her off the roof, “I can trust you, can’t I?” she must fear for her life, but she keeps her feelings hidden, knowing that to show weakness now would be to sign her own death warrant, quite literally.
But it's at an end now: the idyllic romance, the thrill of it all, the proximity to power she has craved, all of that matters little now. She sees she is lying in bed beside a monster, a monster who will happily sell his country into slavery, install a police state if it means he can hold on to power. If he beats the King, if he manages to swing the election and is returned to power, there will be no way to stop him. He will ride roughshod over the populace like a dictator/emperor the likes of which the Western World has never seen, never mind the United Kingdom. She must stop him. Her heart has turned to stone, and it’s just as well, because this task is going to require one, to match that of the man who was her lover and is now her sworn enemy, the enemy of freedom, the enemy of all British people, and the enemy perhaps of all men.
The real Urquhart
We see again the true face behind the mask, as Sarah casually asks if it is ok if she doesn’t stay overnight with him and his face immediately darkens. It is very much
not okay! How dare she have a ife? How dare she refuse to give him what he wants! What does she think she is: a free agent? Does she not know she belongs to him now, mind body and soul, and he should be the only one in her thoughts at any time? Husband? Who cares about her husband, or anyone else? She is his, and he should be able to command her any time he likes. She of course crumbles to his will, but now there’s something else in her eyes: fear. And he sees it. “Something’s happened”, he muses. “What is it? You’re not bored with me are you?” As if such a thing could be allowed to happen. But knowing incontrovertibly now what she does, she has much to fear. What lengths will this man go to to protect his secret, if he discovers she knows it? She recalls the words of John Krajewski: “They’ll probably kill you too.” Yes. Indeed.
We also see the Prime Minister’s true face when he realises he must destroy both his lifelong friend and his newest acquisition in order to ensure his own safety. He moans “I am in blood steeped so far” but he will not shirk this final task. Elizabeth helps bolster him against the pain, but once he has made the decision, we see his eyes turn to steely flint, and the man we know and loathe is starting directly out of those eyes, reminding us that nobody, no matter who they be, gets in his way.