The Crown – Hyde Park Corner

By starrymag | November 15, 2016

By: Lindsay Flanagan

 

Episode Two of “The Crown” opens to the rumbling sounds of a propeller plane flying over Kenya, where Elizabeth (Claire Foy) will give a speech to the locals in her father’s stead. As she stands in front of the Kenyans, her voice is strong despite her nerves. She only looks uncomfortable when the microphone squeals as she promises that her father will be with them next time. After her speech, she and Philip (Matt Smith) greet the Kenyan dignitaries, where Philip anxiously tries to joke with a leader about his hat. Elizabeth quickly informs him that it is a crown, a rebuke that is layered with meaning. It is Elizabeth who knows about crowns, as she will soon be wearing one herself.

 

King George (Jared Harris) is still dealing with health issues back in England. However, on this particular morning the King informs his doctor that he woke up “feeling like a new man.” The doctor tells him to enjoy it and the King replies, “I intend to.”

 

Meanwhile, over at Winston Churchill’s (John Lithgow) headquarters his newest employee, Venetia (Kate Phillips), is summoned to read his briefings to him outside his bathroom door. Churchill (who is lounging in the tub while reading a paper, smoking a cigar and drinking scotch), directs her to open his box of briefings and she scoots closer to the door to read them aloud. Churchill is listening despite all the splashing—and Venetia continues reading, even when his bath water splashes out of the tub, across the floor and under the door—right onto her. Her voice melds into Anthony Eden’s (Jeremy Northam), the Foreign Secretary and Deputy to the Prime Minister as he, Churchill and other members of the cabinet are meeting to discuss the country’s affairs. Churchill struggles out of his seat in the middle of Eden’s report, fumbling with his pants. It’s assumed he’s headed to relieve himself, hinting he’s “too old” to “hold it” (perhaps a metaphor for his position as well) as the next scene shows cabinet members urging Eden to take over as Prime Minister. Eden protests that he cannot push Churchill out of office so it is suggested by cabinet members that he go see “the one person who can.”

 

Back in Kenya, Elizabeth and Philip are enjoying a holiday together. There are a few scenes of them talking, laughing together, and—in Philip’s case—calming a wild elephant. At home in the palace; however, scandal looms as Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby) asks Peter (Ben Miles) to kiss her. As noted in the previous episode, Peter is the King’s personal servant and a married man. Yet, that does not stop Margaret’s crush. Peter doesn’t do anything stop it, either. He obliges her and kisses her cheek, which is observed by Tommy Lascelles (Pip Torren) who is the King’s private secretary that has been observing the exchange from a balcony.

 

Peter exits the palace to greet Anthony Eden, who has come to visit with the King and join him on a shooting outing. While Anthony tries to explain to the King why Churchill is no longer fit for the job (“He focuses on issues of America, the Soviet Union…so important domestic matters are falling behind.”) the King continues to shoot and cough. George asks Anthony what he would like him to do. Anthony admits that as sovereign, George cannot do anything from a “constitutional” standpoint, but perhaps he can as a friend. “As Albert Windsor,” Anthony says, “you are the one person who I can think of to whom he might listen.” The King; however, reminds Anthony that he is no longer Albert Windsor—he is George the VI, King of England and will not interfere with the Prime Minister. He also wisely counsels Anthony that it is better to wait for the things he wants than be put into a position when he is unprepared, reminding Anthony of George’s own personal experience of being thrust onto the throne when his brother abdicated.

 

The scene closes and then opens on another day and another shooting party where Margaret joins her father. Later, the father and daughter sing a duet and the entire room, and in fact all of the palace, is touched. The listeners stand and cheer for their King while a few tears fall from his youngest daughter’s eyes. Later, George settles in for the night, watching the news that is broadcasting how his other daughter Elizabeth is doing in Kenya. The music of bagpipes closes the scene and the notes also open the next, showing a misty morning. A servant opens the drapes in the King’s room, allowing the gray light to come in. The King does not wake. It is then announced, “The King is dead.”

 

A few short scenes show the King’s wife and mother receiving the news. Churchill is told while still in bed. Churchill asks if the Princess has been notified, to which he receives the reply, “If you mean the new queen, my understanding is not.” Churchill cuts in and says she must be notified before the news breaks over the wires. Despite their attempts to tell Elizabeth, there is trouble locating her in Kenya. Churchill reluctantly agrees to allow the BBC to report the news. “God help her,” he says.

 

Elizabeth’s personal secretary, Martin Charteris (Harry Hadden-Paton), scrambles to get to her before she hears the news over the radio. He makes it in time and tells Philip who says that he should be the one to tell her. The words he says are not heard on camera. They are out of earshot, although Philip can be seen talking intently to her. Elizabeth turns her back on him and walks away.

 

In the palace, Margaret visits her father’s body and then leaves sobbing. She rushes on horseback to a secret spot where Peter meets her. In the haze of grief, Margaret says to him that she will not let him go—as the King’s personal servant, Peter could now be dismissed at any time. Their flirtation of the past finally gives in to full-blown romance as Peter kisses her and she, crying, kisses him back. While Margaret’s grief is overflowing, Elizabeth’s is more private as she retains her composure while discussing the regal name she’ll take as queen. “Let’s not overcomplicate matters,” she says. “My name is Elizabeth.” She stands to leave and Martin replies, “Then long live Queen Elizabeth.” She does not look back as she exits the room.

 

In England, Churchill is writing a eulogy for the King which will be broadcast the following day. His wife, Clemmie (Harriet Walter), tells him she heard that Anthony Eden had gone to see the King over worries about Churchill’s age, leadership and “incapacity.” Churchill scoffs, saying the King would never indulge in such “treachery” and Anthony would never dare as Churchill has been “like a father” and a mentor to him. Clemmie gives Churchill a look and he stops. There is an understanding that they both know it to be true, although Clemmie tries to reassure him that “it was probably nothing.” They both agree though that the eulogy must be perfect, as it will prove to Anthony and the others what Churchill is still capable of.

 

As Churchill searches for the right words for the speech, Elizabeth says surprising words of her own to Philip: “I’m sorry.” Philip is surprised, but Elizabeth explains that she hoped they’d have had longer to be young, to be married and to be together. The crown must now take precedence, as her grandmother, Mary (Eileen Atkins) wrote to her in a letter: “the crown…must always win.”

 

They get closer to landing in England and Martin explains to them both that he will soon be leaving her service. Tommy Lascelles, the King’s private secretary, will now be her private secretary. Philip does not look pleased with this news. Elizabeth doesn’t either, but she accepts it. Tommy, meanwhile, is back in the palace having an intense conversation with Peter Townsend, advising him against accepting a new position that has been offered by the Queen Mother. He does not say it’s because of Princess Margaret, but he does state that although Peter enjoys a close relationship with the family it is advised that he return to his own family. Peter; however, refuses to leave and accepts the new position.

 

The next few scenes pass quickly as Churchill’s eulogy speech provides most of the narrative. Elizabeth exits the plane dressed in black. The cabinet members and the country gather to hear the Prime Minister’s words of comfort and praise for the late King. Elizabeth returns home where, after viewing her father’s body, she meets her mother and sister. The Queen Mother bows to Elizabeth and Margaret follows suit, but as Elizabeth walks away and Margaret goes to walk beside her, their mother tells her to “wait.” No one must go before the Queen.

 

As the episode closes to Churchill’s magnificent words, the cabinet rises to say, “God save the queen!” Elizabeth, in the palace, descends a stairwell with Philip following in her wake. She is met by her grandmother, clothed in a black gown and veil. The floor creaks as the older woman bows to her granddaughter. Their eyes meet. Elizabeth is no longer a princess as she has become the heir presumptive. She is not Elizabeth Mountbatten. She is Elizabeth the II, the Queen.