- Lord Mountbatten: My dear Charles, there exists no greater compliment than to be called a "prince among men." Such a person earns his title with his ability to lead and inspire... elusive virtues, to which you must reach and rise. And it grieves me to say that you are not working hard enough to reach and to rise. The choice of a woman was the issue around which the last Prince of Wales came to grief. And it's astonishing to me that, 40 years after the abdication, you are making so little attempt to conceal your infatuation for another man's wife. How could you contemplate such ruin and disappointment to yourself, to your family, to me? Must I remind you again of the importance of building your destiny with some sweet and innocent, well-tempered girl with no past, who knows the rules and will follow the rules? Someone with whom you can make a fresh start and build a new life. One that people will love as a princess and, in due course, as queen. This is your duty now, your most important task. You are more than a man, more than a prince, and one day, dear boy, you shall be king. But now, to the sea. I miss you enormously. There is no one whose company I enjoy more. But I think you know that. Your ever-loving honorary grandpa... Dickie.
- [first lines]
- IRA Lieutenant: Why are the English still with us? Why, after everything we've thrown at them, does the British presence in Ireland still endure? So many sacrifices have been made. So many of our brothers and sisters have given their lives in resistance to that occupation, but we are still ignored. We are still denied our basic right to self-determination, and our sons and brothers, husbands and fathers are still held in British jails. Well, if nothing has changed, then, my friends, it is time for a new approach.
- Newsreader: Britain's first woman Prime Minister, a conviction politician, who's made no secret of the fact she believes the country needs to change from top to bottom... going to the palace... presumably to tell her Queen exactly that.
- Queen Elizabeth II: Mrs. Thatcher.
- Margaret Thatcher: [kneels before the Queen] Your Majesty.
- Queen Elizabeth II: Your party has won the election. It is my very great pleasure to invite you to form a government in my name.
- [offers her hand]
- Queen Elizabeth II: Congratulations *Prime Minister*.
- Margaret Thatcher: [grateful] Thank you ma'am.
- Queen Elizabeth II: Please.
- [they sit down]
- Queen Elizabeth II: Your family must be very proud. You've two children?
- Margaret Thatcher: Yes, but grown up now and out of the house.
- Queen Elizabeth II: And your husband, is retired. Is that right?
- Margaret Thatcher: Yes, but he won't get in the way of that which you're asking. Denis is very good at taking care of himself. His golf clubs will be in the hallway. He will come and go as he pleases. He knows how busy I will be and how hard I intend to work.
- [short pause]
- Queen Elizabeth II: To business then. Have you decided on your first Cabinet?
- Margaret Thatcher: I have.
- Queen Elizabeth II: It may surprise you to learn that I enjoy predicting ministerial comings and goings. It's like the races. I like to study form and odds. Who's in. Who's out. I also like to predict Cabinets. My best so far was Mr. Wilson's second reshuffle. I got 90%.
- [Prime Minister Thatcher is interested]
- Queen Elizabeth II: Would you like to hear my predictions for yours? I'm assuming they're women?
- [the Queen takes some papers out of her handbag]
- Margaret Thatcher: Women?
- Queen Elizabeth II: In Cabinet.
- Margaret Thatcher: No. Certainly not.
- [the Queen looks at the Prime Minister]
- Margaret Thatcher: Well, not... just because there aren't any *suitable* candidates, but I have found woman in general tend not to be suited to High Office.
- Queen Elizabeth II: Oh? Why's that?
- Margaret Thatcher: They become too *emotional*.
- [short pause]
- Queen Elizabeth II: [assuring] I doubt you'll have that trouble with me.