The Madness of King George (1994)

Julian Wadham: Pitt

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Pitt has given the King some papers to sign] 

  George III : What is this? America, I suppose.

  Pitt : No, sir.

  George III : Oh, America's not to be spoken of, is that it?

  Pitt : For your peace of mind, sir. But it's not America.

  George III : Peace of mind! I have no peace of mind. I've had no peace of mind since we lost America. Forests, old as the world itself... meadows... plains... strange delicate flowers... immense solitudes... and all nature new to art... all ours... Mine. Gone. A paradise... lost.

• Thurlow : The cork's too tight in the bottle, that's the trouble. He must be the first King of England not to have a mistress.

  Pitt : Fifteen children seem to me to indicate a certain conscientiousness in that regard.

  Thurlow : I'm talking of pleasure, not duty.

• Pitt : I used to sit with my father when he was ill. I used to read him Shakespeare.

  Dr. Willis : I have never read Shakespeare.

  [Pitt and Thurlow stare at him in shock] 

  Dr. Willis : I am a clergyman.

• Pitt : We consider ourselves blessed in our constitution. We tell ourselves our Parliament is the envy of the world. But we live in the health and well-being of the sovereign as much as any vizier does the Sultan.

  [Pitt exits] 

  Thurlow : [to Dundas]  The Sultan orders it better. He has the son and heir strangled.

• George III : [Signs document]  Married yet, Mr. Pitt, what what?

  Pitt : No, sir.

  George III : [Blows excess pounce off document]  Got your eye on anybody then, hey?

  Pitt : No, sir.

  George III : [Holds out document, which Pitt retrieves while handing the king another one]  A man should marry - yes, yes.

  [Looks at new document] 

  George III : Best thing I ever did. And children, you see, children. Great comfort, of course.

  [Indicates paper] 

  George III : This fellow we're putting in as professor at Oxford - was his father Canon of Westminster?

  Pitt : I've no idea, sir.

  George III : Yes! Yes. Phillips. That's the father, this is the son. And the daughter married the organist at Norwich Cathedral. Sharpe. Yes, and their son is the painter. And the other son is a master at Eton. And he married somebody's niece.

  Pitt : Your Majesty's knowledge of even the lowliest of your appointments never ceases to astonish me.

  [the king laughs as he signs the document] 

• Fox : You see that the King did not write his own speech, Mr. Pitt.

  Pitt : The King will do as he's told, Mr. Fox.

  Fox : Then why not be rid of him? If a few ramshackle colonists in America can send him packing, why can't we?

• George III : What of the colonies, Mr. Pitt?

  Pitt : America is now a nation, sir.

  George III : Is it? Well. We must try and get used to it. I have known stranger things. I once saw a sheep with five legs...

• Fox : Do you enjoy all this flummery, Mr. Pitt?

  Pitt : No, Mr. Fox.

  Fox : Do you enjoy anything, Mr. Pitt?

  Pitt : A balance sheet, Mr. Fox. I enjoy a good balance sheet.

• George III : I absolutely agree. As I agree with you, Mr Pitt, on everything. Apart from the place we mustn't mention. The colonies!

  Pitt : They're now called the United States, sir.

  George III : Are they? Goodness, me. The United States. Well, I haven't mentioned them. I prefer not to, whatever they're called.

• George III : Aha, Mr Pitt. Well, you had a lucky escape, what, what?

  Pitt : Aye, Your Majesty?

  George III : Yes, you. You're my Prime Minister. I chose you. If anything would have happened to me, you'd be out, what what, and Mr Fox would be in. Hey, hey.