Elizabeth (1998)

Cate Blanchett: Elizabeth I

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Quotes 

• [last lines] 

  Elizabeth : Observe, Lord Burghley, I am married. To England.

• Elizabeth : Aye, but marry who, Your Grace? Would you give me some suggestion? For some say France and others Spain, and some cannot abide foreigners at all. So I am not sure how best to please you unless I married one of each.

  [laughter] 

  Noble : Now Your Majesty does make fun of the sanctity of marriage.

  Elizabeth : I do not think *you* should lecture me on that, my lord, since you yourself have been *twice divorced*... and are now upon your third wife!

  [laughter] 

• Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley : Forgive me, Madam, but you are only a woman...

  Elizabeth : [cuts him off firmly]  I may be a woman, Sir William, but if I choose I have the heart of a man! I am my father's daughter. I am not afraid of anything.

• Lord Robert : For God's sake, you are still my Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth : I am not your Elizabeth. I am no man's Elizabeth. And if you think to rule, you are mistaken.

  Elizabeth : [to all] 

  Elizabeth : I will have one mistress here... and no master.

• Elizabeth : [referring to Dudley]  He shall be kept alive to always remind me of how close I came to danger.

• [Elizabeth presents her ideas of religious reform to Parliament; the bishops are outraged and begin to argue] 

  First Bishop : Madam, by this act... by this act, you force us to relinquish our allegiance to the Holy Father.

  Elizabeth : How can I force you, Your Grace? I am a woman.

  [Bishops laugh] 

  Elizabeth : I have no desire to make windows into men's souls. I simply ask, can any man, in truth, serve two masters, and be faithful to both?

  [Bishops start to argue again] 

  Bishop #2 : Madam, this-this is heresy!

  Elizabeth : No, Your Grace, this is... common sense.

  [Bishops murmur in semi-agreement] 

  Elizabeth : Which is a most English virtue.

  [Bishops laugh] 

• Queen Mary : Why will you not confess your crimes against me?

  Elizabeth : Because, Your Majesty, I have committed none.

  Queen Mary : You speak with such sincerity. I see you are still a consummate actress. My husband is gone. They have poisoned my child. They say it is a tumor.

  [Moans in pain] 

  Elizabeth : Madam, you are not well.

  Queen Mary : They say this cancer will make you queen, but they are wrong. Look there, it is your death warrant. All I need do is sign it.

  Elizabeth : Mary, if you sign that paper, you will be murdering your own sister.

• Lord Robert : Marry me.

  Elizabeth : On a night such as this, could any woman say no?

  Lord Robert : On a night such as this, could a queen say no?

  Elizabeth : Does not a queen sit under the same stars as any other woman?

• Duc d'Anjou : [as he stands before Elizabeth and entourage in a dress, speaking in a heavy French accent]  What? Huh? What? Wha-do, what? You stare, Madame.

  [snorts] 

  Duc d'Anjou : What is it, do you see... somesthings... strange perhaps? Heh-heh... Hmm?

  Elizabeth : You are wearing a dress, Your Grace.

  Duc d'Anjou : Oh, yes, I am wearing a dress! Yes, yes, I'm wearing a dress! Wha- I wear a dress like this, my mother, and you... Hm-hm. But I only dress like this-a, when I'm alone, in private, with my friends... Hmm?

  Elizabeth : Your Grace.

  [approaches and offers her hand for him to kiss, which he reluctantly does] 

  Elizabeth : Although my affection for you is undiminished, I have, after an agonizing struggle, determined to sacrifice my own happiness for the welfare of my people.

  Duc d'Anjou : [sarcastically, fully expecting her rejection]  Oh! My God, ha-ha...

• Elizabeth : Kat... I have become a virgin.

• [Offering Elizabeth his coat before putting her in the tower] 

  Arundel : Madam, you are cold.

  Elizabeth : I do not need your pity.

  Arundel : Accept it, then, for my sake.

  Elizabeth : Thank you. I shall not forget this kindness.

• Lord Robert : When you are Queen...

  Elizabeth : I am not...

  [whispering] 

  Elizabeth : I am not Queen yet!

  Lord Robert : You will be. Elizabeth, Queen of England. A court to worship you, a country to obey you, poems written celebrating your beauty, music composed in your honor, and they will mean nothing to you. I will mean nothing to you.

  Elizabeth : [laughs gaily]  How could you ever be nothing to me? Robert, you know you are everything to me.

• Queen Mary : You will promise me something? When I am gone, you will do everything in your power to uphold the Catholic faith. Do not take away from the people the consolations of the Blessed Virgin.

  Elizabeth : When I am Queen I promise - to act as my conscience dictates.

  Queen Mary : Well, do not think to be Queen at all.

• Elizabeth : This is the Lord's doing. And it is marvelous in our eyes.

• Elizabeth : There will be no more talk of marriage.

• Elizabeth : Just tell me why.

  Lord Robert : Why? Madam, is it not plain enough to you? 'Tis no easy thing to be loved by the queen. It would corrupt the soul of any man.

• Elizabeth : I do not like wars. They have uncertain outcomes.

• Sir Francis Walsingham : All Norfolk need do is sign this paper and treason will have been committed.

  Elizabeth : Then let him sign it, and let it all be done.

• Elizabeth : I have rid England of her enemies. What do I do now? Am I to be made of stone? Must I be touched by nothing?

• Queen Mary : When I look at you I see nothing of the king, only that whore, your mother. My father never did anything so well as to cut off her head.

  Elizabeth : Your Majesty forgets he was also my father.

• [on the Virgin Mary] 

  Elizabeth : She had such power over men's hearts. They died for her.

  Sir Francis Walsingham : They have found nothing to replace her.

• Elizabeth : Tonight I think I die.

• Elizabeth : Invite the Duke of Anjou. We shall see him in flesh.

  [She runs after Lord Robert, who is not happy with the news] 

  Monsieur de Foix : The Duke will not take kindly to a rival for his suit.

  Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley : He is a traitor and his father before him. Lord Robert's head will end up on a spike, not on the pillow of a Queen.

• Lord Robert : Monsignor Alvaro! Monsignor Alvaro! Monsignor Alvaro, tell me. As well as ambassador, are you not also a bishop?

  De la Quadra : I am, my lord.

  Lord Robert : [referring to himself and Elizabeth]  Then you can marry us!

  De la Quadra : Marry *you*?

  Elizabeth : [laughing]  Perhaps he does not know enough English to perform the ceremony!

• Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley : Now, I really must...

  Elizabeth : The word "must" is not used to princes!

• Elizabeth : A man will confess to anything - under torture.

• Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley : Secrets, Madam? You have no secrets! The world knows Lord Robert visits your chambers and you fornicate with him! It's even said you already carry his child!

  Elizabeth : Yes, Sir William, I live my life in the open! I am surrounded by people! I do not understand how so bad a judgement has been formed of me!

• Elizabeth : [reaches out, a steward brings her wine] 

• Elizabeth : He then said that this King would marry me but would not expect to share my bed more than two or three times a year.

  Lord Robert : As much as that?

• Lord Robert : The King is a fool. What could ever be important enough to keep him from your bed?

  Elizabeth : Robert, you should not say such things.

  Lord Robert : Then I shall only think them.

• De la Quadra : The King of Spain is enraptured and offers you his hand in marriage.

  Elizabeth : My sister is not yet dead! Her bed is still warm.

  De la Quadra : His Majesty finds it already cold.

• Duc d'Anjou : I can't wait. I dream of the moment when we are naked together in bed where I can stroke your thigh and perhaps even your quinny? Would you like that?

  Elizabeth : Remove your hand. Perhaps, Your Grace, we shall think on it.

• Elizabeth : Play a volta!

• Elizabeth : Each of you must vote according to your conscience. But remember this. In your hands, upon this moment, lies the future happiness of my people, and the peace of this realm. Let that be upon your conscience also.

• Elizabeth : I do not see why a woman need marry at all.

• Lord Robert : When may I see you in private?

  Elizabeth : In private? Have you forgot, my Lord? I am Queen now.

• Elizabeth : Lord Robert, you may make whores of my Ladies but you shall not make one of me.

• Monsieur de Foix : Perhaps Her Majesty's heart is already set upon another.

  Elizabeth : Do not presume, Monsieur, to know the secrets of my heart. Monsieur de Foix may leave.

• Elizabeth : If there is no uniformity of religious belief here, then there can only be fragmentation.