KING   Yes. I want you to hand over Gibraltar to Spain and see if you can get Minorca in return. Now, do you think you could do that?

BAKER   I’m a physician, sir.

KING   Then you should have no difficulty. Good afternoon.
Baker shakes his head at Willis and goes out. With more whoops of delight, the King gives Papandiek a piggyback and runs with him into the drawing room.

INT. KEW. DRAWING ROOM. DAY.

Where he is suddenly confronted by the Queen. Silence. Fitzroy glares at Greville, who plainly is responsible for the visit.

QUEEN   Your Majesty.
The King appears to ignore her, and sits down.
Have you nothing to say to me, sir?

KING   Say, madam? What is there to say? We were married for twenty-eight years, never separated even for a day, yet you abandoned me to my tormentors.

QUEEN   The doctors said it was for your good.

KING   My good? What do they know of my good?

QUEEN   George. They may not permit me to see you again. A Bill has been prepared to make the son Regent.

KING   (laughing incredulously) Regent?

QUEEN   (producing the Bill) Do you understand? He is to rule in your place.

KING   Regent? The fat one?

FITZROY   His Majesty has not been told about the Bill, madam.

QUEEN   He must know. George, you must know. He must know. Do you understand? The son.

FITZROY   Come away, madam. Come away.
He pushes the Queen out of the room.

KING   The son! The father pushed aside, put out, put away. Ruled out. The father not dead even. By whose authority? (reading) ‘The Prince of Wales should have full power and authority’ … ‘All authorities, prerogatives.’ Why was I not told of this?
Papandiek tries to calm and restrain him, but the King pushes him violently to the floor and tries to run after the Queen.

WILLIS   (taking the Bill from him) The Bill doesn’t matter, sir.

GREVILLE   (desperately) Your Majesty, this Bill is to be presented today, sir. The Prince of Wales has a majority in the House.
Willis looks at the King and the King straight away calms down.

KING   Greville! Dr Willis is right. Take it away.

INT. WESTMINSTER. LOBBY. DAY.

MPs are thronging into the House. Fitzroy forces his way through the crowds to where the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York are standing with Warren and Fox. Fitzroy whispers in the Prince’s ear.

DUKE OF YORK   What’s that? He’s on the mend? I say, that’s good news!

PRINCE OF WALES   Does anyone else know?
Fitzroy shakes his head.

FITZROY   No, sir.

WARREN   It may be only temporary.
Fitzroy doesn’t say anything to encourage this.

PRINCE OF WALES   Well, I see no reason to disseminate the information. We can decide how ill His Majesty is when the Bill is passed, eh, Warren?
They are about to go into the gallery.
Nearly there, Charles.
Fox looks unhappy.

FOX   Where’s Thurlow?