- Are we late? - Sorry.
I said to the bishop, "if you catch my drift."
Oh, you are naughty.
Here you are.
- Dress ready, darling? - Yes, here we are.
- Shoes? - Here we go.
How many people in the world actually know about this?
Foun
The crowds out in force tonight outside the royal opera house
to welcome their royal highnesses the prince and Princess of wales.
The prince, of course, is the president of the friends of covent garden
who are hosting tonight's event.
Princess Diana, in a strapless lilac chiffon gown
printed with gold pattern, receiving the attention.
But it's the prince's night.
His royal highness celebrating his 37th birthday
at this special gala event.
Back in a tick. I'm going to powder my nose.
Happy birthday.
What were you thinking?
I was trying to make you happy.
That grotesque, mortifying display had nothing to do with me or my happiness.
Eight minutes they were on their feet, cheering you.
Tomorrow the newspapers will be about nothing other than you.
People will see it was about my feelings for you.
If you had any feelings for me, if you had, any understanding of me,
if you had anything between your ears other than self-obsession,
you would know public displays like that horrify me!
- Everything I do seems to horrify you. - Increasingly, yes!
I never thought you'd manage this, but you're really succeeding now.
And what's that?
- I'm starting to properly loathe you! - What's taken you so long?
The rest of us have been there for some time!
- What are you doing? - I'm going back to Gloucestershire.
Of course.
It's where she'll be waiting for you.
I'm sure she'll know exactly how to make you happy.
Charles and Diana seem to be getting on again.
Hallelujah.
Apparently, she surprised him with a dance last night at the opera house.
- Really? - Full of high kicks and spins.
Why did you never do that for me?
- Dance on your birthday? - Yes.
Like salome.
Because, if memory serves, you had your own ballerinas for that.
Honestly.
The rubbish you talk sometimes.
It says here they're off to Switzerland, skiing with friends.
Perhaps their marriage has turned a corner.
Now, much more importantly, who is Billy Jo-El?
Billy Joel.
- Oh, Joel. - Yes.
"Uptown girl."
What are you talking about?
Right.
Right. Obviously, the minute you can confirm anything.
Anything at all.
I need to see the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh immediately.
Prince Charles has been caught in an avalanche
at the Swiss resort of klosters.
The prince of wales was skiing with a group of friends
when the avalanche struck at a quarter to 3...
Had been the warning of possible avalanches in the region
after heavy snowfall...
Rescue helicopters are attending the scene,
but it is not known whether the prince has survived.
A desperate rescue operation is now underway.
Efforts to locate the prince continue...
They were on the haglamadd,
a notoriously challenging off-piste slope...
When the avalanche struck.
It seems that two of the party were hit and swept away.
What...?
Why were they even skiing if the conditions were dangerous?
Conditions this morning were apparently ideal.
And a male body has been found?
Those are the first unconfirmed reports, yes.
Obviously, every effort possible is being made to identify the body,
but should the unthinkable turn out to be true
and the prince of wales is in fact...
We have contingency plans in place for all members of the royal family.
"Menai bridge" is no exception.
It's the code name for the death of the prince of wales.
Yes, thank you, Martin.
Why Bridges?
We're all Bridges.
I'm London bridge. Mummy's tay bridge.
You're forth bridge.
The choice of name...
Was to suggest a link between this life and...
And the next.
We've had it confirmed.
The prince of wales is safe, ma'am.
Although one of the guests, Mrs. Palmer-tomkinson,
is still in intensive care, and the one fatality was Hugh Lindsay.
- Oh, no. - His wife...
Widow, works in the press office.
- If you wanted to send a letter... - Of course.
Martin?
Yes, ma'am, just to say...
Along with the coverage of his royal highness's near escape,
we should also brace ourselves for more speculation
about the waleses' marriage.
It seems the prince and Princess had not been on the best of terms
prior to the accident, and we'd received reports of
arguments and raised voices.
Certain newspapers were about to run stories,
and although we might expect a reprieve of a few days,
given the circumstances,
we can't expect it to last for long.
Ma'am.
The prince and Princess of wales
are traveling back to britain this afternoon,
following a devastating accident
that has cut short their skiing holiday in Switzerland.
On board their flight will be the body of major Hugh Lindsay,
a close friend of the couple, who died in the avalanche yesterday.
The prince of wales was himself only inches away from death...
- They said you were on your way. - Hello, darling.
Oh, thank you.
What have I done now?
You? Nothing.
But as his sister and confidante,
I thought you might throw some light on a subject
about which I've been ostriching, rather.
The true state of Charles' marriage.
You don't want to know.
Actually, I do.
- Tea? - Yes, please.
Thank you.
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Please.
All right.
There was a beautiful young girl
who fell madly in love with a handsome prince.
Unfortunately, the prince was already in love with someone else,
who was herself in love with someone else, and they all lived unhappily ever after.
That's it, in a nutshell. Do you need more?
A little.
There's already a big age difference,
but Charles is older than his years, and Diana is younger than hers,
which makes it not an age gap but an age chasm.
On the face of it, they come from similar aristocratic backgrounds,
but their personalities come from different planets.
They have different interests, different friends.
He doesn't understand her. She doesn't understand him.
And considering all that, they've done remarkably well.
There comes a point in any failing marriage,
and here I speak with some experience,
when you realize there's no point in trying anymore,
and it's easier to just let the current take you away.
And the minute Harry was born and duty was done,
the marriage was effectively over,
and they started to find comfort in the arms of others.
How many others?
Diana's been with her bodyguard, her riding instructor...
- And Charles? - He's just been with one.
He's also been a bit more discreet.
The only people who know about Camilla...
Pretty much the whole of Gloucestershire, who all seem involved in facilitating it.
You can't conduct an extramarital affair without somewhere to meet or sleep or...
- Yes, thank you. - But Diana...
Aunt margot tells me at Kensington palace, it's like a revolving door.
That suitors park outside her office
because it's the only place with no security cameras.
One after another.
In and out.
Unfortunately, the wales marriage is a rare example
of something that is actually worse than the newspapers report.
Sir...
The queen has asked to see you and the Princess of wales
at the earliest opportunity.
You must be so shocked by what's happened.
It's all too awful to comprehend.
But there is something I want to tell you.
In the moment the avalanche was bearing down on me,
in that ghastly moment where I was sure I was going to die,
I had a profound realization.
This whole thing...
My marriage, this situation, the whole charade is madness.
- Hi. - Hey.
I only want to be with you.
But you are with me.
I mean fully. Completely.
As my wife.
Oh, darling...
The rest of it is just a terrible lie
that is making everyone involved in it, everyone, utterly wretched.
Thank you, Nigel.
Mummy.
Thank you both for coming.
I asked you here today because word has reached me
about the difficulties you're experiencing.
But something as important as the marriage of the future monarch
simply cannot be allowed to fail.
Your marriage, all our marriages,
are a reflection on the integrity of the crown.
And if they show cracks...
That they cannot be relied upon, then the constancy and stability
that the monarchy is supposed to represent is called into question too.
So I would like to ask one fundamental question of you both.
Does either of you no longer want this marriage to work?
Well...
Now that you mention it...
I have given it all some thought.
-And...
Wait.
I still want to make this marriage work.
With all my heart.
Then why have you broken your vows, as I understand you have?
Because...
Sometimes...
You don't know how you feel about something...
Until you've nearly had it taken away.
The moment I heard about the avalanche,
and the possibility that Charles might've...
I can't even say it.
In that instant,
I felt an ovennhelming emptiness and loss.
And for the first time,
I saw all the hurt and the pain that I've been inflicting on you...
And you on me.
And suddenly, it all seemed so childish.
So pointless.
And do you understand what it takes to make a marriage work?
The respect one must show the other party.
The blind eyes one needs to turn.
The arrangements both of you must come to.
The freedoms both of you must respect.
And the rules you must abide by.
I am ready to commit, to anything.
To go to any lengths.
And I want to say to you...
That I'm sorry...
For my part...
In everything.
- Good. Well, that's that, then. - What?
Do I get a chance to speak?
And say what?
What else is there to say?
It's a nightmare.
I had the whole speech prepared, then out of nowhere, Diana does that.
Ambushes me like that.
And mummy, well, you know her.
So grateful the subject was over,
she couldn't get out of the room quickly enough.
Well, I won't let this go.
I spoke to my protection officers.
They all know what she gets up to, and if anything happens,
if Diana puts even the slightest foot wrong,
if she even thinks about straying...
They'll let me know.
Major Hewitt's gone.
Eyes, left.
I gave him the heave-ho.
Everyone else too.
No more little flirtations.
No more plan b's.
All doors firmly shut.
Any more telephone calls from major Hewitt,
make sure to say I'm out.
I don't want to hear from him.
He can't just show up.
He's not welcome here anymore.
Ma'am.
For the first time, things do feel different.
I feel different.
Because I've realized how much I want to make this marriage work.
And to that end, with our seventh anniversary coming up...
Well...
I've had some ideas.
On the let,
we have lunch at the community enterprise trust in hartlepool,
followed by a turf-cutting ceremony
at Hilton colliery redevelopment site in sunderland.
What about the 22nd?
A presentation of new colors
to the 1st battalion Gordon highlanders at fort George, inverness.
I'm trying to find time for a weekend in Scotland with Mrs. Parker bowles.
What about the 29th?
- That might be tricky. - Why? I'm free the day before.
I'm not due back in cornwall until the 2nd, which is a Tuesday.
The 29th is your wedding anniversary, sir.
Of course.
As a matter of fact,
the Princess of wales made a point
of requesting you be in highgrove that weekend.
She said she had something specific in mind.
- Who's that? - Hello, boys.
Come on. Let's have you...
In you go. Come on.
There's three more over there.
Three in a boat.
Prince overboard.
I'm coming.
- Push me, Harry! - I'll help.
Right.
Thank you.
Oh, we haven't done our presents.
Right. Yes.
Thank you.
Aedes althorpianae. The history of your family home.
Commissioned by your great-great-great grandfather in 1822.
It's a first edition.
Oh, Charles, that's lovely.
Thank you.
Now me.
It's a bit smaller.
Thank you.
I know how horrified you were the last time I performed for you,
about how public it was.
I wasn't horrified.
Yes, you were.
I was a little shocked.
Taken by surprise.
I know.
But I love to perform.
It's how I can best express myself, and...
How I can show what I really feel.
So this time, it's just between us.
No public. No one watching.
- What is this? - Wait, watch.
No more talk of darkness
forget these wide-eyed fears
I'm here, nothing will harm you
my words will warm and calm you
let me be your freedom
let daylight dry your tears
I'm here, with you, beside you
to guard you and to guide you
say you love me
every waking moment
turn my head
with talk of summertime
say you need me
with you now and always...
It was monstrous. Awful.
I thought the agony she inflicted on me at the opera house couldn't be topped.
What was it?
A video of Diana singing some dreadful song
in some ghastly musical.
- Phantom of the opera. Imagine! - What?
On the actual stage in the west end, in costume, with all the real actors.
- Singing? - If you could call it that.
I didn't know where to look.
The chap playing the phantom at least had a mask to hide behind.
Honestly, there's nothing more exhausting than putting on a kind face.
I never realized how much scaffolding a smile required.
When is this nightmare ever going to end?
- Oh, Charles. - What?
I'm going to be frank with you.
No one wants your marriage to end, not a single person.
Not Diana, not your children,
not your mother or father, not me, not a single one of your friends,
and, most importantly, not even the woman you think loves you.
- Oh, what rubbish! - No, listen!
Listen to me.
No one can bear to watch the mess you are making,
and someone needs to explain things to you.
I'm close to Camilla's husband, as you know...
Yes, I'm aware.
And speak to Andrew regularly.
While theirs is not a perfect marriage...
- Understatement. - It is a long-lasting marriage.
And, in its own way, a happy marriage.
- She's not happy. - She's happier than you think.
- That he's bedding most of her friends? - It's complicated!
The majority of marriages survive because the majority of people aren't fantasists.
They are realists
and accept the imperfect reality of being human.
And although Camilla doubtless has feelings for you, deep feelings,
it is maybe not quite the great Romeo-Juliet thing you imagine.
What? You're lying.
No, I'm not. I'm trying to protect you.
I come here seeking comfort from my sibling, and what do I get?
The unvarnished truth.
What does one have to do to get some kindness in this family?
I can't stay long. The children are home.
I need to know.
Do you still have feelings for Andrew?
- What? - I don't mean normal feelings.
He's your husband and the father of your children.
I mean special feelings.
Anne told me that...
Andrew, not I, was the big love of your life,
and that your feelings for me were perhaps not as deep as I'd imagined.
That's not true.
Andrew has never adored me like you do. Or shown me the same devotion.
He also doesn't need me like you do.
I do need you.
And that's why it's so important...
We both feel the same...
And want the same.
And that if the opportunity were to present itself...
And I were able to escape this...
Calamity of a marriage...
That you'd be prepared to do the same thing and leave Andrew.
Can you make me that promise?
What we both want and what we can actually do are not the same thing.
It's important we remain realistic, sir.
But you have my word.
My love for you is real.
I should go.
And the environments are being damaged.
Mrs. Thatcher has been welcomed in Canberra
by the Australian prime minister...
And one, and two and three and four,
and turn towards the barre and arms like this.
Come along, Diana.
And... and again. And one and two and three and...
Highgrove.
Sir, the Princess of wales on the phone.
Very good.
I'm afraid the prince of wales isn't available,
but I will inform him you called.
Hello?
Well, well, well...
- Sir. - Yes.
What about...?
- Sir. - Yes.
News from Kensington.
The Princess of wales has been meeting major Hewitt in private.