The Royal Exchange (2017) - full transcript

Madam, the Duke of
Brittany has passed away.

The Duke of Anjou, his
brother present here,

is the new heir to the throne.

We have to take care of him.

- You do not.
- Those are the orders of the king.

You leave him alone.

Because of your negligence

his family was exterminated.

Your disability killed them.

Never. Do you hear me?

- Never come near the child.
- But...



- Madam...
- Get out !

Louis XV returns to Versailles
after it was empty for 7 years.

Your Majesty.

Here she kept me in her
arms for the last time.

Do you really believe they
were plotting against me?

The sudden death of all heirs of
Louis XIV caused us the worst fear.

Even if the chance exists

that the true cause was a disease.

Would a child be killed
to take his throne?

History says so, Your Majesty.

Now you have to sleep.

Talk about my parents, Marshal.

Had your father been alive,

he had been a great king.



He had great moral and
intellectual qualities.

Like a great wisdom.

As far as your mother is concerned...

Your mother...

she lit the court.

His Majesty Louis XIV adored her.

He was broken by her loss.

If they had not all died,

I was just today

the grandson of the king

or a king's son,

or the brother of the king.

And then my childhood had
really been mine alone.

I oppose your plans, cousin!

You seem to intentionally
weaken the monarchy.

- What do you mean ?
- To become a regent

against the will of the dead
king, you let parliament go.

God alone knows where that leads us.

We had to reduce the pressure
of my uncle, the Sun King.

His splendor, his wars
ruined the country.

Freedom helps citizens
to bear their burdens.

My plans have only
one realistic goal:

bring peace to a country
that can no longer wage war.

All that in the interest of the king.

That is the truth, even
if you think otherwise.

Majesty,

I'm sorry to tell you that
your cat killed your titmouse.

- She must be punished.
- How ?

- The worst punishment.
- And who is?

She will attend the Regency Council.

That being said, the Regent
wants to talk to you.

He is accompanied by the
chairman of the board,

the Duke of Condé and M. de Fleury.

Can we let them wait?

- I'm daydreaming.
- I'm afraid not.

Your Majesty,

after all my duties during your regency,

and I hope to have
accomplished that worthy,

now, after years of war with
Spain, I have exhausted France,

to keep the peace at all costs.

We believe that a marriage

with your full cousin, the
daughter of Philip V of Spain,

a girl that everyone likes,

the relations between our
countries will calm down.

We have come, Your Majesty,
humble and hopeful,

to ask for your approval
for this marriage.

Yes.

Your Majesty, I can not have the joy

describe with which I
accept the proposal

what I cherish so much about.

I am all the more pleased

because it corresponds to the
wishes of my great-grandfather,

whose examples and intentions
will always direct my behavior.

The infante of Spain
will make me happy.

Punctuality is the
politeness of a princess.

I should have learned that.

- Where the hurry, father?
- I'm going to marry you off.

Marry me off?

- To who ?
- The Spanish crown prince.

You will become a queen once.

- I do not speak spanish.
- The court speaks French.

Philip V is the grandson of Louis XIV.

- I'm not going !
- You're going!

Prize yourself happy.
I have had to forge enough conspiracies.

Your grandmother will give you advice.
Affairs of the kingdom call me.

Once at the Spanish court we never see
each other again, Louise-Elisabeth.

You will never see your parents again.

When I married Louis
XIV's brother,

I knew that I would never
see my Rhineland again.

When you married him,

Did you know he liked men?
- Be silent !

- I'm not going.
- You should. You were born for that.

Princesses must marry and
continue the dynasty.

I hope to go to heaven after my death.

If you ever want to see me there,

you know what you have to do.

If death has a purpose,

it is separating us from those
who have forgiven our lives.

Living as a saint would
spoil my zest for life

and it would forever condemn
me to boring company.

Higher!

Yet !

House of King Philip V of Spain,
far away from the court in Madrid.

Yet !

Their Majesties want to speak to you.

You can not draw such a
face in their presence.

I am not the one who is sulking.

It's Carmen.

It was her turn on the swing.

I wanted the best for our daughter.

Her marriage to the French
king is a good thing.

Do you think it's worth your son,

the Spanish heir to the throne,

to marry the daughter
of the regent?

Everything is better

than the massacres we knew.

Every one of the millions of
deaths that brought me here,

looking for me every night

and ask me a reason

that I can not give.

I'll have to pay for it one day.

Do you know what keeps me alive?

The fear of what the
afterlife reserves me.

And life.

What is life? It starts with
a scream and ends in tears.

Everyone is free to
give it a purpose,

but we got a conscience

that teaches us that nothing is certain.

Lord,

I beg you,

forgive me.

Their royal highs, the Prince of
Asturias and Princess Marianne Victoria.

My beloved daughter,

you are now Queen of France.

Here is the portrait of Louis, my cousin,

and your future husband.

Tell your brothers so that they
can give you the necessary honor.

As for you, my son,

we let you marry
Louise-Elisabeth of Orléans.

This is her portrait.

It's for you.

Please.

Go now.

Forward.

We pass through life.

We only leave our actions behind

and our offspring.

For a king

his actions are an option,

but his offspring is obligatory.

Yes. I learned that you are
the governess of the infante?

That's right. She is still so young

and so vulnerable.

Like you, when I was your governess.

But, mama, then you
are no longer mine?

I will always stay with you, my prince.

No one will ever take
your place in my heart.

I'm not asking you for a kiss, daughter.
My heart goes with you.

Try to honor me at
the Spanish court.

My valued friend Saint-Simon will
guide you through your first steps.

Go now.

Go now !

You are going to love me.

Not?

Some activities are inconceivable
for prayer, Highness.

Yes.

I have to remove the object
from this misunderstanding.

And if I wait until after the prayer?

Neither morality nor health benefits
from an exaggerated outlook.

What self-control would God please.

His Excellency, Duke of
Saint-Simon, Ambassador of France.

The marriage contracts, Majesty.

Can I keep the portrait of my husband?

Of course, Your Majesty.

It is yours.

Your husband sent you with pleasure.

And my wife?

- Any news about her trip?
- She's on her way.

The princess looks impatiently
at her future husband.

I see.

And... ?

Become wholly French, sweet child.

Forget your years in Spain.

But never forget your parents or your brothers.

Go, my dear.

I mean, Your Majesty.

- Say goodbye to the palace.
- May I say goodbye to my brothers,

Don Fernando and Don Carlos?

That is not allowed.
They both have whooping cough.

They are not going to die, are they?

That is hard to say.

You must learn, ma'am,

that life and death are the same.

Besides,

good that God so wanted.

Without that continuity

life would be short and sad.

Your marriage to the House of
France makes me very happy.

Do not look outside all the time.

You will become ill.

That is my intention.

Why does it take so long?

We have to get around epidemics.

- Epidemics?
- The plague in the East,

the smallpox in the West.

- They both like me.
- How can you say such a thing?

Between death and those tricky embers,

why should I choose?

If you fear death, you forget to live.
I want to live.

Surprised?

A tree has fallen.
He must be removed.

What are you doing ?

I see a bird with an angry eye.

We can not bring the House
of France an accident.

I want the seesaw to stop.

The evil that you have sown is germinated.

I told you not to
create too much air?

Do you know what I'm
most afraid of?

- Tell me.
- I'm bored to death.

Boredom can produce great things.

Sometimes it frees the mind.

- Is it a privilege?
- I think so.

I will never succeed.

Pheasant Island.
Border between France and Spain.

- Why do I have to change clothes?
- It's so.

Every princess has to
leave her own clothes.

Leave your resentment behind.

Nobody can take that away from me.

The envoys of the King of Spain

come to greet the
Princess of Montpensier.

I...

I am here with a gift
from your future husband.

Nice, but I do not hunt.

Say that to your master.

I will do that.

How...

How do you entertain yourself?

- Music?
- No, that annoys me.

Embroidery?

I, embroider?

I'm not destroying my eyes.

- Do you read ?
- I can hardly do that.

What do you like?

Nothing.

I do not like anything.

Do not look at her
hungry and do your duty.

I fear that she no longer earns.

Waking.

We are almost in Versailles.

Madam, it is my pleasure to
have arrived healthy and well.

We gave you the bedroom
of my mother blessed.

She lived here.
I was born in this bed.

And she died in this bed.

But Mama Ventadour can not
be the mother of us both.

Well...

I'm glad you had a good trip.

The king wants nothing further from you.
He commands you as lord and master.

Say, Boufflers, because it eats away from you.

Your Majesty, I now also have a wife.

Given her age, I will
not soon share her bed.

That is unfortunate, but not so bad.

Women are not the only
carnal pleasures.

Look at that !

Could the kingdom hope for an
even more charming princess?

My God !

Your portraits do not
honor you at all.

You will become the
darling of the court.

And you will make many people jealous.

Do you know who I am, honey?

A survivor of the Great Century.

God bless you

for ending a long winter in which our
souls have been living for so many years.

Do you feel better?

I will not recover from the long journey.

The king and the queen are angry
that you are absent on every ball

or party that was given in your honor
since you arrived a month ago.

You did not even thank us for the gifts.

Did he inform me if I was hunting?

He hunts owls.

- Did you know that ?
- Madam,

the future of Europe is at stake.

The King of Spain can

very unpredictable.

As a grandson of Louis XIV he
can claim the French throne.

With this marriage that he wished,

your father thinks that Philip
V will renounce France.

You have a big responsibility.

Mrs,

if you continue like this, I
will have to take action.

Then do that!

Since you are getting bored,

You may want to watch the work
of the Holy Office in Madrid.

The big inquisition is
an old Spanish tradition

that tortures and burns heretics.

Do you burn women too?

Yes.

They fall prey to the
devil more than men.

There is even a special day.

- And that's tomorrow.
- And children?

That's a joke, I hope. Children?

Do you think we are barbarians?

Children!

You can not worship God and
do not fight the heresy.

How do we avoid it differently?

that He also forsakes us?

There are also political reasons, my son.

Hunting for heretics keeps the people busy.

It is in the interest of a
prince that the people are busy.

Think of that when you are king.

It can go faster than you think.

Do not you eat, ma'am?

Eat with your hands if you want.

That was the custom with
my grandfather Louis XIV.

I remember that they did
that in Versailles.

Good ways come in time.

Yes, I hope that good manners
will come over time.

His Majesty can not
come after lunch.

He is going to hunt this afternoon.

When will he come?

When he likes it.

I'm sure he's the evil eye.

And, Boufflers?
How are you doing with your young wife?

Just perfect.

She is still too young to...

But I admit that I am relieved.

I visit her monastery twice a year.

It is nicer in the middle of the bed.

I have to make room for our son.

Do not you think he looks like the king?

- Rather on his poor brother.
- For real ?

Why did not I meet him?

He is in heaven with the
parents of the king.

I have learned that if you die as a child,

you are definitely going to heaven.

I wonder if I am not dying better now

not to challenge the devil later on.

I'm sure that even
when you live long,

- you will go to heaven.
- Good.

We will see tomorrow if I live or die.

May I share my happiness
with you, mama Ventadour?

I think the king
loves me dearly.

I never saw so much reason
with a child of her age.

I love her wit.

Me too.

Everything in nature
brings joy and energy

and big, generous ideas.

You forgot your son.

My little queen...

I want to entrust you with a secret.

Go on, my little angel.

I tell everyone that he is my son,

but to you I can say:

it's just a pop out of wax.

What do our spies say?

They are less optimistic than
Saint-Simon, your ambassador.

- Namely?
- Your daughter does not adapt to Spain.

Something else would surprise me.

- Do they want to drive her away?
- Not yet.

But the situation would be tense.

I have no regrets.
I had nothing else to offer.

Let's hope...

And the King of Spain is so fickle.

His determination can
decrease in one night.

Where is Villeroy, sir?

Given your imminent age of consent

I thought it was
time to sleep alone.

He is from the old court.

A new court must
develop in your wake.

On the eve of my age

we refuse to sleep alone.

Good, Your Majesty.

Is cardinal Fleury suitable?

Anybody.

As long as we do not have to sleep alone.

Louis XV was crowned at the age of
thirteen. The regency was over.

Now that you are a real
woman, you must learn

what women can do
with their bodies.

Beyond the male
obsession for a heir

there are pleasures

of a more subtle nature.

Mrs...

Their Majesties

wish to see us immediately.

My dear son...

you know that Louis XV was just crowned.

Your sister is now Queen of France.

On the occasion of
Saint Louis, a gift.

Your wife in your bed
together with the right,

no, the duty to sleep with her.

And remember, Spain quickly
hopes for an heir.

The Church allows me to show you
this female anatomy, Highness,

to help you create a
heir to the throne.

We will say

that it is a scientific support

of providence.

No!

Never touch me again!
Understood ?

A year later...

What can we talk about?

- Does your new country suit you?
- Very much, Your Majesty.

But you me more.

I hear that you are very popular.

Only my mother remained
popular in Versailles.

She resisted the jealousies
of the courtesans.

Unfortunately, I can not
devote more time to you.

They want me to go ahead
for a child like you,

But that's not true.

I must lead the kingdom.

I will be able to spend
very little time with you.

But you love me, do not you?

We can still see that when you are bigger.

If you ever are.

People claim that you do not grow.

The dogs were very deserving,

but they are punished
by anonymity.

I want you to give everyone a name.

- I do not want to pose anymore.
- You must.

If you want to continue living
in the thoughts of your parents.

The painting is for them.

Why so sad, madam?

I miss my parents.

You should be happy that they are still alive.

Come on, ma'am.

Make a good impression.

That is how we will see us in the future.

You always found me worthy
to hear your secrets.

Today I want to entrust you with one.

But do not be sad.

Within a few days...

at most a few weeks...

the Almighty God will call me to him.

I will no longer be
lucky to visit you.

But you must know...

I never loved my granddaughters

as I love you.

Like any foreign
princess coming here,

I was celebrated.

Abused.

Taxed...

First we are young and amusing.

The court cherishes and idolizes us.

But in fact,

like a cunning vampire,

it sucks us blood like his doctors.

The pregnancies do the rest.

A lot of glare is needed

not to see that we as a princess

never been considered otherwise

than wedding fodder.

But thank you for not
waiting for such a thing.

Your Majesty, now that
you are in full control,

I think that you
urgently need an heir.

The infante does not
seem appropriate to me.

Not only is she small,

she does not grow and her
fertility is still far away.

There can be many conspiracies
before she gives you a son.

And the pleasures of the flesh

you will be remembered
for ten years.

Are they the same size
as those of hunting?

Much bigger, Your Majesty.

But much shorter.

Should the daughter of
Orléans not be in Spain,

in exchange for this child, you
had already experienced them.

But you are now king and you
can decide for yourself.

What if I like her?

You? You like that baby?

I'm looking for the signs...

Checkmate, Majesty.

The crown entrusted to me, Your Majesty,

I now lay down.

And for you...

for whom nothing equaled the
joys of the royal calling,

see what I dare.

I renounce a throne that is Europe

brought twelve years of war
and two million corpses.

You thought I was incapable, grandfather.

I surpass your worst expectations.
As a king I was touching,

coward...

A quail.

But I had a power that
was greater than yours,

that of renouncing it.

And I do that now!

Here, for you!

Solemnly!

And so, dear son, are you now king.

Still a virgin, as I've heard,

but already king.

Your Highness... Your Majesty.

Duke, the Regent gave up the ghost.

What is it, Duke?

Your Majesty,

you wait for the Duke of Orléans

to work on the country's
interests at 11 o'clock.

- He will unfortunately not come.
- Why not ?

He just died.
A sudden, unexpected embolism.

Why do people continue
to die around me?

Your Majesty...

I ask you for the honor

to follow the duke
as prime minister.

Yes ?

No?

Yes ?

Thank you, Your Majesty.

This commitment is not only absurd,

but she can cost us our
king through contamination!

The Great Trianon to
where the king moved

to escape the contamination.

If I had not convinced you, she
might already have killed you.

Her illness has worsened
and is merciless.

By obliging me to move, she
has broken the monotony.

Let's be happy now that it is still possible.

This room breaks every zest for life.

As long as there are women...

Think about the following, Hertog...

"He who has nothing to say
does not have to scream."

Lord...

let me hear her voice again.

Orders from the king, madam.

I do not hear anything.

I hear crumbs in my ears.

I hear crumbs in my ears.

We occupy this area, Your Majesty.

French could become the language
of the whole of North America.

The child queen...

has survived.

Her illness was not what we thought.

Just the mazzels.

Your Majesty may return
to his quarters.

The cursed room saved her.

Why she?

Her doctors have examined her.

She could not give birth to children.

Her pelvis is far too narrow.

As far as her reproductive organs are concerned,

they are with the child queen...

- gone wrong!
- They fermented with her illness.

- Maybe with the rest.
- Returning her is risky.

- It can turn into a war.
- Her brother would not dare it!

But they can keep the daughter of Orléans.
She is now queen.

Is not it too early for a decision?
What does Your Majesty think?

Nothing.

I do not think anything.

And so I avoid the detours
that led you nowhere.

Why is Boufflers being led away?

You knew about it, but did not want to tell me anything?

It's a delicate business, Majesty.

- Speak.
- His own parents saw him recently,

under their window, busy...

with an unnatural community.

The court was shocked,

but we wanted to protect you.

He told me that women were not everything.

He stroked me occasionally.

But I do not remember
if I liked it.

Can women really satisfy us?

I do not expect anything, Majesty.

My vocation prevents it.

A friend is being taken away from me.

- I never see him again.
- I fear that, Your Majesty.

Saint-Simon tells me that the
Queen of Spain was locked up.

A serious matter, is not it?

But not reacting has its advantages.

What do you think, Eminence?

They had never dared that when
the regent was still alive.

That was not the question.

It is also said that the marriage
has not yet been completed.

Louis I shoots everything
that moves, but not his wife.

The marriage has not yet taken
place, maybe we can cancel it.

Orléans is dead and with
Condé behind the king,

can we help you get rid
of her, Your Majesty.

She will never allow a dignified
and serene reign. Agreement ?

I want...

I do not want her to leave.

Look at that...

my son wants to keep his wife.

Why, Your Majesty?

Because I love her.

How can you love such a creature?

More so, when we decided
to let you get married,

did we ask you to love her?

- What do you say to that?
- Love was never discussed.

Or it has escaped us.

Have you been able to penetrate her already?

I recommend that she stays.

You were disobedient?

That is amazing.

Be disobedient and you
will not have to complain.

I have also dismissed your retinue.

- Even La Quadra?
- Especially she.

Her boldness

guided you along paths

that you removed from me.

Do you want to go hunting with me?

I will do everything that seems right to you.

If you remain as determined as king,

I could love you.

Who knows ?

- What are you doing, madam?
- I am working with you.

You can not shoot me like that.

Is not it better than with a woman?

After one time I can
not judge about that.

No, not so fast.

We have the time.

Luis!

Smallpox. I knew it.

Their Majesties want
you to stay here.

No, Your Majesty!

- I want to get out of here.
- You have already been infected.

I ask my father

that he takes over the crown again.

And I demand fair treatment

for my wife, the Queen,

that has not failed

by staying at my side
until my last hour.

You know, ma'am,

that as soon as I realized,

I knew that I was
not made to live.

I am not the man who is loved.

I started to love you.

For real ?

For real.

Do not look at me like that. I beg you.

Do not leave, please.

Mrs...

with a lot of regret

I must inform you

that your brother,

my nephew,

Louis I,

has died.

It's awful.

I do not know who is complaining.

He who is dead...

or me...

for I live in fear of dying.

Why do not they send doctors?

Their Majesties have so decided.

- Why you?
- It is said that I am immune.

I have already had the disease.

Is it the custom here that a
queen dies with her husband?

If so, I never heard
anything about it.

Your Majesty?

Your Majesty?

Saint-Simon writes that
the Queen of Spain

has the same disease as her husband.

Maybe she died in the meantime.

The double marriage of the
regent is no longer necessary.

Philip V is back on the throne,
and he remains unpredictable.

You need an heir as
soon as possible.

An heir?

I am in no hurry to die.

- Why does death control our lives?
- God alone is above you.

He decides in the greatest secrecy.

Despite our love for Him,

we can not entrust Him with
the future of the kingdom.

You need an heir as soon
as possible, Your Majesty,

and that little girl
can not give you one.

Now I have to sit on the throne for years...

While I mourn for the
death of my beloved son.

And it looks like God

there is nothing to do so that
Louise-Elisabeth joins her husband.

Keeping the doctors away
from her saved her.

What should we do with her?

Send her back.

Send her back?

Yes, she does not have a role here anymore,

if she already had it.

You were so hard to
feel at home here,

that you will be glad
to return to France.

My father is dead, what
is there waiting for me?

I was going to love my husband more bluntly.

I did not have anyone else.

Unfortunately, neither you nor
me will have a future here.

We must accept it gratefully.

Politics and death often go together.

We can not do anything about it.

I have good news for you.

Your parents stay
near the border

and they want you to visit them.

You leave tomorrow.

Does the king say goodbye to me?

I'm afraid of that.

I will never see it again, will I?

He does not like me.

He is mistaken.

Someday I will be great.

Do I have to wage new wars, Mr.
Fleury?

Undoubtedly, Your Majesty.

But the finances of the
empire do not allow it.

Your Majesty, the Duke of Condé.

Excuse me, Your Majesty.

Can I take you to Marly?

Going to Marly? Why ?

To save you an emotional farewell.
The little princess is leaving.

An emotional farewell?

Do you think I can?

I do not have to go to Marly.

I continue working with Mr. Fleury
in the interests of the country.

Besides,

Mr. Duke,

I want to inform you that I have decided

to relieve you from your
role as prime minister.

Louis XV sends our daughter back.

- Banish all French from Spain!
- No way.

All of them ! Do you hear me?

- Without any exception.
- Then I have to go first!

No...

I have to wage war.

War!

But...

but I can not...

I can not!

You seem sad, ma'am.

Despite her young age,
she was a queen, Sire.

And me, madam?

Am I a real king?

Louis XV would marry
Maria Leszczyńska,

7 years older, and 10 children.

He died of smallpox at the age of 64.

Marianne Victoria of Spain married
Joseph I, King of Portugal,

and she gave him four daughters.
She ruled as Portugal about Portugal.

Louise-Elisabeth of Orleans
died in Paris at the age of 32,

forgotten by her
family and the world.

After the death of his son, Philip V
again demanded the Spanish throne.

He had been bedridden for over
a year by a nervous breakdown.

In memory of Raphaël
Ibanez De Garaya