Frauen, die Geschichte machten (2013–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Elisabeth von England - full transcript

Since I was born, I fought.

Against two queens who sought my life.

Against countless men who pretended to love me.

But they all just wanted my throne.

The Pope and half of Europe conspired against me.

But my toughest opponent
had always been my own heart.

[Women Who Made History - Elizabeth I.]

I was The Queen of England,

was the head of the English church
and ruled a proud people.

I led my country through
the storms of a religious war.

But now I faced
the biggest challenge of my life.



Spain had declared war on me.

The leading world power sent
their gigantic war fleet against our small island.

The Spanish king hated me and called me a heretic because I was not a Catholic.

[South England, 1588]

130 Spanish ships, heavily armed galleys,
were heading towards England's coast.

Manned with 30,000 soldiers.

The Spanish Armada.

I was afraid.

In this moment I thought,
"England is lost."

This battle! My people!
I am just a woman!

I only got the body of a woman.
Weak but proud.

Men for England.

Can you not tighten it in another way?
I am suffocating.

Careful, your wig.



Mylady, your troops are ready.

How I despise those wars.

Can you tell me what is going on outside?

We cannot see anything.
Mist is approaching again.

The soldiers are becoming anxious.
I advise you, go to your men.

They want to see their queen.

Should our fleet sink out there,
only my soldiers could still save our country.

I did not know what was happening at sea.

But I knew that my men
had faith in England.

And most of all, they had faith in me.

Attention, eyes to the right!

Because I had a weapon
which gave them courage: The word.

I have come to you.

Determined to die or to live among you
in the heat of battle.

To lay myself in the dust.

For my God, for my kingdom.

For my people.

For my honor and my blood.

I only have the body of a weak woman

but I have the heart
and the courage of a king!

A King of England!

And full of hate, I think of how Spain dares
to invade the borders of my country!

I might have "only" been a woman but
I was the most powerful in the world.

So far I had managed every challenge.

No one had expected that.
Not even I.

My birth was an exorbitant disappointment.

Only a girl.

Again no heir to the throne for my father.

Women were only pawns
in the power play of men.

My father, King Henry VIII,
went through several wives.

He needed a male heir.

Divorce, execution, he even accepted
the segregation from the Roman church for it.

In the end my father had
only three children after all:

My half-brother Edward who died young.

My older half-sister Mary, and me.

As a child, I was shunt off
to the countryside.

Here I was supposed to learn all the things
that were appropriate for a princess.

But that was not enough for me.
I wanted the best teachers.

Sun, Earth, Moon.
Which celestial body orbits which?

The first and the upper of all spheres
is the one of the fixed stars.

And the first planet that follows it is Saturn.

Which, on the other hand, needs exactly how long on its orbit?

It finishes its orbit in about thirty years,

And after that?

Then follows Jupiter and then Mars.

And Earth.

Followed by Venus and Mercury.

And in the middle,
the sun has her place.

I was able to converse
in six different languages.

I studied ancient classics,
mastered rhetoric/elocution

and I loved mathematics.

At the age of 15, I was better educated
than most man of my rank/status.

I wanted to be forearmed for
the fight over England's crown.

When I was 20,
my half-sister Mary ascended to the throne.

For me, a nightmare began.

Torture, hang and burn!

Majesty, that would be hundreds.

Even better. This Protestant plague
must be eradicated now.

Mary Tudor.
She was so very different than I.

We did have the same father
but different mothers.

Hers was a Spaniard,
mine an English woman.

She was a Catholic,

I was raised in the Protestant faith.

Mylady,

please consider it is after all your people
who you are fighting here.

In common parlance,
they already call you...

I know, I know.
The bloody Mary.

It is high time.

We should lead the lost sheep
back to our herd, Mylady.

Sheep? Yes, exactly, that is what
they truly are, these Englishman.

Stubborn and stupid.

Just look at my sister.
Princess Elizabeth.

Get rid of her because
she is the worst of them all!

How am I supposed to
understand that, Majesty?

What is there not to understand?

With all due respect,
the people love your little sister.

The daughter of
this whore Anne Boleyn?

She is in bed with all these Protestant conspirators!
[Literally: tucked under the same blanket]

Lock her in the Tower.

She really locked me away.

Everyday I had to expect death.

So many had been executed
in this place before.

Also my mother. Anne Boleyn.

I tried to befriend loneliness.

I begged to be heard by Mary.

In vain for months.

Then finally, she received me.

Mary wanted England
to become catholic again.

And I was in her way.

Because I was next in line to the throne.

And God knows, no friend of her church.

What do you want?

To be heard by you.

And?

Why do you treat me like an enemy?

Are you not one?

Mylady, I am your sister.

You betrayed the true faith.

And you want on
my throne, you bastard!

You conspired with these heretics
who seek my life!

I will lead this isle back
to the right faith.

And you will not stop me.

The Pope and Spain
support me, little sister.

I assure you,

I was never part of any conspiracy against you.

I am loyal and obedient to you
and will always be so.

Have you suddenly turned catholic?
In the Tower?

Give me some time to
better understand your faith.

I must learn a lot,
and I will do so.

I beg you, let me go.

I will do whatever you demand of me.

By all the saints,
I swear it to you.

I had learned to be a good actress.

Lying was not hard for me.
Basically, I did not care about her faith.

I wanted to live.

She believed me and released me.

I moved to the countryside,
far away from London, far away from Mary.

Only from a distance, I got to know she was expecting
a child from her husband, the Spanish king.

But instead of an heir to the throne,
she got a lot of ulcers.

And then the news arrived
that changed everything.

Mary was dead.

And suddenly I was
The Queen of England.

I accepted a difficult inheritance
but I could barely wait for it.

England's fate was finally
in my hands now.

But unfortunately I had to deal
with a lot of old men

that always knew everything better.

My lords, a new wind
will blow through London.

Mylady, I am reluctant to say so

but you inherit a poor country
on the edge of Europe.

The treasuries are empty,
the people split in the matter of faith.

Then let us get to work.

I did not make you my councilors
for your pleasure.

What do you suggest, Cecil?

Madam, since you ask me so directly.
Stop the heretics' law suits.

Release the prisoners.
The people will thank you for it.

Very good.
Make the neccessary preparations.

And plan a trip through England for me.

But Majesty.
These strains, all the dirt.

You are The Queen.

That is why I ask you

to not expose you and your health
to these great troubles.

My people shall see me.

And I want to see my people.
In fact, every year.

That is way too dangerous.

There are still Catholics out there
that seek your life.

But for that I have
all these strong men here.

Majesty, with all due respect,
but you do not know these lunatics.

Believe me against them
you would need an entire army.

It is not you who should start out
but the soldiers of our army, if you allow it.

That is what England needs:
A blow against the Catholics.

If I want to live, I must let live.

And to rule I need
the people, my people.

No matter what it believes in,
no matter its status/rank.

It is about England, not religion.

I do not need windows to the people's souls.

I want tolerance.

We go from Greenwich to Dartford.

There I want to be received
by Lord Cobham.

Then we continue to Eltham Palace,
to Nonsuch palace up to Glastenbury.

There I want to be received
by the mayor.

Then continue to West Horseley to Lord Fiennes.

And on the way there
I want to stop twice or thrice.

In small villages.

Only on those trips I really got
to know and understand my country.

England was awfully poor.

My subjects were starving.
I wanted to change that.

Sheep breeding brought wealth.

English cloth was highly coveted
on Europe's markets.

I supported tradesmen,
merchants, entrepreneurs.

All those that had ideas

and made England richer, stronger
and more powerful with them.

And I supported the universities.

Because we needed smart heads
to make all of that possible.

I ruled with passion. It was exhausting,
sapped my strength.

But that is exactly how I wanted it.

Everything could have been so wonderful.

If there had not been
this one sore spot.

Conde de Feria,
buenvenido a mi nueva casa.

Have you come to praise us?

Or to declare war on us?

Majesty, I have the great honor to tell you

that Felipe por la gracia de Dios
Rey de Espana,

las dos Sicilias, de Jerusalem,
Hungría, de Dalmacia, de Croacia,

tierra firme del mar Océano...
- These Spanish braggarts.

Archiduque de Austria. Duque de
Borgoña de Brauante y Milán.

What else was he?

Oh, Conde de Barcelona,
Flandes y de Tirol.

I know, I know.

The King asks for your hand.

Oh, really?

What an honor.

But first let us discuss
the advantages of virginity.

I am thinking of our Virgin Mother here.

And let us think together about
the advantages of being unmarried.

Because it gives room and time to rule.

And that is my task on this throne.

Predominantly I am The Queen,
not a marriage candidate.

Majesty, I share your opinion.

But if you bear no children,
who will inherit the throne?

But I am still alive as you can see.

And until then I would be very delighted
if the flower of friendship

would continue to bloom his magnificently between our two countries as before.

You stretch my time.

Que me perdone.

I cannot hear it anymore!
Is there nothing more important?

What is it that worries you lords so much?

Constantly you are after me
like whining dogs!

What do I care about
The King of Spain?

This loyal to the Pope,
sleepy suitor from Madrid?

Majesty, The King is waiting for an answer.

His court appears sincere to us.

And a...a marriage with him would be
especially useful politically.

Am I on the cattle market?
You parade me like a cow!

Who may get it,
this magnificent animal?

Majesty, it is just about England's welfare,
about an heir to the throne.

Either I go to bed with Spain or with France.

Main thing is you get
your heir to the throne soon.

Male and legitimate.

Shut your mouth!

England needs no Spaniards!

And also no insolent state secretary
who wants to dictate his queen who she has to marry!

Majesty, I beg you.

I prohibit the public debate
about the succession.

And do not dare to say again in front
of everybody that I am just a woman.

Tell the Spanish king,
I will think about it.

I let the Spaniard string along for a bit longer

before I declined him.

I rather wanted to rule
than to marry, and to have fun.

Well we have the blue ones
from Robert, Count Leicester.

Or the pearls from Francis Drake.

Fantastic, these wicked pearls.

Aren't they pirate pearls, madam?

Now, now, without our little adventurers all of
these beautiful treasures would still lie around in Spain.

That would be too bad.
- Will he come today too?

Francis? He is roving around the coasts
of the New World, I hope.

Francis Drake.

It was an open secret that
I was profiting of his buccaneering.

The Spaniards were foaming with anger
since after all it were their ships he looted.

I am really very excited
how long this will still go well.

Who actually says that the New World
only belongs to the Spaniards?

The Pope,
but who even listens to The Pope?

A pirate surely does not.

Main thing is he delivers me my part nicely.

We do not want to dance
in the same dress twice.

I do not drink, I rarely eat.

I have no lovers.

This is my only vice.

And what about Robert Dudley?

Robert. If there was a man
in my life, it was him.

Let us dance.

Music!

He was my great love.
Smart, charming, funny.

But unfortunately way below my rank.
And also married.

Our relationship did not only
cause rumors at my court.

All of Europe gossiped viciously.
[Literally: ripped their jaws apart.]

Why does The Queen
have no king by her side?

I had enough suitors.

Philip of Spain, unfortunately too catholic.

My handsome Swede Eric could not wait.

Czar Ivan, a bit too terrible.

Et voilà, Francis, my little French frog.

Only you, Robin, my redbreast,
truly touched my heart.

Robin, do not be an idiot. Never.

Why not?

You refuse everyone.

Spaniards, Frenchmen, Catholics,
Protestants, the rich, the powerful.

Everyone.

Should I let my own enemies into my bed?

A husband who tells me
how I should rule?

Sons who want my crown?
Provided I did not die in childbed already.

If you do not want any of them,
then finally take me.

Elizabeth, decide on us.

No, I will stay a virgin,
married to England.

Do you want to dry up
like a branch in my arms?

I will not risk my crown.

Neither for love
nor for a quick adventure.

If I do not marry, I will stay free.

Madam, apologies.

I have bad news.

Do not make such a face, Cecil.
Spit it out.

Mary of Scotland has born a son.

I do not need to
mention what this means.

It is high time for you
to find yourself a husband.

Either you have a child or we will soon have
a Catholic or a foreigner on the throne.

Mary Stuart, my catholic cousin,
Queen of Scots.

For the Catholics,

she was the rightful successor to my father.

And now she even had
something what I did not.

A male heir for her country.

For Scotland.

I wanted to bind this country to England.

But now the wind turned.

Mary and her allies would not rest before

not her or her son would wear
the English crown.

But then Mary's affairs
destroyed her political plans.

She had her husband eliminated
by one of her lovers.

Murder out of love.

How foolish of her.

The Scottish nobility wanted to get rid of her,
forced her to abdicate.

And what did she do?

She fled her own kingdom.

And suddenly appeared in England.

And out of everyone,
she asked me for help.

What was I just supposed
to do with her?

Why so hesitant, madam?

Throw Mary in the Tower.

She could quickly sit on your throne
if we are not careful now.

England's Catholics already see their chance.
[Literally: smelled morning air]

Not in the Tower.

It will not take much longer and we will have
a catholic conspiracy here in our country.

We could give her a castle.

With all the frills and not let her out of there anymore.
- You even want to spent money on this,

this catholic...
- If we throw her into the Tower,

we will infuriate half of Europe.

We must avoid that.
I do not want war.

England is not prepared for it.
- Madam, I ask you, take more drastic measures!

Actually she was my enemy
but also of royal blood like I.

Should I lock her away?
Just like Mary had done to me?

Put her under house arrest
but befitting her rank.

Give her dresses, ladies-in-waiting,
everything she needs.

If you are treated well,
you make no demands.

And everyone will calm down.

Because if you cannot move anymore,

you cannot be dangerous to anyone.

Check.

But I had been wrong.

It did not take long for an answer
from Rome to arrive.

A catholic queen in protestant shackles.

Even if they were golden
that was too much for The Pope.

Elizabeth is excommunicated.

I, Pope Pius V, declare her right to
the throne as illegitimate.

You see?

Mylady, do you not recognize
the dangers hiding in it?

Elizabeth is now outlawed.
Every Catholic is called upon to kill her.

Everyone can seek her life.

Elizabeth cannot accept that.
She will close in for a counterattack.

I urgently warn you.

Keep yourself out of it,
otherwise you put yourself in danger.

Excommunicated!

This a a procacity!

We must react to this.

If I want to live, I must let live.

I had sworn that to myself
when I ascended the throne.

I wanted to be tolerant.

I was, until this day.

What is Walsingham doing actually?

I needed a watchdog.

I actually did not like him.

But he was exactly the right person now.

Francis Walsingham.
He had thousands imprisoned and killed.

In my name. Every conspiracy
against me, he uncovered.

How did he know all of this?

I never asked him about it.

Was I still a good queen?

Now there was blood on my hands.

From my own people.

I had to do what I had not wanted to
because I could not act in any other way.

And I had to carry this burden all alone.

I only wait for the day when
my favorite spy knocks on my door.

Do you actually know how many conspiracy
have there been against me just this year?

I guess a lot.

I always thought you did not want
windows into people's souls?

I always thought you wanted...

How can you dare
to expostulate me?

You know nothing.
Torture is not nice, no.

But not doing it would be a great mistake,
a sign of weakness.

I cannot let high treason go unpunished!

No, you cannot.

Robert.

What is it that you
actually want to tell me?

Maybe you go a step too far with your henchman.

Not your people are your enemy
but Spain and Rome which conspired with Mary.

And it is also her who stirs up
the Catholics in your country against you.

There is no proof for that.

I had spared Mary the Tower.

Gave her a castle and attendants.

And then that.

Robert was right.

All this time, she was in contact with
The Pope and the Spanish king.

They were all in one bed,
planning to overthrow me.

Or to even kill me.

I did not want to believe it
but Walsingham delivered proof.

The encoded letters left
no room for doubt anymore.

Mary Stuart was put on trial.

And she was sentenced to death.

Only my signature was still missing
to send her to the block.

Planned murder is high treason.

The Queen must sign the sentence.

Can you not convince her to do it?

You torture her.

My God. Mary must go.
I do not understand this constant hesitation.

The people are growing impatient as well.

It is hard to understand why the other
high traitors will be executed but she will not.

One does not decapitate a queen
with a stroke of a pen.

With a stroke of a pen?

There was a proper trial!
And the sentence was unanimous!

I would have expected
more diplomatic skill from you.

What do you believe will happen
when we behead this catholic queen?

Then France and Spain will declare war on us.

Elizabeth is smart enough to know
that England would not be up to such a war.

And Mary is a God-ordained, anointed queen.

Beheading her means all monarchs
can be beheaded, including Elizabeth.

Yes, they could.
That is why we need to be faster.

What was just?

What unjust?

That was not what it was about.

Either she or I.

Please forgive me.

I forgive you with all my heart.

Because I hope that
you will end all of my suffering.

In your hands, Lord, I order my spirit.

In your hands, Lord, I order my spirit.

In your hands, Lord, I order my spirit.

Who?

Who dared it?
Who betrayed me?

Who of these damn councilors
ordered the execution?

I want his head!

You yourself signed it, Majesty!

But never forwarded it! Never!

It is on your conscience! Yours!

I had betrayed what was important to me.

My royal standing, my beliefs.

What would they write about me later?

How would they remember me?

Elizabeth the Great
or Elizabeth the Cruel?

Was I just a murderer in the end?

No.

I am The Queen of England.

And everything I do

is for the welfare of
this country and its subjects.

England is my fate.

And now my fate is also England's.

England needed me now
because Spain had declared war on us.

What should we do?

They outnumber us, they are heavily armed and they are battle seasoned!

We are not!

We are not up to the Spanish Armada!

Spain rules the seas!

Facing them in a battle
on the open water is madness!

So what should we do, my lords?

Mylady, but they are coming into our waters.

They do not know their way around,
neither with the wind

nor with the current,
let alone the tides.

We will let them sail into the Channel and then our plan will take hold.

Our plan?

We load some of our own sailboats
with pitch, put them on fire

and send them towards the Spanish ships.
Into the middle of their formation.

Provided the wind blows
in the right direction for us.

Panic will prevail,
they will cut the anchor rodes.

And the proud Armada will
scatter to the four winds.

As I said, provided the wind
blows in the right direction for us.

And then we will attack them,
one ship after the other.

That is our chance.
It is the only one we have got.

God help us.

How fast the world is turning.

The Spanish king, who once proposed to me,

now sent his fleet to destroy me.

Vengeance for Mary Stuart was just a pretense.

It was about the reign over the seas.

For days, the naval battle
raged off our coast.

For days, torturous uncertainty.

Then suddenly the thunder of
cannons at sea died down.

Spanish ships?

I do not know.

Should we get the
cannons ready, Your Excellency?

No.

That is our fleet.

Those are our ships!

We won!

England was saved,
the world power Spain forced to its knees.

Now a new age could begin.

Mine.

For 45 years, I wore England's crown.

I never married and stayed childless.

I was never alone but often lonely.

That was the price I paid.

Was this price too high?

I do not think so.

Elizabeth died in 1603, at the age of 69.

She assigned the son of
her rival Mary Stuart as her successor.

A whole age was named after her:
The Elizabethan Era.

With her victory over Spain,
England's rise to the British Empire began.