Open Writing

Time: 1935
Place: The private quarters of King George and Queen Mary at
Buckingham Palace.

Mary: George, my dear, you really must cut down on your smoking. It’s affecting
your chest more and more.

George: It helps calm me, my dear.

Mary: But your coughing gets worse

George: [Sighs] I know, I know, but I’m hooked on the damned things, so I might
as well carry on smoking them. If there wasn’t so much stress, I’d smoke
less, but matters are going from bad to worse every day, and poor
Macdonald looks as if he could go at any time. He’s not a well man and
it saddens me. I’ve great faith in the man for I always felt I could trust him.

Mary: He looked so exhausted the last time he was here.

George: Both of us have worked ourselves to the bone.

Mary: Who’ll replace him?

George: Baldwin again, no doubt, but whoever’s in charge will lead a
coalition. There’s no place for politics the state the country’s in.

Mary: I’m sure things will improve when the economy picks up.

George: Baldwin’s very capable. It isn’t as if he’s new to the game; yet he’s got
an uphill task on his hands; and abroad he has Germany to
deal with. Heaven only knows where that fellow Hitler is leading us. It
doesn’t bear thinking of his killing like cattle the very people who brought
him to power. If he murders his own who put him in power where
will it all end? The man’s insane!

Mary: I hope nothing like that ever happens here. It’s unthinkable, George.

George: [Gloomily] Thank God the Channel and our Empire keep Europe
at bay. Now that Hitler’s marched into the Ruhr, Germany will
start re-arming, that’s for sure. That madman is determined to take
by force everything he wants even if it leads to war – and God help us if
that breaks out again. We all know what happened the last time. [He starts
to cough]

Mary: There, you’ve set yourself off coughing again. You take it all far too
seriously, George. Do try not to let yourself get so worked up. It only
makes you ill.

George: [Still coughing] This whole damned business will finish me off.

Mary: Don’t say that. We both have plenty of years ahead.
George: I’ve never deceived myself on that score, May. Time’s running out for me
and we both know it..

Mary: Your doctor says……

George: My doctor will tell you anything but the truth [He coughs] I know what
my body is telling me and it says I won’t last much longer.

Mary: [Patting his hand] Don’t talk like that, my dear. You’ll feel better when
the weather is warmer and you can get out and about more. The new
Prime Minister will cheer you up. Mr Baldwin is such a pleasant man.

George: And he’s in better shape than poor Macdonald. Poor chap, he won’t be long
for this world.

[Enter butler]

Butler: Mr Baldwin, the Prime Minister, has arrived, Your Majesty

George: Then please show him in.

[Exit butler}

Mary: I’ll leave you, George, to your business.

George: No, stay, my dear. It’s just an informal visit which we arranged the last
time he was here. Nothing official. He’s only up-dating me about matters
in general.

[Enter Baldwin]

Baldwin: [Bowing] Your majesty. [To Queen Mary] Ma’am.

George: [Beckoning Baldwin to a chair] Please take a seat, Mr Baldwin. How are you?

Baldwin: Very well, Your Majesty – and a deal better than poor Macdonald. From
what I hear, I fear he’s not long for this world.

George: He served us well and didn’t deserve the treatment he received from his
own Party.

Baldwin: Indeed, Your Majesty, but I’m afraid that’s politics. But he and I worked
well together through some harrowing times, though I’m afraid we’re still not
out of the wood [Pauses] Your Majesty…..

George: Yes?

Baldwin: As a matter of some urgency, I’d like to speak with you about the Prince
of Wales.

George: Let’s not beat about the bush, Mr Baldwin. My son is an embarrassment to
us all. I’ve spoken to him at length about his goings-on and his affairs
but all he says is that it’s no business of mine, even though I keep
reminding him of his duty to the country. If he’s to become King,
his country must come before self. That has always been the case with
the monarchy.

Baldwin: Of course, sir. That is also the role of Parliament and politicians.

George: And to put it bluntly, Mr Baldwin, my son is a middle-aged Peter Pan.
He hasn’t yet grown up. He’s downright immature.

Baldwin: [Smiling] Some of his actions do appear to be immature, sir, and that’s
precisely what I want to discuss with you. They’re diving public opinion just
at the time we desperately need unity.

George: I entirely agree, but what do you think, May?

Mary: He’s asked me to receive Mrs Simpson here at the Palace and that I cannot
do. From what I’ve heard of her and her reputation it is out of the question.
I find the woman quite vulgar to say the least.

Baldwin: I’ve heard rumours he wants to marry her, ma’am.

Mary: [Sighs] So have I, so what can we do?

Baldwin: Do you want my honest opinion, ma’am?

Mary: Of course, Prime Minister. If we are to present a united front against
this woman, we must all be open with each other.

Baldwin: I sincerely hope the Prince will put his responsibility to the throne before
his infatuation with Mrs Simpson. To marry a divorced woman would
precipitate a constitutional crisis at a time when we can least afford one.

George: It may well come to that, Mr Baldwin. He was always hot-headed and
self-willed. Heaven knows how often the Queen and I have tried to dissuade him
from seeing this woman, but to no avail. He’s always gone his own way.

Baldwin: And our problem in Parliament, Your Majesty, is that the Prince has
his supporters there, and very powerful supporters in the press.

George: Who, for heaven’s sake?

Baldwin: Churchill, Mosley, Beaverbrook. They’ve all said the Prince has the right
to marry whom he will; and what’s more they’re drumming up support for
him.

George: It will finish off the monarchy if he weds this woman.

Baldwin: I wouldn’t go so far as to say that, sir. Your majesties are much loved by
the people.

George: [Brightening] You really think so?

Baldwin: I’m certain, sir.
George: I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve that. I’m just an ordinary sort
of fellow, y’know.

Baldwin: Perhaps it’s exactly that which has endeared you to the nation. They can
relate to you. You’re not aloof and your Silver Jubilee was celebrated with
great enthusiasm by everyone. They regard you as the mother and
father of the nation and they hold you in affection.

Mary: How kind of you to say that, Prime Minister.

George: I only wish we had a more responsible Prince of Wales. The example
he’s setting the young is appalling. He’s always mixed with the wrong set.

Baldwin: Perhaps the Prince has more in common with the young than with those of
his own age, and the young are a very different generation from ours.

George: That’s half the problem. The Prince is still acting like someone half his
Age, but he can’t go on acting like this for ever – not if he’s to become King.

Baldwin: I’m sure he’ll change, Your Majesty. He’s well liked among the working
classes. If he’d only build on that and be more mature, he’d
a popular King with all.

George: I’ve been thinking seriously about the future. Tell me, Mr Baldwin, if the
worst comes to the worst and he married Mrs Simpson, how would
Parliament and the people react to a morganatic marriage, so that any of
their heirs would not ascend the throne; which would then go to his brother, the
Duke of York, and his children?

Baldwin: I could test the feelings of the Cabinet, sir, and let you know their
response. But remember, we have to take into account also the feelings of
the Dominions and other parties, especially the Church.

George: Indeed. What an infernal position my son has put us all in and just when
we should be directing our efforts at curbing this fellow Hitler. It’s
preposterous what he’s doing now, but the frightening thing is that he has
so much support here, including the Prince and his set.

Baldwin: The Mitfords?

George: And others.

Baldwin: But they’re simply part of the London chatty-chatty set: The mass of people have
no truck with the Nazis.

Mary: I’ve never had any time for London sets. All these coming-out balls and
garden parties I have to attend bore me to death. The people who go there are
so empty-headed.

Baldwin: A provincial like myself can’t comment on that, ma’am, but nevertheless
these people do have some pull, and they provide the popular papers with
all their scandal. They’re full of their doings.

Mary: Like the Prince’s?

Baldwin: He’s certainly a celebrity, ma’am. That’s for sure. The young idolise him.

Mary: How vulgar!

George: What does the Church feel about all this? You’re in regular contact with
the Archbishop, Mr Baldwin.

Baldwin: Archbishop Lang has said openly in the Lords that any King, as head of
the Church of England, should not marry a divorcee, and many bishops,
have voiced their opposition to divorce in no uncertain terms.

George: So the monarchy’s prestige will suffer greatly if he weds her?

Baldwin: That is the general feeling, sir.

George: And it’s also mine.

Baldwin: Moreover, the Prince’s open support of Herr Hitler is also working
strongly against him. They’re worried in the House that when the
Prince comes to the throne we’ll have a Nazi monarch.

George: Heaven forbid! We can only hope he grows up before then!

Mary: That woman Mrs Simpson is of the same persuasion, too. My
ladies-in-waiting told me some time ago that she’s very close to the
German ambassador – what’s the fellow’s name?

Baldwin: Von Ribbentrop, ma’am.

Mary: Yes, that’s the fellow – he’s also one of the set the Prince and she move in.

Baldwin: It would be more diplomatic for the Prince to distance himself from
any social contact with the German ambassador just now. People might
think he’s already in Herr Hitler’s pocket.

George: You know, Baldwin, all this is making me ill.

Baldwin: Things could be much worse, sir. You take the nation’s affairs too much
to heart, when you should be leaving matters to us politicians. That’s
what we’re here for, sir.

George: [Gloomily] And I’m very grateful for all you do as Prime
Minister, nevertheless, I do worry bout the way the country’s going – and
my son doesn’t help at all.

Curtain