Bertie and Elizabeth

[Queen Mary and Label Mabel Airlie notice that Bertie is taking an interest in Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon]

Queen Mary:
I think my son is rather keen on the Strathmore girl.

Lady Mabel Airlie:
I formed that impression too.

Queen Mary:
We could do worse than marry Bertie to a member of the British aristocracy. I mean, *some* of them are quite respectable - yourself, for example.

Lady Mabel Airlie:
Has it ever been done? Isn't royal blood supposed to be a unique asset? Surely she'd be the first commoner to marry into the royal family since, umm...

Queen Mary:
Anne Boleyn.

Lady Mabel Airlie:
Well, that didn't work out, did it?

Queen Mary:
Well, my understanding is that until he had her beheaded, the whole thing was a resounding success.

King George V:
I have no pretensions of being able to run anything. But I do know a few fellows who can. I'm a very ordinary sort of chap... as are you, David. The difference between us is that you seem to be unaware of this very important fact.

[talking at dinner about the forthcoming marriage of Bertie and Elizabeth]

Archbishop Lang:
My feeling, Sir, is that the wedding of these two young people - the Duke and Duchess of York - should be filmed, if that is thought appropriate, but not be allowed to be recorded over the wireless. The people might listen to it in *inappropriate* places.

King George VI, aka 'Bertie':
What exactly do you mean by that?

Archbishop Lang:
Public houses, for example. They might also not remove their hats at solemn moments.

David - Edward VIII:
[scornfully] Why this obsession with ritual?

King George V:
Monarchy *is* ritual - Boy! That's why. Doing things in the prescribed manner. You've read your Badgett. Monarchy is magical, and you can't let daylight in upon the magic. Little by little the newspaper boys and the wireless boys will be flashing their cameras, poking their microphones under your noses, and one morning you'll wake up and there won't *be* any magic. There won't be any monarchy, either.