ACT ONE
1.1
Enter CAMILLA, Duchess of Cornwall, and KING CHARLES III.
CAMILLA.
My wondārous Charles you looked composed throughout
You did her proud, for as she would have liked
You never showed your pain, but stood instead
A virtuous man of dignity and grace.
Immovable, inscrutable as stone.
CHARLES.
Please donāt. Itās simply what I had to do.
Weāll find no dignity in covāring up
The way we feel. What son should, standing
Waiting at his motherās grave, stop his tears?
CAMILLA.
Are you alright?
CHARLES.
My whole existence has like most of us
Been built upon the ones who gave me birth.
And now theyāre gone. Thatās it. First Dad. Now Mum.
The only truth: I am alone.
CAMILLA.
Except for me.
CHARLES.
Itās not the same, Camilla. The love, with us,
Itās all my life, but never can replace
Parental word, a motherās hand to hold.
But here ā the others ā back to statue ā
Itās Catherine, and William.
Enter WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE and CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE.
Hello! Youāre radiant, despite the grave
Restrictions of the mourning dress. It is
Your gift my dear, itās what youāve brought to us.
A sense of fashion, better hair as well.
KATE.
I never thought Iād see her pass away
CHARLES.
I felt the same.
WILLIAM.
How are you Dad?
CHARLES.
ā¦
WILLIAM.
It must be hard to deal with loss combined
With gain. For soon, at last, you will be King
CAMILLA.
Not soon.
WILLIAM.
Three months ā
CAMILLA.
Your father rules today.
KATE.
I thought the coronation marked the change
CHARLES.
Youāre right, officially that is the case ā
CAMILLA.
But England, Scotland, Northern Ireland
They cannot stand without a king or queen
For all the months it takes to organise
A coronation ā
WILLIAM.
Wales.
CAMILLA.
Wales what?
WILLIAM.
Wales too.
You missed it out.
CAMILLA.
Then Wales. As well. And Wales!
KATE.
But surely constitutionally speaking ā
CAMILLA.
Oh sweet my dear we have no constitution
Instead Tradition holds us to account.
KATE.
Tradition then, it still ā
CAMILLA.
Tradition holds that on the death of kings
Or queens, the next is monarch straight away.
He needs no proclamation, needs no man
To shout āThe Queen is dead, long live the Kingā.
Your father ruled the moment Granny passed.
KATE.
So coronation day itself is just
The ancient costumes worn, and lines to learn,
A slice of theatre, thatās played for fun?
CHARLES.
Not fun I think, for me, I hate those things.
HARRY enters.
CAMILLA.
Harry! Itās such a joy to have you home.
Even in such morbid circumstance as this.
HARRY.
I might head off. If thatās okay? I know thereās this thing,
but Iām tired.
CHARLES.
You want to go? Of course, weāll say youāre ill, if thatās ā
HARRY.
Yeah right, thatās it, I donāt feel well. Yeah.
CAMILLA.
Why? Whatās the matter?
HARRY.
Erā¦ Headache? But that was all good wasnāt it? It went okay, from what I could see?
KATE.
Do you really have to go?
HARRY.
Itās notā¦ I meanā¦ the wholeā¦ Iāve only been back a few days, canāt deal with all the chat. The people. Itās such a change from being out there.
CHARLES.
Itās important Harry.
HARRY.
Yeah but the headache though.
They look at each other for a moment.
Then he goes.
WILLIAM.
We should leave, and mingle with the crowds.
A single round should be sufficient, then
Weāre at the Palace, yes?
CAMILLA.
Thatās right.
C...
