The Madness of King George (1994) - Quotes

Francis Willis: Your Majesty, I shall be in the cathedral, should the ceremony prove to be too much of a burden for you.

George III: [the Royal Family ascend the steps] You may tell Dr. Willis that the ceremony will not be such a burden as the want of ceremony has been. And do not look at me, sir. Presume not that I am the thing I was. I'm not the patient, sir. Be off with you, sir. Back to your sheep and your pigs. The King is himself again. We must try to be more of a family. There are model farms now, model villages, even model factories. Well, we must be a model family, for the nation to look to.

Queen Charlotte: Yes, you must try to be more typical, Fred.

George IV: But, Pa, I want something to do.

George III: [sees the crowd waving; the Royal Family wave to the cheering crowd] Do? Well, follow in my footsteps. That's what you should do. Smile at the people, wave to them. Let them see that we're happy. That is why we're here.

Mrs. Cordwell: At last! At last! Oh!

Francis Willis: Mrs. Cordwell...

Mrs. Cordwell: No, but this is my husband, come posthaste from Portsmouth.

Francis Willis: Mrs. Cordwell, Captain Cordwell drowned off the Goodwin Sands three years since.

Mrs. Cordwell: But he is very like.

Francis Willis: [a servant escorts Mrs. Cordwell back I. the field] Now, back to work, Mrs. Cordwell.

Captain Greville: Dr. Willis?

Lady Pembroke: Mr. Pitt.

William Pitt: [bows down as he tips of his bicorn hat] Lady Pembroke.

Lady Pembroke: Her Majesty understands that you are dissatisfied with His Majesty's doctors.

William Pitt: The King is no better.

Lady Pembroke: Mr. Pitt, my mother-in-law lost her wits, and a succession of physicians failed to recover them for her. There was, however, one doctor who was confident of her return to health. And accordingly, she was placed in his care.

William Pitt: And is she recovered?

Lady Pembroke: [takes out a piece of paper; Pitt retrieves the paper] Entirely. Rides to hounds, founded some almshouses, embroiders around the clock. I've written down his name.

Charles James Fox: [to George IV] Thank you. Thank you, gentlemen, for your support. Sir, I must vote.

George IV: Charles, for the life of me, I can't see why they need to vote. The King is incapable. We know it and they know it.

Charles James Fox: Sir, these are the nation's representatives. Now, some of them come to Parliament in the hope that they might serve their country. But most of them, being human, are here to fill their pockets. Pitt and your father have done them very well: pensions, places, bribes. Now, once it is plain that Pitt is finished and there is no more swill in the trough, Your Royal Highness will be made Regent. Sir, I must join the line.

Queen Charlotte: [storms into the chamber; angrily advances towards and slaps George IV across the face] TYRANT!!

George IV: Assaulted by both one's parents in the same evening. What is this life coming to?

Queen Charlotte: I was told it would be so. In England, always the prince hates the king.

George IV: Is that why he is mad?

Queen Charlotte: If he's mad, sir, you've made him so by your idleness.

George IV: If I'm idle, madam, it's because the King gives me nothing to do.

Queen Charlotte: Do? What do I do. I support him. I have his children, 15 of them!

George IV: [chuckles; he and the Royal staff laugh with howls of laughter] Then you should be grateful to me for giving you a breathing space. No, a breeding space. I'm sorry. That really is awfully funny.

Queen Charlotte: George. No, George, please. Please let me stay with him. Please.

George IV: No, madam.

Queen Charlotte: On what authority?

George IV: Medical authority, ma'am. On the authority of a son, ma'am, who cares for his sick father.

Queen Charlotte: But I'm his wife. Do I not care for him, too?!

George IV: Possibly, madam. But in his current frame of mind, I'm afraid His Majesty does not seem to care for you.

Queen Charlotte: [sobs in anguish] No!

George III: And what brings you to Windsor, sire?

George IV: I had heard Your Majesty was indisposed, but I see that...

George III: Indisposed.

George IV: Is there any way I can assist?

George III: Want to hump the old bird out of the nest, is that it?

George IV: No, sir. There may be responsibilities that I could share.

George III: Want to get your fat hands on government, is that it? Well, I'm old and infirm. I'll not trouble you long.

George IV: I wish you the best of health, Father.

George III: Wish me? Wish me? You wish me death, you plump little cuckoo!

George IV: Hush, Father, hush.

George III: [stands up from the chair; angrily takes off the powdered wig in front of the crowd and the orchestra; throws the powdered wig and chases George IV across the room] Hush? HUSH?! You dare to stop the King of England from speaking his mind?! You powdered puppy!

George IV: Papa! Papa, please! Papa, please! Papa! For God's sake, do something! Do something! No, Papa!

George III: [grabs George IV by the neck and pins him to the floor; the Royal servants restrain George III and pull him away] I'll choke the air out of you! Let me at him! I'll wring his neck!

Queen Charlotte: It was something he ate.

George III: You fools! Can't you see that you will all be put out?!

Queen Charlotte: We know your game, you monster!

George III: [signing a document] Married yet, Mr. Pitt, what what?

William Pitt: No, sir.

George III: [blows excess pounce off document] Got your eye on anybody then, hey?

William Pitt: No, sir.

George III: [holding out the document, which Pitt retrieves while handing the king another one; Pitt looks at the new document; indicates the paper] A man should marry - yes, yes. Best thing I ever did. And children, you see, children. Great comfort, of course. This fellow we're putting in as professor at Oxford - was his father Canon of Westminster?

William Pitt: I've no idea, sir.

George III: Yes! Yes. Phillips. That's the father, this is the son. And the daughter married the organist at Norwich Cathedral. Sharpe. Yes, and their son is the painter. And the other son is a master at Eton. And he married somebody's niece.

William Pitt: [George III laughs as he signs the document] Your Majesty's knowledge of even the lowliest of your appointments never ceases to astonish me.

Margaret Nicholson: I have a property due to me from the Crown of England!

George III: [hands the blank petition to the soldier] The poor creature's mad. No, no, no, no, no. Do not hurt her. She has not hurt me.

Margaret Nicholson: Give me my property, or the country will be drenched in blood!

George III: [gently exposes the fruit knife; turns to Captain Greville] Will it, indeed, madam? Well, not with this. It's a fruit knife. Wouldn't cut a cabbage. Ah. Who are you, sir?

Soldier: Oh, this is Captain Greville, sir, the new equerry.

George III: Well, you are undressed, sir. Do yourself up, sir. You're an equerry, not a scarecrow.

Margaret Nicholson: I have a property due to me from the Crown of England.

Queen Charlotte: You murderous fiend! Thank God I have you yet.

George III: Do not fuss, madam. The King has no wound, just a torn waistcoat.

George IV: One would consider that almost as vexing.

George III: What was that?

George III: I was rejoicing, sir, that you are unharmed.

Queen Charlotte: The son rejoices. The Prince of Wales rejoices. Huh!

Prince Frederick: Me, too, Pa. God save the King! And so on.

George III: The son is unwholesome.

Queen Charlotte: And fatter, always fatter.

George III: Fatter because he is not doing, what, what? Do you know England, sir?

George IV: I think so, sir.

George III: You know, Brighton, Bath, yes. But you know its mills and manufactories? Do you know its farms? Because I do. Do you know what they call me?

George IV: What do they call you, sir?

George III: Farmer George. Do you know what that is?

George IV: Impertinent, sir?

George III: No, sir, love!

Queen Charlotte: Affection.

George III: It is admiration, sir. You ought to marry, sir, settle down.

Queen Charlotte: Yes, grow up.

George III: Good plain woman. That's what you want.

Queen Charlotte: Yeah.

George III: Then the people will love you, sir, as they love me. It is not good, this idleness. That is why you're getting fat, sir. Do not be fat, sir. Fight it, fight it!

Francis Willis: The state of monarchy and the state of lunacy share a frontier. Some of my lunatics fancy themselves kings. He-- He's the King.

Charles James Fox: [during a meeting in the House of Windsor] Mr. Pitt's consoling pleasantries should not deceive the House. The King is incapacitated. There are those who say he has lost his reason. In which case, I propose that a bill be drawn up to make the Prince of Wales Regent!

Queen Charlotte: We know your game, you monster!

Queen Charlotte: [seeing George IV with a frown in another carriage] George! Smile, you lazy hound. It's what you're paid for. Smile and wave. Come on. Smile and wave. Everybody, smile and wave. Smile! Wave!

King George III: When felons were induced to talk, they were shown first the instruments of their torture. The King is shown the instrument of His... to induce Him not to talk...

King George III: You dare to stop the King of England from speaking his mind?!

King George III: Is it any wonder a man goes mad? Doctors! 30 guineas a visit and travelling expenses, for six months of torture. They would have a man pay for his own execution, what, what?