The Madness of King George (1994)

Nigel Hawthorne: George III

Photos 

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Quotes 

• [Pitt has given the King some papers to sign] 

  George III : What is this? America, I suppose.

  Pitt : No, sir.

  George III : Oh, America's not to be spoken of, is that it?

  Pitt : For your peace of mind, sir. But it's not America.

  George III : Peace of mind! I have no peace of mind. I've had no peace of mind since we lost America. Forests, old as the world itself... meadows... plains... strange delicate flowers... immense solitudes... and all nature new to art... all ours... Mine. Gone. A paradise... lost.

• Dr. Willis : If the King refuses food, He will be restrained. If He claims to have no appetite, He will be restrained. If He swears and indulges in MEANINGLESS DISCOURSE... He will be restrained. If He throws off his bed-clothes, tears away His bandages, scratches at His sores, and if He does not strive EVERY day and ALWAYS towards His OWN RECOVERY... then He must be restrained.

  George III : I am the King of England.

  Dr. Willis : NO, sir. You are the PATIENT.

• Dr. Willis : I have You in my eye, sir. And I shall KEEP You in my eye until You learn to behave and do as You're told.

  George III : I am the King. I tell, I am not TOLD. I am the VERB, sir, not the OBJECT.

• 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?

• Thurlow : Your Majesty seems more yourself.

  George III : Do I? Yes, I do. I've always been myself, even when I was ill. Only now I seem myself. And that's the important thing. I have remembered how to seem. What, what.

• George III : Six hours of sleep is enough for a man, seven for a woman, and eight for a fool!

  Fortnum : We've had three. We didn't go to bed until one.

  George III : Is that insolence, sir?

  Fortnum : No, sir. Arithmetic.

• 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...

• George III : [Signs document]  Married yet, Mr. Pitt, what what?

  Pitt : No, sir.

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

  Pitt : No, sir.

  George III : [Holds out document, which Pitt retrieves while handing the king another one]  A man should marry - yes, yes.

  [Looks at new document] 

  George III : Best thing I ever did. And children, you see, children. Great comfort, of course.

  [Indicates paper] 

  George III : This fellow we're putting in as professor at Oxford - was his father Canon of Westminster?

  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.

  Pitt : Your Majesty's knowledge of even the lowliest of your appointments never ceases to astonish me.

  [the king laughs as he signs the document] 

• [Margaret Nicholson has attempted unsuccessfully to kill the King] 

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

  George III : The poor creature's mad. 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 : Will it indeed, madam?

  [He picks up her extremely small knife] 

  George III : Well, not with this. It's a fruit knife, wouldn't cut a cabbage.

  Margaret Nicholson : Oh.

• George III : What of the colonies, Mr. Pitt?

  Pitt : America is now a nation, sir.

  George III : Is it? Well. We must try and get used to it. I have known stranger things. I once saw a sheep with five legs...

• George III : By your dress, sir, and general demeanor, I'd say you were a minister of God.

  Dr. Willis : Oh, that's true, Your Majesty, I was once in the service of the Church. Now I practice medicine.

  George III : Well, I'm sorry for it. You've quitted a profession I've always loved and embraced one I most heartily DETEST.

  Dr. Willis : Our Savior went about healing the sick.

  George III : Yes... but He had not seven hundred pounds a year for it.

  [laughs] 

  George III : Well, that's not bad for a madman.

• George III : [walking past a row of bowing courtiers]  Elbow people! Knee gentlemen! Bending persons! Hand kissers!

• George III : [to William Pitt]  You'll have to speak up, I don't see very well.

• George III : Good evening, Mrs. King.

  Queen Charlotte : Good evening, Mr. King.

  George III : When we get this far, I call it dandy.

  Queen Charlotte : Yes, Mr. King.

• [the King is reading his speech at the State Opening of Parliament] 

  George III : Whereas we, George III, in this year of our Lord 1788, do open this Parliament, giving notice that our will and pleasure is that the following bills shall be laid before this House. A bill for the regulation of trade with our possessions in North America...

  [There is a reproving cough from Thurlow] 

  George III : Our *former* possessions in North America...

• George III : [behind his piss-pot, struggling]  Do it, England, do it!

• George III : I absolutely agree. As I agree with you, Mr Pitt, on everything. Apart from the place we mustn't mention. The colonies!

  Pitt : They're now called the United States, sir.

  George III : Are they? Goodness, me. The United States. Well, I haven't mentioned them. I prefer not to, whatever they're called.

• Willis : I have you in my eye, Sir. And I shall keep you in my eye until you learn to do as you're told.

  George III : I am the King. I tell, I'm not told. I am the verb, Sir. I am not the object.

• George III : Did we? did-did, did we ever forget ourselves - utterly? Because, if we did forget ourselves I should so like to remember, what, what?

  Lady Pembroke : No, Sir. Your Majesty's behavior throughout was impeccable.

  George III : Hey, hey!

  Lady Pembroke : Like the kindest father, as well as the most generous of Sovereigns.

  George III : Good, good.

• George III : Push off, you fat turd!

• George III : What's happened to Mr. Fox?

  [Pitt arches one eyebrow significantly] 

  George III : Such a dodger. Reform! And too many ideas. Not like you, Mr. Pitt. You don't have ideas.

  [Pitt grits his teeth] 

• George III : No life is without its regrets yet none is without its consolations.

• George III : I'm here. Here. But, I'm not all there.

• George III : [crudely staring at Lady Pembroke's bosom]  Fine cluster there, eh?

  [to Queen Charlotte] 

  George III : Go on. Look. Look. Go on. You might learn something.

  [circles around Lady Pembroke] 

  George III : Good arse too.

  [rubs his arse against hers] 

  George III : And warm, eh, I'll bet. Ahh.

• George III : Cold fish, Pitt. Never smiles.

  Queen Charlotte : Yet he works hard, though.

  George III : Never stops. Drinks, they say.

  Queen Charlotte : They all drink.

• Baker : Your Majesty will probably feel better after a warm bath and its settling effect on the spirit.

  George III : Well, you have one. Your spirit's more agitated than mine.

• George III : Hold it, man! Don't fondle it.

• Prince of Wales : I wish you the best of health, Father.

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

• Willis : I have a hospital in Lincolnshire.

  George III : Lincolnshire. Yes, I know Lincolnshire. Fine sheep there. Admirable sheep. Pigs, too. But I know of no hospitals.

• Willis : You must behave! Or, endeavor to do so.

  George III : Must! Must? Whose must is this? Your must or my must? Get away from me, you scabby, bum sucker. Lincolnshire lick-fingers!

• George III : Her Ladyship is game for anything. I just have to say the word! Skirts up! Legs in the air.

• Queen Charlotte : Two hours late! He does this on purpose. He knows it is his lateness that always drives you mad!

  George III : Fear not. I shall strike a note of reconciliation. Love, that's the keynote.

• George III : Fascinating stuff, what what!

• George III : Aha, Mr Pitt. Well, you had a lucky escape, what, what?

  Pitt : Aye, Your Majesty?

  George III : Yes, you. You're my Prime Minister. I chose you. If anything would have happened to me, you'd be out, what what, and Mr Fox would be in. Hey, hey.

• George III : That's Lady Pembroke. Handsome woman, what? Daughter of the Duke of Marlborough. Stuff of Generals. Blood of Blenheim. Husband's an utter rascal. Eloped in a packet-boat.

• George III : If everybody who is having a baby wants to sit, the next thing will be everybody with gout! Before long, the place will look like a Turkish harem, what, what?

• George III : You don't look at the King, Greville. Didn't they tell you?

  Greville : I forgot, sir.

  George III : Well, don't forget.

• Lady Pembroke : [after being amorously assaulted by the King]  Sir, you must rest.

  George III : I am the King. I cannot rest. I must rule.

• George III : Those warm thighs! You harlot!

  Queen Charlotte : George, hear me! Do you think that you are mad?

  George III : I don't know. I don't know. Madness isn't such a torment. Madness isn't half blind. Madmen can stand. They skip. They dance. And talk. And talk and talk and talk. I hear the words, I have to speak them. I have to - empty my head of the words. Something has happened. Something is not right.

• Willis : I see you, Sir.

  George III : No, sir! You do not see me. Nobody sees me. I am not here.

• George III : You're a good little pudding, what, what?