Okay, I've watched the second segment. Easier to follow this time, because I know who the characters are and the pace is slow, giving me time to digest all the subtleties.
The bomb has been dropped at the home of the British charges de affairs in Copenhagen, who is a close personal friend of Maud and Carl.
Carl, while not being dismissive has quite a few personal reservations.
He is a private man, who enjoy having a private life and being able to walk around unnoticed. He is not at all into the pomp and circumstances of a royal court and it is more than implied that he finds the concept of a monarchy less progressive than a republic.
He needs time to consider.
In the mean time Tulle and Maud sits at home waiting for Carl to return. Teasing each other as the close friends they are, but always with the underlying tension of also being rivals for the love and attention from the same man.
Upon returning home Carl confides in his wife. She is game at once! It's a chance to get away from Copenhagen. It's an opportunity to be someone, to be something for an entire nation, to have a purpose in life. - I guess she, as the intelligent woman she obviously is, often must have been bored out of her socks.
The days go by, no decision.
But the republicans are not wasting their time either!
The head of the Social Democrats, Eriksen, approach the Norwegian national hero, Nansen. Polar explorer and known republican. To offer him the opportunity to become president.
Nansen had a... loud... marriage. Read his biography to learn why.
Then we switch to Tulle and Maud, who talk about their youth. Tulle and her family knew Carl very well. He often came to their home in Nyboder. A neighborhood in Copenhagen with houses for navy officers, senior NCO's and specialist seamen. Here Carl sang, something that puzzle Maud. Carl never sings now.
Maud in return talk about a quite happy childhood and youth where they had children's birthday parties, even in their teens. While dad, Edward, was away to a brothel in Paris. It's here she refers to a f*cking chair - she knew perfectly well what daddy was doing. (She'd have had to live in a cave in Tibet not to know though!)
Maud is photographed by her son's nanny at the stables at Christiansborg, where she is informed that Louise wish to talk to her. And she is getting a dressing down by tante Louise! She should be there for her husband, because he is weak, and not running away to England all the time. Her first obligation is to the Danish court, get it! She is basically ordered to pull herself together.
Maud runs away sobbing. You can tell the triumph in Louise's face. Got her!
- But I wonder if there wasn't a deeper purpose of the scolding. To provide Maud with even more incentive to influence her husband to say yes. More on that later.
Nansen is approached by the Norwegian PM, to help persuade Carl to accept the throne. Nansen is a national hero. He is Norway personified and widely admired. He is also a man who can charm women...
And this time the approach is also very much aimed at Maud.
As Nansen later makes it clear. He may be a republican, but he holds Norway's interests higher. Norway as a republic and without allies would be unable to prevent the hawks in Stockholm from getting their way, and that means war. But Norway as a monarchy, with Carl, who has family ties with the SRF and through Maud has the implicit support of the British Empire...
In the meantime back in Copenhagen Tulle and Maud continue their conversations. Maud talks about Francis Teck with whom she was in love. Unfortunately Teck was a shady character who got himself exiled to India where he had the decency to die.
And Maud conclude that had Tulle been a princess she would now be Carl's wife.
Carl and Maud and Tulle are invited to dinner with the British charges de affairs, where Nansen is also present. And he does indeed direct his attention towards Maud, something that makes Carl jealous. But Maud finds him interesting and fascinating and admirable rather than charming.
Nansen is also a conservative man in regards to women. Women, although having many admirable qualities, are after all the weaker sex. Carl is not entirely in agreement, pointing out that women have courage and determination equal to men - his wife certainly has. Maud get that one right away, not being sure whether she is being praised or getting a slap on the wrist for having too high ambitions.
Nansen doesn't get an answer from Carl.
Carl sounds out Tulle as to whether he should accept the Norwegian throne, but she won't decide for him.
During an outing to Dyrehaven outside Copenhagen, Carl talks with his father CP Frederik as to whether he should accept or not. Frederik, already knowing the responsibility first hand, understands his son. Frederik urges caution and patience and advise Carl to stall for time. After all the Swedish King still has to formally okay the secession of Norway and until then Carl can't really be a contender. But he advise his son not to say yes, until he is sure he has the Norwegian people behind him!
Tante Louise is eager to know whether Carl has made up his mind and why does he even hesitate! He should accept right now! - "Norway is lost to my uncle, but not us." She is a cynic!
Back in Norway the head of the Social Democrats, Eriksen, learns of some gossip about Carl, that he is gay. And that a navy cadet killed himself due to an unhappy relation with Carl. Something Eriksen brings up in Stortinget, the Norwegian Parliament. The PM kills that one right away, with a report from the Danish authorities establishing that Carl was in no way involved in the suicide of the cadet.
But the politicians agree that whether Norway should be a monarchy or a republic is for the people to decide.
- And with that we end the second episode. - Heja Norge.
)
"My poor baby! LET ME GIVE YOU A HUG!"
