10 Then attend it I shall

Roger Rees as Lord John Marbury in The West Wing. Episode 212 "The drop-in".

TOM
Mr. President?

MARBURY
Good evening!

BARTLET
John! Let me explain why you've been waiting. I have to see people in the order they
arrive, and you got beat by Argentina.

MARBURY
Oh, uhh... Well, yes.

BARTLET
You also lost out on preferred seating for the State of the Union.

MARBURY
I'm required to attend the State of the Union?

BARTLET
Yes!

MARBURY
Then attend it I shall.

BARTLET
Okay. Tom?

TOM
Mr. President, it is with pleasure I present His Excellency, Lord John Marbury of
Great Britain, and by request of the Secretary of State, ask that you accept his
credentials from Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, as Great Britain's Ambassador
to the United States.

Bartlet takes the folder from Marbury.

BARTLET
Where are you on the missile shield?

MARBURY
Well, I think it's dangerous, illegal... fiscally irresponsible, technologically unsound,
and a threat to all people everywhere.

BARTLET
Leo?

LEO
I think the world invented a nuclear weapon. I think the world owes it to itself to see
if it can't invent something that would make it irrelevant.

MARBURY
Well, that's the right sentiment, certainly a credible one from a man who's fought in a
war. You think you can make it stop? Well, you can't. We build a shield, and somebody
will build a better missile.

BARTLET
Well, it's a discussion for serious men. They say a statesman is a politician who's
been dead for fifteen years. I'd like us to be statesmen while we're still alive.
Lord Marbury, I accept your letter of credence from Queen Elizabeth, and, by affixing
my signature and seal, do hereby declare you to be Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary.

They shake hands.

MARBURY
Well, thank you, sir.

Marbury turns and shakes hands with Leo.

LEO
Congratulations.

MARBURY
God Bless America.

LEO
God Save the Queen.

BARTLET
Let's go.

The photographers snap pictures of Bartlet and Marbury as they pose.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Roger Rees
• Lord Marbury
• Lord John Marbury
• The West Wing

[Vonstadt]

God Bless America

God Save the Queen

A Classic scene between "Gerald" and His Lordship :)

[lagrima47]

One of the best characters that West Wing ever developed. Thanks!

[NobleHam]

I love the throwaway line, "you got beat by Argentina." Things like that are why this show was so brilliant.

[iansocawarrior]

I love the show, but it drives me nuts that The West Wing, which claims to be high-minded and internationally aware, can make such glaring errors in addressing the ambassador.

He should be addressed as 'Lord Marbury' or 'Your Lordship'. Officially, he would be known as 'John Marbury, the Baron Marbury'. Only if he was a knight of the realm would you refer to him by his first name ('Sir John').

It might seem quaint to some foreigners, but the British are rather proud of this sort of tradition!

[RuleNr34]

"I have to see people in the order in which they arrive and you got beat by Argentina." "Oh, well, yes." That has to be the sneakiest Falklands War reference ever made.

[HUNDOLOS]

@Darusdei "The writers made an error."

[McFrosty2014]

@jesusthroughmary He would also be introduced has John Marbury, Earl of Croy, not Lord John Marbury.

[jesusthroughmary]

@Darusdei The writers made an error. He is not Great Britain's ambassador, but rather the ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Also, The Queen is "Her Majesty The Queen", not "Her Royal Majesty".

[Darusdei]

@jesusthroughmary and the point is?

[Zajuts149]

Marbury's argument against Leo sounds like Chamberlain arguing against building the Halifax bomber prior to WWII, because then the Germans would only build a "Super-Halifax" bomber to retaliate...

[MrTagapinasako]

British people are so smart except the black butler (Jeffery) from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air....

[jesusthroughmary]

There hasn't been a "Kingdom of Great Britain" since 1801.