Albert (Tom Hughes) is slogging away at the great Crystal Palace project and is burning the midnight oil with Cole (David Newman). Causing Bertie (Laurie Shepherd) to awaken Victoria (Jenna Coleman) as he believes Papa is dead. Obviously that was a little premature but none the less worries Victoria and has repercussions for the end of this ep and for next series. Which presumably there will be one! Albert has second thoughts about it being "great" and even Palmerston (Laurence Fox) tells Victoria it won't really be as successful as he imagined as the British public aren't big on hyperbole's. They're not really big on much anyway. As Albert and Cole worry they haven't sold enough season tickets and the ladies don't want to accompany their husbands to the exhibit. Whereby Victoria adds they will want to shake hands with their Queen.
Palmerston is at loggerheads also with Russell (John Sessions) as he has written to Louis Bonaparte who has declared himself Emperor of France and he thought it premature for him to do this. As Palmerston adds Louis will have a lot on his hands dealing with repairing France instead of thinking of another battle with Britain. Russell is not so amused as he plots his downfall behind the scenes in the commons. Russell relays his dismay to Victoria. As does Palmerston who resigns and informs her at the opening. She knows he won't be ending his career just yet. He will become PM one day and his wife, Emily (Pandora Clifford) agrees as she's invited to the opening by Victoria. And obviously the public agreed as he was voted in as PM twice.
Victoria also hears that Sophie (Lily Travers) has a serious brain malady and she sends Abigail (Sabrina Bartlett) with a note. She can't get in to see her in person, but she pays a servant who tells her that her illness is so severe that the nurses lock her up when they go to eat. As Sophie watches from the widow. Monmouth (Nicholas Audsley) being adamant she won't see William and he will send her to an asylum. Victoria demands to see Monmouth and Joseph (David Burnett) is angry when he overhears Sophie's predicament threatening to take him on himself and win. As Penge (Adrian Schiller) observes it all. Bertie is in love with Heidi (Ellen Evans) and Albert contemplates allies and wants her to marry Sigmund Crown Prince of Prussia (Lion-Russell Baumann) as they will be good allies. However Palmerston suggests to Feo (Kate Fleetwood) that she could marry Louis and become Empress, a station even higher than Queen of England. To which Feo is delighted. Bertie even proposes to Heidi. Who tells him she's too old for him.
Victoria finds Albert in the dark outside ruing his folly and he tells her about the white elephant which is given as the highest honour to a family and must decide if they can feed the family or feed the animal as it can't be killed. That's what his Crystal Palace is, a white elephant. She tells him it will be a success, as she feels his hand which is ice cold. They open the exhibit and Sophie speaks with Joseph who wants her to meet him at Euston so that they can run away to America and just be ordinary people. With Monmouth still watching and demands to know who the servant is with his wife. Penge refuses to help further as he says respect is earned not bought, throwing his bag of coins at him. So much for Monmouth's declaration of his wife's "wanton" behaviour. Of course Victoria is aware something is amiss especially when she sees Joseph making a gesture towards Sophie before he leaves.
The exhibition is a success, at least the opening, as Bertie shouts "God save Papa" with the people joining in with "God save Prince Albert." Victoria mentions how a mother wouldn't leave her children to Sophie. So as she's about to leave, William calls Sophie as he can't sleep and Joseph waits for her at the station. He'll be waiting a long time. Albert finds out about Feo's deal with Palmerston about Heidi marrying Louis and tells her she's betrayed him. Which is what Victoria had been telling him over. She says they'll leave and Albert says it's only that Palmerston has resigned that she's had a change of heart, well mind. Victoria tells her that she doesn't have a sister even though she has many things, but Feo insists she would've made a good queen had she not been carted off by their mother. Which Victoria tells her Feo's blamed her for all this time.
Victoria stands by the fire where Albert proposed to her and she remembers that, as Albert falls to the floor and passes out...Cue cliffhanger, not that it's much of one as we know what the final outcome will be. Thus ends series 3 with a few ups and downs such as devoting nearly the entire series to Feo which was kind of boring even if they wanted some plot points to carry the story further. Showing their bitterness towards one another. Albert finally realizing her betrayal. TRusting the wrong people comes at a price, even family.
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