路易斯·蒙巴顿勋爵：
据我估计，仅在过去十年中，全世界 46 个不同国家就发生了 73 起政变，其中一些政变的成功可能会鼓舞我们。
两年前，仅500人就把加纳总统恩克鲁玛赶下台。
1961 年，朴正熙少将率领 3500 名士兵在韩国夺取了政权。
1964 年，在加蓬，仅 150 人就逮捕了姆巴总统，从而控制了国家权力。
当然，凯撒只带着一个军团渡过了卢比孔河。 也许我们不会追随他的命运。 先生们，脾气暴躁。
所有成功的叛乱都有五个关键要素：
对媒体的控制。
控制经济。
夺取行政目标需要第四个要素：军队的忠诚。
现在，在加纳和加蓬，这可以通过几个营来实现，但在英国，我们需要确保议会白厅、国防部和内阁办公室的安全。 当然，总理将与其他仍然忠诚的政客一起被捕。
我们将不得不关闭机场和空中交通管制。 还有火车站。 将实行宵禁。 宣布戒严。 我还没有提到警察。
这需要成千上万绝对忠诚的军人，即使在我的全盛时期，我也永远无法号令这么多人，这让我想到了第五个要素：合法性。
现在，我们的政府从历史悠久的支持机构中汲取力量。 法院、普通法体系、宪法。
任何反对国家的行动要想成功，就必须推翻这些。 但在像我们这样高度发展的民主国家，他们的权威是神圣不可侵犯的。 先生们，这就是为什么英国不可能发生政变。
除非我们得到尚未提到的一个人的支持。 国王拥有独特的宪法权力，这仍然可以使这样的事情成为可能。
1834年，面对众议院的反对，威廉四世利用它们解散了他的政府。 1920年，《紧急权力法》获得通过，赋予主权权力在某些情况下可以通过公告宣布紧急状态的权力。 这意味着我们的女王可以解散议会，并任命新政府和总理。 她也是武装部队总司令。 他们宣誓效忠于她而不是议会。 因此可以依靠他们的支持来完成这一切。 她就是我们的凯撒。
问：你认为她可能会接受这个想法吗？
路易斯·蒙巴顿勋爵：
情况确实令人信服。 现在，我已经给她列了一份清单，告诉她到底有多么引人注目。 作为她的二表弟，我处于一个非常适合提问的位置。
Lord Louis Mountbatten:
In the past decade alone, there have, by my reckoning, been 73 coups in 46 different countries around the world, and the success of some of these might encourage us.
In Ghana two years ago, President Nkrumah was ousted with just 500 men.
And in 1961 in South Korea, Major General Park Chung-hee seized power with 3500 men.
And in 1964 in Gabon, just 150 men were able to arrest President M’ba, and thus gain control over the lvers of state power.
And, of course, it was with just one legion that Caesar crossed the Rubicon. And perhaps we wouldn’t seek to follow his fate. Sic temper tyrannies, gentlemen.
And what all successful insurgencies have in common are five key elements:
Control of the media.
Control of the economy.
The capture of administrative targets for which you need the fourth element: the loyalty of the military.
Now, in Ghana and Gabon, this can be achieved with a handful of battalions, but here in the United Kingdom, we would need to secure Parliament Whitehall, the ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office. The prime minister will be arrested, of course, along with other politicians still loyal.
We would have to shut down the airports, air traffic control. Same with the train stations. Curfews will be put in place. Martial law declared. And I haven’t even mentioned the police.
It would take tens of thousands of unquestioningly loyal servicemen, and even in my heyday, I could never command that, which brings me to the fifth element: Legitimacy.
Now, our government draws its strength from long-established institutions that support it. The courts, body of common law, the constitution.
For any action against the state to succeed, you’d have to overthrow these as well. But in a highly evolved democracy such as ours, their authority is sacrosanct. Which is why, gentlemen, a coup d’état in the United Kingdom doesn’t stand a chance.
Unless we had the support of the one person not yet mentioned. The crown has at its disposal unique constitutional powers, which could still make something like this possible.
In 1834, William IV used them to dismiss his government in the face of opposition from the House. And in 1920, the Emergency Powers Act was passed, which gave the sovereign power in certain circumstances to declare state of emergency by proclamation. Meaning our queen could dissolve Parliament, and appoint a new government and a prime minister as well. She’s also commander-in-chief of the armed forces. They swear allegiance to her and not to Parliament. So could count on their support to see it through. She is our Caesar.
Q: And you think she might entertain the idea?
The circumstances are certainly compelling. Now, I’ve made her a list of exactly how compelling. And as her second cousin, I am in an ideal position to ask.