The Queen and Lord M

Chapter XI THE QUEEN’S RELUCTANCE

When King Leopold received Victoria’s letter in which she stated her reluctance to marry for a few years he was alarmed; he decided that he must see her without delay, and on a hot August afternoon the Queen received a letter from him in which he proposed to leave Ostend one evening and arrive at Brighton at about ten in the morning. He would stay only a few hours and return to Ostend the same day, but during that time perhaps he and his beloved niece could meet at the Pavilion and have a talk, which he felt was very necessary.

Victoria was astonished. She knew, of course, that her letter setting out her feelings about Albert was responsible for this and she could not bear the thought of Uncle Leopold and Aunt Louise, who was a poor sailor, making such a long trip just so that she and Uncle Leopold could talk for a few hours. Moreover Uncle Leopold would no doubt wish her to commit herself and she had no desire to do this. It would be much easier to elude awkward decisions over a little space of time.

How kind, she wrote back, of her Aunt and Uncle to wish to see her so much that they could contemplate coming over for a few hours. However, she herself did not feel equal to travelling to Brighton so soon after the prorogation of Parliament which was to take place on the 27th August. Her Uncle would know what an exhausting business that could be. Moreover she had had such a trying time lately. Her Uncle would know about the controversy with Sir Robert Peel because she had written to him and told him about it. Then there had been this distressing Hastings matter. It had really made her quite ill. She would hate not to feel absolutely well so that she could entertain her dear Uncle in a manner suited to his importance and for that reason – and that reason alone – could wish him to postpone his visit. If however he could stay a little while and come to Windsor, that would be delightful.

Leopold decided that the urgency of his business was such that he must comply with her suggestion. He would make preparations for a longer stay and would be coming to Windsor in a few weeks’ time.

When Uncle Leopold was due to arrive she was in a fever of excitement, so eager was she to see him. She tried to calm herself by reading despatches and carrying on in the normal way. But it was no use and as soon as they arrived she rushed down to throw herself into those loving avuncular arms. She insisted on waiting on them and taking them to their rooms. This touched Uncle Leopold very much.

‘I had begun to fear that you regarded me as an old piece of furniture which had once been quite useful but no longer was.’

‘Oh, dearest Uncle, how can you say such a thing now? You said it once in one of your letters and I thought I had convinced you.’

‘I needed to be convinced verbally,’ said Uncle Leopold.

So there were more embraces and loving assurances.

But she was quickly realising how very solemn Uncle Leopold had become – or perhaps he always was so and she had not noticed it before. Aunt Louise had lost her gaiety and Victoria had developed a taste for it; she could not help comparing Uncle Leopold with Lord Melbourne and secretly finding Leopold a little dull in comparison. One could not burst into merry laughter with Uncle Leopold around. He was sentimental though, and reminded her of how close they had been in the old days at Claremont and they were able to shed tears over the death of dear old Louie; and he talked again of her cousin, the Princess Charlotte. But again – secretly – she was a little sorry for Charlotte because although according to Uncle Leopold she had loved him devotedly, Uncle Leopold did not approve of so many things which Victoria discovered she approved of very much. Dancing for instance. Uncle Leopold thought that rather frivolous, but indeed why should one not indulge in a little frivolity after following the serious occupations forced upon rulers? She thought a little relaxation was essential when one considered just for one thing, all those papers one was forced to sign and all the ministers one had to see – and they were not all as easy to talk to as Lord Melbourne. Lord Melbourne, on the other hand, believed that a little gaiety was good for one. That was the difference between Lord Melbourne and Uncle Leopold, Lord Melbourne was such a man of the world that he was more understanding. He certainly understood her.

But how churlish to criticise Uncle Leopold – even to herself – who had meant so much to her in her childhood. He soon came to the real purpose of his visit.

‘Baron Stockmar sends me such excellent reports of our young gentleman,’ he told her.

‘I am so glad. I am sure Albert is very good.’

‘I remember how taken you were with him when you met him.’

‘That was three years ago.’

‘He has improved … for the better.’

‘I feel sure that with you to watch over him and dear Baron Stockmar too, he could not have failed to.’

‘A match between you two has always been one of my dearest projects. When it takes place I shall say to myself “Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace”.’

‘Dearest Uncle, do not talk of leaving the world ever.’

‘My precious angel, it was a form of speech. I mean that it would be the realisation of one of my most cherished dreams.’

‘Well, perhaps we shall like each other. But there is plenty of time. I am very young yet, Uncle, and Albert is even younger.’

‘Albert does not understand why there is not a formal betrothal. He feels that this waiting is somehow a humiliation to him.’

‘But the last thing I should wish to do is humiliate Albert.’

‘That’s what I have told him, but there has been this shillyshallying. When you saw him last time you really did like him so much.’

‘Let him come here and perhaps I shall like him as much again. Lord Melbourne says that I need not hurry into marriage. I can wait three or four years if I wish.’

‘Do you think that would be advisable?’

‘I do, Uncle. It is too important a matter to be hurried.’

‘I do not think Albert would be prepared to wait indefinitely.’

‘What does he mean by that?’

‘He feels that to be kept hanging about and then refused would perhaps spoil his chances elsewhere.’

‘He seems to be rather calculating.’

‘You misjudge him.’

Leopold was thinking how obstinate she had grown since those days when she was such an enchanting little girl who had adored him and been so eager to please him in every way. And she had become somewhat regal in her manner too, as though she were reminding him that although he might be the King of the Belgians she was Queen of a somewhat more important country.

He abandoned the discussion for the time being and decided to come back to it later.

Uncle Leopold’s visit coincided with that of another Coburg uncle – Leopold’s and Mamma’s own brother Ferdinand with his sons, Augustus and Leopold, and his daughter Victoire. They also brought with them another Coburg cousin, Alexander, whom Victoria thought was quite fascinating. She was soon on nickname terms with them all and they played games which Uncle Leopold would have thought quite childish but which to her were the greatest fun. Even Lord Melbourne could not play such games.

She told them about the visit of the Tsarevitch of Russia who had been so amusing, and had danced so beautifully.

‘There is a German dance. Perhaps you know it. The men have to jump over a pocket handkerchief.’

They all declared they did know it.

‘And each lady and gentleman has to duck under the pocket handkerchief. I rarely saw anything so amusing in my life.’

So they all danced it and there was a great deal of laughter. Victoria enjoyed dancing most with Alexander as her partner.

‘What a charming young man Alexander is,’ said the Queen in her chat with Lord Melbourne. Lord Melbourne said yes, he was. He was the son of the Princess Sophia of Saxe-Coburg and a French émigré and so therefore not entirely German. That, suggested Lord Melbourne, might be why he was more attractive.

‘Uncle Leopold would not be pleased to hear you say that,’ said the Queen. ‘He has a very high opinion of the Germans.’

‘That is natural,’ said Lord Melbourne, ‘because he is one of them and we all have high opinions of ourselves.’

She did enjoy discussing her cousins with Lord Melbourne but to tell the truth he seemed a little old in comparison with them.

What a sad day it was when the cousins said goodbye. The Queen declared that she was going to be quite heartbroken without them. She went down to Woolwich to see them off accompanied by Mamma and Lehzen, and of course Lord Melbourne was present. The Duchess was in tears; she had been very unhappy since the departure of Conroy. There was no one with whom to scheme for her daughter’s discomfiture and now even the Flora Hastings affair had lost its impact. The Duchess would have liked to be taken back into her daughter’s favour. However it seemed it was too late for that. But this farewell was a family affair and outwardly Victoria was affectionate to her mother. Many tears were shed and Victoria exchanged handkerchiefs with Victoire to remind her of ‘our handkerchief dance’. It was all very, very sad, and the journey back to the Palace was silent and sorrowful. The only person who was unaffected was Lord Melbourne, who didn’t like Germans and had found the cousins too childishly boisterous for his taste. However at this stage he kept his feelings to himself and smiled sympathetically at the Queen whenever she looked his way.

Uncle Leopold would be leaving a few days later and he had made very little headway for he had counted on getting a definite promise from Victoria that she would accept Albert. He had not anticipated this difficulty, but he was learning that this was a new Victoria.

He came back again and again to the subject of the marriage.

It was necessary. It was her duty. Had she looked at it from that angle?

Yes, she had looked at it from every angle.

And did she realise that if she did not marry and have children the throne would go to the Cumberlands?

She was years younger than Uncle Cumberland and she did not think she was going to die yet. No, Uncle Leopold could rest assured that Cumberland would spend his days as King of Hanover. It was not that she was against marriage, but that as she was only twenty she thought she had plenty of time and did not wish to hurry into such a state which was so very important not only to herself but to the country.

‘It is not exactly seemly for a young female monarch to live alone.’

‘Alone, dearest Uncle! I am surrounded by people.’

‘And your Prime Minister even lives at the Palace!’

‘He has private rooms there of his own because it makes it so much easier when we have to discuss State matters.’

‘That seems to me to be rather inviting criticism.’

Victoria flushed hotly. Cries of ‘Mrs Melbourne’ echoed in her mind.

‘Lord Melbourne is my Prime Minister, Uncle. Naturally he has a suite in the Palace. I cannot see anything to criticise in that.’

‘Yet am I right in assuming that there has been criticism?’

‘There has been a great deal of senseless criticism. This distressing affair of Flora Hastings, for instance …’

‘I was thinking more of the affair of the Bedchamber Ladies. You know it was said that you acted as you did because you were so fond of Lord Melbourne that you were ready to go to any lengths to keep on intimate terms with him.’

‘What a wicked scandal!’

‘It is, but we have to reckon with wicked scandals. A sovereign is in the arena to be shot at. A sovereign has to make sure that he – or she – gives no opportunities to people to cast slurs. You understand what I mean. Marriage is what you need, my precious angel. And soon.’

She was a little shaken but adamant. The fiery temper showed itself in her eyes though her voice was tender as always for dear Uncle Leopold.

‘Dearest Uncle,’ she said, ‘I should never allow unworthy gossip to drive me into a situation which was abhorrent to me.’

‘Abhorrent!’ cried Uncle Leopold in horror.

‘I was speaking generally, dear Uncle. Of course Albert is not abhorrent to me. I love all my cousins. Dear Alexander was delightful. So were Augustus and Leopold. I am wretched at the thought of parting with them. And I am sure Albert and Ernest are equally pleasant. I merely mean that I will not allow malicious people to dictate my actions.’

Nor even beloved uncles, she was implying.

Oh, she had indeed changed; and it was necessary to get Albert to England as soon as possible.

Uncle Leopold could stay no longer. He and Aunt Louise were due to start very early in the morning to catch the tide. Victoria, who had determined to say goodbye once more before they left although they had already said their farewells the previous night, arose at a quarter past four and went to their apartments. They were sitting in their travelling clothes ready for departure, eating their breakfast by the light of several candles. Sad as she was, Victoria’s mouth watered at the sight of thin bread and butter and eggs and she could not resist joining them in their breakfast.

This was not the time, even Uncle Leopold realised, to indulge in further persuasion so he contented himself with a tender farewell; and from her bedroom window the Queen tearfully watched them leave.

How very sad it was, to say goodbye to dear relations; but her sorrow was tinged with apprehension. Very soon Cousin Albert would be arriving and then she would have to make her decision.

She was touchy and irritable with Lord Melbourne.

‘I believe you are pleased to see my cousins depart,’ she accused him peevishly.

‘They were rather noisy,’ he answered.

‘And of course they spoke in German which you do not understand. That must have been very tiresome for you.’

‘Not at all,’ said Lord Melbourne blandly, ‘for I do not believe I missed a great deal.’

‘I enjoyed their company very much.’

‘Which was evident and made their visit worthwhile.’

‘Poor Lord Melbourne! I believe their noise interrupted your little naps.’

‘That is exactly the case,’ agreed Lord Melbourne.

She burst out laughing. ‘I am young after all. I don’t think I see enough young people.’

‘You certainly did during the visit.’

‘A young person like myself must sometimes have young people to laugh with.’

‘You lead rather an unnatural life for a young person,’ admitted Lord Melbourne. ‘It’s the life of a man.’

‘I do feel that is so sometimes. But the excitement did me good.’

‘You may suffer for it afterwards. You must always take care of your health. You have complained of a certain listlessness. It would be dreadful if you were to take a dislike to your official duties.’

‘You need have no fear, Lord Melbourne, that I shall ever fail in my duty,’ she said coldly.

She was tense; she was apprehensive. The thought of marriage frightened her. Oh, why, she demanded of Lehzen, did everything have to change? She kept harking back to that happy, happy summer when everything was so pleasant and the people loved her.

‘Nothing stands still,’ Lehzen reminded her.

‘I know that,’ she snapped. ‘I am not a child, although I am well aware that you sometimes think I am.’

Her ladies whispered together that she had changed. Once she had been so considerate to them; now nothing they could do seemed right for her.

Even Lord Melbourne displeased her. Understanding her better than anyone else and realising that it was fear of marriage that made her so irritable and bad tempered he sought to soothe her. He wanted her to realise that there was absolutely no need to consider marriage a necessity at this stage; he wanted to lull her into a peaceful frame of mind. All she had to do was inspect her cousins and if she did not like them she could send them packing.

She was aware of this and was afraid of marriage; yet she wanted to marry. She loved Lord Melbourne, and she had never analysed her feelings for him. If he had been young and royal how easy that would have been! Lord Melbourne understood their relationship far better than she did and he was saddened because he knew that it had reached its peak and must now inevitably decline. Her present state of mind affected him deeply. He could not bear to see her unhappy. If she could marry now and make a success of her marriage and her life, his work had been well done. He knew – and had known all through – that his place could only be on the edge of that life, and he must now be ready to stand aside.

He tried to see less of her. This called forth abuse from her.

She was soon writing to him:‘The Queen was a good deal vexed at Lord Melbourne’s not coming …’

This was to one of her dinner parties to which he had not received a formal invitation but it was regarded as the accepted thing that he should be present and he always had been in the past. She was miserable without Lord Melbourne to sit beside her and make his amusing comments and go to sleep and snore if he wished to. This last habit might displease her and sometimes embarrass her, but she wanted him there.‘The Queen thinks it is important that Lord Melbourne should be here at large dinners. She insists upon his coming to dinner tomorrow, and begs him to do so on Wednesday also, her last two nights in town, as she will probably not see him for two days.’

When Lord Normanby changed places with Lord John Russell as Home Secretary, Melbourne, who had felt it wiser to avoid her company for a while, omitted to tell her and she learned of the change through Lord Normanby.

She was incensed … and against Lord Melbourne.‘Lord Melbourne never told the Queen that this was definitely settled. This has happened before.’

Then remembering that he had looked a little tired at their last meeting and the old tenderness returning she added:‘The Queen has such unlimited confidence in Lord Melbourne that she knows all that he does is right but she cannot help being a little vexed at not being told things.’

When he came to her in the blue closet he could see from her expression that her mood was stormy and it was not his good friend who stood before him, but the Queen. So cold and regal was she – and nobody knew how to convey this manner better than herself – that he did not sit down in his usual easy manner but remained standing until she gave him permission to do so.

She withheld this and sitting herself, talked to him as he stood.

Realising suddenly how tired he looked she was filled with remorse and insisted at once that he sit down when she began upbraiding him for not taking enough care of his health. He was always talking about hers. She commanded that he be more careful.

She saw the tears in his eyes and then everything seemed just as it had been. She was foolish to worry about Albert’s coming when she had this dear good friend to advise her.

The next day she sent him a little present.‘The Queen sends this little charm which she hopes may keep Lord Melbourne from all evil, and it will make her very happy if he will put it with his keys …’

She wanted him to understand that although she was going through a difficult stage, and although she appeared bad-tempered and nervous sometimes, her feelings for him could not change.

Sometimes she was quite herself and they talked in the blue closet.

‘I feel very much against marrying,’ she admitted.

‘It’s a very serious matter,’ agreed Lord Melbourne, ‘concerning as it does both the State and your personal happiness. To get the ideal man we should have to make one.’

That was typical Lord Melbourne and she was soon laughing while he conjured up a picture of the perfect man he would make to share the throne with Victoria.

‘He must not be in the least stupid.’

‘Of course not. Do you think I want a stupid husband?’

‘Nor cunning.’

‘Do you think he would get the better of me?’

‘He would never do that.’

That made her laugh again and almost restored her old merriment.

‘He would have to be equable in temperament.’

‘And not have a quick temper?’

‘One of those is enough in any family – royal or otherwise,’ said Lord Melbourne.

He was so amusing.

‘I have no great wish to see Albert.’

‘You might change your mind when he comes.’

‘I hate to have to decide.’

‘Decisions which are so final can often be disagreeable,’ said Lord Melbourne.

‘Do you think I might decide never to marry?’

‘I need notice of that question,’ said the incorrigible Lord Melbourne.

She felt so much better talking to him.

‘How I wish Albert were not coming,’ she said.

But when Albert wrote to her and told her – without adequate reason – that he would be arriving three days late, her temper flared up.

‘He does not seem very eager to get here,’ she commented to Lord Melbourne. ‘That seems to me very odd. After all who is he but quite an obscure prince?’

‘And a German,’ said Lord Melbourne.

‘And I am the Queen.’

‘Of England,’ added Lord Melbourne.

She was angered by Albert’s apparent indifference which, said Lord Melbourne, was a little odd seeing that she was not in the least eager for him to come.