Виктория Холт - The Queen and Lord M

During her talks with him he expressed his admiration for Lord Melbourne which immediately removed that little tarnish which had touched his image. He was delighted, he said, that she had such an excellent adviser.

‘I have no doubt that he will do everything in his power to be useful to you,’ he said. ‘He was in a very awkward position with the late King who didn’t like him at all.’

‘Uncle William was so unwise in many ways, I fear.’

‘But it is very happy for Lord Melbourne now that he has your confidence and support.’

‘He shall always have it,’ she answered fervently.

At which Leopold retorted: ‘My dearest child, only while he deserves it, I hope.’

‘Of course,’ she replied, and felt faintly disloyal until she reminded herself that Lord Melbourne would always deserve it.

Uncle Leopold was disappointed that she had not taken Stockmar more into her confidence.

‘Now there is a man you can trust.’

‘I am certain of that, Uncle.’

‘I think it is possible that the letters between us may be intercepted. I must try to arrange something through Stockmar.’

He went on to say that he hoped the friendship between England and Belgium would always be strong.

‘I cannot imagine it otherwise,’ said the Queen.

‘Trouble is blowing up in Europe and the support of England may be necessary to us.’

‘I am sure Lord Melbourne will be most anxious to give it.’

‘I am sure he will if it is the wish of the Queen.’

Oh dear, she thought, it is true that dear as Uncle Leopold is to me he is the King of a foreign power; and being a princess unconcerned with politics is very different from being the Queen. She would have to talk with Lord Melbourne and ask him to explain the European situation before she could make any promises.

Still, Uncle Leopold seemed certain of her support so she left it at that. She really wanted to think of the entertainments she would offer them while they were visitors at her Court.

Lord Palmerston joined them at Windsor. She liked Palmerston, the Foreign Secretary, and of course Uncle Leopold had a great deal to say to him. Lord Palmerston was a wizard, Lord Melbourne told her; he had raised the prestige of England greatly since he had joined the Foreign Office seven years before. He was a fluent linguist and that, as Lord Melbourne said, enabled him to understand what the foreigners were getting at. Lord Melbourne told her that he was nicknamed ‘Cupid’ and that spoke for itself. He was a very gay bachelor. She replied that she really did enjoy the company of gay people.

The evenings could on occasions be a little disappointing; that was because there were usually so many people present. She would have liked more dances for she loved to dance and could do so all through the night until four in the morning without tiring of it. Unfortunately there were so few people who were considered worthy to dance with her, which was a pity. The Duchess was a continual reproach too, sitting there yawning and almost falling asleep until she felt forced to call out: ‘Dear Mamma, do go to your whist if you wish. I am sure you are longing to play.’

That would take care of the Duchess and then the Queen could indulge in some other game. Sometimes they played draughts and even chess. She challenged Aunt Louise to a game of the latter which really was amusing since they were both queens and she knew that the company were making allusions to this as the game progressed. It was particularly significant when Lord Melbourne and Palmerston hovered over her and advised her how to checkmate Aunt Louise, and Uncle Leopold advised his wife. She was so amused and laughed so much that she lost the game, which made dear Lord Melbourne look quite disconsolate.

In due course Leopold left and when he had gone she realised how much she loved him. She really did miss him.‘My dearest most beloved Uncle,’ she wrote,One line to express to you imperfectly my thanks for all your very great kindness to me and my great great grief at your departure. How I shall miss you, my dearest dear uncle, every every where. I feel very very sad and cannot speak of you both without crying …’

She was pleased that she did feel so strongly and she hoped the accentuating of important words would convince her uncle.

But it only made her all the more thankful that she had dear Lord M to turn to. And reflecting on all that had happened since her accession she wrote in her Journal … ‘This is the pleasantest summer I ever passed in my life and I shall never forget the first summer of my reign.’

One could not stay forever at Windsor and in October it was necessary to return to London. On Lord Mayor’s Day she must attend the dinner at the Guildhall, which was to be a glorious occasion given in her honour.

It was pleasant riding through the streets and seeing how she pleased the people.

‘The little duck,’ she heard one woman say, which wasn’t really very respectful, as she remarked afterwards to Lord Melbourne.

‘Oh, I don’t know,’ was his answer, ‘I have always had a great respect for ducks.’

Which made her rock with laughter, and reflect that Uncle Leopold would never have said such a thing.

After the dinner when she returned to the Palace there was a letter awaiting her from her mother. She recognised the handwriting of Sir John, who was still in her mother’s household waiting for his impossible demands to be met.

The Duchess was shocked and deeply wounded. She had, she wrote, been insulted at the Guildhall and it was humiliating for the mother of the Queen to be placed after minor relations. Was she to expect similar treatment at the Coronation? She knew that for a subject to expect audience of the Queen might seem an impertinence but she had yet to learn that the request of a mother to a daughter could be described in those terms, and she wished to see Victoria without delay.

When Baroness Lehzen read the letter, which Victoria passed to her, she was pleased. The Court had divided into two domestic factions – that of the Queen and her ladies, at the head of whom was Baroness Lehzen, and the Duchess with Sir John and hers. Lehzen particularly disliked Lady Flora Hastings who was constantly making sly allusions to her enemy’s origins. It was gratifying, therefore, that the Duchess had to beg for an interview with the Queen when she, the companion or whatever name was attached to her, for she had no official title, was allowed to come to the Queen at all times in the most unceremonious fashion.

‘I suppose I shall have to see her,’ sighed Victoria.

‘You are the Queen,’ said Lehzen significantly.

‘I know, but she’s right. She is my mother and nothing can alter that.’

Which was a pity, thought Lehzen, but knew that Victoria would not wish to hear her say so. The Queen was very much aware of her duties in life and honouring her mother was one of them.

So the Duchess came to her apartments and Victoria was held in a suffocating embrace.

‘My dearest angel!’

‘Dear Mamma.’

‘You are a stranger almost. Let me look at you. I only see you in public nowadays.’

‘Mamma, you have no idea how busy I am kept.’

‘I know I am the perfect ignoramus.’

‘Oh, not that, Mamma, no. But before my accession I had no idea what hundreds of duties there would be. What I should do without the help of Lord Melbourne, I can’t imagine.’

‘He has become very important in the last few months.’

‘Dear Mamma, a Prime Minister is always important.’

‘There could rarely have been such an important Prime Minister as this one.’

‘He takes his duties very seriously.’

‘Much more seriously since we have had a new Sovereign.’

‘Because the good man realises that with an inexperienced girl on the throne his duties are naturally greater.’

‘Yes, my dearest love, you are inexperienced. That is why I must speak to you. Your attitude to me is not liked by the people, you know. I am very popular. People noticed at the Guildhall how I was slighted and they didn’t like it. They didn’t like it at all. You will not impress them by neglecting your mother who did everything for you … yes, everything …’

They were back on a familiar theme and Victoria said regally, ‘I have no time to quarrel, Mamma.’

‘Quarrel! Who is quarrelling, I should like to know?’

‘You are, Mamma. And I have simply no time to indulge in scenes like this. I will speak to Lord Melbourne.’

‘Of course you will. You do little else.’

‘I will ask my Prime Minister to make sure that you are given your rightful place at the Coronation.’

‘And there is one thing else. Do you think it wise to ignore Sir John as you do?’

‘I have no wish to do anything else but ignore him.’

‘People talk because of your attitude. They gossip and ask each other why you will not receive Sir John and are so unkind to me.’

‘If your conscience is clear, Mamma, you have no need to be concerned about gossip.’

‘We all have need to be concerned about gossip if it touches us.’

‘Well, Mamma, I will not receive Sir John. That I have always made clear.’

‘Are you going to help him? Do you forget what he has done for me and for you, too.’

‘I am unsure what he has done for either of us that has been to his credit or our benefit.’

‘You have become hard. Is that Lord Melbourne’s teaching?’