‘Your Majesty has wisdom as well as youth – an invincible combination,’ said the Prime Minister.

What a delightful conversation! He made her feel clever rather than young and innocent; and that, of course, was exactly how she wanted to feel before facing her first Council meeting.

She said: ‘Baron Stockmar called on me while I was at breakfast this morning.’

Lord Melbourne’s beautifully arched eyebrows shot up. ‘So soon?’

‘He has always been a very good friend to me.’

‘And to your Uncle, the King of the Belgians.’

‘Precisely. He has offered his services as my Secretary. I have said that I will consider appointing him.’

‘Which was wisely diplomatic of Your Majesty, for I know you have decided that such an appointment would not be well received in the country nor by Your Majesty’s Government in view of the fact that although Baron Stockmar is a good friend to Your Majesty, he is a foreigner and known to be the devoted servant of a monarch of another country. Ah, King Leopold is your own uncle, but Your Majesty will realise that the people would imagine that with such a secretary, a foreign power would most certainly be having some effect on Your Majesty’s opinions.’

‘But this had not occurred to me.’

Lord Melbourne’s smile was indulgent. ‘But it does now. I see Your Majesty has quickly grasped the significance such an appointment would have.’

‘Well, I do see now …’

‘Then I am sure you will agree that this matter of a Secretary may be temporarily shelved. I myself am at your service and could do all – and I daresay more – than a Secretary could do at this stage, so if Your Majesty will trust me …’

Trust Lord Melbourne! With her life and crown if need be. She said with great feeling: ‘Oh, absolutely, Lord Melbourne.’

He looked so moved that she felt she would betray her emotion so she said quickly: ‘Shall we run through the Declaration once more? I want to make certain that I do not disappoint them.’

So they went through the Declaration until her two uncles, the Dukes of Cumberland and Sussex, arrived. It was a few minutes before eleven o’clock when they, with Lord Melbourne, conducted her to the red salon where the Council meeting was to be held.


* * *

All eyes were on her – this tiny eighteen-year-old girl who had only today become their Queen. Before the door had opened all those assembled in the red salon had been feeling a certain tension. She was too young, they feared. Moreover she had been brought up in the seclusion of Kensington Palace; she had rarely come to Court though it had been the wish of the late King that she should do so. She would be overwhelmed, bewildered; it was most unfortunate that William had not lived a year or so longer until the girl could have come to a greater maturity, or perhaps had been married and had a husband’s counsel to help her in a difficult task. But alas, she was barely eighteen. They could expect difficulties.

Now she stood before them in her black bombazine dress, and although she was but eighteen – and certainly looked no older – she had all the appearance of a queen.

She took her seat and the ceremony began. First the Privy Councillors were sworn in and there were a great many of them and they all must come and swear fealty to her. She found this very moving, particularly when her own uncles came to pay their homage. Uncle Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, had automatically become King of Hanover on the death of King William, for the salic law persisted in Hanover and the throne could therefore only pass to male heirs, which precluded Victoria from taking sovereignty there. Now that the King of Hanover must accept the fact that he could not be King of England because the daughter of his elder brother had become the Queen, he no longer seemed the menacing old ogre he once had; he was merely an excessively ugly old man and Victoria greeted him warmly.

All the time these proceedings were taking place, she was aware of Lord Melbourne’s eyes on her, kind, at first apprehensive but gradually becoming reassured, and finally proud.

She glowed with pleasure. It was of the utmost importance to her that she did not disappoint Lord Melbourne.


* * *

She knew that those lords who had assembled in the red salon were astonished by her demeanour. They had waited in trepidation for a young girl and had found a queen. She was conscious of a power she had not thought possible. Could she have behaved with the same poise if she had not been primed by Lord Melbourne? Dear kind man! Already she owed him a great deal. How lucky that she had him for her Prime Minister. She would tell him so when she next saw him.

She left the red salon, her uncles and Lord Melbourne following her, and there in the ante-room was her mother, her face flushed, her eyes brilliant, her jewels glittering and feathers shaking. The warm glow, which thinking of Lord Melbourne had engendered, faded. Victoria felt cool and aloof, but the Duchess was too excited to notice her daughter’s manner.

‘My love!’ she cried, seeking to embrace Victoria, ‘I am so proud of you.’

Victoria dutifully allowed herself to be crushed against that superb bosom for a few seconds but she was thinking: Mamma will have to remember that I am the Queen.

The Duchess was quivering with questions and advice. She wanted to carry off her daughter, advise her, warn her, in general lay before her the plans which she and Sir John had devised for the future. Victoria’s attitude of the past months might have prepared her for the difficulties she was facing, but the Duchess refused to accept this. Victoria was her child and she would always be so.

‘Thank you, Mamma,’ said Victoria coolly.

‘My darling, there is so much to talk about.’ The Duchess shot a glance at the Uncles and Lord Melbourne. Sir John had said: ‘Victoria must be warned against Melbourne. He is not on our side.’

And there he was, thought the Duchess, taking charge, having paid two calls on Victoria already this morning although she had not been Queen more than half a day. Oh yes, Victoria must certainly be warned against Lord Melbourne.

‘Mamma,’ said Victoria, ‘am I really and truly Queen?’

‘But, my love, you have seen that you are.’

‘Then, Mamma, I hope you will grant the first request I make to you as Queen.’

The Duchess’s smile was indulgent. A request? Some honour she was going to bestow on her dear Mamma in appreciation of all that had been done for her? ‘Dearest Mamma, I beg of you to accept …’ Now what would she be most likely to offer?

‘My love, I shall of course be delighted and now I suppose I should say honoured, for you are our little Queen, are you not? I shall be delighted to grant any request.’

‘Then, Mamma, let me be by myself for an hour.’

The Queen passed on, leaving an astonished Duchess staring after her. Lord Melbourne was bowing to her with a slightly ironic smile on his handsome face.

The Duchess was accustomed to scenes, having been responsible for many, but even she knew that this was not the moment to make one. The ingratitude! she was thinking. How could she … a daughter of mine!

But Victoria was the Queen now and capable of anything.


* * *

In Victoria’s room Lehzen was waiting for her.

‘I was a success, Lehzen,’ she cried. ‘All those men were expecting me to blush and stammer and show my fear of this great responsibility, but I did no such thing. I showed them quite clearly that having for so long been accustomed to the idea of being Queen, I know exactly how to act.’

‘As I always said you would.’

‘And I have just spoken to Mamma.’

Lehzen was alert. It would never do for the Duchess to gain ascendancy over Victoria for that would mean that Lehzen was relegated to the background.

‘Do you realise, Lehzen, that all my life I have never been in a room alone?’

‘It was the Duchess’s orders that you should not be.’

‘I know, and we had to accept it. Now, Lehzen, I do not have to accept anything. I might decide to, if Lord Melbourne desired it, but that is a very different matter. So I told Mamma that I had a request to make which was that I be allowed to be alone for an hour.’

‘And the Duchess agreed—?’

‘My dear Lehzen, how could she do otherwise? I am the Queen.’

Lehzen could take a hint. It would never do for her to become a nuisance.

‘I understand your feelings,’ she said. ‘It is so natural that you should wish to be alone. You will have so much to think about. So I will leave you to yourself.’

If she were hoping for a protest she did not get it. This was indeed the Queen.

Lehzen shut the door quietly and Victoria looked blissfully about the room.

‘Alone!’ she said aloud. ‘For the first time in my life.’


* * *

It would not be for long, she knew, as her Ministers would soon begin to arrive and she must give them audience; but from now on if she ever wished for an hour’s solitude it could be hers.

I never knew what a prisoner I was until now that I am free, she told herself. Free, that is, as ever a monarch can be.

She would never be free to consider her own wishes if these conflicted with the needs of the State. There would be no question of that ever, and she would tell Lord Melbourne so at their very next meeting, which would be later this day of course. How fortunate to come to the throne to find such a good, kind, amusing, witty, handsome man waiting to advise. Indeed, one ran out of adjectives when describing Lord Melbourne. She had no qualms, no fears when she considered that he was there beside her, to guide her and keep her informed on all matters of state.