The Queen's Husband Read online

  ‘Oh, Cousin Albert, you are so amusing.’

  Then there was music. She really did have an understanding of it. ‘I have always loved it. One birthday we had a concert in the palace. I have never forgotten it.’

  She must hear Albert sing one of his songs. ‘But, Cousin Albert, how very clever of you to compose that. Could we sing my favourite duet together?’

  Their voices harmonised. The Duchess sat tapping her foot while they sang with Duke Ernest beside her looking very pleased.

  There was a visit to Windsor to call on the King, who received them rather coolly although the Queen was kind. Albert noticed that the King was very old and by no means in good health. It seemed possible that in a short time Victoria would be Queen. Albert was impressed by Windsor; his spirits rose and he immediately felt better, more alive, to be in the country. The chestnut trees were magnificent, and the may blossom was just about to break out, and the forest reminded him of home. In such surroundings he would feel well and perhaps not be so tormented by his desire for Coburg as he had imagined. And the castle was magnificent. The elaborate staterooms amazed him; there was nothing like those deep-piled carpets and rich velvet gold-fringed curtains in his father’s houses. All this would be hers one day if the present King had no children, which was now almost a certainty.

  Albert began to feel excited by his destiny. He felt sure that he would be able to guide his gay little cousin.

  Oh, but the energy of the little creature! Albert’s greatest problem was to keep his eyes open while she chattered away. She wanted to dance every evening; nor was she content if they retired before two o’clock. It was not only that he had to fight the terrible drowsiness which beset him, but his fatigue almost bordered on illness. His step-mother said he had grown too fast, for as a child he had always been much shorter than Ernest; now he had shot up suddenly and was as tall.

  The day before Victoria’s birthday, which was to have a very special entertainment, he felt so tired that he could not stay awake. The Duchess of Kent, who was very kind to him, noticed that he was looking delicate and suggested that he should retire early. He blessed her. How kind she was, how thoughtful! Victoria’s blue eyes were round with dismay. Dear Albert. How very concerned she was! He must be well by tomorrow because she could not bear him to be ill on her birthday. Oh, the joy of being in bed, to sleep and sleep and sleep.

  On her birthday there was a ball at St James’s Palace. Another of those interminable balls. When I marry her I shall make it a rule that we rise early (for the early morning is the best time of the day) and retire not later than ten o’clock, he promised himself. But he was not married to her yet, and as Ernest had said, it would be for her to choose. Perhaps she would choose Ernest, whose gay temperament was more like her own.

  He was at present too tired to care.

  It was unthinkable that he, as one of the principal guests, could sit out during the dance. He had to get on to the floor to bow and prance, as he thought of it. He felt giddy and feared he was going to faint. It was her hand that steadied him; and those big blue eyes looked tenderly up at him.

  ‘Albert, do you feel ill?’

  He swayed and she led him to a chair.

  The Duchess was beside him. ‘My dear Albert, you are not feeling well?’

  He sat down and closed his eyes.

  The Duchess said that he must go back to Kensington and that she would arrange this without delay.

  So while Victoria danced at her birthday ball, Albert slept as the carriage took him through the streets and he was relieved to reach his bedroom.

  But of course this was no way to impress his future bride.

  He could not help being pleased when it was time to return home, although that dreadful sea crossing had to be faced before they could reach that haven.

  Ernest was now certain that the Princess Victoria had chosen him.

  ‘Never mind, Albert,’ he said. ‘I shall rule England but I’ll let you have Coburg as a consolation prize.’

  Albert was not so sure. He remembered the way she had looked at him when he had nearly fainted on the ballroom floor. She was a very affectionate little person and everyone must admit that he was more handsome than Ernest. Moreover he had quickly discovered the kind of conversation that she found amusing and she had laughed very readily even when he had not been exactly witty. Yes, she had laughed more readily at his jokes than those of Ernest; and then he had been so good with her dogs who clearly meant a great deal to her.

  She was a very warm-hearted girl and one, he believed, who would be easy to mould. He would have been feeling very hopeful but for that incessant fatigue which he could not overcome however much he tried. They had music in common. She really did love it and she became quite beautiful when she listened to some particular pieces. She chattered animatedly about the famous singers she had heard and he was impressed, for such people never came to Germany. The fact that Albert had actually composed songs delighted her. ‘But how clever. But that is wonderful.’ And then their voices had harmonised charmingly.

  When they said goodbye she wept openly. Her emotions, he told himself, were superficial. There would be a great deal which he would have to teach her, but he could look forward to the task; and having met her, marriage was no longer repugnant to him, which he had feared it might be.

  It was not long after their return that news came from Uncle Leopold. The visit had been a great success, and to Ernest’s astonishment and Albert’s delight, Albert was the one who had pleased her best.

  She had written to Uncle Leopold that Albert possessed every quality that she could desire to make her happy. She did mention though that she wanted special care taken of the health of ‘one now so dear to me’, which was an oblique reference to his exhaustion in the ballroom. Even so Uncle Leopold was pleased. Now plans must be set in motion in earnest.

  Chapter IV

  PREPARATIONS

  Living in Coburg was Leopold’s old friend and adviser Baron Christian Friedrich von Stockmar, whither he had retired some two years before. Stockmar had at one time lived in England and had personally known not only Leopold’s first wife, the Princess Charlotte, but the young Princess Victoria as well. It was Stockmar who had advised Leopold not to take the Greek crown but to accept that of Belgium. He had been Leopold’s doctor in the first instance; they shared an interest in their ailments, vying with each other in recounting their sufferings; they had enjoyed each other’s company and Stockmar’s great concern had been Leopold’s advancement. For the last two years Leopold had asked Stockmar to keep an eye on Albert in an unofficial manner. In a small court such as that of Duke Ernest this was a simple matter and Stockmar had been able to report on the two brothers from time to time.

  Albert was of special interest to Leopold and Stockmar was able to report that Albert was ‘a fine fellow with agreeable qualities’. He even had something of an English look. As to his mind, Stockmar heard glowing reports of this but he must remind Leopold that they were somewhat partial. Stockmar had seen too little of Albert to give a personal judgement, and he added that if the young Prince were going to qualify for one of the most influential positions in Europe (which marriage to the Queen of England would surely be) he must have more than a studious nature, discretion and caution (and Stockmar had heard that he possessed this to a great degree); he must have ambition and great will-power. He must be made to understand from the outset that this was a ‘vocation of grave responsibility’ and not to be lightly undertaken and that his honour and happiness would depend upon the manner in which he was able to fulfil his duties.

  Now, the Prince could clearly not be fitted for this great future in Coburg. In the first place he must have a command of English. It was no use being able to write it adequately; he must be able to express himself fluently in that language and understand what was being said to him. He must not only have English lessons but have them from an English person. Stockmar did not think Berlin was the right place for the Prince, but i
f he came to Brussels his uncle could keep an eye on him. Let him have a few months there studying history and modern languages; and then Leopold could come to a decision as to the future plans. But these would need serious and immediate consideration.

  Thus it was that almost immediately after the return from England, the brothers were on their way to Brussels.

  It was pleasant to live in Brussels, for it meant being close to his uncle. Leopold was of course a very busy man; he had a kingdom to govern, but his great desire was to see members of his family in important positions all over Europe and as he said often to the brothers, there could not be one from which it was more possible to influence Europe for good than England. Leopold’s heart was set on a marriage between Victoria and Albert.

  When they were alone together he talked of that brief period when he was married to Charlotte and had believed that he would be in a position which he now hoped would one day be Albert’s. ‘A Queen Regnant needs a husband to guide her. How well I should have done that for Charlotte! And you must learn to do for Victoria what I should have done for her.’

  ‘I should want to influence her for good,’ said Albert.

  ‘That is what I hope. You would guide and advise and, my dear Albert, you would have one of the most important tasks in the whole world. You would have to teach Victoria her responsibilities to her country, to Europe and her family. I shall not be far away and able to guide you both. We shall be in constant touch with each other.’

  Albert’s eyes had begun to sparkle at the prospect. He was discovering that he was ambitious.

  He studied so earnestly that his tutors expressed delight in him. He was far in advance of his brother Ernest. Leopold smiled. ‘All well and good. There’s a great difference in governing a European power like England and in governing a little Coburg dukedom.’

  In correspondence with Baron Stockmar Leopold decided that the Princes should attend a university and Bonn was decided on; so there was another move and the brothers settled in to university life, where Albert’s aptitude and nature continued to delight his tutors.

  They had been at Bonn for only a few weeks when important news arrived via Uncle Leopold.

  ‘I have heard today,’ wrote their uncle, ‘news which is of the utmost importance to us all. King William is dead and your cousin Victoria is Queen of England. You will of course wish to write to her.’

  Albert was trembling with excitement. The more he had travelled, the greater his ambition had grown. He saw now how right his uncle was and this marriage was the best thing that could happen to him. Only through marriage could he achieve a position of any great importance; and his longsighted uncle was preparing him to receive one of the greatest prizes in the world. He must not fail.

  He wrote to Victoria, ‘his dearest cousin’. He must congratulate her on the great change which had come into her life. He reminded her that she was the mightiest Queen in Europe and that the happiness of millions lay in her hands.

  ‘I hope that your reign may be long, happy and glorious and that your efforts may be rewarded by the thankfulness and love of your subjects.’

  He hoped too, that he might be able to share that throne with her. King Albert of England. It sounded a wonderful project.

  He must prepare himself even more thoroughly than before.

  He worked harder; and he waited for news of what would happen next and when he might begin his courtship in earnest.

  During the autumn holidays the two Princes made a tour of Switzerland and northern Italy. It was as well, said Uncle Leopold, to see something of the world. The two months of September and October were taken up by this and it had been arranged that this should be a walking holiday. Albert was quite happy; he loved the fresh air; the mountains of Switzerland exhilarated him and the art treasures of Milan and Venice enchanted him. He was quite content to spend his days walking, providing he could go to bed at about nine o’clock. He would immediately sleep heavily and be awake at six o’clock, ready to spend another day of exploration.

  Albert wished that holiday could have gone on and on. He discussed his feelings with Ernest for they understood each other well.

  ‘You know what will happen when we have finished with Bonn,’ said Ernest. ‘You will go one way and I another.’

  ‘I have often thought of it,’ replied Albert sombrely.

  ‘We have to face it. If you are going to England and I to Coburg, we shall be parted.’

  ‘Eighteen years is a long time for two people to be together.’

  ‘Most brothers and sisters are.’

  ‘We are more to each other than most.’

  They were silent for a while. Then Albert said: ‘That is why I wish I could make time stand still. Here am I on this stimulating and most enjoyable holiday with the best companion in the world, with the possibility of a grand marriage before me. If only we could be as we are forever … happy, together, everything waiting to fall into my hands.’

  ‘Who would have thought to hear you talk like this! It is quite fanciful. We have to have our separation and that is going to be very painful to us both. I fancy you will remember me sometimes, brother, when you luxuriate in the glories of Windsor and Buckingham Palace.’

  ‘I am happy now here in the fresh air with you, Ernest.’

  ‘It is nothing to the happiness you will know as King of England with little Queen Victoria beside you ready to love, honour and obey.’

  Albert looked so sad that Ernest sought to change his mood by warning him that Little Victoria appeared to him to have quite a temper of her own so he need not think it was going to be very easy.

  ‘All the more reason,’ said Albert, ‘for me to wish this happy time never to end.’

  ‘Well, if you can make time stand still, brother, you’re a cleverer man than I am.’ Ernest grinned at his brother. ‘Which,’ he added, ‘is as it should be. Only clever Albert is good enough for Victoria.’

  Albert was right. The parting came very soon. After a brief spell at the university Ernest was to go to Dresden to undergo a course of military instruction and Albert was to take a Grand Tour of Europe in the company of Baron Stockmar. There was another member of the party, Sir Francis Seymour, a young soldier whom Leopold had requested to be Albert’s companion and to converse with him always in English.

  The brothers were heartbroken at their parting but for Albert at least there was a good deal to interest him. He loved the arts, and in Rome and Florence found much to his taste. He was aware of the Baron’s critical eye but at the same time the old man seemed to have an affection for him; and Sir Francis Seymour in some ways made up for the loss of his brother. Travel was exciting; and this exploration of the world’s art treasures, plus new and magnificent scenery, was indeed an education. During the tour he continued to study. It was a life which appealed to him, getting up at six in the morning and working until dinner which he took at two o’clock; he rarely drank wine and took water at all meals; he was in bed by nine o’clock. He played the piano and organ whenever possible; he sang and composed his songs. It was a good life. If Ernest could have shared it he would have been happy.

  Stockmar, in spite of his growing affection, was not entirely satisfied with his protégé. He wrote to Leopold that the young man was intelligent, kind, friendly; his intentions were good but he rarely exerted himself. It was not so much that he was lazy but that he seemed incapable of physical effort; he was not sufficiently interested in politics to please the Baron and this would have to be rectified; his manners too must be improved for he was a little ungracious in the company of women. He would always have more success with men than with women, and in the society of the latter he seemed indifferent, awkwardly shy, and he failed to exert himself to such an extent that he appeared ungracious. Another point was that his constitution was clearly not very strong which might account for his desire to be in bed by nine and his failure to exert himself.

  Leopold frowned over the letter when he received it. They would have to w
atch Albert’s health. He would write to Stockmar asking him to superintend his diet. Of course this lack of grace was due to his having been brought up without a mother and with no really cultivated women, except his two grandmothers, near him.

  There was more to worry Leopold. He had had a strange letter from his niece. He was getting rather uneasy about Victoria. Since her accession she had changed. She had more or less told him that she did not expect him to meddle in English politics and that she must refer his suggestions to her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, and her Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston. This was a blow considering that he had thought he would be the one to whom she would turn for advice.

  Now she was writing that she was not at all eager for marriage. She wanted to know whether Albert was aware that a marriage between them was being discussed by his father and their uncle Leopold. Albert must be made aware, she insisted, that there was no engagement between them, because she was not at all sure whether she would like Albert as a husband. She might like him as a brother or a cousin but that was not the same as a husband, and she must remind everyone that if she decided not to marry Albert she would not be guilty of any breach of promise because she had never given a promise. She could make no final promise that year and at the very earliest would not wish to marry for two or three years hence. She wanted Uncle Leopold to know that there was no anxiety in her country for her marriage.

  Leopold cursed softly as he laid down the letter.

  He was disappointed in his little Victoria. How she had changed! He had little doubt of his ability to persuade her, but she was very impressionable, young and romantic, and there should be no further delay in bringing about a meeting.