Виктория Холт - The Queen and Lord M

‘That would please me very much, Lord Melbourne.’

So he read the Declaration in his beautiful voice and she was sure that it was a fine Declaration and could not have been improved in any way. She told him so and it was apparent that they were delighted with each other.

‘Your Majesty would not wish to detain me longer so if I may have your permission to retire, I will call on you again this morning at eleven o’clock just before the Council meeting when Your Majesty may wish to speak to me on various matters.’

She thought that was exactly what should be done and bowing, he took his leave. She noted the tears were in his eyes again as he left her.

When the Prime Minister had left she sat down and wrote a letter to Queen Adelaide. She wanted the Dowager Queen to know that she was not unmindful of past kindnesses. As she wrote she remembered the balls which Adelaide had arranged for her and which Mamma had not always allowed her to attend, and when they had been present there had often been unfortunate incidents for which Victoria had to admit the Duchess had been responsible. It was Adelaide who had presented her with the Big Doll, one of the most treasured members of her doll family, and had never forgotten to ask after her as though she felt, as Victoria did, that the doll was a living person. Those were matters which Victoria would never forget, so she wrote with gentle kindness towards her bereaved aunt as her loving niece, not as her Queen. But as she wrote her thoughts strayed continually to the man who had recently visited her and who would shortly be calling again. ‘ My Prime Minister,’ she murmured.

True to his word he came a quarter of an hour before the Council meeting was due to start in case there were any points on which she might wish to consult him. So thoughtful! Victoria assured herself.

‘Your Majesty!’ His bow was perfect, and yes, there were tears in his eyes once more as he regarded her.

‘It is so good of you, Lord Melbourne, to come again so soon.’

‘Your Majesty must know that it shall always be my pleasure as well as my duty to wait on your wishes.’

‘That is a great comfort. I am, I fear, rather young.’

‘Youth is the greatest of gifts. I pray you, Ma’am, don’t deplore it. You remember what Shakespeare said: “Youth I do adore thee. Age I do abhor thee.”’

She did not remember; indeed had never heard the quotation; and she said so in spite of a temptation to pretend she had. She added that she thought this was one of the occasions when Shakespeare erred, for age often carried with it experience, and that seemed to her the greatest of gifts – if one made proper use of it, of course.

‘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.