‘But what had the picture to do with the man’s character?’ asked Victoria.
‘Precisely nothing,’ replied Lord Melbourne. ‘But the King did not like the man.’
Then there was her own christening when her Uncle George IV (at that time Prince Regent) had refused to have her called Georgiana or Charlotte, and had insisted on Alexandrina Victoria.
‘How do you think Victoria sounds as a queen’s name?’ she asked.
‘I prophesy that it will one day seem more queenly than any.’
‘I am glad Alexandrina is never used now. Victoria is much better for a queen.’
‘Victoria,’ said Lord Melbourne, ‘is perfect for a queen.’
‘Tell me what other names you like?’
Lord Melbourne considered. Alice he thought was charming. Louise also.
‘Yes, I love them too. I wonder if I like Louise because of Aunt Louise. She is very charming.’
‘She needs to be. I should think Leopold is a little hard to live with.’
Victoria held her breath. This was a kind of sacrilege, but it was like one god attacking another. It was true that Uncle Leopold was very solemn … perhaps somewhat pompous? But only when compared with Lord Melbourne, who was a little racy and had had such experiences. How she wished she dared talk to him of them. She would have loved to hear from his lips stories of Lady Caroline Lamb, his wife, and those two women with whom he was involved. What a worldly man he was! No wonder Uncle Leopold seemed a little dull – oh, but Leopold could never be dull. Tame, perhaps in comparison – but only with Lord Melbourne.
‘By the way,’ went on Lord Melbourne, ‘the King of the Belgians in that somewhat indiscreet letter to Your Majesty was obviously referring to the declaration Lord Palmerston made at the beginning of last month to the Prussian Government. I mentioned it to you at the time. You remember?’
She couldn’t quite remember, she said.
‘It may have appeared that we were ready to support Holland in this, but of course it is purely a matter of the advantages to this country.’
‘Of course, but I should hate Uncle Leopold to think we are not on his side.’
‘Has he written again?’
‘No, there has been a long silence.’
‘Ah, a little sullen, eh?’
‘I don’t know. He has always written such tender letters, except when he accused me of being irritable. Then he was hurt more than angry.’
‘Ha! It is all he can afford to be with the Queen of England. Perhaps a letter from you would be useful. I am sure you do not wish to be on bad terms with such an old friend, even though you have ceased to be so intimate. Write and tell him that Cupid and I are anxious to see Belgium flourishing. I’ll have a letter drafted out and you can put it into your own words if that appeals to you.’
‘Oh yes, it does. I hate to be on bad terms with Uncle Leopold.’
‘It’s just a little cloud. It will blow over. It’s all due to this declaration to the Prussians. I notice you pronounce the “Pruss” part as in “brush” and I as in “Prue”.’
‘Yes, I have often noticed that. Which is correct?’
‘Well, it’s a matter of opinion, I dare say, and pronunciation comes about through usage.’
‘I feel it is important for the Queen to be correct,’ she said.
‘Queens have been known to set fashions,’ said Melbourne, ‘so it seems very probable that the fashionable way to say “Prussian” will very soon be in the “brush” manner.’
It was very easy to forget that unpleasant little contretemps with Uncle Leopold when in Lord Melbourne’s sparkling company.
She wrote to the King of the Belgians as Lord Melbourne had directed:‘My dearest Uncle,It is indeed a long time since I have written to you, and I fear you will think me very lazy; but I must in turn say, dearest Uncle, that your silence was longer than mine …It would indeed, dearest Uncle, be very wrong of you if you thought my feelings of warm and devoted attachment to you and of great affection for you, could be changed. Nothing can ever change them! Independent of my feelings of affection for you, my beloved Uncle, you must be aware that the ancient and hereditary policy of this country with respect to Belgium must make me most anxious that my Government not only should not be parties to any measure that is prejudicial to Belgium, but that my Ministers should, as far as may not conflict with the interests or the engagements of this country, do everything in their power to promote the prosperity and welfare of this your Kingdom.’
That, Lord Melbourne had said, was the crux of the matter, ‘the interests or engagements of this country’. ‘Your uncle will understand what is meant by that. We are his friends as long as it is not against the interest of England for us to be so.’
‘I should like to think that we were always Uncle Leopold’s friends,’ she had said gravely.
Lord Melbourne had smiled at her tenderly. ‘Your Majesty will realise that he will be our friend as long as that friendship does not affect the interests of his country. This is the difference between love of country and love of family. And it is one of the penalties of sovereigns and sovereigns’ ministers that the country comes first.’
How right he was! As always, she thought. She went on:‘My Ministers, I can assure you, share all my feelings on this subject and are most anxious to see everything settled in a satisfactory manner between Belgium and Holland …You may be assured, beloved Uncle, that both Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston are most anxious at all times for the prosperity and welfare of Belgium … Allow me once more therefore, dearest Uncle, to beseech you to use your powerful influence over your subjects and to strive to moderate their excited feelings on these matters. Your situation is a very difficult one and nobody feels more for you than I do. I trust, dearest Uncle, that you will at all times believe me your devoted and most affectionate niece.Victoria R.’
There! She had written it.
‘Sprinkle it lavishly with “dearest Uncles”,’ Lord Melbourne had said. ‘It will remind him that while you still feel affectionate towards him as an Uncle, there must be no meddling in the politics of this country.’
She was surprised that she could nod in agreement. A short while ago she would have been horrified that she could have allowed anyone to call Uncle Leopold’s interest ‘meddling’.
But Lord Melbourne had taught her so much and Lord Melbourne was, of course, right.
The letter to Uncle Leopold appeared to have the desired effect. He wrote back to his dearest and most beloved Victoria to say that he was moved by her expressions of affection. He had not actually thought she had forgotten him, but it did occur to him that he had been put aside as one does a piece of furniture that is no longer wanted. He pointed out, though, how chagrined he had been by Lord Palmerston’s declaration and naturally so, for the Prussians had become very imperious afterwards.‘… I am happy to say, I was never as yet in the position to ask for any act of kindness from you, so that whatever little service I may have rendered you, remained on a basis of perfect disinterestedness. That the first diplomatic step in our affairs should seem by your Government to be directed against me, created therefore all over the Continent a considerable sensation. I shall never ask any favours of you or anything that could in the least be considered as incompatible with the interests of England; but you will comprehend that there is a great difference in claiming favours and being treated as an enemy …’