The Queen kissed Alix and gave a gracious nod to Louise.
‘My dear sweet Alix, this is dreadful. You so ill and my not knowing.’
‘Dr Paget sent for Mama,’ said Alix. ‘I felt better as soon as she came.’
The Queen’s eyes filled with tears. Dear sweet Alix, she was not clever but she was such a good child and so pretty; and devoted to that woman who after all was her mother.
‘You must get well quickly,’ said the Queen. ‘I am pleased that Sir James had the good sense to send for the Queen of Denmark.’
The emotions of the people were deeply touched by the plight of the invalid. Alix was the most popular member of the royal family; she was beautiful, gracious and sick. Bertie amused them with his adventures, but they were not amusing doubtless to the Princess; and now she was very ill; crowds clustered about Marlborough House, all sorts of people sent in advice on treatment, embrocations arrived in their thousands; one old lady sent a roll of oil silk; ointments were sent to the palace, all kinds of cures were suggested. A special staff was needed to deal with them and bulletins on the Princess’s health were issued regularly while crowds waited to see them.
Alix was without doubt very ill indeed and the pains in her joints continued so it was some months before she was able to walk and then could only do so with the aid of sticks.
The new baby was christened Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar three months after her birth, when Alix was carried to the drawing-room and even then could only hobble about on her two sticks.
The Queen was very sympathetic but she blamed Bertie – and indeed both of them – for the rackety life they led. They would have to be a little more careful now – not so many late nights, not so many wild parties. Bertie must try to be the sort of husband to Alix that Albert had been to the Queen.
Chapter XII
JOHN BROWN IN COMMAND
A new paper calling itself Tomahawk was being published; it was meant to be satirical and was most libellous; its leading topic was with that subject of which the Press was trying to create the greatest possible scandal – the Queen’s relationship with John Brown.
On the paper’s birth there had been constant hints about that relationship and in August of that year there appeared a cartoon which could not be ignored.
It was entitled ‘A Brown Study’. It showed John Brown sprawling against the throne with his back to it and a glass in his hand, while the British Lion roared at his feet.
The implication was clear and when Bertie saw it he was secretly amused. He had suffered so much criticism regarding his own conduct, but what was that compared with this?
He was planning a trip to Paris – his favourite city – and he knew that the Queen would put up a certain amount of opposition as she always did at the hint of his travelling abroad. He thought it would be good strategy to get in first, so with Tomahawk in his hand he arrived at Osborne.
As he came uninvited the Queen was not waiting to receive him. She was in her apartments and the way was barred by John Brown.
The Prince was furious. No wonder the cartoonists had such a field day with his mother and this crude serving-man. The Prince of Wales would certainly not accept this unbecoming behaviour.
‘Ye canna see the Queen now,’ said John Brown. ‘The woman’s resting.’
‘I think the Queen will not be pleased to hear that the Prince of Wales has been denied admittance.’
‘She’s nae in a fit condition to be badgered,’ said Brown firmly.
The Queen, hearing voices, called out: ‘Brown, who is that?’
‘It’s your eldest,’ answered Brown. ‘I’ve told him ye’ll see him in the morning. Ye’re too tired to be bothered the night.’
‘Thank you, Brown,’ said the Queen.
And what could Bertie do after that but go away fuming? Brown would have to go. The position in which he put the Queen, the position in which he put them all, was quite ridiculous.
The next morning Bertie triumphantly waved ‘A Brown Study’ before his mother.
‘Have you seen this, Mama?’
She glanced at it. ‘Oh dear, another of those tiresome things. Brown is so imperturbable. He doesn’t care a pin about them.’
‘Mama, this is an attack on you, on the Crown.’
‘Of course any attack on honest John Brown is an attack on me.’
‘But this is making the throne … ridiculous.’
‘What nonsense, Bertie! This is just malicious people being malicious.’
‘Brown must go, Mama. He was very rude to me.’
‘Ah, that is it, is it? You don’t like him. It is the first time I have understood that my servants must win your approval.’
‘Mama, they are suggesting he is not just a servant and it is the people who disapprove as well as myself.’
‘The people know nothing. They cannot understand my grief at Beloved Papa’s death and they would like to deny me the comfort my faithful servants give me. I hope you have not come bursting down here just to tell me this. But while you are here there are one or two matters I should like to discuss with you. Your debts, mostly incurred by gambling, and I am horrified to learn by presents you have given to women, are mounting. You are going the same way as my Uncle George who caused such distress to his parents by the trouble he got into with women. I hope you do not write scandalous letters. And what of dear sweet Alix who is pathetically ill? What does she think, I wonder, at these rumours? There is an actress … I heard … but I sincerely hope that is not true. I think it is time I took a close look into your manner of living. Vicky is quite horrified … and even Alice has heard. Sometimes I can’t help feeling relieved that Beloved Papa is not here. He would be so distressed and when we think of how when he was so ill he went to Cambridge …’
The Prince turned away in dismay. What was the use of trying to remonstrate with her; she could turn the tables so adroitly because all the time she was reminding him that although he might be the Prince of Wales, she was the Queen.
He left Osborne deflated, a fact which John Brown noted, and his sardonic insolent smile was not lost on the Prince of Wales.
‘A Brown Study’ had sent the sales of Tomahawk soaring and rumours about the Queen’s relationship with John Brown magnified. Some said that he was her lover, others that he was her husband; there was one rumour that she had inherited her grandfather’s madness, that she was a raving lunatic at times and only John Brown could keep her in order; there was another rumour that John Brown was a medium who could put her in touch with Albert and this was the reason for his influence over her.
Spiritualism was having a vogue in England at the time and the Queen had been heard to express interest in the new cult. What more natural than that she should wish to be in touch with Albert?
But the most usual theory was that the Queen and Brown were lovers; and the fact that the Queen would not appear in public and so deprived her people of the glittering ceremonies they loved, and that John Brown’s arrogance and indifference had not endeared him to those who were in contact with him, made both the Queen and her Highland servant become very unpopular.
She had, however, consented to attend a review in Hyde Park, with Brown of course in attendance as usual on the box of her carriage.