“Yes, indeed. He asked me to give him a kilt and everything that goes with it. It was to be in the Royal Stuart for a fancy-dress ball. I had this sent to him. I saw a picture of him, wearing it, and below he had written: ‘I bide my time.’ The picture was distributed throughout Germany.”
“This is outrageous.”
“Wilhelm is outrageous.”
I was so disturbed by that conversation that I took up the matter with Lord Salisbury who said that there was obviously an antipathy between the Prince of Wales and the Emperor of Germany; but the latter was very young to have come to such an exalted position and Salisbury believed that in time he would settle down.
It was a family quarrel and that must not be allowed to become discord between nations.
VICKY CAME TO stay with us for a long visit. Both Bertie and Lord Salisbury thought it was unwise to invite her in view of the situation with Germany, but I upbraided them for their lack of feeling. Vicky was my daughter and she had just lost her husband; I was not going to allow her to be subjected to even more unhappiness than she was enduring through her son and Bismarck.
We had many long conversations during which I learned more of the hard times through which she had passed during the whole of her married life; and how it was only Fritz who had stood between her and even greater humiliation from her parents-in-law and now her son who was dominated by Bismarck.
I said that Wilhelm should be made to understand that he could not behave so to his mother. She begged me to invite him for a visit so that I could discover for myself the way in which he was going.
Rather reluctantly I agreed that he should come for a short stay in the summer.
To my surprise Wilhelm accepted the invitation with enthusiasm and said how happy he was to be allowed to come to the dear old home at Osborne. How should he come? Might he wear the uniform of a British admiral? I said that he might and I had a delightful letter from him that was almost humble. “The same uniform as Lord Nelson,” he wrote. “It is enough to make one feel giddy.”
That was a good beginning.
I was amazed when he came. He was quite charming, calling me “dear Grandmama” and treating me with great respect and only rarely showing glimpses of the great Emperor.
Was it after all just a natural antipathy to Bertie? Did he perhaps think Bertie was a little frivolous—which in a way he was? Was Vicky a little overbearing? She had always been a little too sure of herself. Albert had spoiled her and refused to see it.
I remembered how thrilled Albert had been by his first grandchild. Wilhelm had always been his favorite.
I told Wilhelm this; he liked to hear stories of his babyhood and listened attentively when I talked of Albert.
Strangely enough, the visit I had dreaded was a very pleasant one; and when Wilhelm left I felt much happier than I had since Fritz's death.
MY ABDUL KARIM was most amusing. He was a dignified creature—as some Indians are—and he had very graceful bearing. As a servant he had to wait at table and he did not like that at all. He claimed that in Agra he had been a clerk—what was called a Munshi; and the tasks he was asked to perform here were not in keeping with his dignity.
Those about me laughed at the arrogance of the young man but I did not. I understood the meaning of dignity and whoever felt theirs affronted must be treated with consideration. I said he was not to wait at table but he should be known as the Munshi; and when business arose appertaining to India, if a simple reply was needed, I gave it to him to deal with.
He was very happy after that—and devoted to me.
People were saying, “Is he another John Brown?”
That was not so. There could never be another like him.
There was a certain amount of prejudice, which had to be overcome. I forbade anyone to talk of Indians as blacks, for the term was used with a certain amount of contempt. I was getting on with my Hindustani lessons and could now address Indians in their native tongues, which was a great help.
I was Empress of India. Therefore I had a responsibility to that country.
MY RELATIONS WITH Bertie had improved a good deal in the last years. He seemed to be so much more responsible—and so affectionate toward me. It was very gratifying. I thought he was learning to understand the tremendous tasks which lay ahead of him.
And then there was trouble again—with the scandal of Tranby Croft.
It was not women this time but almost equally as bad.
Bertie was the guest of honor at the house of a wealthy shipowner named Wilson who lived at Tranby Croft; and as Bertie was known to enjoy gambling, that was the feature of his visit.
One member of the company was Lieutenant-Colonel Sir William Gordon Cumming of the Scots Guards, and while they were playing baccarat Sir William was suspected of cheating.
After the company had retired there was a conference between the others to decide what action should be taken and the result was that they confronted Sir William who was naturally indignant. However, five members of the company said they had seen him in the act. He said he would leave the house and never speak to his accusers again.
Bertie was sympathetic as he always was to people in difficulties—no doubt having been in so many himself—and he was not sure whether to believe Sir William or those who said they had seen him cheat.
The evidence against Sir William seemed very strong; and Bertie, recklessly as it turned out, took charge of the investigation. True, he was a member of the party, and naturally they looked to him to do what was to be done; but he should have shown more discretion.
Between them they decided that Sir William could never be allowed to play baccarat again and that he should be made to sign a document agreeing to this.
Bertie said that naturally he would add his signature with the others. He had not, even at this time, learned the danger of putting anything in writing.
Sir William at first refused to sign and said that if he did so it would be tantamount to admitting his guilt. There was a great deal of argument and Bertie threw himself whole-heartedly into the dispute and eventually they did succeed in persuading Sir William to put his name to the paper.
That should have been the end of the matter; but these things have a habit of leaking out—through servants, I suspect—and there were the usual exaggerations. Great sums of money were mentioned as the stakes that had been played for at Tranby Croft. The papers took it and the extravagance of the Prince of Wales was the main topic. As for Sir William he was exposed as a man who cheated at cards and what had been a private matter was now a public cause.
Sir William decided that he had no alternative—if he were not going to be completely ruined—but to bring an action for slander against his accusers.
Bertie was horrified. He had had experience of a court before and he wanted no more; and the fact that he would almost certainly be called as a witness would give the case that publicity that they had all tried to avoid.
Sir William's military career was in jeopardy and he contemplated resigning from the army. Bertie wanted to prevent his doing this for if the case was tried in a military court it could be held in secret. Sir William's advisers wanted heavy damages which could only be won in a civil court.
When I heard how far matters had gone I was angry. Just as I had thought Bertie was becoming more aware of his responsibilities this had happened! He was no longer young enough to be excused for youthful follies.
It was most disturbing when he was subpoenaed to appear in court to give evidence. Whatever could have induced him to sign that paper! It was the utmost folly. And now here he was—for the second time— appearing in court to give evidence.