Виктория Холт - The Queen’s Husband

She went to his sitting-room and found him there reading. How dared he be so calm.

‘Albert,’ she said, ‘I had thought that you would have come to see me.’

He raised his eyebrows and smiled at her. ‘You were not in a very pleasant mood when we last met.’

‘Nor were you,’ she reminded him.

‘It was most regrettable.’

‘Put your book down, Albert. I have to talk to you.’

Albert said coolly: ‘Is that an order?’

‘When I come in I expect you to put aside what you are doing.’

She frowned. She was longing for him to embrace her and tell her how noble she was to agree to do without Lehzen and to tell her he adored her for her self-sacrifice; and there he was serenely sitting there, looking as though he found his wretched book more interesting than she was.

Oh, he was clever, of course. And she was not. And he wanted to have clever people to dine with them so that they could all talk over her head and he could show how much more clever he was than the Queen.

‘If it was a request instead of a command I might be prepared to concede,’ said Albert with a grave smile.

‘A request. Must I then request the privilege of speaking to you?’

‘It might be considered courteous to do so.’

‘Courteous!’ she cried. ‘Am I expected to curtsy every time I see you as well as ask permission to speak?’

Albert rose, went through to his bedroom and shut the door.

She hurried after him and when she tried to open the door found that he had turned the key in the lock.

‘Open this door at once!’ she cried.

There was no answer. Furiously she hammered with her fists on the panels.

‘Open this door!’ she commanded.

Albert was standing on the other side of it. ‘Who is that?’ he asked.

‘Who is that?’ she cried in passion. ‘You know who it is. It is the Queen.’

She waited. The door remained locked.

She took the handle and shook it.

‘Who is there?’ asked Albert.

‘The Queen is here,’ she said. ‘Open this door at once.’

She waited for the sound of a key in the lock. It did not come. She was very near to tears. She felt wretchedly unhappy. She had agreed to Lehzen’s taking a holiday and now Albert was being unkind to her.

She would not endure it. Again she hammered on the door.

That maddeningly calm voice answered: ‘Who is that?’

‘As though you don’t know!’ she cried, her voice rising to a hysterical note. ‘Open this door I say.’

‘Who is there?’ he repeated maddeningly.

‘The Queen!’ she answered regally. Silence. He would not open the door. Oh, how dared he?

She was so miserable. She wanted Albert to be kind and loving again; she could not endure these differences. Albert was right in a way. She was imperious. She did have a violent temper, and when it was roused she said things that would have been so much better left unsaid.

She wanted to lean on Albert’s chest and sob out her miseries. She wanted to tell him that only if they were together, as they had been on those blissful occasions which were all too short, could she be entirely happy. No matter who went away, she would still be happy if only Albert continued to love her.

She went back to the door and this time rapped on it somewhat gently.

Albert’s voice came again, more gentle this time. ‘Who is there?’

‘This is your wife, Albert,’ she answered tearfully.

The door was unlocked. Albert stood there, his arms outstretched.

She ran into them and clung to him.

‘Oh, Albert, never, never, never let us quarrel again.’

The baptism of the new baby was an important occasion because the child was the heir to the throne. The chief sponsor was to be the King of Prussia who had travelled to England to fulfil his role. Albert met the King at Greenwich and travelled with him to Windsor where the Queen was waiting to receive him. Victoria had always been delighted to entertain guests particularly when the entertainment was a grand ball; and a grand ball it must be to be worthy of Frederick of Prussia.

The King turned out to be charming. Although as tall as Albert he was very fat; he was going bald and his whiskers were very sparse, the Queen noticed; but his charming manners and obvious desire to please made up for that.

He was very interested in everything he saw and was delighted with the children, particularly Pussy, whose health had improved a little and when she was well she was so very lively. The Queen insisted on his dancing a quadrille with her and although he told her that it was a long time since he had danced and he feared he cut rather a poor figure, he danced with the Queen and it was a very pleasant ball.

The real purpose of the visit though was the baptism, and as little Albert Edward was the heir to the throne it was decided that he should be baptised in a consecrated building. Hence instead of the palace baptism which had been the lot of the Princess Royal, this more important ceremony was to take place in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Albert Edward, the Queen was delighted to note, behaved perfectly, although he did not show Pussy’s intelligent interest in everything. (She would never forget Lord Melbourne’s amusing remark that the little Princess Royal was perfectly aware that everything was for her benefit); but of course the chapel was a beautiful setting and this was a far more grand occasion.

Albert, who was so musical, decided that there should be no anthem, although one had been specially composed for the occasion.

‘No,’ he explained to Victoria, ‘if we have a new composition everyone will be paying attention to that and discussing the merits of it. They are not here to criticise music but to rejoice in the birth of the heir to the throne. So there will be no anthem. We should leave the chapel on a note of triumph. I suggest the Hallelujah Chorus.’

‘But that is wonderful,’ cried the Queen. ‘We all know it and it is certainly triumphant music. Poor Mr Elvey is going to be very disappointed that his anthem is not sung, though.’

‘There will be plenty of occasions for us to hear Mr Elvey’s anthem,’ said the Prince. ‘There can only be one christening of the Prince of Wales.’

‘You are absolutely right, Albert,’ said the Queen; and she said afterwards how imposing the ceremony was. The music was particularly beautiful.

* * *

The absorption with the baptism meant that it was possible to put off telling Lehzen that it had been decided she should have a long holiday. The more she thought of it, the more Victoria wondered how she could ever do it. She kept postponing it, which meant that she found herself avoiding Lehzen’s company. Albert was aware of this and decided, as he had over the affair of the bedchamber ladies, that he must take action.

He found Lehzen alone one day and asked her how she was feeling. She was clearly not looking well, he told her, and he believed it was due to that attack of jaundice from which she had never fully recovered.

She replied that she was recovering and that she had so much with which to occupy herself that she did not notice her own slight indisposition.

‘The Queen is concerned about you,’ said Albert. ‘She is saying that you have never had a real holiday.’

The Baroness’s face softened at the mention of the Queen. ‘Her Majesty’s heart is very tender for those she loves. I am well enough. A spell at Windsor will make me completely well again.’

‘The Queen thinks you need a complete change. It must be years since you were in Coburg.’

‘Coburg! Is the Queen thinking of paying a visit? She has not mentioned this to me.’

‘The Queen could not of course leave the country. She was thinking of you.’

The Baroness gave a short sharp laugh. ‘Her Majesty knows that my place is by her side.’

‘Not if you are unwell and need to regain your strength,’ replied the Prince and left her.

The Baroness was alarmed. What did that mean? No, Victoria would never agree to banish her. Banish her? But he had said a holiday. Oh, but she knew his devious ways. Once let him get her away and he would try to keep her away.

She was not going.

She went to the Queen in the unceremonious way which their relationship had made possible.

‘I believe there is a plot afoot,’ she said.

The Queen rose to her feet. She raised her eyebrows. Really, it was true that Lehzen did take advantage of their affection. She knew of course what this meant and feeling very unhappy about it was immediately irritated with Lehzen who made her feel so.

‘Plot, Lehzen. What are you talking about?’

‘The Prince is trying to separate us.’

‘He – and I – are concerned for your health. We think a good long holiday is what you need.’

‘A holiday. What do I want with a holiday? My pleasure is serving you.’

‘That is the point. You have never had a change. That is why the Prince and I have decided you shall have a nice long holiday in Germany.’

‘In Germany!’

‘It is your home, remember.’

‘This is my home.’

‘Now, Daisy dear, do be sensible. You have often talked of your sister and brother in Bückeburg and said how you long to see them. There are your brother’s children too. You will be so happy to see them all again.’

‘And you are quite happy to do without me.’

‘My dear Daisy, I want you to be well and happy. Albert and I have talked it over. Everything will be settled for you. There will be no shortage of money. We want you to be happy, for I shall never forget all you have done for me.’

The Baroness was speechless. It was all arranged. She had thought she was winning this battle against the Prince, but this was his silent victory.

* * *

Victoria was happy. There was a new understanding between herself and Albert; she took a pride in her newly acquired humility; it pleased her – and Albert – that she should defer to him in almost everything. Albert was often in the nursery; Pussy’s diet was changed and she began to thrive. Albert was right, of course. The only sadness was poor Lehzen, who was subdued and unlike her old self. She did really treat me as though I were a child in the schoolroom, thought Victoria. It had to stop; and this is the best way of doing it.

Albert had exciting news just after little Albert Edward’s christening.

‘My brother is to be married,’ he said. ‘Dear Ernest!’

‘That is wonderful, Albert. Who is to be his bride?’

‘Princess Alexandrine of Baden.’

‘I do hope they will be as happy as we are because no one could have a more perfect marriage,’ said the Queen, cheerfully ignoring the storm which had only just subsided.

‘That would be asking a great deal,’ replied Albert fondly. ‘My stepmother wishes me to be present. She knows of course that you can’t.’

‘Oh, Albert, you will want to see your brother married, but I shall hate us to be separated.’

‘I shall not go,’ said Albert.

‘Dear Albert, but he is your brother and I know what ties there are between you.’

Leave Court, thought Albert, with Lezhen still there. Who knew what would happen in his absence? This was one of the most significant periods of his life, he was well aware; what happened now could affect the whole future. He would be a fool to go away and leave Victoria with Lezhen. It would be to retire from the battlefield on the point of victory. Besides, what of that terrible sea crossing which he loathed? That he would have endured; but he was certainly not going to leave Victoria until Lehzen had set out on her ‘long holiday’.

‘I shall not go,’ said Albert. ‘I am not going to leave you.’

‘My dear Albert, we must explain to Ernest. He will understand, I’m sure. I have a plan. Let us ask them to spend their honeymoon here. Ernest was here when we were married. He saw our happiness. Now we will suggest that he allows us to see his.’

‘That is a wonderful idea and worthy of my dearest love,’ said Albert; and the Queen glowed with pleasure.

‘When is the wedding to be?’ she asked.

‘The third of May at Carlsruhe.’

‘Then they must come here immediately afterwards.’

Albert said they should invite Ernest without delay.