CHAPTER IV
A QUEEN AT EIGHTEEN
During the years from 1833 to Victoria's eighteenth birthday, on May24, 1837, her life was sometimes that of a child, sometimes that of ayoung woman. Much of the time she lived quietly at Kensington. Shestudied, rode, walked, sketched, and played with her various pets. Whenher fourteenth birthday came, she was--for a few hours--treated like a"grown-up," for at a juvenile ball given in her honor King William ledher into the room, and at supper her health was drunk by the wholecompany.
During the following summer there was more of the educational travelingin which the Duchess believed so firmly and which gave so much pleasureto the people of the country. This summer the Princess and her mothervisited chiefly forts, arsenals, lighthouses, and men-of-war. Onshipboard they delighted the men by tasting their dinner, and thesailors in return amused them by dancing a hornpipe. Addresses weremade; the Princess presented new colors to a regiment; a procession ofyoung girls with flowers and a crown met the royal guests; at one town,whose trade was chiefly in straw, the Princess was presented with astraw bonnet. Wherever she went, her charming grace and cordiality andreadiness to be pleased won her lasting friendships.
Throughout the land there was talk about the quiet young girl atKensington. King William was growing feeble. For half a century Englandhad been ruled by elderly men; how would it fare in the hands of ayoung girl? Victoria was not as well as she had been, and there wererumors that she would not be equal to the labors of sovereignty.Baroness Lehzen was indignant at the least criticism. "The Princess isnot too delicate and she is not too young," declared the lady with herwonted emphasis. "I know all about her, and she will make a greaterqueen than Elizabeth herself."
An interesting man visited the Princess at this time, Baron Stockmar,who had long been a trusted friend of King Leopold's. "He was the onlyhonest man I ever saw," said a statesman who knew him well, and KingWilliam was eager to hear Stockmar's opinion of the young Princess. TheBaron had no hesitation in expressing it. "If she were a nobody," hesaid, "I should say she is gifted with an intelligence beyond heryears; but being destined to rule over this great empire, I say thatEngland will grow great and famous under her rule."
"Do you say that?" exclaimed the King. "Then I shall no longer regretthat I have no children to hand the crown down to." And yet, somemonths after this speech was made, the young woman who was to makeEngland great and famous was sent to bed after dancing just one danceat a grand ball given in her honor. The health of the girl was tooprecious in the eyes of the Duchess to be wasted in late hours.
Soon after her sixteenth birthday the Princess was confirmed. Theceremony was performed in the chapel of St. James', and none werepresent except members of the royal family. Even as a child Victoriahad often shown great self-control, but when the Archbishop ofCanterbury spoke to her, tenderly indeed, but with deep solemnity, ofthe responsibilities of the life that lay before her, of what good orwhat harm a single word or deed of hers might cause, then the earnest,conscientious young girl could not remain unmoved. She laid her head onher mother's shoulder and sobbed like a little child.
The wisdom of the watchful mother's care was made manifest in theincreasing health and strength of the Princess. She was seen in publicfar more frequently. The little girl had become a young lady. The plainlittle white dresses were laid aside, and she now appeared in garmentsas rich and handsome as were permitted to her youth. One costume thatshe wore, a pink satin gown and a large pink bonnet, was the specialdelight of those of her future subjects who had the good fortune to seeher in it. This was what she wore when a young American author gazedupon her admiringly and then went away to moralize over the sad fate ofroyalty. "She will be sold," he said, "bartered away, by those greatdealers in royal hearts."
It was true that "dealers in royal hearts" had long before this laidtheir plans for the disposal of the Princess' affections. King Williamhad proposed five suitors, one after another, but his polite andexasperating sister-in-law had courteously waived all his suggestions.Another scheme had been formed across the water by the Coburggrandmother nearly seventeen years earlier. There was a babygranddaughter in England and a baby grandson in Coburg. If they wouldonly be as fond of each other as the grandmother was of them! Not aword was said to the little English girl, but there is a tradition thatwhen the grandson was but three years old his nurse used to say: "Be agood boy now, Prince Albert, and some day you shall go to England andmarry the Queen." However the truth of this story may be, it is certainthat not only the grandmother but King Leopold earnestly hoped thatsome day the Prince might marry the Princess.
When the cousins were seventeen years old, King Leopold thought thatthe time had come for them to meet; but the wise sovereign had no ideaof exposing his warm-hearted little niece to the fascinations of ayoung man who might not be worthy of her, and he sent the faithfulBaron Stockmar to learn all that he could about the character of thePrince. The report was as favorable as the devoted uncle could havewished, and he at once persuaded the Duchess to invite Prince Albertand his brother to spend a month at Kensington.
The two young men arrived and were most royally entertained. Such around of parties, balls, receptions, dinners, all sorts of festivities,they had never seen. Prince Albert was just a little bored by so muchgayety, and acknowledged in his home letters that he had "many hardbattles to fight against sleepiness." He seems to have found morepleasure in the quiet hours of walking, sketching, and playing pianoduets with the little blue-eyed cousin.
After the brothers had taken their departure, King Leopold wrote hisniece, telling her very frankly of his hopes. She replied at once andwith equal frankness. One cannot help seeing that the two cousins hadbecome deeply interested in each other, for the letter of the Princessbegs her uncle to take special care of one "now so dear to me," andcloses with the words, "I hope and trust that all will go onprosperously and well on this subject now of so much importance to me."
There were subjects, however, concerning which all did not go on"prosperously and well." The Princess loved her devoted mother with allher warm heart, and she also loved "Uncle William," who was always goodto her. She was now so old that the friction between them could nolonger be concealed from her. The King's special grievance was that shewas not allowed to visit him save at rare intervals. The "Sailor King"was a favorite among his people, because he was bluff and cheery andwitty; but his wit was often coarse, and his good nature notinfrequently turned into a "swearing rage" when his humor changed.There were certainly good reasons why the young girl should have beenkept from his court; and he was keen enough to see that the Duchess hadother grounds than care of her daughter's health for refusing to allowher to visit him. His gentle, stately sister-in-law had outwitted himin every encounter, and at last his wrath burst forth.
The time was a state dinner which he gave in honor of his seventy-firstbirthday. In his speech to the guests he lost all control of himselfand declared, "I hope that my life may be spared nine months longer,after which period, in event of my death, no regency will take place. Ishall then have the satisfaction of leaving the royal authority to thepersonal exercise of that young lady"--here the King looked at thePrincess Victoria, then, glaring at the Duchess, he roared--"and not inthe hands of a person now near to me." He went on like a madman,heaping every kind of abuse upon the Duchess and declaring that she hadinsulted him by keeping the Princess from his presence.
The Duchess sat like marble, but her daughter burst into tears. At lastthe dinner came to an end, and the Duchess ordered her carriage thatshe and the Princess might leave at once instead of spending the night.But Queen Adelaide interposed. "Stay," she said, "stay, I beg of you.The King is ill, he is not himself;" and she whispered, "You have borneso much, bear a little more." The Duchess yielded and remained at thepalace until morning.
The nine months passed rapidly, and the morning of May 24, 1837,arrived. The Princess was now eighteen, and the whole land celebratedher coming of age. The day began with a serenade u
nder her window by aband of thirty-seven musicians. One of the songs commenced:
"Spring renews its golden dreams, Sweet birds carol 'neath each spray; Shed, O sun! thy milder beams On the fairest flower of May."
The Princess was delighted with this serenade, but the only song thatshe asked to have repeated was one that was full of compliments to hermother.
The Union Jack had already been hoisted on the church in Kensington,and its greeting was responded to from the palace by a banner of whitesilk whereon was "Victoria" in letters of blue. Almost every house hadits flag or its bit of decoration of some sort. The King sent abirthday gift of a handsome piano, and that was only the beginning, forall day long costly presents were arriving. Addresses of congratulationwere sent by numerous cities and by many public bodies, and the housewas thronged with callers. The greatest nobles of the kingdom, thepeople of most wealth, and the greatest statesmen hastened toKensington to give their best wishes to the young girl. In the eveninga state ball, the most splendid affair of the kind that had been known,was given for her at the Palace of St. James', but the illness of theKing kept both him and Queen Adelaide away from the festivities.Between the dances the Princess was escorted to the chair of state.Before this the Duchess had always stood first, but now the young girlwho was to rule England took precedence of even her mother.
The way of the Princess to the throne seemed very clear, but there wasone man in England who was determined that she should never reach it.He was the Duke of Cumberland, Victoria's uncle. He was the nextyounger brother of the Duke of Kent, and had it not been for the birthof his niece, the throne of England would have been his own. At thattime the sovereign of England was also ruler of Hanover, but Hanoverhad a law called the Salic law, which forbade any woman to be itsmonarch. Two or three years earlier the Duke of Cumberland had confidedto an English officer his desire to gain the crown.
"The Salic law prevents the Princess Victoria from ruling Hanover," hesaid, "and therefore she has no right to rule England. If I should beproclaimed king, would you and your troop follow me through London?"
"Yes, and to the Tower the next day!" the officer answered indignantly.
"What will the Princess do for you?" demanded the Duke. "If I wereking, I could make you a great man. But this is nothing. I only askedto see what you would say."
The Duke was in earnest, however--so much in earnest that he evenventured to allow his wishes to become known to King William. One daywhen the two brothers were dining together, the Duke proposed thetoast, "The King's health, God save the King!" This was drunk, and thenthe Duke proposed a second toast, "The King's heir, God bless him!"Both the brothers had drunk too much, but King William was equal to theoccasion. He called out, "Drink to the King's heir, God bless _her_!"and the toast was drunk by all except the Duke.
Nevertheless, the Duke of Cumberland did not give up his wild scheme.He knew that he himself was by no means a favorite in England, and thathe had no friends whose devotion would place him upon the throne; buthe fancied that he could arouse opposition to the Princess and so opena way for himself to become sovereign. There was nothing to be saidagainst her, but he did his best to arouse dislike to her family. "TheCoburgs are the people who have influence with her," he said. "KingLeopold has just married a Roman Catholic princess, and the cousin ofVictoria has married Queen Maria of Portugal, who is also a RomanCatholic. King William cannot live long, and England will have on itsthrone not only a child but a child who will be no Protestant."
Now for a century and a half England had had a law that as a Protestantcountry it must be ruled by a Protestant, and that the husband or wifeof the sovereign must also be a Protestant. If Victoria had become aRoman Catholic, she would have forfeited the throne at once. Thisargument of the Duke of Cumberland was, therefore, almost too absurd tonotice; but England was too loyal to the young girl at Kensington notto be in a storm of indignation.
Even then the Duke of Cumberland fancied that he might still have achance, and he was so insane as to go to that sternly loyal oldsoldier, the Duke of Wellington, and ask what he thought was the bestthing to do.
"To do?" cried the "Iron Duke." "Get out of this country as fast as youcan, and take care you don't get pelted as you go."
In less than a month after the eighteenth birthday of the Princess camethe night of June nineteenth. The country knew that King William wasdying. The Royal Life Guards were at their barracks, but not to sleep.The sentries were doubled. Every horse was saddled, and by it stood itsmaster, ready to race to Windsor to guard the lifeless body of theKing, or to gallop to Kensington to escort the girl Queen to herthrone.
All that night the officers sat in the messroom and talked of thePrincess.
"I saw her on horseback," said one. "She rides superbly, but she lookslike a child."
"The Duke of Sussex says the little ones have the brains," remarkedanother.
"She's a queen, every inch of her," one declared, "and I tell you thatEngland is going to be greater than it ever was before. She's asoldier's daughter, too. King William was a sailor. He could not haveheld a review to save his--What's that?" The young man broke offabruptly, for the gallop of a horse was heard in the courtyard. Therewas dead silence in the messroom. In a few minutes the Colonel entered.He held up his hand for attention, but he did not need to do this, forevery ear was strained.
"Gentlemen," he said, "King William is dead. Let us drink to the healthof the Queen. God save the Queen!"
Early in the morning the Life Guards were ordered to go, part of themto Windsor to do honor to the dead King, part of them to Kensington todo honor to the young Queen.
Meanwhile the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham, the LordChamberlain, had been driving at full speed from Windsor to Kensington.Not a person was stirring about the palace, and the only sound heardwas the singing of birds. The two men rang, but there was no response.They knocked, they thumped, and they pounded. Finally a very sleepyporter opened the gate and let them into one of the lower rooms of thepalace. No one came to them, and at last they rang for a servant.
"Tell the attendant of the Princess Victoria," said the LordChamberlain, "that we have come to see her on business of the utmostimportance."
The servant withdrew, but no one appeared. They rang again, and at lastthe attendant of the Princess came to them.
"The Princess Victoria is sleeping," she said, "and she must not beawakened."
Then said the Lord Chamberlain: "We are come on business of state to_the Queen_, and even her sleep must give way to that."
There was no more delay. The Duchess was called, and she awoke herdaughter, who still slept in a bed beside her own. "The King is dead,"she said. "Lord Conyngham is here, and he wishes to see you. You mustnot keep him waiting."
The Princess threw on a long white dressing gown and stopped at thedoor for her mother to accompany her.
"No," said the Duchess. "He wishes to see the Queen alone."
For the first time the young girl was required to stand by herself, andas she stepped over the threshold she left all her free, girlish lifebehind her. She went down the stairs in her long white dressing gown,with her fair hair falling over her shoulders. As she entered the room,Lord Conyngham knelt before her, kissed her hand, and presented apaper, the formal certificate of the King's death.
Then the Archbishop said: "Your Royal Highness, Queen Adelaide wishedme to accompany Lord Conyngham, for she thought that you would be gladto hear how peaceful and quiet the King was at the last."
To the young Queen the sight of the Archbishop brought no thought ofthe glories of the throne, but rather of those solemn words that he hadspoken to her in the chapel of St. James' two years before. With tearsin her eyes she said to him, "I beg your Grace to pray for me."
Messengers had been sent to the members of the Privy Council to summonthem to immediate attendance at Kensington. When they arrived, theywere shown into the ante-chamber in which were the Duke of Sussex,uncle of the Queen; the Duke of
Wellington, Lord Melbourne, the PrimeMinister, and a few others. The doors were closed and an address ofloyalty was read aloud and then signed by all present.
In the great saloon adjoining were the Queen and her mother. TheDuchess withdrew, and when the doors were opened, there stood near thethreshold the slender figure of the girl Queen, looking even slighterand younger than she was in her close-fitting dress of black silk. Itwas perfectly plain; her hair was parted and drawn back smoothly fromher forehead; and she wore not a single ornament. The Duke of Sussexstepped forward to meet her, put his arm around her and kissed her. Theothers kissed her hand. The address was given to the usher, and thedoors between the two rooms were closed. Not a word had been spoken.
A little later in the day came the famous First Council. Lord Melbournehad told the Queen just what was to be done and what her part would be.The Council assembled, and the Lord President read the formalannouncement of the death of King William. Then he requested the PrimeMinister and several others to go to the Queen and inform her also ofthe King's death. This was done with as much ceremony as if she hadknown nothing of it before. When they returned, the proclamation of heraccession was read. Then the doors into the adjoining saloon werethrown open, and the Queen stepped forward, wearing a plain, simplemourning dress. Her two uncles, the Duke of Cumberland and the Duke ofSussex, went forward to meet her and led her into the room.
At the end of a long table a platform had been placed, and on theplatform was the chair of state. The Queen bowed to the Councilors andtook her seat in this chair. She read her speech at once, clearly andwith as much calmness and dignity as her mother could have shown. Itclosed, "I shall steadily protect the rights and promote to the utmostof my power the happiness and welfare of all classes of my subjects."
She signed the usual oath insuring the liberty of the Church ofScotland, and then came the solemn swearing of each Councilor to befaithful to her. Her two uncles were sworn first, and as the Duke ofCumberland kissed her hand, she blushed as any other young girl mighthave done to have an elderly man, her own uncle, kneel at her feet. Shekissed him and also the Duke of Sussex. This second uncle was toofeeble to make his way to her easily, and she rose from her seat andstepped toward him. After the swearing of the Dukes, the oath was takenby the other members of the Council. When this had been done, she roseand left the room, led by her two uncles.
Never were men more surprised than these experienced Councilors, whothought that they understood all kinds of people and knew what sort ofbehavior to expect from them.
"I am amazed," said Sir Robert Peel. "She is as modest as a child, butshe is firm and self-possessed, and she understands her positionperfectly."
Greville, the Clerk of the Council, said: "William IV. came to thethrone at sixty-five, and he was so excited that he nearly went mad.The young Queen is neither dazzled nor confounded, but she behaves withall the sedateness and dignity the want of which was so conspicuous inher uncle."
The Duke of Wellington was never weary of praising her behavior. "LordMelbourne was far more nervous than she," said the Duke. "He did notdare to take his eyes off her for fear she might say or do the wrongthing. He need not have been afraid. She is born to rule, and if shehad been ten years younger she would have done it equally well; such abit of a girl as she is," he added; and he finished by sayingemphatically, "If she had been my own daughter, I could not have wishedthat she should do better."
And the good Baroness Lehzen said with tears in her honest blue eyes,"I knew it, I knew my Princess."
There were yet Cabinet Ministers for the Queen to meet, there werematters little and matters great to think of, and the next morningthere was to be another Council meeting and the observance of theancient custom of proclaiming a new sovereign to the public; but theyoung girl found time in this first day of her dominion to write aletter of sympathy to her "Aunt Adelaide." She addressed it as usual to"Her Majesty the Queen." When she was reminded that the widow of KingWilliam was no longer "Queen," but "Queen Dowager," she replied, "Iknow that her position is altered, but I will not be the first toremind her of the change."
In the Days of Queen Victoria Page 5
