The Widow of Windsor

by Jean Plaidy

  Acting on impulse Alix slipped away from the company and went to the Royal Closet. When she knocked on the door, an imperious voice demanded: ‘Who is there?’ Alix opened the door and stood on the threshold of the room for a second; then she went to the humped figure in the flowing black robes and kneeling looked up into that melancholy face.

  ‘I wanted to tell Your Majesty that I kept thinking of you and your sorrow … at such a time …’

  The tears began to fall down the Queen’s cheeks. She bent forward and kissed Alix. ‘Dear sweet child,’ she murmured. ‘So graceful, so beautiful and so feeling.’

  It was very soon clear that the Queen had taken Alix to her heart.

  It was Sunday, a day when the dead should be remembered even more frequently than during the week. The Queen decided that Alix and her future bridegroom should pay a visit to the mausoleum that afternoon.

  The Queen took Alix’s arm and showed her round, while she extolled the virtues of the Prince Consort. Bertie yawned in the special way he had, keeping his mouth closed. He had explained to Alix that it was a habit necessary for royalty to master. There were so many occasions when it was impossible to suppress yawns completely, and the oft-repeated enumeration of his father’s virtues was high on the list.

  Back at the castle the Queen talked of the wedding, which would be a very sad occasion. She recalled Vicky’s wedding. How different! With her father beside her (looking magnificent in uniform) loth to give her away but at the same time steeling himself to do so. Nothing would ever be the same again.

  The wedding was to take place in St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The Queen, in whose company Alix often found herself, admitted that there was a great deal of complaint about the place chosen.

  So many people wished it to take place in London because they didn’t want the trouble of coming down to Windsor. ‘But Windsor it is to be,’ said the Queen. ‘How could I bear such a ceremony in the Chapel Royal St James’s where I was united to my angel? And as for all the fuss and bother of St Paul’s, I just could not face that. The people must understand that I must have seclusion in my grief.’

  Alix was afraid that the Queen was going on to the familiar theme of the Consort’s virtues but on this occasion it was avoided by an adroit turn of the conversation which brought it back to the dresses of the bride and the bridesmaids.

  Members of the family were arriving at Windsor. Vicky and her husband had come with their four-year-old son Wilhelm, who was a great favourite with the Queen, though Alix could not understand why for she secretly thought him a rather unpleasant little boy. There was her own brother Valdemar, the same age as Wilhelm, whom the latter regarded with animosity; but both the boys were kept in order by young Beatrice, known as Baby to her mother and brothers and sisters, but who with the advent of these slightly younger children had suddenly found herself almost grown up. Ten-year-old Leopold and thirteen-year-old Arthur were aloof from the nursery but they now and then delivered lordly reprimands when the conduct of Wilhelm became violent.

  Valdemar declared that he didn’t want to go to the wedding unless he could bring his donkey, while Wilhelm cast acquisitive eyes on the animal and decided that since it was such a favourite with Valdemar it ought to be his.

  The presents were arriving. The Queen gave the bride an opal and diamond bracelet, and the City Corporation presented her with a diamond necklace worth £10,000; the Royal Nurseries who provided the bouquet, which was made up of orange blossom, orchids, lilies of the valley, rosebuds and myrtle, presented it in a holder of crystal set with diamonds, emeralds and coral. This holder was a gift from the Maharajah Dhuleep Sing. Bertie came to her sitting-room, one hand behind him, and turning her round so that she had her back to him swiftly placed something on her head. She caught a glimpse in the mirror of a tiara of diamonds. She gasped with delight.

  ‘But, Bertie, I am not used to such grandeur.’

  Bertie laughed at her and then gave her a necklace, ear-rings and a brooch of pearls and diamonds.

  While she was gasping out her bewilderment he produced the keeper ring, which was large and set with six stones, and put it on her finger.

  ‘Do you know what they stand for?’ he asked. ‘That’s beryl, that’s emerald, ruby, turquoise, jacynth and emerald. What does that spell if you take the first letters of each stone … except jacynth. There isn’t an “i” in stones.’

  B.E.R.T.I.E. She spelt and then she began to laugh and threw her arms about his neck and hugged him.

  ‘In a most unroyal fashion,’ she said.

  ‘And all the better for that,’ commented Bertie.

  ‘Oh,’ she said seriously, ‘I am going to be so happy.’

  The wedding day dawned bright and clear, though very cold. A special train had brought the guests down from London, complaining bitterly that it was a little inconsiderate to have the marriage of the heir to the throne out of London. ‘Have we got to go on for ever weeping for Albert?’

  It seemed that he was not to be forgotten. The Queen had ordered that there was to be no gay music and that guests should not wear bright colours. Mauve might be worn as it was a mourning shade, with grey of course.

  In the Chapel hung with purple velvet the Swedish singer Jenny Lind charmed all those present in the Chorale. In the royal box was a lonely figure draped in black, the only colour in her costume being the Order of the Garter ribbon across her breast. All were conscious of her but she sat mutely there, unsmiling, aloof.

  She was remembering that other occasion when Albert had stood beside her at the altar tall and slim in his brilliant uniform, the most handsome being she had ever seen. Poor Bertie! He looked so undistinguished in comparison, though she admitted that she herself had not been as beautiful as dear sweet Alix. How enchanting the child looked in Honiton lace, tall, bearing herself so proudly, coming down the aisle with her father. Dear, beautiful creature.

  The Princesses looked beautiful in their white gowns, so graceful, like white swans, and there was Baby Beatrice, looking anything but solemn – naughty little creature! Albert would have smiled to see her. So for the first time during the ceremony, the Queen herself smiled.

  And there was Princess Mary of Cambridge leading the Princesses and looking quite magnificent with a lilac moiré train and her lace which the Queen was pleased was Honiton. A handsome creature but without a husband and getting fat, which was a family tendency, thought the Queen with a sigh. Even Albert had put on weight a little.

  And there were the children, little Wilhelm between his two young uncles, Arthur and Leopold. How cleverly they disguised the little darling’s withered arm. What a tragedy that it had been damaged when he was being born. And what little men Arthur and Leopold looked! If only that angel had been down there she would have been there too, brilliantly dressed in diamonds and Honiton lace instead of up here in her dismal clothes.

  And now it was almost too much to be borne because they were singing Albert’s own hymn, the one he had composed himself and which she had commanded should be a part of the service.

  She withdrew farther into the closet and put her hands over her eyes. This was too much to be borne, she said to herself.

  The ceremony proceeded and Bertie and Alix were married.

  Vicky, Crown Princess of Prussia, wept openly; Alice, Lenchen and Louise, caught up in the emotion, did the same and Baby Beatrice, watching her sisters and feeling this was a part of the ceremony, began to sob with them. Lenchen laid a hand on her shoulder to quieten her, which surprised Baby, who audibly demanded to know why if the others cried she must not!

  Valdemar was thinking of his donkey and believed that he had been for ever and ever in this funny place where they kept singing then talking and then crying. How much more sensible his donkey was. Wilhelm couldn’t understand what it was all about, but he did know that he was not being given sufficient attention.

  He sat down on the floor and started to pull at Leopold’s kilt.

  ‘Stop it,’ whispered L
eopold, at which Wilhelm promptly bit his leg.

  Leopold gasped and Arthur looked down to see what was happening.

  ‘Get up!’ hissed Arthur; but by this time Wilhelm had discovered it was rather amusing to bite his uncle’s legs, so he set his teeth into Arthur’s flesh.

  Together the youthful uncles endeavoured to pull him up; he opened his mouth to bawl, so they let him go; they made sure though that he should not get his teeth into their legs again. They exchanged glances: Little horror, said their eyes.

  How delighted the children were when the ceremony was over and they could leave the Chapel for St George’s Hall where the wedding breakfast was to take place. Their fascinated eyes became fixed on the huge wedding cake, six feet high; Valdemar forgot his donkey and Wilhelm was silent with awe. The cake was more wonderful in their eyes than the beautiful floral decorations of orange blossom, myrtle, azaleas, snowdrops and jasmine which had been artistically placed about the room.

  Alix left the company to take off her wedding dress and prepare for the journey to Osborne.

  On this occasion her new sister Vicky and Cousin Mary of Cambridge helped her.

  Alix was delighted that Mary was there – so magnificent, stately, handsome and kind. She was less sure of Vicky, who was half Prussian since her marriage and of course the Prussians were not friends to the Danes. Bertie had told her that he had always been compared to his detriment with his clever sister and for that reason she felt she could never really be close to Vicky.

  Mary said it had been a wonderful ceremony and Alix had been admired from all sides. Everyone had commented on her poise, dignity and beauty.

  Vicky agreed that this had been so.

  ‘I’m sure there was only one in the chapel who didn’t admire you,’ went on Vicky, ‘and that was my naughty little son who – I saw him do it – bit both his uncles on the leg.’

  ‘I am sure my little brother Valdemar was equally indifferent,’ added Alix. ‘He said he would rather play with his donkey than come to my wedding.’

  They laughed together, but there was an aloofness about Vicky, made more obvious perhaps by the warmth of Cousin Mary’s affection. She must remember, though, that Mary had been her friend since the days when she was three years old and they had met at Rumpenheim.

  There she stood in her white silk dress and Mary exclaimed that she looked lovely.

  She was glad because it was time for her to go off to Osborne with Bertie.

  Chapter VII

  ADVENTURE IN THE HIGHLANDS

  How difficult it was, thought the Queen, to remain in seclusion when one was the Sovereign. Lord Palmerston, her Prime Minister, had never been a favourite of hers, although she had come to realise the need for a strong man at the head of affairs, and she supposed he was that. But Albert had never approved of Palmerston who had scarcely led a good life in his youth, although it was true that when he settled down and married Lord Melbourne’s sister they were devoted to each other and lived in harmony. But Palmerston’s eyes would always follow a beautiful woman speculatively and Albert had noticed it and disapproved. Every man could not of course be like her Angel, but a Prime Minister she believed should show more decorum than Lord Palmerston was accustomed to. He was referred to as ‘Pam’ by the people, who for some odd reason adored him. How unpredictable the people could be! They had never appreciated Albert. But Pam was better than Cupid, the name by which the Prime Minister had been known in his youth – for obvious reasons.

  Now Lord Palmerston was warning her that there was likely to be trouble over Schleswig-Holstein, that matter which had never really been settled; this would mean of course trouble between Prussia and Denmark for Denmark would not willingly give up the provinces because Bismarck told them to.

  How tiresome! And if only Albert were here, he would understand and see that something was done.

  ‘There are three people who understand the Schleswig-Holstein controversy,’ said Lord Palmerston. ‘The Prince and he’s dead and myself …’

  ‘The other one?’ she had asked.

  Lord Palmerston had replied with the utmost irreverence and that rather wicked smile of his. ‘God, Your Majesty.’

  She sighed for the tact and sympathy of Lord Melbourne – long since dead and only now occasionally remembered.

  She was worried too about Alfred. Bertie had ceased to be such a concern now that he was married to dear sweet Alix who was so good for him. Alfred had had a very unpleasant adventure in Malta. It concerned a woman. Oh dear, she did hope the boys were not going to be tiresome in that respect. First Bertie at the Curragh Camp – and what fearful results that had had! She wondered Bertie could sleep at night for thinking of it; but she was sure he never did – think of it, that was. His sleep would be quite undisturbed. And now Alfred in Malta.

  Bertie had said: ‘Oh, Mama, one doesn’t want to make too much of these things. Poor old Affie, he had to amuse himself somehow.’

  She was annoyed. Bertie had too much confidence since his marriage. He was always appearing in public and Alix with him and people cheered them madly wherever they went.

  ‘Very commendable,’ was Lord Palmerston’s comment. ‘Makes up for your hiding yourself away, M’am, and satisfies the people.’

  Lord Palmerston had always taken Bertie’s side.

  But she did realise that Alfred’s affair at Malta was not of the same magnitude as his future as Duke of Saxe-Coburg. Albert had always intended Alfred to take over Ernest’s dukedom when he died.

  Ernest was not in the least like his brother Albert. Oh, the irony of fate that the saint should be taken and the sinner left. One could not probe too deeply into the life Ernest had led. There were women, and debts in plenty, and no children at all, which was why Saxe-Coburg was to go to Alfred. Albert had often talked to her about Ernest. He just could not believe, he used to say, how that brother of his, with whom in his youth he had been inseparable, could have turned out as he did. But Ernest had changed from the innocent youth who had roamed the forests round Rosenau with his brother and hunted for specimens for their museum. She had always declared that when the influence of Albert was removed Ernest had gone to pieces.

  The throne of Greece had become vacant and this had been offered to Alfred. This offer had thrown the Queen into a flutter. It was gratifying, of course, but Albert had always talked of Alfred as though he were the future Duke of Saxe-Coburg and she had declined the honour on Alfred’s behalf.

  Ernest had immediately declared that he would take on the kingdom of Greece, at the same time retaining his Duchy of Saxe-Coburg.

  This was something the Queen could not tolerate. Alfred would be expected to go to Saxe-Coburg as heir to that Duchy and govern while Ernest was in Greece. Oh dear, no. That would not do at all. Albert would have disapproved most strongly. Ernest would be the real ruler, Alfred a deputy. The affairs of Saxe-Coburg under the dissolute Ernest were in a sorry state and it was very likely that if Alfred became deputy ruler he could fall into his uncle’s ways and – more practically – perhaps be held responsible for their results.

  Her Prime Minister came down to Windsor to see her rather reproachfully because she was not in London which would have made communication with her ministers so much easier. She gave him her severe and rather haughty look which seemed to amuse him, a fact of which she was aware and deplored, but of course she could not tell him that she did not like his manner. She never had liked his manner, but she had been forced to admit since that terrible and most unsatisfactory Crimean war that the country could not do without him.

  He bowed over her hand. He must be nearly eighty, she thought. Quite clearly he painted his cheeks. How unmanly! And yet how could one accuse Palmerston of effeminacy? He merely wanted to pretend that he was as well as ever. She had heard that he had been seen solemnly climbing over the railing before his house and when he was on the other side, equally solemnly climbing back. A policeman watching him had very naturally thought he was intoxicated and going over t
o him discovered to his amazement that the climber was not only sober but the Prime Minister.

  ‘I just wanted to see if I still had enough agility to climb those railings and back. And I did, so you see, there’s life in the old dog yet,’ was his comment.

  The story was repeated and the people of course had loved him for it and shouted ‘Good Old Pam, there’s life in the old dog yet!’ wherever he went. How strange that all Albert’s good works had gone unrecognised – or almost so – and this absurd escapade had brought Palmerston even more popularity with the masses.

  What was it about him? she wondered. That air of confidence and nonchalance. He knew she didn’t like him and he simply didn’t care; his attitude reminded her constantly that it was the people who selected their rulers. And they were behind Pam.

  She asked after his gout. He said it bothered him from time to time.

  ‘And Lady Palmerston is well?’

  ‘She is and will be honoured when I tell her that Your Majesty enquired.’

  ‘You have come over this affair of Greece of course.’

  ‘That, M’am, and the even more important question of Schleswig-Holstein.’

  ‘There is trouble brewing there.’

  ‘There’s always trouble brewing there. And with Bismarck in the ascendant the situation is not improved.’

  ‘The Prince Consort would never have agreed to Alfred’s taking the Greek throne. And I think we should strongly oppose its going to my brother-in-law.’

  Palmerston seemed to agree with this opinion. He thought it was possible that one of the Danish Princes might be offered the Greek throne. He could see no harm in that.