The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 792: Chapter 372 In the Name of the King_2

Shaking the reign of King William IV was tantamount to shaking his bright future.

Elliot pushed open the door of the study and nodded slightly, “Your Excellencies, His Majesty is inside, please take your time in discussion. Although the situation is not good at the moment, I believe it will definitely be resolved.”

The Earl of Lyndhurst and Crook were about to exchange pleasantries with Elliot when they heard the King’s urgent summons, “How is the situation?”

The King, his nose reddened by drink and face flushed, had thrown a cloak over his shoulders. His desk was covered with various new battleship design blueprints submitted by the Navy Department, but at the moment, he evidently couldn’t muster interest in these trinkets that could usually captivate him for an entire day.

Crook entered the study and took a deep breath, “As Your Majesty commanded, I paid another visit to the Duke of Wellington on Saturday. He is very serious and difficult to communicate with. However, the good news is that the Duke doesn’t care about his own image. He sent me with a very earnest message to Peel stating that he very much hoped to work with Peel. If Peel needs him, he is willing to serve under him. If Peel doesn’t need him, then he is willing to continue to be out of office and do everything in his power to help Peel’s Government operate.”

King William IV, hearing this, paced anxiously, “What about Peel’s attitude?”

The Earl of Lyndhurst spoke up, “Peel has refused again. He said he didn’t want to be a turncoat martyr again like with the ‘Catholic Emancipation Act.’ Oxford University and many within the party haven’t forgiven him for suddenly changing his stance on the ‘Emancipation Act’ to this day.”

Crook, unable to contain himself, cursed, “Peel is just posturing, making himself seem so self-righteous!”

The Earl of Lyndhurst, who had a good private relationship with Peel, heard this and couldn’t help but defend him, “Peel has his own considerations, which I have discussed in-depth with him. He said that although he also opposes reform, he can’t go against the wishes of the majority of the British people. Just recently, Bristol erupted into an uprising of a hundred thousand people over parliamentary reform, with the City Hall and the prison both breached, and it took us great effort to restore order there. Just the rejection of the bill in the House of Lords spurred such a large backlash, hence Peel fears that if he comes out in support of the Duke of Wellington at this time, the situation might escalate further, potentially leading this country towards civil war.”

Crook retorted, “It’s all the fault of those damned Frenchmen! They’ve made a mess of their own country, and now they’re bringing the chaos to Britain! Haven’t you heard the report that Hasting, the Superintendent of Scotland Yard, made in Parliament? Scotland Yard just seized a large number of tricolor cockades at a reform meeting place last week!”

Upon hearing this, the Earl of Lyndhurst pursed his lips, “Perhaps there really are Frenchmen conspiring, but as far as I know, the situation of France’s July Monarchy isn’t much better. Republicans and Bonapartists are both taking advantage of the cholera to cause trouble in Paris, and considering last year’s uprisings in Lyon, I think it’s too early to rule out the possibility of these people sparking a revolution in Paris. That’s exactly why we must form a strong and effective government as soon as possible, and prepare in advance for potential upheavals in Paris.”

Upon hearing this, King William IV stopped pacing, staring at the Earl of Lyndhurst, he inquired, “Are you suggesting that Britain might again have to brace for a tide of anti-French warfare?”

The Earl of Lyndhurst pressed his chest and inclined slightly, “Your Majesty, I believe at this stage we must prepare for the worst, the rule of France’s July Monarchy is not secure. You must not be deceived by Talleyrand’s composure, he is best at such tricks, and I assure you he is far from confident.”

King William IV placed his hand on the desk, tapping his fingers against the surface in a rhythm as disordered as his tumultuous thoughts.

The King suddenly spoke, “Do you think if I join Wellington in persuading Peel, he might accept our persuasion to become Prime Minister?”

Crook shook his head, “Although I don’t wish to dampen Your Majesty’s spirit, I must say the likelihood of Peel accepting is not great. He is a member of the Tory Party, yes, but he’s not a stalwart Royalist like myself and the Duke of Wellington, rather a Whig leader within the Tories. In his own words, he’s a moderate Tory.”

Upon hearing this, King William IV couldn’t help but mock himself, “When the ‘Catholic Emancipation Act’ passed, I remember my brother raging in Windsor Castle. He said, ‘Now everyone says that the King of England is Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, who forced through the ‘Catholic Emancipation Act,’ and the King of Ireland is the great traitor Daniel O’Connell, who claims he’d declare independence if Catholicism is not emancipated. Then what am I? Am I merely the Bishop of Windsor Castle?’ At the time, I found his fury amusing, but looking back now, I, as King, seem even less than him who seemed like the Bishop of Windsor Castle. Grey and Brougham hope for parliamentary reform; they are not in the majority in the House of Commons and wish for me to dissolve Parliament and call for elections so they can become the mainstream. Although I am rather reluctant, for the sake of the bigger picture, I ultimately agreed.”