The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1643: Chapter 40: Victoria’s Secret_3

Whig Party member Thomas Crewe harshly rebuked them during the scrutiny of royal allowances: ”Greedy and insatiable, they are the heaviest burden on the Government.”

Because of this, many self-righteous socialites in London are actually unwilling to get too deeply intertwined with the Royal Family.

Yet the Kensington System jointly developed by the Duchess of Kent and Conroy was partly designed to separate Victoria from other royal members—not only to shield her from the bad habits of her cousins but also to maintain her good reputation.

The Duchess of Kent heard Arthur’s words, and immediately distanced herself from the other princes and princesses: ”Of course, your request is reasonable. I assure you, you will be astonished to see Victoria, for she is like worlds apart from her cousins.”

Speaking of this, the Duchess of Kent didn’t forget to instruct Conroy: ”Go, call Leisen, let her bring Delina along.”

Conroy didn’t immediately leave the room upon hearing this but paused: ”Your Highness, now...it might be somewhat inconvenient.”

”Inconvenient? Why inconvenient? Didn’t I instruct you not to schedule any lessons this afternoon?”

Conroy replied without a change in expression: ”I asked the Princess to wait in the room, or perhaps she could take a walk in the garden. But she found this rather dull, so she let Leisen take her to ride horses.”

”What?!” The Duchess of Kent turned pale: ”How dare Leisen take her horse riding! She has only ever ridden that little donkey given by the Duke of York.”

”Actually, it’s not really horse riding. According to Leisen, it should just be sitting on the horse and moving in small steps,” Conroy replied. ”I tried my utmost to persuade, but you know, Leisen never listens to me.”

The Duchess of Kent was shaking with anger: ”Immediately! Immediately send someone to fetch them back! Do they not know that there is an important guest visiting today?”

Conroy slightly bowed as he heard: ”Understood, Your Highness.”

The Duchess of Kent sat on the sofa, her hand on her forehead: ”My God...”

Arthur, seeing this, had no choice but to comfort the anxious mother: ”You need not be upset. Young people of her age are overflowing with energy, and horse riding is beneficial for both physical and mental health. I have heard at Almack’s Club from King Leopold himself about his concerns regarding his niece’s growth.”

”Leopold? You mean my brother?” The Duchess of Kent raised her head.

”Yes.”

Seeing Arthur nod, the Duchess of Kent’s voice softened considerably: ”Indeed, he has said so. He has previously asked me to find ways to help her grow taller. As a 15-year-old girl, Delina is only 4 feet 11 inches tall, which is quite short. Also, the girl can hardly control her appetite. Did you know? As a baby, she had an enormous appetite. Right after weaning at 6 months, there was no sign of her needing to eat less...”

Arthur said: ”Mr. Thomas Barnes of The Times once told me that he penned the article about Princess Victoria’s birth. He said the most remarkable impression he had post her birth was that the Duchess of Kent was meticulous in every aspect, and you personally nurtured the young Princess.”

The Duchess of Kent couldn’t help but smile proudly upon hearing Arthur mention this; it was her greatest pride.

”I know in today’s society, breastfeeding is quite an extraordinary rarity. In many families, infants are fed with cow milk, goat milk, or mashed food mixed with soup. Even those who do breastfeed often hire wet nurses. But I am an experienced mother; before Victoria, I had two children, so I knew that personally breastfeeding was best for a child. I am genuinely thrilled that I breastfed so effectively. Unless absolutely necessary, I wouldn’t want to see my darling in someone else’s arms. Everyone at that time was astonished by my solo breastfeeding; the socialites were quite dismissive, but they didn’t realize they missed such a blissful experience. Just look at Victoria, look at her siblings; every one of my children is robust, none suffered early death. I sincerely advise you, when you one day have a family and children, ensure your wife breastfeeds personally—it is undoubtedly beneficial for the child.”