The Shadow of Great Britain

However, after Victoria ascended the throne, the threats from them melted away like winter snow. Here and now, Britain’s spring had finally arrived, with Queen Victoria wearing the crown, radiant as ever, and she seemed destined to lead the nation toward a great and glorious era.

No matter what others said, whether radical or conservative, at least for now, the vast majority of Britons thought so.

Even a centrist representative like Sir Arthur Hastings thought the same, as his era of glory was about to arrive.

This man, who grew up in a Poorhouse, spent his childhood with Yorkshire Pigs, and endured the trials of the London University and the grimy streets during his youth as a British middle-class man, had never felt so proud his entire life.

Of course, Arthur was not without concerns.

His biggest worry was the overly close relationship between Prime Minister Viscount Melbourne and Victoria, which seemed almost inappropriate since her ascension.

After the Ramsgate incident, Victoria decided not to appoint her own private secretary after her accession, instead having the Prime Minister carry out the duties of the Queen’s Private Secretary temporarily.

From a purely work perspective, Viscount Melbourne’s performance was impeccable. Apart from his morning duties as Prime Minister, he was virtually always by Victoria’s side. For Victoria’s requests, Viscount Melbourne almost always responded immediately. As mentioned earlier, he even offered his advice on seemingly minor issues like post-dinner drinking.

As far as Arthur knew, this seemed to be the only matter of contention between Victoria and Viscount Melbourne in over a fortnight.

Besides that, there was no other disagreement.

According to Lady Leisen, Viscount Melbourne could meet all of Victoria’s demands, which even surprised this Hanoverian governess who had accompanied Victoria for eighteen years.

What puzzled Arthur even more was the closeness between Viscount Melbourne and Victoria, which even made the Duchess of Kent feel jealous.

Since her daughter moved into Buckingham Palace, the Duchess of Kent, as the Queen’s mother, was also allowed to move from Kensington Palace. However, due to Victoria’s insistence, Conroy was certainly not permitted to move as well.

After several days of contemplation, the Duchess had to leave Conroy behind and move to be with her daughter alone.

But even after moving to Buckingham Palace, the Duchess of Kent couldn’t see her daughter whenever she wanted. She had to adhere to royal etiquette, meaning she could only see Victoria after being summoned.

As a Queen, Victoria’s daily routine was naturally regulated. She rises at 8 a.m., reads the Bible first, and then reviews urgent documents until 10 a.m., when she breakfasts with her mother. From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., she meets with government officials and foreign envoys.

Although Victoria could choose to dine with her mother in the evening, over this period, the Duchess has not received such an invitation.

In reality, she can only see her daughter during the 10 a.m. breakfast.

Yet, aside from sleeping, Viscount Melbourne is practically inseparable from her daughter.

Perhaps because Viscount Melbourne has attracted considerable animosity, when placing this Prime Minister alongside Sir Arthur Hastings, the Duchess of Kent couldn’t help but have such thoughts: ”Although I had some misunderstandings with Sir Arthur in the past, overall, he is an affable, straightforward young man. Even if his actions can sometimes be direct and poorly considered, it does not detract from him being a likable person.”

This was not Arthur boasting, but something he’s heard from Mrs. Levin, the Duchess of Kent’s close friend, while playing cards at Almack’s Club recently.

Though this Russian woman might not speak entirely honestly, Arthur didn’t expect to gain any constructive cooperation from the Duchess. Nevertheless, her words indicated a desire to extend a friendly gesture towards Arthur.

At the same time, this indirectly reflected the extent of Viscount Melbourne’s influence on Victoria.

Though Arthur disliked this duplicitous, sleep-prone Prime Minister, he had to admit that Viscount Melbourne had a certain charm with women that far surpassed his own, ranking him among the top in London.

Despite his late wife Caroline wreaking havoc on his personal life, Melbourne remained sought after in London’s social circles. Ladies often empathized with his romantic entanglements, and in social settings, Melbourne exhibited a cheerful and gracious demeanor. He possessed a keen sense of humor, elegance, and was deeply cultured, with extensive reading in classical literature and a profound study of poetry.

Most importantly, despite appearing carefree, Melbourne, perhaps due to his experiences, occasionally exuded a melancholic, sensitive air.

It was well known that for women, a man like Viscount Melbourne was often irresistible.