The Shadow of Great Britain

In the August of Windsor, the oppressive heat of summer gradually recedes, yet the air remains somewhat humid.

According to past practices, Victoria, who had just finished breakfast, was supposed to take a rest, and then proceed to the study to work.

But an urgent message from Canada disrupted her plans for the day.

She sat solemnly at her desk, listening intently to Viscount Melbourne’s report, the petite quill pen in her hand twirling lightly, as if ready to jot something down at any moment.

”Although Earl of Dalmo has officially taken office as Governor of Lower Canada, in his letter this morning, it is evident that the situation in Canada has not improved. The majority in the Lower Canada Parliament continue to vehemently criticize the Government, demanding regional autonomy and a responsible government. The Lower Canada Opposition, led by Louis-Joseph Papineau, frequently organizes rallies, urging people to boycott all British goods imported into Lower Canada. His inflammatory rhetoric has even swayed some farmers, causing them to refuse to pay their taxes...”

At this point, Viscount Melbourne deliberately paused and looked up at Victoria, patiently explaining: ”Your Majesty, this Papineau is what the people of Lower Canada regard as their leader. Most of his followers are French Canadians, whose grievance mainly lies in the fact that Lower Canada was originally a French colony until 1760 when General Wolfe captured Quebec, and it came under British rule.”

Victoria nodded slightly and noted this down: ”In 1760, General Wolfe...”

However, she stopped writing halfway through.

The young queen couldn’t help but recall something—it wasn’t the first time she had heard someone discussing Canadian history with her; only...

Viscount Melbourne did not notice the queen was distracted; he remained worried about the Canadian letter received this morning: ”If Earl of Dalmo’s observations are accurate, the culture of the French Canadians has changed little in the past 200 years. They seem to be a people without literature or history, completely unable to reflect the progress of British culture. Therefore, they have to rely on literary and artistic works from France, and given the tense relationship between Britain and France, it is not hard to understand why they would harbor hostile attitudes toward us. Moreover, the conflicts in Lower Canada are indeed more intense than the struggles in Upper Canada. There are recent rumors around Montreal and along the banks of the St. Lawrence River that armed farmers might gather after the harvest. If allowed to develop, it would inevitably lead to uprisings and unrest...”

”Your Majesty, we...” Viscount Melbourne said to this point when he suddenly noticed that the queen’s gaze was neither on him nor on her notebook but was floating aimlessly between the window panes, as if her thoughts were led astray by something.

Then, he paused lightly, pressing the letter in his hand against the table: ”Your Majesty, it seems you are thinking of something else. Is my report too dull?”

Victoria immediately returned to her senses, with a slight trace of unnoticeable panic crossing her face.

To cover up her moment of distraction, she leaned forward and tapped the pen’s tip on the paper: ”No, I was just... momentarily distracted... Please continue, what else did Earl of Dalmo say?”

Viscount Melbourne cleared his throat and picked up the letter again to read aloud: ”In Lower Canada, the French populace complains about the arrogance and unfairness of their English counterparts, while the English accuse the French of possessing the inferiority and characteristics of a conquered people, with charges of being vile and untrustworthy. Such mistrust between the two groups leads them to habitually interpret each other’s intentions with the greatest malice, judging every word, action, and motive with prejudice, forcing the most abhorrent schemes upon one another, while considering any kind or fair proposal as cloaked in treachery and malevolent conspiracies...”

Victoria pondered for a moment upon hearing this and asked: ”I want to know Earl of Dalmo’s demands, haven’t you always told me that in a constitutional monarchy, it is crucial to heed the advice of experienced ministers?”

Viscount Melbourne nodded slightly at her words: ”He believes that considering the progressiveness displayed by neighboring United States, reform for the colonial government is imperative, and he suggests that Parliament should grant more power to colonial residents by helping Canada establish a responsible governmental system. Furthermore, he even proposes a more radical step of merging Upper and Lower Canada into a unified Overseas Province of Canada, governed by a single legislative body.”

Upon hearing this, Victoria couldn’t help but frown: ”These demands... Lord Russell and the others are unlikely to agree, aren’t they? After all, the Home Office and the Department of Colonial Affairs had previously agreed to reform the land system and consider setting up a Canadian reform administrative committee in response to citizens’ petitions...”

Viscount Melbourne showed a difficult expression: ”Your thoughts are quite correct. I discussed this matter via telegraph with Russell this morning and scheduled a Cabinet meeting for tomorrow morning to discuss this further. However, based on current feedback, the Cabinet’s rejection of Earl of Dalmo’s suggestion seems highly likely. But if we veto his proposal, then over on Dalmo’s side...”

”What about Earl of Dalmo?”

Melbourne shook his head while supporting his forehead, placing Dalmo’s letter on Victoria’s desk: ”Your Majesty, you should see for yourself.”

Victoria pulled the letter closer to her.