The Queen's Husband (35 page)

There was the excitement of presents. Albert wanted Christmas at Windsor to be exactly as the festival was celebrated in Coburg and it was fun decorating the trees for Christmas. How Pussy loved the flickering candles and even The Boy stared at them in wonderment. Present-giving ceremonies were always a delight to the Queen and it gave her great pleasure to see Pussy with her parcels – although the dear little thing didn’t really understand what it was all about.

The Boy was too young to be of much interest to her, for she had never liked little babies very much. He bawled a good deal and at times – in spite of having his father’s eyes – looked rather like a little frog. Pussy however looked so pretty and often in the mornings Lehzen would bring her in and sit her on the bed. Lehzen liked to sit on the bed too and demonstrate new phases of Pussy’s cleverness; but often when she came Albert would be there and would take the child from Lehzen and turn his back on the Baroness which she could not ignore, so she had to leave them, although she did not like it one little bit.

Victoria was aware of the dislike these two had for each other and sometimes she felt irritated by one of them and sometimes by the other.

But Christmas was a happy time and she very much enjoyed the ball on New Year’s Eve, when at midnight as the clocks were striking twelve, all the music stopped and there was a fanfare of trumpets to usher in the New Year.

She was standing with Albert who pressed her hand fervently. She saw the tears in his eyes, and she knew he was thinking of all the New Years’ Eves he had spent in his own country.

She told him that night that she understood his feelings and knew that he must often think of his native land which he had left for her sake.

‘Don’t think I don’t appreciate that, my dearest Albert,’ she said. ‘I often think of it and I know then that you mean more to me than anything on earth … even more than the darling babies.’

He was deeply moved, but he was asking himself: more than Lehzen?

It must be so, for the time was coming when she would have to choose between them.

Baron Stockmar was watching the situation between Victoria and Albert with deep attention. His goal was to see Albert in the role of supreme guide and counsellor of the Queen. It was the very reason why he was in England; he had a wife and family in Coburg with whom he spent only a few months of the year; but he had long come to the conclusion that his mission in life was not to follow the medical profession which was what he had set out to do but to take a hand in governing Europe. He had soon discovered his bent when he had won the confidence of King Leopold and now that of Albert. Albert relied on him; he had been responsible in educating Albert to take his role; he had stimulated Albert’s interest in politics; and he was certainly not going to stand by and see Albert pushed aside by a woman who had been the Queen’s governess for years and so wormed her way into that loyal heart.

Not only had Stockmar Albert’s confidence but that of the Queen also. She had been fond of him since the days when Uncle Leopold had been living in England; it was almost a command of Leopold’s that she should be and in those days she had obeyed Leopold without question. Stockmar’s attitude was unusual; he ignored court etiquette; he would suddenly leave a gathering without asking the Queen’s permission; he would even pack up suddenly and leave for Coburg when the mood took him. This eccentric and completely independent attitude added to his prestige, and even the Queen would not have wished to offend him.

Stockmar had told Albert that the Baroness must leave the Court, and it was his task to see that this took place.

Albert, who was in full agreement with this point of view, continued to hesitate. The Queen’s uncertain temper, his dislike of scenes, his fears of his own inadequacy overwhelmed him; and he delayed taking action.

The baptism of the Prince of Wales was to take place on the 25th January.

Soon after the New Year the Queen and her family had returned to Buckingham Palace. Victoria had lost the exuberance which she had felt at Christmas and was moody and depressed.

‘It’s after the birth,’ said Lehzen. ‘It often happens to women.’

Lehzen herself became ill and the doctor diagnosed jaundice which turned her yellow and made her look even less attractive than usual. Pussy was losing weight and cried a great deal. She was jealous of the new baby and screamed every time she saw him.

Albert said that a few days at Claremont away from it all would do Victoria good and he was going to insist on their going – just the two of them. To his surprise Victoria agreed and they spent a few happy days there. Victoria told him she so much enjoyed Claremont now; she had lost her silly fancies because at the house just before Pussy was born she really had believed that she too might die. It was a morbid silly fancy, she knew; but all that had gone now that she had Pussy and The Boy.

But the thought of Pussy, whom she was beginning to love dearly, made her anxious. The little girl was now a delightful toy, very pretty to look at and the sight of her in her little white merino dress trimmed with blue (a present from the Duchess of Kent who would have to be watched because she was
spoiling
her) and the little lace cap on her head, she really was a darling – especially when she talked, which Lehzen said was quite remarkable for one of her age. Pussy really was an unusual child. Albert did not call her Pussy; for him she was Vicky to distinguish her, as Albert said, from that very important Victoria, her Mama.

So now that she was at Claremont she wanted to get back to see how Pussy was.

It was a bitterly cold day when they returned; they hurried up to the nursery and were disturbed to discover that Pussy’s health had not improved while they were away.

Albert picked up the child and exclaimed in horror. ‘She has lost more weight, I am sure,’ he said. He turned and saw the Baroness’s eyes on him. With her yellowish face and the hatred in her eyes she looked really malevolent.

Albert went on, ‘The child is being
starved
.’

One of the nurses, who took her cue from the Baroness and understood from her that the Prince was of small account, replied almost rudely: ‘We follow the
doctor
’
s
instructions here, Your Highness.’

Albert walked out of the nursery, followed by the Queen.

‘This is a conspiracy,’ he said. ‘Everyone – yes, everyone – is conspiring to keep me out of the nursery.’

Victoria, who was as worried as Albert by their daughter’s health, cried out in anger: ‘You mean that for me, I suppose.’

‘I mean that I am worried by the manner in which my child is treated.’

‘You would like to drive me out of the nursery, I suppose,’ cried the Queen, her temper taking possession of her so that she was scarcely aware of what she said. ‘Yes, that is what you would like to do so that you would then be at liberty to let our child die.’

The Prince could not believe he had heard correctly. To let his beloved child die! The Queen had gone mad. Oh, that violent temper. How could he deal with it? When it seized her she lost all logic, all sense of proportion. But to accuse him of wanting to see his little Vicky dead! It was too much. He was about to offer a protest as vehement as hers when he remembered the warnings of Melbourne and Stockmar.

‘I must have patience,’ he said; and turning abruptly left her.

Alone he reasoned with himself. If he exercised control, which he was quite capable of doing, Victoria would get the better of the argument. She lost her temper and made unforgivable statements; he remained calm and later forgave her; it was a recurring pattern; then it all started again. If he wished to live in peace he would be obliged to stifle his opinions for fear of upsetting her. No, it was not the way.

He was going to say what he felt; if Victoria could lose her temper so must he; if she was going to fling abusive statements at him he was going to retaliate.

As he guessed it was not long before she came to him; she stormed in, her eyes blazing.

‘So you have been trying to avoid me?’

‘That is not so, although I can understand why you should think it considering the manner in which you behave.’

‘I! It was
you
, Albert, who criticised the nursery. They are doing
everything
for Pussy and you came in and upset them all.’

‘It was time they were upset.’

‘How can you say such a thing!’

‘Because it’s true and I am not going to stand by and watch my daughter neglected.’

‘Neglected! When we are all worried so much about the child that we are ill ourselves. Nobody could care more for her than Daisy …’

The mention of that ridiculous name gave Albert the spurt he needed. He really did lose his temper.

‘It is your
Daisy
who is at the root of the trouble. She is unfitted to have the care of the child just as she was unfitted to have charge of you. It is for this reason that we have these displays of ungovernable rage which should have been checked in your infancy.’

‘Albert, I don’t think you realise what you are saying.’

‘I realise fully, and I shall no longer be treated as though I am of no importance in this house.’

‘You forget I’m the Queen.’

‘That would be impossible. You constantly remind me of the fact.’

‘How …
dare
you …’

‘Listen to the truth for once.’

‘Albert! Have you gone mad?’

‘Is it mad to dare speak the truth to the Queen? No doubt you think so. But let me tell you this, I am going to do it.’

‘I wish,’ said the Queen, ‘that I had never married.’

‘At least,’ retorted Albert, ‘that could be one point on which we are in agreement.’

She stared at him in amazement. This was unlike the Albert she knew.

He decided that there was no turning back. He went on: ‘Your Doctor Clark has not looked after the child in a proper manner. He has poisoned her with his calomel and you have starved her. I am of no account here.
You
are the Queen. I was merely brought in to provide you with heirs to the throne. I shall have nothing more to do with this matter. Take the child away, do as you like, and if she dies you will have her death on your conscience.’

Victoria stared at him; but he had left.

She began to sob wildly.