cried, ‘there is the castle.’
‘Magnificent,’ said Albert with deep feeling.
‘Dear Albert, I am so glad you like it. It will be one of your homes now.’
‘It will be my favourite home,’ he said.
‘Because we shall spend our honeymoon there? Oh, Albert, what a delightful thought.’
‘That and because it is in such a beautiful setting. I hope we shall come here often.’
‘It is difficult of course when Parliament is sitting. You see, dear Albert, the Prime Minister cannot keep coming back and forth, nor can he stay at the Castle when there is so much business going on in the House.’
A gentle reminder that she was the Queen.
‘I hope I shall be of use to you,’ he said. ‘I should want you to consult me now and then.’
‘Dear Albert, you can be sure that if the need arose I should certainly do so.’
If the need arose! What did she mean by that? But he must not show irritation on his honeymoon.
They alighted from the carriage and Albert stood gazing in wonder. What splendid Gothic architecture!
‘The terraces were made for Queen Elizabeth,’ chattered Victoria.
‘Beautiful,’ murmured Albert. ‘Grand. Imposing!’ And he thought: How different from Rosenau, and he could not suppress a longing to be there.
‘Those are the private apartments looking east,’ explained Victoria. ‘The state apartments to the north and the visitors’ apartments to the south. But let us go in.’
The past seemed to envelop him as he went inside those thick stone walls, and as he did so he wondered what part he would play in the future. If he were King of this country, if this stately and glorious castle were his and he was introducing his bride to it, how proud and happy he would have been.
But he was the outsider; hers was the hand from which all blessings flowed. ‘Come, Albert,’ she was saying, ‘I will show you my castle.’
In the great banqueting hall Kings of the past had feasted. Here Henry VIII had knighted a sirloin of beef and sported with Anne Boleyn. He pictured them all, the long line of English sovereigns … mostly men but some female … Elizabeth who would allow no man to share her throne and Anne whose husband, stupid Prince George of Denmark, had been given £50,000 a year when he, Albert, had been considered worthy of only £30,000.
‘What are you thinking, Albert?’
‘Of all the Kings and Queens who have lived here.’
‘So you know our history.’
‘But of course.’
‘My clever Albert! But now the castle is mine.’
Mine! he noticed. Ours would have been so much more gracious.
They went to look at the suite which had been prepared for them.
‘The royal bedroom,’ she said with a blush and downcast eyes.
He went through to another room: ‘And this?’
‘My dressing-room.’
‘There is a door leading to another room.’ He opened it. It was a bedroom.
She was beside him. ‘Oh that,’ she said, ‘is dear Lehzen’s room. Hers is always next to mine.’
A cold fear touched him. Why should he be so apprehensive of that woman? She was only a governess.
‘That will be changed now,’ he said, trying to sound authoritative.
‘Oh, no,’ she replied lightly. ‘I could never permit that. Poor darling Lehzen would be broken-hearted. You see, dearest, her room was always next to mine. One could not change that sort of thing. It would be too unkind. Besides, I should not wish it.’
Her loving gaze belied the arrogance of her tone; but he knew the Queen was very close at that moment.
He left her and went down to the drawing-room. She was ecstatically happy. How adorable he was, and how beautiful! Lehzen had not yet arrived. She would be coming later in the evening, so it was not possible to pop in for a chat with her, which was a pity. She had asked dear Lord Melbourne to come down to Windsor the day after tomorrow. She never felt completely happy unless she knew that he was close.
In the meantime there was dear Albert.
How pale she looked. She was
‘Magnificent,’ said Albert with deep feeling.
‘Dear Albert, I am so glad you like it. It will be one of your homes now.’
‘It will be my favourite home,’ he said.
‘Because we shall spend our honeymoon there? Oh, Albert, what a delightful thought.’
‘That and because it is in such a beautiful setting. I hope we shall come here often.’
‘It is difficult of course when Parliament is sitting. You see, dear Albert, the Prime Minister cannot keep coming back and forth, nor can he stay at the Castle when there is so much business going on in the House.’
A gentle reminder that she was the Queen.
‘I hope I shall be of use to you,’ he said. ‘I should want you to consult me now and then.’
‘Dear Albert, you can be sure that if the need arose I should certainly do so.’
If the need arose! What did she mean by that? But he must not show irritation on his honeymoon.
They alighted from the carriage and Albert stood gazing in wonder. What splendid Gothic architecture!
‘The terraces were made for Queen Elizabeth,’ chattered Victoria.
‘Beautiful,’ murmured Albert. ‘Grand. Imposing!’ And he thought: How different from Rosenau, and he could not suppress a longing to be there.
‘Those are the private apartments looking east,’ explained Victoria. ‘The state apartments to the north and the visitors’ apartments to the south. But let us go in.’
The past seemed to envelop him as he went inside those thick stone walls, and as he did so he wondered what part he would play in the future. If he were King of this country, if this stately and glorious castle were his and he was introducing his bride to it, how proud and happy he would have been.
But he was the outsider; hers was the hand from which all blessings flowed. ‘Come, Albert,’ she was saying, ‘I will show you my castle.’
In the great banqueting hall Kings of the past had feasted. Here Henry VIII had knighted a sirloin of beef and sported with Anne Boleyn. He pictured them all, the long line of English sovereigns … mostly men but some female … Elizabeth who would allow no man to share her throne and Anne whose husband, stupid Prince George of Denmark, had been given £50,000 a year when he, Albert, had been considered worthy of only £30,000.
‘What are you thinking, Albert?’
‘Of all the Kings and Queens who have lived here.’
‘So you know our history.’
‘But of course.’
‘My clever Albert! But now the castle is mine.’
Mine! he noticed. Ours would have been so much more gracious.
They went to look at the suite which had been prepared for them.
‘The royal bedroom,’ she said with a blush and downcast eyes.
He went through to another room: ‘And this?’
‘My dressing-room.’
‘There is a door leading to another room.’ He opened it. It was a bedroom.
She was beside him. ‘Oh that,’ she said, ‘is dear Lehzen’s room. Hers is always next to mine.’
A cold fear touched him. Why should he be so apprehensive of that woman? She was only a governess.
‘That will be changed now,’ he said, trying to sound authoritative.
‘Oh, no,’ she replied lightly. ‘I could never permit that. Poor darling Lehzen would be broken-hearted. You see, dearest, her room was always next to mine. One could not change that sort of thing. It would be too unkind. Besides, I should not wish it.’
Her loving gaze belied the arrogance of her tone; but he knew the Queen was very close at that moment.
He left her and went down to the drawing-room. She was ecstatically happy. How adorable he was, and how beautiful! Lehzen had not yet arrived. She would be coming later in the evening, so it was not possible to pop in for a chat with her, which was a pity. She had asked dear Lord Melbourne to come down to Windsor the day after tomorrow. She never felt completely happy unless she knew that he was close.
In the meantime there was dear Albert.
How pale she looked. She was
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