Crown Imperial: An Alt British Monarchy
- Thread starter Opo
- Start date
Rest assured, the husky dogs will be kept well away from the spaniels so we won't have any mingling of that kind in the Windsor kennels. Perish the thought!
Very well observed and also it's worth remembering that Queen Louise suffered a miscarriage on a return journey from Russia so this may factor into George's reaction to the happy news too.
Absolutely, I think George has matured enough to have processed what happened to Louise by now but that said, it's bound to be slightly daunting to him and we know he can be very overprotective of those he loves, regardless of whether it's rational or not.
I think my plan with those kind of updates (Albert/Lottie/Victoria) is to try to work them organically into the storyline where possible - this is slightly easier to accomplish with the girls than it is with Albert and Pedro. But they won't be too frequent as our focus is very much on George V and his immediate family.
That said, if we haven't heard from them in a while, I'd be happy to offer periodic updates if people want to stay up to date with characters who don't appear as regularly any more.
As ever, a huge thankyou to everyone for reading and for your kind feedback, it's always much appreciated!
the description of the Russian magnificence is beautiful, also the comparison between the very immersive method of educating the British princes is in contact with the people with the closed one of the Russian grand dukes. for a moment I thought that Nicola had given a polar bear cub to George's children (not impossible, he had given a white bear fur for Franz Joseph's birthday together with a live arctic fox) even Charlotte Louise who tries to make the children spend time with each other is fantastic (from that extra family touch) congratulations for Georgie, let's hope she doesn't pester Agnes as she did for Louise
One and all, I can only apologise that it's been so long since we had an update for Crown Imperial.
Truth be told, house renovations and starting a new book proved to be a little overwhelming and it's taken me some time to adjust to a new routine - not my strongest point! But things have now calmed down and I've been able to fix a schedule where I have time to work on the timeline again.
I'm currently putting together some installments which will go up periodically this week, which I hope you'll enjoy and I hope the interest in our story is still there. Once again, I'm sorry things have lapsed and I'm looking forward to putting George and Agnes back on track!
Truth be told, house renovations and starting a new book proved to be a little overwhelming and it's taken me some time to adjust to a new routine - not my strongest point! But things have now calmed down and I've been able to fix a schedule where I have time to work on the timeline again.
I'm currently putting together some installments which will go up periodically this week, which I hope you'll enjoy and I hope the interest in our story is still there. Once again, I'm sorry things have lapsed and I'm looking forward to putting George and Agnes back on track!
Always looking forward to new updates. Always happy to wait. Take your time kingy.
GV: Part Four, Chapter Seven: Mothers and Sisters
King George V
Part Four, Chapter Seven: Mothers and Sisters
Part Four, Chapter Seven: Mothers and Sisters
Though it’s name may conjure images of a quaint thatched dwelling in a rural countryside corner, Cambridge Cottage stands as a rather grand twelve bedroom manor house nestled in the leafy privacy of a corner of the sprawling Kew estate. Kew had been transformed during the reign of King George II into a kind of royal gated community when Queen Caroline leased the so-called ‘Dutch House’ and then set about acquiring neighbouring buildings for her children to live in. King George III continued this approach and in 1772, he purchased another large property on the estate which he gifted to his seventh son, the Duke of Cambridge, in 1801. 15 years later, the Duke was appointed Viceroy of Hanover and had no further need of the house as a permanent residence but rather than return it to the Crown, Adolphus leased it to various courtiers thus providing him with an income which covered the costs on his townhouse in Piccadilly. In 1840, when the Duke first toyed with retirement, his wife Augusta returned to England to give notice to their tenants that they intended to return to England. The tenants left and the builders moved in, adding of an extra wing to increase the number of bedrooms from the original eight to twelve, also installing a new music room and library, and a veranda on which the Duchess could host afternoon tea parties in the summer months. Though wasn’t until 1845 that the Cambridges actually returned to England permanently from Hanover, their Cottage at Kew was to provide a backdrop for their dotage – or rather, the Duke of Cambridge’s dotage for his bride was twenty-three years his junior.
Cambridge Cottage at Kew.
Once settled safely back in England and with only a handful of public engagements to interrupt the Duke’s retirement, the Cambridges were able to carve out a genteel, comfortable existence at Kew but within months, this idyllic lifestyle soon lost its lustre. The Duke was thoroughly bored at the Cottage and spent much of his time at Piccadilly House in London which gave better access to his club. By contrast, the Duchess of Cambridge thoroughly welcomed this change of pace. Whilst she would have preferred to remain living in Germany where everything was so much more familiar to her, life at Kew was at least more relaxed than that at Herrenhausen. It also brought a somewhat novel experience Augusta’s way – that of being a hands-on mother. With her son George living in disgrace with his commoner bride and her eldest daughter Augusta settled in Neustrelitz, the Duchess realised that she had been far too busy as a Vicereine ever to be a mother and perhaps because of the failings of her eldest child, she was determined to put things right with her youngest. So it was that the Duchess of Cambridge decided to dedicate the summer of 1845 to “the improvement” of her twelve-year-old daughter, Princess Mary Adelaide.
Princess Mary Adelaide was a lively and animated girl with a boisterous laugh and a keen sense of fun. She had a beautiful mezzo-soprano singing voice and loved to perform to her friends and relations, no doubt inspired by her interest in the opera and theatre. She loved to travel and often said that she hoped she would never marry so that she might “take myself to all the places I have seen in books without anybody telling me I cannot go here or there”. But for all the young Princess might wish for a future as a wandering spinster, her mother was determined this would not be the case. No expense was spared in ensuring that Mary Adelaide had the best tutors, the Cambridges paid huge sums of money to stock her dressing room with beautiful clothes and any subject Mary Adelaide took an interest in was encouraged to the full so that she might acquire a vast range of topics well beyond what was considered acceptable for a young woman at the time. When the Princess of Orange heard about this, she wrote a rather unkind letter to her half-sister Feodora saying; “It is all a matter of a sow’s ear and a silk purse I’m afraid for no man could look past [Mary Adelaide’s] shortcomings…for no man can look past her”.
In this, Victoria was (cattily) referring to Mary Adelaide’s size [1]. When the Princess was born in 1833, she was an incredibly small baby and there was a serious concern that she may die in infancy as a result. Yet as the years went by, she grew stronger…and bigger. The Duchess of Cambridge noticed this steady swelling but was reassured that Mary Adelaide’s weight gain was no more than puppy fat, indeed, every physician the Cambridges consulted on Mary’s stature said much the same thing; that it was better for her to be stout than slim for her rotundness of waist was obviously a sign of her robustness of health. The Duchess accepted this until her daughter turned ten years old. Mary Adelaide had been enrolled in a ballet class and was greatly enjoying her lessons. One day, her tutor asked to see the Duchess of Cambridge who dutifully appeared to see what the trouble was. Sadly, the tutor had to ask for the Princess to be removed from the class. When the Duchess asked why, the tutor replied, “But Madame, elle est énorme!” [2]
Princess Mary Adelaide (L) and the Duchess of Cambridge (R) pictured together in 1860.
Mary’s classmates were the first to dub her “Fat Mary” and though others within the Cambridge circle had commented on Mary Adelaide’s size, for the first time the Duchess saw the reality. By the time Mary Adelaide she was 15, she weighed approximately 180lbs. At her largest in later life, she would tip the scale at 260lbs. This never bothered Mary Adelaide, indeed she simply pretended she was not obese at all. She closed her ears to unkind remarks and went about her business with a smile which endeared people to her – though it did not discourage them from referring to her as “Mary the Mountain”. But such comments seriously wounded the Duchess of Cambridge and when diets and exercise regimes failed, Augusta decided that she would equip her daughter with a multitude of other qualities which people would celebrate her for – and perhaps learn to ignore her obesity. Her latest scheme was to improve Mary Adelaide’s range of languages; the Princess spoke French and German but had indicated an interest in learning Italian. So it was that the Duchess set about planning an Italian holiday in which she and her daughter would spend a few months touring Florence, Milan and Rome so that Mary Adelaide might acquire yet another skill – “though I sincerely hope she should not marry a Catholic”, the Duchess explained to her brother William in a letter, “it makes little sense to limit the few options she will have, and I once met a Count from Genoa who was really quite charming despite everything, so there is hope there”. It was whilst Augusta was busy preparing for her trip that her packing was interrupted by a footman who brought an unexpected note. It was from the neighbouring Dutch House and in the lower left-hand corner carried the initials “LR” – Louise Regina.
Queen Louise, the Queen Mother had been living at the Dutch House since 1838. Strictly forbidden from receiving all but her chaplain ever since, she was allowed to correspond with relatives even though she remained a stranger to the wider Royal Family. Though at first this harsh punishment had been felt entirely justified, by 1845 the King had relented somewhat. Though she was never to return to court, George did not intend to be as vengeful as his mother and so when the Cambridges moved to Kew, the King indicated that he would not object if the Duchess wished to visit the Queen Mother at the Dutch House, or if his mother wished to visit the Cambridges at their Cottage. Augusta had longed to see her sister for many years – they had been parted long before Louise’s “exile” on account of Augusta living in Hanover – but whenever she had been granted permission to visit the Queen Mother before, Louise had declined to admit the Duchess to her presence. It was a complete surprise to Augusta therefore to receive a note from her sister informing her that the Queen Mother had decided to call upon the Cambridges for tea at sometime within the week – she did not specify exactly when.
Usually, the Duchess might have sent a message to the King telling him this and allowing him an opportunity to change his mind but as he was in Russia, and as he had previously indicated that he would sanction such a visit, Augusta wrote back and told her sister that she would be very happy to receive her. Two days later, in the middle of the morning when the Duchess was least expecting it, a closed carriage began rattling along the gravel path that led to the portico of Cambridge Cottage. On the seat traveled a coachman and a page but there was no livery on the carriage to indicate whom was inside. The coach came to a halt and the page alighted, going to the front door of the Cottage where the Cambridges butler was immediately thrown into a panic. He hastened to the Duchess who quickly ordered her servants to turn out in front of the house as was customary, but the passenger refused to alight until they were ordered back inside the house. Augusta stood alone as the coach door was finally opened and the steps unfurled. The page held out his arm. Someone inside reached out to take it, a cane appearing first and then…
The Queen Mother had never shared the stoutness of her in-laws, nor their voracious Hanoverian appetites, but she had always been “robust” or “sturdy”. From the few garments which survive in the Royal Archives, we know that during her marriage to King George IV, Louise had a 36” waist. Yet now she was painfully thin which had prematurely aged her face. As she alighted the carriage into the sunlight, Augusta (who had not seen her sister for almost a decade) was shocked to see that she was walking with a stick and that, though the fashion had long since fallen out of style, she appeared to be wearing a wig – no doubt to hide her thinning hair. Dressed in a high collared purple gown with lace at the neck and on the cuffs, she pulled a black knitted shawl about her shoulders despite the summer heat, and she wore no jewels at all, a cluster of white carnations pinned to her lapel in place of a brooch. Louise was just 51 years old and yet Augusta described her at this time as “looking every inch a woman of three score years and ten”. Louise moved toward her sister silently. Augusta fell into a curtsey, as the Queen Mother’s rank still demanded, and then waited until Louise leaned forward awkwardly to accept a brief kiss on the cheek.
“Meine geliebte schwester…”
Louise said nothing to acknowledge this fond greeting and simply walked past Augusta into the Cottage, turning into the morning room where she decided she would be most comfortable. She looked about the room with a sneer and rolled her eyes. The simplicity of her life these days had diminished her patience with the fripperies of lavish décor. The Duchess sent for tea. Silence descended. Augusta suddenly realised she had no idea what to discuss with Louise. After all that had happened, what room was there for small talk? Seizing the only opportunity she could think of, Augusta hurried to her desk and took up a bundle of envelopes.
“I had a charming letter from William this morning”, she proffered, relieved to see the arrival of the tea tray, if only because it would give her something to fill the silence with, “He tells me little Louise is expecting again! And so soon after the last…” [3]
The Queen Mother remained silent.
“It is so funny to think of William as a grandfather, isn’t it?”, Augusta continued, “and Auguste shall be next I think, she wrote to me just the other day- “
“So many letters”, the Queen Mother sighed, “Where do you find the time, Augusta?”.
“Well, we have so little to do now”, the Duchess replied, ignoring her sister’s sarcasm, “Though you timed your visit very well, Mary and I are going to Florence next week”.
Louise scoffed.
“It’s just a little holiday, you know”, the Duchess continued, feeling distinctly uncomfortable, “I think it will be good for her”.
“Augusta”, the Queen Mother finally spoke with an air of purpose, “I have been thinking too and I should like you to do something for me”.
“Yes?”
Louise drew herself up a little taller.
The Queen Mother removed a folded piece of paper from her skirt pocket.
“I should like you to pass this note to Mr Garrard for me when you next go to London. I would do it myself but…”
The Duchess took the note from her sister. It was tied with string and marked Confidential.
“I should be happy to help Louise...”, Augusta said curiously, “...But might I ask what this is in relation to? You have no troubles with Mr Garrard, surely?”
The Queen Mother let out a cold chuckle.
“Oh, I should think we both have troubles with Mr Garrard”.
“I don’t follow…”
The Queen Mother removed her shawl and looked over to a footman standing silently near the door.
“Boy!”, she snapped, “I shall take a glass of milk”. The footman leapt to attention leaving the two sisters alone.
“That girl…”, the Queen Mother began, her voice flecked with resentment.
“Which girl?”, Augusta asked naively.
“The Queen”, Louise spat hurriedly, “Though she clearly has no dignity in that. Are you aware that at this very moment our family jewels are in Mr Garrard’s safe awaiting a public sale? And are you aware that at least half of those items Her Majesty is to part with belong in fact, to me? To our family?”
The Duchess of Cambridge shook her head.
“Oh, sister", Louise said with a wry smile, "How curious that you should be so removed from the court when I am the one forbidden to it. But I have it on very good authority. The tiara Papa gave me when I married…the pearls Mama gave to me when Georgie was born…the sapphires that came to us from Grandmama…they’re all to be sold from a barrow. And I intend to stop it”.
The Duchess of Cambridge shook her head incredulously, “But I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about sister, I promise you…”
Shortly before her departure for Russia, Queen Agnes had met with the Crown Jeweller to acquire some new pieces she might take with her to St Petersburg. The bulk of the royal collection was either unfashionable or unavailable to the Queen because of previous ownership. She did not wish to part with any of the £60,000 annuity awarded to her by parliament in case she might be able to use some of the funds to establish her new nursing project, and so she asked for Princess Mary’s advice on the matter. Mary counselled that the Queen should (with the King’s consent), sell some of the pieces which were no longer of any use and arrange with Garrards that any jewels she purchased before the State Visit to Russia could be given on account and the bill settled once the Crown Jeweller found a buyer for the pieces the Queen wished to sell. All parties had been agreeable to this but somewhere along the line, word had reached the ears of the Queen Mother that among those jewels now being put up for sale by Garrards was none other than her wedding tiara – and other pieces with a connection to the Hesse-Kassel family. But the Duchess of Cambridge was being entirely truthful when she said that she had no idea about this arrangement for the Cambridges, nor the Cumberlands, Armaghs etc, had been consulted. And why should they be?
“I shall pass on your note to Mr Garrard, of course I shall”, Augusta said kindly, “But I really do not see that I can do much else about it…”
This statement seemed to serve as a red flag to a bull. The Queen Mother shot to her feet and leaned in ominously over her sister, looking down at her with disgust as she spoke.
“They are not your family Augusta”, she raged, “They cared for us only as they should care for a brood mare and what have we to show for it? Where is my son? Where is your son? You tell me that”.
“That isn’t fair!”, Augusta cried, upset at the mere mention of the subject.
“You talk to me of fairness?!”, Louise laughed incredulously, “Look at what they have done to me, is any of that fair? You did not fight my corner then sister dear but by God you will fight for me now, of that I assure you”.
Augusta began to cry.
“Calm yourself”, the Queen Mother said softly, now reaching for her temples with a pained expression, “Let us not quarrel. I simply came here to make you aware of the situation…and now you are. And like me, I am sure you should like to feel you have done the right thing by poor, dear Mama’s memory…I shall join her very soon I think…if God is merciful”.
“Oh Louise”, Augusta sniffed, “It can’t be that bad”.
“It is…and worse…but I still have my memories. And I shall have my jewels, mark my words”.
The Queen Mother gathered up her shawl. Augusta dried her eyes.
“Now I must leave you”, Louise said, seemingly affecting exhaustion, “Help me to my carriage”.
The two sisters made their way outside. Just as Louise put one foot on the step ladder, she suddenly turned to Augusta and put a gloved hand to her cheek.
“Oh, my poor dear sister”, she said with a sigh, “You were never beautiful…”
And with that, the carriage door closed and with a lurch of horses, the Queen Mother rattled away.
A thousand miles away in St Petersburg, much happier scenes were playing out. Concern and alarm had quickly turned to cheerful chaos as the Tsarevna was delighted to be able to tell her brother the happy news that he was to be a father again. She records in her journal that George V’s immediate reaction was to fall into a chair and remark, “Well there’s a thing. There’s a happy, happy thing!”.
This came as a great relief to Maria Georgievna who had worried that news of the Queen’s condition may “rekindle unhappy memories of the past”, no doubt a reference to the late Queen Louise and the tragic outcomes of her final two pregnancies. Yet the King was so overwhelmed with apparent joy that he did not reflect on these troublesome ghosts - but neither did he immediately rush to his wife’s side. Indeed, Queen Agnes was left wondering what on earth was wrong with her as Dr Alison believed either the Tsarevna or the King would go to her without delay and explain that she was enceinte. In fact, this took around 20 minutes as the Tsarevich called for champagne, the Tsarevna burst into tears of joy and the King took some time to get over the surprise of it all. When brother and sister finally did make their way to the Queen to share Alison’s diagnosis with her, Agnes didn’t know quite how to respond. She smiled weakly and felt her husband embrace her, yet as she was led to a guest room to lay down for a while, she couldn’t help but feel as if she were wading through treacle.
Agnes knew she was to have a baby but like many young women of her class, she could have no idea of what this really entailed. Whilst some girls were fortunate in receiving at least a rudimentary sex education lesson (albeit wrapped up in metaphors and euphemisms) from their mothers before their wedding night, the Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau did not care to dwell on such things and so she said nothing. All Agnes knew of childbirth was that it could be extremely dangerous and that many mothers did not survive it. But even at a more basic level, Agnes had no idea how long pregnancy lasted or what she might expect from the experience. She wasn't even entirely certain as to how babies were actually born – though by now she had worked out for herself how they were conceived. This preoccupied Agnes so much that she simply couldn’t take in the happy news or allow herself to feel any kind of joy. She lay in her bed gazing up at the ceiling, wondering what on earth was to happen to her. Suddenly her solitude was broken by a light tap at the door.
“Might I come in Agnes dear?”
It was the Tsarevna, carrying a tray on which there was a pot of hot chocolate and two glass cups with silver handles.
“Now you must not tell Sasha that I have been carrying trays”, Maria Georgievna said with mock warning, “It isn’t for Imperial Highnesses to carry trays, you know…”
Agnes giggled. Lottie smiled kindly.
“Are you feeling better?”, the Tsarevna asked, “It must all be quite a surprise for you”.
“Well…it…it…”
Agnes began to cry. Maria Georgievna quickly gathered her up in her arms and rocked her gently,
“Oh, what’s this!”, Lottie cooed, “Oh let’s have no tears, now! Whatever is the matter?”
Agnes said nothing.
“Is it about the baby?”
Agnes nodded.
“Oh, you’ve nothing to be concerned about at all”, the Tsarevna said cheerfully, “The first time is a little worrying for every mother, but it isn’t so bad and the reward of it all…well that really does make it worthwhile…”
“I…”, Agnes said quietly, her cheeks flushed as she avoided her sister-in-law’s eyes, “I don’t really know what it all means. Dr Alison asked me once before and I…I said I did. I didn’t want him to think I was silly. But now I really am silly for everybody is celebrating and I don’t know what is to happen to me!”
Maria Georgievna patted Agnes’ hand.
“Oh, my darling”, she said sympathetically, “Didn’t your mother…no, no I imagine she didn’t…mine certainly didn’t…well, let us see…”
This intimate moment marked a turning point in the relationship between the Queen and the Tsarevna. They spoke late into the night, the sound of giggles and the occasional song drifting from the bedroom. Forever after, Agnes and Maria Georgievna would address each other both in person and in writing as “Sister dear” (Agnes) and “Sister darling” (Maria) and as the years went by, they refused to allow politics or differences of opinion to come between them. Their bond was so close that (following her husband’s accession when nobody dare forbid her to), Maria Georgievna became an annual visitor to Birkhall where she spent a few weeks with the Queen each year totally set apart from the outside world. Maria Georgievna felt a need to protect Agnes in the early years of their association but before long, the two women became devoted to each other on a more equal footing, something which delighted King George V even though he sometimes complained that his wife monopolised his sister, He would occasionally remark “But Agnes, she is my sister!” when during her visits to England, Lottie appeared to spend more time with the Queen than with her brother.
Though the royal party at the Anichkov were privy to the Queen’s condition, her pregnancy was not to be made public in any way. Indeed, if royal pregnancies were announced at this time (and not all were), it was only considered necessary to gazette an impending arrival at the start of a woman’s “laying in” to avoid rumours of ill health. However, it was impossible not to share the news with their hosts in St Petersburg. Reassured as she might be, the fact remained that the poor Queen was still struggling with nausea and it was highly unlikely (and in Dr Alison’s view, ill-advised) that she should expect to be able to play any active role in the remainder of the state visit. The King was happy to accept this, but he had to send his apologies to the Tsar who was expecting both George and Agnes for luncheon later that day. Lord Beauclerk was dispatched to the Winter Palace with a note explaining why Their Majesties had not returned to their suite there the previous evening, meanwhile the Tsarevna proposed that (as she had no official role to play in the rest of the state visit anyway), she might take Agnes with her to the Yelagin with the children where the Queen could rest and recuperate in private.
But not everybody in the royal party was entirely thrilled by this turn of events, namely the Foreign Secretary, Lord Morpeth. In a casual remark, the Duchess of Grafton discretely mentioned that His Majesty might be a little distracted now that his wife was expecting a baby – perhaps sharing the same concerns as the Tsarevna expressed in her journal. But Lord Morpeth was not prepared to indulge the King’s sensitivities, indeed, he had absolutely no intention of allowing the state visit to be derailed or for George V to abscond from his duties because of any concerns he may have for the Queen and her unborn child. Simply put, the Whig government needed the Russian state visit to be a success in order to secure a foreign policy victory that would help to silence their Tory critics at home. This was even more important when one considers how precarious the Melbury administration was in terms of parliamentary arithmetic. Many expected the government to fall and for there to be another general election. If the Whigs wanted to be re-elected with a strong and stable majority, they needed to begin wracking up achievements they could use to charm the electorate and a new agreement with Russia was integral to presenting the Whigs as having moved on from their previous chaotic approach to foreign affairs. But though the British delegation had been in St Petersburg for days now, the Tsar was still unwilling to allow talks to begin and if anyone could convince him to become more proactive, Morpeth believed the King was the man to bring Nicholas and his ministers to the negotiating table.
Tsar Nicholas I.
Though the King was somewhat nervous about his wife’s condition however, he did not waiver in his commitment to playing an active diplomatic role now he had been given the chance. He had tried to exert pressure on the Tsarevich to get the talks underway, but Sasha refused to intervene or encourage his father in any way – to do so would have been taken as a challenge to the Tsar’s authority, an unforgiveable breach. Capturing the Tsar alone had proven impossible and yet when news reached Nicholas of what had transpired at the Anichkov, he paid a very unexpected and highly unusual compliment to the British royal couple. Travelling with an honour guard along the Nevsky Prospect, the Tsar came personally to the Anichkov to congratulate the King and Queen on their happy news. He brought with him his personal chaplain, asking George if he had any objections to the priest offering the Queen a blessing. George could hardly say no, though Agnes had to stifle giggles when the Orthodox cleric began flinging water at her from a horsehair brush with a little too much enthusiasm. Nonetheless, the Tsar’s kindness indicated a certain warmth and after he had spent some time with Agnes, he ordered champagne to be served and sat for a while with the Tsarevich and the King in the music room at the Anichkov.
When it came time for him to leave however, the Tsar’s behaviour surprised all who were present. Walking over to the King, he placed his hands on George’s shoulders, looked him directly in the eye and then kissed him dramatically on each cheek. With a trace of emotion in his voice, the Tsar said gravely “When your child is born, I shall order a great celebration here for he shall be as dear to me as if he were my own. He shall always have a special place, here with us, with his Russian family”.
The King thanked the Tsar; “That really is most kind of you”.
The Tsar waived George’s gratitude with a gloved hand.
“You will know I think, that I have always wanted a great friendship to exist between our two countries. Two great Christian nations, the greatest in fact, working together for peace and prosperity for our peoples. Is that not the world we owe to our sons?”
The King was slightly taken aback.
“Well…yes, of course, I agree with you entirely”.
“Then we must trust each other, yes? Your ministers must trust me. Do you agree with that?”
George nodded, “I know that my ministers desire very much to begin negotiations- “
“Trust”, the Tsar interrupted, wagging a finger at the King, “That is the way”.
And with that, Nicholas left the Palace, leaving the King and the Tsarevich together in silence. Lord Morpeth moved forward and whispered encouragingly in George’s ear, “Well done Sir, that was very well handled. It can’t be long now”.
The Foreign Secretary wandered over to Lord Shelburne, nodding eagerly. The two men exchanged knowing glances, certain that they should be summoned to the Foreign Ministry at any time. The King watched them backslap each other. Then he turned to his brother-in-law, leaning in close.
“He isn’t going to sign anything, is he Sasha?”, the King whispered.
“No”, the Tsarevich replied solemnly with a shake of his head, “No he is not”.
Notes
[1] A favourite occupation among the British Royal Family for the next twenty or thirty years, in fact. Even when the OTL Queen Victoria herself became somewhat stout, she would still pass nasty comments about her cousin’s dimensions and encouraged others to do the same.
[2] This is a true story and an anecdote Mary Adelaide often told (at her own expense) in later life.
[3] William of Hesse-Kassel (Louise and Augusta’s brother) is talking of his daughter Louise (married to the future Christian IX of Denmark), who in 1845 fell pregnant with her third child quite soon after having given birth to a daughter named Alexandra the previous year.
And so we return to Crown Imperial at last. Thank you all so much for your very kind comments and being so patient. This chapter was really an exercise for me in picking up the threads again but we'll soon be moving forward. The next installment will see the final few days of the Russian State Visit and the outcome of that, then we're moving on to Denmark and then to Holland where we'll finally get that update on the Princess of Orange.
As ever, many thanks for reading!
Gods, Louise truly is a b**ch. It'll be interesting to see how her latest plan will backfire spectacularly
And I sense potential drama between Britain and Russia despite the royal families' relationship...
It's great to have it all back!
And I sense potential drama between Britain and Russia despite the royal families' relationship...
It's great to have it all back!
Nice to see you back, especially with a good chapter like this. I love seeing Agnes being able to open up with someone, especially Maria, about topics she might not be able to share with her husband. And I am with George in feeling exasperated by Nicholas. At least he has Alexander in his corner (for now?)