Sir Robert Peel was very interested when George Anson told him that it was the wish of a ‘common friend’ that he should put a certain matter before him, particularly so when he discovered that that friend was the Prince Consort.
Sir Robert Peel, a man of great courage and high ideals, knew that it was almost certain that before the year was out he would be Prime Minister; although he believed this would be the best thing possible for the country he was not looking forward to being sent for by the Queen and having to face a humiliating situation such as that which had confronted him two years ago when the Queen had refused to give up the ladies of her bedchamber who were all related to prominent Whigs. These Whig ladies were still in their positions but the situation would be different now. On that other occasion Lord Melbourne had resigned although the government had not actually been defeated, but in view of Lord Melbourne’s small majority he had decided it was impossible to carry on. Therefore in taking over from Melbourne, Sir Robert would not have had a majority in the House – until there was an election of course – and in those circumstances he had not felt it possible to form a government which would incur the hostility of the Queen. It was different now. The Melbourne Ministry would soon be defeated in the house; a general election would be called; the Tories would get a big majority and it would then not be possible for the Queen to defy them. If then Peel insisted on her changing her bedchamber ladies she would have to do so. It was an unpleasant situation which Sir Robert Peel would have given a great deal to avoid.
Dedicated, as Melbourne never could be, responsible for so many reforms, Sir Robert was completely lacking in those social graces which made Lord Melbourne so popular in many of the great houses and chiefly in Buckingham Palace and Windsor. He could be witty and amusing in his home; he could be dynamic in the House of Commons; he was cool and courageous, a great leader and reformer; but in the presence of the young girl who was Queen he was at a great disadvantage, being aware that she disliked him intensely – and illogically – largely because his rise must mean the fall of Lord Melbourne.
Having met the Prince Consort and found him a man of temperament similar to his own he had been hopeful. It seemed possible that Albert might be able to guide the Queen, to teach her the value of logic, to make her understand that government is not necessarily in good hands because those hands happen to be owned by a gentleman of great personal charm. He was eager to hear what Anson had to tell him.
Sir Robert said: ‘You may speak absolutely frankly to me and every word you say shall be between us two. I shall not, without permission, mention what we discuss to any of my colleagues, not even the Duke of Wellington.’
George Anson said that it seemed almost certain that there would soon be an election and there was little doubt of the result. He reminded Sir Robert of a contretemps which had put him in a very embarrassing position two years ago when the Queen had sent for him and asked him to form a government. The Prince was anxious that there should be no such recurrence of such an embarrassment.
‘The last thing I wish to do is humiliate the Queen,’ declared Sir Robert sincerely. ‘I would waive every pretension to office rather than do so.’
‘But if you did, Sir Robert, someone would take your place and the situation would be the same. The Prince wishes to know whether, if certain offices in the Queen’s Bedchamber were vacant at the time you took office, you would be prepared to consult with Her Majesty as to who should fill them.’
Sir Robert waited for George Anson to go on.
‘The three principal posts are held by the Duchess of Sutherland, the Duchess of Bedford and Lady Normanby. Now, suppose these ladies voluntarily resigned before you came into power, no unpleasant situation would arise.’
‘That is so,’ said Sir Robert.
‘Voluntary resignations,’ went on Anson, ‘and the posts vacant when the new government comes in. This is what the Prince feels will settle the matter satisfactorily.’
Sir Robert agreed that if this could be brought about a great deal of embarrassment would be saved on both sides.
Lord Melbourne was very grave when he called on the Queen.
‘I know what you have come to tell me,’ she said. ‘I have seen it coming for some time now.’
‘The main struggle will take place over the sugar duties,’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘And the Tories have threatened to bring up the matter of corn.’
She nodded.
‘And this time it will be the end.’
‘Well, we have been teetering on the edge for a long time,’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘We cannot teeter forever.’
‘Oh, my dear Lord Melbourne, what am I going to do without you?’
‘Your Majesty is in a different position now from that which you occupied on that other occasion. Now you have the Prince to stand with you.’
‘He is so good,’ said the Queen, ‘and I fear that I am very hasty and say things which I don’t really mean.’
‘Your Majesty is going through a very difficult time.’
‘There is no excuse for me. Women are having babies all the time.’
‘But they don’t have the additional burden of governing a country.’
‘Lord Melbourne, you are trying to make me sorry for myself.’
‘Indeed not, Ma’am. Any one of your subjects would envy you for having such a good and patient husband.’
The Queen was almost in tears. ‘How right you are. But that only makes me the more angry with myself for being so unkind to him and when I get angry with myself I am angry with him for making me so.’
‘It is what is known as a vicious circle,’ said Lord Melbourne.
‘If only he were not so good.’
‘A very trying quality,’ said Lord Melbourne with a touch of his humour.
‘We should admire it.’
‘As we do.’
‘But it is so hard to live up to. And you are right, it is trying when one is fretful and peevish and bad-tempered to be confronted by someone always wearing a Sunday face.’
Lord Melbourne was amused at the term. ‘Sunday faces,’ he suggested, ‘should perhaps be kept for the day when they are intended to be worn. To wear a Sunday face on a Wednesday would be like wearing Court dress to go marketing.’
Trust Lord Melbourne to make her laugh! It occurred to her fleetingly that it was partly his flippant worldliness which had made her so devoted to him in the past. Although a good kind feeling man, Lord M was never pious. He would never have a Sunday face to put on even on a Sunday.
Perhaps one of the reasons for her irritability was Albert’s unswerving goodness, which made her feel and act as though she were far from good.
But she was being disloyal to Albert, and that was the last thing she wanted to be. She was miserable when she quarrelled with him. She was devoted to her dear Prime Minister but she passionately loved her husband.
‘We are forgetting the seriousness of all this,’ she said. ‘Oh, dear Lord Melbourne, I cannot bear it if you leave me … now.’
‘We shall meet … often, I hope.’
‘And you will continue to write to me.’
‘I shall be entirely at your service.’
‘But it won’t be the same. You won’t come every day. I can imagine that Peel person objecting!’
‘He would only object if I discussed politics – a very reasonable objection. Give Peel a chance. You’ll recognise his virtues.’
‘It could never be the same.’
‘But you will remember that you have the Prince beside you. You can trust him completely. I respect his intelligence. You are very fortunate to have such a good husband.’
‘I know.’