Victoria Victorious: The Story of Queen Victoria by Jean Plaidy

Author:Jean Plaidy [Plaidy, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Historical
ISBN: 9780307498526
Publisher: Broadway
Published: 2005-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

THE WHOLE COUNTRY was delighted. What store they set on boys! They had not felt the same about poor Pussy.

He was a lusty child, with large dark blue eyes, a rather big nose, but with a very pretty mouth. I was more accustomed to babies now and their original ugliness did not repel me quite so much because I knew it would change.

Albert was overjoyed about the new baby. He kept talking about Our Boy or The Boy.

I said, “I hope he will grow up just like you, Albert.”

Albert modestly did not reply, but I am sure he hoped the same.

“And,” I said, “he shall be called Albert.”

Of course there was opposition to that. This boy was the heir to the throne and there had never been a King Albert of England. There had been Edwards—six of them—and the English always liked their kings to have the same names. I never forgot that some people had wanted me to be Elizabeth when it was known that I would almost certainly come to the throne. I had refused that very firmly.

Edward was therefore a favorite choice for the Boy.

“It is only right that he should be Albert,” I insisted. “Pussy is named Victoria after me; therefore the Boy should be Albert after his father… even if he had to be Edward as well.”

Christmas had come and we went to Windsor. The Boy was just over a month old. Pussy, of course, was now becoming quite a person. She was not exactly enamored of her little brother.

Albert had instituted German customs and several fir trees were sent to us from Germany. These we decorated with brightly colored baubles and candles. Beside the trees were tables where presents were laid out. Pussy was enchanted by the trees and looked at them with wondering eyes.

Poor Lehzen had caught the jaundice and looked very odd—and very ill, for her skin was quite yellow. I wanted her to rest but she refused to. She insisted that she was needed in the nursery.

There was a ball on New Year's Eve. Even Albert could not retire early at such a time and had to stay up to see the passing of the old year. We stood together while the trumpets sounded to usher in the New Year; my hand was in his.

“A happy year, my darling,” said Albert.

“For us both,” I said fervently.

And I hoped it would be happier than the last.

The christening of the Boy took place in St. George's Chapel. For political reasons it had been thought advisable to invite Frederick William, King of Prussia, to be the chief sponsor. The others were the Duke of Cambridge, Princess Sophia, and three members of the SaxeCoburg family.

The King of Prussia stayed with us for about two weeks and was most affable and very interested in everything English. I found him pleasant.

There was the usual outcry, this time because the Boy was given the title of Duke of Saxony. He was the Prince of Wales, it was said, and people did not want to be reminded that he had a German father.

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