The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 1632 - 35: The New Favorite of Kensington Palace (Part 2)

However, this German small state princess was unusually stubborn in her decision to stay in Britain.

Every time a guest came to visit, she would point to the portrait of King George III on the palace wall, holding Princess Victoria and saying to the guests, "Look at my Alexandrina, chubby, she looks exactly like her grandfather. She is George King in a short skirt."

To clear her husband’s debts, she actively maintained the Duke of Kent’s connections with the Whig Party, inherited her husband’s radical liberal views, and wholeheartedly desired to immerse herself in politics, hoping to gain the support of her husband’s old friends.

In this respect, one must say that this lady did quite well.

She maintained good relations with many figures deemed difficult to deal with in British politics, including one of Arthur’s mentors, the Earl of Dalhousie, Ambassador to Russia, as well as Irish nationalist leader O’Connell, and abolitionist leader Wilberforce.

However, at the time, these relationships did little to improve the mother and son’s situation because before the 1832 parliamentary reform, power was firmly held by the Tory Party. This Tory-controlled Parliament clearly had no inclination to support another member from an impoverished royal family. Their greatest grace towards this widow and orphan was to allow them a suite in Kensington Palace and to inherit the Duke of Kent’s annual pension of 6,000 pounds as child-rearing expenses.

The 6,000 pounds pension, though not insignificant, was still a drop in the bucket compared to a debt of ten thousand pounds.

Especially when the Duchess of Kent compared it with the treatment her brother Leopold received in Britain, she felt even more unbalanced.

Leopold was the husband of Princess Charlotte, the former British Crown Princess, for which Parliament granted him an annual pension income of 50,000 pounds. After Princess Charlotte died in childbirth, this money was not reduced. It wasn’t until 1831 when Leopold was elected King of Belgium that the British Parliament formally stopped this subsidy.

Fortunately, this brother Leopold also understood his sister’s hardships, so ever since the Duke of Kent’s death, he contributed a fixed amount of 3,000 pounds each year to support his sister. In addition, he also covered all the family’s annual vacation expenses.

Still, even so, in the face of necessary royal expenses and large debts, until King William IV’s succession and Princess Victoria’s formal designation as the presumptive heir to the British throne, their family’s days remained in financial straits.

And after more than a decade of widowhood, because of poverty, she endured many cold stares within the Royal Family, which inevitably affected her mindset.

Her daughter becoming the British Crown Princess, and the Whig Party’s great victory after the 1832 parliamentary reform...

This made the Duchess of Kent feel quite like a daughter-in-law who finally rose to the position of mother-in-law.

Her mutual discontent with King William IV, her distaste for other royal family members approaching Princess Victoria, and a series of transgressive behaviors in recent years are all actually products of this mindset.

As a native German small state princess, the Duchess of Kent may not have cared much about the Whig and Tory Party ideologies. Her closeness with the Whig Party was more due to her desire to inherit her late husband’s political legacy.

But looking at the attitude of the Tory Party over these years, always disregarding her and her daughter, from a human emotional level, even if the Duchess of Kent believed she was bullied and thus hated the Tory Party, it would be hard for anyone to argue against her.

And as for Conroy?

This private secretary had been the Duke of Kent’s attendant for many years and after the Duke’s death, had always stayed by the Duchess’s side. Even during the most difficult times, Conroy did not seek other employment.

Since the Duchess married into Britain in 1818, it has been Conroy’s 16th year of serving her. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

It is no wonder that this woman, perceived by King William IV and the Tory Party as rather arrogant and impudent, would be so obedient to him.

For matters big and small within and outside of Kensington, from routine purchases, entertainment and social activities, travel arrangements, even to Victoria’s education plan, the Duchess of Kent had to first seek Conroy’s advice. If Conroy disagreed, the matter would likely be dismissed.

Even her own brother, Leopold I, was helpless against her. The King of Belgium, after a big argument with his sister, could only privately curse Conroy: "He is like a real-life Mephistopheles! This Irish scoundrel must have somehow used a force anciently considered witchcraft to control my sister."

But, despite so many people around the Duchess of Kent badmouthing Conroy, the more ill words were spoken, the more firmly she believed in Conroy.

Her subconscious led her to once again ask Conroy for his opinion regarding her worries: "Alexandrina’s academic performance is indeed satisfactory. Judged by the standard of an ordinary princess, this is already sufficient. But she is different from her sister Feodora. Compared to Feodora, she needs to know the duties that come with her future role, understanding how a sovereign should serve the lives of others. Although the current situation is much better than a few years ago, the scenario has become much clearer, and the newspapers and public have started focusing on their future Queen, recognizing the difference between this child and her drunken, promiscuous, and coarse uncles... John, sometimes I don’t even know how to thank you. Without you, I truly could not have come this far on my own."

Confronting the Duchess’ sudden loss of confidence, Conroy was long accustomed to it.

Who would have thought this woman, recognized by the Royal Family and the Tory Party as incredibly difficult, would privately be such a confused and insecure person?

If it were ten years ago, Conroy might have offered more comforting words, but after so many years, he was somewhat weary of such conversations.

Conroy emphasized: "Perhaps you’re truly getting older, and your mind not as clear as it was in your youth, but please continue to persevere. So many years have passed, and you have no reason to give up now. Besides, am I not here to assist you?"

The Duchess, hearing this, felt a bit hurt: "You always, constantly say this over and over, and it truly pains me to hear it. Yet, unfortunately, that is the truth; I am unworthy of my position, yes, I am incapable. Now, I am just an old, stupid goose."

Seeing this, Conroy had to suppress his impatience and tried to awaken her fighting spirit with various events: "I have no issue with you expressing such frustrated sentiments in front of me; I am willing to be your confessor. But you must not show this mindset before guests. Do you recall a few days ago when the Duke of Cumberland’s son visited, how that loose-tongued boy mocked the Princess? My goodness! A woman on the throne ruling such a great country, how absurd! Allowing them to see you like this will only give them more to criticize."

The Duchess of Kent took a deep breath and somewhat reorganized her thoughts: "Alright, you are right, I should speak less pessimistically. Even without others seeing it, it is not good for Alexandrina to see it. By the way, do you have any important guests scheduled to visit tomorrow?"

Conroy drew a note from his jacket pocket: "Tomorrow, Colonel Byck will visit Kensington Palace and explain to the Princess the planned expedition to the North Pole. The day after, I’ve arranged for portrait artists Mr. David Wilkie and Mr. George Hite to come to Kensington Palace to draw a portrait of the Princess... By the way, I plan to arrange a small private party this weekend, primarily inviting Whig Party members who have supported us long-term, along with several noble acquaintances of yours, such as Mrs. Levin and Lady Cooper, and so on."