Crown Imperial: An Alt British Monarchy

As to the 50:50 split, that's a fascinating idea and eminently sensible. I can't find any mention of that ever being proposed, though I do know that exceptions were made for the widows of opposition politicians if they had served for some time as ladies of the bedchamber. But I shall keep researching this because it might be an interesting theme to pursue for TTL so thank you for the idea!
As an eminently sensible idea, few politicians would ever agree to it publicly!
 
GV: Part Three, Chapter Twenty-Seven: Come What May
King George V

Part Three, Chapter Twenty-Seven: Come What May

On the 2nd of November 1844, the Royal Yacht (the Royal George) crossed the English Channel from Calais carrying Princess Agnes of Anhalt-Dessau across the sea to a country which, for the next 53 years, would become her adopted homeland. Well aware that his future in-laws were somewhat uncertain after the unconventional way in which he proposed to their daughter at Herrenhausen, the King sent the Royal Yacht to Calais to bring the Dessaus to Dover but this generous gesture did little to impress Duchess Frederica who complained that the Royal George was "really quite shabby and old-fashioned". Somehow this ungrateful review of the George got back to the King and though it was used once more to convey the Dessaus back to Calais in January 1845, the yacht was then abandoned. A new yacht, the Hanover, was commissioned in February 1845 and and entered service in 1849, the Royal Family making use of the Royal Sovereign (the largest of King George III's yachts) in the interim until she too was retired [1].

The arrival of Princess Agnes was to serve as an early example of a PR event with His Majesty travelling personally to Dover to welcome the Dessaus to England. Newspaper editors were “encouraged” to offer detailed accounts of this meeting which would begin to reveal the truth of the relationship between George and Agnes, thus suitably preparing the people of the United Kingdom for an engagement announcement in the first week of February. From the accounts of Agnes’ sailing into port that chilly November day, there can be no doubt that the newspapers had been given the green light to hint at a close relationship as much as possible for they openly hint (for the first time) that the King was “greatly cheered to welcome the Duke and Duchess to England once more and was especially pleased to see their eldest daughter, the very charming and very beautiful Princess Agnes, whom he greeted with a kiss on the hand and a warm smile”. Just as today, there were profiles of the Dessaus provided in magazine, who they were, how they lived and how they were related to the other Crowned Heads of Europe. Of course, there were also the ubiquitous fashion reviews which reported that the Princess was “well-prepared for the chill wearing a most beautiful sable cape over a travelling gown of ruched sapphire satin” and that she had brought with her "four trunks of gowns said to have been purchased in Paris before she left for England". Though Agnes didn't travel light, she certainly hadn't acquired new dresses en route, the Dessaus being in no position financially to purchase a trousseau from the fashion houses of the French capital.

From the dockside, the Duke and Duchess of Anhalt-Dessau joined the King and Princess Mary in an open carriage whilst the Dessau children followed behind in a second one. Crowds had naturally gathered to catch a glimpse of His Majesty but they could not yet know that they were in the privileged position of being the first of their countrymen to see their future Queen on English soil. Charlie Phipps had arranged for the royal party to lodge for two days at Belmont House, that grand Georgian mansion in Kent owned by the Harris family. The 2nd Baron Harris preferred his Irish estate at Waterstown in Athlone and thus Belmont was left vacant, offering the Anhalt-Dessaus their first real taste of English country house life outside of the royal estates. Duchess Frederica was not particularly impressed and referred to Belmont as “a little cottage”, boasting that her summer house in Dessau was “much bigger and far more comfortable” but nonetheless, every effort was made to offer the King’s guests an opportunity to recover themselves after their long journey which at least Princess Agnes appreciated, writing a letter of thanks to Lord Harris for his “generosity and kindness in allowing us to stay in your beautiful house which I thought most charming and so very comfortable”.

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Belmont House.

It was at Belmont that Princess Agnes was first introduced to two individuals who would become the most important non-family figures in her inner circle for the rest of her life. These were Colonel Charles George Arbuthnot (known to the Royal Family by his army nickname of Butty) and Elizabeth Knollys (known to the future Queen Agnes and her household as Bessie). Arbuthnot, born in 1801, was the son of a prominent diplomat who had spent a little over a decade in the military before pursuing a very brief political career. Elected to the Commons as a Tory in 1831, he quickly decided that the job didn’t suit him and he applied to be appointed Steward of the Manor of East Hundred within the year, allowing him to resign his seat. Thereafter, he pursued a career at court and until 1843, had been engaged as an Extra Equerry to the Dowager Duchess of Clarence. But the post offered Arbuthnot very little opportunity to showcase his skills, the Dowager Duchess now almost a complete recluse who failed to include him when she made her travels abroad seeking out the latest health cure. Arbuthnot was a good friend to the King’s Private Secretary, Charlie Phipps, and so it was Phipps who proposed Arbuthnot as a suitable candidate to serve as his counterpart in the new Queen’s Household. The King agreed that Arbuthnot was a promising appointment on paper but he wanted to be sure that Princess Agnes felt the same way. To that end, Arbuthnot was appointed Extra Equerry to King George V in November 1844. He would remain with Princess Agnes at Hanover House until her marriage, after which time he would be transferred to her household as Private Secretary, a post he would come to hold for the next 22 years.

Though she would acquire six ladies of the bedchamber in time, these were to be political appointments. The King had stipulated that he expected one of these coveted roles to be filled by Baroness Wiedl which both Sir James Graham and Lord Melbury had agreed to, thus protecting Wiedl’s position in the Queen’s Household regardless of who was in office when the King married. But in November 1844, Rosalinde was still in France and so an alternative companion to assist the Princess had to be found. From her 16th birthday onward, Princess Agnes had been “presented” with 67 year old Vera Sailer as an occasional lady-in-waiting, Sailer having served the Dessaus for decades. But Sailer had no intention of staying in England a moment longer than she had to and aware that his fiancée would need a reliable and friendly female companion, he asked Princess Mary to find a suitable (though temporary) lady-in-waiting. Mary’s choice was the 36 year old Elizabeth Knollys who was to become Agnes’ closest and dearest friend in England. Elizabeth was the daughter of Sir John St Aubyn and in 1830, she married William Knollys, by 1844 an Equerry to Princess Mary. Knollys was an interesting character, once styled Viscount Wallingford until his father’s claim to the Earldom of Banbury was rejected, he pursued a military career before finding himself appointed to the Household of the King’s aunt. Mary valued Knollys’ service enormously and could think of no better companion for Agnes than his wife Elizabeth given that Mary was to join Agnes at Hanover House to begin the process of preparing the Princess for her new life as Queen consort. The King was only too happy to approve of his aunt’s choice and he hoped that, given the political impartiality of the Knollys couple, Elizabeth might well be able to stay on in some capacity when George and Agnes were wed [2].

A glimpse into the future shows us just how important both the Arbuthnots and the Knollyses would become to Agnes. Butty became an integral part of the Queen’s Household, admired and respected but also feared for his devotion to his charge. In all things, the Queen came first and there are tales told of junior servants who were dismissed after mere hours in royal service because they failed to meet his exacting standards. But his wife Charlotte (whom the Queen named Lolo) was equally well-liked at court and though she never held an official post in the Royal Household, Charlotte Arbuthnot was to be found “in the presence” on a daily basis, becoming a trusted friend and an essential travelling companion for the young Queen from the earliest days of her marriage. Likewise, following her marriage in 1845, Agnes asked if she could keep Elizabeth Knollys close to her as the King had hoped she might. Though Bessie was never officially appoint as a lady of the bedchamber, she (like Lolo) remained an integral part of the Queen’s inner circle and was with Agnes daily, evidently becoming far more valued and well-liked than any of the ladies in waiting who served the Queen until her death. To accommodate this, the King transferred William Knollys from his aunt’s service to become an Equerry to the Queen and as the years went by, William and Elizabeth’s children followed in their parent’s footsteps, their son Francis becoming Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales in 1869 whilst another son, Henry, served as Private Secretary to Princess Victoria for almost 45 years, a relationship we shall explore further in time.

Bessie Knollys writes of her first encounter with Princess Agnes at Belmont in November 1844 in her journal and observes that “she has many fine qualities but the trick here shall be to convince her that she need not attempt to display them all at once”. It appears that Agnes was overcome with excitement to be in England again which, whilst charming, also exhausted some within the royal party. Princess Mary was particularly jarred by “the relentless enthusiasm of the girl” but was cheered when she saw Agnes “make a very healthy appetite at supper and she is not at all finicky as is the fashion among the young these days”. This pleased Mary but she warned in a letter to her sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge that “if she cannot be brought to heel, I shall have to break her for what is charming in a young bride is far from desirable in the countenance of a Queen”. Though this may hit the modern ear with a sense of shock, the idea that young brides required lessons in how to conduct themselves, so as to rid of them any unattractive qualities, was often undertaken by an older female relative and was far from uncommon. Even the bride’s mother, Duchess Frederica, warned Princess Mary in a letter to “never give in to her and never indulge her for her wilfulness is a blemish on her character and does not reflect well upon her”. These comments may offer a sense of foreboding for the weeks to come and speak to the possibility of clashes between Princess Agnes and Princess Mary, yet if this was foreseen by anyone close to the King they did not mention it and for his part, George was delighted to have Agnes with him in England once more and thought “all preparations made thus far to have satisfactory results”.

The reunion between the King and his intended was to last just a few days. On the 5th of November 1844, the King had to return to London and Agnes’ parents were to go with him so that they could hold the formal talks concerning the engagement of their daughter with the appropriate parties at Buckingham Palace. Princess Mary took Agnes to Hanover House where her education was to begin with a brief break for two weeks in December when all would come together once more at Windsor for Christmas. Then, Agnes would return to Dorset with Mary until February when the engagement was announced before she was lodged at Marlborough House before her wedding, allowing her a month or so of public engagements in London so that the British people could get a good look at the Princess who was shortly to become their Queen. Whilst Princess Mary concerned herself with the best way to prepare Agnes for court life, the King travelled to London with his future-in-laws and at Buckingham Palace, for the first time, he formally asked the Duke of Anhalt-Dessau for permission to marry his daughter.

The Duke explained that he was personally delighted that the King and Princess Agnes should have found each other, that they had fallen in love and that they wished to marry. But as the reigning Duke of Anhalt-Dessau, he needed two guarantees before he could formally give his consent to their union. The first concerned money. At this time, it was the form for the bride’s family to provide a dowry which would supplement the annuity granted from her adopted homeland. For example, when the King’s sister married it was acknowledged that she would receive an annuity from her father-in-law, the Tsar, but that the British parliament would supplement this with an annuity paid directly to her by the Treasury. Whilst Agnes could expect a parliamentary annuity equal to that which her predecessor Queen Louise had enjoyed, the Duke of Anhalt-Dessau was not a wealthy man and he could not hope to match the more generous dowries paid to the British Royal Family over the years from the Houses of Hesse-Kassel, Saxe-Meiningen or Mecklenburg-Strelitz. His offer stood at just £10,000 to be paid in instalments of £250 per annum over 40 years – when compared to the £40,000 a year Agnes could expect to receive from parliament, it was a paltry sum and seemed to cause the Duke a degree of embarrassment. George tried to waive the subject but the Duke was insistent. He would meet his obligations as a matter of honour and the idea that he would not do so was not only unthinkable but not open for debate with his future son-in-law.

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Duke Leopold IV.

But the second concern the Duke had concerned something far more important than Agnes’ personal allowance. Through the twists and turns of the Anhalt family tree, Leopold IV stood to become the first reigning Duke in centuries to unite the Anhalt lands. Two cousins, Duke Henry of Anhalt-Köthen and Duke Alexander Karl of Anhalt-Bernburg were expected to die without legitimate male heirs and thus Anhalt-Köthen and Anhalt-Bernburg would unite with Anhalt-Dessau. Naturally, the Duke expected to leave this inheritance to his son and heir, Hereditary Duke Frederick, but Leopold IV had his worries. He had lost two sons at birth and all of his aunt’s sons had died in infancy. There was a serious concern that the 13 year old Hereditary Duke may never succeed his father and even he did, Leopold had no other sons to inherit if Frederick left no legitimate male heir. The Duchy of Anhalt and it’s succession was governed by semi-salic law and thus, Leopold IV’s daughters could not inherit unless there were no other living male relations to take the ducal throne. In 1844, Leopold IV had three surviving brothers – and yet, it appeared that were anything to happen to Leopold’s son and heir, the throne of Anhalt would still find it’s way to none other than his eldest daughter, Princess Agnes.

Readers will be forgiven if they skip this rather tedious walk through the Anhalt family tree, the most important take away from the situation being that, in a roundabout way, Princess Agnes might one day find herself the first female reigning monarch of the Duchy of Anhalt. But for those who wish to learn more, we must begin with Duke Leopold III who died having given the world 12 children – only two of whom were legitimate. Of these two (born to Louise of Brandenburg-Schwedt), only one survived infancy – his son, Hereditary Prince Frederick, the father of Duke Leopold IV. Frederick predeceased Leopold III but he left the succession in a far healthier state than his father had done by producing four sons; Leopold, George Bernhard, Frederick Augustus and William Waldemar. However, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. When Leopold III died, he was succeeded by his grandson Leopold as Duke Leopold IV. But if Leopold IV’s son did not succeed his father, Leopold IV would instead be succeeded by his brother George Bernhard.

Whilst George Bernhard could succeed, his first marriage to Karoline of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt saw both of their children die in infancy before Karoline herself died in 1829. George Bernhard then married again but this time, morganatically to Therese von Erdmannsdorf. Though she was created a Countess, Therese was not George Bernhard’s equal and so none of their three sons could follow their father as Duke of Anhalt. Instead, George Bernhard would be succeeded by his brother, Prince Frederick Augustus. Fortunately, Frederick Augustus had made a perfect match in Princess Marie Luise of Hesse-Kassel, the daughter of King George V’s cousin Prince William of Hesse-Kassel – unfortunately, the couple had produced three daughters and it was widely understood that Marie Luise could have no more children. Thus, if Frederick Augustus succeeded George Bernhard, the ducal throne would pass down the line to the youngest brother – Prince William Waldemar. Like his elder brother however, William Waldemar had marriage morganatically to a German commoner called Emilie Klausnitzer, thereafter created Lady von Stolzenberg. The couple had no children but even if they did, they would not be able to inherit Anhalt. With the male line exhausted, the female descendants of Leopold III could now be considered male for the purposes of the succession but even if Leopold IV’s sister was able to succeed, she had nobody to succeed her as all three of her sons died before 1844. The closest living female relative to the last male holder of the property (the Duchy of Anhalt) was therefore the eldest daughter of Duke Leopold IV (his would-be successors discounted for reasons we have explored) and thus, Princess Agnes stood in line to one day succeed her father in Anhalt if her younger brother did not [3].

At this time, this was very much a worse case scenario as it was fully expected that Hereditary Duke Frederick would not only have many healthy and happy years ahead of him but that he would ultimately marry and have children of his own. But in the case that Agnes did succeed her uncles in Anhalt (or directly upon her father’s death if he outlived his brothers), Leopold IV expected custom to be followed whereby Agnes would renounce her inheritance so that her sons (if she had any) might follow their grandfather instead. The problem was however that these sons would be British princes, second, third or fourth in line to the throne of the United Kingdom and of Hanover. Putting aside for one moment that Anhalt was aligned with Prussia, there was the obvious drawback in that a total stranger to the people of Leopold IV’s duchy (an Englishman at that) may suddenly arrive one day expecting to take up residence as their ruler – a timeline which did not please Leopold IV at all. It was Leopold’s intention to meet with his brothers to discuss the possibility of forming a new family pact to address this possibility but he could not guarantee the outcome. As such, Leopold IV wanted a cast-iron guarantee from George V that not only would he ensure Agnes renounced her succession rights if the worst happened but that he would personally see to it that any of his sons who might one day inherit Anhalt would not be prevented from taking up their inheritance and that they would be as well-prepared for it as possible. George readily agreed, believing the issue would never arise anyway but he noted in his journal that he was “deeply moved by the commitment the old boy has to his people who number little more than 30,000 when all is said and done”. These two concerns addressed, Leopold IV happily gave his consent to the King’s marriage with Princess Agnes and it was agreed that the King would formally propose and present Agnes with an engagement ring when he felt the time was right.

Meanwhile at Hanover House, Princess Agnes was being flung headfirst into the deep end of court etiquette by Princess Mary. Agnes later recalled how Mary “made me study the order of precedence until I could perfectly place any individual she named”. For days, Mary would suddenly appear from nowhere whilst the Princess was reading and bark out “A Baronet’s wife!” in the hope of wrong footing her but she never did. Mary was full of praise for Agnes whom she considered “studious and attentive” and she was pleased when she found the Princess reading a book on the history of the Anglican Communion – a communion she would worship in for the rest of her life. Such unprompted interest was welcome but one thing continued to irritate; Agnes was relentlessly, exhaustingly excitable. “There are times when I fear I must tie her to the chair for she fidgets so and her mind wanders during the most inopportune times”. Some of Agnes’ topics of conversation also rankled. When Mary invited the Marchioness of Westminster to tea, a test in which Agnes would have to traverse the finer details of English etiquette and the eccentricities of the peerage, Agnes caused much rattling of cups by asking “Why is your husband not a Duke if he is so rich?”. The subject was quickly changed to the Christmas celebrations ahead but not before Princess Mary had dropped a slice of seed cake and fired her protégé a disapproving glare.

Princess Mary had another task on hand – to make the preparations for the Christmas celebrations at Windsor, the last time she would tackle the brief personally. The gathering was to be somewhat smaller than in previous years; once again the Tsarevich and his wife could not attend (though Lottie promised they would attend the wedding) and the Prince and Princess of Orange had (understandably) been dropped from the guestlist. The Strelitzes were still in high dudgeon despite the King’s best efforts to convince his aunt to relent somewhat and this left a modest group of the King and his three children, Princess Mary, the Cambridges, the two Dowager Duchesses of Clarence and Sussex respectively, and the Dessaus. But Mary wanted to know when the King intended to propose formally to Agnes now that he had permission from her father. In trying to pin the King down on this point, he became evasive and somewhat withdrawn, pretending to be far too busy. Mary knew well the reason why. Christmas Eve would have marked his 7th wedding anniversary and the family would be gathering at Windsor where the King had married and where the late Queen now lay at rest. George was by no means having second thoughts and he still intended to marry Agnes. Yet making this official by the giving of a ring and asking the question in so important a place to him (and to his late wife) was not something he now felt he could cope with. To that end, he asked Princess Mary to stage the New Year’s gala not at Windsor but at Buckingham Palace instead.

Until the court left London for Windsor ahead of Christmas 1844, the King had very little time to spend with his in-laws – or indeed, with his intended. Though Lord Melbury’s Whigs had won the general election, the administration would either sink or swim at the presentation of the very first motion of confidence. The opposition had magnanimously agreed not to try to provoke this by tabling any motions of their own before the state opening of parliament in the first week of February 1845 and as the House of Commons was now in recess until that time, Melbury had a little room to breathe. But that did not mean he had little to occupy his time. On the contrary, he had to assemble a cabinet and have these ministers approved and appointed by the Sovereign regardless of whether parliament was sitting or not and this proved to be far more difficult than he had perhaps anticipated. Simply put, many front-runners did not wish to tarnish themselves for the future if the Melbury administration collapsed. This may be taken as them “belonging” to a government that ended in failure and thus, they might find their copy book blotted when future appointments were made. Therefore, Melbury found it difficult to find ministers who were as enthusiastic for the task at hand as he was even though he enjoyed their support. One man who was not afraid to go into battle for the survival of the administration was of course, Lord John Russell. As expected, he was appointed Home Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons but it must be remembered that Melbury’s rise to the top of the Whig party had depended entirely on winning over those who might otherwise have given that role to Russell himself. Melbury was therefore presented with a list of names from Lord John, a roll call of those who now expected a gesture of gratitude in the form of a ministerial post.

The Prime Minister fully endorsed Russell’s recommendations for the War Office and the Admiralty, appointing Lord Grey and Lord Auckland to the roles respectively. But when it came to the Treasury, there was a stumbling block. Russell had proposed his friend and ally Sir Charles Wood who had previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and therefore might expect promotion. But Melbury did not want a Chancellor of the Exchequer who had been so vocal in his support for Russell over Melbury when the leadership was up for grabs. He wanted someone who had been loyal to him and him alone from the first and so, he proposed to give the post to John Parker, the Whig MP for Sheffield. Parker was Wood’s successor as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury when Wood was promoted to the Admiralty and though Wood had been in the Commons longer, Melbury felt that Parker showed more promise. Russell was deeply displeased and this only increased when Melbury appointed the Earl of Shelburne as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to serve under Lord Leveson as Foreign Secretary. Again, Leveson was a friend and supporter of Russell’s but he had little experience in the Great Offices of State. Melbury was happy to take Russell’s recommendation but by appointing Lord Shelburne as Under Secretary, it sent a message to Leveson that he was not entirely trusted and that the Prime Minister had installed Shelburne to keep an eye on him – after all, Shelburne was Lord Melbury’s nephew. Unable to accept this, Leveson declined the post and instead, Melbury appointed Viscount Morpeth.

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Lord Morpeth.

Morpeth was the son and heir of the 6th Earl of Carlisle and in 1826, he accompanied his uncle, the Duke of Devonshire, to Russia for the coronation of Tsar Nicholas I. He became a great favourite in St Petersburg and this perhaps gave him a taste for a diplomatic career. He embarked first on making a name for himself in politics but after almost 20 years in the Commons, the closest he had come to foreign policy was as Chief Secretary for Ireland in the Melbourne government – a post he held until the Cottenham government was ousted by Sir James Graham’s Tories in 1840. Like John Parker, Morpeth had been a key supporter of Melbury from the beginning and had no objection to Lord Shelburne serving alongside him at the Foreign Office. Melbury was delighted to give his old friend and colleague a chance to fulfil his ambitions but Russell was not convinced. Sour that the post had not gone to his preferred choice of Lord Leveson, Lord John remarked: “I should trust my housekeeper to handle the diplomatic affairs of this nation with more enthusiasm than I do Lord Morpeth”. Nonetheless, this toing and froing eventually produced a Cabinet – perhaps not one as united as it may be hoped but one of many talents regardless.

When it came to the Royal Household however, Russell had absolutely no say though it is unlikely that he wanted one. The Tory appointments of old (Lord Liverpool as Lord Steward, Lord de la Warr as Lord Chamberlain, Lord Bristol as Treasurer and Benjamin Disraeli as Comptroller) were given their marching orders, though the King did treat them to one final luncheon as a gesture of his thanks for their service. They were to be replaced en masse, though the King noted he was sad to lose Disraeli “though I predict great things for him in his chosen profession”. As Lord Chamberlain, Melbury appointed the Earl of Uxbridge, formerly known as Lord Henry Paget, the Welsh peer and Whig politician who would one day succeed his father as Marquess of Anglesey. The Treasurer of the Household was to be Lord Robert Grosvenor who had previously served as Comptroller of the Household in the King’s youth and who was eager to return to court in addition to his duties as a Member of Parliament for Chester. But it was Melbury’s appointment to the post of Comptroller of the Household that raised eyebrows. Though he took no active interest in these appointments, Russell had heard that his brother, Major General Lord George William Russell, was in line for the post of Comptroller. But when Lord George was put forward to the King, His Majesty seemed a little put out. This was possibly because he didn't really want to lose Benjamin Disraeli who had distinguished himself well in the post but Melbury took the King's lack of enthusiasm as a sign that he didn't approve. Instead, Melbury proffered Viscount Andover as Disraeli’s successor. Andover was the Member of Parliament for Malmsbury until he lost his seat in 1840 but it was restored to him in the general election of 1844. Andover was delighted by the suggestion, Melbury confidant of his success and the King only too willing to accept his Prime Minister’s candidate. But outside Palace walls, it did not take long for tongues to wag. Lord Andover was the son of the Earl of Suffolk and his brother James just so happened to have married Lady Louisa Lansdowne – the niece of Lord Melbury and the sister of Lord Shelburne.

Lord Melbury was by no means the first, nor the worst offender, when it came to nepotism but the Tories were keen to pick up on anything they could use to tip the balance in their favour at a time when the new government was far from secure. The Tory press quickly ran with the idea that Melbury was showing undue preference to his extended family members and one newspaper carried a cartoon which showed the Melbury family tree and from each branch, apples dressed in baby bonnets. Melbury was depicted placing each apple into a basket, these being labelled in ascending order Minister, Lord High Admiral, Grand Duke of Timbuktu, Pope”. When Melbury saw it, he was far more outraged at the suggestion that he had Catholic leanings in his family than the obvious charge of nepotism and ignored it. But this spoke to a wider concern in political circles – that the King had failed to mention any of this to Melbury because of their friendship. In fairness to George V, politics was rife with nepotism at this time and none of his predecessors would have been expected to have commented upon it when their Prime Ministers put forward their own relatives for advancement. But because George V's friendship with Melbury was well known, the criticism gained traction in certain circles.

In a letter to Lord Morpeth, William Gladstone alludes to this growing sentiment but he also makes an eery premonition; “It is natural that the King should enjoy a good friendship with his Prime Minister, that is nothing new and so long as it does not exceed the conventions of our constitution one cannot object to Lord Melbury dining as often as he does at the Palace. But what shall happen if Melbury begins to make demands of His Majesty which he otherwise would not consider? Let us suppose that the Prime Minister, as he may well wish to do, follows the example of his predecessor in seeking to “balance” the Lordships – a move I objected to, I hasten to add – Graham was given to understand that His Majesty would never approve another raft of peerages because ours was too great. But shall he deny such a request to a friend? That, my dear fellow, shall be the true test of this thing”.

How right Mr Gladstone would prove to be…


Notes

[1] The Royal George was last used in the OTL in 1842. She was replaced by the Victoria and Albert. The Royal Sovereign was still used until 1849 when she was broken up – as she is here when the Hanover comes into service.

[2] In the OTL, William and Elizabeth Knollys both served in relatively junior roles at court until the 1860s when William was appointed Treasurer and Comptroller to the Household of the Prince of Wales. Of William’s eight children, two of his sons and one of his daughters followed in his footsteps: Francis Knollys as Private Secretary to King Edward VII, Henry Knollys as Private Secretary to Queen Maud of Norway and Charlotte Knollys as Lady in Waiting and companion to Queen Alexandra.

[3] The Anhalt family tree is a complex one and the succession even more confusing than that in Baden or Lippe in the 19th century – this is a general overview to get to the salient point.

The Melbury Ministry
November 1840 -
  • First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Lords: William Fox-Strangways, 1st Viscount Melbury
  • Chancellor of the Exchequer: John Parker
  • Leader of the House of Commons: Lord John Russell
  • Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs: George Howard, Viscount Morpeth
  • Secretary of State for the Home Department: Lord John Russell
  • Secretary of State for War and the Colonies: Henry Grey, Viscount Howick
  • Lord Chancellor: Thomas Wilde, 1st Baron Truro
  • Lord President of the Council: William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire
  • Lord Privy Seal: George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon
  • First Lord of the Admiralty: George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland
  • President of the Board of Control: John Cam Hobhouse, 1st Baron Broughton
  • Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster: Henry Thomas Pelham, 3rd Earl of Chichester
  • Postmaster-General: Thomas William Anson, 1st Earl of Lichfield
The Royal Household
  • Lord Steward of the Household: William Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll
  • Lord Chamberlain of the Household: Lord Henry Paget, Earl of Uxbridge
  • Treasurer of the Household: Lord Robert Grosvenor
  • Comptroller of the Household: Charles Howard, Viscount Andover
  • Mistress of the Robes: Vacant until 1845
 
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Good to see that the egangement is sailing smoothly, but oh boy georgie's new mother in law is a real piece of work.

And given how much detail it was given, i have no doubt that georgie's sons by agnes will inherit her families duchies.
 

Hoyahoo9

Donor
As an American with an admiration of and interest in British history, I learn so much from reading your thorough research and entertaining explanations of the the fine details that went into the formation of a government, cabinet and royal offices.
 
Good to see that the egangement is sailing smoothly, but oh boy georgie's new mother in law is a real piece of work.
Poor Georgie. First a batshit mother, then an upset former mother-in-law and now a dragon of a new mother-in-law
And given how much detail it was given, i have no doubt that georgie's sons by agnes will inherit her families duchies.
I’m not so sure. Otl, Leopold’s son grew up and had sons of his own, and iirc, our author normally lets people die as otl
 
Should that be her younger brother? I thought Frederick was younger than Agnes.
Ah yes! My mistake there, I was knee deep in Anhalt brothers and got my birth order wrong. Shall correct!
As an American with an admiration of and interest in British history, I learn so much from reading your thorough research and entertaining explanations of the the fine details that went into the formation of a government, cabinet and royal offices.
This is so lovely of you to say! I'm always worried that I might include too much detail at times but your feedback is exactly why I do - I also think it's helpful to point out just how closely interwoven royal/political families were in the 19th century and what impact that often had. Thanks again!
Poor Georgie. First a batshit mother, then an upset former mother-in-law and now a dragon of a new mother-in-law

I’m not so sure. Otl, Leopold’s son grew up and had sons of his own, and iirc, our author normally lets people die as otl
Christmas with Duchess Frederica? Eep! I wouldn't relish the prospect!

And yes, that's right, I tend to keep to the OTL dates for births and deaths as much as possible unless I think there's a better storyline to be had by having people live longer, marry other people or die earlier/unmarried/without issue etc.
 
And yes, that's right, I tend to keep to the OTL dates for births and deaths as much as possible unless I think there's a better storyline to be had by having people live longer, marry other people or die earlier/unmarried/without issue etc.
Damn, when you put it that way, then there is an option of Anhalt becoming Hanoverian hahaha
 
Damn, when you put it that way, then there is an option of Anhalt becoming Hanoverian hahaha
Haha! Full disclosure, I plot things out in batches of ten years at a time which at present means I've got everything in place until the first child of George and Agnes marries. So at the moment, Anhalt remains to be inherited by Agnes' brother but when I get to plotting out the 1870s, it may be that the story would be helped along if there was some kind of switch up with that family. So we shall see ;)
 
Haha! Full disclosure, I plot things out in batches of ten years at a time which at present means I've got everything in place until the first child of George and Agnes marries. So at the moment, Anhalt remains to be inherited by Agnes' brother but when I get to plotting out the 1870s, it may be that the story would be helped along if there was some kind of switch up with that family. So we shall see ;)
I mean, if William is already married with a child, then George and Agnes' first son could easily inherit Anhalt, without a fear of personal union between UK-Hanover and Anhalt
 
I mean, if William is already married with a child, then George and Agnes' first son could easily inherit Anhalt, without a fear of personal union between UK-Hanover and Anhalt
Absolutely, it has similarities to the Coburg situation in the OTL but as you say, the Anhalt inheritance would come via Agnes and so Louise's eldest child doesn't have to worry about renunciation to avoid a personal union as Bertie did in the OTL.
 
I know it's not really the kind of thing this story is about but with 1848 rapidly approaching I do wander if their will be any butterflies concerning the spring of nations
 
Leopold IV wanted a cast-iron guarantee from George V that not only would he ensure Agnes renounced her succession rights if the worst happened but that he would personally see to it that any of his sons who might one day inherit Anhalt would not be prevented from taking up their inheritance and that they would be as well-prepared for it as possible.
Interesting possibility: If Agnes has a son and William dies without children, Anhalt would be added to the union of crowns. If William has only daughters, then Hanover and Anhalt could be a union of crowns.

Also I note a reference to "sons", implying that if there is more than one male heir available, the domain would be divided.
 
I know it's not really the kind of thing this story is about but with 1848 rapidly approaching I do wander if their will be any butterflies concerning the spring of nations
Can confirm that there will be but we won't shift the focus to that until we begin Part Four. :happyblush
Interesting possibility: If Agnes has a son and William dies without children, Anhalt would be added to the union of crowns. If William has only daughters, then Hanover and Anhalt could be a union of crowns.

Also I note a reference to "sons", implying that if there is more than one male heir available, the domain would be divided.
Well observed! And an interesting plot point I've been looking into.

George II wanted to divide the inheritance between his two sons (and instructed as much in his will) but it never actually happened. I don't know why it didn't happen (perhaps because his younger son disappointed him so much that he changed his will or that he changed it after Frederick predeceased him?) but certainly that was his intention for the vast majority of his reign; that Frederick should become King of the UK but that William should become King of Hanover.
 
George II wanted to divide the inheritance between his two sons (and instructed as much in his will) but it never actually happened. I don't know why it didn't happen (perhaps because his younger son disappointed him so much that he changed his will or that he changed it after Frederick predeceased him?) but certainly that was his intention for the vast majority of his reign; that Frederick should become King of the UK but that William should become King of Hanover.

Because he legally couldn't do that. Under Imperial law, all Electorates had to follow primogeniture. This meant that Frederick had to inherit Hanover. Moreover, due to their status in the Empire, no electorate could be divided (unlike the other Imperial states). This was something, for some reason, the Hanoverians had a hard time understanding. Niether the Diet nor the Emperor would have never accepted this division, as it would have opened too many doors for other Electors to either divide their states or disinherit a disappointing heir (see the attempts of Friedrich Wilhelm I to first execute, and then disinherit his son the future Friedrich II 'the Great').
 
ITYM "Prince-Elector"?
Absolutely, my oversight there.
Because he legally couldn't do that. Under Imperial law, all Electorates had to follow primogeniture. This meant that Frederick had to inherit Hanover. Moreover, due to their status in the Empire, no electorate could be divided (unlike the other Imperial states). This was something, for some reason, the Hanoverians had a hard time understanding. Niether the Diet nor the Emperor would have never accepted this division, as it would have opened too many doors for other Electors to either divide their states or disinherit a disappointing heir (see the attempts of Friedrich Wilhelm I to first execute, and then disinherit his son the future Friedrich II 'the Great').
Ah! Yes, of course! Thankyou for this, I was head scratching.
 

Mark1878

Donor
Interesting possibility: If Agnes has a son and William dies without children, Anhalt would be added to the union of crowns. If William has only daughters, then Hanover and Anhalt could be a union of crowns.

Also I note a reference to "sons", implying that if there is more than one male heir available, the domain would be divided.
Surely Anhalt would not be added to the union of crowns.

George already has a son by Louise who will inherit UK and Hannover.

Any children by Agnes will not be likely to inherit from George and so are free to inherit Anhalt - although they would be English and not to Leopold's liking
 
Surely Anhalt would not be added to the union of crowns.

George already has a son by Louise who will inherit UK and Hannover.

Any children by Agnes will not be likely to inherit from George and so are free to inherit Anhalt - although they would be English and not to Leopold's liking
Looking at the two scenarios Anarch describes:

Scenario #1: George V and Queen Agnes have a son. William IV dies without legitimate issue.

When William IV dies, his half-brother (let's call him Edward) becomes King Edward VII. He inherits the UK/Hanover.

In such a scenario, I would fully expect Edward to have renounced his succession rights in Anhalt from the moment it looked likely he might succeed in the UK/Hanover. William IV dies, Edward VII becomes King and Edward VII's younger brother (let's call him Alfred) becomes Duke of Anhalt. So Anhalt isn't added to the personal union. This follows the OTL precedent with Coburg.

Scenario #2: William IV has only daughters.

When William IV dies, his eldest daughter (let's call her Anne) becomes Queen Anne II. She cannot succeed in Hanover so her paternal half-uncle Edward succeeds there as King - but he's probably already Duke of Anhalt by this time bringing a person union between Hanover and Anhalt. How that plays out is a different story.

But there's also a third scenario here which I have looked into already but which needs a lot more research and that is that Leopold IV, in his lifetime, proposes a family pact to amend Anhalt's succession laws. It's a complex process and from what I can find, it requires the approval of all agnates to be recognised in law - it's worth mentioning however that the court that would otherwise have been asked to approve such a pact has been long abolished by the time Leopold IV proposes this.

The pact could have all kinds of outcomes but as I say, it's something I need to research more to even consider it as a possibility. And that's assuming that Agnes' brother Frederick dies without legitimate issue ITTL.
 
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