Queen Victoria | Page 6

spititual spheres into which he had entered),
to benefit, not a class, a sect, a party, or any particular country, but the
whole of the human race, through futurity." "His whole
spirit-proceeding with me has been most beautiful," Owen adds,
"making his own appointments; and never in one instance has this spirit
not been punctual to the minute he had named." But Owen was of a
sanguine temperament. He also numbered among his proselytes
President Jefferson, Prince Metternich, and Napoleon; so that some
uncertainty must still linger over the Duke of Kent's views. But there is
no uncertainty about another circumstance: his Royal Highness
borrowed from Robert Owen, on various occasions, various sums of
money which were never repaid and amounted in all to several hundred
pounds.
After the death of the Princess Charlotte it was clearly important, for
more than one reason, that the Duke of Kent should marry. From the
point of view of the nation, the lack of heirs in the reigning family
seemed to make the step almost obligatory; it was also likely to be
highly expedient from the point of view of the Duke. To marry as a
public duty, for the sake of the royal succession, would surely deserve
some recognition from a grateful country. When the Duke of York had
married he had received a settlement of L25,000 a year. Why should
not the Duke of Kent look forward to an equal sum? But the situation
was not quite simple. There was the Duke of Clarence to be considered;
he was the elder brother, and, if HE married, would clearly have the
prior claim. On the other hand, if the Duke of Kent married, it was
important to remember that he would be making a serious sacrifice: a
lady was involved.
The Duke, reflecting upon all these matters with careful attention,
happened, about a month after his niece's death, to visit Brussels, and
learnt that Mr. Creevey was staying in the town. Mr. Creevey was a
close friend of the leading Whigs and an inveterate gossip; and it
occurred to the Duke that there could be no better channel through
which to communicate his views upon the situation to political circles
at home. Apparently it did not occur to him that Mr. Creevey was
malicious and might keep a diary. He therefore sent for him on some

trivial pretext, and a remarkable conversation ensued.
After referring to the death of the Princess, to the improbability of the
Regent's seeking a divorce, to the childlessness of the Duke of York,
and to the possibility of the Duke of Clarence marrying, the Duke
adverted to his own position. "Should the Duke of Clarence not marry,"
he said, "the next prince in succession is myself, and although I trust I
shall be at all times ready to obey any call my country may make upon
me, God only knows the sacrifice it will be to make, whenever I shall
think it my duty to become a married man. It is now seven and twenty
years that Madame St. Laurent and I have lived together: we are of the
same age, and have been in all climates, and in all difficulties together,
and you may well imagine, Mr. Creevey, the pang it will occasion me
to part with her. I put it to your own feelings--in the event of any
separation between you and Mrs. Creevey... As for Madame St. Laurent
herself, I protest I don't know what is to become of her if a marriage is
to be forced upon me; her feelings are already so agitated upon the
subject." The Duke went on to describe how, one morning, a day or two
after the Princess Charlotte's death, a paragraph had appeared in the
Morning Chronicle, alluding to the possibility of his marriage. He had
received the newspaper at breakfast together with his letters, and "I did
as is my constant practice, I threw the newspaper across the table to
Madame St. Laurent, and began to open and read my letters. I had not
done so but a very short time, when my attention was called to an
extraordinary noise and a strong convulsive movement in Madame St.
Laurent's throat. For a short time I entertained serious apprehensions
for her safety; and when, upon her recovery, I enquired into the
occasion of this attack, she pointed to the article in the Morning
Chronicle."
The Duke then returned to the subject of the Duke of Clarence. "My
brother the Duke of Clarence is the elder brother, and has certainly the
right to marry if he chooses, and I would not interfere with him on any
account. If he wishes to be king--to be married and have children, poor
man--God help him! Let him do so. For myself--I am