The dynastic controversies had an extraordinary influence on polities at the time of Leopold's accession to the throne of Belgium. In February 1831 the Estates General in Brussels had elected to the vacant throne the Duke fof Nemours, the second son of the King of the French, England promptly threatened war with France and the [bellicose Prime Minister was none other than Lord Palmerston. That /was how Leopold found the way clear for him. Later, when Leopold pro-[posed that his' nephew, 'Ferdinand, should become King-Consort. to. the [widowed Queen of Portugal ("17 years old, ugly, ambitious and ignorant") King Louis Ptilippe again wished to press the claims' of the Duke of Nemours. Again Lord Palmerston, [without threatening war, made it per-Hfectly clear that England would "not agree to a French King-Consort on the throne of her oldest ally, and Leopold again had tis way. So it was jonly in the fitness of things that Leopold should return the favours which he had received by Relping England to obtain a Prince Consort the person of Albert of Sax Coburg-Gotha. his kinsman. 'The cor-Fespondence between Queen Victoria and her uncle is well known and widely quoted, but it is pleasant to find that Mr. Holden tas made good use of it in his account of her uncle' fe, "The letters, as such correspond-fence always is, are_self-revealing. For instance, they show that Queen Victoria had a very feminine jealousy of her beautiful daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales. Shortly after the Sea-King's Daughter had come to England as the bride of the Heir to the Throne, trouble occurred between Prussia and Denmark over Schleswig Holstein. Denmark was, in the view. of the British Government and the Queen, in the wrong and Prussia in the ight. Leopold was also of that view. At that time Queen Victoria was in retirement owing to the death of her husband and, as everyone knows, she Jearried her period of mourning to Jengths which actually endangered her own position to an astonishing di Barrett, The British public, lighted wit beauty of the Princess of Wales, versely refused to accept the orthodox. view of the Schleswig-Holstein ques-lon and Queen Victoria tinctly unpopular in England." Queen Victoria's admiration for her und views is ca record in her diary:
To hear dear Uncle Leopold speak fon "any subject, is ike reading Ilahly'"instructive book.
Realizing that her daughter-in-law was a political encumbrance, Queen Victoria was far more concerned with the fact that the Princess was eclipse ing her in popularity: She took A swift decision. A fortnight later Her Majesty drove through the Parke in an open carriage and four to the station, her first public drive since becoming widow. She duly commented on the lrcumstance in her next letter to her built up a character which is all the worttler of study because he has not hesitated to supply the light and shade and thus hes avoided the inevitable dullness of the stained glass window
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.