"The Virgin Queen" had lived in constant unease. She worried not only about foreign invasions but also about being assassinated herself. She even had spies secretly monitor everyone's movements in the palace, making the court atmosphere extremely tense.
Her reason for not marrying was simple: if she did not marry, she would not have to bear children. Even in the nineteenth century, childbirth was risky for women, from queens to laundresses alike.
Whenever Queen Victoria gave birth, Prince Albert was at her side, caring for her with the utmost consideration. But there were some things men simply could not help with.
Not long after Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, news spread that she was pregnant. While the entire nation offered its blessings, Queen Victoria submitted a bill to Parliament. It stipulated that should anything happen to the Queen, Prince Albert would be appointed Regent. However, if Prince Albert remarried, he absolutely could not marry a Catholic, and after marriage he had to reside in Britain.
This first aroused the displeasure of the Duchess of Kent, who had long been planning matters concerning a regency. William IV had also demanded Alexandrina Victoria become independent for this very reason.
That dismissed baroness had been the princess's companion since childhood, and she had also been arranged by her mother. Aside from her own siblings, the only people who had accompanied her throughout her childhood were the baroness and her daughter.
Since it was her first pregnancy, no one knew what complications might arise. The ministers therefore complied with every request Queen Victoria made, while the public, on the contrary, began to worry about the bill.
During the first two years of his marriage to the Queen, Prince Albert had been shut out of British state affairs. Whenever the Queen met with ministers, he