Queen Victoria's Will

When Arthur and William II returned to the estate, it was already past four o'clock in the afternoon.

Queen Victoria's critical condition was no longer a secret among the European upper echelons, and as a result, countless dignitaries from various countries had come to offer their condolences, leading to the bizarre sight of congestion in the tiny port of the Isle of Wight.

By the time Arthur saw Queen Victoria again, it was past five o'clock in the afternoon.

Throughout this afternoon, European dignitaries, royals, and Queen Victoria's own children and grandchildren—numbering in the hundreds—had each engaged in brief conversations with her.

Looking back on Queen Victoria's life, she had made enormous contributions to both the British Royal Family and the United Kingdom.

During Queen Victoria's reign, the United Kingdom became the world's leading superpower, establishing the Empire on which the sun never sets and ascending to the throne of global hegemony.

In the hearts of all British people, Queen Victoria was an irreplaceable and great monarch, as well as a witness to the British Golden Age.

In the British homeland, various colonies, and even in every corner of the world where people could not see, citizens could be found spontaneously blessing and praying for Queen Victoria.

This elderly woman, who had labored her whole life for the British Royal Family and government, earned the recognition of all British people and even the majority of Europeans at the very end of her life.

Compared to noon, Queen Victoria's complexion was visibly much worse; her breathing was even rapid, and her chest rose and fell continuously.

The most noticeable difference was that at noon, there were not many doctors and nurses in the room, but by the afternoon, the room was already packed with them.

Perhaps sensing the state of her own health, Queen Victoria began anxiously calling out for something.

Those surrounding her listened carefully and finally caught Queen Victoria's cries.

"Arthur! Arthur!"

"Go find Arthur quickly! Her Majesty wants to see Arthur! Hurry!" The people anxiously passed on Queen Victoria's command.

At this moment, Arthur had already entered the estate and was slowly walking toward the room.

Upon hearing the anxious calls of the crowd, Arthur was startled, quickened his pace, and rushed into Queen Victoria's room in a few strides, pushing the door open.

"Arthur!" Seeing Arthur push the door open, Queen Victoria's dim eyes suddenly brightened as she called out.

"Grandmother, I'm here, Arthur is here." Arthur hurried forward and took hold of Queen Victoria's hand, which was suspended in mid-air.

"Arthur, grandmother loves you. Please forgive grandmother, but the prestige of the British Royal Family cannot be compromised, or else everyone will fall into an abyss of eternal damnation. I have already told Edward to pay you another sum in compensation and help Australia build its industry. Arthur, carry your father's and my wishes, live well, and stop thinking about the past, all right?" Queen Victoria tightly gripped Arthur's hand, speaking each word with difficulty.

"I understand, grandmother. Rest assured, Arthur has never blamed you, grandmother." Arthur hurriedly nodded and spoke.

"That's good, child. Your father was my favorite son, and you are also my favorite grandson. Arthur, I know you have your ambitions, but they require a long period of accumulation, don't they?" Using her remaining strength, Queen Victoria familiarly stroked Arthur's forehead and said with a smile.

"I understand, grandmother. Stop talking and get some rest. Once you recover, we can chat properly." Feeling the rapidly diminishing strength in Queen Victoria's hand, Arthur spoke with reluctance.

"It's fine, child. Go call Edward." Queen Victoria continued.

Crown Prince Edward had already been waiting nearby, and hearing Queen Victoria mention his name, he quickly half-knelt and crouched by the bedside.

"Edward, no matter what, Arthur is your nephew, isn't he? He lost his father and is about to lose his grandmother as well. Protect this child—this is my final demand of you." Queen Victoria looked at Edward and said.

"Yes, Mother. Rest assured, as long as I am here, no one will be able to touch Arthur." Crown Prince Edward hurriedly nodded and said.

"All the attendants and guards I brought with me are to be gifted to Arthur after my death, including their families." Queen Victoria said, "British New Guinea is handed over to Australia for administration, and the United Kingdom relinquishes all sovereignty and administrative rights. At the same time, appoint Arthur as the Governor of New Zealand for a term of twenty years, and no one may revoke the position of governor in any manner. After twenty years, based on the public opinion of New Zealand, it shall be decided whether to remain with Australia or return to the United Kingdom."

"This, yes, Mother." Crown Prince Edward hesitated in every possible way, but in the end, he still had to agree to Queen Victoria's command.

This was because he saw the predatory look in Queen Victoria's eyes; if he dared to utter a single dissenting word, then Queen Victoria's will might contain clauses passing the throne to someone else.

This caused quite an uproar. After all, combined together, British New Guinea and New Zealand constituted hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of land.

Moreover, both regions were extremely close to Australia; if Australia completely controlled these two areas, it would become the natural hegemon throughout the South Pacific, and no one else would be able to reach in.

As for Queen Victoria's appointment of Arthur as Governor of New Zealand for twenty years, in everyone's eyes, it was essentially giving New Zealand to Arthur for free.

With Australia controlling New Zealand for twenty years, could New Zealand still escape the palm of Australia's hand?

"Edward, I want you to promise that the British Empire will not launch any actions related to Australia within twenty years, not even diplomatic threats. Furthermore, the British Empire will provide Australia with various forms of support within ten years, including military means, and will recognize and guarantee that Australia is a completely independent country. During this period, you must provide Australia with at least no less than five million pounds in various supports annually, and you must not stop immigration to Australia under any pretext." Queen Victoria continued.

With no other choice, Crown Prince Edward could only continue making promises to Queen Victoria.

Once these commitments were implemented, Australia would not need to worry about any foreign enemies for a decade, because the British Empire would provide support at the very first moment.

As for the situation where Crown Prince Edward might fail to keep his word, with the dignitaries and royals of most European nations present, if Edward truly acted perfidiously, he would instantly lose his prestige and credibility in the hearts of both international dignitaries and the British public.

Queen Victoria's purpose was very simple: to make Crown Prince Edward make promises in such a public setting, leaving him no opportunity to resist or refuse.

The second chapter, arriving late, apologies. Also, looking for support!