Considering that the Kingdom of Britain needs the "catfish" of the Kingdom of Sardinia to stir up the situation on the Italian peninsula, it will allow the Kingdom of Britain to shake the French Empire's rights in the Mediterranean without relying on war.
Therefore, Albert did not clearly agree to Cavour's conditions, but he also did not clearly refuse. This ambiguous attitude gave Cavour hope and made Cavour's face bloom with a joyful smile.
"On behalf of the Savoy royal family, I would like to thank you for your generosity! Your Majesty!" Cavour responded to Prince Albert in a particularly humble tone.
Then, Cavour cautiously winked at Victor Umberto. Victor, who received the signal, also imitated Cavour to express his gratitude to Prince Albert, and said to Prince Albert: If he
If he is lucky enough to be chosen by Princess Alice to be Princess Alice's husband, he will do his best to protect Princess Alice and prevent her from suffering any harm. At the same time, he will also love Queen Victoria and his wife and the Kingdom of Britain just like Princess Alice.
Naturally, Prince Albert would not take Victor Umberto's promise seriously.
After all, the first thing any monarch should protect is the interests of his own country, and he will only consider other issues secondly.
Even if Albert really marries his daughter to Victor Umberto, when the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of Britain fall out, Prince Albert will not hesitate for a second because Victor Umberto is his son-in-law.
.
Albert also believed that Victor Umberto thought the same way. Even if he truly loved his daughter, he would not have any hesitation because of family ties.
In the final analysis, the first thing people like them consider is whether the seat under their buttocks can sit comfortably, and the second is the issue of their heirs.
As for family ties, they can only be used as a source of conversation after dinner.
Of course, Prince Albert would not have thought that a few decades later in the historical timeline, Victoria's son and grandson would engage in a melee involving nearly ten million people in Europe. The so-called family ties were fragile in the face of interests.
However, although Albert thought so in his heart, his face could not show this meaning.
Albert showed a pleased smile, patted Victor Umberto on the shoulder, and encouraged Victor Umberto, "Umberto, Victoria and I both like young people like you!
We are looking forward to forming a marriage relationship with the ancient Savoy family!
It's just that marriages between royal families must take into account the impact on the cabinet, so I can't give you an answer right away!
I hope you can forgive me!"
"Your Majesty, I understand everything!" Victor Umberto replied to Prince Albert, "Even if your country does not choose me to be the husband of Princess Alice, I will respect you and Queen Victoria as always!"
Immediately, Prince Albert talked for a while with Cavour and Victor Umberto.
Until there was a knock on the door outside the room, Prince Albert showed an apologetic smile.
Cavour stretched out his hand and made a "I agree with you" gesture. Prince Albert just opened his mouth and shouted out of the room, "Please come in!"
With a "squeak", the door slowly opened, and John Brown appeared at the door of the room. He slowly came to the sofa and first confessed to Prince Albert.
Prince Albert raised his hand and asked John Brown, "Mr. Brown, what happened?"
John Brown looked at Cavour and Victor Umberto on the sofa and looked slightly hesitant. It seemed that this matter was not suitable for outsiders like Cavour and Victor Umberto to hear.
Upon seeing this, Cavour quickly understood what John Brown meant, and he quickly stood up. Victor Umberto on the side also stood up with Cavour.
Afterwards, Cavour bowed politely to Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, "Your Majesty, it's getting late! It's time for us to leave!"
Victor Umberto, who had adapted to the environment, no longer stuttered at this moment, and responded to Prince Albert and Queen Victoria in the same fluent language, "Your Majesty, thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with us!
"
Cavour and Victor Umberto insisted on leaving Windsor Castle amid the "kindness" of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria to persuade them to stay.
Prince Albert had no choice but to send Cavour and Victor Umberto out of the living room with regret, and at the same time asked John Brown to send a skilled coachman to deliver Cavour and Victor Umberto safely to the hotel.
John Brown followed Prince Albert's order and began to act. After a while, John Brown appeared in front of Prince Albert again and reported the situation to Prince Albert.
"Your Majesty, I have sent Cavour and the little prince into the carriage!" John Brown replied to Prince Albert and Queen Victoria.
"There is no royal emblem on the carriage!" Prince Albert asked worriedly. He was a little worried that the news of Cavour and Victor Umberto's visit would be discovered by the French secret police lurking in London.
These days, which capital city doesn’t have several secret police from other countries?
Of course, the British police are not vegetarians. Under their counter-reconnaissance, some lurking secret police were discovered.
The reason why the British government did not choose to arrest them was because they wanted to use these secret police.
They want to use these secret police to convey some false information to other countries, so that the countries will make some wrong judgments.
However, this time Albert could not let the French secret police discover him.
Otherwise, the emperor in Paris might do something drastic.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured!" John Brown patted his chest and assured Prince Albert, "I guarantee that the carriage that took Cavour and the little prince back to the hotel has absolutely nothing to do with the royal family!"
"That's good!" Prince Albert nodded with satisfaction, and then asked what John Brown wanted to say to him in the drawing room just now.
John Brown told Prince Albert that just now, No. 10 Downing Street sent a telegram to Windsor Castle. They asked Prince Albert in a tactful tone and the conversation with the envoy from the Kingdom of Sardinia was going on.
to which step
"Mr. Brown, please send a telegram to No. 10 Downing Street immediately!" Prince Albert said to John Brown in an orderly manner. "Just say that the conversation with the envoy from the Kingdom of Sardinia went very smoothly, but there are some specific details.
The problem still requires Palmerston and Minister Russell to come together to discuss it!
Please come quickly, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister!"
"Yes!" John Brown responded to Prince Albert, then turned to send the telegram.
About twenty minutes later, Prime Minister Palmerston received a telegram from Windsor Castle in the Prime Minister's Office at No. 10 Downing Street.
After roughly reading the contents of the telegram, Palmerston showed a trace of dissatisfaction in his eyes, and then ordered his chief secretary to call Foreign Secretary Russell to the office.
After a while, Russell appeared in Palmerston's office, and Palmerston pushed the telegram in front of Russell.
Minister Russell picked up the telegram and took a look at it. His expression also showed a hint of gloom.
After Russell had read all the content, he couldn't help but complain to Palmerston, "Our King's Majesty (sarcasm) is really too wanton and reckless. On such an important matter,
He didn't even call us over to discuss it beforehand.
Instead, he sent us this telegram only after the conversation was over.
Does he want to be the emperor of Paris?"
Faced with Minister Russell's remarks that he has no king and no father, Palmerston just smiled slightly, and then responded to Minister Russell in a frivolous tone, "No way! Who is Her Majesty the Queen's husband? He has the ability to assist the Queen in ruling the Kingdom of Britain.
Responsibility!"
"Of course I know the responsibilities of the prince, but does he not take the cabinet into consideration too much?" Minister Russell complained again, "If the monarchs of Britain are like him, then what else do we need to do!"
At this moment, Russell seems to have forgotten that the British cabinet has only been able to fight against the royal chamber in the past few decades.
The debauchery of George V allowed the cabinet to have certain rights. Queen Victoria herself did not like rights, so the cabinet's rights were continued.
During the time of George IV, whether a British politician could serve as prime minister did not depend on votes, but on the preference of the monarch.
Of course, generally speaking, George IV would not refuse a cabinet prime minister who was good at dancing.
As long as the prime minister doesn't try to grab power with his hands.
The topic went off topic. Although Minister Russell's complaint was also recognized by Palmerston, Palmerston was obviously unwilling to criticize Prince Albert too much on this matter.
No one inside or outside the court was aware of his (Palmerston's) relationship with his two Majesties.
If the imminent threat of the French Empire had not made Britain need a strong-willed hawk like Palmerston as leader, then Palmerston would not have even thought about obtaining the right to form a cabinet.
"Mr. Russell, now is not the time to complain!" Palmerston responded to Russell, "We must go to Windsor Castle as soon as possible and ask His Majesty Prince Albert face to face what he discussed with Cavour!
However, I think Prince Albert will not harm the interests of the British Kingdom!"
"Alas!" Minister Russell sighed and replied to Palmerston, "Now we can only ask them face to face about the content of their conversation!
I don’t know what conditions our royal concubine agreed to to Cavour!
I hope that the British Kingdom, which has just escaped from India, will not be involved in the disputes on the Italian Peninsula again!"
After that, Minister Russell and Palmerston ordered the chief secretary to prepare a carriage for them to go to Windsor Castle.
