Chapter 130
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: The Prince Consort (2)
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-We confirm that Killian Gore’s position as Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Canada remains valid, and his term is set for the next three years.
Disraeli’s proposal tilted so heavily to one side that the Speaker saw no need to check which side's voices were louder.
In other words, even the Whig Party had sided with the Conservatives.
This was partly because they had no one suitable to recommend for Canada, but also because Disraeli's logic was irrefutable.
The British Empire prided itself on being the birthplace of parliamentarism, the true origin of the cabinet responsibility system. But being the original, strictly speaking, was just another word for being outdated.
This system hadn't been created overnight with a declaration of "From this day on, we shall have a parliamentary system!" Instead, it had evolved gradually by chipping away at the monarch's power, which left many rough edges.
Conflicts between legally stipulated matters and customary practices were a dime a dozen, and it was hardly the first time such issues had been conveniently swept under the rug.
A prime example was the authority wielded by the British monarch.
Contrary to popular belief, the king’s power was still formidable.
Judging by the powers defined by law, it was no exaggeration to call the monarch a figure of immense real power, far from a mere symbolic presence.
However, an unspoken rule dictated that these powers were not to be used, and no one dared even think of abusing them.
The prevailing view was that if the monarch ever went rogue, Parliament would strip away those powers, but they were left intact for their symbolic value.
If the line between law and custom was this blurry even for the monarch, what could be said of the Prince Consort?
Disraeli had called for adherence to the law, but in truth, that was impossible.
There was simply no law defining the authority of a Prince Consort.
Even if one existed, the last time Great Britain had a Prince Consort was a good hundred years ago. How could the systems of that era be the same as today’s?
Until now, things had been smoothed over with a "let's not make waves" attitude, and Killian Gore had, in fact, followed that tradition well.
As soon as he became Prince Consort, he had relinquished his ministerial post without a second thought and entered the palace to enjoy his newlywed life with the Queen.
But who could have predicted the Canadian issue would become so complicated?
“Still, our party hasn't really lost anything, has it? The Prince Consort is no longer a member of the Conservative Party.”
“That’s in name only. He’s still close to the Prime Minister. His Highness himself said that if the Canadian issue is resolved well, it could be seen as an achievement of the current government.”
“Doesn’t the fact that he said that prove his objectivity? If he truly wanted to side with the Conservatives, he wouldn’t have made a statement that could work against them.”
The Whigs gathered as soon as the session ended to discuss the situation, but they couldn't easily reach a consensus.
It felt as though they hadn't lost anything, yet letting it go left a lingering sense of unease.
And, as expected, John Russell raised his voice, claiming this was all part of Wellesley's plan.
“Everyone! That is not what’s important right now. As you all saw, Prime Minister Wellesley planned all of this and sent His Highness the Prince Consort to Canada. We have no idea what other strange schemes he’s plotting. We must stay sharp!”
“So you’re saying this entire turn of events was planned by the Prime Minister?”
“Of course! Haven’t I said it time and again? We might just be puppets dancing in the palm of the Prime Minister’s hand.”
“Well, this is just…”
Gladstone sighed, finding the claims to be the same old nonsense.
Instead, Palmerston, who had been observing from the side, began to analyze the situation objectively.
“First, we need to blur the connection between the royal family and the Conservative Party. If the Prince Consort successfully stabilizes Canada and its economy grows, people will naturally see it as a Conservative achievement. We must do something about that.”
“A sharp point, but the question is how.”
“For starters, since the working-level officials for Canada are to be recommended jointly by both parties, we must emphasize its neutral standing as much as possible. We also need to keep stressing that this is a bipartisan achievement, not the success of any single party.”
He had wondered if Canada would ever become a topic of significant interest, but looking at the situation now, that had been a gross miscalculation.
The population was surpassing one million, and with the increasing number of Black people arriving from the United States, the numbers were growing by the day.
There were even reports that the cities around the Great Lakes were perfectly suited for industrialization.
And that wasn't all. They had also learned that the amount of buried resources was staggering—to exaggerate slightly, one could just stick a shovel in the ground and minerals would come pouring out.
If this land was cultivated properly, it might just make up for the bitter mistake of losing the United States.
The fact that various ethnicities and immigrants continued to mix and live there was also noteworthy.
The recent surge in intellectuals emphasizing that Canada would serve as an excellent touchstone for how the British Empire should manage its colonies in the future was proof of this.
“Hoo… still, if we handle this commotion well, there shouldn't be any major problems. Surely, nothing else will blow up over there one after another. Isn't it true that good administrative work rarely gets noticed?”
“That’s true. You only feel the impact when things go wrong. The results of good work are only seen after a few years.”
“So, if we can just manage the narrative well in the beginning, it will naturally fade from public interest. The public doesn’t have a very long memory.”
Gladstone, while acknowledging the unexpected turn of events, didn't consider it a fatal blow.
As he had just said, a significant portion of voters tended to react sensitively only to short-term issues.
They might pay attention at first, but who would continuously follow events happening across the Atlantic, not on the British mainland?
To the people of England, the struggles of the Irish or Black people trying to survive in the New World were little more than a fleeting, attention-grabbing spectacle.
Even if the situation was beyond their expectations.
The Whig Party concluded that there was no need to be overly concerned with the matter.
***
[The Prince Consort’s Patriotism! Leaving His Honeymoon for Canada?]
[All for the National Interest! What is Her Majesty the Queen’s Reaction?]
Although articles were published confirming I would retain my position as Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Canada, the public was far more interested in other things.
The main topic of conversation was my personal predicament—potentially having to go to Canada during my first year of marriage—and how my wife, Victoria, would react.
It was exactly as I had expected, so I wasn't surprised.
Most people aren't fond of complicated political stories.
They tend to be drawn to simpler, more intuitive topics.
Isn't the story of the Prince Consort getting a talking-to from the Queen for trying to go abroad during his honeymoon a million times more interesting than talk of his actual powers or political neutrality?
That was the general reaction from those who learned of the incident through newspapers or rumors.
It’s good that our Prince Consort is working hard, but we worry Her Majesty the Queen might be angered.
Still, he’s dedicating himself to the national interest, so as citizens, we should support him.
There were even jokes about the husband getting kicked to the curb by his wife, so the incident was smoothly being framed as a social issue rather than a political one.
“I’ve informed the Governor-General of Canada that you will continue to handle matters. But it will be difficult for you to go to Canada right away, won't it?”
“It doesn’t matter if I don’t go right now. For the time being, I can just give instructions on any issues that arise. The most important thing is that I, their spiritual pillar, remain in charge.”
“Still, you’ll have to go at some point. What will you tell Her Majesty the Queen?”
“That I’m not going because I want to, but because of the earnest request of Parliament and the Prime Minister.”
“What? What do you mean by that…”
Wellesley and Disraeli’s eyes widened, but I leisurely brought my teacup to my lips and smiled sweetly.
What? It’s not like I said anything untrue.
I only took the job because they were whining that there was no one else suitable.
“I am merely stating the facts. Did I ever hold a knife to your throats and demand to be made Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Canada? If anything, it was the other way around.”
“My word, this man is trouble. Didn’t you say before that if you waited, Canada would have no choice but to seek you out?”
Oh dear, I don't seem to recall.
Do you have a recording?
“I may have said something similar, but in the end, it had to be me, didn't it? Therefore, I’m not going of my own volition. You must make that clear.”
Otherwise, there's no telling what an enraged Victoria might do to me.
“I understand your position completely, but aren’t you just asking me to bear the full brunt of Her Majesty’s anger?”
“Not at all. There’s no need for you to take all the blame, Prime Minister. The Whigs will keep drawing a line, saying my work has nothing to do with the Conservative Party, so why should you take responsibility alone? Just share the blame with everyone.”
“Aha. So, the Whig Party was supposed to recommend a suitable candidate, but since that didn't work out, we had no choice but to send you. Is that how it should go? Wait a minute, wasn't it Disraeli, not me, who argued that your authority remained valid? I had nothing to do with this, did I?”
“Pfft! What did you say? Prime Minister, you can’t back out now.”
Disraeli, who had been sitting quietly, was so startled by the sudden deflection that he spat out the tea he was drinking.
“Well, I’m not wrong, am I?”
“You are! Who was it that suggested we clearly divide our roles before the session?”
“Hmm… In any case, you were the one who executed the plan, not me, right?”
“At the very least, you must accompany me when I explain this to Her Majesty. Otherwise, I’ll just say this whole plan came from your head.”
“No, no, you can’t do that. Her Majesty the Queen will look at me as if I’m her mortal enemy!”
The news of how blissfully happy we were in our marriage had been spread throughout Britain by the royal household staff.
How would a wife feel, having her husband sent abroad during their happiest time?
Especially if that wife was the queen of the country?
It was easy to guess why Wellesley and Disraeli were so desperately trying to shift the blame.
As for me, I had already passed the buck fantastically, so I could just sit back and watch the show from a safe distance.
And strictly speaking, I was also a victim who had to leave his beloved wife. If they had any conscience, they wouldn't dare try to drag me down with them.
“Now, now, you two, don’t worry too much. I’ll do my best to speak to Her Majesty, and we can just push all the blame onto the Whigs.”
“Right, right? If those fools had just done their job properly in the first place, things wouldn’t have gotten so twisted.”
“I agree. That Gladstone fellow has always acted smart but never delivered.”
“I won’t be heading to Canada right away either, so I plan to enjoy my newlywed life with Her Majesty as much as possible. I only need to go when there are signs of war breaking out.”
An abrupt silence fell.
Disraeli and Wellesley, who had been loudly trading playful complaints just moments before, both fell silent.
Ah, I got too comfortable and let my mouth run away with me.
“…War? What are you talking about?”
“Why would a war break out in America?”
“Oh, that. Hahaha, I just meant that since the situation is tense, a war could happen someday, that sort of thing.”
“Don’t you dare try to gloss this over with lies! Whenever you say something is going to happen, it’s never just a prediction—it becomes a confirmed future! Spill it, now!”
“He’s right! We need to know so we can prepare!”
Did marriage make me too complacent? For the great me to make such a mistake.
Truthfully, there was no harm in telling these two everything, but I had wanted to save it as a bit of a surprise.
Still, since it has come to this, it’s probably better to just lay it all out and prepare thoroughly.
I calmly poured another cup of tea and spoke nonchalantly.
“Prime Minister, war in America is inevitable.”
The way they both looked at me, as if on cue, asking what I meant, was proof of how little they knew about the shifting dynamics on the American continent.
It wasn't just them; it was the same for most members of the British Parliament.
In an era without the internet, or even the telegraph, it was physically impossible to quickly grasp the situation on another continent.
I paused for a moment, observing their reactions, before revealing the true purpose of my plan.
“And what we must gain from this war is nothing less than the future. We are now at a crossroads that will determine whether the British Empire can maintain its supremacy a hundred years from now.”
“……”
As I thought, they don't believe me.
Just you two wait. Because I'm about to tell you one hell of a story.