After handing his resignation to the Queen, he wrote
to her: "Lord Melbourne has formed the highest opinion of His Royal
Highness's judgment, temper, and discretion, and he cannot but feel
a great consolation and security in the reflection that he leaves
Your Majesty in a situation in which Your Majesty has the inestimable
advantage of such advice and assistance." The Queen was exceedingly
proud of these words of praise, coming as they did unasked from a
minister of such long experience.
It was in the same year that the Prince was appointed Head of the
Royal Commission which had been formed to encourage the study of the
Fine Arts throughout the kingdom. This was work of a kind which he
especially loved, and he was now in a position to influence the
movement which led to the Great Exhibition of 1851.
[Illustration: Prince Albert
F.X. Winterhalter
Photo Emery Walker Ltd.]
But all was not plain sailing for the Prince, who was still regarded,
if not with dislike, at any rate with some mistrust, as being a
foreigner. For a long time yet he felt himself a stranger, the Queen's
husband and nothing more. Still, "all cometh to him who knoweth how
to wait," and he set himself bravely to his uphill task. To use his
own words, "I endeavour to be as much use to Victoria as I can,"--this
was the keynote of his whole life.
The Prince took sides with neither of the political parties, and
first of all by careful economy he lessened the enormous household
expenses and proved that it was possible for royalty to live without
always being in debt.
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