Disclaimer: I do not own any of the historical characters in Victoria nor do I own the TV series which was written by Daisy Goodwin. Any lines from the show are also not mine and are just borrowed from Daisy Goodwin and ITV Victoria.
Rufus Sewell, who plays Melbourne, is 48 years old so even though historically Melbourne was 40 years older than Victoria in this story he is 28 years older
Duchess of Kent
"Please, Victoria. He is someone who is clever at stealing hearts. He must not take yours."
Her daughter is too dependent on Melbourne.
That is her earliest impression of the relationship between her Drina and the Prime Minister.
Only later (much later) will she admit to the irony of her disapproval for their closeness when she herself has been so in Sir John Conroy's power. But in the present, with her reliance on Sir John still high and with her daughter refusing to cede any control, all she feels for Melbourne is scorn and irritation and a sense of superiority.
She has, since Drina's childhood, courted the Whigs and presented her daughter as a liberal. But of course this is not at all what she had in mind. Politicians have their uses but to befriend one as Drina has Lord Melbourne is quite shocking, especially as she is barely a woman and he is a man of rather infamous reputation.
Again, she will later admit that Lord Melbourne's tutoring of her daughter in relation to governing has been most thorough, that he goes to great lengths to ensure she is well-informed. But her present self thinks only of how Lord Melbourne's place as chief advisor should belong to herself and Sir John.
She does not see – will not see – the strong woman her little Drina is becoming in part due to Melbourne's help and friendship and belief. All she sees are the problems and the scandals that come from her daughter's close association with the Prime Minister and her refusal to listen to the advisors that the Duchess thinks more suitable.
She tries not to see the way Melbourne brings a radiant smile to her daughter's face, refuses to acknowledge the devoted looks he gives back to her in return.
She wishes for her daughter to marry Prince Albert. It has been a fond wish of hers, and of her brother Leopold's, for many years and an agenda she continues to push upon her daughter.
But perhaps, once in a while, she observes Drina looking so very beautiful and contented. And she knows the one to put such a look on her face is Lord Melbourne. And while she never says it aloud, never offers any hint of approval to such an unequal and inappropriate match, perhaps she does occasionally and privately thank God for bringing her daughter someone who makes her so very happy.
Emma Portman
Emma finds that they are less restrained in her presence than they are at all other times except those in which they find themselves alone.
She has the queen's confidence for having supplied her unmarked and less conspicuous carriage on the occasions that the queen has wished to visit her Prime Minister unnoticed. And she has had William's confidence for many years as one of his close friends.
She has their trust and therefore they act more naturally in front of her. She appreciates the compliment of this and never dreams of betraying the depth of their easy familiarity to anyone.
But what tales she could tell if she had the inclination.
Why the looks alone that pass between the two of them whenever they are together (which is so very often) can sometimes be of such depth and intensity that no one who really looks can doubt the feeling and affection they share.
And the joy is there whenever they meet. If the queen is despondent or irritated Emma notes that William can almost always improve her mood. And William himself, she hasn't seen him so happy since his poor son died. The change in him since he has begun working with the queen is astonishing – where before he was tired now he is energetic and always ready to aid the queen as she learns the workings of the government.
The two of them together are rather beautiful to watch.
Harriet Sutherland
"Will you be very long, Mr Hayter? The crown is so heavy and far too big for me. I thought it might slip down over my nose in the Abbey."
"Really, Ma'am? You looked so serene."
"My heart was beating so fast I thought the Archbishop would see it through my shift. Lord M said he had never seen someone tremble so."
"He told me he thought you did it beautifully."
"I am concerned about him. He does not seem himself."
"My husband said they are worried about the Jamaica Bill. There is a lot of opposition."
"Your Uncle Cumberland would like nothing better than to bring down poor William. The funny thing is, a few weeks ago he would have been delighted. He was always complaining about how tiresome it was being Prime Minister. But not anymore."
The queen in her early days is often nervous. She doesn't like to show it but she does so worry about doing things correctly.
They are all thankful for Lord Melbourne, always there with a word or smile or gesture to reassure the queen.
And doesn't she just light up at his compliments. A sentence from Lord Melbourne can work more in improving the queen's countenance than a day's worth of amusement from her ladies.
Harriet has never known so much about politics. She was not much interested before but the queen likes to discuss what is happening and she is always well-informed by Lord Melbourne, so it is best for her ladies to be equally knowledgeable in order to follow, and contribute to, the conversations.
It helps too, to know if there are any particular issues causing the Whigs concern. The queen can always tell when Lord Melbourne is out of humour or distracted and at those times she wishes to know why so that she might attempt to aid him.
Some might think it ridiculous for a queen to take such an interest in what weighs on the Prime Minister's mind. But Harriet thinks there are not many like Queen Victoria. She wants to do her best for her people, wants to prove to the world that she is not too young or too naïve or even just too female. Harriet has never wanted that kind of responsibility but she certainly respects the queen for her determination.
But there is more to it. The queen cares about her country but she cares for Lord Melbourne too. And Harriet respects her perhaps even more for that, for recognising the value in her Prime Minister, just as she recognises the value in her ladies and fights fiercely not to give them up.
The queen has shown them all her loyalty and in return Harriet will do the same. She will support the choices the queen makes, especially regarding Lord Melbourne. They may not be the norm, they may not be considered sensible, but Harriet will support her just the same.
She's always enjoyed a good love story.
Emma Portman
"Excuse me, Your Grace, but have you informed Lord Melbourne? He is so good at putting the Queen in a good humour. Brodie could take a message to Dover House in no time."
The few days after the Jamaica Bill and William's subsequent resignation are hard ones.
The queen is quite inconsolable and nothing any of them say or do can cheer her up.
Gossips whisper that it is just proof that the queen has been far too reliant on her Prime Minister and some even say it is proof that she needs a regency, that she clearly cannot cope alone.
Emma thinks it is something else entirely.
Of course the queen relies on William's political expertise, and as the wife of a Whig that is something Emma is pleased about, but the two of them spend so much time together and Emma knows they do not spend it all discussing politics. They bring out the best in each other and she always notices that they smile most when they are together.
Thankfully Emma and the other ladies do not have to discover what might become of the queen without her friendship with William.
Instead the queen arranges everything so very nicely to ensure that she keeps her Lord M by her side.
Emma cannot be anything but impressed. William will not be Prime Minister forever, and eventually the queen will have to accept that, but for now he is by her side – offering advice, being her friend – and the queen is smiling once more.
Miss Skerrett
"Seems to me the only man the Queen really likes is Lord Melbourne."
She doesn't see much of the queen's day to day activities but she does see her often, especially on days where a number of changes of clothes are required.
The queen does not talk around them about much more than her dresses and hair but sometimes there will be something a little more personal said that reminds her that the queen is also a young woman underneath all the royal privilege.
Lord Melbourne is regularly mentioned in the queen's exchanges with her dressers as she chatters about how he is meeting her at one event, or how he cannot come for dinner so it will all be so dull, or how they are going out riding later and doesn't it look like a lovely day for it.
Nothing improper is ever said, and indeed it is generally only in passing that the Prime Minister is referred to.
But it happens frequently enough, and the queen speaks of him fondly enough, that she can discern there is something deeper in their regard for each other than what society generally considers appropriate.
There is a lot Miss Skerrett does not know but this is something she is sure of.
Emma Portman
"She is quite besotted," the Duchess of Sutherland says to Emma as they watch the queen and Lord Melbourne talk together.
"Perhaps," Emma agrees, "but so is he."
They share a look and Emma looks once more at the pair. She rarely sees two people so comfortable with each other.
Can it really last, this connection between the unlikely duo? So good for both of them and yet considered inappropriate by so many.
Emma hopes so. She really does.
King Leopold
"Of course, you have the excellent and devoted Lord Melbourne. But he will not be at your side forever."
His sister writes to him in advance of his visit with her worries about Lord Melbourne. Leopold does not pay them much attention. After all how many serious charms can the Prime Minister – almost thirty years older than her, of no royal blood, and with a less than spotless reputation – really have for his young niece?
The answer, he soon discovers, is many charms indeed.
He can see some of them for himself. Melbourne can be very amiable though Leopold likes to think he sees right through him. And the man is an able enough politician.
But he does not see much else in Melbourne apart from a lot of trouble.
Victoria is supposed to rely on him and her mother for advice, not on her Prime Minister. She is supposed to be amenable to the idea of marrying Albert, a match he has been planning almost since their births.
But Victoria is headstrong and she is devoted to her Lord M. To give the man some credit he seems quite as enamoured with her as she is with him, yet that does not change the fact that this liaison is not something Leopold can sanction.
So much depends on Victoria and Albert's marriage, so many plans he has worked on for years. And it would be such a boon to his family, such a splendid match.
So when all his coaxing fails to induce his niece to invite Albert and Ernest to visit he chooses to do it himself.
He gives notice to Melbourne, who seems to think that extending the invitation without the queen's permission is a recipe for disaster.
But he is sure he is doing the right thing. Victoria only has to see Albert, to know him, and surely she will realise how much more suitable he is than Lord Melbourne.
His plans will come to fruition, he is sure of it.
Miss Skerrett
One day the flowers start.
Just after the queen disappears for half a day and then returns in an unusually subdued mood.
They first arrive on the night of the costume ball but after that it is a regular occurrence for someone to step in as the queen is dressing and present her with a posy or single flower 'with Lord Melbourne's compliments'.
The Baroness always looks disapproving but Miss Skerrett thinks it's a pretty gesture, one that always lifts the queen's spirits.
Miss Skerrett likes the queen, this girl who always tries so hard to be strong even as the whole world talks about her, this compassionate woman who not only thinks the traitor's death is uncivilised but who actually does something about it.
And if Lord Melbourne and his flowers make the queen happy, make her smile so brightly, then Miss Skerrett hopes he will remain near for many years to come.
George of Cambridge
His uncle Cumberland pushes him to try and win the hand of the queen but he does so with reluctance.
He doesn't know his cousin too well but what he does know is that she is headstrong and stubborn. His uncle makes the role of her husband sound enticing but George soon sees that she is not the sort to concede power to a husband easily.
It will be more trouble than it is worth for a disappointing level of power and prestige. Better he find a girl with a large fortune who is not liable to bother him.
And it is not likely that she will choose him anyway. His biggest supporter is after all his uncle Cumberland, who is hated by most of the country and especially disliked by the queen.
Besides, his cousin only seems to have eyes for that damnable Prime Minister of hers. She may dance with the Russian Grand Duke and other eligible men but she's always watching Melbourne, always prattling on about how useful he is, how he makes her laugh, and how she can't do without him.
He has no idea what she sees in a man old enough to be her father, one who is a mere Viscount and a politician at that!
His uncle is glaring at him once more for failing to dance with the queen but he knows, now that she's overheard his less than complimentary remarks about her, that she is not likely to be willing.
He'll try his luck tomorrow at the palace, give it one more try to please his uncle. But if the queen will not see him then he will not make another attempt – he has his pride after all.
Prince Ernest
"This is a fool's errand."
He and Albert set out for England with minimal expectations. They know their uncle Leopold has been planning to marry Albert to their cousin Victoria but Albert has always been a little resistant, always unsure if they will suit.
Ernest is joining him for moral support and for the variety in society that the English court will offer him. Whether or not a marriage comes from this visit, he at least intends to have a little fun.
The beginning is not auspicious. Albert – shy and nervous and unsure – ends up coming across as rather rude and condescending, raising the queen's hackles and making her disinclined towards him.
And she seems reluctant to spend time with them, offering an excuse of important paperwork that will keep her busy the whole of the following day. Ernest has no idea whether such paperwork really exists but he knows instinctively that Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister, will vouch for any decision the queen makes and will support any excuse.
The evening ends on a bad note. Albert is aghast that Victoria does not know whether or not she possesses works of Leonardo da Vinci in her collection and Victoria herself clearly prefers the company of her Prime Minister and ladies.
Their visit doesn't get any better.
They stay almost three weeks in England. By the end of the third day Ernest is sure that it is a hopeless matter but their uncle Leopold is bound and determined to make a match between Albert and the queen, and it takes him a while to fully accept the fact that it is not going to happen.
Ernest gets on well enough with his royal cousin but she clashes dreadfully with Albert. There are a few moments when he thinks there might be a connection and she does seem to take real interest in his talks about helping the poor, but in the end they are just too different.
It is plain to everyone that whether it is business or conversation, dancing or riding, the queen will always prefer the company of the Prime Minister she fondly refers to as Lord M.
And in the end Ernest thinks Albert does not want the match himself. The queen is tenacious and unyielding, unlikely to relinquish any power to her husband. Melbourne is the type not to mind – he already has the queen's confidence and knows she will always listen to his advice – but Albert would chafe at being the queen's husband and nothing else.
They leave with their dissatisfied uncle's admonitions ringing in their ears.
Albert is quieter than usual but Ernest thinks he will be alright in the end. He will find a wife, not nearly as grand as the queen but hopefully more suited to his tastes.
And Ernest will look back fondly on the memories of his time in England, especially remembering the charms of the beautiful Duchess of Sutherland.
He thinks it has been a moderately diverting visit.
Miss Skerrett
The German princes have gone home disappointed. King Leopold has followed, raging about the failure of his plans to marry his nephew to the queen. It is an ordinary day, no balls or dances, only a small dinner for the queen, her ladies and Lord Melbourne.
She is heading to the queen's rooms to lay out her dress for the evening when she notices one of the doors ajar and soft chatter emanating from it.
The room is one the queen uses regularly to work through correspondence and documents with Lord Melbourne and, sure enough, when she glances in she sees the two of them standing near a table piled high with papers.
And she knows she should continue on to prepare the queen's clothes but she stops for a few minutes to watch the queen and her Prime Minister together.
They aren't working, though it is clear they have been not too long ago, but are standing close together and whispering.
There is almost pleading in the queen's gaze, and stoic resignation in Melbourne's as he shakes his head.
The queen steps forward then, so their bodies are nearly touching, and a tirade escapes her. Miss Skerrett cannot hear much, but she gets the gist.
"… will not be told who to marry … interfering mama … will make them understand the advantages … shall not live without you, Lord M … I want no other companion."
She almost gasps out loud at what she hears. She has known for a while of the closeness between the queen and her Prime Minister but has never quite imagined just how strong their attachment is.
She should leave. If she gets caught spying on the queen's private meeting she will be in a world of trouble.
But she's got a bit of a romantic streak and she wants to see what happens next.
There is a moment of stillness after the queen finishes speaking and then suddenly she leans up and he tilts his head downward and their lips meet in a brief but clearly not chaste kiss.
Miss Skerrett covers her mouth to stop herself from expressing her surprise out loud.
The kiss lasts barely a few seconds but when the two break apart there is such love in their expressions that it brings tears to her eyes.
The kiss seems to be all the gesture the two need.
He grips her hands and she looks at him gently and contentedly.
"I will fight every battle I need to in order to have you by my side, Lord M," the queen tells the man in front of her, "will you fight me with me?"
Lord Melbourne takes a breath and then his lips quirk into a smile, clearly unable to hide his pleasure, "I will, Ma'am."
Miss Skerrett leaves then – she's already watched far too much and she's late as it is.
As she walks the last few corridors towards the queen's rooms her mind is full of what she has seen.
She does not think of the money she could make using the information she has come across – whatever she has been in the past she is turning over a new leaf and she truly believes Lord Melbourne is good for the young queen.
There will be scandal, of course, and lots of it. But she thinks of the queen's determination, of Lord Melbourne's devotion, and knows that they will find a way to be together.
That is good. Because there is something about the queen – something fresh and real and kind – that makes Miss Skerrett wish her well in a truly genuine way.
And as she listens to Mrs Jenkins scold her for lateness, as she sets out the dress for the evening, she also thinks of the pleasure she'll have in the future of dressing the queen as a bride for the wedding to Lord Melbourne that she knows now is inevitable.
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.