They were accompanied by their suites, and, in particular, by two persons--the Baron Stockmar and the Baroness Lehzen.
III Albert had foreseen that his married life would not be all plain sailing; but he had by no means realised the gravity and the complication of the difficulties which he would have to face.
Politically, he was a cipher.

Lord Melbourne was not only Prime Minister, he was in effect the Private Secretary of the Queen, and thus controlled the whole of the political existence of the sovereign.

A queen's husband was an entity unknown to the British Constitution.

In State affairs there seemed to be no place for him; nor was Victoria herself at all unwilling that this should be so.

"The English," she had told the Prince when, during their engagement, a proposal had been made to give him a peerage, "are very jealous of any foreigner interfering in the government of this country, and have already in some of the papers expressed a hope that you would not interfere.