Prince Albert Married a Queen - But Struggled to Find His Place

When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert on the 10th of February 1840, she was delighted to have her new husband beside her. However, their early married life was not quite as straightforward as either might have expected. Albert had married the Queen of Great Britain, but that did not mean he had any authority of his own in the country.

One of his first difficulties concerned their household. Albert wanted to choose his own staff, but Victoria had already made arrangements and insisted that he accept her choices. He was accustomed to a society in which husbands were generally expected to take charge of their households, and suddenly found himself in a rather different position.

There was also the question of Baroness Louise Lehzen, Victoria's former governess. Lehzen had been with Victoria since childhood and remained one of her most trusted companions. Albert disliked her influence over his wife, and their disagreements over her position would eventually become a serious problem within the royal household.

Albert was also interested in politics and government, but Victoria already had a trusted adviser in her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. She had relied heavily upon Melbourne since becoming queen in 1837, and Albert initially had little involvement in her official duties. Although he was intelligent and well educated, finding something useful to do was proving difficult.

In May 1840, Albert wrote to his friend Prince William of Löwenstein about his situation. He explained that he was happy in his marriage, but admitted that he was only the husband, not the master of the house. It was a rather revealing admission from a young prince who had expected marriage to bring him greater responsibilities.

However, things gradually began to change. Victoria was expecting their first child and sometimes felt too unwell to manage her usual workload. Albert began reading government despatches to her, and the couple eventually placed their desks beside one another at Buckingham Palace so they could work together.

By the end of 1840, Albert was effectively acting as Victoria's unofficial private secretary, with access to important government papers. He had begun to establish a role for himself, although his influence would continue to grow over the following years.

Victoria and Albert certainly loved one another, but their marriage was not without its difficulties. Victoria had been queen for nearly three years before they married, and she was accustomed to making her own decisions. Albert had to learn how to be the husband of a reigning monarch, while Victoria had to become accustomed to sharing parts of her life and work with him.

Image info:

John Partridge, Prince Albert (1840). Royal Collection, RCIN 404543. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

She Befriended an American Embassy Clerk - Then MI5 Discovered the Secret Papers in His Flat

In our last Second World War post, we met Joan Miller, the MI5 agent who infiltrated the Right Club, a secretive organisation whose members included people who sympathised with Germany. Her work brought her into contact with Anna Wolkoff, a Russian-born woman living in London. What Joan discovered would eventually lead investigators to a remarkable collection of secret diplomatic documents.

Anna was born in Russia in 1902. Her father had served as the Imperial Russian naval attaché in London, and following the Russian Revolution, the family remained in Britain. They opened the Russian Tea Rooms in South Kensington, which became a meeting place for people with strongly antisemitic and pro-German views, including members of the Right Club.

In early 1940, Anna met Tyler Kent, an American cipher clerk working at the United States Embassy in London. His job gave him access to confidential communications, including messages exchanged between Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, Kent had been secretly keeping copies of documents that should never have left the embassy. He allowed Anna and the club's founder, Conservative MP Archibald Ramsay, to examine some of them.

In April 1940, Anna made copies of some of Kent's documents. Evidence later linked her to efforts to pass information through contacts at the Italian Embassy. She also asked Joan Miller, unaware that Joan was working for MI5, to help send a coded message to William Joyce, the broadcaster known as Lord Haw-Haw. Instead, Joan reported the matter to her intelligence handlers.

On the 20th of May 1940, officers searched Kent's London flat and discovered a large collection of confidential papers. They also found the Right Club's membership records, which Ramsay had entrusted to Kent for safekeeping. Kent and Wolkoff were arrested, and their case was heard behind closed doors at the Old Bailey in November 1940. Wolkoff received a ten-year prison sentence, while Kent received seven years.

Joan Miller had spent months gaining the confidence of people who had no idea that she was reporting their activities. Her information helped MI5 uncover a serious security breach at a particularly dangerous time for Britain.

In our next post, we'll take a closer look at Tyler Kent and the extraordinary collection of documents discovered inside his flat.

Image info:

British Ministry of Information, Second World War. Imperial War Museums / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Elizabeth I Released Her Disgraced Favourite - But Refused to Restore the Income He Relied Upon

In our last Tudor post, we learned more about Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, when he returned from Ireland without Queen Elizabeth I's permission in September 1599. 

Essex spent the following months hoping Elizabeth would forgive him. On the 19th of March 1600, he was moved to his own residence, Essex House, but he remained under supervision and was not free to come and go as he pleased. He continued writing to the queen, appealing for her mercy, but his efforts brought little success.

On the 5th of June 1600, Essex appeared before a special commission at York House to answer for his conduct in Ireland. His failure to follow royal instructions, his negotiations with Hugh O'Neill and his unauthorised return to England were all examined. He was found guilty of disobedience and lost several important positions, including his place on the Privy Council. But, Elizabeth allowed him to keep the office of Master of the Horse, and he was ordered to remain under restraint.

His circumstances eventually improved, and on the 26th of August 1600, Essex was granted his freedom. He could now move about without the restrictions that had been imposed upon him, but Elizabeth still refused to allow him back to court. Essex continued hoping that their relationship might recover, although there was little indication that the queen was ready to trust him again.

Another difficulty was approaching. For years, Essex had enjoyed a valuable royal monopoly connected with imported sweet wines, which provided him with a substantial income. When the privilege came up for renewal in the autumn of 1600, Elizabeth refused to extend it. Without this money, Essex faced increasing financial pressure at a time when his political influence had already been badly weakened.

Essex had once been one of the most powerful men at Elizabeth's court, but much of that influence had disappeared. He increasingly blamed Sir Robert Cecil and other royal advisers for his troubles, believing they were preventing him from regaining the queen's favour. His supporters remained loyal, but Essex was becoming frustrated with his repeated attempts to secure Elizabeth's forgiveness.

As 1600 drew to a close, Essex began considering other ways of recovering his former position. Discussions among his supporters were becoming increasingly dangerous, and some believed that forcing a change in the queen's advisers might be the answer. What Essex decided to do next would bring him into direct conflict with the government he had once served.

Image info:

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, by Sir William Segar. National Gallery of Ireland. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

She Walked Into a London Tea Room in 1940 - And Helped Expose a Wartime Spy Ring

In early 1940, a young woman began visiting the Russian Tea Rooms in South Kensington, London. She appeared sympathetic towards Germany and claimed to work at the War Office. The people she met had no idea that she was actually working for MI5, or that she had been sent there to investigate their activities.

Her name was Joan Miller, and before the war she had worked for the cosmetics company Elizabeth Arden. She joined MI5 shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and eventually came to the attention of Maxwell Knight, who was responsible for investigating political subversion. Knight wanted Joan to infiltrate a secretive organisation known as the Right Club and discover who belonged to it.

The Right Club had been founded in 1939 by Conservative MP Archibald Ramsay. Its members held strongly antisemitic views, and some openly sympathised with Germany. Meetings were sometimes held in a flat above the Russian Tea Rooms, which was run by the Wolkoff family.

Joan was introduced to the establishment through another undercover agent and gradually gained the confidence of Anna Wolkoff, who was closely involved with the club. By pretending to share Anna's political sympathies, she was able to learn more about the organisation and its members. Before long, Joan had been accepted into their circle.

What she discovered was far more serious than political meetings. Anna had become acquainted with Tyler Kent, he was an American cipher clerk who was working at the United States Embassy in London. Kent had been secretly taking confidential documents, including correspondence involving Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt, and he allowed members of the Right Club to look at them.

Anna was also involved in passing sensitive information through contacts connected with the Italian Embassy. At one point, she asked Joan to help deliver a coded message intended for William Joyce, who was broadcasting German propaganda from abroad. Rather than sending it on, Joan showed the message to Maxwell Knight.

MI5 had other agents investigating the group, and their combined work helped uncover the extent of the security breach. On the 20th of May 1940, Kent and Wolkoff were arrested. Both were subsequently convicted, with Anna receiving ten years in prison and Kent seven.

While Britain was preparing for the possibility of invasion, Joan Miller had been conducting her own secret operation in the heart of London. She had entered a group whose members believed she was one of them, and helped expose an affair involving stolen diplomatic correspondence and contacts with Britain's enemies.

Image info:

You Forget – But She Remembers, British wartime propaganda poster, artist Whitear, Ministry of Information, The National Archives, INF 3/271. Public domain.

Elizabeth I’s Favourite Walked Into Her Bedchamber Unannounced - But His Welcome Did Not Last Long

In our last Tudor post, we followed Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, as his military campaign in Ireland came to an unsuccessful end. Rather than defeating Hugh O'Neill and bringing the Nine Years' War to a close, Essex had agreed to a truce and returned to England without Queen Elizabeth I's permission. His decision was a serious breach of royal orders, but Essex hoped that speaking to the queen personally might help him explain his actions.

On the 28th of September 1599, Essex arrived at Nonsuch Palace in Surrey at around ten o'clock in the morning. Still dirty from his hurried journey, he made his way through the palace and entered Elizabeth's private bedchamber without being announced. The queen had only recently risen and was not yet fully dressed, with her hair loose around her face. It was a remarkable breach of court etiquette, even for someone who had enjoyed her favour for so many years.

Essex knelt before Elizabeth, kissed her hands and spoke with her privately. According to a contemporary account, he emerged from the meeting in remarkably good spirits, seemingly relieved by his reception. He had apparently expected a much worse welcome. But Essex saw the queen twice more that day, and by their final meeting her attitude towards him had changed.

Elizabeth wanted an explanation for his conduct in Ireland, particularly the truce he had negotiated with O'Neill and his decision to leave his command without permission. She had entrusted him with a substantial army and expected him to follow her instructions. Essex had already tested her patience on several occasions, but this involved far more than an ordinary disagreement between the queen and one of her favourites.

On the 29th of September, Essex appeared before the Privy Council, where he was questioned for approximately five hours. The councillors strongly criticised his actions, regarding the truce as unacceptable and his departure from Ireland as a desertion of duty. He had already been ordered to remain in his rooms at court, and on the 1st of October he was placed in custody at York House.

It was a considerable humiliation for a man who had once enjoyed such influence over Elizabeth. Essex had returned to England hoping to restore his position, but within days he found himself separated from the court and facing an uncertain future. His military reputation had suffered, and his relationship with the queen was badly damaged.

For the moment, Essex's future remained in Elizabeth's hands. Whether he could regain her favour was another matter entirely, and the events of the following year would take their relationship towards an even more serious confrontation.

Image info:

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, c. 1596–1601. National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Secret British House Where Captured Spies Were Interrogated

In the summer of 1940, as Britain prepared for the possibility of a German invasion, MI5 took over a large house near Ham Common in south-west London. Known as Latchmere House, the building had previously been used to care for officers suffering from nervous disorders following the First World War.

Now it had a very different purpose. The house became a secret interrogation centre known as Camp 020. Initially, it held various suspects, including suspected fascists, but by late 1940 its main work involved questioning captured enemy spies.

The man in charge was Robin Stephens, a former army officer nicknamed 'Tin Eye' because of the thick monocle he wore. He had a reputation for being a particularly intimidating interrogator. Stephens used isolation, threats and psychological pressure to obtain information, but he strictly forbade his officers from physically assaulting prisoners.

The house had also been fitted with hidden microphones. Post Office engineers installed listening equipment in July 1940, allowing intelligence officers to overhear conversations without prisoners knowing. Even when they were alone in their rooms, their words might still be recorded.

Among those brought to Camp 020 was Wulf Schmidt, a German agent who parachuted into Britain in September 1940. He was quickly captured and interrogated before eventually becoming a British double agent under the codename TATE. His wireless messages continued to reach German intelligence, but the information was now controlled by MI5.

Another prisoner was Karel Richter, who parachuted into Hertfordshire in May 1941. After two days without food, he sought help and attracted the attention of a policeman. At Camp 020, Richter stubbornly denied being a spy until officers confronted him with another captured German agent, Josef Jakobs.

After seventeen hours of interrogation, Richter finally admitted where he had hidden his parachute and wireless equipment.

Information gathered at Camp 020 helped British intelligence identify German espionage activities and recruit double agents. Some became part of the Double-Cross System, sending false information to Germany while appearing to remain loyal to their original employers.

The centre remained in operation until 1945. What had once been a house used for the care of wounded officers had become one of Britain's most important wartime interrogation centres.

Image info:

British Second World War propaganda poster, There’s Often a Listener – Silence Is Safety. Ministry of Information, The National Archives, reference INF 3/247. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Prince Albert Grew Up Alongside His Older Brother - But Their Futures Would Be Very Different

Long before he became Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert was growing up in Coburg with his older brother, Ernest. The boys were just fourteen months apart and spent much of their childhood together. Ernest was born on the 21st of June 1818, followed by Albert on the 26th of August 1819.

Their father was Duke Ernest I, and the family spent time at several residences, including Schloss Rosenau, which was a country house surrounded by beautiful gardens and woodland. Ernest, as the eldest son, was expected to inherit from his father, but Albert's future was less clear.

As we discovered in our previous Victorian post, their parents' marriage broke down, and their mother, Louise, “left” in 1824. The brothers remained with their father, and their grandmothers continued to be an affectionate part in their lives.

In 1823, Johann Christoph Florschütz became their tutor, and he would remain an important figure throughout their childhood. The boys even shared rooms with him in the upper part of Rosenau. Their education included history, geography, languages, music and drawing, but Florschütz also believed that they should spend plenty of time outdoors.

The brothers had their own little garden at Rosenau, complete with flowerbeds, a birdhouse and a summerhouse. They helped look after the plants and even built a miniature fort in the grounds. Both developed an interest in natural history, collecting specimens such as butterflies, shells and stones.

They were close but had very different personalities. Ernest was outgoing and Albert was thoughtful and increasingly serious about his studies. But Albert had a mischievous side too, he enjoyed practical jokes and imitating people to make others laugh.

In May 1836, both brothers travelled to England and met their cousin, Princess Victoria. She enjoyed their company, and Albert particularly impressed her with his appearance, intelligence and conversation. Four years later, he became her husband.

Ernest remained in Germany and inherited his father's duchy in 1844. Albert, meanwhile, began a completely different life beside Britain's queen.

When Albert returned to Rosenau with Victoria in 1845, he showed her the rooms where he and Ernest had spent their childhood with their tutor. It was a chance to revisit the home and memories of the years before his life had changed so dramatically.

Image info:

Princes Ernest and Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, artist unknown, c. 1820s. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.