Chapter 5: The Crown Prince's Gift
In truth, not only within the British Empire but across most monarchies in Europe, Queen Victoria was seen as the standard bearer of monarchy.
She hadn't been dubbed the "Grandmother of Europe" for nothing—many royal families across Europe shared close blood ties with her. Even Wilhelm II, the Emperor of the German Empire and one of the world's great powers, was her own grandson.
In the original timeline, when Queen Victoria passed away on Whakaari (White Island), she was surrounded by many of her descendants, including Crown Prince Edward and Kaiser Wilhelm II.
That even someone of Wilhelm II's status was constantly by her side spoke volumes about Queen Victoria's prestige among European royal houses.
As expected, Queen Victoria's decision met with widespread opposition.
No one wanted to see the over-eighty-year-old monarch travel thousands of miles just to reach Whakaari Island.
Though many understood her longing for her late loved ones, neither the British Empire nor the European royal families could afford the blow of losing her.
Yet once Queen Victoria made up her mind, no one could stop her—not even Prime Minister Robert or Crown Prince Edward.
The only comforting thought was that she didn't plan to leave immediately. She would wait until Arthur had settled his affairs, and then travel with him to Australia.
Although Duke Arthur had been assassinated at a young age, he left Arthur a great deal of wealth and property.
Setting aside the two duchies and one earldom that had now been traded for territories in Australia, the castles, two arms factories, one steel plant, and a shipyard originally under Duke Arthur's control were already worth over a hundred million pounds.
In addition, Duke Arthur had left behind shares in numerous industrial and other enterprises, valued at no less than ten million pounds.
Now that Arthur was preparing to go to Australia, most of this wealth would either have to be transported or converted into liquid assets to be fully useful.
Arthur intended to liquidate all his shares. While those shares might appreciate over time, he clearly didn't have the luxury of waiting.
It made more sense to convert them into pounds and invest in Australia's development.
As for the shipyard, steel plant, and arms factories, if possible, they should all be relocated to Australia.
These factories were rare resources for the colony and could not only fill the gap in its long-lacking industrial infrastructure but also accelerate its technological and industrial progress.
As for the castles left behind by Duke Arthur, Arthur had no plans to return to the British Empire, so there was no reason to keep them.
Each castle was a centuries-old fortress with expansive grounds, complete infrastructure, multiple restaurants, grand gardens, and a collection of priceless artworks.
The value of these castles alone likely exceeded sixty million pounds—about a quarter of the British Empire's annual national revenue.
Fortunately, Butler Hunter had previously managed all of Duke Arthur's assets and was intimately familiar with every detail.
When he learned that Arthur planned to sell everything and move to Australia, he didn't object. Instead, he quietly began helping Arthur liquidate the very assets he had once built from the ground up.
Perhaps due to the British Empire's economic prosperity and the rise of many wealthy individuals, the liquidation process went surprisingly smoothly.
Within just one month, most of the shares and castles had been sold.
The castles, in particular, were well-received by the nobility. All were sold, bringing Arthur a total of seventy million pounds.
Adding in the proceeds from the shares, Arthur now held an astonishing eighty-seven million pounds in cash.
March 3rd, Buckingham Palace.
This was Arthur's final day in the British Empire, and also the day before Queen Victoria's scheduled departure.
The British government was particularly busy that day, having to manage routine governance while double-checking preparations for Queen Victoria's departure.
As the monarch of the British Empire, the scale of Queen Victoria's entourage was understandably grand.
She would be accompanied by two thousand royal guards and an escort fleet consisting of two battleships and five cruisers.
Traveling with her were Princess Beatrice, Arthur, Princess Louise, Margaret, Patricia, palace steward Harvey, and Deputy Prime Minister John.
To ensure her daily needs were met, twelve servants, three maids, five chefs, and two pastry chefs were also included in the journey.
With all final preparations completed, Queen Victoria began bidding farewell to government officials and Crown Prince Edward.
The farewell between Queen Victoria and Edward was stiff and awkward, perhaps because both carried burdens in their hearts.
Nevertheless, Edward looked quite relaxed and cheerful, perhaps because his wish had finally been fulfilled.
He smiled as he offered Arthur a few words of advice:
"Arthur, once you reach your new territory, remember not to act recklessly. Your subjects are the foundation of your land. Only a beloved ruler can govern a nation long-term. Learn from your grandmother—strive to be a capable sovereign."
"Yes, Uncle," Arthur replied. Though he didn't understand Edward's oddly upbeat mood, he simply took it as parting advice from an elder.
"Edward, Arthur is about to leave. As his uncle, don't you have anything to give him?"
Queen Victoria, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke, her gaze meaningful as she looked at Edward.
"Oh, damn it, how could I forget something so important?"
Crown Prince Edward broke out in a cold sweat and quickly added,
"Arthur, I promised you a gift when you left for your new lands, and it's time I fulfilled that promise.
I heard you've been selling off your assets recently, and I haven't been able to help much.
So here—privately, I'll give you twenty million pounds. And I'll also have the Bank of London issue you an interest-free loan of thirty million pounds.
Think of it as a belated birthday gift.
Circumstances kept us from celebrating properly before, but still—happy seventeenth birthday."
(End of Chapter)
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