Already in the early months of his marriage, while the Queen was closeted with her ministers, the prince was poking around in the domestic arrangements and taking notes. Albert was not used to comfort. His beloved little country house the Rosenau had been less than cozy. His family’s ancestral palace at Coburg had been an antiquated firetrap. All the same, the prince proceeded to be appalled by the waste, dirt, and disorder he found at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. The servants were slovenly and disobedient. Below stairs at Buckingham Palace, the corridors were lined with refuse and infested by rats and roaches. At times whole suites had to be closed off when the stench from the drains became intolerable. Treasures were everywhere but sadly neglected. The Windsor Castle library was crammed with rare books and manuscripts, but there was no good catalog. Open a cupboard and out fell some dusty drawings by Leonardo da Vinci or a pile of George III’s correspondence. Security at Buckingham Palace was so lax that the curious and the mad had little trouble getting in.
What do You think about We Two: Victoria And Albert?
