Chapter 4: The Queen's Decision

"I understand, Arthur. I agree that you should go out to see the world" Queen Victoria remained silent for a long time before nodding reluctantly.

"Thank you, Grandmother." Arthur finally breathed a sigh of relief at her words and gratefully looked at Queen Victoria.

"After this period of time has passed, I'll accompany you to Australia to have a look!" Queen Victoria suddenly spoke, surprising everyone with her words.

"You're going to Australia?" Arthur was stunned for a moment, but then remembered Queen Victoria's trip to the small white island in northern New Zealand at the end of 1900, just to cherish the wonderful time she had spent with Prince Albert and her children at the end of her life.

"Yes," Queen Victoria seemed to be lost in her sweet memories, and it took a while for her to come back to reality. She looked at Arthur with a smile and said, "By then, Grandmother can also spend some more time with Arthur. We may never see each other again in the future."

Hearing Queen Victoria's words, Arthur's nose suddenly felt a bit sour, and tears seemed to well up in his eyes, but he held them back.

"No, Grandmother. You can still spend a long time with Arthur. Grandmother should live to be at least a hundred years old." Arthur quickly said.

In fact, when Queen Victoria went to the White Island, she already knew about her health condition, but she still chose to travel there to cherish the memories of her husband and children.

Now, after experiencing the pain of losing a child once again, perhaps Queen Victoria has already felt that her body is no longer as strong as it used to be, and she intends to go to White Island to end her life on a perfect note.

"Haha, good. Grandmother will live to be at least a hundred years old." Queen Victoria nodded with a smile, without refuting Arthur's words, but her slightly sad eyes and slightly trembling hands proved that she did not believe it.

"Arthur, are you really going to Australia?" After coming back to reality, Queen Victoria looked at Arthur with a slightly solemn expression and asked.

"You should understand that Australia is not any different from mainland Britain. It used to be our penal colony, although it's not anymore, there are still many Australians who are not civilized. If you are going to Australia, you need to be prepared at all times. The people there are not obedient, and you must hold onto your weapons and wealth to ensure that you and your loved ones are not harmed," Queen Victoria explained.

"Yes, grandmother, I am ready," Arthur nodded solemnly.

"Good, Arthur," Queen Victoria patted Arthur's head and said, "I will inform the government to exchange all the territories you inherit now with Australia, and your title will also become Duke of Australia. Of course, if you cannot bear the life in Australia, grandmother welcomes you back at any time."

"Thank you, grandmother," Arthur nodded gratefully.

In the end, Queen Victoria was good to her family, especially to the Duke of Connaught and Princess Beatrice, whom she loved more among her own children. Even after the unexpected death of the Duke of Connaught, Queen Victoria's love for him seemed to grow stronger.

Queen Victoria's actions were swift. The day after the Duke's death, the British government issued a notice that several Australian colonies would be merged into the new Australian Duchy, ruled by the Duke of Connaught.

The several titles that the Duke had inherited from his father were returned to the British Empire.

At first glance, this land exchange seemed like a huge loss for the Duke, as his two duchies were core areas of the British Empire, even though they were not very large in size. On the other hand, the new Australian Duchy, which was once a penal colony of the British Empire, was now a sparsely populated and economically backward colony with a vast land area.

Even after consolidation, it lacked basic infrastructure and for decades it would not compare to the two duchies that the Duke originally possessed.

Although everyone, from the British government to the common people, was surprised by this land exchange, they understood what had happened after the Duke's assassination not long before.

January 31, 1900.

Twenty days had passed since the land exchange between the Duke and the Australian colonies. Everyone, including Queen Victoria and the Duke, had already accepted the situation.

During this time, apart from some guests occasionally showing concern for the Duke and his family, Queen Victoria had also received visits from Princess Beatrice and Prince Edward, the heir to the throne.

Prince Edward was very friendly to the new Duke, perhaps because he knew that after the land exchange, there would be no trouble for him inheriting the throne. He even promised to sponsor the Duke with some funds when he went to the new Australian Duchy.

Thanks to Queen Victoria's deliberate concealment, the new Duke was still unaware that his own uncle, Prince Edward was his father's murderer .

However, regardless of the motive or the ability of the forces that could assassinate the most beloved Duke in the capital of England, the new Duke would not refuse Prince Edward's gifts.

After all, the development of Australia would require time and a large amount of funds to support it.

Although the Duke had a way to obtain a large amount of funds, which could even support Australia's development for the next few years, this fortune was not easy to obtain in the short term. At least until the Duke had fully grasped Australia, he would not have the idea of using this unexpected wealth.

After 20 days of preparation, Queen Victoria announced to her children and the government that she had decided to travel to the White Island in New Zealand for rest and recovery, despite her exhaustion.

This decision caused turbulence in the British political arena, as Queen Victoria had previously secluded herself for over ten years following the death of Prince Albert in 1861. Although she became active again and was warmly welcomed by British citizens during the grand celebrations for her 50th and 60th Jubilee, her seclusion had a significant impact on British politics.

In fact, Queen Victoria's current role as a stabilizing force is irreplaceable, both for British politics and the entire British Empire. In the hearts of British citizens, she is a great and irreplaceable monarch.

This phenomenon also appeared in later generations with British Queens, whose long reign elevated the prestige of the monarchy and the royal family among the people. Coupled with the rise of the British Empire during the Victorian era, Queen Victoria became even more important to the British.