Page:The Queens of England.djvu/596

 538 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. of his reign, Victoria realized in the early years of her sovef- ignty, and cheaper schools in many a town and hamlet renewed the impetus toward universal education, that is the foundation of the Victorian era. The Corn Laws, ever a thorn in the flesh of the poor, were abolished, but it needed a famine in Ireland to bring it about, and such liberal men as Lord John Russell and Peel proved to be. One of the most important reforms of the new regime was the institution of the penny post, which was brought about as a blessing to the poor, who could ill afford the high rates proportioned according to distance. The first three years of the reign were so wholly given to the duties and better acquaintance of her position that her min- isters began to be anxious as to the matrimonial inclinations of the sovereign. Her uncle, Prince Leopold, and the wise and sagacious Stockmar, had for years been working out the solu- tion of this weighty problem, more especially since the separa- tion of the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg had put the young Prince Albert more directly within the influence of Prince Leopold and the Dowager Duchess, his grandmother. Other alliances were suggested by King William, but were in no way agreeable to the young girl, and fortunately there were no male relatives who had power to make political or financial barter of her hand. Her power was absolute to choose whom she would. It had long been the wish of her uncle Leopold that his favorite nephew and niece should in time fill the place that would have been filled by his beloved Charlotte and himself but for her untimely death. It was, therefore, a joy to him — at that time King of Belgium — no less than to her Ministers, when, in 1839, she announced her choice to be Prince Albert of Saxe- Coburg. The Prince had visited England a number of times during his boyhood, and once just before the intimation of the high destiny that awaited him. For the first time in the history of English Queens do we find a "love-match" pure and simple. To Stockmar she wrote, "Albert has completely won my heart." And to her uncle Leopold she wrote of her great happiness : "My mind is quite made up. I told Albert this morning of it. The warm affection he showed me on learning this gave me great pleasure. The last few days have passed like a dream to me. * * * * Lord Melbourne, whom I have consulted about the whole affair, quite approves my choice." Very dif- ferent this, from the experience of former Queens, who were pledged, frequently in infancy, by scheming fathers or brothers,