The Shadow of Great Britain

”Oh?” Arthur smiled teasingly, ”Then it seems he doesn’t see you as a relative of the Royal Family, but rather as a true political figure.”

”That’s exactly what he said,” Albert nodded with a smile, ”He said I shouldn’t be content with playing a ceremonial role, but should focus my attention on bridging the gap between the old order and new forces. He specifically used the word ’gap’, saying that future Europe will no longer tolerate rigid authority, nor could it accept boundless radicalism, and that reasonable and respected middle ground must be carved out by well-educated individuals who are not entirely bound by vested interests.”

Arthur murmured softly: ”It does indeed sound like the tone of Sir Peel. That he would speak so candidly to you suggests he indeed has high expectations of you. After all, I’ve never heard of him saying such things to any other Royal Family members of your generation.”

Having been a seasoned player in the political arena for decades, Peel might not understand or be willing to deal with a princess raised in the deep palace like Victoria, but the way he painted a picture for a University of Bonn student like Albert shows that this Conservative Party leader’s skills are truly remarkable.

A university student like Albert, to speak frankly, must seem like a fresh piece of porcelain to seasoned politicians.

Entirely exquisite, costly, appearing to hold potential, but you’re not quite sure if it can actually hold water.

He just emerged from a sea of Latin, nationalism, and Roman law lecture notes at Bonn University, feeling an instinctive affinity for complex terms like ”rational governance” and ”civil contract”. It’s not his fault; after all, where would he have had the chance during his studies to see a budget being twisted to appease three parties?

He harbors ambitions for the nation but is clueless about constituencies. He’s full of anticipation for reform but has never seen the bizarre scenes of election time. He enjoys discussing the legitimacy of power but has yet to handle any single member of parliament who doesn’t buy into it.

For such idealistic young people, perhaps no one understands better than Robert Peel how they should be dealt with.

After all, from any aspect, Peel’s credentials are indeed rock-solid.

For a student like Albert, who perhaps cannot understand events he hasn’t personally encountered, it’s difficult to generate much awe for the bigwigs in the political arena regarding political affairs.

Just as his respect for Arthur originated purely from Arthur’s strong academic grounding and the notes he left during his tenure at the University of Gottingen.

And Peel?

Although Peel hadn’t been a professor, he was just elected as the chancellor of the University of Glasgow at the beginning of this year.

Of course, some might say Peel’s role as chancellor is primarily due to political influence.

But even setting that aside, when Peel studied at Oxford University, he entered Oxford University Christ Church College with a full ”Westminster Scholarship”.

Keep in mind, only 1 to 3 freshmen each year receive the ”Westminster Scholarship,” and recipients must excel in classical literature and rhetoric.

In the public consciousness of 19th-century Britain, the ”Westminster Scholarship” was not only a symbol of honor but almost a certificate of future qualification as a Cabinet Minister.

Winning this scholarship required passing an extremely rigorous selection process. Therefore, unlike many political nobles of the time, Peel genuinely entered Oxford through examinations, not by his lineage or through connections from his father, Sir Old Peel.

A testament to Peel’s academic excellence lies in the fact that he was the first in Oxford’s history to earn a First Class Classical Literature Honors degree since Oxford University’s establishment of the classical literature degree classification system.

Peel’s outstanding performance in his youth naturally attracted significant attention from Oxford staff, to the point where even before Peel graduated, someone privately wrote to Peel’s father, predicting that his son would certainly become Prime Minister in the future.

As a ”flagship product” of Oxford’s educational system, a First Class Honors graduate from Oxford Christ Church College, Peel himself naturally held symbolic significance for Oxford University. Therefore, from Peel’s graduation and entry into politics in 1808, Oxford alumni have spared no effort in providing maximum support to this rising star in every aspect.

In 1817, Peel changed his constituency to Oxford University and maintained this prestigious position for over a decade.

If not for the ”Catholic Reform Bill” which made Oxford alumni feel betrayed, who knows, Peel might have continued to hold this seat for another twenty or thirty years.

For a university student, Robert Peel’s resume is nearly the ideal template for all passionate young people.

Albert certainly understood how challenging such a path was.

He himself had to strive merely to gain his professor’s approval in ”Basic Roman Law” in Bonn University’s classroom, already having spent a full two months on it. Yet, Peel could easily excel at Oxford University under the dual assessment of classical literature and rhetoric, achieving the top score in school history.

Moreover, Peel completed the accomplishments of obtaining the Westminster Scholarship at Oxford, earning a First Class degree, being elected as an MP, and becoming a Cabinet Minister all between the ages of eighteen and thirty. And this young Prince of Saxony-Coburg-Gotha, is now exactly eighteen years old.