The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1973 - 70: The First Generation Hastings Baronet (Part 2)

But it is well known that politics, especially British politics, has always been an art of compromise.

For Arthur, though Conroy is distasteful, keeping him is still useful.

If Arthur wants to bring down Conroy, he only needs to release the suspicious financial records left by Conroy during his tenure at Kensington Palace. Although the records from the Duchess of Kent are hard to obtain, the asset details of Princess Sophia are quite easy to sort out with some effort or a little money to have Victor investigate.

Especially considering that after King William IV passes away, the Duke of Cumberland will succeed as the King of the Kingdom of Hanover, and the Duke of Cambridge, appointed as the Governor of Hanover by King William IV, is already on his way back.

It’s important to note that among George III’s children, the two brothers closest to Princess Sophia were the late elder brother George IV and the Duke of Cambridge.

With the Duke of Cambridge’s temperament and his relationship with his sister Princess Sophia, Arthur only needs to spread word of the financial records at the right time, and the Duke of Cambridge, who will be at leisure, will likely take action to seek justice for his sister.

However, this matter is not urgent and should be dealt with only after attention towards Conroy has subsided.

Moreover, the Duchess of Kent does not seem to have abandoned the Grand Steward of Kensington Palace yet, and Arthur does not want to offend both of them.

Furthermore, since Victoria’s accession, although this good student, who has learned under Sir Arthur Hastings for years, still holds strong teacher-student affection for him.

Yet, relationships between people cannot be maintained by affection alone, especially with a monarch, where it is necessary to tie in realistic interests beyond sentiments.

And the ability of Sir Arthur Hastings to properly handle John Conroy for Her Majesty the Queen is a reliable interest lasting at least three to five years.

Arthur stood there, his expression as calm as water.

He did not immediately justify his silence; instead, he seemed a bit hesitant until Victoria’s gaze returned to him, at which point he softly spoke, "Your Majesty, in fact, this matter is not entirely without room for maneuver."

Victoria did not speak, but her fingers placed on her knee moved slightly.

Having observed Victoria closely at Kensington Palace for three years, Arthur immediately noticed that his good student was intrigued.

Arthur hesitated to speak, "If you allow, I can go discuss with Viscount Melbourne and temporarily agree to some of Sir John’s conditions, such as giving him a fixed pension, as a dignified reward for his continued loyalty after stepping down. Additionally, we can consider granting him the title of a Baronet..."

"Baronet?" Victoria raised her head, her gaze becoming somewhat complicated, clearly showing that even with this condition, she was not very pleased. However, compared to the other two options, this one was relatively more acceptable: "But he wants the title of a Baron; you know he wants to enter the House of Lords."

Arthur nodded, "Of course, I know. But the issue is, the House of Lords does not want him inside."

Upon hearing this, Lady Leisen nearly couldn’t contain her laughter, fortunately she just lowered her head and coughed.

Victoria was slightly startled, as if gradually understanding Arthur’s meaning: "But... If he insists on claiming the title of a Baron... What should be done then?"

Arthur seized the opportunity, continuing, "It’s harmless if he insists; you can promise him a Baron title in Southern Ireland, but only after a current Irish noble passes away without heirs can it be conferred. After all, there are only so many Baron titles, unless he can win like the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo; otherwise, you cannot just magically create one for him."

Lady Leisen also understood Arthur’s implication: "Let him see the prospects, but not immediately fulfill them? This way, he cannot claim that he hasn’t received a reward, as nominally, he is waiting for the state’s arrangement. Moreover, in this way, he finds it difficult to continue being loud, because if he continues to oppose, he will worry that Her Majesty the Queen might retract the promise of the title?"

Arthur smiled and nodded, "You are correct, besides, being granted the title of a Baronet now, while not included in the nobility list, is already enough for him to show off in social occasions. He can print family crests, customize clocks, and inform guests that he is Sir John Conroy, the first Baronet."

"But he still cannot speak in the House of Lords." Victoria murmured softly, "This way he can stay away from me a bit more..."

"Precisely." Arthur replied with a smile, "In doing so, the initiative is in your hands, Your Majesty."

Victoria raised an eyebrow; a smile returned to her face: "If this year... I mean, suppose, some unfortunate event happens to a certain noble in Ireland, and they happen to die childless... What should be done then..."

Arthur lightly shook his head, "Your Majesty, you don’t need to worry about that. Haven’t you forgotten how our Hastings family restored the Earl of Huntingdon title?"

As soon as Arthur mentioned the Earl of Huntingdon inheritance case, Victoria immediately understood.

In Britain, when a noble dies without leaving a clear legitimate heir, or multiple distant relatives claim the right to inherit, the issue of title ownership legally is identified as a "Noble Succession Appeal" and immediately enters a formal statutory review process.