Chapter 88 Queen Wilhelmina
Arthur looked at Princess Louise in astonishment, only to see her face beaming with joy as she said cheerfully, "Queen Dowager Emma and I got along quite well. We both believe that you and Queen Wilhelmina share very similar life experiences. Arthur, noble marriages are like this. I believe the Kingdom of the Netherlands could become a powerful ally for you—marrying Queen Wilhelmina is a great match."
As she spoke, Princess Louise seemed worried that Arthur might not accept the idea right away and quickly added, "Although I truly hope this marriage can happen, the final decision is still yours, Arthur. I support whatever choice you make, and above all, I want you to follow your heart."
Indeed, as Princess Louise said, most marriages among Western nobles were political alliances.
Many nobles didn't even meet their future spouses more than a few times before marrying—if at all—simply because their elders had arranged it.
Arthur's situation was already better than most. With both Duke Arthur and Queen Victoria now deceased, the only one with real influence over his marriage was Princess Louise.
And even then, Arthur still had significant freedom to follow his own wishes, without being forced into an engagement with someone he had never met.
So the question was: what did Arthur want?
Having been consumed with political affairs, Arthur had never truly given the matter much thought. Even during Queen Dowager Emma's visit, he had assumed it was just a routine diplomatic mission from the Netherlands.
Now suddenly faced with such a major personal decision, Arthur was caught off guard. For the first time, he showed the kind of youthful uncertainty and hesitation expected of someone his age.
"Mother, isn't it a little early? Australia is in its golden period of development. I think I can postpone any marriage plans for another three or four years," Arthur said awkwardly.
"In theory, you're right, Arthur. But as time goes on, it'll become harder to find a match as suitable as Queen Wilhelmina," Princess Louise said sincerely. "Australia is, after all, so far removed from Europe. In the future, you surely don't plan to marry a local commoner, do you, Arthur?"
Though Arthur came from a legitimate branch of the British royal family, he was still only a duke of a relatively remote principality.
Finding a noble match in Europe wouldn't be difficult, but a bride with a legitimate queen's title, who ruled a respected second-tier European nation, was rare.
More importantly, if Arthur really did get engaged to Queen Wilhelmina, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Principality of Australia would become dynastic allies.
Arthur would become a prince of the Netherlands, and Queen Wilhelmina would become Duchess Consort of Australia.
Such royal-level unions often led to personal unions or even federated monarchies.
Their firstborn child would be the legitimate heir to both the Dutch throne and the Australian principality.
And there was an even faster route to union: if Queen Wilhelmina was willing to co-rule the Netherlands with Arthur, he might be able to persuade the Dutch parliament to bestow upon him the title of king.
Only now did Arthur realize why Minister Herbert had been so deferential and respectful during the negotiations.
It turned out that everyone had known about Queen Dowager Emma and Princess Louise secretly arranging a potential marriage between Arthur and Queen Wilhelmina. If the marriage were to go ahead, Arthur would at least become a Dutch prince—perhaps even the future king—making Minister Herbert's behavior toward a foreign ruler quite understandable.
Thinking it through, a marriage alliance with the Netherlands did seem like a good choice. With such a bond, Australia would gain some political influence in Europe, making it easier to carry out certain strategies there.
At the same time, Australia would become an ally of the Dutch East Indies. Its resources and manpower could then be mobilized more easily, greatly benefiting Australia's development. Together, they could establish a substantial presence in Southeast Asia.
In fact, the marriage appeared to have no downside for Australia—aside from restricting Arthur's personal freedom in love.
There was also the matter of pursuing a higher title. Europe placed great importance on legitimacy. Although Arthur was born of British royalty, becoming a king under normal circumstances would be difficult.
Unless he managed to fully unify Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand—and elevate Australia to the level of a power like Italy or Spain—he would never qualify to be named a kingdom.
Even then, such a title wouldn't necessarily be accepted. Unless he gained recognition from the major powers, he would remain an illegitimate king in their eyes.
Arthur felt a headache coming on. Theoretically, marrying into the Dutch royal family came with far more benefits than drawbacks.
But the problem was, Arthur had never even met Queen Wilhelmina, and knew little about her beyond her reputation as a legendary figure.
Given that, accepting a marriage proposal out of the blue felt somewhat rash and unreasonable.
So Arthur gave a vague response: "I'll think about it, Mother. I've never even met Queen Wilhelmina, so making a decision right now feels a bit premature. Let's wait until Australia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands have officially established diplomatic relations."
Princess Louise nodded, interpreting Arthur's indecision as simple bashfulness.
After all, many European nobles responded the same way. Without knowing much about their prospective fiancées, they often gave this sort of ambiguous reply.
Neither an outright refusal nor clear acceptance. Royal marriages required careful consideration—especially when both parties were monarchs.
Seeing that Princess Louise didn't push further, Arthur let out a quiet sigh of relief.
After chatting with his two younger sisters for a while, he returned to his room.
He had thought the marriage matter had been shelved for now, but just a few minutes later, Princess Louise sent over several photographs and portraits of Queen Wilhelmina, along with biographical notes and a brief history.
Looking at the black-and-white photographs, taken with the rudimentary cameras of the era, Arthur had to admit—she was rather attractive.
Shaking his head and pushing away those thoughts, he turned his attention to Queen Wilhelmina's biography, his mind drifting instead to the historical Queen Wilhelmina he had once read about.
(End of Chapter)
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