Victoria in Power
When Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, Lehzen enjoyed a prominent position at the coronation, and remained at court. Lehzen was installed at Buckingham Palace as a sort of unofficial private secretary, served as chief liaison for the royal residences, and carried the household keys as a sign of her position; her signature was required for all payments of tradesmen's bills, for instance. At this point, it seems that Lehzen had totally replaced Victoria's mother both in terms of influence and affection; Lehzen's apartments adjoined the queen's, while the Duchess of Kent was installed in a suite of rooms far removed from Victoria's. For the first few years of Victoria's reign, especially before her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840, Lehzen had a very strong influence on the queen's outlook on both politics and personal matters, despite the fact that she did not overtly involve herself in state affairs. Even after the queen's marriage, Lehzen retained the private doorway into the royal bedroom, a source of displeasure for Albert.
Read more about this topic: Louise Lehzen
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