Victoria (Jenna Coleman) finishes playing her piano piece and and acknowledges Albert (Tom Hughes) by his name. Then Ernest (David Oakes) Albert's brother greets her, with Melbourne (Rufus Sewell) watching all the while. This ep was all about Victoria and Albert and how their marriage came about. As Victoria and Albert find themselves at loggerheads with their indifference. He hates how she knows nothing about art, or any other painters, like Reubens, but does impress him when she mentions Rembrandt and later she tells Melbourne that Albert is "a prig." He never smiles, compared to Earnest who is so carefree. Maybe he would make a better match as Albert also tells him. But he's not the one destined to be king, her uncle Leopold (Alex Jennings) tells Albert. Well he didn't become king. As Albert replies, she is the queen. He also finds it distasteful how he sees children begging in the streets and nothing is done about it. Thinking Victoria doesn't really know what's happening.
Victoria however, plans a dance for the princes, not another ball as she tells Melbourne, but just a small dance and she also invites him, as she invites him to dinner too. Where she sits and cuts meat for Dash and then leaves her food, cue plates being removed and Albert saying he hasn't finished, "but the queen has." He talks with Melbourne about the Houses of Parliament, he would like to visit there. Melbourne advises he must come incognito as many Tories despise the Germans and wouldn't want him in the House. Melbourne suggests they join the ladies and doesn't reply to Albert when he asks how he feels about the Germans.
Of course Earnest is the more unruly brother and is taken aback by the ladies' of England. He can't wait to get back to Coburg, but he can see that Melbourne has an eye for Victoria as she invites Melbourne to play cards with her. Albert doesn't play cards and Earnest joins them. He thinks they should pay a duet, as Albert takes over the piano and starts playing. He'd like to hear Schubert, which she plays with Albert and one that involves a lot of touching of hands on the keyboard. As Earnest watches Melbourne, who appears to be forever entranced by her. Albert went to he the National Gallery with Earnest and looked at the paintings, but not at Victoria's portrait.
Albert is more emotional about the squalor he sees and asks Melbourne why he doesn't like Dickens as he accurately depicts what is happening to her subjects. Melbourne counters he's been in power for ten years, so he knows. Victoria invites Melbourne to the dance and dances with Earnest, as he tells her Albert prefers the waltz, as does he and she should dance with him. Victoria wears the gardenia corsage Melbourne sent her. Lady Emma (Anna Wilson-Jones) tells Melbourne how Victoria gets on well with Earnest. As Albert is uncomfortable in his attire, undoing his buttons. As Melbourne is pleased about her wearing the flowers from Brocket Hall, he is interrupted by Albert asking Victoria to dance as Melbourne was going to do the same.
Knew we'd get some sort of scene where they cut out the music a little and go all slow motion. He notices the flower and asks for her forgiveness since his mother used to wear those in her hair when she used to say goodnight to him. He's also noticed she doesn't care much for her own mother when they went strolling in the garden. He prefers forests. He takes out a knife from his boot and cuts his shirt where he places the flower she's given to him on the dancefloor and says he will hold it there, close to his heart. Of course we're led to believe Melbourne has regrets and obviously the two are envious of each other. Albert says he was nervous at making a fool of himself on the dancefloor. Well he needn't have worried cos he did have Victoria eating out of his hand.
Victoria decides she's going to Windsor, on a "Wednesday" as the staff and Melbourne say, since he's brought dispatches from the situation in Afghanistan. She asks him to come down too. Her uncle getting impetuous and restless as to why Albert's made no headway with Victoria, as she hasn't asked him to marry her. At Windsor Penge (Adrian Schiller) brings out the uniforms George III had made and Earnest comments if he made them before he went mad. Her uncle is surprised to see Melbourne there and would've thought he was too busy. You don't refuse the queen of course. Once again Albert is jealous of his presence and that she greets Melbourne before him.
Next day they go riding and Earnest asks to be taken back when Albert shows up. He's not like him, but he likes the forest and she tells him of the oldest oak in the forest. They both run carefree and Victoria drops her hat. He prefers her without it since she 's now a woman and not a queen. He's impressed when she repeats what he calls the forest in German, being at one with it. As he sweeps her hair back and sweeps Victoria off her feet too. Well she was expecting him to kiss her. He's not the cousin she recalls when she last saw him. As the moment is spoiled by Dash's cries. He's broken his leg and Albert puts it in a splint. However they have a falling out when he says she should marry Melbourne. Even if Earnest describes him as being old enough to be her father." Oh yes Albert, once more with the knife! Ha. As he now tears his shirt sleeve to bandage Dash's leg. She does ask him about his mother who ran away with her equerry when he was five (the story of these royals, hey?!) Which is why he doesn't like the way Victoria treats her own mother and as he tells her at the dance, he doesn't have one.
They leave Windsor and his uncle is perturbed there's no proposal, adding Earnest would've "had her in bed by now." Victoria tells her uncle she doesn't know if he will accept her proposal and his answer is that if she doesn't ask, she won't know since he's heading back home. His one stop being the Houses of Parliament where he questions Melbourne about Victoria and Melbourne says he won't always have his ministry and is thinking of retiring. Especially since Victoria doesn't need him anymore with Albert around. Victoria also mentioning to Melbourne that he will not marry her. His reply to himself is that "only a fool would turn you away, ma'am." Referring to himself cos he knew he had to do the right thing. There; many hearts breaking right here all over again!
Victoria wears gardenias in her hair which Skerrett (Nell Hudson) had managed to get and Victoria couldn't ask Melbourne for them, as she summons Albert before her. She has a question for him and asks if he, "would do me the honour..." which doesn't sound right to her. Thought she'd have said,
"do us the honour." She just asks, "will you marry me?" He will answer if he can kiss her first and after not much hesitation, he agrees to marry her, cue endless kisses.
Elsewhere the staff have to deal with Albert and Earnest's valet, Lohlein (Basil Eidenbenz) who doesn't speak English and Lehzen (Daniela Holtz) and he are pretty free speaking German in front of the staff. Saying they don't like Germans. However Penge surprises everyone after Lohlein calls the porridge disgusting when he speaks German, showing he knew it all along. How'd he know German. We find out that Skerrett isn't really Eliza but Nancy, as her sister, Eliza (Samantha Colley) comes to the palace asking for help with money. Skerrett won't steal and gives her the lace collar she wears. She does take one of Victoria's diamond pins and changes her mind later when she suggests Victoria should wear the pins in her hair to make it look more elegant. Skerrett visit Eliza with more collars as Victoria allowed her to have them, when she saw hers was missing. Eliza says the job should've been hers but she didn't want to leave her daughter. Skerrett adding they're just like women when she brushes Victoria's hair. That's the secret she's been hiding.
Plenty going on in this episode, least of which was Victoria's growing fondness and feelings towards Albert. As he tells her, "this will not be a marriage of convenience."
Victoria: It will be a marriage of inconvenience." Well he seemed relieved after Melbourne's words of "the queen must marry soon...then she will look to her husband, not to me." Once again reinforcing the feelings he had for Victoria (at least for our purposes in this drama.) I mean not too long again she was telling Melbourne she'd rather marry Peel than even consider the prig Albert! It would be very inconvenient if Albert gets through tearing/ripping every shirt he's wearing! Think she was swayed by his naked chest! Ha. Melbourne being the one to refer to Albert as a "clockwork."
A marriage of inconvenience, the title of a series 2 The Musketeers ep! I just posted last month!
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