Chapter 797: Chapter 597: The Tacit Understanding Among the Strong_1
Unlike the stern discussions of state affairs between Arthur and Nicholas II, the conversations between Queen Mary and the mbers of the Russian Monarchy were much warr, as they were once part of the sa royal family in the truest sense.
The little ones also received special attention from the Russian Monarchy, especially the youngest, Peter, who was the darling of almost everyone.
However, even the warst of conversations had to end eventually, and Arthur’s visit to Russia quickly concluded amidst this affectionate atmosphere.
After leaving Russia, Arthur didn’t choose to visit Germany but decided to head to London, United Kingdom, making it his last stop on the European tour.
Although Australasia had maintained relatively good relations with Germany, the world had branded Germany as the instigator of World War I, and a visit there was not appropriate at the ti.
More importantly, Germany’s situation was not good, with governnt, Monarch, and the federal states’ powers crisscrossing each other, creating a politically chaotic environnt.
The dire economy put many Germans under imnse survival pressure. Protests were common throughout Germany, and conflicts and chaos could easily erupt.
If anyone were foolish enough to attack Arthur’s convoy, not to ntion the impact on the European situation, the danger alone was unacceptable to Arthur.
The best way to avoid danger was not to wander recklessly and not to go to dangerous places—this was basic common sense.
Moreover, Germany had little to offer for a visit. Its economy, industry, and military were subjected to severe restrictions, and the German population was very disgruntled with the Allies, which could also impact Australasia.
It was better to visit France, as it was the second-strongest country in Europe at the ti.
As for Italy, another European Power, it was never within Arthur’s consideration for a visit.
Italy’s presence was already low, and it beca even more inconspicuous on the international stage after Mussolini ca to power.
Arthur never considered courting Italy, as having it as an enemy would not be a headache.
But if Italy beca an ally, just the cost of protecting it would be enough to trouble Australasia.
A joke once circulated in the German Army during World War II: “If war breaks out, it’s best if Italy remains neutral, so if the enemy engages with them, they can tie down 10 divisions of our military. If they join the enemy, we would only need 5 divisions to deal with them. The worst-case scenario is if they join the German Army; then we would need 20 divisions to protect them.”
True or not, Italy’s dismal performance during World War II didn’t warrant any defense or fear of backlash.
As the third stop on Arthur’s European tour, the British took Arthur’s visit very seriously.
After all, Arthur had been a mber of the British Royal Family, and he had deep roots with Britain’s greatest era, the Victorian Era, drawing much attention from the British people due to Queen Victoria’s will.
Moreover, the current relationship between Australasia and Britain bound the two countries closely together.
At Port of London, the crowd welcoming Arthur exceeded tens of thousands, along with the ceremonial guard prepared by the British Governnt, and mbers of the British Royal Family, among others.
Since Arthur traveled with his entire family, and to demonstrate the importance of Australasia and Arthur himself, as well as to reclaim his reputation among the civilians, King George V also decided to personally welco him.
The last ti Arthur and King George V t was at George’s Coronation Ceremony, which was about ten years ago.
A peculiar phenonon, though many European Monarchs, including King George V, William II, and Nicholas II, were all Arthur’s contemporaries, Arthur was the youngest among his peers.
This was normal, since most European Monarchs inherited the throne from their forebears, but one couldn’t expect to ascend the throne just as they ca of age.
This ant that British Monarchs like George V or even Edward VII were already in their thirties or forties, or even fifties or sixties when they acquired the throne.
It depended on the longevity of the reigning Monarch. Coming across long-lived Monarchs like Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth was not a good thing for the heirs apparent.
While being the country’s Crown Prince signified the formal succession to the throne, who didn’t want to go further as the country’s heir?
How could there be a Crown Prince for sixty years? Perhaps that’s what a certain Prince nad Charles wanted to say the most, right?
It was still a seemingly warm and harmonious conversation. Arthur and his family were invited into Buckingham Palace, staying in the quarters forrly inhabited by Duke Old Arthur and Arthur.
Luckily, Buckingham Palace was sprawling, and even while preserving the Duke Old Arthur’s quarters, it had no impact on the vastness of Buckingham Palace.
Returning to the residence he once knew within the British Royal Family, Arthur was also filled with emotion.
It was in this very bedroom that he had received the death news of Duke Old Arthur and begun his own path to becoming the Duke of Australia.
After a brief rest, early the next morning, Arthur went to the Royal Cetery to pay respects to Duke Arthur and Queen Victoria.
Accompanying him, of course, were Queen Mary and a few little ones, while King George V, burdened by state affairs, could not be present all day to accompany Arthur.
Arthur’s feelings for Duke Old Arthur were not that profound, but he was very grateful for Queen Victoria’s care and love.
After paying homage with the little ones, Arthur returned to his residence to prepare for so discussions with the British Governnt.
Of course, it was not Arthur who’d be conducting the specific negotiations. Although the main purpose of his trip was to take his large family to Europe for leisure, it also served a diplomatic function.
For this reason, a considerable number of officers had accompanied Arthur to Europe, including several Ministers, nurous Deputy Ministers, and other important governnt officials.
Further underlining the importance attached to Arthur’s travel, they were accompanied by a formidable defense force and several battleships providing an escort.
Following a brief rest, King George V, having finished his governnt duties, invited Arthur and his entire family to join him for lunch.
The luncheon was held in the very sa banquet hall Arthur knew well, as it was more spacious and formal, appropriate for the more than ten mbers of both royal families together.
Because of their close blood ties and shared language, the children from both royal families quickly sat together to converse. Queen Mary also started chatting and laughing with the wives and female family mbers of the British Royal Family and King George V’s queen.
Arthur, anwhile, sat with King George V. They discussed state affairs and sought to strengthen their personal rapport.
Looking at Arthur, who was many years younger, King George V couldn’t help but feel a touch of envy.
Although the British Empire he presided over was much stronger than Australasia, his actual powers as King of Britain were far less than those held by Arthur as King of Australasia.
For example, during the war, King George V was compelled by dostic pressure to change his surna, a trouble Arthur never had to contend with, clearly reflecting the stark difference in their positions.
As a result, the royal family of Britain now bore the na of the Windsor Family, whereas Arthur and the little ones still belonged to the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Family.
Although it was rely a change of na that had no actual impact on their lineage, it did signify a growing rift between the Windsor Family and the German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Family.
Changing the na also represented a denial of the forr glory and status of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Family, which left so German nobles quite dissatisfied.
As such, Arthur’s firm display of his identity as a mber of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Family naturally earned him the favor of German nobility and significantly increased his influence in the European royal scene.
“Arthur, you’ve made quite so moves. Had I not seen this big fellow with my own eyes, I would have thought you were building battleships of less than thirty thousand tons,” George V said, glancing at Arthur with a teasing smile after letting go of his thoughts.
“I had thought the treaty’s signing would call for this battleship to be modified, but I hadn’t anticipated the signing would be delayed for so long. Nevertheless, it’s good news, as it essentially ans no treaty breach,” Arthur replied with a smile, not denying the enormity of the battleship.
Without explaining further, the aning was clear: the Australasian navy had built their warship before the signing of the Naval Limitation Treaty, and thus, it wasn’t in violation of the treaty agreed upon by the nations.
King George V laughed heartily, naturally not minding the warships built by Australasia.
After all, not just Australasia, but practically all countries that signed the Naval Limitation Treaty were not playing fair.
Australasia was on the better side of things. Although information was concealed, at least they followed the Naval Limitation Treaty, making their actions legal and proper.
So nations were still planning to build large naval fleets after the treaty was signed, a truly improper act.
Had the British Empire not been secretly building a more extensive fleet in both scale and quantity than these nations, they would likely have voiced their disapproval long ago.
“How is this battleship faring in tests? Can it be deployed in real combat?” King George V asked earnestly.
The addition of such a powerful battleship could greatly increase the hopes of overcoming the United States Navy in future conflicts.
That’s why King George V was keenly interested in whether the battleship could be deployed in actual combat, as it could help gauge the current fighting capability of the Australasian Navy.
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