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Authors: Shrabani Basu
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cannot say what a comfort she finds hers [her Indian servants]. Abdul is most handy in helping when she signs by drying the signatures. He learns with extraordinary assiduity and Mahomet is wonderfully quick and intelligent and understands everything. 7
The Queen continued to ask Karim about India and their conversations now grew weightier as he moved from descriptions of colour and local customs to deeper political issues. As Karim helped the Queen with her boxes and her mail, he also progressed beyond just blotting her signature. She was curious to know about Indian religions and customs and Karim explained the difference in customs between the Hindus and Muslims. He told her about the conflicts the differences could cause and described the riots that sometimes broke out in Agra when the Muslims took out the religious procession of Muharram to mark the martyrdom of Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet, and it clashed with theHindu procession of Sankranti (a festival celebrated with ritual bathing in the Ganges river and the flying of kites). The Queen was distressed to hear about the rioting and decided she would pursue the matter with the Viceroy.
To the Royal Household, the Queen’s attitude to Abdul Karim began to gradually remind them of her relationship with John Brown, her Highland servant. Balmoral was always associated with John Brown. It was here that Brown had started his working life as a stable-boy for Sir Robert Gordon, the owner of Balmoral. When Prince Albert bought the property and rebuilt the castle, John Brown was employed by the Royal couple as a gillie. He immediately became a favourite of both the Queen and the Prince Consort.
After Albert’s death, when the Queen was inconsolable, it fell to John Brown to bring her out of seclusion. At forty-two, the Queen had chosen to wear black all her life and had withdrawn into a shell. The Court became disgruntled with her absence at public ceremonies and lack of interest in state affairs, and John Brown was brought in as her personal servant to try to cheer her up.
Brown was a commonplace, coarse man with a typical Highland sense of humour. He loved his whisky and was often rude to the Prince of Wales and the Household, who disliked the influence he had on the Queen. Brown was known to call her ‘wumman’, dropping all civil etiquette, openly scolding and arguing with her; but he was completely devoted to her and took every care to see she was comfortable and well. He ensured she was cosily wrapped in her tartan rug when she went for her ride and even laced her tea with whisky to keep her warm. Shocked bystanders once heard him tell the Queen, while he was adjusting her bonnet ribbon under her chin: ‘Hoots then, wumman. Can ye no hold yerr head up?’ A handsome bearded man always dressed in a kilt, he accompanied the Queen on her rides and she felt safe with him. He would keep her amused and take no nonsense from her, and the widowed Queen enjoyed his rustic charm.
Very quickly John Brown became her soulmate and she depended on him. Often isolated in her own home, as her children were awed of her and the Household always maintained a formal distance, she leaned on Brown who treated her as a normal human being. She liked the fact that this strong young man scolded her, looked after her and was always caring for hersmallest needs. Rumours about the Queen’s relationship with Brown were a major source of gossip among the staff, especially when she retired to the secluded Widow’s Cottage at Glassalt Shiel for a few nights with Brown. Victoria, however, never let the rumours bother her. If anything, they amused her. She would not hear any ill of Brown and was blind to his faults. So close were the Queen and her Highland servant that she was often referred to as ‘Mrs Brown’ and there were whispers in Court circles that she had secretly married him.
The presence of a servant whom she could trust sustained the Queen, who was often lonely (as people
The Queen continued to ask Karim about India and their conversations now grew weightier as he moved from descriptions of colour and local customs to deeper political issues. As Karim helped the Queen with her boxes and her mail, he also progressed beyond just blotting her signature. She was curious to know about Indian religions and customs and Karim explained the difference in customs between the Hindus and Muslims. He told her about the conflicts the differences could cause and described the riots that sometimes broke out in Agra when the Muslims took out the religious procession of Muharram to mark the martyrdom of Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet, and it clashed with theHindu procession of Sankranti (a festival celebrated with ritual bathing in the Ganges river and the flying of kites). The Queen was distressed to hear about the rioting and decided she would pursue the matter with the Viceroy.
To the Royal Household, the Queen’s attitude to Abdul Karim began to gradually remind them of her relationship with John Brown, her Highland servant. Balmoral was always associated with John Brown. It was here that Brown had started his working life as a stable-boy for Sir Robert Gordon, the owner of Balmoral. When Prince Albert bought the property and rebuilt the castle, John Brown was employed by the Royal couple as a gillie. He immediately became a favourite of both the Queen and the Prince Consort.
After Albert’s death, when the Queen was inconsolable, it fell to John Brown to bring her out of seclusion. At forty-two, the Queen had chosen to wear black all her life and had withdrawn into a shell. The Court became disgruntled with her absence at public ceremonies and lack of interest in state affairs, and John Brown was brought in as her personal servant to try to cheer her up.
Brown was a commonplace, coarse man with a typical Highland sense of humour. He loved his whisky and was often rude to the Prince of Wales and the Household, who disliked the influence he had on the Queen. Brown was known to call her ‘wumman’, dropping all civil etiquette, openly scolding and arguing with her; but he was completely devoted to her and took every care to see she was comfortable and well. He ensured she was cosily wrapped in her tartan rug when she went for her ride and even laced her tea with whisky to keep her warm. Shocked bystanders once heard him tell the Queen, while he was adjusting her bonnet ribbon under her chin: ‘Hoots then, wumman. Can ye no hold yerr head up?’ A handsome bearded man always dressed in a kilt, he accompanied the Queen on her rides and she felt safe with him. He would keep her amused and take no nonsense from her, and the widowed Queen enjoyed his rustic charm.
Very quickly John Brown became her soulmate and she depended on him. Often isolated in her own home, as her children were awed of her and the Household always maintained a formal distance, she leaned on Brown who treated her as a normal human being. She liked the fact that this strong young man scolded her, looked after her and was always caring for hersmallest needs. Rumours about the Queen’s relationship with Brown were a major source of gossip among the staff, especially when she retired to the secluded Widow’s Cottage at Glassalt Shiel for a few nights with Brown. Victoria, however, never let the rumours bother her. If anything, they amused her. She would not hear any ill of Brown and was blind to his faults. So close were the Queen and her Highland servant that she was often referred to as ‘Mrs Brown’ and there were whispers in Court circles that she had secretly married him.
The presence of a servant whom she could trust sustained the Queen, who was often lonely (as people
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