# Chapter III: The Duke of Kent's Dilemma explained — Queen Victoria > Chapter companion for Queen Victoria by Lytton Strachey. ## What happens This chapter focuses on Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of George III, following the death of Princess Charlotte. It details his character, his long-term relationship with Madame St. Laurent, and his calculated decision to marry for the sake of the royal succession. The Duke uses Mr. Creevey as a channel to communicate his views to political circles, discussing his financial expectations and the potential candidates for marriage, ultimately leading to his union with Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg. ## Themes in this chapter ### Duty and Morality The Duke of Kent frames his marriage as a painful duty to the nation and the succession, contrasting his personal attachment to Madame St. Laurent with his public obligation. ### Family and Dynasty The chapter revolves around the royal family's need to produce heirs, with the Duke of Kent and his brothers maneuvering to secure the dynasty's future. ### Social Class and Etiquette The Duke's concern for Madame St. Laurent's social standing after their separation—ensuring she has servants and a carriage to command respect—highlights class distinctions and propriety. ### Public Perception and Popularity The Duke of Kent's use of Creevey to influence political opinion, and the Duke of Wellington's remark about the royal family's unpopularity in the Commons, underscore the importance of public and parliamentary perception. ## Character check-ins ### Duke of Kent The central figure of the chapter; a meticulous, debt-ridden military man who faces the painful duty of marrying for the succession, ending his long relationship with Madame St. Laurent. ### Mr. Creevey A Whig gossip and diarist whom the Duke of Kent uses to secretly communicate his marriage plans and financial hopes to political circles. ### Duke of Clarence The elder brother whose potential marriage is discussed as a prior claim; the Duke of Kent defers to him but prepares to act if Clarence does not. ### Duke of Wellington Mentioned as being amused by the Duke of Kent's candid conversation with Creevey, and later commenting on the royal family's unpopularity in the House of Commons. ### King Leopold Referenced as Prince Leopold, whose popularity with the nation makes the Princess of Saxe-Coburg a favorable marriage candidate for the Duke of Kent. ### Robert Owen The socialist reformer who had curious relations with the Duke of Kent, including lending him money and later claiming spiritual communications from the Duke after his death. ### Madame St. Laurent The Duke of Kent's long-term companion of 27 years, whose emotional distress upon learning of his potential marriage is vividly described; her subsequent fate is unknown. ### Princess Charlotte Her death is the catalyst for the chapter's events, creating the need for the Duke of Kent to marry to secure the succession. ## Key lines > Should the Duke of Clarence not marry, the next prince in succession is myself, and although I trust I shall be at all times ready to obey any call my country may make upon me, God only knows the sacrifice it will be to make, whenever I shall think it my duty to become a married man. The Duke of Kent tells Creevey that if his brother Clarence does not marry, he will be next in line for the throne, and while he will dutifully marry if required, it will be a great personal sacrifice. _The Duke expresses his conflicted sense of duty and personal reluctance to marry for the succession._ > It is now seven and twenty years that Madame St. Laurent and I have lived together: we are of the same age, and have been in all climates, and in all difficulties together, and you may well imagine, Mr. Creevey, the pang it will occasion me to part with her. The Duke emphasizes his 27-year relationship with Madame St. Laurent, highlighting their shared experiences and the emotional pain of separation. _The Duke's attachment to his companion is portrayed as deep and long-standing._ > I shall not require very much, but a certain number of servants and a carriage are essentials. The Duke insists that Madame St. Laurent must be provided with a modest but respectable household, including servants and a carriage, to maintain her social standing after their separation. _The Duke's concern for Madame St. Laurent's future independence reflects social expectations of the time._ > As for the payment of my debts, I don't call them great. The nation, on the contrary, is greatly my debtor. The Duke dismisses his own debts as insignificant, arguing that the nation owes him more than he owes. _The Duke's sense of entitlement and financial expectations are evident in this remark._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/queen_victoria_se/chapters/iii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/queen_victoria_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/queen_victoria_se/chapters