Prince Albert : the conditions of sub-leaders

Prince Albert was the husband of Queen Victoria who pushed the British Empire to the height of its prosperity. Albert was the driving force of Victoria's reign behind the scene. When we look upon the life of Prince Albert, we can see an excellent example of a subleader or a Number Two man. In looking back upon the career of Prince Albert, the conditions of what a good "Number Two" man must fulfill come to mind. Firstly, the most important condition of a sub-leader is that they posess neither the desire or willingness to become Number One. If they show the willingness to be the leader, No. l will never rely on them. The Chinese politician, Chou En-Lai had always been in the center of the Chinese political stream in his career because he had never wanted to be the top leader. Prince Albert, who married the English queen, was destined never to be Number One. In this context, he fulfilled the first condition of being a worthy Number Two. Secondly, sub-leaders must be completely loyal to the leader. Thirdly, they must be absolutely reliable persons for the leader. This is the other side of coin of fulfilling the second condition. Prince Albert was loyal to Queen Victoria both formally as her British subject and personally as her husband. Therefore he received full support and confidence from Queen Victoria. Fourthly, sub-leaders must have outstanding administrative abilities. In order to execute the directions of the leader, they have to be skillful in managing the organization. Prince Albert excelled in organizing and managing the existing system as he demonstrated in his organization of'The Great Exposition'in Hyde Park. Fifthly, they should have the ability to implement or execute policy although their political actions should never be against the will of the leader. During the reign of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert on occasion took political actions on behalf of the queen. Those were often not consistent with the conditions of what is usually considered a number two subleader. For example, Prince Albert even led the military operations of the Crimean War, and the war was sometimes called Albert's war. However, he did not lose the confidence of the queen as his advice to the Ministers concerned was appropriate. Sixthly, a good sub-leader must not achieve more fame than the leader. Kissinger who was the No.2 for President Nixon on foreign affairs once said, "Presidents do not take kindly to assistants who compete with them for public attention - especially when some of Nixon's closest advisers were arguing that I was upstaging him deliberately." Prince Albert always thought that he should not play the leading role on the stage. He told his adviser Baron Stockmar that as much as his role as merely the Queen's husband was a presupposition of inferiority, he would keep to it.'Now silent influence is precisely that which operates for the greatest and furthest-reaching amount of good, and therefore much time must elapse before the value of that influence is recognised by those who can take cognisance of it, while by the greater amount of mankind it can scarcely be understood at all. Im ust content myself with the fact that constitutional monarchy marches unassailably on its beneficent course, and that the country prospers and makes progress.' Seventhly and lastly, sub-leaders must have a great amount of information to keep his position and influence. Prince Albert was most knowledgable about foreign affairs and most informed about government policies. Charles Grenville, a clerk to Privy Council who wrote a famous diary on the Victorian era, mentioned'His (Prince Albert's) knowledge and information are astonishing, and there is not a department of the Government regarding all the details and management of which he is not much better informed and more capable than the Minister at the head of it.' Prince Albert fulfilled these seven conditions. Although he sometimes went beyond the boundaries of a sub-leader, he had been a splendid No.2. It was because he was most trusted and loved by the Queen. However, he did not give up his pride as a husband. The following legendary anecdote referred to his attitude towards his wife. When, in wrath, the Prince one day had locked himself into his room, Victoria, no less furious, knocked on the door to be admitted. "Who is there?" he asked. "The Queen of England" was the answer. He did not move, and again there was a hail of knocks. The question and the answer were repeated many times; but at last there was a pause, and then a gentler knocking. "Who is there?" came once more the relentless question. But this time the reply was different. "Your wife, Albert." And the door was immediately opened.

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