heir presumptive, and Victoria second-in-line to the throne. King George IV expressed doubt that Lehzen was the proper candidate to prepare Victoria. In response, her mother and Conroy persuaded the king to award them both titles, so that the princess would not be surrounded by commoners; Lehzen became a baroness of the Kingdom of Hanover. George IV died in 1830, and was succeeded by his brother the Duke of Clarence, who became King William IV. William formally recognised Victoria as his heir presumptive. According to Lehzen, around this time an infamous scene took place, in which Lehzen slipped a copy of the genealogy of the House of Hanover into one of the princess's lesson books. After perusing it for some time, Victoria came to see that her father had been next in line after the king, and that Queen Adelaide had no surviving children. This was the first time Victoria came to realise the destiny that had been assumed by many since her birth; that she would be the next British monarch. After a pause, Victoria is reported to have said "I will be good." This story entered into folk legend for future English generations. King William appointed his friend, the Duchess of Northumberland, as Victoria's official governess in 1831, but the role was mostly ceremonial, and the princess continued to depend on Lehzen. The Duchess was dismissed in 1837 by Victoria's mother for attempting to become more influential in her royal charge's education. During this time, Lehzen held no official position at court; despite her recently acquired title, her commoner status continued to be a hindrance. Educating Victoria The wish of the Duchess and Conroy to keep Victoria dependent on their will was circumvented by Lehzen, who wanted her charge to become a strong, informed woman. As Victoria grew older, attempts were made by Conroy and the Duchess for Lehzen's removal, or at least the lessening of her influence. Such tactics proved unsuccessful, as the princess became more devoted to Lehzen than before, as evident in her journals. Lehzen's only true friend in the household, Baroness Spath, had been suddenly dismissed in 1828 on the orders of Conroy; rumours abounded that the baroness witnessed "familiarities" between him and the Duchess. Members of George IV's court speculated that Lehzen would be the next to leave, but she remained silent on the issue and preserved her position. In 1835, the Duchess