Over the next four years Melbourne trained her in the art of politics and the two became friends: Victoria was quoted as saying she considered him like a father (her own had died when she was only eight months old), and Melbourne's daughter had died at a young age.
Per i successivi quattro anni di governo, Melbourne fu per la regina un vero e proprio maestro nell'arte della politica e i due divennero grandi amici: Vittoria lo considerava come un padre (il suo vero padre era morto quando ella aveva appena 8 mesi e la figlia di Melbourne era morta in tenera età).