How An Indian Servant Became Queen Victoria’s Closest Friend
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 เม.ย. 2019
- Queen Victoria’s closest friend in her final years… was actually a young servant from India. In 1887, the newly-minted Empress of India celebrated her Golden Jubilee. As a “gift from India”, she received two waiters. One of them was Abdul Karim, a 24-year-old clerk from Agra. He’s had a crash course in English language and manners shortly before arriving in Britain. He served the Queen and helped her interact with Indian dignitaries at the banquet. Victoria was fascinated by her new attendant from the very start. She described him as dutiful, “tall, and with a fine serious countenance”. One day Karim treated her to chicken curry with dal and pilau. The Queen loved the dish so much that it was added to her regular menu. The communication between them was stiff, and she asked him to teach her Urdu. Karim’s English lessons were also doubled. Soon they were able to correspond without any intermediaries. Though the Queen treated him well, Karim was not used to menial work. Far from home, he felt like “a sojourner in a strange land and among a strange people”. He wanted to return to India, so Victoria had to come up with something to keep him. Just a year after his arrival, he was promoted to “Munshi”, the Queen’s personal teacher. The court was angry and terrified by such a rapid career advancement. Not only Karim was of the lower class, but he was also of a different race. He traveled with Victoria and was allowed to leave for India a couple of times. His father got a pension and his former employer a promotion upon his request. The Munshi was given residences at the main royal estates in the UK and back in Agra. His wife joined him in Britain and regularly had tea with the Queen herself. He enjoyed the best opera seats and was even moved to John Brown’s bedchamber. Brown was the Queen’s previous servant and favorite who died in 1883. In 1895, Karim was decorated as a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire. Victoria commissioned numerous portraits of her confidant. She signed her letters to him with kisses and as “your closest friend” and “your loving mother”. Though they did spend a night alone at a Scottish cottage, they were never lovers. When the Queen died in 1901, he was the last to see her body before her casket was closed. After that, Karim was expelled from the court and returned to India. Victoria’s letters to him were burnt in front of him by the new king’s order. Her heirs made sure no trace of the Munshi could be found. But his diary survived. His story became widely known nearly a century after his death in 1909.
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You conquer peoples Lands. They conquer your Hearts.
Mashallah
Ohh that's a well said.
Wwaaaahhh
Well said👍👍👍
In most of the conquered land part she never had put her feet but still comes under common wealth country.
When she wrote “Loving Mother” I honestly was brought to tears. Just seeing how much she cared for him gives me such a warm feeling.
she loved him "Loving mother " was cinema ... to save her reputation
@@thennavans3965 they were the first' who started mommy daddy culture
EXACTLY what i came to comment too haha. To think of someone of such high rank/class, especially in those days, could possibly have such a wholesome relationship like the Queen had for Abdul.
She was a slutty queen, they definately did it lmao. Its not platonic, they even spent the night at a cottage or somewhere, as recorded by basu.
@@saumyavig8964 Wow I never knew anyone could be as stupid and misinformed as you LOL.
No wonder he became her friend. Indians are easy to be with, kind and friendly. I also have an indian friend!!!! she's the sweetest!
Power brings arrogance, you'll also find poor are humble theh are force to be submissive
Hey girl you like me a little bit ??
thats a wild generalization.
All the countries have good and kind or cruel and arrogant people
baha I'm nice too but my sister takes my jokes seriously and so the people on tiktok :
Imagine what her reaction would be had she known how her country treated him after her death
Maybe she knew it before she die
She knew..
@Brad James England did it first to India. Invading the country with thousand of foreigners, destroying its tradition.
I am sure the queen knew what was coming and the queen must have offered gifts that would keep him rich back in India.
Oh shut up!
Wow! The court HATED him. What disrespect after the Queen’s death.
Not much different to how they treat outsiders today. Look at Mrs. Simpson, Diana and i hope that Harry is able to protect Meghan.
@@sabinemackinnon3510 Meghan is american and americans are in good terms with the british now
I agree. Whatever their objections to his ethnicity, it sounds like Abdul was the Queen’s faithful servant and friend. That should count for something.
@@amasion2882 At first it was his ethnicity they were afraid of but then they realised he was teaching Islam to Victoria and that she was listening with an open heart and acting upon it. So that why they hated him with a passion it's the Chruch of England not the Chruch of Ahmed they probley said to HRH!!!! ✌😂😂😂😇😇😇✌
What do you expect? Everybody knew he was fornicating with the queen!
Fun fact : beside Pulao & chicken curry abdul also introduced mango to Victoria
Victoria gave rotten mangos to him..
No banana i think 😂😂 i think he is the fucker of victoria 😝
He also introduced her to the unique tropical fruit called brown banana..
@@kingmaker-jw4op she is clearly mentioned that 'she is a mother to him'...
@@syed7895 India is not just a land of snake charmers, which many ignorant foreigners still believe. We are proud of our country and for good reason. No matter where we are in the world, we do not forget our roots. And ur dont know .. We hav 3rd largest army in the world .. But we indians .. Are good human being . So chill
There is no such thing as a lower class and lower race. Each and every one of us are unique and special.
A person is of good class only when he / she has all the kind and selfless virtues of humanity.
I love this story and I watched the film. unfortunately the monarchy
treated him badly after the Queen's death.I admire Queen victoria, she has a good heart and see people without racial discrimination.
The Film at the start stated it wasn't ''Factual'' in fact its mostly nonsense. I watched a lot of it being filmed yards from my house, & none of what was stated in the film ever happened there. or anywhere else, its a fantasy straight out of a writers head. Complete with discovered ''Falsified documents'' to try to back it up, one of the oldest ''Cons'' in the World!!
still looted us tho
Edward vii was a douche
@@4doorsmorebros She personally didn't. Just didn't mind enjoying the riches.
He was a servant from the conquered land.
I'm so glad that the royal family/court didn't manage to erase Abdul's memory as Queen Victoria's friend and teacher for good, his service and friendship obviously meant a great deal to the queen and I'm glad we now know about this young man's loyalty and hard work.
Amy G well they tried, but unfortunately some documents found years after
yes she liked him a lot, coz she asked him to go back and bring his wife with him.
It was a foolish move for Edward to undermine the Queen (his mother) like that.
@yes Yes, he was her lover and the royal family couldn't digest this fact. Victoria loved sex and after Albert's death took up John Brown and finally Abdul Karim as a lover.
@@TheBrownbuck I don't think they were lovers lol. It seems like she was more of a motherly figure to him.
His father smoked hookah in Windson's casle .now that's what i call a 'thug life ' 😎
Power of INDIANS 💪😆
... while millions were equated to and slaughtered like dogs back in India or not allowed to set foot in their own homes. So cool
And the word 'thug' is originated from India..!!
@@rjun152 and brits stole the word like everything else
@@NDBit yea i am an indian and these fools will not stop praising themselves
After all people here kill eachother for pride, honour, castes e. t. c their are many flaws in india but im not intrested in typing them😒
Im an Indian and this is too much for me. And Indian friendship is only Indian people know it much more than anything ❤
but why not apply in india
The profound love and respect they both shared for each other. Like Mother and Son. The truth is, she saw Abdul as her son and Bertie and the court disliked this and jealousy was the key factor in this beautiful tale.
As Muslims we strongly follow the teachings of the Quran, to which the Queen understood and had taken time to learn.
Muslims believe the path to paradise are found at your Mother's feet. This is why Abdul kissed the Queen's feet.
R.I.P now Abdul and Victoria 😔
She never saw Abdul as her son at all, she took a liking to him as a servant and was interested in learning about his culture and language. The rest of the royal family and their servants disliked him because he wanted to be treated as more than a servant and behaved like he was better than everyone else. He was not a good person. The movie was made for entertainment purposes and is only basically factual. Why won't people understand this?
The royals of Britain must apologize for their mistreatment of Abdul.
Yeah like they have apologised for all the colonising & genocide
@Truthfears Guilty Good reply for Mark Mark.👍
Apologize? Did you not see the first 5 minutes of the video?
@Truthfears Guilty I agree, citizens of former s.e. Asian colonies still unduly defer to the royal family.. they consider "blue blood" and "pedigree" important culturally.. I suppose that idea is linked to the caste system..
@Truthfears Guilty I hope I don't cause offense, but is English your first or second language?
Being an Indian, I never heard of him. I'm really proud of munshiji💗
Recently Bollywood movie is picturized on him.
@@syedhashmathullah6839 really? What's the name of the movie
Victoria & Abdul is the movie's name
@@dipeshrawat2587 I can't watch full movie in yt. ...anyway thanks
@Ayesha Muntaha why should I hate any religion .It's a sin .
He gave her comfort and friendship in her final years Sometimes people are a gift. Too bad her household and family couldn't see it for what is was Nothing to be jealous of, but too be welcomed.
Fascinating to see true manners unfold after her death. It’s hilarious to think they taught him “manners” when they behaved so poorly 🤦🏻♀️
Mujhe naukar rakhoge apna agar main bnu toh
They would do anything to sweep a potential scandal under a rug.
The court was jealous of him
Even Victoria's successor whatever his name is
@Prestige Gameplays The dislike of the Munshi had nothing to do with his race but his behaviour. He was lazy and boasted that he could behave as he wanted and get what he wanted with Queen Victoria. Thank God they packed him back to India when Victoria died.
@@zzzbbbooo Victoria was the only reason he wanted to stay in Britain, when she died he left on his own accord
@@zzzbbbooo are you there or what when this happened? What are your sources? Lmao
@@DreiK96 Edward VII. And who could blame him? Victoria hated him from birth and never hid that just because he didn't live up to her expectations. I'd be bitter too if my mom treated a foreign individual she barely met better than her own children.
Theres a movie called *ABDUL AND VICTORIA*
im just 14 yrs old but really love it i almost cried 😂
"Victoria and abdul" ....22 September 2017 m release hui thi.....usi ka trailer kl dekha tha 2 sal bad ....aur aaj y video mere recommendation m thi....aur y real story h 😃😃😃
Victoria and Abdul
@@jeongguk1194 same Happened with me too 🤔🤔🤔 what a coincidence
@@aneesahmed1314 hmmm
Victoria and abdul movie, this is so touching and i really love queen victoria, so humble and she treat abdul well as a true friend. 😘
This story is not about religions or regions . this story is about two people who respect each other.
The Queen seems like genuinely nice and motherly.
Shubh VIMAL until you read into her story and find out she probably treated him better than she did some of her own children!
@@hexgamerzaedyn1448 not really. She loved them but wasn't the best at showing it (as her own mother was distant from her). She is a very complex character..there are many factors leading to why she may have acted distant by normal terms. But I would say she has a 'poor me' complex, which is understandable given how her mother treated her.
She gave both her daughters and sons education (at that time period it was rare, even in royal children).
Broke down each time her daughters left her castle etc etc.
She detested berty as he was an utter nonsense
The queen just like tge elizabeths before and after her was very sincere and loyal to true knowledge not fake bloodlines
The Queen wanted something new..😎 a new experience..
What a joke.........
I see why she liked him so look how they acted after her death she knew they were haters.but his diary remained for the whole world to see how ugly they truly were.
That's true, they both are ugly
The power of love can move the mountains! Shame the staff treated him badly after Victoria's death!
That's the truth of Royals...They are racials
Queen kept him cause Abdul knows how to treat a woman like a Queen ♥🍃
Luckily the "Diary" survived. If not we wouldn't know this interesting story of the past. 😊
Good things happen to good people ❤
@@senkim853 indeed. 😊❤
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Wow. I am just shock at how they treated him as soon as Queen Victoria passed away. I mean yes, it was doubtable how he had so or maybe too many gifts from the queen. But it's still sad. He was a dear friend to the queen and just because he isn't of the same race as them it doesn't make him any less human. I believe that he worked to get there. And Victoria might have seen that that's why she wanted to keep him at her side. Maybe that is the reason or she just has a fondness of him. We'll never know.
He was gentle, calm, knowledgeable, understanding, responsive, sensitive and full of respect upon doing his works thus professional indeed.
His wife must've been proud of him ( a responsible husband ). Such been a good example of Muslim too.
As a fellow shawol, hie ....🙏
@@nevereverigoteyesonyou8377 hiiii😍
They knew the truth and for them it was better truth. They thought they will getaway with it. So sad for her beloved...
@panter panter
Anybody can assume him anything they like - as he was nobody, unpopular, "low class" and was just a servant from the 3rd world, India.
There is such a symphony between the two. True love is a bond of two souls. It is not bound to one role... It materializes into everything, every affection that you desire. When someone truly loves you, you feel safe next to them, physically, emotionally and sentimentally....
Very well you mention.
The British court was so insecure, it's like they were waiting for the queen to die so they could expel him
The Queen is such a humble person.. the real person..
*was
It's their cheap mentality they don't recognize true love of humanity
@@markmark-rc3mz lmao u can't even spell muslim right, no one wants ur hate speech here. U just look like any other typical ignorant white person.
@@yxnotmin9814
He is such a BIG LOSER ( @mark mark ) and being ignorantly jealous just like the British Court's members had.
This kind of person will fuck up the world without he noticing it.
I have to agree with you fully.
The Royal court was full of idiots...
Dude I can see intelligence in that man's face and wisdom no doubt she made him her closest friend
It wasn't him you idiot, it was an actor!!! easily fooled or what?
A relationship such as the one between Queen Victoria and Munshi can only be explained as being a spiritual one. Words are inadequate to describe it.
It's not munshi it's MUHAMMAD ABDUL KARIM
They were not a "gift from India".
They were a gift from India.
That was how British people treated Indian people, back in those days.
Not very nice is it lad? Grow up
@@markmark-rc3mz really dude? Wow..how old are you? (Judging.not asking)
Cunning
And now the indians takes over england
It might surprise you to know, this mentality hasn't completely gone away.
I have watched this movie victoria and abdul! it was a heartfelt movie i loved it 👏
Hi
Women in general are kinder soul in my opinion. I love my friends in England and US too. They are all pretty awesome and motherly. Women make this world so much easier to live in.
I'm so glad that one of the British royals did had a heart to accept Indian whatever cast and religion they are ❤️
Their are a bitter truth of a royals...The court hated his servant.
the queen insight to abdul was her guardian angel , protector and a very trusted friend .. love this story 😊 the queen was intllegent enough
Queen was really a queen After her husband's death .She was surrounded by number of people inside her palace but she could find Solace only in Abdul karim..Great !!!
This in history is truly one of a kind love story , for a indian slave that won the heart of the most powerful person in the world at that time ,truly a miracle ,so sad after queen Victorias death the true face of the British Empire came out and treated Abdul and try to change history ,but the truth is hard to burry.Abdul was a heroe in India that one of them was giving it to the Queen while they were getting it from the British .paluo ,chicken currie ,dal fit for a queen and Abdul.
It's sad that they burnt the letter after the queen's death
Their friendship seems so sweet
Victoria is just made queen, Abdul the servant is brilliant and more knowledgeable.
Nah
@panter panter
No proven facts. They were just hating and envious to the servant as from a "low class" nation, that's all.
So you are telling a servant and former clerk is more intelligent than the Queen herself? Do not forget it was in her reign that the British empire reached its pinnacle and glory. The Royal British education at that time far outshined any education received.
@@innociduousnepheliad8140
Let's put this way... More intelligent than any other servant. How about that ...
@@user-rr4to6xl3m let's put it this way: more intelligent than MOST other servants.
In my country, the Munshis are great teachers and lawyers.. No wonder, their ancestor earned the title
@@markmark-rc3mz bro instead of mumbling bullshit,you should talk with facts.because people time is more precious than your time as well as your words.so keep your precious words to yourself to save other people time.
Wow was so disappointed when it got to the end. How cruel of them to do that to him 😢 All out of jealousy no doubt. He was an incredibly handsome and kind man.
th-cam.com/video/jaNotcGak3Y/w-d-xo.html
There are people in this world who truly have a heart. Sadly, the many, try to erase them.
No matter who you are there's always love and affection in the wind, and this one is Royalty
And with what Victoria was putting away at meal times i bet there was a lot of wind!!!
Jab baney Pulao Toh Hamey Bhi Bulao 😂
Only my brother will understand this 👍🏻😂
Bilkul 😂
Means
Samajh gaye😁
😂😂
Mujhay bhi
Indians are calm Intelligent and talented indeed
The power of Indian chicken curry & pulaw 😂❤️
It was just a joke btw, so proud of Karim ☺️ we Indians aren't backstabbers 🔥
That's where we lost.
We lost because of our loyal behaviour towards those Colonial powers!😒
I am a Filipino and we also have a type of chicken curry dish because our culture have a mix of Indian culture.
Hindus back stabbed the Mughal empire by joining forces with the British so they could overthrow Muslim rulers. Wtf are you talking about?
@@Mr.C.365
Who the f*ck are you talking about? Ever heard of the Maratha Confederacy? The Anglo-Maratha wars? The Sikh Empire? The Anglo-Sikh wars? The Mughal Empire collapsed long before the British came. Try to get some education when you are done with your ISI propaganda
No you’re not backstabbed but phone scammers lol 😆
what a beautiful and respectful relationship, filled with purity. both Karim and Victoria were thoroughly genuine persons.
Karim was not a nice person! Do some research!
@@zzzbbbooo How could he be! being from where he was & his beliefs!
I'm glad Queen Victoria found love and friendship after Albert's death with the good John Brown and Abdul Karim. They were inseparable. God bless Queen Victoria 💓🇬🇧.
Good , gentle and understanding , imagine getting told that by the queen who is surrounded by people acting good and nice just infront of the queen
I can perfectly understand this friendship , you have to have a pure heart and soul to live as they did in perfect love, there is never malice.
I can't help but feel a kind of respect for Queen Victoria for not being racist towards him. It's really sad that it didn't end well after her death.
Best story of an Indian guy and Queen Victoria and it seems that British Kings were more cruel than the British Queens and now I have stated liking Queen Victoria after watching this video🥰
The movie was lovely yet sad. Abdul was adored by the Queen because he was the only one around the palace that showed emotions and care for everything, while the others were like robots to her.
It's a case of pride being hurt badly damaged and the queen was unhappy with the people around her she was searching for a human being and abdul was just a pleasing human being.
Real shame what the court did
he is an indian muslim ❤️❤️❤️ like my husband
💕💕💕💕
@Sal m and 2nd examples : pakistani & bangladeshi muslim also because before 1947 partition they are parts of India & their forefathers are indian race
Iam indian muslim Lulu Miaw
If he is then he is not circumcized. He has some extra skin that hides a milky white tar underneath which do not smell good. Do you collect it for your bread in the morning? Pwe
What do you expect of English mentality
6:00 Wow his handwriting is much better when compared to my architectural font 🙄
Is that your roll no??
@@timetraveller939 yup 😂
Don't need any apology , india will again rise the golden sparrow ,more stronger than ever
India is so rich in culture and history. I can’t imagine how Karim felt when he had to adjust to his new living conditions
The Frogmore cottage was built specially for Abdul Karim and his wife.
I wonder that kinda privilege could made others envy towards him hence backrapping..
How interesting! Thx
meghan and harry
@@onepersonisthechanceandcha155 ...err, you're not suggesting it's kind of like the royal dog house? Lol
Frogmore cottage was built in 1801, 62 years before Abdul was born, according to Wikipedia :P :P :P :P
Wow indian look really good .. I like him he look like a celebrity I don't know why but that's how I feel
It is very sad they were separated after victoria died. But I do believe she improved the life of him and his family. And they reunited after death. It's nice to see friendships like this in divisive times.
At her prestige age and status she just need a sincere friend and a new level of companion in a different kind of mutual views and i think this is what this beautiful relationship is base on
Well..some relationships cannot be named..Maybe this was one of them.. Friendship, Brotherhood, mentor.. anything..
To people pointing out its 'PULAO' (as said in Urdu/Hindi today):
The original term 'PILAV' of Turkish decent became 'PILAU' in Farsi/Persian and alternatively 'PULAU' as it travelled to Indian sub-continent through Mughal Empire of India.
Current English spelling is 'PILAF' or 'PILAV'.
So?
@@nakka9 😂
Listen pilau is indian it did not travel from Turkey to India, I just can't understand how u say it came from Turkey it came from India to persia to Turkey may be, but pilau is hindu not Turkish u don't even get pilau in Turkey, I have been to Turkey and Turkish restaurent no way came from turkey
It is not Turkish or persian
@@jayeshpatel3704 it was not the dish of Indians, it was of Persians .read the history of pilav and also it also have no spices. Mostly Indian dishes have spices and meat is added to it as cow is sacred to Hindus so its not a Indian dish
Such a nice history between the Queen and Abdul..Queen Victoria is a generous person...
Why do people relate male-female friendship with love affair? Can't there be a true friendship between a man and a woman? Some relations are so pure that people cannot believe them.
These videos are massively knowledgeable!
Love from India🇮🇳🇮🇳❤
Never expected the day I compassionately sympathise with Queen Victoria
I watched a movie about this story, very impressed! It shown how much the quess was lonely inside.
Jesus after reading this I’ve become obsessed with their story... her story I’ve found myself researching for days I can’t help myslef ....so moving .. I’m from The Bahamas annnnd technically we’re still ruled by Britain In ways so she’s my history and it’s important that I know of her
Queen Victoria was ahead of her time. Love her.
I learned most of this from the movie Victoria & Abdul. Ali Fazal played Abdul Karim but with a lighter & somewhat silly demeanor. Judy Dench played Victoria & as usual, she was superb. Victoria was a fascinating woman whose first name was actually Alexandrina. Since her mother was known as Princess Victoria, Duchess of Kent, it is unlikely she was called Victoria by her family but took her second name as her regnal name on ascension to show official respect for her mother as was tradition. The fact so many books, TV series & movies have been made about or involving her shows the depth & breadth of her influence. She was an emotional & witty person with a great sense of humor. My favorite portrayal of her is by Annette Crosbie in the 1975 BBC mini-series Edward The King. She was short, plain & jealous, feeling inferior to many around her, but through sheer force of character & charm was able to dominate nearly everyone. She found in Brown & Karim, two handsome & manly servants, someone to share confidences with & not fear being upstaged or betrayed. They gave her in return their absolute loyalty which she seldom found in her government, court or family.
There was none of his picture with a laugh or even a smile on his face. He looks serious in all his pictures.
The Queen also had a close relationship with John Brown. Obviously these men could provide her with a more honest and candid interaction than those of her other relations.
👌 great information.. I was really amused to see that an Indian guy fascinated the queen Victoria..
this reminds me of storm and silence. #prayforkarim
omg i just realised his name is karim too
I was thinking about that too :)
Same here. You read that book too?
@@jayneportiaavila7267 yaaaaaaassss
As someone with British blood, we do enjoy a good Indian dish.
How sad and how wrong they were to burn the Queens personal letters to him in front of him. Victoria must have been rolling over in her grave.
The dark side of British royal family..ill people
I'm Proud to be an Indian citizen #royalrecipes
I pray Her majesty late queen Victoria reborn again in another life , kind hearted as she was in this life.
Royals not see the skills in to you, they are seeing a mild and loyal heart 🌹
That's a very fascinating story. Thank you for telling it with pictures. I never though that a 24 year old servant can become the closest friend of the queen. I'm 25
So do you want a servent like Abdul?
Happy to see this relationship. really amazing
She was not racist and she was she really a nice person
Everybody think they are gangsta smoking weed til somebody smoke a hookah in the castle. *Thug life*
Love has many forms.
I do terribly miss him
This is what I call ultra max pro move
Being the closest friend of her majesty
SO KIND AND HUMBLE MIGHTY IN HER OWN RIGHT SHE DOES WHATS BEST FOR HER... 👑💞 . WITHOUT HER MY COUNTRY WOULD HAVE BEEN 😥😥😥😥😥
This is a wonderful story. The a queen was fascinated by the difference in lifestyles of the Indian culture. A wonderful experience for both the servant and the Queen.
Sure ,i think she was bored with the same old english costumes
How can someone sleep peacefully in these CASTLES...whose foundation are made up of looted wealth and blood and bones of innocent people from worldwide
With due respect Her Highness declare Castle as symbol of colonial mindset of inglorious empire so that our futur generation will remember such kind of people were also walked on this Earth ..
s j so true
Diddums...keep on crying about it whilst living in this country and reaping the benefits....
This is real teachers & real student as a queen.
The power of kindness❤️
VICTORIAs statue can see in MUMBAI CST ( Main Railway station)👍
Such a very sad story, I didn't learn about it til the movie came out. I've always been interested in India, but somehow I never knew anything about this. I wish more people would be open to learning about other cultures.
Just goes to show how much we need each other regardless...
She might have loved him and treated him kindly. But there is nothing better than freedom. And the reality of his situation showed after her death.