The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 862 - 644: Trip to London, The Godfather, Monetary System_2

Europe is different, though, with relatively well-developed regions. Although it appears that European nations occupy only one spot in the top ten cities, there are many urban cities with a population of millions, a depth that neither the United States nor Australasia can match.

As the current most populous city, London has many nicknames, and if it claims to be second, no other city dares to claim first.

Titles such as World’s Financial Capital, World’s Political Capital, World’s Economic Capital, World’s Industrial Capital, the Pearl of Europe, and Beacon of Humanity, among others, have adorned London with an unparalleled reputation.

At the same time, negative reputations like Capital of Smog and City of Exploitation are common drawbacks among highly populated cities.

Indeed, all highly populated cities face such issues. Fundamentally, current industry does not prioritize environmental protection, and its pollution and impact on the environment are substantial.

London is not only the first city known for its smog but also the first city to have experienced a large number of deaths due to environmental pollution.

This is also one of the dark chapters in the development of the British Empire. There were numerous murder cases disguised as deaths caused by smog, and at the time, medical science was not advanced enough to discern whether the deaths were due to chronic poisoning or other causes.

Of course, there were indeed many who died because of the smog. Decades ago, there were no such things as masks, and the health hazards of living and breathing in heavy smog are well imagined.

For this trip to London, Queen Mary specially prepared several custom masks for William to protect against London’s smoggy weather.

While industry has made London the largest city in the world, it has also made it the most dangerous.

On the surface, London is dazzling, with over a quarter of the world’s financial transactions taking place in the city and dozens of companies listing on the London Stock Exchange every day, a testament to London’s economic prosperity.

However, in the dark corners and back alleys of London, a large number of people die every day from severe smog pollution.

After a month-long journey, William and his entourage finally arrived in London, this world-renowned, most prosperous city.

As soon as he disembarked from the ship, William frowned. This was nothing like the flourishing London he had imagined; the light haze completely obscured the city’s appearance, making it seem like a vast gray metropolis.

"Prime Minister Raul, is London always like this?" William couldn’t help but ask curiously.

He was deeply disappointed to find that the world’s most prosperous city looked like this, and he was curious about how the British royal family managed to live under such conditions.

"Indeed, Your Highness," Deputy Prime Minister Raul nodded and said respectfully to William.

Raul rose through the ranks step by step, starting from the Guards, through the Ministry of Defense, and on to his current position as Deputy Prime Minister, and he is completely loyal to both the royal family and Arthur.

This diplomatic visit with Deputy Prime Minister Raul tagging along was not only for Raul to control the overall situation but also to expose William to Australasia’s Royalist Faction early on and to understand which members of the Cabinet are "ours."

"Your Highness, the Duke of York is coming," noticing the figure approaching from a distance, Deputy Prime Minister Raul promptly warned William, who was about to start complaining.

The Duke of York is King George V’s second son and the historically renowned George VI.

Of course, the current George VI is only the second in line to the throne, behind his elder brother, Crown Prince Edward.

Unlike in Australasia, where Crown Prince Edward’s position as heir to the throne was already confirmed, it was not appropriate for him to personally welcome William.

After all, William is merely a common prince at present, with neither a conferred Title of Nobility nor a confirmed position as heir to the throne, making it most appropriate for George, who is also a common prince, to receive him.