The shy 19-year-old prince was just as impressed by Albert's long-range plans for Germany and the role he foresaw for Prussia as he was by the barely 10-year-old, but already lively, intelligent and exceedingly self-confident princess Victoria. At Balmoral four years later, in September 1855, Prince Frederick, in agreement with his parents and the Prussian king, asked for the hand of the 15 year old, known as "Vicky" to her family, in marriage. In the three years remaining until the wedding Prince Albert began a political correspondence with young Fritz: "May Prussia be merged into Germany and not Germany into Prussia," wrote Albert to Frederick, who complained about the reactionary conditions in Berlin and promised to govern in accordance with Albert's ideas if he succeeded to the throne. Several hours a day Albert taught his daughter economics, constitutional law, history and other subjects that would be useful to Vicky in order to "change the conditions" if and when she and Fritz should take power, which in all probability would be in the near future, since the 60-year-old king’s mental health was rapidly failing and Fritz's father Prince William was already 58 years old.