 Bertie was reassured, but had his own critics who were most disparaging of his performance, and failure to keep abreast of modern developments of politics and strategy.Bertie was an old school diplomat, admired protocol and court precedents, was reluctant to go beyond his own prescribed powers.In a series of letters at the end of 1911/12 he found to his cost that francophiles were dead set against Metternich's 'satanic invitation.'