Also, he arranged for Britain to buy the Suez Canal, which was until then a private company. The canal was critical to Britain because it was the short route between the UK and British India. Disraeli got news that the Khedive of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, was planning to sell his shares in the canal company. Disraeli arranged for the banker Lionel de Rothschild to loan the funds to the government. Rothschild took a commission on the deal, and the Disraeli went to Queen Victoria saying, "it is settled; you have it, madam!".