CORNELL UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARIES 
 
 ITHACA, N. Y. 14853 
 
 JOHN M. OLIN 
 LIBRARY 
 
The original of tiiis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924088012384 
 
THE 
 LETTERS OF gUEEN VICTORIA 
 
 VOL. I 
 
THE LETTERS OF 
 QUEEN yiCTORIA 
 
 A SELECTION FROM HER MAJESTY'S 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE 
 
 YEARS 1837 and 1861 
 
 PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF 
 HIS MAJESTY THE KING 
 
 EDITED BY ARTHUR CHRISTOPHER BENSON, M.A. 
 AND VISCOUNT ESHER, G.C.V.O., K.C.B. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 1837-1843 
 
 NEW YORK 
 LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 
 
 1907 
 
 3^ 
 
THE LETTERS OF 
 QUEEN yiCTORIA 
 
 A SELECTION FROM HER MAJESTY'S 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE 
 
 YEARS 1837 AND 1861 
 
 PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF 
 HIS MAJESTY THE KING 
 
 EDITED BY ARTHUR CHRISTOPHER BENSON, M.A. 
 AND VISCOUNT ESHER, G.C.V.O., K.C.B. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 1837-1843 
 
 NEW YORK 
 LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 
 
 1907 
 
Copyright, 1907 
 By Longmans, Green, and Co. 
 
 Copyright, 1907, in Great Britain and Dependencies 
 By H. M. the King. 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 4j 
 
 /73 -72><j'^ 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Entrusted by His Majesty the King with the duty 
 of making a selection from Queen Victoria s corre- 
 spondence, we think it well to describe briefly the 
 nature of the documents which we have been privileged 
 to exariiine, as well as to indicate the principles which 
 have guided us throughout. It has been a task of no 
 ordinary difficulty. Her Majesty Queen Victoria dealt 
 with her papers, from the first, in a most methodical 
 manner ; she formed the habit in early days of preserv- 
 ing her private letters, and after her accession to the 
 Throne all her official papers were similarly treated, and 
 bound in volumes. The Prince Consort instituted 
 an elaborate system of classification, annotating and 
 even indexing many of the documents with his own 
 hand. The result is that the collected papers form 
 what is probably the most extraordinary series of 
 State documents in the world. The papers which deal 
 with the Queen's life up to the year 1861 have been 
 bound in chronological order, and comprise between 
 five and six hundred volumes. They consist, in great 
 part, of letters from Ministers detailing the proceed- 
 ings of Parliament, and of various political memoranda 
 dealing with home, foreign, and colonial policy ; among 
 
vi PREFACE 
 
 these are a few drafts of Her Majesty's replies. 
 There are volumes concerned with the affairs of 
 almost every European country ; with the history of 
 India, the British Army, the Civil List, the Royal 
 Estates, and all the complicated machinery of the 
 Monarchy and the Constitution. There are letters from 
 monarchs and royal personages, and there is further 
 a whole series of volumes dealing with matters in 
 which the Prince Consort took a special interest. 
 Some of them are arranged chronologically, some by 
 subjects. Among the most interesting volumes are 
 those containing the letters written by Her Majesty 
 to her uncle Leopold, King of the Belgians, and his 
 replies.^ The collection of letters from and to Lord 
 Melbourne forms another hardly less interesting series. 
 In many places Queen Victoria caused extracts, copied 
 from her own private Diaries, dealing with important 
 political events or describing momentous interviews, to 
 be inserted in the volumes, with the evident intention 
 of illustrating and completing the record. 
 
 It became obvious at once that it was impossible 
 to deal with these papers exhaustively. They would 
 provide material for a historical series extending to 
 several hundred volumes. Moreover, on the other 
 hand, there are many gaps, as a great deal of the busi- 
 ness of State was transacted by interviews of which no 
 official record is preserved. 
 
 1 A set of volumes containing the Queen's letters to Lord John Russell came 
 into our hands too late to be made use of for the present publication. 
 
PREFACE vii 
 
 His Majesty the King having decided that no 
 attempt should be made to pubhsh these papers in 
 extenso, it was necessary to determine upon some 
 definite principle of selection. It became clear that the 
 only satisfactory plan was to publish specimens of such 
 documents as would serve to bring out the develop- 
 ment of the Queen's character and disposition, and 
 to give t5rpical instances of her methods in dealing 
 with political and social matters — to produce, in fact, 
 a book for British citizens and British subjects, rather 
 than a book for students of political history. That 
 the inner working of the unwritten constitution of the 
 country, that some of the unrealised checks and bal- 
 ances, that the delicate equipoise of the component 
 parts of our executive machinery, should stand revealed, 
 was inevitable. We thought it best, throughout, to 
 abstain from unnecessary comment and illustration. 
 The period is so recent, and has been so often traversed 
 by historians and biographers, that it appeared to us a 
 waste of valuable space to attempt to reconstruct the 
 history of the years from which this correspondence has 
 been selected, especially as Sir Theodore Martin, under 
 the auspices of the Queen herself, has dealt so minutely 
 and exhaustively with the relations of the Queen's inner- 
 most circle to the political and social life of the time. 
 It is tempting, of course, to add illustrative anecdotes 
 from the abundant Biographies and Memoirs of the 
 period; but our aim has been to infringe as little as 
 possible upon the space available for the documents 
 
viii PREFACE 
 
 themselves, and to pro\ade just sufBcient comment to 
 enable an ordinary reader, without special knowledge 
 of the period, to follow the course of events, and to 
 realise the circumstances under which the Queen's 
 childhood was passed, the position of affairs at the 
 time of her accession, and the personalities of those 
 who had influenced her in early years, or by whom 
 she was surrounded. 
 
 The development of the Queen's character is 
 clearly indicated in the papers, and it possesses an 
 extraordinary interest. We see one of highly vigorous 
 and active temperament, of strong affections, and with 
 a deep sense of responsibility, placed at an early age, 
 and after a quiet girlhood, in a position the greatness 
 of which it is impossible to exaggerate. We see her 
 character expand and deepen, schooled by mighty 
 experience into patience and sagacity and wisdom, 
 and yet never losing a particle of the strength, the 
 decision, and the devotion with which she had been 
 originally endowed. Up to the year 1861 the Queen's 
 career was one of unexampled prosperity. She was 
 happy in her temperament, in her health, in her 
 education, in her wedded life, in her children. She 
 saw a great Empire grow through troubled times in 
 liberty and power and greatness ; yet this prosperity 
 brought with it no shadow of complacency, because 
 the Queen felt with an increasing depth the anxieties 
 and responsibilities inseparable from her great position. 
 Her happiness, instead of making her self-absorbed, 
 
PREFACE ix 
 
 only quickened her beneficence, and her womanly 
 desire that her subjects should be enabled to enjoy 
 a similar happiness based upon the same simple 
 virtues. Nothing comes out more strongly in these 
 documents than the laborious patience with which the 
 Queen kept herself informed of the minutest details of 
 political and social movements both in her own and 
 other coimtries. 
 
 It is a deeply inspiring spectacle to see one sur- 
 rounded by every temptation which worldly greatness 
 can present, living from day to day so simple, vivid, 
 and laborious a life ; and it is impossible to conceive 
 a more fruitful example of duty and affection and 
 energy, displayed on so august a scale, and in the 
 midst of such magnificent surroundings. We would 
 venture to believe that nothing could so deepen the 
 personal devotion of the Empire to the memory of 
 that great Queen who ruled it so wisely and so long, 
 and its deeply-rooted attachment to the principle of 
 constitutional monarchy, as the gracious act of His 
 Majesty the King in allowing the inner side of that 
 noble life and career to be more clearly revealed to 
 a nation whose devotion to their ancient liberties is 
 inseparably connected with their loyalty to the Throne. 
 
EDITORIAL NOTE 
 
 Our special thanks, for aid in the preparation of these volumes, 
 are due to the Right Hon. John Morley, M.P., who has read and 
 criticised the book in its final form ; to Mr. J. W. Headlam, of 
 the Board of Education, and formerly Fellow of King's College, 
 Cambridge, for much valuable assistance in preparing the prefa- 
 tory historical memoranda ; to Mr. W. F. Reddaway, of King's 
 College, Cambridge, for revision and advice throughout in con- 
 nection with the introductions and annotations ; to Lord KnoUys, 
 for criticism of selected materials ; to Lord Stanmore, for the loan 
 of valuable documents ; to Dr. Eugene Oswald, for assistance in 
 translation ; to Mr. C. C. Perry and M. G. Hua, for verification of 
 French and German documents; to Miss Bertha Williams, for 
 unremitting care and diligence in preparing the volumes for press ; 
 to Mr. John Murray, for his unfailing patience and helpfulness ; 
 and especially to Mr. Hugh Childers, for his ungrudging help in 
 the preparation of the Introductory-annual Summaries, and in the 
 political and historical annotation, as well as for his invaluable 
 co-operation at every stage of the work. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Ancestry of Queen Victoria — Houses of Brunswick, 
 Hanover, and Coburg — Family connections — 
 The English Royal Family — The Royal Dukes 
 
 — Duke of Cumberland — Family of George HI. 
 
 — Political position of the Queen . . . 1-10 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 Queen Victoria's early years — Duke and Duchess of 
 Kent — Parliamentary grant to Duchess of Kent 
 
 — The Queen of Wiirtemberg — George IV. and 
 the Princess — Visits to Windsor — Duchess of 
 Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld — Education of the Prin- 
 cess — The Duchess of Kent's letter to the 
 Bishops — Religious instruction — Result of ex- 
 amination — Speech by Duchess of Kent — The 
 Princess's reminiscences of Claremont — William 
 IV. and the Princess — The accession — Queen 
 Victoria's character and temperament — Her 
 
 ' sympathy with the middle classes . . . 11-28 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 Queen Victoria's relations and friends — King Leo- 
 pold's influence — Queen Adelaide — Baroness 
 Lehzen — Baron Stockmar .... £9—35 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 1821-1835 
 
 Observations on the correspondence with King Leo- 
 pold and others — First letter received by Queen 
 Victoria — Her first letter to Prince Leopold — 
 
 xi 
 
xii CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Birthday letters — King Leopold's description 
 of his Queen — His valuable advice — The Prin- 
 cess's visit to Hever Castle — King Leopold's ad- 
 vice as to reading, and the Princess's reply — 
 New Year greeting — On autographs — The 
 Princess's confirmation — King Leopold's advice 
 as to honesty and sincerity .... 36-54 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 1836 
 Visit of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg — Invita- 
 tion to the Prince of Orange — Arrival of Princes 
 Ernest and Albert — The Princess's apprecia- 
 tion of Prince Albert — King Leopold's advice 
 as to conversation — Crisis in Spain — Farewell 
 letter — The Princess and the Church — Death 
 of Charles X. — Abuse of King Leopold — Revo- 
 lution at Lisbon — The Princess's name — News- 
 paper attacks on King Leopold . . . 55—71 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 1837 
 Spain and Portugal — Music with Princes Ernest and 
 Albert — Parliamentary language and pohtical 
 passion — The throne of Greece — Queen of 
 the Belgians' dowry — The English Press — The 
 Princess's estabUshment — Young Belgian cousins 
 
 — Irish Municipal Bill — Whig Ministers — 
 Birthday rejoicings — King Leopold's advice 
 and encouragement — Accession imminent — 
 Condition of the King — Rehance on Lord Mel- 
 bourne — The Princess and the Church — The 
 Accession — The Queen's Journal — Interview 
 with Lord Melbourne — The Queen's first Council 
 
 — Letter from the King of the French — Con- 
 gratulations from King Leopold — Nationality 
 of the Queen — The Queen and her Ministers — 
 Reflection advised — Baron Stockmar — Impor- 
 tant subjects for study — Sister Queens — Letter 
 from Queen Adelaide — Buckingham Palace — 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Madame de Lieven — Parliament prorogued — 
 England ahd Russia — Discretion advised — 
 Singing lessons — The elections — Prevalence of 
 bribery — End of King Leopold's visit — Recep- 
 tion at Brighton — Security of letters — Eng- 
 land and France — France and the Peninsula — 
 Count Mole — The French in Africa — Close of 
 the session — Prince Albert's education — Can- 
 ada — Army estimates — Secretaries of State . 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 1838 
 
 Lord Melbourne — Canada — Influence of the Crown 
 
 — Daniel O'Connell — Position of Ministers of 
 State in England and abroad — New Poor Law 
 
 — Pressure of business — Prince Albert's educa- 
 tion — Favourite horses — Deaths of old ser- 
 vants — The coronation — Address from Bishops 
 
 — Ball at Buckingham Palace — Independence 
 and progress of Belgium — Anglo-Belgian rela- 
 tions — Foreign policy — Holland and Belgium 
 
 — Coronation day — Westminster Abbey — The 
 enthronement — Receiving homage — Popular 
 enthusiasm — Coronation incidents — Pages of 
 honour — Extra holidays for schools — Review 
 in Hyde Park — Lord Durham and Canada — 
 Government of Canada — Ireland and O'Connell 
 
 — Death of Lady John Russell — The Queen's 
 sympathy with Lord John Russell — Belgium 
 and English Government — Belgium and Hol- 
 land — Canada — Resignation of the Earl of 
 Durham — English Church for Malta — Disap- 
 pointment of Duke of Sussex — Brighton . 
 
 CHAPTER Vin 
 
 1839 
 
 Murder of Lord Norbury — Holland and Belgium — 
 Dissension in the Cabinet — The Duke of Lucca 
 
 — Portugal — Ireland and the Government — 
 
 xui 
 
 PAGB 
 
 7^130 
 
 131-177 
 
xiv CONTENTS 
 
 PAGI 
 
 England and Belgium — Prince Albert's tour in 
 Italy — Jamaica — Change of Ministry immi- 
 nent — The Queen's distress — Interviews with 
 the Duke of Welhngton and Sir Robert Peel — 
 Lord Melbourne on Sir Robert Peel — The House- 
 hold — Proposed new Cabinet — Interview with 
 Lord Melbourne — The Ladies of the Household 
 and Sir Robert Peel — Reply to Sir Robert Peel 
 
 — Resignation of Sir Robert Peel — The Queen's 
 journal — Cabinet minute — Whigs resume office 
 
 — Ball at Buckingham Palace — Lord John Rus- 
 sell and Sir Robert Peel — The Queen on the crisis 
 
 — King Leopold's approval — The penny postage 
 
 — The Queen and Prince Albert — Syria — Eng- 
 land and the Sultan — Proposed visit of King Louis 
 PhiHppe — Preparing the Queen's speech — King 
 Leopold's feeling for the Queen — Coming visit of 
 Prince Albert — Arrival of Princes Ernest and Al- 
 bert — The Queen's engagement to Prince Albert 
 — Lord Melbourne's congratulations — King Leo- 
 pold's satisfaction — Austria and the Porte — The 
 Queen's happiness — Queen Louise's congratula- 
 tions — The Queen's letters to the Royal Family 
 
 — The Prince's religion — Announcement to the 
 Council — Marriage treaty — Question of a peer- 
 age — EngKsh susceptibilities — Letter from 
 Donna Maria — Household appointments — 
 Mayor of Newport knighted — The word " Prot- 
 estant " — The Prince's coat-of-arms — The 
 Prince and Mr Anson — Appointment of Treas- 
 urer — The Prince and Lord Melbourne . , 178-263 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 1840 
 
 Letters to Prince Albert — Opening of Parliament 
 
 The Prince's grant — The Prince at Brussels — 
 Marriage of the Queen and Prince — Public 
 enthusiasm — Plays in Lent — Debate on the 
 Corn Laws — England and China — Disturbance 
 
CONTENTS XV 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 at the Opera — Murder of Lord William Russell 
 
 — Mrs Norton — Character of Princess Char- 
 lotte — English manners — Oxford's attempt on 
 the Queen's life — Egypt and the Four Powers — 
 Prince Louis Napoleon — King Leopold at Wies- 
 baden — A threatened crisis — France and the 
 East — A difficult question — Serious measures 
 
 — Palmerston and France — Views of King Louis 
 Philippe — Propositions for settlement — Atti- 
 tude of France — Pacific instructions — The 
 Porte and Mehemet Ali — Bombardment of Bey- 
 rout — Guizot and Thiers — Differing views — 
 The Queen's influence — An anxious time — At- 
 tempt on life of King Louis Philippe — Negotia- 
 tion with France advised — Thiers more moderate 
 
 — Death of Lord Holland — Change of Ministry 
 in France — Importance of conciliation — The 
 Prince's name in the Prayer-book — King Leo- 
 pold on Lord Palmerston — Birth of the Princess 
 
 Royal — Settlement of Eastern Question . . 264-318 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 1841 
 Letter to King Leopold — The Prince and literature 
 
 — The speech from the throne — Domestic hap- 
 piness — Duke of Wellington's illness — England 
 and the United States — Operations in China — 
 Lord Cardigan — Army discipline — The Not- 
 tingham election — The Budget — Irish Regis- 
 tration Bill — Sugar duties — Ministerial crisis 
 
 — Lord Melbourne's advice — Dissolution or 
 resignation — The Household question — Sir 
 Robert Peel — Mr Anson's intervention — Inter- 
 view with Lord Melbourne — King Leopold's 
 sympathy — The Corn Laws — The Queen's 
 journal — The Prince's support — Further in- 
 terviews — Resignation postponed — The Queen 
 and the Church — King Leopold's advice — The 
 Queen's impartiality — Difficulties removed — 
 Vote of want of confidence — The country quiet 
 
xvi CONTENTS 
 
 FAGE 
 
 — King Leopold's views — Fiscal Policy — Mar- 
 riage of Lord John Russell — Visit to Nuneham 
 
 — Archbishop Harcourt — The Prince visits Ox- 
 ford — Letter from Lord Brougham — Visit to 
 Woburn Abbey — Lord Melbourne and the Garter 
 
 — A dreaded moment — Debate on the Speech — 
 Overwhelming majority — Resignation — New 
 arrangements — Parting with Lord Melbourne — 
 The Prince in a new position — The Queen and 
 Sir Robert Peel — Lord Melbourne's opinion of 
 the Prince — The Household question — New 
 Cabinet — Lord Melbourne's official farewell — 
 Sir Robert Peel's reception — New appointments 
 
 — Council at Claremont — The Lord Chamber- 
 lain's department — The French ambassador — 
 Confidential communications — The diplomatic 
 corps — Governor-General of Canada — India 
 and Afghanistan — Lord EUenborough — Russia 
 and Central Asia — Indian finances — The Span- 
 ish mission — Correspondence with Lord Mel- 
 bourne — Fine Arts commission — Peers and 
 audiences — Lord Radnor's claim — The Chinese 
 campaign — English and foreign artists — Lord 
 Melbourne and the Court — The Queen and her 
 Government — Baron Stockmar's opinion — Lord 
 Melbourne's influence — Baron Stockmar and Sir 
 Robert Peel — Professor Whewell — Queen Chris- 
 tina — Queen Isabella — French influence in Spain 
 
 — Holland and Belgium — Dispute with United 
 States — Portugal — The English Constitution 
 
 — The "Prime Minister " — The "Secretaries 
 of State " — Baron Stockmar expostulates with 
 Lord Melbourne — Birth of heir-apparent — 
 Created Prince of Wales — The Royal children . 319-464 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 1842 
 Letter from Queen Adelaide — Disasters in Afghan- 
 istan — The Oxford movement — Church matters 
 
 — The Duke of Wellington and the christening 
 
CONTENTS xvii 
 
 PAGE 
 
 — Lord Melbourne ill — A favourite dog — The 
 King of Prussia ^ — Marriage of Prince Ernest — 
 Christening of the Prince of Wales — The Corn 
 Laws — Marine excursion — Fall of Cabul — 
 Candidates for the Garter — The Earl of Mun- 
 ster — The Queen and Income Tax — Lambeth 
 Palace — Sale at Strawberry Hill — Selection of 
 a governess — Party politics — A brilliant ball 
 
 — The Prince and the Army — Lady Lyttelton's 
 appointment — Goethe and Schiller — Edwin 
 Landseer — The Mensdorff family — Attack on 
 the Queen by Francis — Letters from Queen 
 Adelaide and Lord Melbourne — Successes in Af- 
 ghanistan — Sir R. Sale and General Pollock — 
 Debate on Income Tax — The Queen's first rail- 
 way journey — Conviction of Francis — Presents 
 for the Queen — Another attack on the Queen by 
 Bean — Death of Duke of Orleans — Grief of the 
 Queen — Letters from the King and Queen of the 
 French — Leigh Hunt — Lord Melbourne on mar- 
 riages — Resignation of Lord Hill — Appoint- 
 ment of Duke of WelKngton — Manchester riots 
 
 — Military assistance — Parliament prorogued 
 
 — Causes of discontent — Mob in Lincoln's Inn 
 Fields — Trouble at the Cape — Tour in Scot- 
 land — Visit to Lord Breadalbane — Return to 
 Windsor — Royal visitors — A steam yacht for 
 the Queen — Future of Queen Isabella — The 
 Princess Lichtenstein — Historical works — Wal- 
 mer Castle — Lord Melbourne's illness — The 
 Crown jewels — Provision for Princess Augusta 
 
 — Success in China — A treaty signed — Vic- 
 tories in Afghanistan — Honours for the army 
 
 — The gates of Somnauth — France and Spain 
 
 — Major Malcolm — The Scottish Church — A 
 serious crisis — Letter from Lord Melbourne — 
 Esteem for Baron Stockmar .... 465-663 
 
 Vol. I.— 5 
 
xviii CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 1843 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Recollections of Claremont — Historical writers — 
 Governor-Generalship of Canada — Mr Drum- 
 raond shot — Mistaken for Sir Robert Peel — 
 Death of Mr Drummond — Demeanour of Mac- 
 Naghten — Letter from Lord Melbourne — Prep- 
 arations for the trial — The Royal Family and 
 pohtics — King Leopold and Sir Robert Peel — 
 The American treaty — Position of the Prince of 
 Wales — Good wishes from Queen Adelaide — 
 Proposed exchange of visits — Mr Cobden's 
 speech — The new chapel — Fanny Burney's 
 diary — MacNaghten acquitted — Question of 
 criminal insanity — Princess Mary of Baden — 
 The Prince and the Levees — Sir Robert Peel's 
 suggestions — Police arrangements — Looking 
 for the comet — Flowers from Lord Melbourne 
 
 — The Royal children — The toast of the Prince 
 
 — King of Hanover's proposed visit — Gates of 
 Somnauth restored — Death of Duke of Sussex 
 
 — Birth and christening of Princess Alice — 
 Irish agitation — Rebecca riots — Duchess of 
 Norfolk's resignation — Duelling in the army — 
 Out-pensioners of Chelsea — Crown jewels — Ob- 
 struction of business — Lord Melbourne on 
 matrimonial affairs — Visit to Chateau d'Eu — 
 Increased troubles in Wales — Royal visitors 
 
 — England and Spain — Arrest of O'Connell — 
 Due de Bordeaux not received at Court — Due 
 de Nemours expected — Visit to Cambridge — 
 Due d'Airaiale's engagement — Indian affairs 
 
 — Loyalty at Cambridge — Proposed visit to 
 Drayton Manor — Travelling arrangements — 
 Duchesse de Nemours — Birmingham — Cana- 
 dian seat of government — Chatsworth — Ameri- 
 can view of monarchy — Prince Metternich and 
 
 Spain 664-641 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Queen Victoria hecetving the News op her Accession to the 
 Throne, 20th June 1837. From Ike picture by H. T. Wells, 
 R.A., at Btickingham Palace . . Frontispiece 
 
 T.R.H. The Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria. 
 From, the miniature by H. Bone, after Sir W. Beechey, at Wind- 
 sor Castle . . .To face -p. 14 
 
 H.R.H. Princess Victoria, 1827. By Plant, after Stewart. From 
 
 the miniature at Buckingham Palace . „ 24 
 
 H.R.H. Princess Victoria, 1833. From the picture after Sir 
 
 G. Hayter at Windsor Castle . „ 48 
 
 H.M. King William IV. From a miniature at Windsor Castle . „ 88 
 
 H.R.H. The Duke op Kent. From u miniature at Windsor 
 
 Castle „ 134 
 
 H.R.H. The Prince Consort, 1840. From the portrait by John 
 
 Partridge at Buckingham Palace „ 224 
 
 H.M. Queen Victoria, 1840. From the portrait by John Par- 
 tridge at Buckingham Palace „ 274 
 
 H.M. Queen Victoria, 1841. From the drawing by E. F. T., 
 
 after H. E. Dawe, at Buckingham Palace „ 338 
 
 H.R.H. The Duchiss op Kent, 1841. From the Portrait by 
 
 John I/ucas at Windsor Castle „ 424 
 
 H.M. Queen Victoria, 1842. By Essex, after Winterhalter. 
 
 From the miniature at Buckingham Palace „ 498 
 
 H.M. Queen Adelaide, 1832. From the miniature by H. P. Bone 
 
 at Windsor Castle . . . „ 548 
 
 Viscount Melbourne. After Sir T. Lawrence, P.R.A. . „ 612 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 THE ANCESTRY OF THE QUEEN — HOUSES OF 
 BRUNSWICK, HANOVER, AND COBURGi • 
 
 Queen Victoria, on her father's side, belonged to 
 the House of Brunswick, which was undoubtedly one 
 of the oldest, and claimed to be actually the oldest, of 
 German princely families. At the time of her birth it 
 existed in two branches, of which the one ruled over 
 what was called the Duchy of Brunswick, the other over 
 the Electorate (since 1815 the Kingdom) of Hanover, 
 and had since 1714 occupied the throne of England. 
 As wiU be seen, there had been frequent intermarriages 
 between the two branches. The Dukes of Brunswick 
 were now, however, represented only by two young 
 princes, who were the sons of the celebrated Duke 
 who fell at Quatre Bras. Between them and the 
 English Court there was little intercourse. The elder, 
 Charles, had quarrelled with his uncle and guardian, 
 George IV., and had in 1830 been expelled from his 
 dominions. The obvious faults of his character made 
 it impossible for the other German princes to insist 
 on his being restored, and he had been succeeded 
 
 1 The accompanying Tables' are constructed to show the more important of 
 the widespread family connections of Queen Victoria, and may enable the 
 reader to identify the various royal and princely personages mentioned in the 
 letters. 
 
 Vol. I.— 1 
 
2 THE HOUSE OF SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA [chap, i 
 
 by his younger brother William, who ruled till his 
 death in 1884. Both died unmarried, and with them 
 the Ducal family came to an end. One Prmcess of 
 Brunswick had been the wife of George IV., and 
 another, Augusta, was the first wife of Frederick I., 
 King of Wurtemberg, who, after her death, married 
 a daughter of George III. The King of Wiirtemberg 
 was also, by his descent from Frederick Prince of 
 Wales, first cousin once removed of the Queen. We 
 need only notice, in passing, the distant connection 
 with the royal families of Prussia, the Netherlands, 
 and Denmark. The Prince of Orange, who was one 
 of the possible suitors for the young Queen's hand, 
 was her third cousin once removed. 
 
 The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, to which the 
 Queen belonged on her mother's side, and with which 
 she was to be even more intimately connected by her 
 marriage, was one of the numerous branches into 
 which the ancient and celebrated House of Wettin 
 had broken up. Since the 11th century they had 
 ruled over Meissen and the adjoining districts. To 
 these had been added Upper Saxony and Thuringia. 
 In the 15th century the whole possessions of the 
 House had been divided between the two great 
 branches which stiU exist. The Albertine branch 
 retained Meissen and the Saxon possessions. They 
 held the title of Elector, which in 1806 was exchanged 
 for the title of King. Though the Saxon House 
 had been the chief protectors of the Reformation, 
 Frederick Augustus I. had, on being elected to the 
 throne of Poland, become a Roman Catholic; and 
 thereby the connection between the two branches 
 of the House had to a great extent ceased. The 
 second line, that of the Ernestines, ruled over Thuringia, 
 but, according to the common German custom, had 
 again broken up into numerous branches, among which 
 the Duchies of Thuringia were parcelled out. At the 
 time of the Queen's birth there were five of these, 
 viz., Gotha - Altenburg, Coburg - Saalfeld, Weimar- 
 Eisenach, Meiningen, and Hildburghausen. On the 
 
CHAP. I] THE HOUSE OF COBURG 3 
 
 extinction of the Gotha line, in 1825, there was a 
 rearrangement of the family property, by which the 
 Duke of Hildburghausen received Altenburg, Gotha 
 was given to the Duke of Coburg, and Saalfeld 
 with Hildburghausen added to Meiningen, These 
 four Unes still exist. 
 
 The Ernestine princes had, by this constant division 
 and sub-division, deprived themselves of the opportunity 
 of exercising any predominant influence, or pursuing 
 any independent policy in German affairs ; and though 
 they had the good fortune to emerge from the revolu- 
 tion with their possessions unimpaired, their real power 
 was not increased. Like all the other princes they 
 had, however, at the Congress of Vienna, received the 
 recognition of their fuU status as sovereign princes 
 of the Germanic Confederation. Together they sent 
 a single representative to the Diet of Frankfort, the 
 total population of the five principalities being only 
 about 300,000 inhabitants. 
 
 It was owing to this territorial sub-division and 
 lack of cohesion that these princes could not attach 
 to their independence the same political importance 
 that fell to the share of the larger principalities, such 
 as Hanover and Bavaria, and they were consequently 
 more ready than the other German princes to 
 welcome proposals which would lead to a unification 
 of Germany. 
 
 It is notable that the line has produced many of the 
 most enlightened of the German princes ; and nowhere 
 in the whole of Germany were the advantages of the 
 division into numerous small States so clearly seen, 
 and the disadvantages so little felt, as at Weimar, 
 Meiningen, Gotha, and Coburg, 
 
 The House of Coburg had gained a highly con- 
 spicuous and influential position, owing, partly, to 
 the high reputation for sagacity and character which 
 the princes of that House had won, and partly to the 
 marriage connections which were entered into about 
 this time by members of the Coburg House with the 
 leading Royal families of Europe. Within ten years. 
 
4 MEDIATISED PRINCES [chap, i 
 
 Princes of Coburg were established, one upon the throne 
 of Belgium, and two others next to the throne in 
 Portugal and England, as Consorts of their respective 
 Queens. 
 
 By the first marriage of the Duchess of Kent, the 
 Queen was also connected with a third class of German 
 princes — the mediatised, as those were called who 
 during the revolution had lost their sovereign power. 
 Many of these were of as ancient lineage and had 
 possessed as large estates as some of the regnant 
 princes, who, though not always more deserving, had 
 been fortunate enough to retain their privileges, and 
 had emerged from the revolution ranking among the 
 ruling Houses of Europe. The mediatised princes, 
 though they had ceased to rule, still held important 
 privileges, which were guaranteed at the Congress 
 of Vienna. First, and most important, they were 
 reckoned as " ebenburtig," which means that they could 
 contract equal marriages with the Royal Houses, and 
 these marriages were recognised as valid for the trans- 
 mission of rights of inheritance. Many of them had 
 vast private estates, and though they were subjected to 
 the sovereignty of the princes in whose dominions they 
 lay, they enjoyed very important privileges, such as 
 exemption from military service, and from many forms 
 of taxation ; they also could exercise minor forms of 
 jurisdiction. They formed, therefore, an intermediate 
 class. Since Germany, as a whole, afforded them no 
 proper sphere of political activity, the more ambitious 
 did not disdain to take service with Austria or 
 Prussia, and, to a less extent, even with the smaller 
 States. It was possible, therefore, for the Queen's 
 mother, a Princess of Saxe - Coburg, to marry the 
 Prince of Leiningen without losing caste. Her 
 daughter, the Princess Feodore, the Queen's half-sister, 
 married Ernest, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and 
 thus established an interesting connection with perhaps 
 the most widely-spread and most distinguished of 
 all these families. The House of Hohenlohe would 
 probably still have been a reigning family, had not the 
 
CHAP. I] FAMILY CONNECTIONS 6 
 
 Prince of Hohenlohe preferred to fight in the Prussian 
 army against Napoleon, rather than receive gifts from 
 jhira. His lands were consequently confiscated and 
 passed to other princes who were less scrupulous. The 
 family has given two Ministers President to Prussia, a 
 General in chief command of the Prussian army, a 
 Chancellor to the German Empire, and one of the most 
 distinguished of modern military writers. They held, 
 besides their extensive possessions in Wiirtemberg and 
 Bavaria, the County of Gleichen in Saxe-Coburg. 
 
 It will be seen therefore that the Queen was 
 intimately connected with all classes that are to be 
 found among the ruling families of Germany, though 
 naturally with the Catholic families, which looked 
 to Austria and Bavaria for guidance, she had no 
 close ties. But it must be borne in mind that her 
 connection with Germany always remained a personal 
 and family matter, and not a political one ; this 
 was the fortunate result of the predominance of 
 the Coburg influence. Had that of the House of 
 Hanover been supreme, it could hardly have been 
 possible for the Queen not to have been dravra into 
 the opposition to the unification of Germany by Prussia, 
 in which the House of Hanover was bound to take 
 a leading part, in virtue of its position, wealth, and 
 dignity. 
 
 It will be as weU here to mention the principal 
 reigning families of Europe to which Queen Victoria 
 was closely aUied through her mother. 
 
 The Duchess of Kent's eldest brother Ernest, 
 Duke of Saxe-Coburg, was the father of Albert, 
 Prince Consort. Her sister was the wife of 
 Alexander, Duke of Wiirtemberg. The Duchess 
 of Kent's nephew, Ferdinand (son of Ferdinand, 
 the Duchess's brother), married Maria da Gloria. 
 Queen of Portugal, and was father of Pedro V. and 
 Luis, both subsequently Kings of Portugal. 
 
 The Duchess's third brother, Leopold (afterwards 
 King of the Belgians), married first the Princess 
 Charlotte, daughter of George IV., and afterwards 
 
6 THE ENGLISH ROYAL FAMILY [chap, i 
 
 the Princess Louise Marie, eldest daughter of King 
 Louis Philippe. Prince Augustus (son of Ferdinand, 
 the Duchess of Kent's brother) married another 
 daughter of Louis Philippe, the Princess Clementine, 
 whUe Prince Augustus' sister, Victoria, married the 
 Due de Nemours, a son of Louis Philippe. Another 
 nephew, Duke Friederich Wilhelm Alexander, son of 
 the Duchess of Wiirtemberg, married the Princess 
 Marie, another daughter of Louis Philippe. 
 
 Thus Queen Victoria was closely allied with the 
 royal families of France, Portugal, Belgium, Saxe- 
 Coburg and Wiirtemberg. 
 
 On turning to the immediate Royal Family of 
 England, it will be seen that the male line at the 
 time of the Queen's Accession was limited to the sons, 
 both named George, of two of the younger brothers of 
 George IV., the Dukes of Cumberland and Cambridge. 
 The sons of George IIL played their part in the national 
 life, shared the strong interest in military matters, 
 and showed the great personal courage which was a 
 tradition of the family. 
 
 It must be borne in mind that abstention from 
 active political life had been in no sense required, or 
 even thought desirable, in members of the Royal 
 House. George III. himself had waged a lifelong 
 struggle with the Whig party, that powerful oligarchy 
 that since the accession of the House of Hanover had 
 virtually ruled the country ; but he did not carry on 
 the conflict so much by encouraging the opponents of 
 the Whigs, as by placing himself at the head of a 
 monarchical faction. He was in fact the leader of 
 a third party in the State. George IV. was at first a 
 strong Whig, and lived on terms of the greatest intimacy 
 with Charles James Fox; but by the time that he 
 was thirty he had severed the connection with his 
 former political friends, which had indeed originally 
 arisen more out of his personal opposition to his father 
 than from any political convictions. After this date 
 he became, with intervals of vacillation, an advanced 
 Tory of an illiberal type. William IV. had lived 
 
CHAP. I] THE ROYAL DUKES 7 
 
 so much aloof from politics before his accession, that 
 he had had then no very pronounced opinions, though 
 he was believed to be in favour of the Reform Bill ; 
 during his reign his Tory sympathies became more 
 pronounced, and the position of the Whig Ministry 
 was almost an intolerable one. His other brothers 
 were men of decided ability, and for the most part of 
 high . social gifts. They not only attended debates 
 in the House of Peers, but spoke with emotion and 
 vigour ; they held political interviews with leading 
 statesmen, and considered themselves entitled, not to 
 over-rule poUtical movements, but to take the part in 
 them to which their strong convictions prompted them. 
 They were particularly prominent in the debates on 
 the Catholic question, and did not hesitate to express 
 their views with an energy that was often embar- 
 rassing. The Duke of York and the Duke of 
 Cumberland had used all their influence to encourage 
 the King in his opposition to Catholic Emancipation, 
 while the Duke of Cambridge had supported that 
 policy, and the Duke of Sussex had spoken in the 
 House of Lords in favour of it. The Duke of York, 
 a kindly, generous man, had held important commands 
 in the earlier part of the Revolutionary war; he had 
 not shown tactical or strategical abiUty, but he was 
 for many years Commander-in-Chief of the Army, 
 and did good administrative work in initiating and 
 carrying out much-needed military reforms. He had 
 married a Prussian princess, but left no issue, and 
 his death, in 1827, left the succession open to his 
 younger brother, the Duke of Clarence, afterwards 
 King WiUiam IV., and after him to the Princess 
 Victoria. 
 
 The Duke of Kent was, as we shall have occasion 
 to show, a strong Whig with philanthropic views. 
 But the ablest of the princes, though also the most 
 unpopular, was the Duke of Cumberland, who, until 
 the birth of the Queen's first child, was heir-pre- 
 sumptive to the Throne. He had been one of the 
 most active members of the ultra-Tory party, who 
 
8 THE DUKE OF CUMBERLAND [chap, i 
 
 had opposed to the last the Emancipation of the 
 Cathohcs and the Reform Bill. He had married 
 a sister-in-law of the King of Prussia, and lived 
 much in Berlin, where he was intimate with the 
 leaders of the military party, who were the centre of 
 reactionary influences in that country, chief among 
 them being his brother-in-law. Prince Charles of 
 Mecklenburg. 
 
 In private life the Duke was bluff and soldier-hke, 
 of rather a bullying turn, and extraordinarily indifferent 
 to the feelings of others. "Ernest is not a bad 
 fellow," his brother William IV. said of him, "but if 
 anyone has a corn, he will be sure to tread on it." 
 He was very unpopular in England. 
 
 On the death of William IV. he succeeded to 
 the throne of Hanover, and from that time seldom 
 visited England. His first act on reaching his 
 kingdom was to declare invahd the Constitution 
 which had been granted in 1833 by William IV. 
 His justification for this was that his consent, as 
 Heir Presumptive, which was necessary for its vaUdity, 
 had not at the time been asked. The act caused 
 great odium to be attached to his name by all 
 Liberals, both English and Continental, and it was 
 disapproved of even by his old Tory associates. None 
 the less he soon won great popularity in his own 
 dominions by his zeal, good-humour, and energy, and 
 in 1840 he came to terms with the Estates. A new 
 Constitution was drawn up which preserved more of 
 the Royal prerogatives than the instrument of 1833. 
 Few German princes suffered so little in the revolution 
 of 1848. The King died in 1851, at the age of eighty, 
 and left one son, George, who had been blind from 
 his boyhood. He was the last King of Hanover, being 
 expelled by the Prussians in 1866. On the failure of 
 the Ducal line of Brunswick, the grandson of Ernest 
 Augustus became heir to their dominions, he and his 
 sons being now the sole male representatives of all the 
 branches of the House of Brunswick, which a few 
 
CHAP. 1] FAMILY OF GEORGE III. 9 
 
 generations ago was one of the most numerous and 
 widely-spread ruling Houses in Germany.* 
 
 The Duke of Sussex was in sympathy with many 
 Liberal movements, and supported the removal of 
 religious disabilities, the abolition of the Corn Laws, 
 and Parhamentary Reform. 
 
 The Duke of Cambridge was a moderate Tory, and 
 the most conciliatory of all the Princes. But for more 
 than twenty years he took little part in English pohtics, 
 as he was occupied with his duties as Regent of 
 Hanover, where he did much by prudent reforms to 
 retain the allegiance of the Hanoverians. On his return 
 to England he resumed the position of a peacemaker, 
 supporting philanthropic movements, and being a gen- 
 erous patron of art and letters. He was recognised 
 as "emphatically the connecting link between the 
 Crown and the people." Another member of the 
 Royal Family was the Duke of Gloucester, nephew 
 and son-in-law of George III. ; he was more interested 
 in philanthropic movements than in pohtics, but was a 
 moderate Conservative, who favoured Catholic Eman- 
 cipation, but was opposed to Parliamentary Reform. 
 
 Thus we have the spectacle of seven Royal princes, 
 of whom two succeeded to the Throne, all or nearly 
 all avowed politicians of decided convictions, throwing 
 the weight of their influence and social position for the 
 most part on the side of the Tory party, and believing 
 it to be rather their duty to hold»and express strong 
 political opinions than to adopt the moderating and 
 conciliatory attitude in matters of government that 
 is now understood to be the true function of the 
 Royal House. 
 
 The Queen, after her accession, always showed great 
 respect and affection for her uncles, but they were not 
 
 ^ Of the daughters of George III., Princess Amelia had died in 1810, 
 and the Queen of Wiirtemberg in 1828 ; two married daughters survived 
 — Elizabeth, wife of the Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, and Mary, who 
 had married her cousin the Duke of Gloucester, and lived in England. 
 There were also two unmarried daughters, the Princesses Augusta and Sophia, 
 living in England. 
 
10 POLITICAL POSITION OF THE QUEEN [chap, i 
 
 able to exercise any influence over her character or 
 opinions. 
 
 This was partly due to the fact that from an early 
 age she had imbibed a respect for liberal views from 
 her uncle Leopold, King of the Belgians, to whom 
 she was devoted from her earliest childhood, and for 
 whom she entertained feelings of the deepest admira- 
 tion, affection, and confidence ; but still more was it 
 due to the fact that, from the very first, the Queen 
 instinctively formed an independent judgment on any 
 question that concerned her, and though she was un- 
 doubtedly influenced in her decisions by her affectionate 
 reliance on her chosen advisers, yet those advisers were 
 always deliberately and shrewdly selected, and their 
 opinions were in no case allowed to do more than modify 
 her own penetrating and clear-sighted judgment. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 MExMOIR OF QUEEN VICTORIA'S EARLY YEARS 
 
 Alexandrina Victoria, Queen of Great Britain 
 and Ireland and Empress of India, was born on Mon- 
 day, 24th May 1819, at Kensington Palace. 
 
 Her father, Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn 
 (1767-1820), the fourth son of George III., was a man 
 of considerable ability, humane, pious, punctual, with 
 a strict sense of duty and enlightened ideas. He was 
 a devoted soldier, and, as Queen Victoria once said, 
 " was proud of his profession, and I was always taught 
 to consider myself a soldier's child." He had a wide 
 military experience, having served at Gibraltar, in 
 Canada, and in the West Indies. He had been men- 
 tioned in despatches, but was said to be over-strict 
 in matters of unimportant detail. His active career 
 was brought to an end in 1802, when he had been sent 
 to Gibraltar to restore order in a mutinous garrison. 
 Order had been restored, but the Duke was recalled 
 under allegations of having exercised undue severity, 
 and the investigation which he demanded was refused 
 him, though he was afterwards made a Field-Marshal. 
 
 He was a man of advanced Liberal ideas. He had 
 spoken in the House of Lords in favour of Catholic 
 Emancipation, and had shown himself interested in the 
 abolition of slavery and in popular education. His 
 tastes were literary, and towards the end of his life he 
 
 11 
 
12 THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF KENT [chap, n 
 
 had even manifested a strong sympathy for socialistic 
 theories. 
 
 At the time of the death of the Princess Charlotte, 
 6th November 1817, the married sons of King 
 George III. were without legitimate children, and 
 the surviving daughters were either unmarried or 
 childless. Alliances were accordingly arranged for the 
 three unmarried Royal Dukes, and in the course of 
 the year 1818 the Dukes of Cambridge, Kent, and 
 Clarence led their brides to the altar. 
 
 The Duchess of Kent (1786-1861), Victoria Mary 
 Louisa, was a daughter of Francis, Duke of Saxe- 
 Saalfeld-Coburg. She was the widow of Emich 
 Charles, Prince of Leiningen,^ whom she had married 
 in 1803, and who had died in 1814, leaving a son 
 and a daughter by her. 
 
 The Duke of Kent died prematurely — though he 
 had always been a conspicuously healthy man — at 
 Sidmouth, on the 23rd of January 1820, only a week 
 before his father. 
 
 A paper preserved in the Windsor archives gives 
 a touching account of the Duke's last hours. The 
 Regent, on the 22nd of January, sent to him a message 
 of solicitude and affection, expressing an anxious wish for 
 his recovery. The Duke roused himself to enquire how 
 the Prince was in health, and said, " If I could now 
 shake hands with him, I should die in peace." A few 
 hours before the end, one who stood by the curtain 
 of his bed heard the Duke say with deep emotion, 
 "May the Almighty protect my wife and child, and 
 forgive all the sins I have committed." His last words 
 — addressed to his wife — were, " Do not forget me." 
 
 The Duchess of Kent was an affectionate, 
 impulsive woman, with more intellectual ability, than 
 
 1 Leiningen, a mediatised princely House of Germany dating back to 1096. 
 In 1TT9 the head of one of the branches into which it had become divided, 
 the Count of Leiningen-Dachsburg-Hardenburg, was raised to the rank of 
 a prince of the Empire ; but the Peace of Lun^ville (1801) deprived him of 
 his ancient possessions, extending about 952 miles on the left bank of the 
 Rhine. Though no longer an independent prince, the head of the House 
 retains his rank and wealth, and owns extensive estates in Bavaria and Hesse. 
 
CHAP. II] THE PARLIAMENTARY GRANT 13 
 
 practical wisdom in worldly matters. But her claim 
 on the gratitude of the British nation is that she 
 brought up her illustrious daughter in habits of 
 simplicity, self-sacrifice, and obedience. 
 
 As a testimony to the sincere appreciation enter- 
 tained by the poUticians of the time for the way in 
 which the Duchess of Kent had appreciated her 
 responsibilities with regard to the education of a pro- 
 bable heir to the Crown of England, we may quote 
 a few sentences from two speeches made in the 
 House of Commons, in the debate which took place 
 (27th May 1825) on the question of increasing the 
 Parliamentary annuity paid to the Duchess, in order 
 to provide duly for the education of the young 
 Princess. 
 
 The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Robinson, 
 afterwards Lord Ripon, said : 
 
 " The position in which this Princess stood with 
 respect to the throne of the country could not fail to 
 make her an object of general interest to the nation. 
 He had not himself the honour of being acquainted 
 with the Duchess of Kent, but he believed that she had 
 taken the greatest pains with her daughter's education. 
 She had been brought up in principles of piety and 
 morality, a^d .tp feel- a Jj^-qp&r .senses, Jie .njeaicit.by ]t!iat 
 ail,'* liutobi^iserisej [of, hie^//9wnr 'and' ffie""ra'ilk 
 
 Whicil^ "probably awaited her.. Perhaps it might have 
 been fit to have.ib'K6aghtVthrs/pi3,ti*er ttefore Parliament 
 at an earlier period. "•' * .''' ' " ' 
 
 Mr Canning said : 
 
 "All parties agreed in the propriety of the Grant, 
 and if Government had anytJiing to answer for on 
 this point, it was for having so long delayed bringing 
 it before the House. There could not be a greater 
 compliment to Her Royal Highness than to state the 
 quiet unobtrusive tenor of her life, and that she had 
 never made herself the object of public gaze, but had 
 devoted herself to the education of her child, whom the 
 House was now called upon to adopt." 
 
14 EARLY REMINISCENCES [chap, n 
 
 In the year 1872 Queen Victoria wrote down with 
 her own hand some reminiscences of her early child- 
 hood, the manuscript of which is preserved at Windsor, 
 and which may be quoted here. 
 
 " My earliest recollections are connected with 
 Kensington Palace, where I can remember crawling 
 on a yeUow carpet spread out for that purpose — and 
 being told that if I cried and was naughty my ' Uncle 
 Sussex ' would hear me and punish me, for which 
 reason I always screamed when I saw him I I had 
 a great horror of Bishops on account of their wigs 
 and aprons, but recollect this being partially got over 
 in the case of the then Bishop of Salisbury (Dr Fisher, 
 great-uncle to Mr Fisher, Private Secretary to the 
 Prince of Wales), by his kneeling down and letting 
 me play with his badge of Chancellor of the Order 
 of the Garter, With another Bishop, however, the 
 persuasion of showing him my 'pretty shoes' was 
 of no use. Claremont remains as the brightest epoch 
 of my otherwise rather melancholy childhood — where 
 to be under the roof of that beloved Uncle — to 
 listen to some music in the Hall when there were 
 dinner-parties, — and to go and see dear old Louis ! — 
 the former faithful and devoted Dresser and friend of 
 Prijncess -.Charlotte ^-7 beloved and respected by all who 
 knew..h^j>-^aiid-v^hQ':d6„^(J'0li |t.he little *Jf-^i*ie.ess' who 
 was too much an idol 'in' fhfe' House.' Thi's* aear.'<}ki 
 lady was visited"-by ej^ry one-^.and -va^s the only really 
 devoted Attendant" •". of ' ;the- -ppcff •. !l^rincess, whose 
 governesses paid little real attention to her — and who 
 never left her, and was with her when she died. I 
 used to ride a donkey given me by my Uncle, the 
 Duke of York, who was very kind to me. I remember 
 him well — tall, rather large, very kind but extremely 
 shy. He always gave me beautiful presents. The 
 last time I saw him was at Mr Greenwood's house, 
 where D. Carlos hved at one time, — when he was 
 already very ill, — and he had Punch and Judy in the 
 garden for me. 
 
 " To Ramsgate we used to go frequently in the 
 
^. en. cVt . lJAc QUiuAe&fi ofJtent and cy7~iyfice^>6 Utotorca.. 
 
 ^rvm, the. jTvonMiiur^ xii (Jjiiidnyr- Caa-tle 
 fry X'. ^,i^ne ci/ter C^.truJ. (!^ee.chey. 
 
CHAP, n] THE QUEEN OF WURTEMBERG 15 
 
 summer, and I remember living at Townley House 
 (near the town), and going there by steamer. Mamma 
 was very unwell. Dear Uncle Leopold went with us. 
 
 "To Tunbridge Wells we also went, living at a 
 house called Mt. Pleasant, now an Hotel. Many 
 pleasant days were spent here, and the return to 
 Kensington in October or November was generally 
 a day of tears. 
 
 " I was brought up very simply — never had a room 
 to myself till I was nearly grown up — always slept 
 in my Mother's room till I came to the Throne. At 
 Claremont, and in the small houses at the bathing- 
 places, I sat and took my lessons in my Governess's 
 bedroom. I was not fond of learning as a little child — 
 and baffled every attempt to teach me my letters 
 up to 5 years old — when 1 consented to learn them 
 by their being written down before me. 
 
 " I remember going to Carlton House when George 
 IV. lived there, as quite a little child before a dinner 
 the King gave. The Duchess of Cambridge and my 
 2 cousins, George and Augusta, were there. My 
 Aunt, the Queen of Wiirtemberg (Princess Royal) 
 came over, in the year '26 I think, and 1 recollect 
 perfectly well seeing her drive through the Park in 
 the King's carriage with red liveries and 4 horses, 
 in a Cap and evening dress, — my Aunt, her sister 
 Princess Augusta, sitting opposite to her, also in 
 evening attire, having dined early with the Duke of 
 Sussex at Kensington. She had adopted all the 
 German fashions and spoke broken English — and had 
 not been in England for many many years. She was 
 very kind and good-humoured but very large and 
 unwieldy. She lived at St. James's and had a numbei' 
 of Germans with her. In the year '26 (I think) 
 George IV. asked my Mother, my Sister and me down 
 to Windsor for the first time ; he had been on bad 
 terms with my poor father when he died, — and took 
 hardly any notice of the poor widow and little fatherless 
 girl, who were so poor at the time of his (the Duke of 
 Kent's) death, that they could not have travelled back 
 
16 GEORGE IV. AND PRINCESS VICTORIA [chap, h 
 
 to Kensington Palace had it not been for the kind 
 assistance of my dear Uncle, Prince Leopold. We 
 went to Cumberland Lodge, the King living at the 
 Royal Lodge. Aunt Gloucester was there at the same 
 time. When we arrived at the Royal Lodge the King 
 took me by the hand, saying : ' Give me your little 
 paw.' He was large and gouty but with a wonder- 
 ful dignity and charm of manner. He wore the wig 
 which was so much worn in those days. Then he 
 said he would give me something for me to wear 
 and that was his picture set in diamonds, which was 
 worn by the Princesses as an order to a blue ribbon 
 on the left shoulder. I was very proud of this, — and 
 Lady Conyngham pinned it on my shoulder. Her 
 husband, the late Marquis of Conyngham, was the 
 Lord Chamberlain and constantly there, as well 
 as Lord Mt. Charles (as Vice-Chamberlain), the 
 present Lord Conyngham. 
 
 " None of the Royal Family or general visitors lived 
 at the Royal Lodge, but only the Conyngham family ; 
 all the rest at Cumberland Lodge. Lady Maria 
 Conyngham (now dead, first wife to Lord Athlumney, 
 daughter of Lord Conyngham), then quite young, and 
 Lord Graves (brother-in-law to Lord Anglesey and 
 who afterwards shot himself on account of his wife's 
 conduct, who was a Lady of the Bedchamber), were 
 desired to take me a drive to amuse me. I went with 
 them, and Baroness (then Miss) Lehzen (my governess) 
 in a pony carriage and 4, with 4 grey ponies (like 
 my own), and was driven about the Park and taken 
 to Sandpit Gate where the King had a Menagerie 
 — with wapitis, gazelles, chamois, etc., etc. Then 
 we went (I think the next day) to Virginia Water, 
 and met the King in his phaeton in which he was 
 driving the Duchess of Gloucester, — and he said 'Pop 
 her in,' and I was lifted in and placed between him 
 and Aunt Gloucester who held me round the waist. 
 (Mamma was much frightened.) I was greatly pleased, 
 and remember that I looked with great respect at the 
 scarlet Uveries, etc. (the Royal Family had crimson and 
 
CHAP, n] VISITS TO WINDSOR 17 
 
 green liveries and only the King scarlet and blue in 
 those days). We drove round the nicest part of 
 Virginia Water and stopped at the Fishing Temple. 
 Here there was a large barge and every one went on 
 board and fished, while a band played in another I 
 There were numbers of great people there, amongst 
 whom was the last Duke of Dorset then Master of the 
 Horse. The King paid great attention to my Sister,* 
 and some people fancied he might marry her ! I She 
 was very lovely then — about 18 — and had charming 
 manners, about which the King was extremely 
 particular. I afterwards went with Baroness Lehzen 
 and Lady Maria C. to the Page Whiting's cottage. 
 Whiting had been at one time in my father's service. 
 He lived where Mr Walsh now does (and where 
 he died years ago) in the small cottage close by ; 
 and here 1 had some fruit and amused myself by 
 cramming one of Whiting's children, a little girl, 
 with peaches. I came after dinner to hear the band 
 play in the Conservatory which is still standing, and 
 which was Ut up by coloured lamps — the King, Royal 
 Family, etc., sitting in a corner of the large saloon 
 which still stands. 
 
 "On the second visit (I think) the following year, 
 also in summer, there was a great encampment of tents 
 (the same which were used at the Camp at Chobham 
 in '53, and some single ones at the Breakfasts at 
 Buckingham Palace in '68-9), and which were quite 
 like a house, made into different compartments. It 
 rained dreadfully on this occasion I well remember. 
 The King and party dined there. Prince and Princess 
 Lieven, the Russian Ambassador and Ambassadress 
 were there. 
 
 " I also remember going to see Aunt Augusta at 
 Frogmore where she lived always in the summer. 
 
 " We lived in a very simple plain manner ; breakfast 
 was at half past eight, luncheon at half past one, dinner 
 at seven — to which I came generally (when it was no 
 
 > The Princess Feodore of Leiniogen, afterwards Princess of Hohenlohe, 
 Queen Victoria's half-sister. 
 Vol. I.— 2 
 
18 DUCHESS OF S AXE-COB URG-S A ALFELD [chap, u 
 
 regular large dinner party) — eating my bread and milk 
 out of a small silver basin. Tea was only allowed as a 
 great treat in later years. 
 
 " In 1826 (I think) my dear Grandmother, the 
 Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, came to 
 Claremont, in the summer. Mamma and my sister 
 went on part of the way to meet her, and Uncle 
 Leopold I think had been to fetch her as far as Dover. 
 I recollect the excitement and anxiety I was in, at this 
 event, — going down the great flight of steps to meet 
 her when she got out of the carriage, and hearing her 
 say, when she sat down in her room, and fixed her fine 
 clear blue eyes on her little grand-daughter whom she 
 called in her letters ' the flower of May,' ' Ein schones 
 Kind ' — 'a fine child.' She was very clever and adored 
 by her children but especially by her sons. She was a 
 good deal bent and walked with a stick, and fi-equently 
 with her hands on her back. She took long drives in 
 an open carriage and I was frequently sent out with 
 her, which I am sorry to confess I did not like, as, 
 like most children of that age, I preferred running 
 about. She was excessively kind to children, but could 
 not bear naughty ones — and I shall never forget her 
 coming into the room when I had been crying and 
 naughty at my lessons — from the next room but one, 
 where she had been with Mamma — and scolding me 
 severely, which had a very salutary effect. She dined 
 early in the afternoon and Uncle Leopold asked many 
 of the neighbours and others to dinner to meet her. 
 My brother Prince Leiningen came over with her, and 
 was at that time paying his court to one of her ladies. 
 Countess Klebelsberg, whom he afterwards married — 
 against the wish of his grandmother and mother — but 
 which was afterwards quite made up. In November 
 (I think, or it may have been at the end of October) 
 she left, taking my sister with her back to Coburg. 
 I was very ill at that time, of dysentery, which illness 
 increased to an alarming degree; many children died 
 of it in the village of Esher. The Doctor lost his head, 
 having lost his own child from it, and almost every 
 
CHAP, n] THE EDUCATION OF THE PRINCESS 19 
 
 doctor in London was away. Mr Blagden came down 
 and showed much energy on the occasion. I recovered, 
 and remember well being very cross and screaming 
 dreadfully at having to wear, for a time, flannel next 
 my skin. Up to my 5th year I had been very much 
 indulged by every one, and set pretty well all at 
 defiance. Old Baroness de Spath, the devoted Lady 
 of my Mother, my Nurse Mrs Brock, dear old Mrs 
 Louis — all worshipped the poor little fatherless child 
 whose future then was still very uncertain ; my Uncle 
 the Duke of Clarence's poor httle child being alive, 
 and the Duchess of Clarence had one or two others 
 later. At 5 years old. Miss Lehzen was placed about 
 me, and though she was rnost kind, she was very firm 
 and I had a proper respect for her. I was naturally 
 very passionate, but always most contrite afterwards. 
 I was taught from the first to beg my maid's pardon 
 for any naughtiness or rudeness towards her ; a feeling 
 I have ever retained, and think every one should own 
 their fault in a kind way to any one, be he or she 
 the lowest — if one has been rude to or injured them 
 by word or deed, especially those below you. People 
 will readily forget an insult or an injury when others 
 own their fault, and express sorrow or regret at what 
 they have done." 
 
 In 1830 the Duchess of Kent wished to be satisfied 
 that the system of education then being pursued with 
 the Princess was based on the right lines, and that 
 due moral and intellectual progress was being made, 
 A memorandum, carefully preserved among the 
 archives, gives an interesting account of the steps 
 which she took to this end. 
 
 " The Duchess therefore brought the matter under 
 the consideration of those whom, from their eminent 
 piety, great learning and high station, she considered 
 best calculated to afford her valuable advice upon so 
 important a subject. She stated to the Bishops 
 of London and Lincoln^ the particular course which 
 
 1 Charles James Blorafield, Bishop of London 1828-1856, and John Kaye, 
 Bishop of Lincoln 1827-1853. 
 
20 LETTER TO THE BISHOPS [chap, n 
 
 had been followed in the Princess's education, and 
 requested their Lordships to test the result by personal 
 examination. The nature and objects of Her Royal 
 Highness's appeal to these eminent prelates will be 
 best shown by the following extracts from her letter 
 to the Bishops : — 
 
 " ' The Princess will be eleven years of age in 
 May; by the death of her revered father when she 
 was but eight months old, her sole care and charge 
 devolved to me. Stranger as I then was, I became 
 deeply impressed with the absolute necessity of 
 bringing her up entirely in this country, that every 
 feeling should be that of Her native land, and prov- 
 ing thereby my devotion to duty by rejecting all 
 those feelings of home and kindred that divided my 
 heart. 
 
 " ' When the Princess approached her fifth year 
 I considered it the proper time to begin in a moderate 
 way her education — an education that was to fit Her 
 to be either the Sovereign of these realms, or to fiU 
 a junior station in the Royal Family, until the Will 
 of Providence should shew at a later period what 
 Her destiny* was to be. 
 
 " ' A revision of the papers I send you herewith 
 wlQ best shew your Lordships the system pursued, 
 the progress made, etc. I attend almost always 
 myself every lesson, or a part ; and as the Lady about 
 the Princess is a competent person, she assists Her in 
 preparing Her lessons for the various masters, as I 
 resolved to act in that manner so as to be Her 
 Governess myself I naturally hope that I have 
 pursued that course most beneficial to all the great 
 interests at stake. At the present moment no concern 
 can be more momentous, or in which the consequences, 
 the interests of the Country, can be more at stake, 
 than the education of its future Sovereign. 
 
 "'I feel the time to be now come that what has 
 been done should be put to some test, that if any- 
 thing has been done in error of judgment it may be 
 
CHAP, ii] RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION 21 
 
 corrected, and that the plan for the future should be 
 open to consideration and revision. I do not presume 
 to have an over-confidence in what I have done ; on 
 the contrary, as a female, as a stranger (but only in 
 birth, as I feel that this is my country by the duties 
 I fulfil, and the support I receive), I naturally desire 
 to have a candid opinion from authorities competent 
 to give one. In that view I address your Lordships ; 
 I would propose to you that you advert to all I have 
 stated, to the papers I lay before you, and that then 
 you should personally examine the Princess with a 
 view of telling me — 
 
 " ' 1. If the course hitherto pursued in Her educa- 
 tion has been the best ; if not, where it was 
 erroneous. 
 " ' 2. If the Princess has made all the Progress she 
 
 should have made. 
 
 " ' 3. And if the course I am to follow is that you 
 
 would recommend, and if not in what respect 
 
 you would desire a change, and on what 
 
 grounds. 
 
 " ' Mr Davys ^ will explain to you the nature of the 
 
 Princess's religious education, which I have confided 
 
 to him, that she should be brought up in the Church 
 
 of England as by Law established. When she was 
 
 at a proper age she commenced attending Divine 
 
 Service regular^ with me, and I have every feeling, 
 
 that she has religion at her heart, that she is morally 
 
 impressed with it to that degree, that she is less liable 
 
 to error by its application to her feelings as a Child 
 
 capable of reflection. The general bent of Her 
 
 character is strength of intellect, capable of receiving 
 
 with ease, information, and with a peculiar readiness 
 
 in coming to a very just and benignant decision on 
 
 any point Her opinion is asked on. Her adherence 
 
 to truth is of so marked a character that I feel no 
 
 apprehension of that Bulwark being broken down by 
 
 any circumstance. 
 
 * The Rev. George Davys, the Princess's instructor, afterwards successively 
 Dean of Chester and Bishop of Peterborough. 
 
22 RESULT OF EXAMINATION [chap, h 
 
 a I 
 
 I must conclude by observing that as yet the 
 Princess is not aware of the station that she is hkely 
 to fill. She is aware of its duties, and that a Sovereign 
 should live for others ; so that when her innocent mind 
 receives the impression of Her future fate, she receives 
 it with a mind formed to be sensible of what is to be 
 expected from Her, and it is to be hoped, she will be 
 too well grounded in Her principles to be dazzled with 
 the station she is to look to.' 
 
 " The examination was undertaken by the Bishops, 
 with highly satisfactory results. Their report says : 
 
 " ' The result of the examination has been such as 
 in our opinion amply to justify the plan of instruction 
 which has been adopted. In answering a great variety 
 of questions proposed to her, the Princess displayed an 
 accurate knowledge of the most important features of 
 Scripture History, and of the leading truths and pre- 
 cepts of the Christian Religion as taught by the Church 
 of England, as well as an acquaintance with the 
 Chronology and principal facts of English History 
 remarkable in so young a person. To questions 
 in Geography, the use of the Globes, Arithmetic, 
 and Latin Grammar, the answers which the Princess 
 returned were equally satisfactory. 
 
 " ' TJpon the whole we feel no hesitation in stating 
 our opinion that the Princess should continue for some 
 time to come, to pursue her studies upon the same 
 plan which has been hitherto followed, and under the 
 same superintendence. Nor do we apprehend that any 
 other alterations in the plan will be required than those 
 which will be gradually made by the judicious director 
 of Her Highness's studies, as the mind expands, and 
 her faculties are strengthened.' 
 
 "The Duchess of Kent referred all this corre- 
 spondence to the Archbishop of Canterbury.^ His 
 memorandum is preserved ; it states he has considered 
 
 1 Dr WiUiam Howley. 
 
CHAP. 11] SPEECH BY THE DUCHESS OF KENT 23 
 
 the report, and further, has himself personally 
 examined the Princess. He continues : — 
 
 " ' I feel it my duty to say that in my judgment the 
 plan of Her Highness's studies, as detailed in the papers 
 transmitted to me by command of your Royal High- 
 ness, is very judicious, and particularly suitable to Her 
 Highness's exalted station ; and that from the proficiency 
 exhibited by the Princess in the examination at which 
 I was present, and the general correctness and pertinency 
 of her answers, I am perfectly satisfied that Her High- 
 ness's education in regard to cultivation of intellect, 
 improvement of talent, and religious and moral principle, 
 is conducted with so much care and success as to render 
 any alteration of the system undesirable.' 
 
 " The Princess was gradually and watchfully intro- 
 duced to public life, and was never allowed to lose 
 sight of the fact that her exalted position carried 
 with it definite and obvious duties. The following 
 speech, delivered at Plymouth in 1832, in answer 
 to a complimentary deputation, may stand as an 
 instance of the view which the Duchess of Kent 
 took of her own and her daughter's responsibilities : — 
 
 " ' It is very agreeable to the Princess and myself 
 to hear the sentiments you convey to us. It is also 
 gratifjdng to us to be assured that we owe all these 
 kind feelings to the attachment you bear the King, as 
 weU as to his Predecessors of the House of Brunswick, 
 from recollections of their paternal sway. The object 
 of my life is to render the Princess worthy of the 
 affectionate solicitude she inspires, and if it be the 
 Will of Providence she should fill a higher station (I 
 trust most fervently at a very distant day), I shall be 
 fully repaid for my anxious care, if she is found com- 
 petent to discharge the sacred trust ; for communicating 
 as the Princess does with all classes of Society, she 
 cannot but perceive that the greater the diffusion of 
 Religion, Knowledge, and the love of freedom in a 
 country, the more orderly, industrious, and wealthy is 
 
24 CLAREMONT [chap, h 
 
 its population, and that with the desire to preserve 
 the constitutional Prerogatives of the Crown ought to 
 be co-ordinate the protection of the liberties of the 
 people.'" 
 
 The strictness of the regime under which the 
 Princess was brought up is remarkable ; and it is 
 possible that her later zest for simple social pleasures 
 is partly to be accounted for by the austere routine 
 of her early days. In an interesting letter of 1843 
 to the Queen, recalling the days of their childhood, 
 Princess Feodore, the Queen's half-sister, wrote : — 
 
 " Many, many thanks, dearest Victoria, for your kind 
 letter of the 7th from dear Claremont. Oh I under- 
 stand how you like being there. Claremont is a dear 
 quiet place ; to me also the recollection of the few 
 pleasant days I spent during my youth. I always left 
 Claremont with tears for Kensington Palace. When 
 I look back upon those years, which ought to have 
 been the happiest in my life, from fourteen to twenty, 
 I cannot help pitying myself. Not to have enjoyed 
 the pleasures of youth is nothing, but to have been 
 deprived of all intercourse, and not one cheerful thought 
 in that dismal existence of ours, was very hard. My 
 only happy time was going or driving out with you 
 and Lehzen ; then I could speak and look as I liked ; 
 I escaped some years of imprisonment, which you, my 
 poor darling sister, had to endure after I was married. 
 But God Almighty has changed both our destinies 
 most mercifully, and has made us so happy in our 
 homes — which is the only real happiness in this life ; 
 and those years of trial were, I am sure, very useful 
 to us both, though certainly not pleasant. Thank God 
 they are over ! . . . 1 was much amused in your last 
 letter at your tracing the quickness of our tempers in 
 the female line up to Grandmamma,^ but I must own 
 that you are quite right ! " 
 
 But if there was little amusement, there was, on 
 
 1 Augusta Caroline Sophia, Dowager-Duchess of Saxe-Saalfeld-Coburg, a 
 princess of Reuss Ebersdorf (1757-1831). 
 

 &„-..c^<lUaU-'-rQ''h rj^. 
 
CHAP, n] WILLIAM IV. AND PRINCESS VICTORIA 25 
 
 the other hand, great devotion ; the Princess, as a child, 
 had that peculiar combination of self-will and warm- 
 heartedness which is apt to win for a child a special 
 love from its elders. The Princess Feodore wrote to 
 the Queen, in 1843: — 
 
 "... Spath * wished me to thank you for the 
 coronation print, as she could not write to you or 
 Albert now, she says ! why, I don't see. There 
 certainly never was such devotedness as hers, to all 
 our family, although it sometimes shows itself rather 
 foolishly — with you it always was a sort of idolatry, 
 when she used to go upon her knees before you, when 
 you were a child. She and poor old Louis did all 
 they could to spoil you, if Lehzen had not prevented 
 and scolded them nicely sometimes ; it was quite 
 amusing." 
 
 The Princess was brought up with exemplary 
 simphcity at Kensington Palace, where her mother 
 had a set of apartments. She was often at Claremont, 
 which belonged to her uncle Leopold, King of the 
 Belgians ; holidays were spent at Ramsgate, Tunbridge 
 Wells, Broadstairs and elsewhere. 
 
 In June, 1830, George IV. died, and William IV. 
 succeeded to the throne. He had no legitimate 
 offspring living ; and it consequently became practi- 
 cally certain that if the Princess outlived her uncle 
 she would succeed him on the throne. The Duchess 
 of Kent's Parhamentary grant was increased, and she 
 took advantage of her improved resources to familiarise 
 the Princess with the social life of the nation. They 
 paid visits to historic houses and important towns, 
 and received addresses. This was a wise and prudent 
 course, but the King spoke with ill-humour of his 
 niece's " royal progresses." The chief cause of oflfence 
 was that the Princess was not allowed by the Duchess 
 of Kent to make her public appearances under his own 
 auspices, as he not unnaturally desired. He also 
 began to suspect that the Princess was deliberately kept 
 
 1 Baroness Spath, Lady-in-Waiting to the Duchess of Kent 
 
26 THE ACCESSION [chap, n 
 
 away from Court ; in truth the Duchess disapproved 
 of the tone of the Court, and became gradually 
 estranged from her brother-in-law, in spite of the 
 affectionate attempts of Queen Adelaide to smooth 
 matters over. His resentment culminated in a painful 
 scene, in 1836, when, the King, at a State banquet at 
 Windsor, made a speech of a preposterous character ; 
 speaking of the Duchess, who sat next him, as "that 
 person," hinting that she was surrounded with evil 
 advisers, and adding that he should insist on the 
 Princess being more at Court. The Princess burst 
 into tears ; the Duchess sate in silence : when the 
 banquet M^as over, the Duchess ordered her carriage, 
 and was with difficulty prevailed upon to remain at 
 Windsor for the night. The King went so far in 
 May 1837 as to offer the Princess an independent 
 income, and the acceptance of this by the Princess 
 caused the Duchess considerable vexation ; but the 
 project dropped. The King died in the following 
 month, soon after the Princess had attained her legal 
 majority ; he had always hoped that the Duchess 
 would not be Regent, and his wish was thus fulfilled. 
 
 It is no exaggeration to say that the accession of 
 the Princess Victoria reinstated the English monarchy 
 in the affections of the people. George IV. had 
 made the throne unpopular ; WiUiam IV. had restored 
 its popularity, but not its dignity. Both of these 
 kings were men of decided ability, but of unbalanced 
 temperament. In politics both kings had followed a 
 somewhat similar course. George IV. had begun hfe 
 as a strong Whig, and had been a close friend of 
 Fox. Later in life his political position resolved 
 itself into a strong dislike of Roman Catholic Relief 
 William IV. had begun his reign favourably inclined 
 to Parliamentary Reform ; but though gratified by 
 the personal popularity which his attitude brought 
 him in the country, he became alarmed at the 
 national temper displayed. It illustrates the tension 
 of the King's mind on the subject that, when he was 
 told that if the Reform Bill did not pass it would 
 
CHAP, n] CHARACTER AND TEMPERAMENT 27 
 
 bring about a rebellion, he replied that if it did bring 
 about a rebellion he did not care: he should defend 
 London and raise the Royal Standard at Weedon 
 (where there was a military depot) ; and that the 
 Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria might 
 come in if they could. 
 
 The reign of William IV. had witnessed the 
 zenith of Whig efficiency. It had seen the establish- 
 ment of Pariiamentary and Municipal Reform, the 
 Abolition of Slavery, the New Poor Law, and other 
 important measures. But, towards the end of the 
 reign, the Whig party began steadily to lose ground, 
 and the Tories to consolidate themselves. Lord 
 Melbourne had succeeded Lord Grey at the head of 
 the Whigs, and the difference of administration was 
 becoming every month more and more apparent. 
 The King indeed went so far as abruptly to dismiss 
 his ministers, but Parliament was too strong for him. 
 Lord Melbourne's principles were fully as liberal as 
 Lord Grey's, but he lacked practical initiative, with 
 the result that the Whigs gradually forfeited popular 
 estimation and became discredited. The new reign, 
 however, brought them a decided increase of strength. 
 The Princess had been brought up with strong Whig 
 leanings, and, as is clear from her letters, with an equally 
 strong mistrust of Tory principles and politicians. 
 
 A word may here be given to the Princess's own 
 character and temperament. She was high-spirited 
 and wilful, but devotedly affectionate, and almost 
 typically feminine. She had a strong sense of duty 
 and dignity, and strong personal prejudices. Confident, 
 in a sense, as she was, she had the feminine instinct 
 strongly developed of dependence upon some manly 
 adviser. She was full of high spirits, and enjoyed 
 excitement and life to the full. She liked the stir 
 of London, was fond of dancing, of concerts, plays, 
 and operas, and devoted to open-air exercise. Another 
 important trait in her character must be noted. She 
 had strong monarchical views and dynastic sympathies, 
 but she had no aristocratic preferences ; at the same 
 
28 SYMPATHY WITH THE MIDDLE CLASSES [chap, n 
 
 time she had no democratic principles, but believed 
 firmly in the due subordination of classes. The 
 result of the parliamentary and municipal reforms of 
 WiUiam IV.'s reign had been to give the middle classes 
 a share in the government of the country, and it was 
 supremely fortunate that the Queen, by a providential 
 gift of temperament, thoroughly understood the middle- 
 class point of view. The two qualities that are most 
 characteristic of British middle-class life are common- 
 sense, and family affection ; and on these particular 
 virtues the Queen's character was based ; so that by a 
 happy intuition she was able to interpret and express 
 the spirit and temper of that class which, throughout 
 her reign, was destined to hold the balance of political 
 power in its hands. Behind lay a deep sense of religion, 
 the religion which centres in the belief in the Father- 
 hood of God, and is impatient of dogmatic distinctions 
 and subtleties. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 QUEEN VICTORIA'S RELATIONS AND FRIENDS 
 
 It may be held to have been one of the chief bless- 
 ings of Queen Victoria's girlhood that she was brought 
 closely under the influence of an enlightened and 
 large-minded prince, Leopold, her maternal uncle, 
 afterwards King of the Belgians. He was born in 
 1790, being the youngest son of Francis, Duke of 
 Saxe-Saalfeld-Coburg, and his youth was spent in 
 the Russian military service. He had shown talent and 
 courage in the field, and had commanded a battalion 
 at Liitzen and Leipsic. He had married, in 1816, 
 with the Princess Charlotte, only child of George IV. 
 For many years his home was at Claremont, where 
 the Princess Charlotte had died ; there the Princess 
 Victoria spent many happy holidays, and grew to 
 regard her uncle with the most devoted affection, 
 almost, indeed, in the light of a father. It is said 
 that Prince Leopold had hoped to be named Regent, 
 if a Regency should be necessary.* He was offered, and 
 accepted, the throne of Greece in 1830, but shrank 
 from the difficulties of the position, and withdrew 
 his acceptance upon the plea that Lord Aberdeen, 
 who was then Foreign Secretary, was not prepared 
 
 1 A practical proof of his interest in his niece may be found in the fact 
 that for years he contributed between three and four thousand a year to 
 the expenses of her education, and for necessary holidays by the sea, at 
 a time when the Duchess of Kent's Parliamentary Grant was unequal to the 
 increasing expenses of her household. 
 
30 THE KING OF THE BELGIANS [chap, m 
 
 to make such financial arrangements as he considered 
 satisfactory.^ King Leopold long afterwards, in a 
 letter to Duke Ernest of Saxe-Coburg in 1862, 
 expressed a conviction that Metternich had been the 
 originating cause of the difficulties which arose. 
 
 It is interesting to observe from the correspondence 
 that King Leopold seems for many years to have 
 continued to regret his decision ; it was not that 
 he did not devote himself, heart and soul, to the 
 country of his adoption, but there seems to have 
 been a romantic element in his composition, which 
 did not find its full satisfaction in presiding over 
 the destinies of a peaceful commercial nation. 
 
 In 1831, when Louis Philippe, under pressure 
 from Lord Palmerston, declined the throne of Belgium 
 for his son the Due de Nemours, Prince Leopold 
 received and accepted an offer of the Crown. A 
 Dutch invasion followed, and the new King showed 
 great courage and gallantry in an engagement near 
 Louvain, in which his army was hopelessly out- 
 numbered. But, though a sensitive man, the King's 
 high courage and hopefulness never deserted him. 
 He ruled his country with diligence, ability, and 
 vidsdom, and devoted himself to encouraging manu- 
 factures and commerce. The result of his firm 
 and liberal rule was manifested in 1848, when, on 
 his offering to resign the Crown if it was thought 
 to be for the best interests of the country, he was 
 entreated, with universal acclamation, to retain the 
 sovereignty. Belgium passed through the troubled 
 years of revolution in comparative tranquillity. 
 King Leopold was a model ruler; his deportment 
 was grave and serious ; he was conspicuous for honesty 
 and integrity ; he was laborious and upright, and 
 at the same time conciliatory and tactful. 
 
 He kept up a close correspondence with Queen 
 Victoria, and paid her several visits in England, where 
 
 ^ Greece after having obtained autonomy was in a practically bankrupt 
 condition, and the Powers had guaranteed the financial credit of the country 
 until it was able to develop its own resources. 
 
CHAP, m] HIS INFLUENCE ON PRINCESS VICTORIA 31 
 
 he was on intimate terms with many leading English- 
 men. It would be difficult to over-estimate the 
 importance of his close relations with the Queen ; 
 by example and precept he inspired her with a 
 high sense of duty, and from the first instilled into 
 her mind the necessity of acquainting herself closely 
 with the details of political administration. His 
 wisdom, good sense, and tenderness, as well as the 
 close tie of blood that existed between him and 
 the Queen, placed him in a unique position with 
 regard to her, and it is plain that he was fuUy aware 
 of the high responsibility thus imposed upon him, 
 which he accepted with a noble generosity. It is 
 true that there were occasions when, as the corre- 
 spondence reveals, the Queen was disposed to think 
 that King Leopold endeavoured to exercise too 
 minute a control over her in matters of detail, and 
 even to attempt to modify the foreign policy of 
 England rather for the benefit of Belgium than in 
 the best interests of Great Britain ; but the Queen 
 was equal to these emergencies ; she expressed her 
 dissent from the King's suggestion in considerate and 
 affectionate terms, with her gratitude for his advice, 
 but made no pretence of following it. 
 
 For her aunt, Queen Adelaide, the Princess Victoria 
 had always felt a strong affection ; and though it can 
 hardly be said that this gentle and benevolent lady 
 exercised any great influence over her more vigorous 
 and impetuous niece, yet the letters wUl testify to 
 the closeness of the tie which united them. 
 
 Queen Adelaide was the eldest child of George, 
 Duke of Saxe-Meiningen ; her mother was a princess 
 of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. At the age of twenty-six 
 she was married to the Duke of Clarence, then in 
 his fifty-third year, without any preliminary courtship. 
 They lived for a year in Hanover, and then principally 
 at Bushey Park. Two daughters were bom to them, 
 the elder of whom lived only a few hours ; the younger. 
 Princess Elizabeth, died in the first year of her age. 
 Their married life was a happy one, in spite of the 
 
S2 QUEEN ADELAIDE [chap, m 
 
 disparity of age. Queen Adelaide was a woman of a 
 deeply affectionate disposition, sensible, sympathetic, 
 and religious. She had a very definite ideal of the 
 duties of a wife and a Queen ; she made it her 
 pleasure to meet and anticipate, as far as possible, 
 her husband's wishes ; and her husband, hasty and 
 choleric though he was, repaid her with tender affec- 
 tion. To such an extent did the Queen merge her 
 views in those of her husband, that she passed at 
 one time through a period of general unpopularity. 
 It was believed that she was adverse to Reform, and 
 used her influence against it. She was mobbed in 
 the streets at the time when the Reform agitation 
 was at its height ; and it is said that when the 
 Melbourne Ministry of 1834 was dismissed, London 
 was (ovdng to an unjustifiable communication of Lord 
 Brougham to the Times) placarded with posters bearing 
 the words, " The Queen has done it all ! " 
 
 It is a pathetic instance of the irony of fate that 
 Queen Adelaide should have thus been supposed to 
 desire to take an active part in politics. It is 
 obvious, from her letters, that she had practically no 
 political views at all, except a gentle distrust of aU 
 proposed changes, social or political. Her one idea 
 of her position as Queen was to agree with any 
 expression of opinion that fell from the King. She 
 was fond of music, and took a deep interest in her 
 religious duties and in all that concerned the welfare 
 of the Protestant communion. But apart from this 
 her interests were entirely domestic and personal, and 
 her letters reveal her character in the most amiable 
 light. Her devotion to the King, and the tender and 
 respectful diffidence with which she welcomed her 
 niece to the Throne, show a very sweet nature. 
 
 The rest of her life, after King William's death, 
 was passed to a gi-eat extent under invalid conditions, 
 though she was only forty-four at the time of her 
 niece's accession. She travelled a good deal in search 
 of health, and lived a quiet life in England, sur- 
 rounded by a small but devoted circle of ftiends 
 
CHAP, in] BARONESS LEHZEN 33 
 
 and relations. Her personal popularity with the 
 nation became very great, not only for the simple 
 kindUness of her life, but for her splendid munificence ; 
 it is said that her public subscriptions often exceeded 
 £20,000 a year. She died in December 1849. Queen 
 Victoria was very much attached to her gentle, simple- 
 minded, and tender-hearted aunt, and treated her with 
 the utmost consideration and an almost daughterly 
 affection. 
 
 Another person who had a large share in forming 
 the Queen's character was Louise Lehzen, the daughter 
 of a Hanoverian clergyman, who came to England as 
 governess to Princess Feodore of Leiningen, Queen 
 Victoria's half-sister, shortly before the Queen's birth. 
 In 1824 she became governess to the Princess Victoria. 
 In 1827 George IV- conferred upon her the rank 
 of a Hanoverian Baroness, When the Duchess of 
 Northumberland, in 1830, was appointed the Princess's 
 official governess, she remained as lady in attendance. 
 The Princess was devoted to her, but " greatly in awe 
 of her." She remained at Court after the accession 
 till 1842, without holding an official position, and 
 then returned to Germany, where she died in 1870. 
 
 Baron Stockmar was another of the interesting 
 personalities who came into very close contact with the 
 Queen in her early years. He was forty-nine at the 
 time of the accession, but he had come to England 
 more than twenty years before as private physician to 
 Prince Leopold. He endeared himself to the Princess 
 Charlotte, who died holding his hand. He afterwards 
 became Prince Leopold's private secretary, and took 
 a prominent part as the Prince's representative in 
 the successive negotiations with regard to his candida- 
 ture for the thrones of Greece and Belgium. Upon 
 the accession of Queen Victoria, Stockmar joined the 
 Court in a private capacity, and for fifteen months he 
 held an unofficial position as her chief adviser. There 
 was a general feeling of dislike in the minds of the 
 English public to the German influences that were 
 supposed to be brought to bear on the Queen ; and 
 
 Vol. I.— 3 
 
34 BARON STOCKMAR [chap, m 
 
 Lord Melbourne found it necessary to make a public 
 and categorical denial of the statement that Stockmar 
 was acting as the Queen's private secretary. But 
 the statement, if not technically, was virtually true. 
 Stockmar lived at Court, had interviews with the 
 Queen and her Ministers, and though he industriously 
 endeavoured to efface himself, yet there is no doubt 
 that he was consulted on most important questions. 
 In 1838, he had been entrusted by King Leopold, 
 with the Queen's knowledge and consent, with a mis- 
 sion of great delicacy : he was asked to accompany 
 Prince Albert on a tour in Italy, with the idea of 
 completing his education, and in order to satisfy 
 himself that the Prince would be a worthy Consort 
 for the Queen. This task he discharged admirably, 
 and became the most confidential and trusted of all 
 the Prince's friends. There are many letters of 
 Stockmar's to the Prince extant, which prove that 
 Stockmar never shrank from speaking the plainest 
 truth to the Prince on matters of duty and faults 
 of temperament, without any courtier - like attempt 
 to blink criticism that might have been unpalatable. 
 The Prince had the generosity and humility to value 
 this trait of Stockmar's very highly, to such an extent 
 that Stockmar's influence possessed if anything too 
 great a preponderance. Stockmar had jealously nursed 
 two profound political ideals — the unity of Germany 
 under Prussia, and the establishment of close relations 
 between Germany and England. He induced Prince 
 Albert, heavily burdened as he was with work, to 
 devote almost too much time and thought to the 
 former of these aims. Stockmar was a profound 
 student of social and constitutional questions. He 
 had made a close study of Enghsh political institu- 
 tions ; but though he grasped the constitutional theory 
 of the Enghsh Throne, and saw that the first necessity 
 for the Sovereign was to hold a position independent 
 of party, he never clearly understood that the Monarch 
 should keep as far as possible clear of political details. 
 Stockmar's view of the position was that the Sovereign 
 
CHAP, m] BARON STOCKMAR 35 
 
 should be practically Premier as well; and much of 
 the jealousy that was felt, on various occasions, at the 
 position which Prince Albert assumed with regard to 
 political situations, is referable to Stockmar's influence. 
 
 He was a very able man, with immense political 
 knowledge, and without personal ambition ; Lord 
 Palmerston, who was no friend to Stockmar's theory 
 of government, admitted that he was the most dis- 
 interested man he had ever encountered. Stockmar's 
 ambition was to achieve his own political ideals, and 
 to modify the course of events in what he conceived 
 to be beneficial directions ; he was entirely indifferent to 
 the trappings of power, and this very disinterestedness 
 made his influence more supreme. 
 
 He suffered all his life from feeble health and a 
 hypochondriacal tendency, and was genuinely fond of 
 retirement and quiet life. He certainly deserved the 
 devoted confidence reposed in him by Prince Albert 
 and the Queen ; it may perhaps be questioned whether 
 his own doctrinaire bias did not make itself too 
 strongly felt, in the minuteness with which Prince 
 Albert dealt with English politics ; but the net result 
 of his influence was that the danger, which Hes in 
 wait for strictly constitutional Sovereigns, was averted 
 — the danger, that is, of leaving the administration of 
 State affairs in the hands of specialists, and depriving 
 it of the wise control and independent criticism which 
 only the Crown can adequately supply. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
 TO CHAPTER IV 
 
 QcEEN Victoria, from the very first, took great pleasure in fil- 
 ing the coiTespondence addressed to her. There are many volumes 
 of letters received from her various relations. We have thought 
 it best to give some of Queen Adelaide's early letters ; they 
 indicate in a remarkable manner the growing estrangement between 
 King W^illiam IV. and the Duchess of Kent. In the earlier 
 letters the King enquires very affectionately after the Duchess, 
 and constant mention is made of presents sent to her; but the 
 references made to her become less frequent and colder, till at 
 last the King contents himself with sending messages only to the 
 Princess. But the letters of Queen Adelaide are always written 
 in a strain of touching devotion and affection, and reveal her as 
 a woman of large heart and great simplicity of character. 
 
 But the most interesting series of letters are the Queen's own 
 correspondence with King Leopold, of which several hundred are 
 preserved. The letters, too, received by her from the King of 
 the Belgians, are preserved in their entirety. 
 
 The letters which the Queen wrote to King Leopold are of 
 extraordinary interest ; she kept up an unbroken correspondence 
 with him, and spoke freely of all that was in her mind. Two 
 points are worthy of special mention : though she was early con- 
 vinced of the necessity of holding an independent constitutional 
 position in politics, she mentions the Tory party with undisguised 
 mistrust ; and further, the name of King William hardly ever 
 occurs until his last illness. 
 
 King Leopold's early letters reveal his character in the most 
 amiable light. He familiarised the Queen with all the complicated 
 details of foreign politics ; he gave her the most sensible and wise 
 advice ; he warned and encouraged her ; he answered her enquiries 
 with the minutest care : and the warm affection to which he gave 
 frequent expression is a very sacred and beautiful thing to 
 contemplate. 
 
 We have selected several of the Princess Victoria's letters 
 to the King of the Belgians before her accession, because they 
 throw a remarkable light upon her temperament. In the first 
 place, they reveal the deep affectionateness of her character, and, 
 what is still more remarkable at her age, her frankness and out- 
 spokenness in expressing her feelings. 
 36 
 
1891-35] THE KING OF THE BELGIANS 37 
 
 111 the second place, they show with what interest and eagerness 
 the Princess was following the course of foreign politics. Her 
 view was naturally a personal one, but it may be said that there 
 can have been very few, if any, girls in England, of the Princess's 
 age, who were taking any interest at all in Continental affaire. 
 It is true that King Leopold had early impressed upon the Princess 
 that it was a duty to become acquainted with the course of current 
 events ; but the letters show that the interest she felt was congenial 
 and innate, and did not spring from a sense of duty. The allusions 
 to home politics are not so frequent, but still show that here also 
 her attention was alert. 
 
 Thirdly, they reveal her abounding vitality, her love of life 
 and amusement, her devotion to music, and the simple unspoilt 
 zest with which she threw herself into all that surrounded her. 
 
 There is a special interest which attaches to the con-espondence 
 between Queen Victoria and King Leopold after the Accession. 
 The letters reveal, as no other documents could do, the monarchical 
 point of view. However intimate may be the relations between 
 a Sovereign and a subject, there is bound to appear a certain 
 discretion, and even condescension, on the one hand, and on the 
 other a due degree of deference. But here we have the remarkable 
 spectacle of two monarchs, both of eminent sagacity, and both, so 
 to speak, frankly interested in the task of constitutional govern- 
 ment, corresponding freely on all the difficulties and problems 
 inseparable from their momentous task, and with an immense 
 sense of their weighty responsibilities. It is impossible to 
 exaggerate the deep and abiding interest of such a correspondence ; 
 and the seriousness, the devotion, the public spirit that is displayed, 
 without affectation or calculated impressiveness, make the whole 
 series of lettere singularly memorable. 
 
 The King of the Belgians had married Princess Louise of 
 Orleans, daughter of Louis Philippe, in 1832. She was only 
 seven years older than the Princess Victoria, who grew to regard 
 her with the tenderest affection. 
 
 The letters from Queen Louise are very numerous. A few 
 are in French, but they are mostly written in brisk, lively English, 
 not always very correct, either in construction or in spelling. 
 They are full of small family details — the movements of various 
 relations, the improvement in her brothers' looks, Court festivities, 
 the childish ailments of her little boys, the journeys and expedi- 
 tions, recollections of Windsor, their visitors, elaborate descriptions 
 of dresses — interesting to read, but difficult to select from. They 
 are full of heart-felt expressions of the sincerest affection for " your 
 dear Majesty," a quaint phrase that often occurs. 
 
 After their marriage in 1840, Prince Albert naturally became 
 the Queen's confidential Secretary. 
 
38 INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO CHAPTER IV [chap, iv 
 
 A close study of the Queen's correspondence reveals the 
 character of the Prince in a way which nothing else could effect. 
 Traces of his untiring labour, his conscientious vigilance, his 
 singular devotedness, appear on every page. There are innumer- 
 able memoranda in his own hand ; the papers are throughout 
 arranged and annotated by him ; nothing seems to have escaped 
 him, nothing to have dismayed him. As an instance of the 
 minute laboriousness which characterised the Royal household, 
 it may be mentioned that there are many copies of important 
 letters, forwarded to the Prince for his perusal, the originals 
 of which had to be returned, written not only by the Prince 
 himself, but by the Queen under his direction. But besides 
 keeping a vigilant eye upon politics, the Piince took the lead 
 in all social and educational movements of the time, as well 
 as devoting a close and continuous attention to the affairs of 
 Europe in general, and Germany in particular. It is obvious 
 from the papers that the Prince can hardly ever have taken 
 a holiday; many hours of every day must have been devoted 
 by him to work ; yet he was at the same time a tender 
 husband and father, always ready with advice and sympathy, 
 and devoted to quiet domestic life. 
 
 After the Queen's marriage the con-espondence becomes far 
 more voluminous. It is difficult to exaggerate the amount of 
 conscientious labour bestowed by the Queen and the Prince 
 Consort on all matters which concerned the welfare of the nation. 
 The number of documents which passed through their hands, and 
 which were carefully studied by them, was prodigious. 
 
 The drafts of the Queen's replies to letters are in many cases 
 in the handwriting of the Prince Consort, but dated by herself, 
 and often containing interlinear corrections and additions of her 
 own. Whether the Queen indicated the lines of the replies, 
 whether she dictated the substance of them, or whether they 
 contain the result of a discussion on the particular mattei-, cannot 
 be precisely ascertained. But they contain so many phrases and 
 turns of expression which are characteristic of her outspoken 
 temperament that it is clear that she not only followed every 
 detail, but that the substance of the communication bore in most 
 cases the impress of her mind. A considerable number of the 
 drafts again are in her own hand, with interlinear corrections 
 and additions by the Prince ; and these so strongly resemble in 
 style the drafts in the handwriting of the Prince, that it is clear 
 that the Queen did not merely accept suggestions, but that she 
 had a strong opinion of her own on important matters, and that 
 this opinion was duly expressed. 
 
 One fact must, however, be borne in mind. It happens in 
 many cases that a correspondence on some particular point seems 
 
3821-35] BRITISH STATESMEN IN 1837 39 
 
 to be about to lead up to a definite conclusion, but that the salient 
 and decisive document is absent. In these cases it is clear that the 
 matter was settled at a personal interview ; in many cases the 
 Prince prepared a memorandum of an important interview ; but 
 thei'e are a considerable number of such correspondences, where no 
 record is preserved of the eventual solution, and this incompleteness 
 is regrettable, but, by the nature of the case, inevitable. 
 
 The young Queen, on coming to the throne, had little 
 technical knowledge of the details of diplomacy, but she already 
 had a real and intelligent acquaintance with foreign affairs, though 
 it was rather personal than political, and, as we have seen, was 
 more inspired by her interest in the fortunes and position of her 
 numerous maternal relations than by the political views of her 
 paternal relatives. Among the English statesmen of the day 
 there were few who were qualified to help and instruct her. 
 The two men who for over twenty years alternately guided 
 the foreign policy of the country were Lord Aberdeen and 
 Lord Palmerston. They represented two opposed schools. Lord 
 Aberdeen, a Peelite, w£is naturally and by tradition inclined to 
 desire harmonious relations with the great Continental Powers ; 
 Palmerston was a disciple of Canning, who had definitely broken 
 with the principles of the Congress of Vienna. The only other 
 man who had any title to speak with authority on foreign affairs 
 was the Duke of Wellington, who had held the seals as Foreign 
 Secretary for a few months in 1834 and 1835. He had, however, 
 lost much of the reputation for political sagacity which he had 
 held at the time when he was the arbiter of Europe and virtual 
 ruler of France. Moreover, being, as he was, a much occupied 
 man, with varied business to transact, and at the mercy of his 
 almost excessive conscientiousness, he held himself to a consider- 
 able extent aloof from cunent politics, though he never lost his 
 absorbing interest in continental affairs. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 1821—1835 
 
 [The first letter ever received by Queen Victoria 
 appears to be the following little note, writteu 
 by the Duchess of Clarence, afterwards Queen 
 Adelaide, in May 1821, when the Princess entered 
 upon her third year. It is pathetic to recollect 
 that the Duchess's surviving child, Princess 
 Elizabeth, had died, aged three months, in 
 March of the same year.] 
 
 My dear little heart, — I hope you are well and 
 don't forget Aunt Adelaide, who loves you so fondly. 
 
 Loulou and Wilhelm^ desire their love to you, and 
 Uncle William also. 
 
 God bless and preserve you is the constant prayer 
 of your most truly affectionate Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 The Duchess of Clarence to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Siih May, 1822. 
 
 Uncle William and Aunt Adelaide send their love 
 to dear little Victoria with their best wishes on her 
 birthday, and hope that she will now become a very 
 good Girl, being now th7'ee years old. Uncle William 
 and Aunt Adelaide also beg little Victoria to give dear 
 Mama and to dear Sissi^ a kiss in their name, and to 
 
 1 Princess Louise and Prince William of Saxe- Weimar, children of Duchess 
 Ida of Saxe-Weimar (sister of the Duchess of Clarence). They were the 
 eldest brother and sister of Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar. 
 
 2 Princess Feodore, the Queen's half-sister. 
 
 40 
 
1828-29] LETTER TO PRINCE LEOPOLD 41 
 
 Aunt Augusta,^ Aunt Mary* and Aunt Sophia' too, 
 and also to the big Doll. Uncle William and Aunt 
 Adelaide are very sorry to be absent on that day and 
 not to see their dear, dear little Victoria, as they are 
 sure she will be very good and obedient to dear Mama 
 on that day, and on many, many others. They also hope 
 that dear little Victoria will not forget them and know 
 them again when Uncle and Aunt return. 
 To dear little Xandrina Victoria. 
 
 [The following is the earliest letter preserved of the 
 long series written by the Queen to King (then 
 Prince) Leopold. The Princess was then nine 
 years old.] 
 
 Kensington Palace, 25iA November 1828. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I wish you many happy 
 returns of your birthday ; I very often think of you, 
 and I hope to see you soon again, for I am very fond 
 of you. I see my Aunt Sophia^ often, who looks 
 very well, and is very well. I use every day your 
 pretty soup-basin. Is it very warm in Italy ? It is 
 so mild here, that I go out every day. Mama is 
 tolerable weU and am quite well. Your affectionate 
 Niece, Victoria. 
 
 P. S. — I am very angry with you. Uncle, for you 
 have never written to me once since you went, and 
 that is a long while. 
 
 Prince Leopold'^ to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Paris, 20/A ApHl 1829. 
 
 My dearest Love, — Though in a few days I hope 
 to have the happiness of seeing you, still I wish to 
 
 1 Augusta, daughter of Frederick, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, wife of the 
 Duke of Cambridge. 
 
 2 Princess Mary, a daughter of George III., married to her cousin the 
 Duke of Gloucester. 
 
 ^ Princess Sophia, daughter of George III. 
 * Afterwards King of the Belgians. 
 
42 LETTER FROM PRINCESS HOHENLOHE [chap, iv 
 
 recall myself even before that time to your recollection, 
 and to tell you how delighted I shall be to embrace my 
 dearest little child. I have travelled far over the world 
 and shall be able to give you some curious information 
 about various matters. 
 
 Stockmar, who was very ill, and whom 1 despaired of 
 seeing here, did arrive before yesterday,^ and you may 
 guess what pleasure it gave me. Now I will conclude ; 
 au revoir, and let me find you grown, blooming, and 
 kind to your old and faithful Uncle, Leopold. 
 
 T]ie Princess Hohenlohe "^ to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 [May 1829.] 
 
 If I had wings and could fly like a bird, I should 
 fly in at your window like the little robin to-day, 
 and wish you many very happy returns of the 24th, 
 and tell you how 1 love you, dearest sister, and how 
 often 1 think of you and long to see you. I think if I 
 wei'e once with you again I could not leave you so soon. 
 1 should wish to stay with you, and what would poor 
 Ernest ^ say if I were to leave him so long ? he would 
 perhaps try to fly after me, but I fear he would not 
 get far ; he is rather tall and heavy for flying. So you 
 see I have nothing left to do but to write to you, and 
 wish you in this way all possible happiness and joy for 
 this and many, many years to come. I hope you will 
 spend a very merry birthday. How I wish to be with 
 you, dearest Victoire, on that day ! 
 
 I have not thanked you, I believe, for a very dear 
 letter you have written to me, which gave me the 
 greatest pleasure. Your descriptions of the plays you 
 had seen amused me very much. I wish I had seen 
 your performance too. Your most affectionate Sister, 
 
 Feodoke. 
 
 1 I. e. avant hier. 
 
 2 The Princess Feodore of Leiningen, the Queen's half-sister, had married, 
 in January 1828, the Prince (Ernest) of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. 
 
1829-32] BIRTHDAY LETTERS 43 
 
 The Duchess of Clarence to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 BusHEY Pabe, \ith August 1829. 
 
 A thousand thanks to you, dear Victoria, for your 
 very nice and well written letter full of good wishes, 
 which I had the pleasure to receive yesterday ; and many 
 thanks more for the pretty gifts your dear Mamma 
 has sent me in your name. I wore them last night for 
 your sake, dearest child, and thought of you very often. 
 
 It gives me great satisfaction to hear that you are 
 enjoying the sea air and like the place which you now 
 occupy. I wish I could pay your Mamma a visit there 
 and see you again, my dear little niece, for I long to 
 have that pleasure, and must resign myself at being 
 deprived of it some time longer. Your Uncle desires to 
 be most kindly remembered to you, and hopes to 
 receive soon also a letter from you, of whom he is as 
 fond as I am. We speak of you very often, and trust 
 that you will always consider us to be amongst your 
 best friends. . . . 
 
 God bless you, my dear Victoria, is always the prayer 
 of your most truly affectionate Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 BnussEia, 22nci May 1832. 
 
 My dearest Love, — Let me offer you my sincerest 
 and best wishes on the return of the anniversary of your 
 birthday. May heaven protect and prosper you, and 
 shower all its best blessings on you. 
 
 Time flies : it is now thirteen years that you came 
 into the world of trouble ; I therefore can hardly 
 venture to call you any longer a little Princess. 
 
 This will make you feel, my dear Love, that you must 
 give your attention more and more to graver matters. 
 By the dispensation of Providence you are destined to 
 fill a most eminent station ; to fill it well must now 
 become your study. A good heart and a trusty and 
 honourable character are amongst the most indispen- 
 sable qualifications for that position. 
 
44 THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS [chap, iv 
 
 You will always find in your Uncle that faithful 
 friend which he has proved to you from your earliest 
 infancy, and whenever you feel yourself in want of 
 support or advice, call on him with perfect confidence. 
 
 If circumstances permitted my leaving Ostend early 
 to-morrow morning, I should be able to place myself 
 my birthday present into your fair hair; as this 
 happiness has not fallen to my lot, your excellent 
 motTier has promised to act as my representative. 
 
 You will probably have little time to spare. I 
 therefore conclude with the assurance of the sincere 
 attachment and affection with which I shall ever be, 
 my dearest Love, your faithful and devoted friend and 
 Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeken,^ 31s< August 1832. 
 
 My dearest Love, — You told me you wished to 
 have a description of your new Aunt,^ I therefore 
 shall both mentally and physically describe her to 
 you. 
 
 She is extremely gentle and amiable, her actions are 
 always guided by principles. She is at all times ready 
 and disposed to sacrifice her comfort and inclina- 
 tions to see others happy. She values goodness, 
 merit, and virtue much more than beauty, riches, and 
 amusements. With all this she is highly informed 
 and very clever ; she speaks and writes English, 
 German and Italian ; she speaks English very well 
 indeed. In short, my dear Love, you see that I 
 may well recommend her as an example for all 
 young ladies being Princesses or not. 
 
 Now to her appearance. She is about Feodore's 
 height, her hair very fair, fight blue eyes, of a very 
 gentle intelligent and kind expression. A Bourbon 
 nose and small mouth. The figure is much like 
 
 1 The Royal Palace, four miles from Brussels, which Napoleon owned for 
 many years. A monument to King Leopold now stands there. 
 
 2 Louise Marie, Princess of Orleans, daughter of King Louis Philippe of 
 France, was married to King Leopold on 9th August 1832. 
 
1833] A BIRTHDAY LETTER 45 
 
 Feodore's but rather less stout. She rides very well, 
 which she proved to my great alarm the other day, 
 by keeping her seat though a horse of mine ran away 
 with her full speed for at least half a mile. What 
 she does particularly well is dancing. Music unfortu- 
 nately she is not very fond of, though she plays on 
 the harp ; 1 believe there is some idleness in the 
 case. There exists already great confidence and 
 affection between us ; she is desirous of doing every- 
 thing that can contribute to my happiness, and 1 
 study whatever can make her happy and contented. 
 
 You will see by these descriptions that though my 
 good little wife is not the tallest Queen, she is a very 
 great prize which I highly value and cherish. . . . 
 
 Now it is time I should finish my letter. Say 
 everything that is kind to good Lehzen, and believe 
 me ever, my dearest Love, your faithful friend and 
 Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 21«< May 1833. 
 
 My dearest Love, — To make quite sure of my 
 birthday congratulations reaching you on that day, 
 I send them by to-day's messenger, and confide them 
 to the care of your illustrious mother. 
 
 My sincere good wishes for many happy returns 
 of that day which gave you, dear little soul, to us, 
 wiU be accompanied by some few reflections, which 
 the serious aspect of our times calls forth. My 
 dearest Love, you are now fourteen years old, a period 
 when the delightful pastimes of childhood must be 
 mixed with thoughts appertaining already to a matured 
 part of your life. I know that you have been very 
 studious, but now comes the time when the judgment 
 must form itself, when the character requires attention ; 
 in short when the young tree takes the shape which 
 it retains afterwards through life. 
 
 To attain this object it is indispensable to give 
 some httle time to reflection. The life in a great town 
 
46 VALUABLE ADVICE [chap, iv 
 
 is little calculated for such purposes ; however, with 
 some firmness of purpose it can be done. 
 
 Self-examination is the most important part of the 
 business, and a very useful mode of proceeding is, for 
 instance, every evening to recapitulate the events of 
 the day, and the motives which made one act oneself, 
 as well as to try to guess what might have been the 
 motives of others. Amiable dispositions like yours 
 will easily perceive if your own motives were good. 
 Persons in high situations must particularly guard 
 themselves against selfishness and vanity. An in- 
 dividual in a high and important situation wiU easily 
 see a great many persons eager to please the first, 
 and to flatter and encourage the last. Selfishness, 
 however, makes the individual itself miserable, and 
 is the cause of constant disappointment, besides being 
 the surest means of being disliked by everybody. 
 
 Vanity, on the other hand, is generally artfully used 
 by ambitious and interested people to make one a tool 
 for purposes of their own, but too often in opposition 
 with one's own happiness and destruction of it. 
 
 To learn to know oneself, to judge oneself with 
 truth and impartiality, must be the great objects of 
 one's exertion ; they are only attainable by constant 
 and cool self-examination. 
 
 The position of what is generally called great 
 people has of late become extremely difficult. They 
 are more attacked and calumniated, and judged with 
 less indulgence than private individuals. What they 
 have lost in this way, they have not by any means 
 regained in any other. Ever since the revolution of 
 1790 they are much less secure than they used to be, 
 and the transition from sovereign power to absolute 
 want has been as fi'equent as sudden. 
 
 It becomes, therefore, necessary that the character 
 should be so formed as not to be intoxicated by 
 greatness and success, nor cast down by misfortune. 
 To be able to do so, one must be able to appreciate 
 things according to their real value, and particularly 
 avoid giving to trifles an undue importance. 
 
1834] VISIT TO HEVER CASTLE 47 
 
 Nothing is so great and clear a proof of unfitness 
 for greater and nobler actions, than a mind which is 
 seriously occupied with trifles. 
 
 Trifling matters may be objects of amusement and 
 relaxation to a clever person, but only a weak mind 
 and a mean spirit consider trifles as important. The 
 good sense must show itself 'by distinguishing what 
 is and what is not important. 
 
 My sermon is now long enough, my dear child. 
 I strongly recommend it, however, to your reflection 
 and consideration. 
 
 My gift consists in a set of views of the former 
 Kingdom of the Netherlands, out of which you will 
 be able to discover all those of the present Belgium. 
 
 Let me soon hear from you ; and may God bless 
 and preserve you. Ever, my dear love, your affection- 
 ate Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 TuNBRiDGE Wells, Uth September 1834. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Allow me to write you a 
 few words, to express how thankful I am for the very 
 kind letter you wrote me. It made me, though, very 
 sad to think that all our hopes of seeing you, which we 
 cherished so long, this year, were over. I had so hoped 
 and wished to have seen you again, my beloved Uncle, 
 and to have made dearest Aunt Louisa's acquaintance. 
 I am delighted to hear that dear Aunt has benefited 
 from the sea air and bathing. We had a very pretty 
 party to Hever Castle yesterday, which perhaps you 
 remember, where Anne Boleyn used to live, before 
 she lost her head. We drove there, and rode home. 
 It was a most beautiful day. We have very good 
 accounts from dear Feodore, who will, by this time, 
 be at Langenburg. 
 
 Believe me always, my dearest Uncle, your very 
 affectionate and dutiful Niece, Victoria. 
 
48 ADVICE AS TO READING [chap, iv 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria.. 
 
 Laeken, 18<A October 1834. 
 
 My dearest Love, — I am happy to learn that 
 Tunbridge Wells has done you good. Health is the first 
 and most important gift of Providence ; without it we 
 are poor, miserable creatures, though the whole earth 
 were our property ; therefore I trust that you wiU take 
 great care of your own. I feel convinced that air and 
 exercise are most useful for you. In your leisure 
 moments I hope that you study a little ; history is 
 what I think the most important study for you. It 
 will be difficult for you to learn human-kind's ways and 
 manners otherwise than from that important source 
 of knowledge. Your position will more or less render 
 practical knowledge extremely difficult for you, tiU 
 you get old, and still if you do not prepare yourself 
 for your position, you may become the victim of wicked 
 and designing people, particularly at a period when 
 party spirit runs so high. Our times resemble most 
 those of the Protestant reformation ; then people were 
 moved by religious opinions, as they now undoubtedly 
 are by political passions. Unfortunately history is 
 rarely written by those who really were the chief 
 movers of events, nor free from a party colouring ; this 
 is particularly the case in the works about English 
 history. In that respect France is much richer, because 
 there we have authenticated memoirs of some of the 
 most important men, and of others who really saw 
 what passed and wrote it down at the time. Political 
 feelings, besides, rarely created permanent parties like 
 those in England, with the exception, perhaps, of the 
 great distinctions of Catholics and Protestants. What 
 I most should recommend is the period before the 
 accession of Henry IV. of France to the throne, then 
 the events after his death till ^ .e end of the minority 
 of Louis XIV. ; after that period, though interesting, 
 matters have a character which is more personal, and 
 therefore less applicable to the present times. Still 
 
cH,. €/i. c/h . iyrtnceAd ^UictoT^icL 
 
 /S33 
 
 Sr^orrb ;tAe, picture a^te^ S^ S- ffCx^ute^ cUiMindd^rr CaMle, 
 
1834] THE PRINCESS'S READING 49 
 
 even that period may be studied with some profit to 
 get knowledge of mankind. Intrigues and favouritism 
 were the chief features of that period, and Madame de 
 Maintenon's immense influence was very nearly the 
 cause of the destruction of France. What I very 
 particularly recommend to you is to study in the 
 Memoirs of the great and good Sully* the last years 
 of the reign of Henry IV. of France, and the events 
 which followed his assassination. If you have not got 
 the work, I will forward it to you from hence, or give 
 you the edition which I must have at Claremont. 
 
 As my paper draws to a close, I shall finish also 
 by giving you my best blessings, and remain ever, 
 my dearest Love, your faithfully attached friend and 
 Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 TtmBRiDOE Wells, 22«wi October 1834. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — You cannot conceive how 
 happy you have made me, by your very kind letter, 
 which, instead of tiring, delights me beyond every- 
 thing. I must likewise say how very grateful I feel 
 for the kind and excellent advice you gave me in it. 
 
 For the autographs I beg to return my best 
 thanks. They are most valuable and interesting, 
 and will be great additions to my collections. As 
 I have not got Sully's Memoirs, I shall be delighted 
 if you wHl be so good as to give them to me. 
 Reading history is one of my greatest delights, and 
 perhaps, dear Uncle, you might like to know which 
 books in that hne I am now reading. In my lessons 
 with the Dean of Chester,** I am reading Russell's 
 Modern Europe,^ which is very interesting, and 
 Clarendon's History of the RehelUon. It is drily 
 
 ' Maximilien, Due de Sully, was Henry's Minister of Finance. A curious 
 feature of the Memoirs is the fact that they are written in the second person : 
 the historian recounts the hero's adventures to him. 
 
 2 The Rev. George Davys. See ante, p. 21. 
 
 ' This History of Modem Europe, in a series of letters from a nobleman to 
 his son, 5 vols. (1779-1784), deals with the rise of modem kingdoms down 
 to the Peace of Westphalia (1648). 
 Vol. l. — ^ 
 
50 HISTORICAL READING [chap, iv 
 
 written, but is full of instruction. I like reading 
 different authors, of different opinions, by which 
 means I learn not to lean on one particular side. 
 Besides my lessons, I read Jenes'* account of the 
 wars in Spain, Portugal, and the South of 
 France, from the year 1808 till 1814. It is well 
 done, I think, and amuses me very much. In 
 French, I am now in La Rivalite de la France et 
 de TEspagne, par Gaillard,'^ which is very interesting. 
 I have also begun RoUin.' I am very fond of making 
 tables of the Kings and Queens, as I go on, and I 
 have lately finished one of the English Sovereigns 
 and their consorts, as, of course, the history of my 
 own country is one of my first duties. 1 should be 
 fearful of tiring you with so long an account of 
 myself, were I not sure you take so great an interest 
 in my welfare. 
 
 Pray give my most affectionate love to dearest 
 Aunt Louisa, and please say to the Queen of the 
 French and the two Princesses how grateful I am 
 for their kind remembrance of me. 
 
 Believe me always, my dearest Uncle, your very 
 affectionate, very dutiful, and most attached Niece, 
 
 Victoria. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 St Leoxabds, Wth November 1834. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — It is impossible for me, to 
 express how happy you have made me by writing so 
 soon again to me, and how pleased I am to see by 
 your very kind letter that you intend to write to 
 me often. I am much obliged to you, dear Uncle, for 
 the extract about Queen Anne, but must beg you, as 
 you have sent me to show what a Queen ought not 
 to be, that you will send me what a Queen ought to be} 
 
 1 Sir John Thomas Jones, Bart. (1783-1843), a Royal Engineer, who 
 served in the Peninsular War. 
 
 a Gabriel Henri Gaillard (1726-1806), Member of the French Academy. 
 
 ' The Histoire Ancierme, by Charles RoUin (1661-1741), Rector of the 
 University of Paris. 
 
 * King Leopold had sent the Princess an extract from a French Memoir, 
 containing a severe criticism of the political character of Queen Anne. 
 
1834] NEW YEAR GREETING 61 
 
 Might I ask what is the very pretty seal with 
 which the letter I got from you yesterday was closed ? 
 It is so peculiar that I am anxious to know. 
 
 Believe me always, dear Uncle, your very affec- 
 tionate, very dutiful, and very attached Niece, 
 
 Victoria. 
 
 T%e King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, ind December 1834. 
 
 My dearest Love, — You have written a very 
 clever, sharp little letter the other day, which gave 
 me great pleasure. Sure enough, when I show you 
 what a Queen ought not to be, 1 also ought to tell 
 you what she should be, and this task I will very 
 conscientiously take upon myself on the very first 
 occasion which may offer itself for a confidential 
 communication. Now I must conclude, to go to 
 town. I must, however, say that I have given orders 
 to send you Sully's Memoirs. As they have not been 
 written exclusively for young ladies, it wiU be well 
 to have Lehzen to read it with you, and to judge 
 what ought to be left for some future time. And 
 now God bless you 1 Ever, my beloved child, your 
 attached friend and Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 St Leonards, 28iA December 1834. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I must again, with your 
 permission, write you a few lines, to wish you a very 
 happy new year, not only for this year, but for many 
 to come. I know not how to thank you sufficiently 
 for the invaluable and precious autographs which you 
 were so very kind as to send me. Some of them I 
 received a few days ago, and the others to-day, 
 accompanied by a very kind letter from you, and 
 a beautiful shawl, which will be most useful to me, 
 particularly as a favourite one of mine is growing 
 very old. I wish you could come here, for many 
 
52 AUTOGRAPHS [chap, nr 
 
 reasons, but also to be an eye-witness of my extreme 
 prudence in eating, which would astonish you. The 
 poor sea-gulls are, however, not so happy as you 
 imagine, for they have great enemies in the country- 
 people here, who take pleasure in shooting them. 
 
 Believe me always, my dearest Uncle, your very 
 affectionate and most grateful Niece, Victouia. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Kensington Palace, 2nd Pehruary, 1835. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I know not how to thank 
 you sufficiently for the most valuable autographs you 
 were kind enough to send me. I am particularly 
 dehghted with that of Louis Quatorze, " le grand Roi," 
 and my great admiration. . . . You will not, I hope, 
 think me very troublesome, if I venture to ask for 
 two more autographs which I should very particularly 
 like to have ; they are Mme. de Sevigne's ^ and 
 Racine's ; as I am reading the letters of the former, 
 and the tragedies of the latter, I should prize them 
 highly. Believe me always, my dearest Uncle, your 
 most affectionate and dutiful Niece, Victoria. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the PriTicess Victoria. 
 
 Camp of Beverloo 
 (in the North of the Province of Limburg), 
 %rd August 1835. 
 
 My dear Love, — By your Mother's letter of the 
 31st ult°-, I learned of the serious and important action 
 in your young life^ which has passed recently, and I 
 cannot let it pass without saying some words on the 
 subject. I am perhaps rather strangely situated for a 
 
 1 Marie de Rabutin Chantal, Marquise de S^vigne, born 1626. At twenty- 
 four she was left a widow, and devoted herself to her children's education. 
 When her daughter married the Count de Grignan, she began that corre- 
 spondence with her on which her reputation chiefly rests. She died in 1696, 
 and the letters were first published in 1726. 
 
 2 The Princess was confirmed at the Chapel Royal, on 30th July 1835. 
 
1835] THE PRINCESS'S CONFIRMATION 53 
 
 preaching — somewhat in the style of those old camp 
 preachers who held forth to many thousand people on 
 some heath in Scotland. I am also on an immense 
 heath, surrounded by 16,000 men, mostly young and 
 gay, cooking, singing, working, and not very like the 
 stern old Covenanters ; however I shall try. First of 
 aU, let me congratulate you that it passed happUy and 
 well ofF. Secondly let me entreat you to look with 
 a serious and reflective mind on the day which is past. 
 Many are the religions, many the shades of those 
 religions, but it must be confessed the principles of 
 the Christian religion are the most perfect and the 
 most beautiful that can be imagined. . . . There is one 
 virtue which is particularly Christian; this is the know- 
 ledge of our own heart in real humility. Hypocrisy is 
 a besetting sin of aU times, but particularly of the 
 present, and many are the wolves in sheep's clothes. 
 I am sorry to say, with all my affection for old 
 England, the very state of its Society and politics 
 renders many in that country essentially humbugs and 
 deceivers; the appearance of the thing is generally mare 
 considered than the reality ; provided matters go off 
 well, and opinion may be gained, the real good is 
 matter of the most perfect indifference. Defend your- 
 self, my dear love, against this system ; let your dear 
 character always be true and loyal ; this does not 
 exclude prudence — worldly concerns are now un- 
 fortunately so organised that you must be cautious or 
 you may injure yourself and others — but it does not 
 prevent the being sterling and true. Nothing in 
 persons gives greater reliance, greater weight, than 
 when they are known to be true. From your earliest 
 childhood I was anxious to see in you this important 
 virtue saved and developed, and Lehzen will still be 
 able to recollect that. If it is God's pleasure that 
 you should once* fill the arduous situation to which 
 you seem destined, you will find the importance of 
 
 1 King Leopold not unfrequently uses "once" like the Latin olim, as 
 referring to any indefinite date in the future as well as in the past " Some 
 day " is what is intended here. 
 
54 HONESTY AND SINCERITY [chap, tv 
 
 what I now say to you. And when others may 
 tremble to have at last their real character found out, 
 and to meet all the contempt which they may deserve, 
 your mind and heart will be stiU and happy, because 
 it will know that it acts honestly, that truth and 
 goodness are the motives of its actions. I press you 
 now against my heart ; may God bless you as I wish 
 and hope it, and may you always feel some affection 
 for your sincerely devoted camp preacher and Uncle, 
 
 Leopold R. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
 TO CHAPTER V 
 
 The year 1836 was not an eventful one at home ; the Whig 
 Ministry were too weak to carry measures of firstrate importance, 
 and could hardly have maintained themselves in power against the 
 formidable opposition of Sir Robert Peel without the support of 
 O'Connell. Parliament was chiefly occupied by the consideration 
 of the Secret Societies in Ireland, Tithes, Municipal Corporations, 
 and such matters ; the Marriage Act, and the Act for the Registra- 
 tion of Births have probably been the most important measures 
 of the year to the country. Troubles which were destined to 
 become more acute arose in Lower Canada and Jamaica, both 
 taking the form of disputes between the executive and the 
 legislature. 
 
 On the continent of Europe, affairs were more disturbing. 
 Several attempts were made on the life of the King of the French, 
 while an abortive insurrection with a view of establishing a military 
 empire was made by Louis Buonaparte at Strasburg. The Prince 
 was allowed to leave the country and go to the United States, 
 but his accomplices were detained for trial. In Algiers the French 
 Government determined to prosecute operations against the Arab 
 Chief Abd-el-Kader, and they sent an expedition to Constantin. 
 
 Holland and Belgium were occupied with a dispute about their 
 boundary line, the cession to Belgium of Luxemburg being the 
 chief point of difference. The difficulties that arose in passing 
 an important municipal Act for Belgium caused King Leopold 
 temporarily to regi'et he had not accepted the throne of Greece. 
 
 Portugal was still convulsed by revolutionary agitation. Dom 
 Pedro, the eldest son of King John VI., had been proclaimed 
 Emperor of Brazil in his father's lifetime, and had abdicated 
 the throne of Portugal in favour of his daughter Donna Maria, 
 a child seven years old, while Dom Miguel, his younger brother, 
 who had acted in opposition to his father in Portugal, claimed the 
 throne for himself. Dom Pedro had decreed that his daughter 
 should marry Miguel, who was in 1827 appointed Regent. 
 Miguel, had he acted wisely, might have maintained himself on 
 the throne, but Dom Pedro, who had been expelled from Brazil 
 by a revolution, took active steps to recover the Portuguese throne 
 for his daughter, and equipped an expedition for that end with 
 English and French volunteers. In this way. Donna Maria, who 
 had spent part of her exile in England and formed a friendship 
 
 55 
 
56 INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO CHAPTER V [chap, v 
 
 with the Princess Victoria, was through British instrumentality 
 placed on her throne, but still could only maintain herself with 
 difficulty against Miguel. She was a few weeks older than the 
 Princess Victoria, and had recently lost her fii^t husband, the 
 Due de Leuchtenberg. She was married by proxy on the 1st 
 of January 1836, and in person on the 9th of April, to Prince 
 Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg. 
 
 There was also a disputed succession in Spain, where by the 
 ancient law women might succeed to the throne. Ferdinand VII., 
 who had revoked the Pragmatic Sanction of 1711 and restored the 
 former system, died in 1833, leaving no son. His elder daughter 
 Isabella, then three years of age, was proclaimed Queen (her mother 
 Christina being appointed Regent), and Isabella's claims were 
 I'ecognised by England and France. The late King's brother, 
 Don Carlos, taking his stand upon the Salic Law as established 
 by the Pragmatic Sanction, raised the standard of revolt and 
 allied himself with Dom Miguel, the young Queens Maria and 
 Isabella mutually recognising each other, and being supported 
 by France and England against the " Holy Alliance " of Austria, 
 Russia, and Prussia. A seven years' civil war resulted, which did 
 not end till, from sheer exhaustion, the Carlists had to cease 
 fighting the Christines, as the loyal party was called. The 
 English Government in the previous year had sanctioned the 
 enlistment of 10,000 men ; who, commanded by Colonel (after- 
 wards Sir de Lacy) Evans, landed at San Sebastian in August to 
 assist the Christinos. A British auxiliary contingent was already 
 with the Spanish army, while a naval squadron under Lord John 
 Hay was active on the coast. Mendizabal was Prime Minister at 
 the beginning of the year 1836, and was succeeded in May by 
 Isturitz. Riots took place at Madrid, and Isturitz fled to France ; 
 Calatrava succeeding him, assisted by Mendizabal. The Christine 
 cause did not much advance during the year. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 1836 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Uh March 1836. 
 
 My dearly beloved Child, — You wrote me again 
 a long, dear, good letter, like all those which I received 
 from your kind hands. Time approaches now for the 
 arrival of the cousins, and most probably of your Uncle. 
 Ferdinand also. He has informed me of his arrival for 
 the 7th or 8th ; notwithstanding this, I mean to leave 
 everything settled as it has been arranged. They will 
 set off on the 7th, arrive at Paris on the 8th, and leave 
 it again on the 12th. . . . Fernando^ has still a very 
 bad cold, change of air is hkely to cure that. The 
 stay here has done Fernando a great deal of good, 
 and it cannot be denied that he is quite another person. 
 It has given me some trouble, but I have written down 
 for him everything which he ought to know about 
 the organisation of a government in general, and what 
 will be necessary in specie to carry on successfully the 
 Government in Portugal. . , . My inclinations, as 
 you are aware, would have led me to the East, but 
 certainly the only thing which reconciles me with 
 my not having done so is that it has made me to 
 remain near you, and will enable me to see you and 
 to be useful to you. 
 
 • The Queen's first cousin. Prince Ferdinand (son of Prince Ferdinand of 
 Saxe-Coburg, who was brother of the Duchess of Kent and the King of the 
 Belgians), aged nineteen, who married the Queen of Portugal on 9tn April. 
 He was at this time visiting the King of the Belgians on his way to Portugal. 
 
 57 
 
58 PRINCE FERDINAND [chap, v 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Kensin&ton Palace, 1th March 1836. 
 
 , . . You are very kind, my dearest, best Uncle, 
 to say that " the only thing which reconciles you " for 
 not having gone to Greece is, that you are near me 
 and can see me. Thank Heaven that you did not go 
 there 1 it would have been dreadful for me and for all 
 your relations to be thus, as it were, cut off from almost 
 all intercourse 1 It is hard enough, that you are as far 
 as you are, when I recollect the happy time when I 
 could see you, and be with you, every day ! . . . 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Kensington Palace, 29<A March 1836. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — ... As concerning the 
 " fatigues " we are said to have undergone, they were 
 none to me, and made me very happy ; I only wish 
 they could have lasted longer, for all, all is over now, 
 and our beloved Ferdinand^ himself leaves our shores 
 this very morning. We accompanied them all on 
 Sunday, where we took a final leave of our dear 
 Ferdinand, and I cannot tell you how sorry I was, 
 and am, to see him go, for I love him dearly. He is 
 so truly excellent, kind and good, and endears himself 
 so much by his simplicity and good-heartedness ! I 
 may venture to say, that no one has his prosperity and 
 happiness more at heart than I have. I am extremely 
 sanguine about his success. He goes there full of 
 courage, spirits and good-will, and being naturally 
 clever and observant, I doubt not that with good 
 counsel, and prudence, he will do very well. Your 
 kind advice will be of the greatest and most important 
 use to him, the more so as he is so exceedingly fond 
 of you. . . . Ferdinand leaves behind him here a most 
 favourable impression on aU parties, for / have even 
 heard from some great Tories themselves that there 
 was a great feeling /or him in this country. 
 
 1 See ante, p. 57. He had latterly been visiting the Duchess of Kent. 
 
1836] THE PRINCES ERNEST AND ALBERT 59 
 
 The PriTicess Hohenlohe to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Stuttgart, I6th April 1836. 
 
 . . . You will like our two Coburg cousins also, I 
 think ; they are more manly than 1 think the two others 
 are, after the description. I am very fond of them both. 
 Ernest is my favourite, although Albert is much hand- 
 somer, and cleverer too, but Ernest is so honest and 
 good-natured. I shall be very curious to hear your 
 opinion upon them. . . . 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Keksixoton Palace, 26th April 1836. 
 
 My dearest, best Uncle, — ... You will, I am 
 sure, have been delighted with M. de Nieumann's^ 
 account of the complete success of our diear Ferdinand. 
 All has gone off better than even our most sanguine 
 hopes could have desired. He is much pleased with 
 the good Queen, and she is delighted with him, and 
 M. de Nieumann says that they are already quite happy 
 together. This is really a great blessing, but I fear 
 that all the exterior affairs are not in quite so good a 
 state. I hope, however, that the good people will not 
 make any more difficulties about Fernando's being 
 Commander-in-Chief, as I hear from all accounts it is 
 necessary he should be so. . . . 
 
 Uncle Ernest and my cousins will probably come 
 here in the beginning of next month, I hear, and wiU 
 visit you on their return. 
 
 You ask me about Sully's Memoirs, and if I have 
 finished them. I have not finished them, but am reading 
 them with great interest, and find there is a great deal 
 in them which applies to the present times, and a great 
 deal of good advice and reasoning in them. As you 
 say, very truly, it is extremely necessary for me to 
 follow the " events of the day," and to do so impartially. 
 
 1 The Austrian Ambassador, who had previously represented Austria at 
 the Court of Portug^ He married Lady Augusta Somerset in 1844. 
 
60 THE PRINCE OF ORANGE (chap, v 
 
 I am always both grateful and happy when you give 
 me any advice, and hope you will continue to do so as 
 long as I live. 
 
 I am glad to hear you approve my singing, and I 
 cannot tell you how delightful it would be for me; if 
 you could join with us. A propos, dear Uncle, you 
 did not answer what I said to you in a former letter 
 about your visiting us again. You know, dear Uncle, 
 that this is a subject upon which I am very earnest 
 and very eager, and as the summer approaches I grow 
 more and more anxious about it. You know, also, 
 that pleasure does more good than a hundred walks 
 and rides. 
 
 Beheve me always, my dearest Uncle, your truly 
 devoted and attached Niece, Victoria. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 13th May 1836. 
 
 My dearest Child, — I got this time a very small 
 letter from your good little Ladyship, and I shall repay 
 it probably in larger coin, as my letter going through 
 a messenger of my own will become longer, as it will 
 be more confidential than through the usual mode of 
 conveyance. 
 
 I am really astonislied at the conduct of your old 
 Uncle the King ; this invitation of the Prince of Orange 
 and his sons, this forcing him upon others, is very 
 extraordinary.^ It is so, because persons in political 
 
 1 King Leopold had for some time cherished a hope of uniting the Princess 
 Victoria in marriage with her cousin. Prince Albert of Coburg. He therefore 
 arranged that the Prince, with his elder brother. Prince Ernest, should pay 
 a visit to the Duchess of Kent at Kensing:ton Palace. King William naturally 
 opposed a scheme which he knew met with the approVEil of his sister-in-law. 
 He accordingly invited the Prince of Orange and his two sons at the same 
 time, and favoured the candidature of the younger son, Prince Alexander. 
 The King (it is believed) went so far as to say that no other marriage should 
 ever take place, and that the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and his son should never 
 put foot in the country : they should not be allowed to land, and must go 
 back whence they came. 
 
 The Prince of Orange had himself been a candidate for the hand of 
 Princess Charlotte, and had no reason to be friendly to King ILieopold, oi 
 whom it is recorded that he said, " Voilel un homme qui a pris ma femme et 
 mon royaume," 
 
1836] ARRIVAL OF PRINCE ALBERT 61 
 
 stations and champions of great political passions 
 cannot put aside their known character as you would 
 lay your hat upon a table. 
 
 Not later than yesterday I got a half-official 
 communication from England insinuating that it 
 would be highly desirable that the visit of your 
 relatives should not take place this year — qu'en dites 
 votis? The relations of the Queen and the King, 
 therefore, to the God-knows-what degree, are to come 
 in shoals and rule the land, when your relations 
 are to be forbidden the country, and that when, as 
 you know, the whole of your relations have ever 
 been very dutiful and kind to the King. Really 
 and truly I never heard or saw anjrthing hke it, and 
 I hope it wiU a Uttle rou^se your spirit; now that 
 slavery is even abolished in the British Colonies, I 
 do not comprehend why your lot alone should be to be 
 kept, a widte Uttle slavey in England, for the pleasure 
 of the Court, who never bought you, as I am not 
 aware of their having gone to any expense on that 
 head, or the King's even having spent a sixpence for 
 your existence. I expect that my visits in England 
 will also be prohibited by an Order in Council. Oh 
 consistency and political or other honesty, where must 
 one look for you ! 
 
 I have not the least doubt that the King, in his 
 passion for the Oranges, will be excessively rude to 
 your relations ; this, however, will not signify much ; 
 they are your guests and not hzs, and will therefore 
 not mind it. . . . 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of tlie Belgians. 
 
 23rd May 1836. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — . . . Uncle Ernest and my 
 cousins arrived here on Wednesday, sains et saufs. 
 Uncle is looking remarkably well, and my cousins 
 are most delightful young people. I will give you 
 
62 PRINCE ALBERT [chap, v 
 
 no detailed description of them, as you will so soon 
 see them yourself. But I must say, that they are 
 both very amiable, very kind and good, and extremely 
 merry, just as young people should be ; with all 
 that, they are extremely sensible, and very fond of 
 occupation. Albert is extremely handsome, which 
 Ernest certainly is not, but he has a most good- 
 natm-ed, honest, and intelligent countenance. We 
 took them to the Opera on Friday, to see the 
 Puritani, and as they are excessively fond of music, 
 hke me, they were in perfect ecstasies, having never 
 heard any of the singers before. . . . 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Ith June 1836. 
 
 Mv DEAREST Uncle, — Thcsc few lines T\ill be 
 given to you by my dear Uncle Ernest when he sees 
 you. 
 
 I must thank you, my beloved Uncle, for the 
 prospect of great happiness you have contributed to 
 give me, in the person of dear Albert. Allow me, 
 then, my dearest Uncle, to tell you how delighted I 
 am with him, and how much I like him in every way. 
 He possesses every quality that could be desired to 
 render me perfectly happy. He is so sensible, so 
 kind, and so good, and so amiable too. He has, 
 besides, the most pleasing and delightful exterior and 
 appearance you can possibly see. 
 
 I have only now to beg you, my dearest Uncle, 
 to take care of the health of one, now so dear to 
 me, and to take him under your special protection. 
 I hope and trust that aU will go on prosperously 
 and well, on this subject of so much importance 
 to me. 
 
 Believe me always, my dearest Uncle, your 
 most aiFectionate, devoted, and grateful Niece, 
 
 Victoria. 
 
1836] ADVICE AS TO CONVERSATION 63 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 nth June 1836. 
 
 My dearest and most beloved Child, — I 
 begged your Mother, in the meantime, to offer you 
 my best thanks for your very pretty drawing repre- 
 senting the Provost of Bruges and his daughter; I 
 admired also that for your Aimt. They do your 
 spirit of invention honour, and it is a very good plan 
 to draw subjects from books or plays which interest 
 you. You will feel the loss of a pleasant society in 
 the old Palace, the more so as your relations are 
 good unsophisticated people, a thing which one does 
 not so often meet with. I suppose that part of 
 your London amusements will soon be over. You 
 were going to Windsor, which you wUl probably 
 have left by this time. I hope you were very 
 prudent ; 1 cannot disguise from you, that though 
 the inhabitants are good-natured people, still that I 
 think you want aU your natural caution with them. 
 Never permit yourself to be induced to tell them 
 any opinion or sentiment of yours which is beyond 
 the sphere of common conversation and its ordinary 
 topics. Bad use would be made of it against your- 
 self, and you cannot in that subject be too much 
 guarded. 1 know well the people we have to deal 
 with. I am extremely impartial, but I shall also 
 always be equally watchful. . . . God bless you ! 
 Ever, my dear chUd, your very devoted Uncle and 
 friend, Leopold R. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 9th August 1836. 
 
 My beloved Uncle, — ... I was sure you would 
 be very much pleased with Ernest and Albert as soon 
 as you knew them more; there cannot be two more 
 good and sensible young men than they are. Pray, 
 
64 APFAIRS IN SPAIN [chap, v 
 
 dear Uncle, say everything most kind from me to 
 them. 
 
 We go to Buxted^ to-morrow morning, and stay 
 there till next Monday. 
 
 All the gaieties are now over. We took leave of 
 the Opera on Saturday, and a most brilliant con- 
 clusion to the season it was. Yesterday 1 took my 
 farewell lesson with Lablache,^ which I was very 
 sorry to do. I have had twenty-six lessons with him, 
 and I look forward with pleasure to resume them 
 again next spring. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 2nd September 1836. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — ... The state of Spain 
 is most alarming and unfortunate.^ I do hope some- 
 thing will be done. The news were rather better 
 yesterday and the day before. The Christinos had 
 gained a victory over the Carlists.* I take a great 
 interest in the whole of this unfortunate affair. I 
 hope and trust Portugal may not suffer by all the 
 affairs of Spain, but much is to be feared. Dieskau 
 will have told you much about the internal affairs, 
 which seem to go on very prosperously. Pray has 
 
 ^ Lord Liverpool's house. Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, third Earl of 
 Liverpool, weis fifty-three years old at the time of the Queen's accession. He 
 was a moderate Tory, and had held office as Under-Secretary for the Home 
 Department in 1807, and in 1809 as Under-Secretary for War and the 
 Colonies. He succeeded to the Earldom in 1828. The title, since revived, 
 became extinct on his death in 1851. He was a friend of the Duchess of 
 Kent, who often stayed with him at Buxted Park in Sussex, and at Pitchford 
 in Staifordshire. At three successive visits at the latter house the PrincebS 
 occupied the same small room without a fireplace. 
 
 ' Luigi Lablache (1794-1858), a famous opera-singer, was the Princess's 
 singing-master. 
 
 " See Introductory Note for the year, ante, p. 56. 
 
 * The civil war was favourable to the Carlists at this time. General Gomez 
 obtaining a victory on 30th August. By the end of the year he had twice 
 traversed the kingdom, hampered with plunder and prisoners, and surrounded 
 by armies greater than his own, and in no district did he find the inhabitants 
 disposed to act against him. 
 
1936] FAREWELL LETTERS 65 
 
 the Duchess of Braganza^ written to you or Aunt 
 Louise since Ferdinand's marriage ? 
 
 You did not send me the King of Naples' ^ letter, 
 as you said you would; pray do so in your next 
 letter. I hope he will come here next year. You 
 do not mention France, so I hope all is quiet. The 
 Duke of Orleans is quite well again, I am happy to 
 hear from Aunt Louise. Now I must conclude, 
 hegging you to believe me, always, your most truly 
 attached and reaUy devoted Niece, Victoria. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians} 
 
 Clakesiont, nst September 1836. 
 
 My most dearly beloved Uncle, — As 1 hear 
 that Mamma is going to send a letter to you which 
 will reach you at Dover, and though it is only an 
 hour and a half since we parted, I must write you 
 one hne to teU you how very, very sad I am that 
 you have left us, and to repeat, what I think you 
 know pretty well, how much I love you. When 1 
 think that but two hours ago we were happily 
 together, and that now you are traveUing every 
 instant farther and farther away from us, and that I 
 shall with aU probability not see you for a year, it 
 makes me cry. Yes, dearest Uncle, it is dreadful 
 in this hfe, that one is destined, and particularly 
 unhappy me, to be almost always separated from 
 those one loves most dearly. I live, however, in the 
 hopes of your visit next year with dear Aunt, and I 
 cannot say how thankful and happy I am that we 
 have had you here for six short, and to me most bright 
 happy days! I shall look back with the greatest 
 delight on them. 
 
 Believe me, always, your ever devoted and most 
 affectionately attached Niece and Child, Victoria. 
 
 1 stepmother of the Queen of Portugal. , „ ,^ .. , 
 
 2 Ferdinand II., commonly named "Bomba." He married en secondes 
 a, theArchd ' "" 
 ' Written at 
 Vol. 1.— 5 
 
 noces, the Archduciiess Theresa of Austria. 
 
 » Written at the conclusion of the King s visit to England 
 
66 THE PRINCESS AND THE CHURCH [chap, v 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, nth November 1836. 
 
 My very dear Child, — ... I know attempts 
 have been made to represent you as indiiFerent to 
 the estabhshed Church. You know that in England 
 the Sovereign is the head of the Church, and that the 
 Church looks upon the Protestant religion as it is 
 estabhshed as the State Religion. In times like the 
 present, when the Crown is already a good deal 
 weakened, I believe that it is of importance to main- 
 tain as much as possible this state of affairs, and I 
 believe that you will do well, whenever an occasion 
 offers itself to do so without affectation, to express 
 your sincere interest for the Church, and that you 
 comprehend its position and count upon its good 
 will. The poor Church will be a good deal per- 
 secuted, I have no doubt, but it would be desirable 
 that the men belonging to it should be united, sensible, 
 and moderate. . . . 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Ramsgate, lith Novmnber 1836. 
 
 . . . What you say to me relative to Church 
 matters I quite comprehend, and always am very 
 thankful for advice from you. 
 
 I am reading away famously. I like Mrs 
 Hutchinson's Life of her husband^ only comme cela ; 
 she is so dreadfully violent. She and Clarendon are 
 so totally opposite, that it is quite absurd, and I only 
 beUeve the juste milieu. . . . 
 
 1 The regicide. Colonel Hutchinson's, fame rests more on his wife's com- 
 memoration of him than on his own exploits. She was the daughter of Sir 
 Allen Apsley, Lieutenant of the Tower of London, and highly educated. 
 Between 1664 and 16T1 she wrote the biography of her husband, first 
 pubUshed in 1806. " The figure of Colonel Hutchinson," says J. R. 
 Green, " stands out from his wife's canvas with the grace and tenderness 
 of a portrait by Van Dyck." 
 
1836] DEATH OF CHARLES X. 67 
 
 Your speech interested me very much ; it is very 
 fine indeed; you wrote it yourself, did you not? 
 
 Belgium is indeed the happiest country in the 
 world, and it is all, all owing to your great care and 
 kindness. " Nous dtions des enfans perdus," General 
 Goblet ^ said to me at Claremont, " quand le Roi est 
 venu nous sauver." And so it is. . , . 
 
 Pray, dear Uncle, say ever5rthing most kind from 
 me to Ernest and Albert, and believe me, always, 
 your affectionate Niece, Victoria. 
 
 Pray, dear Uncle, is the report of the King of 
 Naples' marriage to the Archduchess Theresa true? 
 I hear the king has behaved uncommonly well at 
 Naples during the cholera panic. I enclose the 
 measure of my finger. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laekek, 19th November 1836. 
 
 . . . Poor Charles X. is dead,^ it is said of the 
 cholera. I regret him ; few people were ever kinder to 
 me than the good old man. He was blinded by certain 
 absolute ideas, but a good man and deserving to be 
 loved. History will state that Louis XVni. was a 
 most liberal monarch, reigning with great mildness and 
 justice to his end, but that his brother, from his despotic 
 and harsh disposition, upset all the other had done, and 
 lost the throne. Louis XVIII. was a clever, hard- 
 hearted man, shackled by no principle, very proud 
 and false. Charles X. an honest man, a kind friend, 
 an honourable master, sincere in his opinions, and 
 inclined to do everything that is right. That teaches 
 us what we ought to believe in history as it is compiled 
 according to ostensible events and results known to the 
 generality of people. Memoirs are much more instruc- 
 tive, if written honestly and not purposely fabricated, as 
 
 1 The Belgian General, Albert Joseph Goblet, Count d'Alviella. 
 
 ' Charles X. of France, under the advice of Polignac, had abrogated the 
 Constitution of France in 1830. A revolution broke out, and the King 
 abdicated in August, the throne being offered to and accepted by Louis 
 Philippe, Duke of Orleans. 
 
68 ABUSE OF KING LEOPOLD [chap, v 
 
 it happens too often nowadays, particularly at Paris, . . . 
 I shall not fail to read the books you so kindly recom- 
 mend. I join you a small copy of our very liberal 
 Constitution, hitherto conscientiously executed — no easy 
 matter. You may communicate it to your Mother; 
 it is the best answer to an infamous Radical or Tory- 
 Radical paper, the Constitutional, which seems deter- 
 mined to run down the Coburg family. I don't 
 imderstand the meaning of it ; the only happiness 
 poor Charlotte knew was during her short wedded 
 existence, and there was but one voice on that subject, 
 that we offered a bright prospect to the nation. Since 
 that period I have (though been abused, and vilified 
 merely for drawing an income which was the con- 
 sequence of a Treaty ratified by both Houses of 
 Parliament, and that without one dissenting voice, a 
 thing not very likely to happen again) done everything 
 to see England prosperous and powerful. I have spared 
 her, in 1831, much trouble and expense, as without 
 my coming here very serious complications, war and all 
 the expensive operations connected with it, must have 
 taken place. 1 give the whole of my income without 
 the reservation of a farthing to the country ; I preserve 
 unity on the Continent, have frequently prevented 
 mischief at Paris, and to thank me for all that, I get 
 the most scurrilous abuse, in which the good people 
 from constant practice so much excel. . . . The 
 conclusion of all this — and that by people whose very 
 existence in political life may be but of a few years' 
 standing — is scurrilous abuse of the Coburg family. I 
 should like to know what harm the Coburg family has 
 done to England ? But enough of this. Your principle 
 is very good ; one must not mind what newspapers say. 
 Their power is a fiction of the worst description, and 
 Iheir efforts marked by the worst faith and the greatest 
 untruths. If all the Editors of the papers in the 
 countries where the liberty of the press exists, were to 
 be assembled, we should have a crew to which you 
 would not confide a dog that you would value, still less 
 your honour and reputation. . . . 
 
1836] REVOLUTION AT LISBON 69 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 21st November 1836. 
 
 My most dearly beloved Uncle, — You cannot 
 imagine how happy you have made me by your 
 very dear, kind, long, and interesting letter of the 
 18th, which I received yesterday morning, and for 
 which I beg you to accept my very warmest and 
 best thanks. You know, I think, my dearest Uncle, 
 that no creature on earth loves you more dearly, or 
 has a higher sense of admiration for you, than I 
 have. Independent of aU that you have done — which 
 I never, never can be grateful enough for — my love 
 for you exceeds all that words can express ; it is 
 innate in me, for from my earliest years the name 
 of Uncle was the dearest I knew, the word Uncle, 
 alone, meant no other but you 1 
 
 Your letter is so interesting and instructive that 
 I could read it over and over again. I hope, dear 
 Uncle, you will in process of time give me the aperfu 
 you mention, which would be so very interesting 
 for me. 
 
 I cannot tell you how distressed I was by the 
 late unfortunate contre-revolution manquee at Lisbon,^ 
 and how sorry I was to see by the letter you wrote 
 me, that you were still unaware of it on the 18th. 
 Mama received a letter from Lord Palmerston yester- 
 day morning, which she has sent you, and which is 
 consolatory, I think. He speaks in the highest terms 
 
 1 Prince Ferdinand was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Portugfuese 
 army on the advice of the Due de Terceira, then Prime Minister. The 
 appointment was highly unpopular ; riots broke out, the army mutinied, and 
 rose against the authorities, with the result that the Queen of Portugal was 
 compelled to accept the Radical Constitution of 1820, in the place of Don 
 Pedro's constitutional Charter of 1826. Later in the year the Queen, assisted 
 by Palmella, Terceira, and Saldanha, made a counter-move, believing that the 
 people of Lisbon would support her, and proposed to dismiss her Ministers ; 
 she had, however, been misled as to the popular aid forthcoming, and had to 
 give up the struggle, Sa da Bandeira becoming Prime Minister. The Queen, 
 virtually a captive, had to accede to the revolutionary requirements. 
 
70 THE PRINCESS'S NAME [chap, v 
 
 of our beloved Ferdinand, which proves that he 
 becomes daily more and more worthy of his arduous 
 situation, and says that the Queen's situation "is 
 better than it was," less bad than it might have 
 been "after such an affair," and not so good as it 
 would have been had poor Donna Maria waited 
 patiently till all was ripe for action. Dietz^ wrote 
 Mama a most desponding letter, so much so, that 
 had we not got Lord Palmerston's letter we must 
 have thought all, all was over.^ I hope, dear Uncle, 
 you will tell me your feeling about the whole, which 
 will only satisfy me, no one else could, for I take 
 an interest in Ferdinand's welfare as though he were 
 my brother. 
 
 Allow me, dearest Uncle, to say a few words, 
 respecting my name, to which you allude. You are 
 aware, I believe, that about a year after the accession 
 of the present King there was a desire to change my 
 favourite and dear name Victoria to that of Charlotte, 
 also most dear, to which the King willingly consented. 
 On its being told me, I said nothing, though I felt 
 grieved beyond measure at the thought of any 
 change. Not long after this. Lord Grey, and also 
 the Archbishop of Canterbury, acquainted Mama 
 that the country, having been accustomed to hear me 
 called Victoria, had become used to it, enfin, liked 
 it, and therefore, to my great delightj the idea of 
 a change was given up.^ 
 
 ^ Dietz was a former Governor of Prince Ferdinand, who accompanied 
 him to Portugal on his marriage with Donna Maria, and took a considerable 
 part in political affairs. 
 
 2 A former Minister of the Interior was killed by the National Guards, 
 who threatened to march on Belem, where the Queen was ; she had to apply 
 to the British Marines for protection. 
 
 8 In the course of the debate (3rd August 1831) on Lord Althorp's proposi- 
 tion to add £10,000, a. year to the Duchess of Kent's income. Sir M. W. 
 Ridley suggested changing the Princess's name to ,Elizabeth, as being " more 
 accordant to the feelings of the people," saying that he had heard the 
 subject " frequently and seriously argued." Hunt, the Radical, who opposed 
 the grant, saw no objection to the change, and Lord Althorp thought the 
 matter of no particular consequence. The Princess's own feelings, and those 
 of her mother, do not seem to have been considered. See Hansard, 3rd 
 series, vol. v. pp. 591, 654 et seq. 
 
1836] NEWSPAPER ATTACKS 71 
 
 I was sure the death of old Charles X. would 
 strike you. . . . 
 
 I thank you much for the Constitution de la 
 Belgique. Those attacks on you are infamous, but 
 must not be minded; they are the language of a 
 few jealoiis, envious people. En revanche, I enclose 
 a paragraph from a speech of O'Connell's^ I think 
 worth your reading. 
 
 Pray, dearest Uncle, say everjrthing most kind to 
 my beloved and dearest Aunt, and thank her in my 
 name for her kind letter, which I shall answer on 
 Friday. I am happy she and the dear httle man 
 are well. 
 
 Believe me, always, your most devoted and affec- 
 tionately attached Niece, Victoria. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Claremont, &th December 1836. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — ... I have begun since a 
 few days Lord Chve's Life, by Sir John Malcolm,^ 
 which is very interesting, as it gives much insight 
 into the affairs of India, over parts of which, I fear, 
 it would be weU to throw a veil. I am reading it 
 by myself, et je vous le recommande. . . . 
 
 ^ Probably that on the Irish Church Question at the General (formerly 
 " Catholic ") Association, Dublin. 
 
 2 The book reviewed by Macaulay, who spoke of Sir John Malcolm as 
 one whose " love passes the love of biographers, and who can see nothing but 
 wisdom and justice in the actions of his idoL" 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
 TO CHAPTER VI 
 
 The closing months of the reign of William IV. were not 
 marked by any stirring events at home. The Conservative opposi- 
 tion to the Melbourne Ministry was strengthened before the 
 meeting of Parliament by a great speech by Sir Robert Peel at 
 Glasgow, and Lord Brougham later on emerged from his retire- 
 ment to become the able and venomous critic of his former friends. 
 The Government failed to carry important measures on Church 
 rates and Irish Municipal Corporations, while the Radical group 
 pressed persistently their favourite motions in support of the Ballot, 
 and against the Property qualification of members, Primogeniture, 
 the Septennial Act, the Bishops'' seats and Proxy Voting in the 
 House of Lords. The Ministry was saved from shipwreck by 
 the demise of the Crown, and by the accession of the Princess 
 Victoria who, on attaining her legal majority a month earlier, 
 had received marked signs of enthusiastic popular favour. 
 
 The General Election in the Autumn did not materially 
 affect the position of parties, the Radicals losing and CConnell 
 gaining seats ; but the prestige of Lord Melbourne was increased 
 by the unique position he now held in reference to the Sovereign. 
 Parliament was opened in person by the Queen on 20th November, 
 and the Civil List dealt with, the amount allocated being ,f 385,000 
 as against dfi'510,000 in the late reign (of which ^^75,000, formerly 
 paid in pensions, was now struck off, and other arrangements made). 
 
 For some time past the state of Canada had caused grave 
 anxiety. By an Act of 1791, it had been divided into Upper and 
 Lower Canada, each with a Governor, Council, and House of 
 Representatives, Lower Canada being in the main French, while 
 -Upper Canada was occupied by British settlers. Friction first 
 arose in the former, between the nominee Council and the popular 
 Assembly, the Assembly declining to pay the salaries of officials 
 whom they had censured, but whom the executive had retained in 
 their posts. Mr Papineau, who had been Speaker of the Assembly, 
 was leader in the popular movement. Lord Gosford, the Governor 
 of Lower Canada, dismissed some Militia officers who had taken 
 part in political demonstrations, and warrants were issued for 
 the apprehension of certain members of the Assembly on the 
 charge of high treason: within a short time the discontented 
 party broke out into rebeUion. The course which events would 
 72 
 
183T] INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO CHAPTER VI 73 
 
 take in Upper Canada was for a time doubtful. Sir Francis 
 Head, the Governor, placed his regular troops at the service of 
 Lord Gosford, prefexring to rely on the militia. This unusual 
 action was successful, but w£is not approved by the Colonial Office. 
 The state of affairs became very alarming at the close of the 
 year, when it was announced in Parliament that Lord Gosford 
 had resigned and that Sir John Colborne (afterwards Lord Seaton) 
 had been appointed to succeed him. 
 
 In France the confederates of Louis Napoleon in the Strasburg 
 outbreak were tried and acquitted ; a treaty was concluded at 
 Tafiia with Abd-el-Kader, but negotiations for a similar agreement 
 with Achmet Bey were less successful, and operations were con- 
 tinued against Constantin with successful results, the town being 
 carried by an assault on 13th October, with some loss of officers 
 and men on the French side. 
 
 Affairs continued unsettled in the Peninsula. In Spain General 
 Evans was defeated near San Sebastian, but afterwards, in con- 
 junction with Lord John Hay, captured Irun, the frontier town. 
 Don Carlos meanwhile marched on Madrid, but was encountered 
 by Espartero, Commander-in-Chief of the Christines, who was 
 Prime Minister for a brief period during the year. The British 
 legion was dissolved, and Evans returned to England. 
 
 In Portugal the English were becoming unpopular for their 
 supposed intervention : Ferdinand, the Queen's consort, who was 
 naturally believed to be in harmony with the British Cabinet, 
 acted tactlessly in accepting the Commandership-in-Chief, and 
 internal hostilities continued throughout the year. 
 
 In Hanover a reactionary step was taken by King Ernest, 
 who had succeeded his brother, William IV. of England, on the 
 throne of Hanover ; by letters patent he abrogated the Constitu- 
 tion of 1833, an action which, imperfect and open to criticism 
 though the Constitution was, natur^ly aroused anxiety among the 
 supporters of representative institutions throughout Europe. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 1837 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 \6th January 1837. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — . . . We saw Van de 
 Weyer* on Tuesday, and his conversation was most 
 interesting. He praises our dear Ferdinand most 
 exceedingly, but as for the poor Queen, what he 
 told us does not redound much to her credit ; one 
 good quality, however, she has, which is her excessive 
 fondness for and real obedience to Ferdinand. She is 
 unfortunately surrounded by a camarilla ^ who poison 
 her ears, and fetter all her actions ; poor soul I she is 
 much to be pitied. About Lavradio^ you will also 
 have, I fear, heard but too much. Honesty and 
 single-heartedness seems to have left Portugal. Van 
 de Weyer is so clear in all that he says, so sensible, so 
 quiet, so clever, and, last but not least, so agreeable ; 
 I hope we shall soon see him again. You see, dear 
 Uncle, how much interest I take in Portugal; but I 
 
 1 Sylvain Van de Weyer (b. 1802) was, in 1830, Belgian Plenipotentiary at 
 the Conference of London. He returned to his own country and became 
 Foreign Minister. His exertions contributed greatly to render successful the 
 candidature of Prince Leopold for the throne of Belgium. The King 
 appointed him Belgian Minister in London, to which post he returned in 
 1851, and held it till 1867. He was treated by the Queen until his death in 
 1874 as a very intimate friend and adviser. 
 
 3 I.e., a. clique. 
 
 * The Portuguese Statesman who had gone to Gotha to arrange the 
 Queen's marriage, and was destined to act in a similar manner for her son 
 in 1857. 
 
 74 
 
1837] SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 75 
 
 must say that I think every one who knows dear 
 Ferdinand, and particularly who loves him as I do, 
 must feel a very deep, interest as to the fate of the 
 unhappy country in which he is destined to play so 
 prominent and difficult a part. 
 
 I have been reading to-day a very clever speech 
 of Sir Robert Peel's (not a political one) to the 
 University at Glasgow, on the occasion of his being 
 elected Lord Rector of that college. There is another 
 speech of his at the dinner at Glasgow which is political, 
 but which I have not yet read. . . . ^ 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 SSrd January 1837. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — . . . The affairs of the 
 Peninsula are indeed very distressing,^ and what you 
 tell me in your letter of the 20th, as also in the former 
 one, is highly interesting and, alas I but too true. I 
 trust, notwithstanding what you say, I may., yet -live 
 to •see,' S])fiin; and -^ PbiiugaV/s^j^led. , .But 'I greatly 
 fear that the time 'iS 'far 'distant. 
 
 Do you kjiow: M^n^abal?' ; T saw him at our 
 house in 1835^ 'Alkva'^' pre'sented him to us; he is a 
 tall, dark, fine, and clever-looking man. I remember 
 his being so much struck with my likeness to Donna 
 Maria, which I was not aware was the case. Pray, 
 dear Uncle, may I ask you a silly question? — is not 
 
 1 Sir R. Peel was installed as Lord Rector of Glasgow on 11th January, 
 and delivered an address on the principles of Education : strong political 
 feeling was manifested, groans being given for Lord Melbourne and the 
 Ministry. At a civic banquet given in Sir R. Peel's honour, he expounded 
 the principles of Conservative Reform. 
 
 ' Some interesting observations on these events may be read in Sorrow's 
 Bible in Spain, 
 
 * Don Juan Alvarez y Mendizabal (1T90-18S3), Spanish Statesman. 
 
 * Miguel Ricardo di Alava (1771-1843), Spanish General; he acted as the 
 representative of Spain at Paris, at the Court of the Bourbons ; he was a great 
 friend of the Duke of Wellington, and was with him at his headquarters 
 during the Peninsular War. 
 
76 MUSIC [CHAP. VI 
 
 the Queen of Spain* rather clever? You know 
 her, and what do you think of her? And do you 
 know what sort of people are about poor little Queen 
 Isabel ? ^ Poor, good Donna Maria ! I feel much for 
 her; her education was one of the worst thqt could 
 be. As long as those Ficalhos and Melos remain 
 about her, nothing can be done. Could they not be 
 got rid of in time ? 
 
 I was sorry to see that the French Chambers were 
 rather stormy.' 
 
 1 thank you much for the list of the ball of the 
 18th, which must have been very splendid. The last 
 ball / was at was our own, and I concluded that very 
 ball at half-past three in the morning with a country 
 dance, Albert being my partner. 
 
 Pray, dear Uncle, tell both young gentlemen, with 
 my kindest love, that I often think of that night and 
 of many other pleasant evenings we passed together. 
 The singing will come all in time. Who is their sing- 
 ing-master? I wish they had my worthy Lablache. 
 
 I sing regularly every evening, as I think it better to 
 do so every day to keep the voice manageable. Oh, 
 my" 'beloved \Un'^le;-_t!o\ild\ you.- jo jn rus,; hpw; deligJitful. 
 thatVoiiid" be" r ' 'HdVi.'sH'oiiiM. delight .%: singin^^wfth; 
 you all our favourite things .frojn . La ^ Gazza, Otello, 
 
 II Barbiere, etc., "etc." .' /.\ ':'\':^[ [ \ 
 
 The little Cousin * must "be *a little l6ve : oh, could 
 I but see him and play with him ! Pray, dear Uncle, 
 does he know such a thing as that he has got an Aunt 
 and Cousin on the other side of the water ? . . . 
 
 Pray, dear Uncle, have you read Sir R. Peel's two 
 speeches ? I wish you would, and give me your 
 opinion of them. 
 
 1 The Queen Regent, Christina. 
 
 * Then six years old; she died in 1904. 
 
 » This is a reference to the trial at Strasburg of the confederates of 
 Prince Louis Bonaparte (afterwards Napoleon III.) In his abortive attempt to 
 establish a military despotism on 30th October. The Prince was permitted 
 to go to the United States, being conveyed in a French frigate; the other 
 conspirators were acquitted. 
 
 * Leopold, born in 1835, afterwards Duke of Brabant, the present King 
 or the Belgians. 
 
1837] PARLIAMENTARY LANGUAGE 77 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Claremont, 30iA January 1837. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — ... I am very sorry that 
 the Portuguese news are still so very unfavourable; 
 I trust that, in time, things will come right. The 
 Portuguese are, as you say, a most inconceivable set 
 of selfish politicians. 
 
 Our friend, Mr. Hume,^ made a most violent speech 
 at a dinner given to him and old George Byng^ at 
 Drury Lane last week.* He called Sir R. Peel arid 
 some other Tories "the cloven foot," which I think 
 rather strong. I think that great violence and striving, 
 such a pity, on both sides, don't you, dear Uncle ? 
 They irritate one another so uselessly by calling one 
 another fools, blockheads, liars, and so forth for no 
 purpose. I think violence so bad in everything. They 
 should imitate you and be calm, for you have had, 
 God knows ! enough cause for irritation from your 
 worthy Dutch neighbours and others. You will, I 
 fear, laugh at my politics, but I like telling you my 
 feelings, for you alone can put me right on such 
 subjects. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Srd February 1837. 
 
 My dear Child, — ... I am sorry to see so 
 much violence in England at this moment ; I consider 
 it as the most lamentable circumstance, as it fenders 
 
 1 Joseph Hume, leader of the Radical party, was now M.P. for Middlesex. 
 
 2 George Byng, for many years member for Middlesex, was great-grandson 
 of William Wentworth, Earl of Strafford of the 1711 creation. His younger 
 brother, Sir John Byng, the well-known General of the Peninsula and Waterloo, 
 was created Earl of Strafford in 1847. 
 
 ' This was a dinner given by the Middlesex reformers to their repre- 
 sentatives. Grote also spoke, and said that the Tories well knew that their 
 dominion rested upon everything that was antiquated and corrupt and anti- 
 popular in the nation — upon oligarchical predominance in the State, and 
 sectarian pride and privileges in the Church. 
 
78 POLITICAL PASSION [chap, vi 
 
 matters so very difficult to settle. Besides, the poor 
 Crown is more or less the loser in all this, as it 
 generally ends with the abolition of something or 
 other which might have proved useful for the carrying 
 on of Government. A rule which you may thus 
 early impress on your mind is, that people are far 
 from acting generally according to the dictates of 
 their interests, but oftener in consequence of their 
 passions, though it may even prove injurious to their 
 interests. If the Tory part of Parliament could have 
 brought themselves to act without passion, much in 
 the reform of Parliament might have been settled 
 much more in conformity with their best interests. 
 I was authorised, in 1831, to speak in this sense to the 
 Duke of Wellington by Lord Grey ; ^ the effect would 
 have been highly beneficial to both parties, but passion 
 made it impossible to succeed. This is a dangerous 
 part of the business, and we must see during the 
 present session of Parliament if parties are grown 
 wiser. I fear they are not. The business of the 
 highest in a State is certainly, in my opinion, to act 
 with great impartiality and a spirit of justice for the 
 good of all, and not of this or that party.** 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Clahemont, 6th February 1837. 
 
 My beloved Uncle, — ... I do not know quite 
 for certain when we leave this place, but 1 should think 
 to-day week. You must be pleased, dear Uncle, I 
 think, for we shall have been six months in the country 
 next Thursday, as we left town on the 10th of August 
 
 1 This refers to the rejection of the Reform Bill by the House of Lords in 
 1831 ; as a consequence, mobs broke the windows of Apsley House, and fired 
 Nottingham Castle. 
 
 2 On Uth April 1837, Sir Robert Peel wrote to J. W. Croker :—..." We 
 are, in short, in this state of things. All the convictions and inclinations ot 
 the Government are with their Conservative opponents. Half their actions 
 and aU their speeches are with the Radicals." {Croker Papers, U., 306.) 
 
1837] PORTUGAL AND SPAIN 79 
 
 last, and I am sure you will stand by me for my having 
 my season fuUy, as you may understand that my 
 Operatic and Terpsicho?'ean feelings are pretty strong, 
 now that the season is returning, and I have been a 
 very good child, not even wishing' to come to town 
 till now. We shall certainly come here for the Easter 
 week. 
 
 Dr Clark ^ arrived here quite happy last night, 
 bringing the news that Van de Weyer had had the 
 best news from Lisbon he had received since his return, 
 that all had gone off quietly, that Ferdinand was daily 
 gaining popularity, and that both he and the Queen 
 had been very well received at the theatre. The man 
 who threw a stone at Ferdinand was a Frenchman, 
 whom, it seems, Ferdinand had relieved with money 
 over and over again. A fine specimen of gratitude ! 
 
 I hope and trust with you that there will be less 
 violence in Parliament this year, but much is to be 
 feared. 
 
 You will miss my good cousins Ernest and Albert 
 very much I am sure ; I hope you wiU instill into 
 them to take enough exercise and not to study too 
 much. 
 
 There were two questions in my last letter but one, 
 which you have not answered, dear Uncle. They are : 
 1st, what you think of the Queen Christina of Spain, 
 what opinion you have of her, as one cannot believe 
 reports? 2nd, if you know what sort of people are 
 about poor little Queen Isabel, and if she is being 
 well or ill brought up ? . . . 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Uth March 1837. 
 
 We had a dinner on Saturday which amused 
 me, as I am very fond oi pleasant society, and we have 
 been for these last three weeks immured within our old 
 palace, and 1 longed sadly for some gaiety. After being 
 
 1 Afterwards Sir James Clark, and Physician-in-Ordinary to the Queen. 
 
80 A DINNER [chap, vi 
 
 so very long in the country I was preparing to go out 
 in right earriest, whereas I have only been twice to the 
 play since our return, which is marvellous ! However, 
 we are to have another dinner to-morrow, and are going 
 to the play and Opera. After Easter I trust I shall 
 make ample amends for all this solitariness. 1 hope to 
 begin singing with Lablache shortly after Easter. But 
 to return to last Saturday's dinner. We had the 
 Archbishop of Dublin,^ a clever but singular man, and 
 his lady ; Lord Palmerston, with whom I had much 
 pleasant and amusing conversation after dinner — you 
 know how agreeable he is ; then Lady Cadogan,* who 
 enquired much after you and Aunt Louise ; Lord and 
 Lady Rosebery,^ Mr and Mrs E. Stanley,* Lord 
 Morpeth,^ Lord Templetown,^ Sir John Cam Hobhouse,^ 
 Dr Lushington, and Mr Woulfe * the Solicitor-General 
 for Ireland, a Roman Catholic and a very clever man. 
 Lady Cadogan, who is not long come back from Paris, 
 says that the Duke of Orleans has been going out 
 very little and is remarkably well. I saw a report 
 in the papers that he and the Due de Nemours were 
 coming over here, which T fear is not true ; I wish 
 it was. . . . 
 
 1 Richard Whateley, formerly Principal of St Alban Hall, and Druramond 
 Professor of Political Economy at Oxford. 
 
 2 Louisa Honoria, wife of the third Earl, and sister of Joseph, first Lord 
 WaUscourt. 
 
 3 Archibald, fourth Earl of Rosebery, and Anne Margaret, his second wife, 
 daughter of the first Viscount Anson. 
 
 * Edward Stanley, afterwards fourteenth Earl of Derby, thrice Prime 
 Minister. 
 
 ^ Chief Secretary for Ireland. 
 
 s John Henry, first Viscount, formerly M.P. for Bury St Edmunds. 
 
 ' Sir John Cam Hobhouse, a radical, and a friend of Byron, at whose 
 wedding he acted as best man ; he was imprisoned in 1819 for breach of 
 privilege. He was elected M.P. for Westminster in 1820 as Burdett's 
 colleague, and afterwards for Nottingham and Harwich. Commissioner of 
 Woods and Forests (the old Houses of Parliament being burned down during 
 his term of office), and later President of Board of Control. Created Lord 
 Broughton, 1851. 
 
 ' Stephen Lushington, advocate in the old Ecclesiastical Court, M.P. for 
 Ilchester and the Tower Hamlets, and a Judge in the Ecclesiastical and 
 Admiralty Courts from 1828 to 1867. 
 
 « Stephen Woulfe, M.P. for CarUsle, Solicitor-General, and susebquenUy 
 Attorney-General, for Ireland, becoming Chief Baron in 1838. 
 
1837] THE THRONE OF GREECE 81 
 
 There is one thing in your former letter which I 
 must answer, or, rather, more advert to. You said to 
 me, that if it was not for me, you would regret Greece 
 very much. Now, I assure you, dearest Uncle, you 
 ought not to regret it, though there is not a doubt that 
 Cheece would be much happier were you there. But 1 
 have heard from various people who have been staying 
 in Greece that they very soon got to like the Turks 
 much better than the Greeks, who are very untrue, and 
 are quite banditti-hke ; then, again, the country, though 
 undoubtedly fine in parts, is a rocky and barren 
 country, and also you are constantly exposed to the 
 eflfects of the Plague, that most dreadful of all evils ; 
 and then, lastly, how very, very far you would be, how 
 cut off from all those who are dear to you, and how 
 exposed to dangers of all kinds ! 
 
 I much grieved that they are quarrelling so much in 
 the French Chambers.^ I must now conclude. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, 31s< March 1837. 
 
 My beloved Child, — Your dear letter of the 28th 
 gave me the greatest pleasure. I was sure from your 
 constant affection for us that you would feel much 
 interested in the event of the 24th. It was a moment 
 of some anxiety, but all passed over very well. Your 
 Aunt is going on very well, and the little cousin also. 
 He is smaller than his brother was, but promises to 
 be like him; the features are much the same, the 
 shape of the forehead and mouth. The elder Prince 
 was much interested about his frere, and anxious to see 
 him; at first, however, he declared after a long con- 
 templation, pas heau frere! Now he thinks better 
 
 1 On 10th March, a heated debate took place in the French Chamber on 
 the question of the Queen of the Belgians' dowry, a Deputy caUing for the 
 production of King Louis PhiUppe's rent-roll, and a complete statement of 
 his income. 
 
 Vol. I. — 6 
 
82 THE ENGLISH PRESS [chap, vi 
 
 of him, but makes a very odd little face when he sees 
 him. The name of the little one will be Philippe 
 Eugene Ferdinand Marie Clement Baudouin (Baldwin) 
 — a name of the old Coimts of Flanders — Leopold 
 George. My Aunt, who is his godmother, wished he 
 should be called Philippe in honour of his grandfather, 
 and as Philippe le bon was one of the most powerful 
 Princes of this country, I gave him the name with 
 pleasure. Eugene is her own name, Ferdinand that 
 of Chartres, Marie of the Queen and also of Princess 
 Marie, Clement of Princess Clementine ; Leopold your 
 Aunt wished, and George in honour of St George of 
 England and of George IV. Probably I shall here- 
 after give to Leopold the title of Duke of Brabant, 
 and to PhiUppe that of Count of Flanders, both fine 
 old titles. 
 
 The King of the Belgiarts to tfie Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laekek, tth April 1837. 
 
 My dearest Child, — . . . You have been the 
 subject of all sorts of newspaper paragraphs ; your 
 good and sensible way of looking on these very 
 creditable productions will be of use to you. If the 
 press says useful things, and makes observations which 
 merit attention, there is no doubt that sometimes, 
 though God knows very rarely, something useful may 
 be gleaned from them. But when you see its present 
 state, when the one side says black and the other white, 
 when the opposite political characters are treated by 
 their respective antagonists as rogues, fools, block- 
 heads, wretches, and all the other names in which the 
 English political dictionary is so very rich, one stands 
 like the ass, between two bundles of hay, considerably 
 embarrassed which ought to be chosen. . . . 
 
1837] THE PRINCESS'S ESTABLISHMENT 83 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, llth April 1837.- 
 
 ... As I believe the visit at Windsor is fixed 
 for the 15th, I hope this letter will arrive in time. 
 Perhaps the King vs^ill speak to you about the 
 necessity of forming you an establishment.^ . . . 
 Your position, having a Mother with whom you 
 very naturally remain, would render a complete inde- 
 pendent establishment perhaps matter of real incon- 
 venience ; stiU something like that which Charlotte 
 had will become desirable. My idea, if it meets with 
 your approbation, would be this: the Duchess of 
 Northumberland would remain your first Lady, 
 Baroness Lehzen would fiU a position similar to that 
 of Mrs Campbell, who had been Charlotte's governess 
 in her younger days, and the Dean^ would step into 
 the position which good Dr Short* held. An 
 Equerry, I do not think — as you will not go out 
 Anthout your Mother — you would require. On the 
 other hand it may become matter of examination 
 if you will perhaps like to have some young 
 ladies attendants in the style of Lady Catherine 
 Jenkinson ; * should this be your wish, it would become 
 necessary to make very good choices, else perhaps 
 you would derive more trouble than comfort from 
 the arrangement ; cela va sans dire, that the choice 
 could only be made by yourself, and that nobody 
 should be given you against your wishes. Should 
 the King speak to you on the subject, I would at once 
 express this my wish if you should approve some such 
 arrangement, and beg him to let you choose. Resist 
 mildly but positively any nomination of a Gentleman 
 other than the Dean ; it is highly probable that any 
 
 1 The Princess was to attain her legal majority on 24th May. 
 
 ^ George Davys, the Princess Victoria's instructor, Dean of Chester, and 
 afterwards Bishop of Peterborough. 
 
 ^ Thomas Vowler Short, Rector of St George's, Bloomsbury, appointed in 
 1841 Bishop of Sodor and Man. 
 
 ^ Lady Catherine Jenkinson, daughter of the Earl of Liverpool, soon after 
 the Queen's accession married Colonel Francis Vernon Harcourt. 
 
84 THE YOUNG BELGIAN COUSINS [chap, vi 
 
 other would be put about you as a spy, and turn out 
 at all events a great bore, which is better avoided. . . . 
 I received a messenger from Coburg. I enclose 
 the letters and also a packet with fans. Ever, my 
 beloved child, your faithfully attached Uncle and 
 friend, Leopold R. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 nth April 1837. 
 
 . . . What you say about the newspapers is very 
 true and very flattering. They are indeed a curious 
 compound of truth and untruth. I am so used to 
 newspaper nonsense and attacks that I do not mind 
 it in the least. . . . 
 
 How happy I am that that beloved Aunt is going 
 on so well and does not suffer from the cold, as also 
 the jeune Philippe} Leopold must be great fun with 
 his Aunt Marie,^ does he still say "pas beau frere!" 
 or is he more reconciled to his brother? It is very 
 noble in the Due de Nemours to have thus given up 
 his apanage;^ I am sorry there were such difficulties 
 about it. There is no Ministry formed yet, I see by 
 the papers. 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 2Sth April 1837. 
 
 My MOST BELOVED Uncle, — ... Sir Henry Har- 
 dinge's* motion was quite lost, I am happy to say, 
 and don't you think, dearest Uncle, that it has almost 
 
 1 Philippe, second son of King Leopold, afterwards Count of Flanders. 
 He died in 1905. 
 
 ^ Princess Marie of Orleans, born 1813, daughter of King Louis Philippe, 
 and thus sister to the Queen of the Belgians. 
 
 ' This grant was surrendered in order that due provision might be made 
 by the Legislature for the elder brother, the Duke of Orleans, on the occasioa 
 of his marriage with the Princess Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. 
 
 * On a motion for going into supply, Sir H. Hardinge proposed an amend- 
 ment censuring the Government for the authorisation of the raising of a 
 force of Volunteers to assist the Spanish Government, and for the metnod in 
 which that force had been organised. The amendment was lost by a majority 
 of 36, on 19th April. 
 
1837] THE IRISH MUNICIPAL BILL 85 
 
 done good, as it proves, that the Tories have lost all 
 chance of getting in ? It was a trial of strength, and 
 the Ministry have triumphed. I have been reading 
 in the papers, what I suppose you already know, 
 that it is beheved that the Lords will pass the Irish 
 Corporation Bill;* and also that Ministers mean to 
 drop for the present the question about Church 
 Rates,^ as the Radicals, being angry with Ministers 
 relative to the Canada business, would not support 
 them well. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 28<A April 1837. 
 
 ... I hope you occupy yourself with the several 
 great questions which agitate parties. I think a good 
 mode will be to talk concerning them sometimes 
 with the Dean. He is a good moderate man, and 
 stiU well able to give you sufficient information. 
 From conversation with clever people, such as dine 
 sometimes with you, much may be very usefully 
 gathered, and you will do well to attend to this. 
 I am no enemy to this way of instruction, and have 
 seen people who were sharp enough to profit wonder- 
 fully by it. You hear in this way the opinions of 
 a variety of persons, and it rests with your own good 
 sense to classify and appreciate them. . . . 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 2nd May 1837. 
 
 . . . You may depend upon it that 1 shall profit 
 by your excellent advice respecting Politics. Pray, 
 dear Uncle, have you read Lord Palmerston's speech 
 
 ^ The Irish Municipal Bill, to convert Corporations of Municipalities into 
 Electoral Councils, was introduced in the House of Commons on the 15th 
 of Februaiy. The Bill was opposed by the Conservatives, but passed the 
 House of Commons. In the IJords an amendment of Lyndhurst's struck 
 out the constructive clauses, and the Act became, on the 18th of May, an Act 
 for the Abolition of Municipalities in Ireland. Lord John Russell brought 
 forward a motion to reconstruct the Bill. But the Peers declined to pass it, 
 and it was postponed. 
 
 " As Ministers only obtained a majority of 5 in a house of 569, the measure 
 was dropped. 
 
86 WHIG MINISTERS [chap, vi 
 
 concerning the Spanish affairs/ which he delivered the 
 night of the division on Sir Henry Hardinge's motion ? 
 It is much admired. The Irish Tithes question came 
 on last night in the House of Commons,^ and I am 
 very anxious for the morning papers, to see what 
 has been done. Lord Melbourne looks remarkably 
 well, Lord Palmerston not very well, and as for 
 poor little Lord John Russell, he is only a shadow 
 of himself. It must be dreadfully fagging work for 
 them ; they sit so very late too, for when the Spanish 
 question came on, the division only took place at 
 four o'clock in the morning, and I saw them at the 
 Drawing-Room the same day afterwards. . . . 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 9th May 1837. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — It was very kind of you to 
 write to me from your new chateau ; I hardly ventured 
 to hope for my usual letter, and yet I should have been 
 much disappointed had I not received it. I am sorry 
 that the house is so bad, but hope you will have found 
 a good position for a new one. . . . 
 
 Pray, dearest Uncle, may I ask such an indiscreet 
 question as, if Major Stroekens is a clever man ; he 
 was so nervous and embarrassed when he came here, 
 that I could not make him out. He brought me 
 a very nice letter from Donna Maria. 
 
 1 am anxiously waiting to hear the issue of the 
 battle between the Carlists and Christinos which is, 
 they say, to decide a great deal.* 
 
 1 Lord Palmerston Indignantly asked whether England should continue to 
 fulfil her engagement with the Queen of Spain, or disgracefully abandon an 
 ally whom she had pledged herself to succour. 
 
 ^ The Irish Tithe Bill, a measure to facilitate the collection of tithes, was 
 abandoned because the Tories would not consent to any secular appropriation 
 of Church revenues, and the Whigs would not consent to the withdrawal of 
 their amendments. A remarkable feature in the Bill was a proposal that 
 a portion of every clergyman's Income should be applied to education, as was 
 already prescribed by a former Act. 
 
 ' After an obstinate investment by the Carlists, Espartero had relieved 
 Bilbao on Christmas Day, 1836. The Christino commanders then began to 
 concert a combined movement on the Carlist lines, which stretched from 
 Irun to ViUafranca. 
 
1837] THE PRINCESS'S ESTABLISHMENT 87 
 
 Now farewell, dearest Uncle. I beg my affectionate 
 love to my dear Aunt, and my most respectful 
 hommages to the Members of the Family with you. 
 BeUeve me, always, your affectionate Niece, 
 
 Victoria. 
 
 Old Pozzo^ dined here last Wednesday and he 
 gave me a long, I must say clever, dissertation about 
 the state of France, during dinner-time. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, ^6th May 1837. 
 
 My dearest Child, — You have had some battles 
 and difficulties of which I am completely in the dark. 
 The thing I am most ctu^ious to learn is what the King 
 proposed to you concerning your establishment. . . . 
 I shall reserve my opinion till I am better informed, 
 but by what I heard I did not approve of it, 
 because I thought it ill timed. Stockmar will be 
 able to do much. Two things seem necessary ; 
 not to be fettered by any establishment other than 
 what will be comfortable to you, and then to avoid 
 any breach with your mother. I have fully instructed 
 Stockmar, and I must say he left me in such good 
 disposition that I think he will be able to be of great 
 use to you. The great thing is to act without pre- 
 cipitation and with caution. The King seems better 
 again. I am very curious to know what he proposed : 
 you will have it in your power to modify his proposition, 
 as it is difficult your approbation should be dispensed 
 with ; it would be a great fault in your situation to 
 submit to this. . . . They seemed to think the King 
 dying, which does not appear to be the case. Be 
 steady, my good child, and not put out by anything ; 
 
 1 Count Pozzo di Borgo (1764-1842), Russian Ambassador. By birth a 
 Corsican and a devoted patriot, he was a life-long opponent of Napoleon and 
 his designs. He entered the Russian diplomatic service in 1803, and after 
 Waterloo, became Russian Ambassador in Paris. He was Ambassador in 
 London for two years, when his health gave way. 
 
88 THE PRINCESS'S ESTABLISHMENT [chap, vi 
 
 as long as I live you will not want a faithful friend 
 and supporter. . . . 
 
 Here your somewhat curious little soul has at least 
 the outlines of things. . . . 
 
 26th. — I received yesterday the whole of the papers 
 concerning the King's propositions.* I approve your 
 letter to the King, as it is amiable and generous, and 
 this in your position will always tell favourably. I 
 think that if he is well advised he will chiefly consult 
 your wishes. This is the footing on which you must 
 place matters. It is not worth while to be told that 
 one is in some sort of age when the consequence is 
 that you are not consulted in what concerns you most 
 personally. Avoid in future to say much about 
 your great youth and inexperience. Who made the 
 letter ? was it yourself, or came it from your Mother ? 
 You have now the Baron at your elbow, and even your 
 Mother was most anxious for his arrival. Speak soine- 
 times with him ; it is necessary to accustom you to the 
 thing. 
 
 About the King's health.^ 1 am doubtful what 
 to think. We have foreseen the case and treated it 
 formerly. The great thing would be to make no 
 change, to keep Ministers and everything as it is, 
 and to gain time ; in this way no one is hurt and no 
 amour propre blesse. For this reason I lean to your 
 keeping, to begin with, Sir Herbert Taylor^ for your 
 official secretary, though I am not quite dedded on 
 the subject. He knows the manner in which the daily 
 business is carried on ; this is important. I believe him, 
 and have found him to be an honest man, that would 
 do for State matters ; it would not be required that 
 he should be your confidential adviser. Now I conclude, 
 and send you this letter through Stockmar. My best 
 regards to Lehzen. Ever your faithful Uncle and 
 friend, Leopold R. 
 
 1 The King had offered the Princess an establishment of £10,000 a year, 
 independent of her mother. This was accepted, to the great vexation of the 
 Duchess of Kent, but the arrangement was not carried into effect. 
 
 2 King William's health was at this time causing much anxiety. 
 ' Private Secretary to King William IV. 
 
c^r^yrrv the- nvuo'icd^bre, aJ: (jU'Cn-cLnyr LxiA^le^ 
 
1837] BIRTHDAY REJOICINGS 89 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 S6th May 1837. 
 
 . . . The demonstrations of affection and kindness 
 froni all sides, towards me on my birthday, were most 
 gratifying. The parks and streets were crowded all 
 day as though something very extraordinary had 
 happened. Yesterday I received twenty-two Addresses 
 from various places, aU very pretty and loyal ; one in 
 particular was very well written which was presented 
 by Mr Attwood^ from the Political Union at 
 Birmingham. 
 
 I am deUghted to hear Stockmar is at length 
 arrived; he reached London on Wednesday, and we 
 shall see him to-day. 
 
 How distressed I am that poor dear Ernest '^ has 
 been so ill! Thank God 1 that he is now better. 
 
 The Spanish affairs have turned out better than 
 you had expected; the triumphant capture of Irun' 
 was a great thing for the Christinos. 
 
 The King is much better. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 TuiLERiES, tth June 1837. 
 
 . . . The entree* last Sunday was something remark- 
 ably splendid ; we saw it from the Tuileries, as we had 
 nothing to do with the business itself, and your Aunt's 
 rank would have clashed with that of the Duchess of 
 Orleans. The effect of all this on the people of this 
 great town has been very great, and evidently much 
 
 1 Thomas Attwood founded in 1829 the Birmingham Political Union, which 
 helped to pass the Reform Act. Previously he had been known for his 
 opposition to the Orders in Council, and the resumption of cash payments. 
 Birmingham elected him without opposition in 1832, and he sat till 1840. 
 
 ^ Prince Ernest of Saxe-Coburg. 
 
 ^ The frontier town of Spain, near St Sebastian, captured, 16th May, by 
 the Christinos, supported by British troops. 
 
 * The entry into Paris of the Duke and Duchess of Orleans, who had been 
 married at Fontainebleau on May 30th. 
 
90 ADVICE AND ENCOURAGEMENT [chap, vi 
 
 ground has been solidly regained. The King, getting 
 out of that sort of confinement in which it was 
 necessary to keep, has gained much in personal comfort, 
 and also in a political point of view ; because to have 
 a King who cannot show himself without being shot 
 at, is a state of society which lowers his authority. . . . 
 
 For the present the best plan is to continue to 
 act as you have done hitherto ; to avoid quarrels, 
 but also to stick firmly to your resolution when once 
 taken. The violence which is sometimes shown is so 
 well known to you, you know also so well that you 
 have nothing to fear from these people, that you must 
 keep up your usual cool spirit, whatever may be tried 
 in the House to teaze you out of it. I mean to wait 
 some more detailed accounts of what is going on in 
 England before I give my opinion on what ought to 
 be done in the case that the King's disease should take 
 a more fatal turn. 
 
 As 1 told you before, however, when we treated 
 this subject verbally and in writing, I believe it to be 
 your interest to act very mildly, to begin by taking 
 everything as the King leaves it. By this system you 
 avoid disappointing those whose hopes may remain 
 unchanged, as your own choices, as it were, are not 
 yet made. Parties, which at present are so nearly 
 balanced, remain in statu quo, and you gain time. 
 
 Sth. — I must conclude now this letter. My winding 
 up is, keep your mind cool and easy ; be not alarmed at 
 the prospect of becoming perhaps sooner than you 
 expected Queen ; aid will not be wanting, and the 
 great thing is that you should have some honest 
 people about you who have your welfare really at 
 heart. Stockmar will be in this respect all we can 
 wish, and we must hope that useful occupation will 
 prevent his health from suffering. Now once more 
 God bless you. Ever, my dear child, your faithful 
 Uncle and Friend, Leopold R. 
 
183T] ACCESSION IMMINENT 91 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, ISth June 1837. 
 
 My beloved Child, — I hope that to-day will not 
 pass over without bringing me a letter from you. In 
 the meantime I will begin this epistle, which will go 
 by a messenger of my own to-morrow. In every 
 letter I shall write to you I mean to repeat to you, 
 as a fundamental rule, to be courageous, firm and 
 honest, as you have been till now. You may count 
 upon my faithful good offices in all difficulties, and 
 you have at your command Stockmar, whose judg- 
 ment, heart, and character offer all the guarantees we 
 can wish for. I wish nothing but to see you happy 
 and prosperous, and by Sunday I shall probably write 
 you a long letter, which will enter into details about 
 most things. 
 
 My object is that you should be no one's tool, and 
 though young, and naturally not yet experienced, 
 your good natural sense and the truth of your char- 
 acter will, with faithful and proper advice, get you 
 very well through the difficulties of your future 
 position, should it be the will of Providence to take 
 the King from this earthly life. Of his real position 
 I am still not quite able to judge, there being so 
 much contradictory in the reports. Be this as it may, 
 the great thing for you is, not to be hurried into 
 important measures, and to gain time. A new reign 
 is always a time of hope ; everybody is disposed to 
 see something for his own wishes and prospects. 
 The policy of a new Sovereign must therefore be 
 to act in such a manner as to hurt as little as 
 possible the amour-propre of people, to let circum- 
 stances and the force of things bring about the 
 disappointments which no human power could pre- 
 vent coming sooner or later : that they should come 
 as late as possible is in your interest. Should any- 
 thing happen to the King before I can enter more 
 
92 THE CONDITION OF THE KING [chap, n 
 
 fully into the necessary details, limit yourself to 
 talcing kindly and in a friendly manner the present 
 administration into your service. They are naturally 
 friendly to your interests, as you are in fact the only 
 possible Sovereign of the whole family, with the ex- 
 ception of the Duke of Sussex, they can serve with 
 sincerity and attachment. This is of great importance 
 to you, as it is by no means the same thing to have 
 people who aid and assist you with feelings of real 
 attachment, or merely from cold and calculating 
 motives of political expediency and self-interest. This 
 being done, no other step should be taken without 
 consulting seriously. The very time which is neces- 
 sary to attain this end is favourable to you, as it is 
 your greatest interest for the present moment to act 
 most cautiously and to gain as much time as possible. 
 In high positions it is excessively difficult to retrace 
 a false move to get out of a mistake; and there 
 exists very rarely, except in time of war and civil 
 feuds, a necessity for an immediate decision. Your 
 part must be, to resume once more what I said 
 before, to remain as long as possible agreeable to 
 all parties, and after the formation of the Ministry, 
 to be most careful how you take any measure of 
 importance. . . . 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 16th June 183T. 
 
 My beloved Uncle, — . . . I cannot say how 
 happy I am that the entree publique into Paris 
 succeeded so well, and that the dear King was so 
 well received ; I trust he will now at last be 
 rewarded for aU the troubles and anxiety he has 
 had ever since 1830. Lord Palmerston said that 
 the French say that Fassassinat est hors de mode. 
 I hope and trust in Heaven that this may be the 
 case, and /or ever! 
 
183T] RELIANCE ON LORD MELBOURNE 93 
 
 You know, of course, dear Uncle, how very ill 
 the King is ; it may aU be over at any vioment, and 
 yet may last a few days. Consequently, we have 
 not been out anywhere in public since Tuesday, 6th, 
 and since Wednesday all my lessons are stopped, as 
 the news may arrive very suddenly. . . . 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, nth June 1837. 
 
 My BELOVED Child, — . . . I shall to-day enter 
 on the subject of what is to be done when the King 
 ceases to Uve. The moment you get official com- 
 munication of it, you will entrust Lord Melbourne 
 with the office of retaining the present Administra- 
 tion as your Ministers. You will do this in that 
 honest and kind way which is quite your own, and 
 say some kind things on the subject. The fact is 
 that the present Ministers are those who will serve 
 you personally with the greatest sincerity and, I 
 trust, attachment. For them, as well as for the 
 Liberals at large, you are the only Sovereign that 
 offers them des chances d'existence et de duree. With 
 the exception of the Duke of Sussex there is no 
 one in the family that offers them anjrthing like 
 what they can reasonably hope from you, and your 
 immediate successor, with the mustaches,* is enough 
 to frighten them into the most violent attachment 
 for you. 
 
 . . . The irksome position in which you have lived 
 will have the merit to have given you the habit of 
 discretion and prudence, as in your position you never 
 can have too much of either. Great measures of 
 State I hope you will be able to avoid at first. I have 
 already — if you would read it over, and perhaps let 
 Stockmar see it — written to you some months ago on 
 the subject of the necessity of maintaining the influence 
 
 1 The Duke of Cumberland. 
 
94 THE PRINCESS AND THE CHURCH [chap, vi 
 
 of conservative principles, and of protecting the Church. 
 You will do well to keep both objects in view. You 
 will do wisely by showing yourself attached to the 
 English Protestant Church as it exists in the State ; you 
 are particularly where you are, because you are a 
 Protestant. 1 know you are averse to persecution, and 
 you are right ; miss, however, no opportunity to show 
 your sincere feeling for the existing Church ; it is right 
 and meet that you should do so. I must repeat 
 that you will do well as long as it will be possible to 
 hurt no one's hopes or prospects. That this will not 
 always, or very long, be possible is the consequence of 
 the state of parties ; still, one may be frank and honest, 
 and still kind to all. Concerning foreign policy I shall 
 write on some future occasion. In the meantime I trust 
 you will protect the two Queens in the Peninsula, who 
 are miserably ill off. I am sure, with your good sense 
 you will not find it difficult to judge questions yourself. 
 I cannot too much recommend this, as it will then 
 become a habit, and even an amusement to you. 
 Cultivate always a genuine feeling of right and wrong, 
 and be very true and honourable in your dealings ; this 
 gives great strength. I have taken into considera- 
 tion the advantage or disadvantage of my coming over 
 to you immediately. The result of my examen is that 
 I think it better to visit you later. If, however, you 
 wanted me at any time, I should come in a moment. 
 People might fancy I came to enslave you, while I 
 glory in the contrary; and, thirdly, that they might 
 be jealous, or affect it at least, of my coming, as if 
 I thought of ruling the realm for purposes of my 
 own. ... 
 
 I am now at the end, I think, of what I had to 
 say. May Heaven bless you and keep up your spirits. 
 Ever, my beloved child, your faithful Uncle and 
 Friend, Leopold R. 
 
 Pardon the hurry in which this letter was written. 
 
1837] THE KING'S DEATH IMMINENT 95 
 
 The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgiam. 
 
 19th June 1837. 
 
 My dearly beloved Uncle, — Your kind and dear 
 letter, containing most wholesome, prudent, sound and 
 excellent advice, was given me by our good and 
 invaluable honest friend, Stockmar, and 1 beg you to 
 accept my best thanks for it. Before I say anything 
 else, let me tell you how happy and thankful I am 
 to have Stockmar here ; he has been, and is, of the 
 greatest possible use, and be assured, dearest Uncle, 
 that he possesses my most entire confidence! 
 
 The King's state, I may fairly say, is hopeless; 
 he may perhaps linger a few days, but he cannot 
 recover ultimately. Yesterday the physicians declared 
 he could not Hve till the morning, but to-day he is 
 a little better ; the great fear is his excessive weakness 
 and no pulse at all. Poor old man I I feel sorry for 
 him ; he was always personally kind to me, and I 
 should be ungrateful and devoid of feeling if 1 did 
 not remember this. 
 
 I look forward to the event which it seems is 
 likely to occur soon, with calmness and quietness ; I am 
 not alarmed at it, and yet I do not suppose myself 
 quite equal to aU ; I trust, however, that with good will, 
 honesty and courage I shall not, at a,ll events, fail. 
 Your advice is most excellent, and you may depend 
 upon it I shall make use of it, and follow it, as also 
 what Stockmar says. I never showed myself, openly, to 
 belong to any party, and I do not belong to any party. 
 The Administration will undoubtedly be well received 
 by me, the more so as I have real confidence in them, 
 and in particular in Lord Melbourne, who is a straight- 
 forward, honest, clever and good man. 
 
 I need not add much more, dearest Uncle, but 
 that I trust that the all-powerful Being who has 
 so long watched over my destinies will guide and 
 support me, in whatever situation and station it may 
 please Him to place me 1 . . . 
 
96 THE ACCESSION [chap, vi 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, '20th June 1837. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne* presents his humble duty 
 to your Majesty, and being aware that your Majesty 
 has already received the melancholy intelligence of 
 the death of his late Majesty, will do himself the 
 honour of waiting upon your Majesty a little before 
 nine this morning. Viscount Melbourne has requested 
 the Marquis of Lansdowne ^ to name eleven as the hour 
 for the meeting of the Council at Kensington Palace. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 20th June 1837 (half-past eight A.M.X 
 
 Dearest, most beloved Uncle, — Two words only, 
 to tell you that my poor Uncle, the King, expired this 
 morning at twelve minutes past two. The melancholy 
 news were brought to me by Lord Conyngham" and 
 the Archbishop of Canterbury * at six. I expect Lord 
 Melbourne almost immediately, and hold a Council 
 at eleven. Ever, my beloved Uncle, your devoted 
 and attached Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 WiKDsoH Castle, SOth June 1837. 
 
 My dearest Niece, — I feel most grateful for your 
 kind letter full of sympathy with my irreparable loss, 
 and thank you with all my heart for your feeling 
 expressions on this melancholy occasion. I am, as 
 
 1 Lord Melbourne, so far as can be augured from his handwriting, which 
 is extremely diflScult to decipher, appears always to have written his own 
 name Melbume. But it is not the correct spelling, and no one else seems to 
 have employed it. 
 
 * Lord President of the Council; formerly for a brief period (1806-7) 
 Chancellor of the Exchequer. 
 
 ' Francis Nathaniel, second Marquis of Conyngham, had been M. P. for 
 Westbury and Donegal, and was now Lord Chamberlain. 
 
 « William Howley (1766-184.8). Bishop of London, 1813-1828, Primate, 
 182S-1848. 
 
1837] THE QUEEN'S JOURNAL 97 
 
 you may suppose, deeply affected by all the sad scenes 
 1 have gone through lately, but I have the great 
 comfort to dwell upon the recollection of the perfect 
 resignation, piety and patience with which the dear 
 King bore his trials and sufferings, and the truly 
 Christian-like maimer of his death. 
 
 Excuse my writing more at present, my heart is 
 overwhelmed and my head aches very much. Accept the 
 assurance of mj^ most affectionate devotion, and allow 
 me to consider myself always as your Majesty's most 
 affectionate Friend, Aunt and Subject, Adelaide. 
 
 Extract from the Queens Journal. 
 
 Tuesday, '20th June 1837. 
 
 I was awoke at 6 o'clock by Mamma, who told 
 me that the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord 
 Conyngham were here, and wished to see me. I got 
 out of bed and went into my sitting-room (only in 
 my dressing-gown) and alone, and saw them. Lord 
 Conyngham (the Lord Chamberlain) then acquainted 
 me, that my poor Uncle, the King, was no more, and 
 had expired at 12 minutes past 2 this morning, 
 and consequently that I am Queen. Lord Conyngham 
 knelt down and kissed my hand, at the same time 
 delivering to me the official announcement of the 
 poor King's demise. The Archbishop then told me 
 that the Queen was desirous that he should come 
 and tell me the details of the last moments of my 
 poor good Uncle ; he said that he had directed his 
 mind to religion, and had died in a perfectly happy, 
 quiet state of mind and was quite prepared for his 
 death. He added that the King's sufferings at the 
 last were not very great but that there was a good 
 deal of uneasiness. Lord Conyngham, whom I 
 charged to express my feelings of condolence and 
 sorrow to the poor Queen, returned directly to 
 Windsor. I then went to my room and dressed. 
 
 Since it has pleased Providence to place me in 
 this station, I shall do my utmost to fulfil my duty 
 
 Vol. I. — 7 
 
98 INTERVIEW WITH LORD MELBOURNE [chap, vi 
 
 towards my country ; I am very young and perhaps 
 in many, though not in all things, inexperienced, but 
 I am sure that very few have more real good will 
 and more real desire to do what is fit and right than I 
 haA^e. 
 
 Breakfasted, during which time good, faithful 
 Stockmar came and talked to me. Wrote a letter 
 to dear Uncle Leopold and a few words to dear good 
 Feodore. Received a letter from Lord Melbourne in 
 which he said he would wait upon me at a little 
 before 9. At 9 came Lord Melbourne, whom 
 I saw in my room, and of course quite alone as 1 
 shall always do all my Ministers. He kissed my 
 hand, and I then acquainted him that it had long 
 been my intention to retain him and the rest of the 
 present Ministry at the head of affairs, and that it 
 could not be in better hands than his. He again 
 then kissed my hand. He then read to me the 
 Declaration which I was to read to the Council, 
 which he wrote himself and which is a very fine one. 
 I then talked with him some little time longer, after 
 which he left me. He was in full dress. I like him 
 very much and feel confidence in him. He is a very 
 straightforward, honest, clever and good man. I 
 then wrote a letter to the Queen. At about 11 
 Lord Melbourne came again to me, and spoke to me 
 upon various subjects. At about half-past 11 I went 
 downstairs and held a Council in the red saloon. 
 
 I went in of course quite alone and remained 
 seated the whole time. My two Uncles, the Dukes 
 of Cumberland and Sussex, and Lord Melbourne 
 conducted me. The Declaration, the various forms, 
 the swearing in of the Privy Councillors of which 
 there were a great number present, and the reception 
 of some of the Lords of the Council, previous to the 
 Council in an adjacent room (likewise alone) I subjoin 
 here. I was not at all nervous and had the satis- 
 faction of hearing that people were satisfied with 
 what I had done and how I had done it. Received 
 after this, audiences of Lord JVIelbourne, Lord John 
 
1837] THE QUEEN'S FIRST COUNCIL 99 
 
 Russell, Lord Albemarle (Master of the Horse), and 
 the Archbishop of Canterbury, all in my room and 
 alone. Saw Stockmar. Saw Clark whom I named 
 my Physician. Saw Mary. Wrote to Uncle Ernest. 
 Saw Ernest Hohenlohe, who brought me a kind and 
 very feeling letter from the poor Queen. I feel very 
 much for her, and really feel that the poor good 
 King was always so kind personally to me, that I 
 should be ungrateful were I not to recollect it and 
 feel grieved at his death. The poor Queen is 
 wonderfully composed now I hear. 
 
 Wrote my journal. Took my dinner upstairs alone. 
 Went downstairs. Saw Stockmar. At about twenty 
 minutes to nine came Lord Melbourne and remained 
 till near 10. I had a very important and a very 
 comfortable conversation with him. Each time I see 
 him I feel more confidence in him ; I find him very 
 kind in his manner too. Saw Stockmar. Went 
 down and said good-night to Mamma, etc. My dear 
 Lehzen will always remain with me as my friend, 
 but will take no situation about me, and I think 
 she is right. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 WiLTOU Crescent, 22nd June 1837. 
 
 Lord John RusselP presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to report that he 
 presented to the House of Commons this day your 
 Majesty's gracious Message. 
 
 He then moved an Address of Condolence and 
 Congratulation, which was seconded by Sir Robert 
 Peel. Sir Robert Peel very properly took occasion 
 to speak in terms of high admiration of the deport- 
 ment of your Majesty before the Privy Council on 
 Tuesday. The Address was agreed to without a 
 dissentient voice, and your Majesty may rest assured 
 that the House of Commons is animated by a feeling of 
 loyalty to the Throne, and of devotion to your Majesty. 
 
 1 Writing as Leader of the House of Commons. 
 
100 LETTER FROM THE KING OF THE FRENCH [chap, vi 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 (Undated — 22nd or 23rd Jwm 183T.) 
 
 My dearest Niece, — I am most grateful for your 
 amiable letter and truly kind offer to come and see 
 me next week. Any day convenient to your Majesty 
 wiU be agreeable to me, the sooner the better, for I 
 am equally anxious to see you again, and to express 
 to you in person all that I feel for you at this trying 
 moment. If Monday will suit you, I shall be ready 
 to receive you and your dear Mother on that day. 
 My prayers are with you and my blessing follows 
 you in all you have to go through. My health is as 
 well as it can be after the great exertions I have 
 suffered, and I try to keep up under my heavy trial 
 and deep affliction. 
 
 My best wishes attend you, my dearest niece, and 
 I am for ever your Majesty's most affectionate and 
 faithfvd Friend, Aunt and Subject, Adelaide. 
 
 The King of tlie French to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Pabis, U 23 Juin 1837. 
 
 Madame ma SceuR, — J'ai appris avec une vive 
 peine la perte que votre Majeste vient de faire dans 
 la personne de son tres cher et bien aimd Oncle le 
 Roi Guillaume IV. d'auguste et v^n^rable memoire. 
 La vive et sincere amitie que je porte a votre Majeste, 
 et a ceux qui lui sont chers, les liens de parent^ qui 
 rapprochent nos deux families par I'alliance de ma fille 
 cherie avec le Roi des Beiges votre Oncle bien aime, et 
 enfin le souvenir qui m'est toujours bien cher de la 
 tendre amitie qui m'attachait au feu Prince votre P^re, 
 depuis que nous nous etions vus en AmSrique, il y a 
 deja trente-huit ans,^ me determinent h. ne pas attendre 
 les formalites d'usage, pour offrir a votre Majeste mes 
 
 1 In 1799 the Duke of Kent was Commander-in-Chief in British North 
 America. '^4-'^ 'S 
 
1837] CONGRATULATIONS FROM KING LEOPOLD 101 
 
 Micitations sur son av^nement au Trone de la Grande 
 Bretagne. II m'est doux de penser que I'heureuse direc- 
 tion que la Princesse votre excellente et bien aim^e 
 M^re a si sagement donnde k votre jeune fi.ge, vous met 
 a portde de supporter dignement le grand fardeau qui 
 vous est dchu. Je fais les voeux les plus sinc^res pour 
 que la Providence bdnisse votre R^gne, et qu'il soit une 
 epoque de bonheur et de prosp^rit^ pour les peuples 
 que vous ^tes appel^e k gouverner. Puissiez-vous 
 aussi jouir longtemps de tout le bonheur personnel 
 que je vous souhaite du fond de mon cceur. Je serai 
 toujours bien empress^ de manifester k votre Majesty 
 tous les sentiments d'attachement et d'afFection que je 
 lui porte. Qu'elle me permette d'y aj outer I'expres- 
 sion de la haute estime et de I'inviolable amiti^ avec 
 lesquelles je ne cesserai d'etre, Madame ma Sceur, de 
 votre Majeste Le Bon Fr^re, Louis Philippe R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, 23r(i Jvme 1937. 
 
 My beloved Child, — Your new dignities vi^ill not 
 change or increase my old affection for you ; may Heaven 
 assist you, and may I have the happiness of being able 
 to be of use to you, and to contribute to those successes 
 in your new career for which I am so anxious. Your 
 letter of the 19th, written very shortly before the 
 important event took place, gave me great satisfaction ; 
 it showed me a temper of mind well calculated for the 
 occasion. To see the difficulties of the task without 
 ' shrinking from them or feeling alarm, and to meet 
 them with courage is the way to succeed. I have 
 often seen that the confidence of success has been the 
 cause of the success itself and you will do well to 
 preserve that sentiment. 
 
 I have been most happy to learn that the swearing 
 in of the Council passed so well. The declaration in 
 the newspapers I find simple and appropriate. The 
 translation in the papers says, "J'm ete elevee en 
 
102 NATIONALITY OF THE QUEEN [chap, vi 
 
 Angleterre" 1. I should advise to say as often as 
 possible that you are born in England. George III. 
 gloried in this, and as none of your cousins are born 
 in England, it is your interest de faire reporter cela 
 fortement. 2. You never can say too much in praise 
 of your country and its inhabitants. Two nations in 
 Europe are really almost ridiculous in their own 
 exaggerated praises of themselves ; these are the English 
 and the French. Your being very national is highly 
 important, and as you happen to be born in England 
 and never to have left it a moment,^ it would be odd 
 enough if people tried to make out the contrary. 
 3. The Established Church I also recommend strongly ; 
 you cannot, without pledging yourself to anything 
 particular, say too much on the subject. 4. Before you 
 decide on anything important I should be glad if 
 you would consult me ; this would also have the 
 advantage of giving you time. In politics most 
 measures will come in time within a certain number 
 of days ; to retrace or back out of a measure is on 
 the contrary extremely difficult, and almost always 
 injurious to the highest authority. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 25th Jime 1837. 
 
 My beloved Uncle, — Though I have an immense 
 deal of business to do, I shall write you a few lines to 
 thank you for your kind and useful letter of the 23rd, 
 which I have just received. Your advice is always of 
 the greatest importance to me. 
 
 Respecting Claremont, Stockmar will be able to 
 explain to you the total impossibility of my being out 
 of London, as I must see my Ministers every day. I 
 am very well, sleep well, and drive every evening in 
 the country; it is so hot that walking is out of the 
 question. Before I go further let me pause to tell 
 you how fortunate I am to have at the head of the 
 
 1 The Duke and Duchess of Kent were settled at Amorbach, in Lelnlngen, 
 till a short time before the birth of their child, when they came to Kensington. 
 
1837] QUEEN VICTORIA AND HER MINISTERS 103 
 
 Government a man like Lord Melbourne. I have 
 seen him now every day, with the exception of Friday, 
 and the more I see him, the more confidence I have 
 in him ; he is not only a clever statesman and an 
 honest man, but a good and a kind-hearted man, whose 
 aim is to do his duty for his country and not for a 
 party. He is of the greatest use to me both politically 
 and privately. 
 
 I have seen almost all my other Ministers, and do 
 regular, hard, but to me delightful, work with them. 
 It is to me the greatest ^pleasure to do my duty for 
 my country and my people, and no fatigue, however 
 great, will be burdensome to me if it is for the welfare 
 of the nation. Stockmar will tell you all these things. 
 I have reason to be highly pleased with all my Ministers, 
 and hope to God that the Elections ^ may be favourable, 
 as I well know that the present Ministry is the best and 
 most moderate we can have. 
 
 Do not, my dearly beloved Uncle, fear for my 
 health, I shall take good care of it. I beg your advice 
 on the enclosed paper. 
 
 Ever your devoted and grateful Niece and affectionate 
 Child, Victoria R. 
 
 Tlie King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 27</i June 1837. 
 
 My dear Child, — ... Now I must touch on 
 another subject which is of vital importance for you 
 and your comfort, viz., the habits of business which 
 you will contract now. The best plan is to devote 
 certain hours to it ; if you do that, you will get through 
 it with great ease. I think you would do well to tell 
 your Ministers that for the present you would be ready 
 to receive those who should wish to see you, between 
 the hours of eleven and half-past one. This will not 
 plague you much, and will be sufficient in most cases 
 for the usual business that is to be transacted. 
 
 1 At that time rendered necessary by the demise of the Crown. 
 
104 REFLECTION ADVISED [chap, vi 
 
 I shall add to this a piece of advice. Whenever 
 a question is of some importance, it should not be 
 decided on the day when it is submitted to you. 
 Whenever it is not an urgent one, I make it a rule 
 not to let any question be forced upon my immediate 
 decision ; it is really not doing oneself justice de decider 
 des questions sur le pouce. And even when in my mind 
 I am disposed to accede, still I always keep the papers 
 with me some little time before I return them. The 
 best mode for you will be, that each Minister should 
 bring his box with him, and when he submits to 
 you the papers explain them to you. Then you will 
 keep the papers, either to think yourself upon it or 
 to consult somebody, and either return them the 
 next time you see the Minister to whom they belong, 
 or send them to him. Good habits formed now may 
 for ever afterwards be kept up, and will become so 
 natural to you that you will not find them at all 
 fatiguing. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Kensington Palace, 29<fi June 1837. 
 
 The Queen has received Lord Melbourne's com- 
 munication, and thinks as Prince Ernest of Hesse goes 
 to the funeral, it would be proper the Prince of 
 Leiningen should do just the same. The Queen 
 requests that Lord Melbourne will be so good as to 
 take care that the Prince of Leiningen is informed as 
 to the proper dress he ought to wear on the occasion. 
 
 Lord Albemarle mentioned yesterday to the 
 Queen, that all the ladies' saddle-horses, including 
 the Queen Dowager's own favourite horses, belonged 
 to the Queen, but it strikes her that it would be 
 well if the Queen was to give the Queen Dowager 
 the choice of two or three of her own horses, and that 
 she might keep them. The Queen would wish Lord 
 Melbourne to give her his opinion on this subject. . . . 
 
i»^^] BARON STOCKMAR 105 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 30th June 1837. 
 
 My dearest Child, — ... I am glad to see that 
 you are so much pleased with Lord Melbourne. I 
 believe him to be as you think him. His character 
 is a guarantee which is valuable, and remember that 
 cleverness and talent without an honest heart and 
 character, will never do for your Minister. I shall 
 name nobody, but what I said just now appHes to 
 some people you have recently seen. 
 
 I am so happy that you enter into the important 
 affairs which Providence has entrusted to you, with 
 so much interest and spirit ; if you continue you will 
 be sure of success, and your own conscience wiU give 
 you the most delightful and satisfactory feelings. To 
 be National is the great thing, and I was sure you 
 would agree with what I said repeatedly to you on 
 this vital subject, and you will be certain in this way 
 of the love of the nation you govern. 
 
 I recommend to your kind attention what Stockmar 
 will think it his duty to teU you ; he will never press 
 anything, never plague you with anything, without the 
 thorough conviction that it is indispensable for your 
 welfare. I can guarantee his independence of mind 
 and disinterestedness ; nothing makes an impression 
 upon him but what his experience makes him feel 
 to be of importance for you. ' I am delighted with 
 your plan. You wiU recollect that I pressed upon you 
 repeatedly how necessary it was for you to continue 
 your studies on a more extended scale, more appropriate 
 to the station you were destined once to fill. No one 
 is better qualified to direct those studies for the next 
 few years than Stockmar, few people possess more 
 general information, and very, very few have been 
 like him educated, as it were, by fate itself since 1816. 
 There is no branch of information in which he may 
 not prove useful — (1) History, considered in a practical 
 and philosophical way; (2) International Law and 
 
106 IMPORTANT SUBJECTS FOR STUDY [chap, vi 
 
 everything connected with it ; (3) Political Economy, 
 an important branch nowadays ; (4) Classic studies ; 
 (5) beues lettres in general ; (6) Physical Science in all 
 its branches, etc., etc. — the list would be very long if 
 I were to enumerate it all. The sooner you do this 
 the better ; in all countries and at all times men like 
 Stockmar have filled similar situations, even in the 
 most bigoted and jealous countries, such as Spain, 
 Austria, etc. You will have him in this case constantly 
 near you without anybody having the right of finding 
 fault with it, and to be useful to you he should be near 
 you. Stockmar would have the immense advantage, 
 for so young a Queen, to be a liviTig dictionary of 
 all matters scientific and politic that happened these 
 thirty years, which to you is of the greatest impor- 
 tance, because you must study the political history of 
 at least the last thirty-seven years more particularly. 
 I had begun something of the sort with you, even so 
 far back as George II. ; you will do well to go through 
 the reign of George III. and to follow the various 
 circumstances which brought on finally the present 
 state of affairs. . . . 
 
 My letter grows too long, and you will not have 
 time to read it ; I will therefore come to an end, 
 remaining ever, my beloved Victoria, your faithfully 
 attached Uncle and Friend, Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 ird July 1837. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I had the happiness of 
 receiving your kind letter of 30th June yesterday, 
 and hasten to thank you for it. Your dear and 
 kind letters, full of kind and excellent advice, will 
 always be of the greatest use to me, and will always 
 be my delight. You may depend upon it that I shall 
 profit by your advice, as I have already so often done. 
 
 I was sure you would be of my opinion relative 
 to Lord Melbourne. Indeed, dearest Uncle, nothing 
 is to be done without a good heart and an honest 
 
1837] SISTER QUEENS 107 
 
 mind ; I have, alas ! seen so much of bad hearts and 
 dishonest and double minds, that I know how to 
 value and appreciate real worth. 
 
 All is going on well at present, and the elections 
 promise to be favourable. God grant they may be 
 so ! I had a very long and highly interesting conver- 
 sation with Palmerston on Saturday, about Turkey, 
 Russia, etc., etc. I trust something may be done for 
 my sister Queens. They have got a Constitution 
 in Spain at length, and the Cortes have done very 
 well. We hope also to conclude a treaty of commerce 
 with the Spaniards shortly, which would be an im- 
 mense thing. 
 
 If you could get my kind and dear friend Louis 
 Philippe, whom I do so respect, and for whom I have 
 a great affection, to do something for poor Spain, it 
 would be of great use. 
 
 I am quite penetrated by the King's kindness in 
 sending good old General Baudrand* and the Due 
 d'Elchingen ^ over to compliment me ; Baudrand did 
 it very well, and with much good feeling. In 
 Portugal, affairs look very black, I grieve to say. 
 They have no money, and the Chartists want to 
 bring about another counter-revolution, which would 
 be fatal to the poor Queen's interests, I fear. 
 
 That you approve my plan about Stockmar I am 
 deUghted to hear. 
 
 1 hope to go into Buckirlgham Palace very shortly 
 after the funeral. 
 
 Now, dearest Uncle, I must invite you en forme. 
 I should be most deUghted if you, dearest Aunt 
 Louise, and Leopold {Jinsiste) could come about the 
 middle or end of August. Then I should beg you 
 would stay a little longer than usual, a fortnight at 
 least. You could bring as many gentlemen, ladies, 
 bonnes, etc., etc., as you pleased, and I should be 
 too happy and proud to have you under my own 
 roof. . . . 
 
 » General Comte Baudrand (1774-1848). 
 2 Son of Marshal Ney. 
 
108 LETTER FROM QUEEN ADELAIDE [chap, vi 
 
 The Earl of Liverpool to Baron Stockmar. 
 
 ' 5th July 1837. 
 
 Went about half-past ten o'clock to Apsley House, 
 and told the Duke of Wellington the whole of my 
 communication with the Queen, Duchess of Kent, and 
 Sir John Conroy on 15th June, also of my communica- 
 tion subsequently with Lord Melbourne, all of which 
 he very much approved of. He said that he was quite 
 sure that the Queen would find Lord Melbourne an 
 honourable man, and one in whom Her Majesty might 
 put confidence ; that he was a man apt to treat matters 
 too lightly, or, as he expressed it, a poco curante, but in 
 the main an honest and an honourable man. Upon 
 my speaking to him of the kind and paternal conduct 
 of King Leopold towards his Niece, he said that he 
 was fully persuaded of this, and should at all and any 
 time be ready to uphold it by his approbation, but 
 that he had no immediate cormection with the Press, 
 whose attacks indeed he held very cheap, though they 
 were frequently very offensive. He then asked me 
 whether it was not true that the Queen had thought 
 of some reviews at which she would appear on horse- 
 back. 1 said there had been some talk of it. He 
 desired me to say that he thought this would be very 
 dangerous, that she had much better do this in an open 
 carriage, as no one except such as himself knew how 
 difficult it was to get steady riding horses, and besides 
 that, she could not be attended by any female, and that 
 this would appear indelicate. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 7th July 1837. 
 
 My DEAREST Niece, — I must, before I leave this 
 dear castle, once more express to you the grateful sense 
 I entertain for the kind treatment I have experienced 
 from you since it has pleased our heavenly Father to 
 put you in possession of it. You have contributed 
 
1837] BUCKINGHAM PALACE 109 
 
 much to my comfort under all the painful and dis- 
 tressing circumstances of this time of woe, and 1 
 assure you that I ever shall remember it with sincere 
 gratitude. 
 
 I hope that you continue quite well and do not 
 suflfer from the exertions and duties of your new 
 position. My best wishes and prayers attend you 
 on all occasions, for I shall be to the rest of my life 
 devoted and attached to you as your most affectionate 
 Aunt and Subject, Adelaide. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Kensington Palace, lOlh July 1837. 
 
 The Queen regrets very much to hear of Lord 
 Melbourne's indisposition, and trusts it wUl be of no 
 duration. 
 
 The Queen has just seen the Lord Chamberlain and 
 has given him all her orders. The Lord Chamberlain 
 says that he will do everything in his power to facili- 
 tate the Queen's going into Buckingham Palace on 
 Thursday. 
 
 The Queen fears that there may have been some 
 mistake with respect to the Chapter of the Garter, for 
 Lord Conyngham,^ as well as several others, imagined 
 it would be held on Wednesday instead of Friday. 
 The Queen requests Lord Melbourne to rectify this 
 mistake, as it is the Queen's intention to hold the 
 Chapter on Friday. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 nth July 1S37. 
 
 My dearest, best Uncle, — ... I have got very 
 little time and very little to say. I really and truly 
 go into Buckingham Palace the day after to-morrow, 
 but I must say, though I am very glad to do so, I 
 feel sorry to leave for ever my poor old birthplace. . . . 
 
 1 The Lord Chamberlain. 
 
110 MADAME DE LIEVEN [chap, vi 
 
 25th. — 1 shall not go out of town, I think, before 
 the 20th or thereabouts of next month. Windsor 
 requires thorough cleaning, and I must say I could 
 not think of going in sooner after the poor King's 
 death. Windsor always appears very melancholy to 
 me, and there are so many sad associations with it. 
 These will vanish, I daresay, if I see you there soon 
 after my arrival there. 
 
 I have very pleasant large dinners every day. I 
 invite my Premier generally once a week to dinner 
 as I think it right to show publicly that I esteem 
 him and have confidence in him, as he has behaved 
 so well. Stockmar is of this opinion and is his great 
 admirer. . . . 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Netjilly, \^th July 1837. 
 
 . . . Having stiU a few moments before a special 
 messenger sets oiF, I take advantage of it to add a few 
 words. By all I can hear, there are many intrigues on 
 foot in England at this moment. Princess Lieven ^ and 
 another individual recently imported from her country 
 seem to be very active in what concerns them not ; 
 beware of them. A rule which I cannot sufficiently 
 
 1 The Princess Dorothea de Benkendorff married the Count de Lieven at 
 fifteen ; in 1812, he became Russian Minister (and later Ambassador) in 
 London, whither she accompanied him. She was a woman of extra- 
 ordinary cleverness, enjoying the confidence of George IV., Liverpool, 
 Canning, Castlereagh, and Wellington. Inspiring the efforts, and even com- 
 posing the despatches of her husband, she became herself the confidential 
 correspondent of Nesselrode, Esterhazy, Pozzo di Borgo, Guizot, and Lord 
 Aberdeen. In 1834, the Lievens returned to St Petersburg, where the 
 Emperor Nicholas, though indiflferent to the society of women of talent, 
 showed her special marks of regard. Her husband died at Rome, in January 
 1838, and she established herself in Paris, afterwards seeking a home in 
 England during the troubles of 18+8. Returning to Paris, her sahn became 
 again the resort of diplomatists, politicians, and men of the world. She 
 died in January 1857. 
 
 Madame de Lieven about this time told Greville that she had had an 
 audience of the Queen, "who was very civil and gracious, but timid and 
 embarrassed, and talked of nothing but commonplaces " ; and Greville adds 
 that the Queen "had probably been told that the Princess was an Intrigante, 
 and was afraid of committing herself." 
 
1837] PARLIAMENT PROROGUED 111 
 
 recommend is, never to permit people to speak on 
 subjects concerning yourself or your affairs, without 
 your having yourself desired them to do so. The 
 moment a person behaves improperly on this subject, 
 change the conversation, and* make the individual 
 feel that he has made a mistake. . . . People will 
 certainly try to speak to you on your own personal 
 affairs ; decline it boldly, and they will leave you 
 alone. . . . 
 
 Now I conclude with my warmest wishes for your 
 happiness. Ever, my dear Victoria, your faithfully 
 attached Uncle and Friend, Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 \%th July 1837. 
 
 My beloved Uncle, — ... I have been so busy, 
 I can say but two words more, which are that I pro- 
 rogued Parliament yesterday in person, was very well 
 received, and am not at all tired to-day, but quite 
 frisky. There is to be no review this year, as I was 
 determined to have it only if I could ride, and as I 
 have not ridden for two years, it was better not. Believe 
 me, always, your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Madame de Lieven wrote to Lord Aberdeen on the 30th July 1837 : — 
 J'ai vu la Reine deux fois, je I'ai vue seule, et je I'ai vue dans la soci^t^ 
 du soir, et avec son Premier Ministre. EUe a un aplomb, un air de com- 
 mandement, de dignity, qui avec son visage enfantin, sa petite taille, et son 
 joli sourire, forment certainement le spectacle le plus extraordinaire qu'il 
 soit possible de figurer. EUe est d'une extreme reserve dans son discours. 
 On croit que la prudence est une de ses premieres qualit^s. Lord Melbourne 
 a aupr^s d'elle un air d'amour, de contentement, de vanity meme, et tout 
 cela mSM avec beaucoup de respect, des attitudes trfes k son aise, une habitude 
 de premiere place dans son salon, de la reverie, de la gaiet^, vous voyez tout 
 cela. La Reine est pleine d'aimables sourires pour lui. 
 
 La society le soir n'^tait compos^e que du household de la Reine, de tout 
 le household de la Duchesse de Kent (moins la famiUe Conroy, qui 
 n'approche pas du Palais), et de quelques Strangers. La Duchesse de Kent 
 est parfaitement m^contente, — elle m'en a meme parl^. Je doute que la 
 m^re et la fiUe habitent longtemps sous le meme toit. Quant i Lord 
 Melbourne, il me semble que la Duchesse le d^teste. II est Evident qui'l 
 est dans la possession enti^re et exclusive de la confiance de la Reine, et que 
 ses ressentiraents, comme ses peines pass^es, sont confi^s sans reserve k son 
 Premier Ministre. . . . 
 
112 ENGLAND AND RUSSIA [chap, vi 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Stanhope Street, 22»d July 1837. 
 
 . . . With regard to Count Orloif,^ your Majesty 
 will probably renew to him, on his taking leave, the 
 assurances which your Majesty has already given, of 
 your desire to cement and maintain the friendly alliance 
 which subsists between the two Crowns ; and an expres- 
 sion might be repeated of the pleasure which your 
 Majesty has derived from the selection of a person who 
 possesses the confidence and esteem of the Emperor so 
 fully as Count OrlofF is known to do. 
 
 It might, perhaps, be as well to avoid any allusion to 
 your Majesty's not being personally acquainted with 
 the Emperor, or anything that might be construed into 
 an invitation to that Sovereign to come to England, 
 because Viscount Palmerston has reason to believe 
 that any such hint would be eagerly caught at, while 
 at the same time such a visit does not, under all 
 circumstances, seem to be a thing particularly to be 
 desired. . . . 
 
 The Kijig of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 2Uh July 1837. 
 
 My dearest Child, — ... I hear that the Levee 
 went off very well, and I have no doubt that the 
 Drawing-Room did the same. Your spirit in all 
 these new and trying proceedings makes me happy 
 beyond expression. Believe me, with courage and 
 honesty you will get on beautifully and success- 
 fully. The firmness you displayed at the beginning of 
 your reign will be for your quiet of the utmost 
 importance. People must come to the opinion it is of 
 no use intriguing, because when her mind is once made 
 up and she thinks a thing right, no earthly power will 
 make her change. To these qualities must be added 
 one which is of great importance, this is discretion; 
 humble as it seems, it has often brought about 
 
 1 The Russian Ambassador. 
 
1837] DISCRETION ADVISED 113 
 
 successes in which talent failed and genius did not 
 succeed. Discretion in the great affairs of the world 
 does wonders, and safety depends frequently and is 
 chiefly derived from it. . . . 
 
 Now I must quickly conclude, with the prayer that 
 you will not permit anybody, be it even your Prime 
 Minister, to speak to you on matters that concern 
 you personally, without your having expressed the 
 wish of its being done. You have no idea of the 
 importance of this for your peace and comfort and 
 safety. I always act on this principle, and I can say 
 with great success. 
 
 Believe me ever, my dearest Victoria, your devoted 
 Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laekew, 29<A July 1837. 
 
 My dearest Child, — Your dear letter of the 24th 
 inst. is, amongst so many land letters, almost the kindest 
 I yet received from your dear hands. My happiness 
 and my greatest pride will always be, to be a tender 
 and devoted father to you, my beloved child, and to 
 watch over you and stand by you with heart and 
 soul as long as the heart which hves you so sincerely 
 will beat. 
 
 I have no doubt that Lord Melbourne will always 
 do everything in his power to be useful to you. His 
 position is become extremely happy ; after having been, 
 under the late King at least, in an awkward position, 
 he is now sure of enjoying your confidence and sincere 
 support. If the elections turn out favourably to the 
 Ministry, it wiU, I hope, give them the means of trying 
 to conciliate the great mass of the moderate Tories, who 
 from their nature and in consequence of their opinions 
 are safe and desirable supporters of the Crown. The 
 two extremes wiU give them trouble, and the ultra 
 Tories appear to me to be even the more unreasonable 
 of the two. 
 
 I am most happy to see you on your guard against 
 
 Vol. l— 8 
 
114 LETTER FROM PRINCESS HOHENLOHE [chap, vi 
 
 Princess Lieven and such like people. Your life 
 amongst intriguers and tormented with intrigues has 
 given you an experience on this important subject 
 which you wUl do well not to lose sight of, as it 
 will unfortunately often reproduce itself, though the 
 names and manner of carrying on the thing may not 
 be the same. 
 
 I also think Windsor a little melancholy, but I 
 believe that one likes it more and more, as the Park in 
 particular is uncommonly beautiful. We shall try our 
 best to enliven it by our presence, and probably soon 
 after your arrival. I am most happy to see you so 
 spirited and happy in your new position ; it wiU go a 
 great way to insure your success, and your spirit and 
 courage will never be de trop. 
 
 Now I will conclude for the day, not to bore 
 you, and beg you always to believe me, my dear and 
 beloved Victoria, your devoted Uncle and Friend, 
 
 Leopold R. 
 
 The Princess Hohenlolie to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Langenburg, 31«i July 1837. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — On arriving here, I found 
 your dear letter of the 9th of this month ; and some 
 days ago I received the one of the 16th. Many, many 
 thanks for them both ; it is indeed kind of you to write 
 to me now when you have so much to do. You have 
 no idea what a feeling it is, to hear and read of you, 
 and to think that it is you, my own dear sister, who 
 are the object of general observation, and, I may say, 
 admiration ; it is sometimes like a dream. For those who 
 are near you it is quite diflFerent than for me, who have 
 not seen you yet in your new position, but must 
 represent to myself all through the report of others. 
 The description in the papers of your proroguing 
 Parliament 1 read with great interest ; it must have 
 been an imposing moment for you, your standing for 
 the first time in your life in the middle of that assembly 
 where the interests and welfare of your country are 
 
1837] SINGING LESSONS 115 
 
 discussed and decided upon. It is with pride, pleasure 
 and anxiety I think of you at the description of such 
 scenes and occuiTences. I saw too by the papers that 
 your incognito at the Opera was not quite kept as you 
 wished it. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 BncEiiiGHA.M Palace, \st August 1837. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — ... I should be most happy 
 to "peep once" into your country, and wish that it 
 could be. 
 
 With respect to Politics, Lord Melbourne told me 
 this morning that he thinks the Lords will be more 
 moderate and reasonable next Session. The Duke of 
 WeUington made a speech shortly before the Dissolu- 
 tion of Parliament, in which he said that he wished 
 as much as the Government did to pass the questions 
 now pending. 
 
 You do not think Alexander^ near handsome 
 enough in my opinion ; you know, ladies are much 
 better judges. He is somewhat colossal, I own, but 
 very proportionate and good-looking I think. I am 
 all impatience to hear more about all this, and when 
 you imagine the marriage will take place. 
 
 I have resumed my singing lessons with Lablache^ 
 twice a week, which form an agreeable recreation in 
 the midst of all the business I have to do. He is 
 such a good old soul, and greatly pleased that I go 
 on with him. I admire the music of the Huguenots 
 very much, but do not sing it, as I prefer Italian to 
 French for singing greatly. I have been learning 
 in the beginning of the season many of your old 
 favourites, which I hope to sing with you when we 
 meet. I wish T could keep Lablache to sing with 
 us, but he will be gone by that time I greatly fear. 
 
 1 Prince Alexander of Wurtemberg, betrothed to Princess Marie of 
 Orleans, daughter of Louis Philippe. She died 10th January 1839. See 
 Letter of Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians, 11th January 1839. 
 
 ^ See ante, p. 64. 
 
116 THE ELECTIONS [chap, vi 
 
 Now farewell, my beloved Uncle. Give my affec- 
 tionate love to my dear Aunt, and believe me always, 
 your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 J'embrasse Leopold et Philippe. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 9ft August 1837. 
 
 My beloved Uncle, — . . . With respect to the 
 Elections, they are, I'm thankful to say, rather 
 favourable, though not quite so much so as we could 
 wish. But upon the whole we shall have as good a 
 House as we had, and / hope (as Lord Melbourne 
 does also), a more moderate one than the last one. 
 The Irish Elections are very favourable to us ; we 
 have gained six in the English boroughs, and lost, I 
 grieve to say, several in the counties. 
 
 The country is very quiet, and I have good reason 
 to believe all will do very well. 
 
 The King of Wiirtemberg is to arrive to-night, 
 under the name of Count Teck, and wishes to be 
 in strict incognito. He comes on purpose to see me ; 
 you know he is my second cousin — his mother^ was 
 sister to Queen Caroline and daughter to my grand- 
 aunt.** I shall give the King a large dinner on Friday 
 and a little concert after it. . . . 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Endsleigh, 15ft August 1837. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to lay before your 
 Majesty a general statement of the result of the 
 elections, which, with the exception of one or two 
 doubtful counties in Ireland, may be said to be com- 
 pleted. . . . 
 
 It is not to be denied that this near balance of 
 
 1 Queen Augusta of Wiirtemberg. 
 
 2 Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick, sister of George III. 
 
1837] PREVALENCE OF BRIBERY 117 
 
 parties makes the task of conducting the government 
 difficult for any Ministry. On the other hand the 
 circumstances of the country do not present any 
 extraordinary difficulty, and were any such to arise 
 the general composition of the new House of Commons 
 affords a security that the maintenance of the Consti- 
 tution and the welfare of the country would be 
 permanent objects to the majority of its Members.* 
 
 Lord John Russell had some time ago the honour 
 of stating to your Majesty that the return of Mr Fox 
 Maule for Perthshire, and of Mr Hume for Middlesex, 
 were hardly to be expected. In this as in many other 
 instances the superior organisation of the Tory party 
 have enabled them to gain the appearance of a change 
 of opinion, which has not in fact taken place. 
 
 Lord John Russell is sorry to add that bribery, 
 intimidation and drunkenness have been very prevalent 
 at the late elections, and that in many cases the dis- 
 position to riot has only been checked by the appearance 
 of the Military, who have in all cases conducted them- 
 selves with great temper and judgment. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Endsleigh, Slst August 1837. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to submit to your 
 Majesty a letter from the Earl of Coventry requesting 
 an Audience. 
 
 It is usual for the Sovereign to receive any. Peer 
 who may be desirous of an Audience, without any 
 other person being present. But if the Peer who is 
 thus admitted to the honour of an Audience should 
 enter upon political topics, it has been the custom for 
 
 1 AVhile the extreme Radicals were in several cases defeated, the number 
 of O'Connell's followers was decidedly increased. The general balance of 
 parties was not much affected, but the complaint made by Mr Roebuck, 
 the Radical Member for Bath, in the last days of Wilham IV. 's reign, that 
 there was no Government, and that the machinery of legislation was at a 
 dead stop, was no longer warranted. 
 
118 END OF KING LEOPOLD'S VISIT [chap, v, 
 
 your Majesty's predecessors merely to hear what is 
 offered, and not to give any opinion, or to enter into 
 any discussion or conversation upon such topics. 
 
 Should your Majesty be pleased to grant Lord 
 Coventry's request of an Audience, perhaps the most 
 convenient course will be that the Lord-in-Waiting 
 should signify to him, direct from Windsor, your 
 Majesty's pleasure. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians} 
 
 Windsor Castle, \9th September 1837. 
 20 miinutes) p(aat) 11. 
 
 My dearest, most beloved Uncle, — One line to 
 express to you imperfectly my thanks for aU your 
 very great kindness to me, and my great, great grief at 
 your departure I God knows how sad, how forlorn, I 
 feel I How I shall miss you, my dearest, dear Uncle ! 
 every, every where! How I shall miss your conver- 
 sation ! How I shall miss your protection out riding I 
 Oh ! I feel very, very sad, and cannot speak of you 
 both without crying ! 
 
 Farewell, my beloved Uncle and father ! may 
 Heaven bless and protect you ; and do not forget your 
 most affectionate, devoted and attached Niece and 
 child, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, Srd October 1837. 
 
 My beloved Uncle, — ... I am quite sad to 
 leave this fine place, where, if it had not been for the 
 meeting of Parliament so early this year, I would have 
 remained tUl November. I have passed such a pleasant 
 time here, the pleasantest summer I have ever passed 
 in my life ; I have had the great happiness of having 
 you and my beloved Aunt here, I have had pleasant 
 people staying with me, and I have had delicious 
 
 ^ Written on the conclusion of a visit of the King of the Belgians to 
 England. 
 
1837] RECEPTION AT BRIGHTON 119 
 
 rides which have done me more good than anything. 
 It will be such a break-up of our little circle 1 Besides 
 my own people, Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston 
 are the only people who have been staying here, and 
 this little party was very social and agreeable. The 
 Princess Augusta of Saxony * has been here for two 
 nights ; she is neither young nor handsome, but a 
 very kind good person. 
 
 The news from Portugal are bad which I got this 
 morning. The Civil War is ended, and the Chartists 
 have been completely defeated; this is sad enough, 
 but I was fearful of it: a counter revolution never 
 does well.^ 
 
 En revanche the news from Spain are by far 
 better. . . . 
 
 Believe me always, in haste, your devoted and 
 affectionate Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 6th October 1837. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and in acknowledging your Majesty's gracious 
 communication of yesterday returns his thanks for the 
 very lively account which your Majesty has given of 
 the journey and the entrance into Brighton. Lord 
 Melbourne entirely partakes in the wish your Majesty 
 has been graciously pleased to express, that he had 
 been there to witness the scene ; but your Majesty 
 will at once perceive that it was better that he was 
 not, as in that case Lord Melbourne would have been 
 accused of an attempt to take a political advantage 
 
 1 Daughter of King Frederick Augustus of Saxony. 
 
 * On July 1st a new Ministry had come into power in Portugal. The 
 finances of the country were in great confusion, a military insurrection broke 
 out in the North at Braga, the Ministry resigned, and a new Ministry came 
 into office in August. On the 18th August, the Duke of Terceira, followed 
 by many persons of distinction, joined the insurgents, and, establishing 
 himself at Mafra, advanced upon Lisbon with the Chartist troops, 
 issuing 3 proclamation of provisional regency. A Convention was eventually 
 signed, and the Cortes proceeded to discuss measures of Constitutional 
 Reform. 
 
i 11 
 120 SECURITY OF LETTERS [chap, vi 
 
 of the general enthusiasm, and to mix himself and 
 the Government with your Majesty's personal popu- 
 larity. Lord Melbourne fears that for some time your 
 Majesty will find yourself somewhat incommoded by 
 the desire, which naturally prevails amongst all ranks 
 and classes, to obtain an opportunity of seeing your 
 Majesty. . . , 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 9th October 1837. 
 
 ... I have also told Stockmar to try to settle 
 something for regular safe communication ; in quiet 
 times like the present one a week would be sufficient. 
 You know now that all letters are read, and that 
 should not be always the case with ours. There is, 
 however, one thing about which I think it right to 
 warn you. This way of reading people's letters is 
 often taken advantage of by the writers of them, who 
 are not so ignorant of the thing as is imagined, to 
 write the very subject which they wish to convey to 
 the ears of persons without compromising themselves. 
 I will give you an example : we are still plagued by 
 Prussia concerning those fortresses ; now, to tell the 
 Prussian Government many things, which we should 
 not like to tell them officially, the Minister is going 
 to write a despatch to our man at Berlin, sending 
 it hy post; the Prussians are sure to read it, and to 
 learn in this way what we wish them to hear. The 
 diplomats in England may resort to this same mode 
 of proceeding to injure people, to calumniate, and to 
 convey to your knowledge such things as they may 
 hope to have the effect of injuring some people they 
 may fear, in your eyes. I tell you the trick, that you 
 should be able to guard against it ; it is of importance, 
 and I have no doubt will be resorted to by various 
 political people. . . . Ever, my dearest Victoria, your 
 faithfully devoted Uncle and Friend, Leopold R. 
 
1837] ENGLAND AND FRANCE 121 
 
 The King of the, Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Tkianon, 19<A Octoher 1837. 
 
 My DEAREST Victoria, — . . . There is a great 
 disposition here to be on the best possible terms with 
 England. As it has but too often happened that the 
 diplomatic agents of the two countries have drawn, or 
 been believed to draw, different ways, I recommended 
 strongly to Count Mold* to give strong and clear 
 instructions to his people, particularly at Madrid, Lisbon 
 and Athens. . . . He is goiag to read them to Lord 
 Granville, and also to communicate as much as possible 
 all the despatches of the French diplomats to the 
 English Government. This will be a proof of con- 
 fidence, and it will besides have the advantage of giving 
 often useful information enabling thereby the English 
 Government to hear two opinions instead of one. It 
 cannot be denied that the idea that the Plenipotentiaries 
 of the two countries were following two different lines 
 of policy has been hurtful to the causes of the two 
 Queens in the Peninsula. To put a stop to this double 
 action is the only benefit which the Queens will at 
 present derive from a better understanding between 
 England and France ; but as it is, it will be still of some 
 importance to them, and take away from the different 
 political parties the possibility of using the pretended 
 misunderstanding against the Government of the 
 Queens. I trust that you will tell your Ministers to 
 meet this friendly disposition with frankness and kind- 
 ness. The wish of the King here is, to have matters 
 concerted between the Plenipotentiaries of both 
 countries. In this way it would become difficult for 
 the parties in Spain or Portugal to say that the two 
 Plenipotentiaries support different candidates for Minis- 
 terial power, and the division in the parties connected 
 with the Queens might be in this manner prevented or 
 reconciled. Many and many are the ill-natured hints 
 thrown out against the King's policy ha-e, and because 
 he is clever, he is suspected of having ambitious schemes 
 
 > French Premier and Foreign Secretary. 
 
122 FRANCE AND THE PENINSULA [chap, n 
 
 without end; it may not be without some importance to 
 set this, in your mind at least, to rights. Whatever 
 may have been the King's views immediately after the 
 revolution of July -^ I wiU not decide ; perhaps he may 
 a moment have wished to be able to do something for 
 France. Supposing this for the sake of argument to 
 have been so, two months of his reign were sufficient to 
 show him that the great question was not to conquer 
 territories or foreign influence, but to save Monarchy. 
 He saw clearly that though he might begin a war, 
 necessarily it would soon degenerate into a war of 
 propaganda, and that he and his family would be the 
 first victims of it. His struggle has constantly been 
 to strengthen his Government, to keep together or 
 create anew the elements indispensable for a Mon- 
 archical Government, and this struggle is far from 
 being at its end, and most probably the remainder 
 of his life wiU be devoted to this important task; 
 and whatever may be the more lively disposition of 
 the Duke of Orleans, great part of his reign if he 
 comes to the throne, and perhaps the whole of it, will 
 ban gre mal grd take the same turn. That it should 
 be so is very natural, because of what use would be 
 some foreign provinces if they would only add to 
 the difficulty of governing the old ? Therefore, know- 
 ing as 1 do all the proceedings of the King and his 
 Cabinet, even more fully than I do those of your 
 Government ; seeing constantly in the most unreserved 
 manner the whole of the despatches ; knowing as the 
 nearest neighbour the system that they constantly 
 followed up towards us, I must say that no one is 
 more against acquiring influence in foreign States, or 
 even getting burthened with family aggrandisement 
 in them, than he. He rejected most positively the 
 marriage of Joinville with Donna Maria because he 
 will not have anything to do with Portugal. He 
 rejects a mille times the idea of a future union of the 
 Queen of Spain vdth Aumale, because he wiU not 
 have a son where it is not his intention to support him. 
 
 1 1830. 
 
1837] COUNT MOLE 123 
 
 His fear of being drawn into a real intervention 
 has been the cause of his having been so anxious not 
 to have a French Legion in Spain. He may be right 
 or wrong on this subject — I do not decide this, as I 
 was of a diflferent opinion last year; but his fear of 
 being drawn too far, hke a man whose clothes get 
 caught by a steam-engine, is natural enough. His dis- 
 like to the ultra Liberals in the Peninsula is also very 
 natural, because they uphold principles of Government 
 which render Monarchy impossible, and the appUcation 
 of which to France would be the ruin of the King. 
 England, from the pecuharity of its position, can do 
 many things which in France would upset every- 
 thing. ... 1 must close my letter, and shall answer 
 yours to-morrow. God bless you ! Ever, my dearest 
 Victoria, your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. " 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgiat 
 
 Paviuon, Brighton, 25th October 1837. 
 
 . . . Now, dearest Uncle, I must speak to you un 
 peu de Politique. I made Lord Melbourne read the 
 political part of your letter. He wished me to com- 
 municate to you part of the contents of a letter of 
 Lord Granville's which we received yesterday. Lord 
 GranviUe complains a good deal of Mole,^ and says, 
 that though he is apparently very cordial and friendly 
 towards us, and talks of his desire that we should be 
 on a better footing as to our foreign Ministers than we 
 have hitherto been, that whenever Lord GranviUe urges 
 him to do anything decisive (to use Lord G.'s own 
 words) " he shrinks from the discussion," says he must 
 have time to reflect before he can give any answer, 
 and evades giving any reply, whenever anything of 
 importance is required. This, you see, dear Uncle, is 
 not satisfactory. I merely tell you this, as I think you 
 would like to know what Mold tells our Ambassador ; 
 this differs from what he told you. What you say 
 about Louis Philippe I am sure is very true ; his situa- 
 tion is a very peculiar and a very difficult one. . . . 
 
 1 See ante, p. 121. 
 
124 THE FRENCH IN AFRICA [chap, vi 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Trianon, 9,1th October 1837. 
 
 . . . Political matters I shall not touch upon to-day ; 
 there is nothing very particular except the taking 
 of Constantin.* The Due de Nemours has greatly 
 distinguished himself. I am sorry to see that in 
 England people are sometimes sijfficiently absurd to 
 be jealous of these French conquests. Nothing indeed 
 can be more absurd, as nothing is of greater importance 
 to the peace of Europe than that a powerful and 
 military nation like the French should have this outlet 
 for their love of military display. If one had named a 
 council of wise men to fix upon a spot where this might 
 be done with the least mischief to the rest of the world, 
 one should have named the coast of Africa. By their 
 being there they will render to civilisation a country 
 which for about 800 years has been growing worse and 
 worse, and which was in the times of the Romans one 
 of the richest provinces. It settles, besides, upon the 
 French a constant petite guerre with the natives, which 
 is the very thing that will do them good. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, \9th November 1837. 
 
 . . . Now, dearest Uncle, before 1 say anything 
 more, I will answer the various questions in your 
 letter, which I have communicated to Lord Melbourne 
 and Lord Palmerston. (1) With respect to Ferdinand's 
 question to you, it is impossible for us to say 
 beforehand what we shall do in such an emergency; 
 it depends so entirely on the peculiar circumstances 
 of the viovient that we cannot say what we should 
 do. You know, dear Uncle, that the fleet has 
 
 1 The French losses amounted to 19 officers and 86 men killed, with 39 
 officers and 468 men wounded. The French Government had failed in its 
 efforts for an amicable arrangement with Achmet Bey, and it appeared probable 
 that the Turkish fleet would also oppose them. The commander, however, 
 merely landed some men at Tripoli, and the French success was complete. 
 
1837] CLOSE OF THE SESSION 125 
 
 orders to protect the King and Queen in case they 
 should be in any personal danger. As to Lord 
 Howard/ though what you say about him is true 
 enough, it would not do to recall him at present; 
 it would give Bois le Comte'* all the advantage he 
 wishes for, and which would be injurious to our 
 interests and influence. 
 
 (2) With regard to Spain, a very decided mention is 
 made of the Queen herself in the speech which is to be 
 delivered by me to-morrow in the House of Lords. 
 
 We have great reason to know that, of late, the 
 Queen has positively declared her intention to remain 
 at Madrid to the very last. 
 
 Villiers'* conduct has been, I fear, much misrepre- 
 sented, for his own opinions are not at all those of 
 the ultra Liberal kind ; and his only aim has been, to 
 be on good terms with the Spanish Ministry for the 
 time being. 
 
 (3) Concerning France, I need not repeat to you, 
 dear Uncle, how very anxious we all are to be upon the 
 best and viost friendly terms with her, and to co-operate 
 with her. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, '2&th December 1837. 
 
 My DEAiiEST Uncle, — ... You will, I am sure, be 
 happy to hear that this Session is happily closed, and 
 that the whole has gone off very satisfactorily, much 
 more so even than any of us could hope. I went on 
 Saturday to the House of Lords to give my Assent to 
 the Civil List Bill. I shall return to town on the 16th 
 of January, when Parliament meets again ; it meets 
 sooner than it was at first intended it should, on 
 account of the affairs of Canada. 
 
 1 Lord Howard de Walden, British Minister at Lisbon. 
 * French Minister at Madrid. 
 
 ' British Ambassador at Madrid, afterwards fourth Earl of Clarendon, and 
 twice Foreign Secretary. 
 
126 THE EDUCATION OF PRINCE ALBERT [chap, vi 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria} 
 
 Laeken, 26th December 1837. 
 
 My DEAREST Child, — You were somewhat irritable 
 when you wrote to me I . . . Affairs stand now as 
 follows : the studies at Bonn take the whole of April, 
 and may be concluded at the beginning of May. From 
 May till the end of August, if you approved of the 
 visit, the time should be utilise. A sejour at Coburg 
 would not be of much use ; here we are generally absent 
 in the summer. To confide therefore the young gentle- 
 man to his Uncle Mensdorff^ for three months, would 
 give him so much time for some manly accomplish- 
 ments, which do no harm to a young man. To make 
 him enter the service would not do at all. What you 
 say about his imbibing principles of a political nature, 
 there is no great fear of that. First of all, Prague 
 is not a town where politics are at aU agitated ; these 
 topics are very rarely touched upon ; besides Albert is 
 clever, and it is not at the eleventh hour that any- 
 body in three months will make him imbibe political 
 principles. Perhaps you will turn in your mind what 
 you think on the subject, and communicate me the 
 result of it. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 27th December 1837. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and acquaints your Majesty that he has 
 this morning received a letter from the Speaker^ 
 consenting to remain until Whitsuntide. This is 
 inconvenient enough, but the delay relieves your 
 
 '■ This letter refers to the course of study which Prince Albert was about 
 to pursue. 
 
 * Count Emmanuel de Mensdorff-Pouilly, who married, in 1804, Sophia, 
 Princess of Saxe-Saalfeld-Coburg. 
 
 8 Mr James Abercromby, afterwards Lord Dunfermline. He remained in 
 the Chair till 1839. He had little hold over the House, and many regrettable 
 scenes occurred. 
 
183T] CANADA 127 
 
 present embarrassment upon this head, and puts off 
 changes until a period of the Session when pubhc 
 aiFairs will be more decisively settled. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is sorry to have to inform your 
 Majesty that there was a good deal of diflPerence of 
 opinion yesterday in the Cabinet upon the affairs of 
 Canada.^ All are of opinion that strong measures 
 should be taken for the repression of the insurrection, 
 but some, and more particularly Lord Howick, think 
 that these measures of vigour should be accompanied 
 by measures of amendment and conciliation. We are 
 to have a Cabinet again upon the subject on 
 Wednesday next, when Lord Melbourne hopes that 
 some practical result wiU be come to without serious 
 difference. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 2Sth December 1837. 
 
 The Queen received Lord Melbourne's communica- 
 tion yesterday evening, and is glad to see that the 
 Speaker consents to remain a little while longer, 
 though, as Lord Melbourne says, it is still very in- 
 convenient. 
 
 The Queen regrets that there should have been any 
 difference of opinion with respect to Canada, but hopes 
 with Lord Melbourne that some final arrangement 
 may be come to next Wednesday. 
 
 The Queen is very sorry to learn that Lord 
 Melbourne will be detained in London until Saturday. 
 She omitted to ask Lord Melbourne when he thinks 
 it would be convenient for Lord Palmerston to come 
 down to Windsor for a few days, as it is the Queen's 
 wish to ask him in the course of the Recess. 
 
 The Queen is very thankful to Lord Melbourne for 
 his kind enquiries after her health ; she is sorry to say 
 she had one of her bad headaches yesterday, but feels 
 very well this morning and thinks a drive will quite 
 cure her. 
 
 1 See Introductory Note, p. 72. 
 
128 ARMY ESTIMATES [chap, vi 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 29th December 1837. 
 
 The Queen received Lord Melbourne's two letters 
 yesterday evening, and another this morning enclosing 
 one from Lord Duncannon.* The Queen is very much 
 gratified by the kind expressions in the letter she got 
 last night ; she is grieved to see Lord Melbourne is so 
 much oppressed with business. 
 
 The Queen thinks Lord Melbourne has acted with 
 the greatest judgment with respect to Sir J. Conroy/ 
 and highly approves the course he intends pursuing. 
 
 The Queen regrets that there should be so much 
 difficulty with respect to the Report of the Army 
 Estimates, but fervently trusts that no serious difficulties 
 will arise from it ; she will be very anxious to talk about 
 this and many other matters, when she sees Lord Mel- 
 bourne, which the Queen hopes (as Lord Melbourne says 
 nothing to the contrary) she will do on the 3rd or 4th. 
 
 The Queen thinks that it will be quite right if Lord 
 Melbourne writes to Lord John about the Staffiardshire 
 Yeomanry. The Queen will be delighted to see Lady 
 John Russell's little girl, and would be very happy if 
 Lady John was to bring the Baby also. The Queen 
 begs Lord Melbourne to invite them (Lord and Lady 
 John) in her name on the 8th, and to stay till the 11th. 
 
 The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are here, 
 and the Queen is very sorry to say, that from what 
 she sees and hears, she has reason to fear all is not as 
 it should be ; her mother is most markedly civil and 
 aiFectionate towards both the Duke and Duchess, and 
 spoke Politics with the former. The Queen will tell 
 Lord Melbourne more about this when she sees him. 
 
 The weather was beautiful yesterday, and the 
 Queen had a long drive and walk, which have done her 
 great good ; it is still finer to-day. 
 
 1 Commissioner of Woods and Forests and Lord Privy Seal. 
 
 2 Sir J. Conroy, who had been Comptroller to the Duchess of Kent, 
 made certain claims which it was not considered expedient to grant He 
 received a pension and a baronetcy. 
 
1837] CANADA 129 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 30<A December 1837. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne will do his utmost to 
 compose these differences respecting Canada and the 
 Arnay/ but your Majesty must contemplate the 
 possibility, not to say the probability, of his not being 
 able to succeed. It wUl not do for the sake of 
 temporary accommodation to sacrifice the honour of 
 your Majesty's Crown or the interests of your Majesty's 
 subjects. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Slst December 1837. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne has not yet been able to 
 leave London. In order to have a chance of arranging 
 these troublesome affairs, it is necessary continually to 
 see those who are principally engaged in them. From 
 a conversation which he has had this evening with 
 Lord Howick, Lord Melbourne has better hopes of 
 producing a general agreement upon Canadian affairs, 
 but the question of the administration of the Army, 
 which is of less immediate importance, is of more 
 difficulty. Your Majesty knows the importance 
 attached by the King of the Belgians to this matter. 
 The opinion of the Duke of Wellington is also strong 
 against the projected alteration. On the other hand 
 five Cabinet Ministers have pledged themselves to it by 
 signing the report, and consider themselves as having 
 publicly undertaken to the House of Commons that 
 some such measure shall be proposed. Lord Melbourne 
 has asked for the opinions of Lord Hill^ and Sir 
 Hussey Vivian* in writing. When Lord Melbourne 
 receives them he must submit them to your Majesty 
 with as short and as clear a statement as he can make 
 of a question which is of a technical and official 
 character, and with which Lord Melbourne does not 
 
 1 See Introductory Notes for 1837 and 1838, pp. 72 and 131. 
 * Commander-in-Chief. 
 ' Master-General of the Ordnance. 
 Vol. I.— 9 
 
130 SECRETARIES OF STATE [chap, vi 
 
 feel himself to be very familiar. Lord Melbourne 
 transmits a copy of the proposed Order in Council to 
 carry the recommendation of the report into effect, 
 which will acquaint your Majesty precisely what the 
 powers and duties are which it is intended to transfer 
 from the Secretary of State ^ to the Secretary-at-War. 
 It is the more necessary to be cautious, because it can 
 be done without taking the opinion or having recourse 
 to the authority of Parliament. Your Majesty will not 
 suppose that Lord Melbourne by laying before you the 
 whole case has an idea of throwing the weight of such a 
 decision entirely upon your Majesty. Lord Melbourne 
 will deem it his duty to offer your Majesty a decided 
 opinion upon the subject. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is much rejoiced to hear that your 
 Majesty enjoys Windsor. The Duchess of Sutherland,^ 
 who appreciates both the grand and the beautiful, 
 could not be otherwise than delighted with it. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne has the pleasure of wishing your 
 Majesty a happy and prosperous New Year. 
 
 1 The Secretaries of State (then three, now five in number) have co- 
 extensive authority, that is to say, any one of them can legally execute the 
 duties of all, although separate spheres of action are for convenience assigned 
 to them ; at that time the administration of Colonial and Military affairs 
 were combined, the Secretary-at-War not being a Secretary of State. After 
 the Crimean War a fourth Secretary was appointed, and after the Indian 
 Mutiny a fifth was added, entrusted severally with the supervision of Military 
 affairs and the administration of India. See letters of Lord Melbourne of 
 1st, 4th, and 5th November 184.1. 
 
 2 Harriet Elizabeth Georgiana, Duchess of Sutherland (1806-1868), was 
 the daughter of the sixth Earl of Carlisle, and married her cousin. Earl 
 Gower (1786-1861), who became Duke of Sutherland in 1833. On the 
 accession of the Queen, the Duchess of Sutherland became Mistress of the 
 Robes, a post which she held till IStl, and on three subsequent occasions. 
 The Duchess was a cultivated woman with many tastes, and made Stafford 
 House a great social centre. She was deeply interested in philanthropic and 
 social movements, such as the Abolition of Slavery, and had a strong 
 sympathy for national movements, which she showed by entertaining Garibaldi 
 in 1864. She combined a considerable sense of humour with a rare capacity 
 for affection, and became one of the Queen's closest friends ; after the Prince 
 Consort's death she was for some weeks the Queen's constant companion. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
 TO CHAPTER VII 
 
 The Melbourne Ministry were able to maintain themselves in 
 office during the year, but were too weak to carry important 
 measures. The prevailing distress led to much criticism of the 
 Poor Law Act in 1834, and the disturbances in Canada turned 
 the tide of emigration to Australia. But public interest in 
 politics was eclipsed by the gaieties of the Coronation, in which 
 all ranks partook. The events of Imperial importance else- 
 where centred in Jamaica and Canada, the apprenticeship 
 system in the former place leading to a renewal of the anti- 
 slavery agitation at home, and the passing of a Colonial Bill for 
 absolute emancipation. The Canadian troubles brought about 
 the passing of an Imperial Act for the suspension for two 
 years of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, and Lord 
 Durham, an impulsive but generous-hearted man, was sent out as 
 High Commissioner. Having dismissed the Executive Council 
 of his predecessor, he nominated a fresh one, and induced it to 
 pass a high-handed and wholly illegal ordinance of pains and 
 penalties against the rebels. Lord Brougham, rejoicing at the 
 opportunity of paying off old scores, castigated the Government, 
 especially Lord Glenelg, the Colonial Secretary, and carried a 
 measure censuring their Canadian policy. The Ministry dis- 
 allowed the ordinance of Lord Durham, who, finding himself 
 abandoned, resigned his Commission and returned home. While 
 he was boasting at Plymouth of his suppression of the rebellion, 
 tidings arrived of its recrudescence. Sir John Colborne was 
 appointed to succeed Lord Durham with full powei-s. 
 
 The Civil War continued in Spain through the year, and 
 intermittent rioting took place in Portugal, a country which was 
 now verging on bankruptcy. The old Dutch and Belgian con- 
 troversy as to the possession of Luxemburg was revived, the King 
 of Holland, who had obstinately withheld his concurrence for six 
 yeai-s from the Articles on the faith of which King Leopold 
 accepted the throne of Belgium, now showing overt hostility 
 in the disputed territory. As was natural, France was in 
 sympathy with Belgium, and the two countries entered into a 
 treaty of commerce and reciprocity. 
 
 131 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 1838 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 \st Jamuary 1838. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne feels most deeply the extreme 
 kindness of your Majesty's expressions. Whatever 
 may happen in the course of events, it will always be to 
 Lord Melbourne a source of the most lively satisfaction 
 to have assisted your Majesty in the commencement 
 of your reign, which was not without trouble and 
 difficulty, and your Majesty may depend that whether 
 in or out of office Lord Melbourne's conduct will 
 always be directed by the strongest attachment to 
 your Majesty's person, and by the most ardent desire 
 to promote your Majesty's interests, which from his 
 knowledge of your Majesty's character and disposition 
 Lord Melbourne feels certain will be always identified 
 with the interests of your People. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 \ith January 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has the honour of acknowledging your 
 Majesty's gracious communication, which he received 
 this evening. Lord Melbourne has this morning seen 
 Lord Durham upon the subject of his assuming the 
 Government of Canada,^ and has had a long conversa- 
 tion with him. Lord Melbourne is to receive his final 
 answer before the Cabinet to-morrow, which meets 
 
 * In the room of Lord Gosford. See ante, p. 131. 
 132 
 
1838] CANADA 133 
 
 at ten o'clock. Lord Durham is anxious that your 
 Majesty should express to him your wish, or rather, 
 as he phrased it, lay upon him your commands that 
 he should undertake this duty, and also that as his 
 absence wiU be but temporary, that Lady Durham^ 
 should retain her situation in your Majesty's house- 
 hold. Lord Melbourne thinks that your Majesty 
 may properly gratify him in both these points. Lord 
 Durham made some other stipulations, which Lord 
 Melbourne wiU explain to your Majesty, but, upon 
 the whole. Lord Melbourne feels little doubt that he 
 will accept. 
 
 Lord Glenelg'^ is on Monday to make a statement 
 to the House of Lords upon the subject of Canada, 
 on which a debate may not improbably arise by 
 which Lord Melbourne may be detained. On 
 Wednesday there is neither House of Lords nor 
 Cabinet dinner. Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday 
 win therefore be festive days, on which Lord 
 Melbourne will have great pleasure in obeying 
 your Majesty's commands and also on Monday, if 
 he should not be kept in the House of Lords. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thinks it was prudent in your 
 Majesty not to expose yourself to the cold of the 
 Chapel. He is himself better, but has still much 
 cough, though he has kept himself very quiet and 
 been very careful of his diet since he has been in 
 London. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 WiNDSOB Castle, \Sth January 1838. 
 (Half-past nine o'clock) 
 
 The Queen has written approved on Lord 
 Melbourne's letter as he desired; but adds a line to 
 express her satisfaction at Lord Durham's having 
 accepted the office of Governor General of Canada. 
 
 The Queen will be very happy to see Lord 
 Melbourne at half-past three. 
 
 1 Daughter of Earl Grey. 
 3 Colonial Secretary. 
 
134 INFLUENCE OF THE CROWN [chap, vn 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brussels, \6th January 1838. 
 
 My dearly beloved Child, — ... 1 am very 
 grateful for Lord Melbourne's kind recollection of me. 
 I have a sincere regard for him, and I think that our 
 intercourse has satisfied him of one thing, that I 
 have nothing so much at heart than your welfare, 
 and what is for the good of your Empire. I wish very 
 much that you would speak with him on the subject 
 of what ought to be done to keep for the Crown the 
 little influence it still may possess. His views on this 
 important subject are the more trustworthy as he 
 always has belonged to the moderate Liberals, and 
 therefore has had the means of judging the matter 
 with great impartiality. Monarchy to be carried on 
 requires certain elements, and the occupation of the 
 Sovereign must be constantly to preserve these elements 
 or should they have been too much weakened by 
 untoward circumstances, to contrive by every means 
 to strengthen them again. You are too clever not to 
 know, that it is not the being called Queen or King, 
 which can be of the least consequence, when to the 
 title there is not also annexed the power indispensable 
 for the exercise of those functions. AU trades must 
 be learned, and nowadays the trade of a constitutional 
 Sovereign, to do it well, is a very difficult one. 
 
 ... I must end, and remain ever, most affec- 
 tionately, my dear child, your devoted Uncle, 
 
 Leopold R, 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 2Uh January 1838. 
 
 My dearest Niece, — Having just been informed 
 of your gracious consideration of, and your generosity 
 towards, the dear King's children,' I must express to you 
 
 1 The eldest of the five illegitimate sons of William IV. and Mrs Jordan 
 had been created Earl of Munster, and his sisters and brothers had been given 
 the precedence of the daughters and younger sons of a Marquis. The Queen 
 now continued the same allowances as they had received from the late King. 
 

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 ^flKHF, 
 
 
 
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 • • • • • 
 
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 cfrTTfTL- the- I'ThiyrvuxiLcre, ,ayt %iJ-urdi>or- Gxatl^, 
 
1838] DANIEL O'CONNELL 135 
 
 how deeply I feel this kind proof of your attachment 
 to the late King, whose memory you respect by the 
 generous continuance of their former allowances from 
 the Privy Purse. Nothing could have given me more 
 real satisfaction, and I trust and hope that they will 
 prove their gratitude and entire devotion to you by 
 their future conduct. Let me thank you, dearest 
 Victoria, from the bottom of my heart, and be assured 
 that the heavenly blessing of our beloved King will be 
 upon you for yovu- generous kindness to those he loved 
 so much in this world. 
 
 I hope that you have not suffered at all from the 
 severity of the weather, and are as well as all your 
 subjects can wish you to be, amongst whom there 
 is none more anxiously praying for your welfare and 
 happiness than, my dear niece, your most devoted and 
 affectionate Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 BucKiKGHAM Palace, 22nd February 1838. 
 
 My DEAR Uncle, — . , . I had a very brilliant 
 Levee again yesterday, at which O'Connell and all 
 his sons, son-in-law, nephew, etc., appeared. I received 
 him, as you may imagine, with a very smiling face ; 
 he has been behaving very well this year.^ It was 
 quite a treat for me to see him, as I had for long 
 wished it. 
 
 We are going on most prosperously here, which 
 wiU, I am sure, give you as much pleasure as it does 
 me. We have no fear for any of the questions. 
 Lord John Russell is much pleased with the temper 
 of the House of Commons, which he says is remark- 
 ably good, and the Duke of Wellington is behaving 
 uncommonly well, going with Ministers, and behaving 
 hke an honest man should do. . . . 
 
 1 Ever since the accession, O'Connell's speeches had been full of expressions 
 of loyalty, and he had been acting in concert with the Whigs. 
 
136 POSITION OF MINISTERS OF STATE [chap, vn 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Qiieen Victoria. 
 
 Stanhope Street, 25ih Febmary 1838. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and with reference to your Majesty's 
 question upon the subjects to which Lord William 
 Russell's recent despatch relates, he has the honour 
 to state : that in the Governments of the Continent, and 
 more especially in those which have no representative 
 Assemblies, the second class of persons in the public 
 offices possess and exercise much more power and influ- 
 ence than the corresponding class of persons do in this 
 country. In England the Ministers who are at the 
 head of the several departments of the State, are liable 
 any day and every day to defend themselves in Parlia- 
 ment; in order to do this, they must be minutely 
 acquainted with all the details of the business of their 
 offices, and the only way of being constantly armed 
 with such information is to conduct and direct those 
 details themselves. 
 
 On the Continent, where Ministers of State are not 
 liable so to be called to account for their conduct, the 
 Ministers are tempted to leave the details of their 
 business much more to their Under-Secretaries and 
 to their chief clerks. Thus it happens that all the 
 routine of business is generally managed by these 
 subordinate agents ; and to such an extent is this 
 carried, that Viscount Palmerston believes that the 
 Ministers for Foreign Affairs, in France, Austria, 
 Prussia, and Russia, seldom take the trouble of writing 
 their own despatches, except, perhaps, upon some very 
 particular and important occasion. 
 
 Your Majesty will easily see how greatly such a 
 system must place in the hands of the subordinate 
 members of the public departments the power of 
 directing the policy and the measures of the Govern- 
 ment ; because the value and tendency, and the con- 
 sequences of a measure, frequently depend as much 
 upon the manner in which that measure is worked out, 
 
1838] IN ENGLAND AND ABROAD 137 
 
 as upon the intention and spirit with which it was 
 planned. 
 
 Another circumstance tends also to give great power 
 to these second-class men, and that is their permanence 
 in office. 
 
 In England when, in consequence of some great 
 political change the Heads of Departments go out, 
 the greater part of the Under-Secretaries go out also; 
 thus the Under-Secretary (with two or three exceptions) 
 having come in with his Chief, has probably no more 
 experience than his Chief, and can seldom set up his 
 own knowledge to overrule the opinion, or to guide 
 the judgment, of his superior. 
 
 But on the Continent, changes of Ministers are 
 oftener changes of individual men from personal causes, 
 than changes of parties from poUtical convulsions ; and 
 therefore when the Chief retires, the Under-Secretary 
 remains. There are consequently in all the public 
 offices abroad a number of men who have spent the 
 greater part of their lives in their respective depart- 
 ments, and who by their long experience are fuU of 
 knowledge of what has been done in former times, and 
 of the most convenient and easy manner of doing what 
 may be required in the time present. This affisrds to 
 the Chiefs an additional motive for leaning upon their 
 subordinates ; and gives to those subordinates stiU 
 more real influence. 
 
 This class of subordinate men has, from the fact of 
 its being possessed of so much power, been invested by 
 the jargon of the day with the title of " Bureaucratic " 
 — a name fabricated in imitation of the words " aristo- 
 cratic" and "democratic," each being compounded of 
 the word " cratic," which is a corruption from the Greek 
 word "kratos," which means power; and the prefix, 
 denoting the particular class of society whose power 
 is meant to be expressed. Thus " am^o-cratic " is the 
 power of the upper, or, as in Greek it is called, the 
 " aristos " class of society ; " demo-cratic " is the power 
 of the people, which in Greek is called the " demos " ; 
 and " bureau-craiic " is the power of the public offices 
 
138 THE NEW POOR LAW [chap, vn 
 
 or "bureaus," for which latter the French name has 
 been taken instead of a Greek word. 
 
 It appears, then, to be the opinion of Lord WiUiam 
 Russell, that this second class of public men in Prussia 
 are animated by a desire to see the general policy of 
 their country rendered more national and independent 
 than it has hitherto been ; that for this purpose they 
 were desirous of urging on the Government to take 
 its stand against foreign influence upon some point 
 or other, not much caring what that point might be; 
 that they thought it would be difficult to choose a 
 political question, because on such a question the King 
 of Prussia might be against them, and that conse- 
 quently they chose a religious question, on which 
 they knew they should have the King with them; 
 and that accordingly they led the Government on 
 to a quarrel with the Court of Rome, and with the 
 Catholic or Austrian party in Germany, more with 
 a view to place Prussia in an independent national 
 position than from any particular importance which 
 they attached to the question itself upon which the 
 rupture was to be effected. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 2Ut March 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. The House sate until half -past eleven last 
 night. Lord Stanhope^ made a long declamatory 
 speech, very violent, but having in it nothing defined 
 or specific, and was answered by Lord Brougham in 
 a most able and triumphant defence and maintenance 
 of the late Act for Amending the Laws for the Relief 
 of the Poor.'' 
 
 1 Philip Henry, 4th Earl. 
 
 2 Before 1834 a great source of public abuse was the out-door relief given 
 to able-bodied paupers, either in kind or money. The Act of that year was 
 based on the principle that no one must perish through the want of the bare 
 necessities of life. Poor Law Commissioners were established, England was 
 divided into Districts, and the Districts into Unions. Out-idoor relief was to 
 
1838] PRESSURE OF BUSINESS 139 
 
 Lord Melbourne was very sorry to be prevented 
 from waiting upon your Majesty. He is very grateful 
 for your Majesty's enquiries, and feels very well this 
 morning. . . . 
 
 Lord Minto^ told Lord Melbourne last night to 
 acquaint your Majesty that Lord Amelius Beauclerck/ 
 your Majesty's first Naval Aide-de-Camp, intended to 
 ask an Audience to-day of your Majesty, and that 
 the object of it was to request that he and the other 
 Aides-de-Camp might wear sashes. This was always 
 refused by the late King as being absurd and ridicu- 
 lous — as it is, particularly considering Lord Amelius's 
 figure — and your Majesty had perhaps better say that 
 you can make no change. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will be at St James's twenty 
 minutes before ten. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, ith April 1839. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Voits ne m'en voudrez pas, 
 I sincerely hope, for not having written to you sooner 
 to thank you for your kind letter which I received last 
 week, but I really could not do so. As honesty is the 
 best policy, I will tell you the simple fact. I have 
 been out riding every day for about three hours, which 
 quite renovates me, and when I come home I have 
 consequently a good deal to do, what with seeing 
 people, reading despatches, writing, etc. You will, I 
 trust, now quite forgive your poor niece, whom you 
 so often call " the little Queen," which is, I fear, true ; 
 but her feelings of affection are not so small as her 
 body is, I can assure you. 
 
 be given, on the order of two justices, to poor persons wholly unable, from 
 age or infirmity, to work. But there was much opposition to the new law ; 
 it was considered a grievance that old couples were refused relief at home, 
 and that the sexes must be separated at the workhouse, to which the name of 
 " Bastille " began to be attached. In Devonshire it was even believed that 
 the bread distributed by the relieving officers was mixed with poisonous 
 ingredients. 
 
 1 The First Lord of the Admiralty. 
 
 * A son of the eighth Duke of St Albans. 
 
140 EDUCATION OF PRINCE ALBERT [chap, vn 
 
 The Prince de Ligne ^ will be received with every 
 possible attention, I can promise ; it would have been 
 so without his being recommended ; his rank, and, 
 above all, his being one of your subjects, would of 
 course entitle him to a good reception from me. . . . 
 
 There is another sujet which I wish to mention to 
 you, et que Jai bien a cceur, which is, if you would 
 consult Stockmar with respect to the finishing of 
 Albert's education ; he knows best my feelings and 
 wishes on that subject. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 &th April 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and is much distressed that, being in the 
 House of Lords, he was unable to answer your 
 Majesty's letter as soon as he received it. Lord 
 Melbourne went to the palace about half-past four, 
 but learning from the porter at the gate that your 
 Majesty was not returned, went away thinking that 
 there was not left time to see your Majesty before 
 the House of Lords. Lord Melbourne is very much 
 concerned that your Majesty should have hastened at 
 all, and most earnestly requests your Majesty never 
 will do so upon his account. Lord Melbourne hears 
 with great pleasure that your Majesty has had a 
 pleasant ride, and likes your horse. Lord Melbourne 
 is very well himself, and will wait upon your Majesty 
 to-morrow morning about ten minutes before ten. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Paiace, 10th April 1838. 
 
 My deakest Uncle, — I received your kind letter 
 of the 5th on Sunday, and return you my best thanks 
 for it. I shall, before I say another word, answer 
 your question about the horses which I ride, which I 
 
 1 He was appointed to attend the Coronation as Minister Extraordinary 
 from King Leopold. 
 
1838] FAVOURITE HORSES 141 
 
 do the more willingly as I have got two darlings, if 
 I may use that word. They are, both of them, quite 
 perfect in every sense of the word ; very handsome, fiill 
 of spirit, delightful easy-goers, very quiet, and never 
 shying at anything. Is not this perfection ? The one 
 called Tartar (which belonged to Lord Conyngham), 
 an Irish horse, is a very dark brown, a beautiful 
 creature ; the other, which Lord Uxbridge ^ got for me, 
 is called Uxbridge ; he is smaller than Tartar, and is 
 a dark chestnut, with a beautiful httle Arabian head. 
 I am afraid I shall have bored you with this long 
 account of my horses. 
 
 I am going to Windsor to-morrow afternoon, and 
 have got a great deal to do in consequence. . . . 
 
 Poor dear Louie ^ lingers on, but, alas ! I can 
 only say lingers ; she does not gain strength. I 
 cannot say how it grieves me, I am so sincerely 
 attached to the good old soul, who has known me 
 ever since my birth. But I still entertain a hope 
 that she may get over it. 
 
 We shall have a fortnight's respite from our 
 Political Campaign. I trust we shall do as well as 
 we have done when Parliament meets again. Believe 
 me always, your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 13<A April 1839. 
 
 . . . Concerning the education of our friend Albert, 
 it has been the best plan you could have fixed upon, 
 to name Stockmar your commissary-general; it will 
 give unite d'action et de Vensemble, which otherwise 
 we should not have had. I have communicated to 
 him what your uncle and the young gentleman seem 
 
 1 Henry, Earl of Uxbridge, afterwards second Marquis of Anglesey 
 
 f 1797— 1869) 
 
 2 Louisa Louis was born at Erbach in 1771. The Queen erected a tablet to 
 her memory in St Martin's-in-the-Fields, where she is descnbed as "the 
 faithful and devoted friend of Princess Charlotte of Wales, and from earliest 
 infancy honoured bjr the affectionate attachment of Her Majesty Queen 
 Victoria." See Reminiscencet, ante, p. 14. 
 
142 EDUCATION OF PRINCE ALBERT [chap, vn 
 
 to wish, and what strikes me as the best for the 
 moment. Stockmar will make a regular report to 
 you on this subject. They wiU return to Bonn at 
 the beginning of May, and remain till the end of 
 August. ... I agree with this, as nothing enlarges 
 the mind so much as travelling. But Stockmar will 
 best treat this affair verbally with you. The young 
 gentlemen wished to pay me another visit at the 
 beginning of May, prior to their return to Bonn. 
 Nothing definite is, however, as yet settled about it 
 On one thing you can rely, that it is my great anxiety 
 to see Albert a very good and distinguished young man, 
 and no pains will be thought too much on my part if 
 this end can be attained. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 (Undated.) 
 
 Your Majesty will perceive by this box, which I 
 received this morning but had not time to open, that 
 Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia ^ has been appointed 
 Amb^sador to the Coronation. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of tlie Belgians. 
 
 WiNDson Castle, nth April 1838. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — . . . You will by this time 
 have learnt the sad loss we have all sustained in the 
 death, of dearest, faithful, excellent Louie, who breathed 
 her last, without a struggle or a suffering, on Sunday 
 night at nine o'clock. I don't think 1 have ever been 
 so much overcome or distressed by anything, almost, 
 as by the death of this my earliest friend ; it is the 
 first link .that has been broken of my first and 
 
 1 Soult entered the French army in 1785 and became Marshal of France 
 1804. After distinguishing himself at Austerlitz in 1805, he was made Duke 
 of Dalmatia in 1807. Serving in the Peninsular War, he pursued Moore to 
 Corunna, and became Commander-in-Chief in Spain in 1809. Subsequently 
 he conducted the French retreat before WeUington in Southern France, 
 1813-1814; was banished, but recalled later and created a peer. He was 
 Minister of War 1830-1834. 
 
1838] DEATHS OF OLD SERVANTS 143 
 
 infantine affections. 1 always loved Louie, and shall 
 cherish her memory as that of the purest and best 
 of mortals as long as I live 1 I took leave of her 
 before I left London on Wednesday, and never, never 
 shall I forget the blessing she gave me, and the gi-asp 
 she gave my hand 1 I was quite upset by it I And 
 I feared and felt I should behold her on earth no 
 more ; it was, however, a beautiful lesson of calmness 
 and contentment and resignation to the will of her 
 God I Prepared as she was at every moment of her 
 life to meet her heavenly Father, she was full of hope 
 of recovery, and quite unconscious of her approaching 
 end. You will, 1 am sure, dearest Uncle, feel the 
 loss of this excellent creature ; I cannot restrain my 
 tears while writing this. One great consolation I 
 have, which is, that I have been the means of making 
 her last days as happy as she could wish to be, after 
 having lost what she loved most I 
 
 . . . Poor Mason, our faithful coachman for so 
 many years, is also dead. These old servants cannot 
 be replaced ; and to see those whom one has known 
 fix>m one's birth, drop off, one by one, is melancholy 1 
 You will think this letter a very sad one, but / 
 feel sad. . . . 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Mahlbohopgh House, nth April 1838. 
 
 ... I can well enter into all your feelings of regret 
 at the death of one so truly attached and so faithful 
 as dear old Louie had been to you from your infancy, 
 and I quite understand your grief; yet I feel sure that 
 you will also rejoice for her, that she has been relieved 
 from her earthly sufferings. For her the change of 
 existence was a happy one; good and pious as she 
 was, we may trust that her state at present is one of 
 felicity and bhss through the redeeming grace of our 
 Saviour. . . . 
 
144 THE CORONATION [chap, vn 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 nth AprU 1838. 
 
 . . . The Parliamentary affairs will, please Heaven, 
 continue to go on well ; I am more than ever bound to 
 wish it, as I am not anxious to exchange my clever 
 and well-informed friend Palmerston, with Lord 
 Aberdeen, for instance, of whose sweetness the Greek 
 negotiation^ has given me very fair means of judging. 
 Now I will conclude by touching on one subject which 
 concerns your great goodness to us. When we left 
 England you expressed a wish to see us at the time 
 of the Coronation, which was then believed to take 
 place at the end of May. More mature reflection has 
 made me think that a King and Queen at your dear 
 Coronation might perhaps be a hors-d'oeuvre, and 1 
 think, if it meets with your approbation, that it may 
 be better to pay you our respects at some other period, 
 which you might like to fix upon. I do not deny 
 that having been deprived by circumstances from the 
 happiness of wishing you joy at your birthday, since 
 1831, in person, I feel strongly tempted to make a 
 short apparition to see you, as seeing and speaking 
 is much pleasanter than ink and paper. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, ^Sth April 1838. 
 
 My beloved Uncle, — . . . With respect to the 
 happiness of seeing you and my dearest Aunt, I shall 
 now respectfully state my feelings. It would have 
 made me very happy to see you both at the Corona- 
 tion, but I think upon the whole it is perhaps better 
 you should not do so. Then, with respect to your 
 coming for my old birthday, I must observe that I 
 could not enjoy you or my Aunt at all a mon aise. 
 First of all I could not lodge you, and if one is not 
 in the same house together, there is no real seeing 
 
 1 Referring to the offer of the throne of Greece to King Leopold in 1830. 
 
1838] THE CORONATION 145 
 
 one another ; secondly, the town will he so full of all 
 sorts of foreigners that I should have no peace to see 
 you and Aunt quietly. If therefore, dearest Uncle, 
 it suits you and Aunt Louise, would you come about 
 the end of August, and stay with me as long as you 
 can ? I trust, dearest Uncle, que vous me comprendrez 
 Men, and that you are assured of the great happiness 
 it is for me to see you at any time. 
 
 Since I have written to you we have received from 
 Lord Granville the news of Marshal Soult's appoint- 
 ment as Ambassador for the Coronation, and of the 
 Due de Nemours' intention of coming here as a 
 spectator. You may be assured that I shall be de- 
 lighted to see the Duke, as 1 always am any of the 
 dear French family. With regard to Soult, I am sure 
 you are aware that whoever the King chose to send 
 would be equally well received by me and the 
 Government. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 BucEiiraHAM Palace, 5th May 1838. 
 
 The Queen sends the papers relating to the Corona- 
 tion as Lord Melbourne wished. The Queen also 
 transmits the names of the young ladies who she 
 proposes should carry her train. If Lord Melbourne 
 sees any objection to any of these she hopes he will 
 say so. 
 
 The Queen has put down Lady Mary Talbot, as 
 being the daughter of the oldest Earl in the Kingdom ^ 
 and a Roman Catholic; and Lady Anne Fitzwilliam, 
 as she is anxious to show civility to Lord Fitzwilliam 
 who has been very kind to the Queen. 
 
 Perhaps, when the names are agreed to. Lord 
 Melbourne would kindly undertake to speak or write 
 to the parents of the young ladies proposing it to them. 
 
 Lady Caroline Lennox. 
 
 Lady Adelaide Paget. 
 
 Lady Fanny Cowper. 
 
 1 John, sixteenth Earl of Shrewsbury (1791-1859). 
 Vol. 1. —10 
 
146 ADDRESS FROM THE BISHOPS [chap, vn 
 
 Lady Wilhelmina Stanhope. 
 Lady Mary Talbot. 
 Lady Anne Fitzwilliam. 
 Lady Mary Grimston. 
 Lady Louisa Jenkinson. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 nth May 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and thinks that your Majesty had better 
 direct Lord Conyngham to ask the Archbishop, before 
 the Audience, who has generally been there and how 
 it ought to be conducted. 
 
 Your Majesty had better read the Answer and 
 not give it to the Archbishop, as Lord Melbourne 
 apprehends the Archbishop does not give your Majesty 
 the Address. 
 
 Your Majesty had better say something kind to 
 each of the Bishops as they are presented. They are 
 presented to your Majesty in this manner as a sort 
 of privilege, instead of being presented at the Drawing- 
 Room with others, and your Majesty should conduct 
 yourself towards them exactly as if they had been 
 presented in the usual circle. 
 
 The time is about half-past one, and your Majesty 
 had better be punctual so as not to delay the Drawing- 
 Room. 
 
 In the same letter is enclosed a draft of a letter which it was 
 suggested by Lord Melbourne that the Queen should write 
 to the King of Portugal, with regard to the suppression of 
 the Slave Trade. 
 
 [^Drqft enclosed^ 
 
 That you hope that the King and Queen of Portugal will not 
 consider the strong representations made by your Government on 
 the subject of the Slave Trade as arising from any desire to 
 embarrass them. That there is every disposition to make allow- 
 ance for the difficulties of Portugal, but allowance must also be 
 made for the feelings of the people of England ; that those 
 
1838] A BRILLIANT BALL 147 
 
 feelings on the Slave Trade are as strong as they are just. That 
 England has made great sacrifices for the suppression of that 
 crime, that she has made sacrifices to Portugal, and that she has 
 been extremely indignant at finding that traffic so obstinately 
 continued to be sheltered and protected under the flag of Portugal. 
 That Portugal must not expect that England will much longer 
 refrain from taking effectual measures for preventing these practices. 
 That you have spoken thus openly because you wish them to be 
 aware of the truth, and that you entreat both the Queen and the 
 King to use their power and influence in procuring such a treaty 
 to be concluded without delay, as will satisfy England and 
 exonerate Portugal from the reproach under which she now 
 labours. 
 
 This is the substance of what might be written. It is perhaps 
 a little harshly worded, but your Majesty may soften it. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, '25th May 1838. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I am most thankful for 
 your very kind letter, and for the beautiful little 
 sword, which delights me. 
 
 I have been dancing tiU past four o'clock this 
 morning; we have had a charming ball, and I have 
 spent the happiest birthday that I have had for many 
 years; oh, how diflFerent to last yearl Everybody 
 was so kind and so friendly to me. 
 
 We have got a number of Austrians and Milanese 
 here, among whom are a Prince Odescalchi, and a 
 Count Eugene Zichy renowned for his magnificent 
 turquoises and his famous valzing, a good-natured 
 'elegant; we have also Esterhazy's daughter Marie 
 — now Countess Chorinsky — a Count and Countess 
 Grippa, and a Marquis and Marchioness of Trivalzi, etc. 
 
 Old Talleyrand"^ is at last dead. I hear he showed 
 wonderful composure and firmness to the last. He 
 was one of those people who I thought never would 
 die. Did you know what Pozzo said to somebody 
 here about him? He said he (Talleyrand) would 
 not die yet, "par ce que le JDiable ne voulait pas 
 I'avoir." 
 
 » Died 17th May, aged eighty-four. 
 
148 INDEPENDENCE OF BELGIUM [chap, vi, 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeilen, ^nd June 1838. 
 
 ... I have not all this time touched on our affairs, 
 from motives of great discretion, but as the battle 
 draws nigh,^ I cannot very well help writing a few 
 words on the subject. I found an Article in the 
 French Constitutionnel which paints our position in 
 pretty true colours. As it is not very long, I beg you 
 to have the goodness to read it. You have given 
 me so many proofs of affection, and your kind speech 
 at Windsor is so fresh in my memory, that it would 
 be very wrong in me to think that in so short a time, 
 and without any cause, those feelings which are so 
 precious to me could have changed. This makes me 
 appeal to those sentiments. 
 
 The independent existence of the Provinces which 
 form this Kingdom has always been an object of 
 importance to England ; the surest proof of it is, 
 that for centuries England has made the greatest 
 sacrifices of blood and treasure for that object. The 
 last time I saw the late King at Windsor, in 1836, he 
 said to me : " If ever France or any other Power 
 invades your country, it will be a question of imme- 
 diate war for England ; we cannot suffer that." I 
 answered him I was happy to hear him speak so, as 
 I also did not want any foreign Power to invade us. . . . 
 
 All I want from your kind Majesty is, that you will 
 occasionally express to your Ministers, and particularly 
 to good Lord Melbourne, that, as far as it is compatible 
 with the interests of your own dominions, you do not 
 wish that your Government should take the lead in 
 such measures as might in a short time bring on the 
 destruction of this country, as well as that of your 
 uncle and his family. 
 
 Europe has enjoyed ever since 1833, in our part 
 
 I The execution of the treaty of 1831, called the twenty-four Articles, 
 assigning part of Luxemburg to Holland, had been reluctantly agreed to by 
 Leopold, but the King of HoUand withheld his assent for seven years. 
 
1838] ANGLO-BELGIAN RELATIONS 149 
 
 of it, a state of profound peace and real happiness and 
 prosperity. None can deny that the measures which 
 I adopted to organise this country have greatly con- 
 tributed to this happy state of affairs ; this makes me 
 think that the changes which are to take place should 
 be brought about in a very gentle manner. . . . 
 
 I am sorry to have you to listen to so much about 
 politics, but it is not my fault; I -washed nothing so 
 much as to be left alone. I shall do all I can to bring 
 about a good conclusion, but it must not be forgotten 
 that these seven years all the dangers, all the trouble, 
 feU constantly to my share. 
 
 Now I will make haste to conclude, and remain 
 ever, my dearest Victoria, your truly devoted Uncle, 
 
 Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, lOth June 1838. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — It is indeed a long while 
 since I have written to you, and I fear you will think 
 me very lazy ; but I must in turn say, dearest Uncle, 
 that your silence was longer than mine, and that it 
 grieved me, and vi'a beaucoup peinee. I know, how- 
 ever, you have had, and still have, 7nuch to do. Many 
 thanks,' my dear Uncle, for your very kind letter of the 
 2nd inst. ... ' 
 
 It would indeed, dearest Uncle, be very wrong of 
 you, if you thought my feelings of warm and devoted 
 attachment to you, and of great affection for you, could 
 be changed. Nothing can ever change thfem 1 Inde- 
 pendent of my feelings of affection for you, my beloved 
 Uncle, you must be aware that the ancient and 
 hereditary policy of this country with respect to 
 Belgium must make me most anxious that my 
 Government, not only should not be parties to any 
 measure that would be prejudicial to Belgium, but 
 that my Ministers should, as far as may not conflict 
 with the interests or engagements of this country, do 
 
150 PROGRESS OF BELGIUM [chap, vn 
 
 everything in their power to promote the prosperity 
 and welfare of your Kingdom. 
 
 My Ministers, I can assure you, share all my 
 feelings on this subject, and are most anxious to see 
 everything settled in a satisfactory manner between 
 Belgium and Holland. 
 
 We aU feel that we cannot sufficiently or adequately 
 express how much Belgium owes to your wise system 
 of government, which has rendered that country so 
 flourishing in every way, and how much all Europe 
 is indebted to you for the preservation of general 
 peace ; because it is certain that when you ascended 
 the throne of Belgium that country was the one from 
 which the occasion of a general war was much to be 
 feared ; whereas now it is become a link to secure 
 the continuance of peace ; and by the happy circum- 
 stance of your double near relationship to me and 
 to the King of the French, Belgium — which was in 
 former times the cause of discord between England 
 and France — becomes now a mutual tie to keep them 
 together. 
 
 This, my beloved Uncle, we owe to you, and it 
 must be a source of pride and gratification to you. 
 
 I perfectly understand and feel that your position 
 with respect to all these affairs is very difficult and 
 trying, and the feelings of your subjects are far from 
 unnatural ; yet I sincerely hope that you will use the 
 great influence you possess over the minds of the 
 leading men in Belgium, to mitigate discontent and 
 calm irritation, and procure acquiescence in whatever 
 arrangements may ultimately be found inevitable. 
 
 You are right in saying that I, though but a child 
 of twelve years old when you went to Belgium, 
 remember much of what took place, and I have since 
 then had the whole matter fully explained to me. 
 The Treaty of November 1831 was perhaps not so 
 advantageous to the Belgians as could have been 
 wished, yet it cannot have been thought very advan- 
 tageous to the Dutch, else they would have most 
 probably urged their Government before this time to 
 
1838] FOREIGN POLICY 151 
 
 accept it ; besides, when these conditions were framed, 
 England was only one out of jive Powers whose 
 concurrence was required, and consequently they were 
 made under very difficult circumstances. This treaty 
 having been ratified, it is become binding, and there- 
 fore it is almost impossible to consider it as otherwise, 
 and to set aside those parts of it which have been 
 ratified by all the parties. 
 
 1 feel I must in turn, dearest Uncle, entreat your 
 indulgence for so long a letter, and for such full 
 explanations, but I felt it my duty to do so, as you 
 had spoken to me on the subject. 
 
 You may be assured, my beloved Uncle, that 
 both Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston are most 
 anxious at all times for the prosperity and welfare of 
 Belgium, and are consequently most desirous of seeing 
 this difficult question brought to a conclusion which 
 may be satisfactory to you. Allow me once more 
 therefore, dearest Uncle, to beseech you to use your 
 powerful influence over your subjects, and to strive 
 to moderate their excited feelings on these matters. 
 Your situation is a very difficult one, and nobody 
 feels more for you than I do. 
 
 I trust, dearest Uncle, that you will, at all times, 
 believe me your devoted and most affectionate Niece, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, [ ] June ^ 1838. 
 
 My dearest, and most beloved Victoria, — You 
 have written me a very dear and long letter, which has 
 given me great pleasure and satisfaction. I was much 
 moved with the expressions of truly felt affection, 
 which it contains, and I shall never again doubt your 
 affection for me, but rely on your dear heart and the 
 constancy of your character. 
 
 1 will now tell you honestly that I had some 
 misgivings; I did not exactly think that you had 
 
 1 The day of the month is not given. 
 
152 HOLLAND AND BELGIUM [chap, vn 
 
 quite forgotten me, but I thought I had been put aside 
 as one does with a piece of furniture which is no longer 
 wanted. I did not complain, because I fear if affection 
 is once on the decline, reproaches only diminish it the 
 faster. I therefore said nothing, but in a life full of 
 grief and disappointments like mine, the loss of your 
 affection would have been one of the most severe. It 
 was in this point of view that the declaration made 
 by Lord Palmerston at the beginning of May to the 
 Prussian Government chagrined me much.^ It was 
 premature, because the negotiation was not yet renewed. 
 It looked as if the English Government had been 
 anxious to say to the Northern Powers, who always 
 steadfastly protected Holland, " You imagine, perhaps, 
 that we mean to have egards for the uncle of the 
 Queen ; there you see we shall make even shorter work 
 with him now than we did under our late master." 
 
 This impression had been general on the Continent ; 
 they considered the declaration to Prussia in this way : 
 " La Reine et ses Ministres sont done enti^rement indiff^- 
 rents sur le compte du Roi L. ; cela change entierement 
 la position, et nous allons faire mains basses sur lui." 
 From that moment their language became extremely 
 imperious ; they spoke of nothing but acts of coercion, 
 bombardment, etc., etc. I firmly believe, because I 
 have been these many years on terms of great and 
 sincere friendship with Palmerston, that he did not 
 himself quite foresee the importance which would be 
 attached to his declaration. I must say it hurt me 
 more in my English capacity than in my Belgian, as 
 I came to this country from England, and was chosen 
 for that very reason. Besides, 1 am happy to say, I 
 was never as yet in the position to ask for any act 
 of kindness from you, so that whatever little service I 
 may have rendered you, remained on a basis of perfect 
 disinterestedness. That the first diplomatic step in 
 our affairs should seem by your Government to be 
 directed against me, created therefore all over the 
 
 1 Prussia was giving unmistakable evidence of a disposition to support 
 Holland against Belgium. 
 
1838] CORONATION DAY 153 
 
 Continent a considerable sensation. I shall never ask 
 any favours of you, or anything that could in the least 
 be considered as incompatible with the interests of 
 England; but you will comprehend that there is a 
 great difference in claiming favours and in being treated 
 as an enemy. . . . 
 
 I will conclude my overgrown letter with the assur- 
 ance that you never were in greater favour, and that I 
 love you dearly. Believe me, therefore, ever, my best 
 beloved Victoria, your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Qiieen Victoria. 
 
 Marlboro' House, 
 
 At a quarter before 12 o'clock on the Coronation Day, 
 
 2Sih June 1838. 
 
 My DEAREST Niece, — The guns are just announc- 
 ing your approach to the Abbey, and as I am not 
 near you, and cannot take part in the sacred ceremony 
 of your Coronation, I must address you in writing to 
 assure you that my thoughts and my whole heart are 
 with you, and my prayers are offered up to Heaven 
 for your happiness, and the prosperity and glory of 
 your reign. May our Heavenly Father bless and 
 preserve you, and His Holy Ghost dwell within you 
 to give you that peace which the world cannot give 1 
 Accept of these my best wishes, and the blessing of 
 your most devoted and attached Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 Extract from the Queen's Journal. 
 
 Thwnday, 28th June 1838. 
 
 I was awoke at four o'clock by the guns in the Park, 
 and could not get much sleep afterwards on account 
 of the noise of the people, bands, etc., etc. Got up 
 at seven, feeling strong and weU ; the Park presented 
 a curious spectacle, crowds of people up to Constitution 
 Hill, soldiers, bands, etc. I dressed, having taken a 
 little breakfast before I dressed, and a little after. At 
 half-past 9 I went into the next room, dressed exactly 
 
154 WESTMINSTER ABBEY [chap, vii 
 
 in my House of Lords costume ; and met Uncle 
 Ernest, Charles,^ and Feodore (who had come a few 
 minutes before into my dressing-room). Lady Lans- 
 downe. Lady Normanby, the Duchess of Sutherland, 
 and Lady Barham, all in their robes. 
 
 At 10 I got into the State Coach with the Duchess 
 of Sutherland and Lord Albemarle and we began our 
 Progress. I subjoin a minute account of the whole 
 Procession and of the whole Proceeding, — the route, 
 etc. It was a fine day, and the crowds of people 
 exceeded what I have ever seen ; many as there were 
 the day I went to the City, it was nothing, nothing 
 to the multitudes, the millions of my loyal subjects 
 who were assembled in every spot to witness the Pro- 
 cession. Their good humour and excessive loyalty was 
 beyond everything, and I really cannot say how proud 
 I feel to be the Queen of such a Nation. I was alarmed 
 at times for fear that the people would be crushed and 
 squeezed on account of the tremendous rush and 
 pressure. 
 
 I reached the Abbey amid deafening cheers at a 
 httle after half-past eleven ; I first went into a robing- 
 room quite close to the entrance where I found my 
 eight train-bearers : Lady Caroline Lennox, Lady 
 Adelaide Paget, Lady Mary Talbot, Lady Fanny 
 Cowper, Lady Wilhelmina Stanhope, Lady Anne Fitz- 
 william, Lady Mary Grimston, and Lady Louisa 
 Jenkinson — all dressed alike and beautifully in white 
 satin and silver tissue with wreaths of silver corn-ears in 
 front, and a small one of pink roses round the plait 
 behind, and pink roses in the trimming of the dresses. 
 
 After putting on my mantle, and the young ladies 
 having properly got hold of it and Lord Conyngham 
 holding the end of it, 1 left the robing-room and the 
 Procession began as is described in the annexed account, 
 and all that followed and took place. The sight was 
 splendid ; the bank of Peeresses quite beautiful all in 
 their robes, and the Peers on the other side. My young 
 train-bearers were always near me, and helped me 
 
 1 Prince Charles of Leiningen, the Queen's half-brother. 
 
1838] THE ENTHRONISATION 155 
 
 whenever I wanted anything. The Bishop of Durham ^ 
 stood on the side near me, but he was, as Lord 
 Melbourne told me, remarkably maladroit, and never 
 could tell me what was to take place. At the begin- 
 ning of the Anthem where I've made a mark, I retired 
 to St Edward's Chapel, a dark small place immediately 
 behind the Altar, with my ladies and train-bearers — 
 took off my crimson robe and kirtle, and put on the 
 supertunica of cloth of gold, also in the shape of a 
 kirtle, which was put over a singular sort of little gown 
 of linen trimmed with lace ; I also took off my circlet 
 of diamonds and then proceeded bare-headed into the 
 Abbey ; I was then seated upon St Edward's chair, 
 where the Dalmatic robe was clasped round me by 
 the Lord Great Chamberlain. Then followed all the 
 various things ; and last (of those things) the Crown 
 being placed on my head — which was, I must own, a 
 most beautiful impressive moment ; all the Peers and 
 Peeresses put on their coronets at the same instant. 
 
 My excellent Lord Melbourne, who stood very 
 close to me throughout the whole ceremony, was 
 completely overcome at this moment, and very much 
 affected ; he gave me such a kind, and I may say 
 fatherly look. The shouts which were very great, the 
 drums, the trumpets, the firing of the guns, all at the 
 same instant, rendered the spectacle most imposing. 
 
 The Enthronisation and the Homage of, first, all 
 the Bishops, and then my Uncles, and lastly of all 
 the Peers, in their respective order was very fine. The 
 Duke of Norfolk (holding for me the Sceptre with i 
 Cross) vnt\i Lord Melbourne stood close to me on mj 
 right, and the Duke of Richmond with the other Sceptre 
 on my left, etc., etc. AU my train-bearers, etc., standing 
 behind the Throne. Poor old Lord RoUe, who is 82 
 and dreadfully infirm, in attempting to ascend the 
 steps fell and rolled quite down, but was not the leas! 
 hurt ; when he attempted to re-ascend them I got uj 
 and advanced to the end of the steps, in order tc 
 prevent another fall. When Lord Melbourne's turr 
 
 1 Edward Maltby, 1770-18S9. 
 
156 RECEIVING HOMAGE [chap, vn 
 
 to do Homage came, there was loud cheering; they 
 also cheered Lord Grey and the Duke of Wellington ; 
 it's a pretty ceremony ; they first all touch the Crown, 
 and then kiss my hand. When my good Lord 
 Melbourne knelt down and kissed my hand, he pressed 
 my hand and I grasped his with all my heart, at which 
 he looked up with his eyes filled with tears and seemed 
 much touched, as he was, I observed, throughout the 
 whole ceremony. After the Homage was concluded 
 I left the Throne, took off my Crown and received 
 the Sacrament ; I then put on my Crown again, and 
 re-ascended the Throne, leaning on Lord Melbourne's 
 arm. At the commencement of the Anthem I de- 
 scended fi-om the Throne, and went into St Edward's 
 Chapel with my Ladies, Train-bearers, and Lord 
 Willoughby, where I took off the Dalmatic robe, 
 supertunica, etc., and put on the Purple Velvet Kirtle 
 and Mantle, and proceeded again to the Throne, which 
 I ascended leaning on Lord Melbourne's hand. 
 
 There was another most dear Being present at this 
 ceremony, in the box immediately above the royal box, 
 and who witnessed all ; it was my dearly beloved 
 angelic Lehzen, whose eyes I caught when on the 
 Throne, and we exchanged smiles. She and Spath, 
 Lady John Russell, and Mr. Murray saw me leave the 
 Palace, arrive at the Abbey, leave the Abbey and 
 again return to the Palace 1 1 
 
 I then again descended from the Throne, and 
 repaired with all the Peers bearing the Regalia, my 
 Ladies and Train-bearers, to St Edward's Chapel, as it 
 is called ; but which, as Lord Melbourne said, was 
 more unhke a Chapel than anything he had ever 
 seen ; for, what was called an Altar was covered with 
 sandwiches, bottles of wine, etc., etc. The Archbishop 
 came in and ought to have delivered the Orb to me, 
 but I had already got it, and he (as usual) was so con- 
 fused and puzzled and knew nothing, and — went away. 
 Here we waited some minutes. Lord Melbourne took 
 a glass of wine, for he seemed completely tired. The 
 Procession being formed, I replaced my Crown (which 
 
1838] POPULAR ENTHUSIASM 157 
 
 I had taken ofF for a few minutes), took the Orb in 
 my left hand and the Sceptre in my right, and thus 
 loaded, proceeded through the Abbey — which resounded 
 with cheers, to the first robing-room ; where I found 
 the Duchess of Gloucester, Mamma, and the Duchess 
 of Cambridge with their Ladies. And here we waited 
 for at least an hour, with all my ladies and train-bearers ; 
 the Princesses went away about half an hour before 1 
 did. The Archbishop had (most awkwardly) put the 
 ring on the wrong finger, and the consequence was 
 that I had the greatest difficulty to take it off again, 
 which I at last did with great pain. Lady Fanny, 
 Lady Wilhelmina, and Lady Mary Grimston looked 
 quite beautiful. At about half-past four I re-entered 
 my carriage, the Crown on my head, and the Sceptre 
 and Orb in my hands, and we proceeded the same way 
 as we came — the crowds if possible having increased. 
 The enthusiasm, affection and loyalty was really touch- 
 ing, and I shall ever remember this day as the Proudest 
 of my life I I came home at a little after six, really 
 not feeling tired. 
 
 At eight we dined. Besides we thirteen — my 
 Uncles, sister, brother, Spath, and the Duke's gentlemen 
 — my excellent Lord Melbourne and Lord Surrey 
 dined here. Lord Melbourne came up to me and said : 
 " I must congratulate you on this most brilliant day," 
 and that all had gone off so well. He said he was not 
 tired, and was in high spirits. I sat between Uncle 
 Ernest^ and Lord Melbourne; and Lord Melbourne 
 between me and Feodore, whom he had led in. My 
 kind Lord Melbourne was much affected in speaking 
 of the whole ceremony. He asked kindly if I was 
 tired ; said the Sword he carried (the first, the Sword 
 of State) was excessively heavy. I said that the Crown 
 hurt me a good deal. He was so much amused at 
 Uncle Ernest's being astonished at our still having 
 the Litany, We agreed that the whole thing was a 
 very fine sight. He thought the robes, and particularly 
 the Dalmatic, "looked remarkably well." "And you 
 
 » The King of Hanover. 
 
158 INCIDENTS OF THE CORONATION [chap, to 
 
 did it all so well — excellent I " said he with tears in his 
 eyes. He said he thought I looked rather pale and 
 " moved by all the people " when I arrived ; " and 
 that's natural ; and that's better." The Archbishop's 
 and Dean's copes, which were remarkably handsome, 
 were from James the Second's time ; the very same 
 that were worn at his Coronation, Lord Melbourne 
 told me. Spoke of the Bishop of Durham's awkward- 
 ness, Lord RoUe's fall, etc. Of the Due de Nemours 
 being like his father in face ; of the young ladies' 
 (train-bearers) dresses, which he thought beautiful; 
 and he said he thought the Duchess of Richmond 
 (who had ordered the make of the dresses, etc., and had 
 been much condemned by some of the young ladies 
 for it) quite right. She said to him : " One thing I was 
 determined about ; that I would have no discussion 
 with their Mammas about it." Spoke of Talleyrand 
 and Soult having been very much struck by the 
 ceremony of the Coronation; of the English being 
 far too generous not to be kind to Soult. Lord 
 Melbourne went home the night before, and slept 
 very deeply till he was woke at six in the morning. 
 I said I did not sleep well. Spoke of the Illumina- 
 tions and Uncle Ernest's wish to see them. 
 
 After dinner, before we sat down, we (that is, 
 Charles, Lord Melbourne and I) spoke of the numbers 
 of Peers at the Coronation, which. Lord Melbourne 
 said with the tears in his eyes, was unprecedented. 
 I observed that there were very few Viscounts ; he 
 said : " There are very few Viscounts," that they were 
 an odd sort of title and not really English ; that 
 they came from Fice-Comites; that Dukes and Barons 
 were the only 7-eal English titles ; that Marquises 
 were likewise not English ; and that they made people 
 Marquises when they did not wish to make them Dukes. 
 Spoke of Lord Audley who came as the First Baron, 
 and who Lord Melbourne said was a very odd young 
 man, but of a very old family, his ancestor was a Sir 
 Something Audley in the time of the Black Prince, 
 who, with Chandos, gained the Battle of Poictiers. 
 
1838] PAGES OF HONOUR 159 
 
 I then sat on the sofa for a little while with Lady 
 Barham and then with Charles; Lord Melbourne 
 sitting near me the whole evening. Mamma and 
 Feodore remained to see the Illuminations and only 
 came in later and Mamma went away before I did. 
 Uncle Ernest drove out to see the Illuminations. 
 
 I said to Lord Melbourne when I first sat down 
 that I felt a little tired on my feet ; " You must be 
 very tired," he said. Spoke of the weight of the 
 Robes, etc., etc., the Coronets ; and he turned round to 
 me with the tears in his eyes, and said so kindly : " And 
 you did it beautifully — every part of it, with so much 
 taste ; it's a thing that you can't give a person advice 
 upon ; it must be left to a person." To hear this, 
 from this kind impartial friend, gave me great and 
 real pleasure. Mamma and Feodore came back just 
 after he said this. Spoke of the Bishops' Copes, about 
 which he was very funny ; of the Pages who were 
 such a nice set of boys, and who were so handy. Lord 
 Melbourne said, that they kept them the whole time. 
 Little Lord Stafford, and Slane (Lord Mountcharles) 
 were pages to their fathers and looked lovely ; Lord 
 Paget (not a fine boy) was Lord Melbourne's page 
 and remarkably handy, he said. Spoke again of the 
 yotmg ladies' dresses, about which he was very amusing ; 
 he waited for his carriage with Lady Mary Talbot and 
 Lady Wilhelmina; he thinks Lady Fanny does not 
 make as much show as other girls, which I would not 
 allow. He set off for the Abbey from his house at 
 half-past eight, and was there long before anybody else ; 
 he only got home at half-past six and had to go round 
 by Kensington. He said there was a large breakfast 
 in the Jerusalem Chamber where they met before aU 
 began; he said laughing, that whenever the Clergy, 
 or a Dean and Chapter, had anything to do with 
 anything, there's sure to be plenty to eat. 
 
 Spoke of my intending to go to bed, etc., he said 
 "You may depend upon it, you are more tired than 
 you think you are." I said I had slept badly the night 
 before ; he said that was my mind, that nothing kept 
 
160 EXTRA HOLIDAYS FOR SCHOOLS [chap, vii 
 
 people more awake than any consciousness of a great 
 event going to take place, and being agitated. He 
 was not sure if he was not going to the Duke of 
 Wellington's. 
 
 Stayed in the dining-room till twenty minutes past 
 eleven, but remained on Mamma's balcony looking at 
 the fireworks in Green Park which were quite beautiful. 
 Uncle Ernest, Charles, Feodore and the Ladies and 
 Gentlemen (like Lehzen, etc.) saw me leave the Palace, 
 arrive at ^e Abbey, leave the Abbey, and return 
 to the Palace. Got a long letter from Aunt Louise. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 2Sth June 1838. 
 
 The Queen is very anxious to hear if Lord 
 Melbourne got home safe, and if he is not tired, 
 and quite well this morning. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will be glad to hear that the 
 Qfieen had an excellent night, is not the least tired, 
 and is perfectly well this morning ; indeed she feels 
 much better than she has done for some days. 
 
 The Queen hears that it is usual to ask for an 
 additional week's holidays for the boys at the various 
 Public Schools, on the occasion of the Coronation. 
 Perhaps Lord Melbourne will enquire about this, in 
 order that there may be no neglect on my part. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 2nd July 1838. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Many thanks for two kind 
 letters, one which I got last Monday and one this 
 morning. The kind interest you take in me and 
 my country (of which, and of the nation, I'm more 
 proud than I ever was, since I've witnessed their 
 excessive affection and loyalty to me) makes me 
 certain that you will be glad to hear how beautifully 
 everything went off. It was a memorable and 
 glorious day for me. The millions assembled to 
 
1838] REVIEW IN HYDE PARK 161 
 
 witness the progress to and from the Abbey was 
 beyond belief, and all in the highest good humour. It 
 is a fine ceremony, and a scene I shall ever remember, 
 and with pleasure. I likewise venture to add that 
 people thought I did my part very well. 
 
 The amiable Due de Nemours dined with me on 
 Friday, comes to my baU to-night, and dines again 
 with me on Wednesday. Pray tell dearest Aunt 
 Louise that I thank her much for her very kind 
 letter, and will avail myself of her kindness and not 
 write to her this mail. 
 
 Feodore is writing in my room, well and happy. 
 Uncle Ernest still very lame, and Charles well. 
 There's an account of the family. Ever and ever 
 your most devoted Niece, Victoria B,. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Sth July 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. As your Majesty does not ride, the question 
 is between driving down the line or not going down 
 it at aU,^ and it appears to Lord Melbourne that the 
 first is the best, namely, to drive down; but if your 
 Majesty feels a strong repugnance, there is no more 
 to be said. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thinks it safer and more prudent 
 that your Majesty should not ride ; but still it might 
 have been done, and if Lord Melbourne had thought 
 that your Majesty wished it much, he would not 
 have dissuaded it. 
 
 The King- of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Neuilly, nth July 1838. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I am very grateful foi 
 your kind letter; it is extremely meritorious, amidst 
 such fatigues and festivities and occupations of everj 
 
 1 Referring to the Hyde Park review on the next day. 
 Vol. I. — 11 
 
162 THE CORONATION [chap, vn 
 
 kind, to find a moment to write. I expressed already 
 the great satisfaction with which I read and heard 
 all the accounts of the Coronation, and I believe that 
 there never was anything like it. The only one 
 which in point of loyal demonstration may approach 
 it is that of George III., but I think it fell short 
 of yours. 
 
 I am happy to see that it has increased, if possible, 
 your affection and attachment to your country, and 
 this is in every respect a great blessing. You will 
 remember that I have never varied on that subject, 
 the great thing is to be the National Sovereign of 
 your own country, and to love its very faults. This 
 strengthens the mutual attachement, and that can 
 never be too strong. . . . 
 
 Believe me, ever, my dearest Victoria, your very 
 devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The whole of the family here offer their best 
 hominages. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Neuilly, 'iOth July 1838. 
 
 I feel most grateful for your dear kind letter of 
 the 10th inst., which I received a few days ago. 
 I hear that the review was something most splendid, 
 and I feel always some regret at having been deprived 
 of the happiness of seeing you en fonction, which you 
 do in a degree of rare perfection. May the remem- 
 brance of all this long remain in your mind, to cheer 
 and strengthen you when occasionally there will be 
 a darker sky. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 loth August 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty. The very difficult and embarrassing 
 situation in which Lord Durham and the Canadas and 
 the Ministry are left by the vote of the House of 
 
1838] LORD DURHAM AND CANADA 163 
 
 Lords of last night, requires that a Cabinet should be 
 held to-day, and Lord Melbourne has directed one to 
 be summoned at two. Lord Melbourne will wait upon 
 your Majesty either before that hour or after about 
 four o'clock. The vote of last night and the Bill of 
 Lord Brougham^ is a direct censure upon Lord 
 Durham. Lord Durham's conduct has been most 
 rash and indiscreet, and, as far as we can see, 
 unaccountable. But to censure him now would either 
 be to cause his resignation, which would produce 
 great embarrassment, and might produce great evil, 
 or to weaken his authority, which is evidently most 
 undesirable. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 loth August 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs to inform you that the Cabinet 
 have determined to advise your Majesty to disallow 
 Lord Durham's ordinance, and to announce the same 
 to the House of Lords.^ 
 
 This is absolutely necessary, but very disagreeable, 
 and will be very much so to Lord Durham. 
 
 The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 25th September 1838. 
 
 My most beloved Victouia, — I can never thank 
 you enough for the dear letter which I found on my 
 table on arriving here, Sunday evening. It was most 
 kind of you to have written so soon after our 
 departure, and such an affectionate, good, kind letter. 
 The tears came to my eyes as I read it, and I felt 
 quite moved. Short as has been our stay, and great, 
 as always, the pain of leaving you, it has been a 
 great happiness for me to see you again, a happiness 
 
 1 This Bill (which emphasised the illegality of Lord Durham's ordinance) 
 was read a second time by 54 to 36. On the following day Lord Melbourne 
 announced to the Peers that Ministers had resolved to advise that the 
 ordinance should be disallowed. 
 
 ' See Introductory Note for the year, ante, p. 131. 
 
164 GOVERNMENT OF CANADA [chap, vii 
 
 for which I shall always thank God, you, and your 
 dear Uncle. I need not add how very precious is 
 your affection to me, and how very grateful I am 
 for every new proof of it. You know my feelings 
 on this point, and you know they are better felt than 
 expressed. Your calling me Louise, and in such a 
 kind way, gave me great pleasure. Almost all those 
 dear to me call me so, and I think it looks more 
 affectionate ; T would fain say now sister-like, although 
 I am rather an old sister for you now. . . . 
 
 Leopold is half crazy with the steam-engine, and 
 particularly with the tools which you sent him. I 
 enclose here the expression of his gratitude. I wrote 
 exactly what he told me to Avrite, and I did not add 
 a word. He has found again his kie (key), and he 
 wears it suspended to his neck by a blue riband, with 
 the Duchess's little seal. He felt deeply the attention 
 you had to have an L engraved on each tool, and 
 after his letter was closed he charged me to thank 
 you for it, and to tell you that it gave him great 
 pleasure. An iron spade was the greatest object of 
 his ambition, and he worked so hard yesterday with 
 it, that I feared he would hurt himself with the 
 exertion. He will go to-day to the races with us, 
 in the Scotch dress which the Duchess had the 
 kindness to send him. It fits very well, and he is 
 very proud of having a coat shaped like that of a 
 man. ... 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 '26th October 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. . . , 
 
 Mr Stanley of the Treasury^ arrived in London 
 yesterday, and acquaints me that Lord Normanby 
 makes no secret of his willingness, and indeed his 
 desire, to undertake the government of Canada. It 
 
 1 " Ben " Stanley, afterwards Lord Stanley of Alderley, Secretary to the 
 Treasury. 
 
1838] IRELAND AND O'CONNELL 165 
 
 would have been better if Lord Normanby had 
 acquainted Lord Melbourne quietly of this, and not 
 made it at once pubMc to all the world. It is not 
 necessary to do anything at present If Lord Durham 
 remains, which Lord Melbourne does not, however, 
 think hkely, there will be no successor to be appointed, 
 and if he returns, the authority of Governor of Lower 
 Canada vidll devolve upon Sir John Colborne,' in whose 
 hands it may be very safely left for the present. 
 
 If Ireland should be vacant, there is a strong feeling 
 amongst many that it would be nice to name the 
 Duke of Sussex. It is said that it would be popular 
 in Ireland, that the name of one of the Royal Family 
 would do good there, and that it would afford to 
 O'Connell a pretext and opportunity for giving up 
 his new scheme of agitation. It is also added that 
 the Duke would suffer himself to be guided on all 
 essential matters by the advice of his Chief Secretary, 
 and that he would content himself with discharging 
 the ceremonial duties. Here are the reasons for it — 
 your Majesty is so well acquainted with the reasons 
 on the other side, that it is unnecessary for me to 
 detail them. 
 
 I am afraid that times of some trouble are approach- 
 ing, for which your Majesty must hold yourself pre- 
 pared ; but your Majesty is too well acquainted with 
 the nature of human aflfairs, not to be well aware that 
 they cannot very well go on even as quietly as they 
 have gone on during the last sixteen months. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 ith November 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very well, but Sir James Clark," 
 a Scotchman and a physician, and therefore neither 
 by country nor by profession very religious, detained 
 
 1 Field-Marshal Sir John Colborne, afterwards Lord Seaton, had beer 
 Military Secretary to Sir John Moore, had commanded a brigade with greal 
 distinction in the Peninsula, and had contributed greatly to the success ol 
 the British Arms at Waterloo. 
 
 " Physician-in-Ordinaiy to the Queen. 
 
166 DEATH OF LADY JOHN RUSSELL [chap, vn 
 
 him from Church in order to go through the report 
 upon the state of Buckingham Palace. This is not 
 a very good excuse, but it is the true one. Lord 
 Melbourne is very grateful to your Majesty for your 
 enquiries, and having some letters to submit, will be 
 happy to attend upon your Majesty. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 6th November 1838. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — . . . We have all been much 
 distressed by the melancholy and untimely death of 
 poor Lady John Russell,^ which took place on the 1st. 
 She was safely confined on the 20th of October with a 
 little girl, who bears my name, and seemed to be going 
 on very well; but on Wednesday she began to sink 
 from weakness, not disease, and died at three o'clock on 
 Thursday. It is a dreadful blow to him, for he was so 
 attached to her, and I don't believe two people ever 
 were happier together. I send you his pretty letter to 
 me, which I think you may be interested to see ; he 
 is dreadfully beat down by it, but struggles manfully 
 against his grief, which makes one pity him more. She 
 has left four children by her first husband, now orphans, 
 the eldest a sweet girl twelve years old, and two little 
 girls by Lord John ; the eldest of these two is two and 
 a half, and the youngest a, fortnight. I had known her 
 very well and liked her, and I assure you I was dread- 
 fully shocked at it. You may also imagine what a loss 
 she is to poor Miss Lister, who has no mother, and 
 whose only sister she was. I fear, dear Uncle, I have 
 made a sad and melancholy letter of this, but I have 
 been so much engrossed by all this misery, and knowing 
 you take an interest in poor Lord John, that I let my 
 pen run on almost involuntarily. 
 
 We have very good accounts of the Queen-Dowager 
 from Gibraltar. 
 
 Please return me Lord .John's letter when you have 
 done with it. 
 
 1 Daughter of Mr Thomas Lister. She had been widow of the second 
 Lord Ribblesdale, and married Lord John Russell in April 1835. 
 
1838] SYMPATHY WITH LORD JOHN RUSSELL 16 
 
 Lord and Lady Howard' have been here, and 
 urged to him to hear Dietz as an inevitable evil, an 
 I think he seems very anxious to do what is right, 
 have hkewise written to Ferdinand, urging him am 
 Dietz to be reasonable. 
 
 Will you tell Aunt Louise that she will receive 
 box containing the Limerick lace dress (just lik 
 mine), which I lay at her feet. I fear, dear Uncle 
 you will think I 'm making you my commissione 
 de toilette, as in these two letters I have plagued yoi 
 with commissions on that subject. . . . 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, Sth Sovemher 1838. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — Your kind and interestinj 
 letter of the 6th reached me yesterday morning. I hai 
 in you those simple and unaffected feelings which i 
 contains. May you always preserve that great warmtl 
 and truth of character which you now possess, and res 
 assured that it will be an ornament to you, and thi 
 means of finding the same truth and warmth of feehn| 
 in others. Those who serve, from whatever motive i 
 may be, have always their eyes wide open on thei 
 superiors, and no qualities impose so much on them th' 
 necessity of respect, which they gladly avoid, than a warn 
 and noble character that knows how to feel for others 
 and how to sympathise with their sorrows. I pity Lon 
 John from all my heart, having always had for him senti 
 ments of the sincerest regard. I fear that as a politica 
 man it may prove also a severe blow. All depends oi 
 how he takes it, if he will wish to forget his grief b; 
 occupying himself with political strife or if his greate 
 sensibility will make him wish to indulge it in solitude. . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of tlie Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, yith Novemher 1838. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I was certain you wouli 
 take interest in and feel for poor Lord John ; he is, \ 
 hear, still dreadfuUy shaken, and quite unequal to d( 
 
 1 Charles Augustus, sixth Lord Howard de Walden, was the Britis' 
 Minister at Lisbon, and afterwards (184,6-1868) at Brussels. 
 
168 LORD JOHN RUSSELL [chap, vn 
 
 any business at present. His chief consolation is in 
 attending to the children. 
 
 1 felt much for you, and still more for poor dear 
 Aunt Louise, when the sad separation from poor Marie ^ 
 took place ; it is so melancholy to see a dear relation 
 depart who is so ill. 
 
 I have this morning heard from Ferdinand that 
 the good Queen is at last confined after keeping us for 
 two months and more dans Vattente of the event. It 
 took place on the 3rd, and Ferdinand writes such 
 a funny letter, saying, "nous sommes tous bien 
 heureux surtout moi qui craignais que ce ne fut une 
 petite fiUe ce qui m'eut 6t6 un peu desagrdable, car en 
 fait d'enfants j'aime mieux les petits gar^ons, parcequ'ils 
 sont plus gais et plus tapageurs."* Isn't this very good ? 
 
 I believe the King of the French is to be god- 
 father. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 20th November 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and transmits a copy of Mr Macaulay's 
 letter.' . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne fears, from what he hears of the 
 language of Lord Howick and Mr Monson, that 
 much difficulty will be found in making arrangements 
 and deciding upon questions. But Lord Melbourne 
 wiYL use every eiFort in his power in order to keep 
 the administration together and to carry on the 
 public service. Lord Melbourne hears with concern 
 from Mr Fox Maule that Lord John Russell does not 
 return to business as readily as Mr Maule had hoped 
 that he would, and Lord Melbourne fears that he 
 will not do whilst he remains at Cassiobury with 
 the children. Solitude and retirement cherish and 
 encourage grief. Employment and exertion are the 
 only means of dissipating it. 
 
 1 See post, p. 182. 
 
 '^ The Prince received the title of Duke of Oporto. 
 
 8 Declining to join the Government. The original is not preserved among 
 the Queen's papers. 
 
1838] CANADA AND LORD DURHAM 16£ 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 S2nd November 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to youi 
 Majesty, and begs to acknowledge your Majesty's 
 gracious communication received yesterday. Lore 
 Melbourne had nothing particular to lay before youi 
 Majesty, but stiU regrets that he did not write, as 
 your Majesty might have wished to hear from him. 
 
 Lord Melbourne returns the King of Portugal's 
 letter, which, as your Majesty observes, is very rougl 
 and iU-tempered with reference to Lord Howard. 
 Lord Melbourne read it with much concern, as i1 
 shows so much dislike and alienation, as renders i1 
 very improbable that they should ever go on togethei 
 well and in a friendly spirit. Lord Melbourne fear; 
 that the epithets applied to Lord Howard, thougl 
 very severe and full of resentment, are not entirelj 
 ill-chosen and inappropriate. 
 
 All the Ministers, except Lord Duncannon^ anc 
 Lord John RusseU, dined here yesterday, and they al 
 appeared to be in very good humour and disposed tc 
 co-operate in order to meet the difficulties by whicl 
 we are surrounded. . . . 
 
 With respect to Canada, Lord Melbourne feels thai 
 it may be considered somewhat presumptuous in him tc 
 undervalue danger, which is considered by those upon th( 
 spot to be so great and so imminent, but still he cannol 
 feel the alarm which seems to be felt there. Lore 
 Durham, Lord Melbourne is convinced, exaggerates the 
 peril in order to give greater eclat to his own departure 
 The worst symptom which Lord Melbourne perceives i; 
 the general fear which seems to prevail there, and whicl 
 makes every danger ten times as great as it really is, 
 
 1 The birth of an heir on 16th September 1837, conferred on Princi 
 Ferdinand the right to the title of King. 
 
 ^ See ante, p. 167. , „ „ , , ^. 
 
 3 Lord Duncannon (1781-1847), at this time Lord Pnvy Seal and Firs 
 Commissioner of Woods and Forests, was afterwards (as Earl of Bessborough 
 Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. He must not be confused with the Lon 
 Dungannon who sat in the House of Commons as Mr Hill-Trevor, fron 
 1830-184,1, and, as Viscount Dungannon was elected in 1843, but immediatel] 
 unseated on petition. 
 
170 BELGIUM AND ENGLISH GOVERNMENT [chap, vn 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeeek, 2Uh November 1838. 
 
 My dear Victoria, — Van Praet ^ is bearer of this 
 letter. The present moment being one of some import- 
 ance — which may, if imprudently managed, cause great 
 disturbances in the West of Europe, and exercise a 
 reaction on your own Government — I think it my 
 duty to inform you of what is going on. 
 
 I join a copy of a letter to Lord Palmerston. I 
 should feel obliged to you if you would read it in the 
 presence of good Lord Melbourne, in whose fairness and 
 sense of justice I must say I feel great confidence. . . . 
 
 I will not complain, only one subject I must touch 
 upon as really very unfair. That your Ministers should 
 take a line unfavourable to this country may be 
 explained by their political position, but why should 
 they press so much on the French Government ? I 
 really see no cause for it. England is in an excellent 
 position for a mediator, and for all parties it is highly 
 desirable that that position should be maintained.^ 
 
 I will not plague with a longer letter. You know 
 from experience that I never ask anything of you. I 
 prefer remaining in the position of having rendered 
 services without wanting any return for it but your 
 affection ; but, as I said before, if we are not careful 
 we may see serious consequences which may affect 
 more or less everybody, and this ought to be the object 
 of our most anxious attention. I remain, my dear 
 Victoria, your affectionate Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourtie to Queen Victoria. 
 
 2nd December 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and returns this letter with the enclosures. 
 
 1 Van Praet, Jules, author of a History of Flanders, was Secretary of the 
 Belgian Legation in London in 1831, and took a leading part in the negotia- 
 tions which placed King Leopold on the throne. 
 
 ^ King Leopold considered that the interests of Belgium were being 
 neglected by the four Powers, and in his speech at the opening of his 
 Parliament, on 13th November, stated amid loud acclamations that those 
 
1838] BELGIUM AND HOLLAND 17 
 
 He has read it and them with great attention. You 
 Majesty will probably think it right to acquaint th 
 King that your Majesty had already seen his lette 
 to Lord Palmerston. 
 
 Lord Melbourne cannot perceive the justice of th 
 King's complaint. For the sake of the King himse] 
 and of the Belgian nation, we are most anxious t 
 settle speedily and definitively the questions so lonj 
 pending between Belgium and Holland, and whid 
 arose from the separation of the two countries i 
 1830. We can only settle it by the agreement of th 
 four great Powers who constitute the Conference t 
 which the question was referred, viz., Austria, Prussia 
 England, France. Of course it is of vital importanc 
 for us to carry them all along Avith us, and for tha 
 reason we press France. If she differs from us, ther 
 is a ground immediately laid for difference and war. 
 
 Lord Melbourne would suggest that your Majest; 
 should say " that your great affection for the King 
 as well as your anxiety for the interests of your owi 
 country and your desire for the promotion of peace 
 render you most solicitous to have the Belgian questioi 
 speedily and definitively settled ; that it appears t^ 
 you that it can only be settled by the agreement c 
 the four Powers who constitute the Conference, and tha 
 therefore you cannot but wish most strongly to carr 
 France as well as the two others along with you." ^ 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 3rd December 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to you 
 Majesty, and begs to acquaint that as soon as h 
 arrived at half-past two, Sir George Grey ^ ran in t 
 acquaint him that the whole insurrection in Canad 
 
 interests would be defended with perseverance and courage. The Deputies, i 
 reply, said that Belgium had consented to painful sacrifices only under 
 formal guarantee by the Powers, which they now shrank from carrying out 
 
 1 See the Queen's letter of Sth December to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 ^ Sir George Grey (1799-1882), at this time tJnder-Secretary for th 
 Colonies, afterwards Secretary of State successively for Home and Colonii 
 Affairs. 
 
72 CANADA Ic=ap. vii 
 
 ras put down and suppressed.^ Despatches have been 
 eceived from Sir John Colborne to say that the British 
 urned out with the utmost alacrity, the volunteers 
 »eat the French wherever they met them, the whole 
 re dispersed, and Sir John says that he feels no doubt 
 if the tranquillity of the Colony during the rest of 
 he winter. Unless, therefore, the Americans make 
 ,n attempt upon Upper Canada, all is weU. Lord 
 d;elbourne will have the pleasure of returning to 
 /N^indsor to-morrow, unless there should be any 
 mpediment of which Lord Melbourne wiU inform 
 ^our Majesty. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiKDSOK Castle, 5th December 1838. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — I have to thank you for two 
 etters, one brought by Van Praet, and the other 
 eceived on Tuesday. Before I proceed further I 
 nust tell you that both Lord Melbourne and T had 
 Jready seen your letter to Lord Palmerston, which 
 le sent to us immediately on receiving it. I have 
 ead these letters with the greatest attention, and can 
 [uite understand that your difficulties are gi-eat in 
 rying to restrain the eagerness and violence of some 
 if your people. 
 
 My great affection for you, of course, makes me 
 nost anxious to see these troublesome and long 
 (ending affairs settled, for the sake of a continuance of 
 )eace and tranquillity ; but, dear Uncle, as it appears 
 
 me that these affairs can only be settled by the 
 greement of the four Powers, it is absolutely necessary 
 hat France should go with us as well as the others, 
 ,nd I think, dear Uncle, you wrong us in thinking 
 
 1 Lord Durham left Montreal for England on Novemb^ 1, and, on landing 
 t Plymouth, boasted that he had effaced the remains of^' disastrous rebellion. 
 )n the 3rd of the same month, however, the insurrecfion broke out anew 
 
 1 Lower Canada, while in Upper Canada many American " sympathyzers " 
 )ined the insurgents there ; these were decisively defeated at Prescott. 
 'his fight cost the British 45 in killed and wounded ; 159 of their opponents 
 ncluding 131 natives of the United States) were tfiken, and conveyed to 
 Kingston, to be tried by court-martiaL 
 
1838] THE EARL OF DURHAM 17 
 
 that we urged France too much and unfairly. Yoi 
 must not, dear Uncle, think that it is from want c 
 interest that I, in general, abstain from touchuij 
 upon these matters in my letters to you; but I an 
 fearful, if I were to do so, to change our presen 
 delightful and familiar correspondence into a forma 
 and stiff discussion upon political matters, which wouL 
 not be agreeable to either of us, and which I shouL 
 deeply regret. These are my reasons, and I trus 
 you wiU understand them, and be convinced of m; 
 unalterable and very great aiFection for you m^ 
 dearest Uncle, and of the great interest I take in aj 
 that concerns your welfare and happiness and th( 
 prosperity of your country. . . . 
 
 Pray give my affectionate love to Aunt Louis( 
 and the children, and believe me always, your mos 
 affectionate Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 8th December 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to you: 
 Majesty, and has just received your Majesty's letters 
 Lord Durham arrived yesterday evening,^ and Lore 
 Melbourne has just seen Mr Stanley, who has seei 
 him. He represents him as calm, but much hurt anc 
 vexed at the last despatch which expresses you: 
 Majesty's disapprobation of his conduct in issuing th< 
 proclamation. Lord Durham said that he shoult 
 immediately write an answer to it, in which he shoulc 
 state that he would communicate to the Governmen 
 all the information which he had collected upon th< 
 state of the Canadas. That he should not ask ai 
 audience of your Majesty. This is his present decision 
 He may alter it ; if he should, and through any channe 
 request an audience. Lord Melbourne is now clearly o: 
 
 1 Lord Durham stated at Deronport : " I shall, when Parliament meets 
 be prepared to make a representation of facts wholly unknown here, an( 
 disclosures which the Parliament and people have no conception of" A 
 Plymouth he boasted of his achievements, and said that his career o 
 complete success had been suddenly arrested. 
 
174 RESIGNATION OF EARL OF DURHAM [chap, vh 
 
 opinion that your Majesty should merely say that an 
 answer will be sent and the propriety of granting an 
 audience may then be fully considered by your 
 Majesty's confidential servants. Mr Stanley represents 
 Lord Durham as not speaking with much violence or 
 asperity, but seeming to feel much the censure con- 
 veyed in the last despatch. 
 
 Your Majesty will receive from the Colonial Office a 
 precis of Sir John Colborne's despatches. Nothing can 
 be more honourable. The American force which made 
 an incursion into Upper Canada have all been taken 
 prisoners. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne thinks that as long as Lord Durham 
 is here and some communication has been received from 
 him, he had better remain to-night in London. He 
 will return to Windsor to-morrow. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Sth Cecemier 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs to acquaint your Majesty that Lord 
 Glenelg has this evening received a letter from Lord 
 Durham, tendering formally his resignation, and stating 
 that his general report upon the aiFairs of Canada must 
 be delayed until the gentlemen connected with his 
 Mission return from that country, which they were to 
 leave on or about the 20th of last month, and therefore 
 may be shortly expected here. It will be necessary to 
 ask Lord Durham whether he has no intelligence of 
 immediate importance to give. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Palace, Valetta,i 13th December 1838. 
 
 My dearest Niece, — The English mail going 
 to-day gives me another opportunity to address you 
 and to name a subject to you which I think deserves 
 your consideration, and about which I feel most 
 
 1 The Queen-Dowager was at this time cruising in the Mediterranean, and 
 made some stay at Malta. 
 
1838] AN ENGUSH CHURCH FOR MALTA 175 
 
 anxious. It is the want of a Protestant church in 
 this , place which I mean. There are so many English 
 residents here, it is the seat of an English Govern- 
 ment, and there is not one church belonging to the 
 Church of England. . . . The consequence of this 
 want of church accommodation has been that the 
 Dissenters have established themselves in considerable 
 numbers, and one cannot blame persons for attending 
 their meetings when they have no church of their own. 
 
 I address myself to you, as the Head of the 
 Church of England, and entreat you to consider well 
 this important subject, and to talk it over with your 
 Ministers and the Archbishop, in order to devise the 
 best means of remedying a want so discreditable to 
 our country. Should there be no funds at your 
 disposal to effect this object, most happy shall I feel 
 to contribute to any subscription which may be set 
 on foot, and I believe that a considerable sum may 
 be raised amongst the Protestants of this island, where 
 all parties are most anxious to see a proper place of 
 divine worship erected ; without assistance from Eng- 
 land, however, it cannot be ejffected. I therefore most 
 humbly and confidently submit this subject to you, 
 dearest Victoria, who will bestow upon your Prot- 
 estant subjects of this island an everlasting benefit 
 by granting them what they want most.* . . . 
 
 I hope this will find you quite well and happy, 
 and that I shall soon again have the pleasure of 
 hearing from you. Give my affectionate love to 
 your dear Mother, and all my dear sisters, and believe 
 me ever, my dearest Niece, your most devoted and 
 faithfully attached Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 21st December 1838. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne saw Mr Stephenson this morn- 
 ing and learns from him that the Duke of Sussex ^ is in 
 
 1 Queen Adelaide herself erected the church at a cost of ;£10,000. 
 
 2 The Duke of Sussex was anxious to be appointed Viceroy of Ireland. 
 Mr Stephenson was his Private Secretary. See ante, p. 165. 
 
176 THE DUKE OF SUSSEX DISAPPOINTED [chap, vn 
 
 the highest degree discontented at being informed 
 decisively that there is no intention of sending him 
 to Ireland. He is very loud against the Government, 
 and is also very angry with Mr Stephenson, and the 
 latter expects that he shall receive his dismissal. . . . 
 Mr Stephenson assures Lord Melbourne that he has 
 mentioned this matter to no one but Lord Melbourne 
 and Lady Mary, and it is of importance that it should 
 be kept secret. Lord Melbourne thinks it his duty 
 to apprise your Majesty of the feelings of the Duke, 
 and of the possible origin of them. 
 
 Lord and Lady Holland return to London to-day 
 and Lord Melbourne is going to dine with them. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 2^nd December 1838. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and cannot express how deeply concerned 
 he is to find himself restrained from obeying your 
 Majesty's commands, and repairing without delay to 
 Brighton. Both his duty and his inclination would 
 prompt him to do this vnthout a moment's delay, 
 if he did not find it incumbent upon him to represent 
 to your Majesty the very important circumstances 
 which require his presence for two or three days longer 
 in London. The Session of Parliament approaches ; 
 the questions which are to be considered and prepared 
 are of the most appalling magnitude, and of the 
 greatest difficulty. Many of your Majesty's servants, 
 who fill the most important offices, are compelled 
 by domestic calamity to be absent, and it is absolutely 
 necessary that there should be some general superin- 
 tendence of the measures to be proposed, and some 
 consideration of the arrangements to be made. Lord 
 Melbourne assures your Majesty that he would not 
 delay in London if he did not feel it to be absolutely 
 necessary for your Majesty's service. . . . 
 
1838] BRIGHTON 177 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, 38tA December 1838. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I have to thank you for 
 two extremely kind and dear letters, which made me 
 very happy, and your kind heart would be pleased to 
 know how happy. Su* H. Seymour* gave me a very 
 favourable account of your dearest Majesty, and was 
 deeply gratified by your gracious reception. 
 
 I am glad to find that you like Brighton better 
 than last year. 1 think Brighton very agreeable at this 
 time of the year, till the east winds set in. It also 
 gives the possibility of seeing people without having 
 them on one's hands the whole day, as is the case 
 in the country. The pavilion, besides, is comfortable ; 
 that cannot be denied. Before my marriage it was 
 there that I met the Regent. Charlotte afterwards 
 came with old Queen Charlotte. How distant all this 
 already, but stUl how present to one's memory. 
 
 The portrait of your Aunt and Leopold is nicely 
 done. Don Leopoldo is like, and has at times even 
 a more intelligent look ; he would amuse you — he is 
 very original and very sly. I often call him the little 
 tyrant, because nobody knows so well de faire aller 
 le monde . . . My most beloved Victoria, your devoted 
 Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 1 Sir Hamilton Seymour, Minister at Brussels. 
 
 Vol. I. — 12. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
 TO CHAPTER VIII 
 
 The chief political event of the year (1839) at home arose out 
 of the troubles in Jamaica. In addition to the apprenticeship 
 question, the state of the prisons, much overcrowded owing to the 
 planters' severity, had excited attention, and an Imperial Act was 
 passed for their regulation. To this action the Colonial Assembly 
 showed marked hostility, and, after the dissolution by Sir Lionel 
 Smith, the Governor, the new House was no more placable. 
 Accordingly, the home Government brought in a Bill, in April, to 
 suspend temporarily the Jamaica Constitution, but on a division 
 had a majority of five only in a house of five hundred and eighty- 
 three. The Ministers therefore resigned, and Sir Robert Peel was 
 sent for ; a difficulty as to the Ladies of the Household, commonly 
 called the Bedchamber Plot, compelled him to resign the task, 
 and the Whigs, much injured in reputation, resumed office. 
 Some changes took place, Macaulay joining the Ministry, and 
 Lord Normanby, who had succeeded Lord Glenelg at the Colonial 
 Office, exchanging places with Lord John Russell, the Home 
 Secretary. The trial of strength over the Speakership ended in 
 a victory for the Ministerial candidate, Mr Shaw Lefevre, by a 
 majority of eighteen in a house of six hundred and sixteen. 
 
 Penny Postage was introduced by an Act of this session. 
 
 The Princes Ernest and Albert of Saxe-Coburg arrived on 
 a visit to the Queen in October, and on the 14th the Queen's 
 engagement to the latter was announced by herself to Lord 
 Melbourne. A few weeks later the Queen announced her betrothal 
 at a meeting of the Privy Council. 
 
 During the year risings in favour of the " people's charter " 
 took place in various parts of the country, especially Birmingham 
 and Newport, the six points demanded being the ballot, universal 
 suffrage, annual Parliaments, payment of members, the abolition of 
 a propei-ty qualification for members, and equal electoral districts. 
 At Newport one Frost, a linen draper whom Lord John Russell 
 had made a magistrate, headed a riot. He was tried with his 
 confederates by a special commission at Monmouth, and, with two 
 others, sentenced to death ; a sentence afterwards commuted. 
 
 In the East, war broke out between the Sultan Mahmoud 
 and the Pasha of Egypt, Mehemet Ali, who had originally 
 helped Turkey against Greece, but had since revolted and driven 
 the Turks from Syria. On that occasion (1833) Turkey had 
 been saved by Russian intervention, a defensive alliance, known 
 178 
 
1839] INTRODUCTORY NOTE 179 
 
 as the treaty of Unkiar Skelessi, made between Russia and Turkey, 
 and Mehemet granted Syria as well as Egypt. On the revival of 
 hostilities, Ibrahim, son of Mehemet, defeated the Turkish Army 
 on June 24 ; a week later the Sultan Mahmoud died, and the 
 Turkish admiral treacherously delivered over the Turkish Fleet to 
 Mehemet at Alexandria. Once more the four Powers (Great 
 Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia), interfered to save the 
 Sultan. The Czar accepted the principle of a joint mediation, 
 the advance of the Egyptians was stopped, and the Sultan was 
 informed that no terms of peace would be accepted which had 
 not received the approval of the Powers. The terms were settled 
 at a congiess held in London. Mehemet refused to accept the 
 terms, and was encouraged by France to persevere in his refusal. 
 
 The dispute between Belgium and Holland as to the Luxem- 
 burg territory was settled by a treaty in the course of the year. 
 Lord Durham presented his report on Canada, a document drafted 
 by Charles BuUer but inspired by Lord Durham himself; though 
 legislation did not take place this year, this document laid the 
 foundation of the federal union of the Canadas, and of the Con- 
 stitution of other autonomous colonies, but for the present the 
 ex-Commissioner met with much censure for his indiscretions. 
 
 Our troops were engaged during the year against Dost 
 Mahommed, the Ameer of Afghanistan, a usurper who many years 
 earlier had driven Shah Sooja into exile. Lord Auckland, the 
 Viceroy of India, had sent Captain (afterwards Sir Alexander) 
 Bumes on a Mission to Cabul, and the Ameer had received him 
 hospitably at first, but subsequently dismissed him from his Court. 
 Lord Auckland thereupon resolved to restore Shah Sooja, and 
 in the autumn of 1838 issued a manifesto dethroning Dost 
 Mahommed. Operations were accordingly directed against him 
 under Sir John (afterwards Lord) Keane, who, on August 6, 1839, 
 entered Cabul and placed Shah Sooja on the throne. However open 
 to criticism, the news of this result was enthusiastically received 
 in England, and Lord Auckland was promoted to £|,n Earldom. 
 
 In China a dispute of long standing became acute. With 
 the renewal of the East India Company's charter, in 1834, 
 the Chinese ports had been thrown open, and the opium trade 
 became a source of gi-eat profit to private traders. The importa- 
 tion of opium was forbidden by the Chinese Government ; but 
 the British Ministry connived, or appeared to connive, at the 
 trade, and its chief superintendent, Captain Elliot, and the opium 
 traders themselves, thought that in caiTying it on they had the 
 British flag at their back. When the Government announced 
 that they were prepared to maintain the laws of China, Elliot, 
 not believing that the pledge would be rigidly adhered to, asked 
 that war-ships should proceed to China for the protection of 
 British life and property. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 1839 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Pavilion [Brighton], 1st January 1839. 
 
 My deak Uncle, — ... I don't like your croaking 
 so about damp climates ; if a niece may venture to say 
 such a thing, I might almost say it is ungrateful to 
 your faithful and attached Belgians. 
 
 The Queen Dowager's letters do tantalise one a 
 good deal, I must own.' You will see that old 
 Lord Clarendon* is dead, which makes our friend 
 Villiers Earl of Clarendon, but I am afraid not with 
 a large income. 
 
 Lord Palmerston has been unwell and obliged to 
 go to Broadlands, where he still is. He had gone 
 through so much grief and labour, that it was abso- 
 lutely necessary for him to recruit his strength. The 
 Normanbys spent two nights here.' Lord Melbourne 
 is the only person staying in the house besides several 
 of my Court and my suite, and, I am sorry to say, is 
 
 1 Queen Adelaide had described the orange-trees and tropical fruits in the 
 gardens of the Palace of St Antonio Valetta. 
 
 2 John Charles, third Earl, Chief Justice-in-eyre, North of Trent. His 
 successor, who had been Minister to Spain since 1833, was afterwards the 
 celebrated Foreign Secretary. 
 
 ^ Lord Normanby, at this time Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, became 
 successively during the yeatr. Colonial and Home Secretary. Lady Normanby, 
 who had been a Lady-in-Waiting since the accession, was a daughter of the 
 first Lord Ravensworth. 
 
 180 
 
1839] MURDER OF LORD NORBURY 181 
 
 not very well ; he has also had, I fear, too much 
 business to do. 
 
 Lady Breadalbane * is my new Lady of the Bed- 
 chamber, and a very nice person. Ever your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Forgive this short scrawl. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 6th Jamuary 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and returns his best and warmest thanks for 
 the very kind and gracious communication which he 
 had the honour and pleasure of receiving from your 
 Majesty yesterday evening. Your Majesty will have 
 seen in the newspapers that Lord Norbury was shot 
 at in his own grounds and dangerously wounded.** 
 Lord Melbourne learns to-day by a letter from Lord 
 Morpeth that Lord Norbury is since dead. This is 
 a shocking event, and will, of course, create a strong 
 sensation, much stronger than the death in the same 
 manner of several persons of inferior degree. It is 
 almost the first time that an attempt of this kind has 
 been directed against an individual of that rank or 
 station. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne has seen Sir Henry Halford,' who 
 says that his pulse is low and his system languid. He 
 has prescribed some draughts, which Lord Melbourne 
 trusts will be of service, but he feels much depressed 
 to-day. He dined yesterday at Lady Holland's, where 
 he met Mr EUice,* civil and friendly enough in ap- 
 pearance, but Lord Melbourne fears hostile at heart, 
 and a determined partisan of Lord Durham. Lord 
 Durham has not yet made to Lord Glenelg the 
 promised communication of his report and plan, but 
 it is said that he will do so soon. . . . 
 
 ^ Eliza, daughter of George Baillie of Jerviswood. Her brother afterwards 
 jecame tenth Earl of Haddington. 
 
 " At Kilbeggan Abbey, County Meath. The murderer escaped. 
 
 ' The celebrated physician : he attended George IV. and William IV., as 
 nrell as Queen Victoria. 
 
 * Son-in-law of Lord Grey, as was also Lord Durham. 
 
182 DEATH OF THE PRINCESS MARIE [chap, vin 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, \Uh Jamiary 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — The dreadful moment has 
 arrived, and dear Marie ^ is no more to bless her loving 
 relations with her presence on this earth of grief and 
 troubles ! It is a heavy dispensation, and one that it 
 is difficult to comprehend, but we. must submit. 
 
 I thought it best to vsrite to my poor dear Aunt, 
 for vphom this will be a sad blow ; but I abstained 
 from doing so to the dear Queen of the French just as 
 yet. I have no letters, and only learnt the melancholy 
 event by the papers. Poor wretched Alexander I what 
 a loss, what a change for him, poor fellow I 
 
 You wiU, I am sure, regret that sweet amiable 
 creature, as poor Marie was, very much, having known 
 her so well, and her attachment to you was great. 
 
 I will not prolong this letter, but merely repeat how 
 much I feel for you all, and beg you to believe me, 
 your most affectionate Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Qtieen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, Kth January 1839. 
 
 . . . Your Aunt as well as myself are very anxious 
 to be of use to poor Alexander. The dispositions of 
 the whole family are extremely kind towards him, but 
 he is shy and a little helpless, his present melancholy 
 situation is of course calculated to increase this. His 
 position puts me in mind of mine in 1817. . . . He, 
 besides, is surrounded by people who are kind to him. 
 Of George IV., then Regent, it was observed that 
 for years he had not been in such good spirits than 
 by the loss of his daughter. She was more popular 
 than himself — that was, since her marriage, her only 
 crime. . . . 
 
 I feel very grateful for Lord Melbourne's kindness 
 on the subject of our sad loss. He is so feehng and 
 kindhearted that he, much more than most men who 
 
 1 Princess Marie of Orieans, born 1813, sister to the Queen of the Belgians, 
 had married Prince Alexander of Wurt;emberg, in 1837. 
 
1839] HOLLAND AND BELGIUM 18 
 
 have lived so much in the grande monde, has preserve( 
 a certain warmth and freshness of feeling. . . . 
 
 Your cousins kiss your hands, and I remain, m; 
 dearest Victoria, your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Viscount Pahnerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Stanhope Street, '21th Janaary 1839. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty t( 
 your Majesty, and returns to your Majesty the ac 
 companying papers which he received from Viscoun 
 Melbourne. Your Majesty will have seen by Si 
 Edward Disbrowe's^ despatches that the concentra 
 tion of Dutch troops mentioned in these reports wa 
 purely defensive, and was the consequence of th( 
 military demonstrations previously made by th( 
 Belgians ; and it appears, moreover, that the Dutcl 
 force is inferior in number to the Belgian forci 
 opposite to it ; and that affords an additional security 
 against the chance of an invasion of Belgium by th( 
 Dutch. It is, however, undeniable that when tw< 
 armies are drawn up in face of each other, separatee 
 by a small distance, and animated by mutual hatred 
 the chances of collision become great and imminent 
 But it is to be hoped in the present case that th( 
 communication made by the Conference to the tw( 
 parties on Thursday last may avert the danger o 
 hostUities between the Dutch and Belgians.^ 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the SelgiaTis. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 7th February 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — I am much grieved to lean 
 that poor Philippe^ has given you such anxiety. Mj 
 poor Aunt ! it really is too much upon her to hav( 
 these cares added to her recent severe affliction. ] 
 hope to God that I shall get news of Philippe's 
 complete recovery to-mon*ow. 
 
 I regret to hear that your Government gives yoi 
 
 1 Minister at the Hague. 
 
 2 See next page. 
 8 See ante, p. 84. 
 
184 INTEREST IN BELGIUM [chap, vin 
 
 so much trouble, but trust that you will exert all 
 your influence, as you have so frequently done, to 
 persuade your Ministers to be reasonable, and not 
 to resist the favourable offers made to the Govern- 
 ment. Everybody here is exceedingly anxious for the 
 conclusion of these long pending affairs, and hope 
 that the answer from Belgium will soon arrive.* You 
 will forgive me, dear Uncle, if I express to you my 
 earnest hope that these expectations may not be 
 disappointed, for I feel that since the Dutch have so 
 instantly accepted the proposition of the Conference, 
 Belgium would suffer in the eyes of this country 
 were she to delay, and, what I am still more fearful 
 of, my beloved Uncle, you might be blamed, and 
 suffer for what your Government may do. You will, 
 I know, forgive this freedom, which is prompted by 
 my great anxiety for your welfare and happiness 
 (which I know you are well aware of), and for the 
 preservation of the inestimable blessings of peace. 
 No one feels more for you than I do at this difficult 
 moment, nor than I have done throughout these 
 trying and embarrassing affairs. That all may be 
 peaceably and amicably settled is my earnest prayer. 
 
 Everything went off well yesterday,^ and we are 
 again launched into a political campaign, which it is 
 impossible not to contemplate with a certain degree 
 of anxiety. 
 
 Adieu ! my dear Uncle. Give my love to my dear 
 Aunt, and believe me, always, your most devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 loth February 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and thinks it right and necessary to acquaint 
 
 1 The twenty-four Articles, to which Belgium had acceded in 1831, had 
 then been rejected by Holland. Now, however, Holland wished to adopt 
 them. The Belgian Government vainly proposed different schemes, but at last 
 the BiU for ratifying the proposal of the Powers (made 23rd January 1839, and 
 accepted by Holland on 1 1th February) passed the Belgian chambers. 
 
 2 The Queen opened Parliament in person on 6th February. 
 
839] DISSENSION IN THE CABINET 185 
 
 ^our Majesty that the Cabinet yesterday was very 
 itormy and unpleasant. Lord John Russell brought 
 )n the question of the Civil Government of the 
 Ajmy, in a temperate and judicious manner, but 
 Lord Howiek made a most violent speech, strongly 
 condemning the whole of the present system and 
 arraigning the conduct of the Treasury and other 
 Departments, saying that he should not throw up his 
 office because no measure was brought forward, but 
 that, when questioned upon the subject by Mr Hume 
 in the House of Commons, as it was certain that he 
 would be, he should say that Government would 
 do nothing upon the subject, until he (Mr Hume) 
 compelled them, and that he should express his 
 entire disapprobation of the present system, and 
 his reasons in detail for that disapprobation. Your 
 Majesty wiU perceive that nothing could be more 
 violent than this course. It was borne with great 
 patience by the rest of the Cabinet, although Mr Rice,* 
 against whom the greater part of Lord Howick's 
 speech was directed, felt himself most deeply hurt, 
 and so expressed himself in private afterwards to 
 Lord Melbourne. Upon the whole. Lord Melbourne 
 cannot but consider that affairs are in a most precari- 
 ous state, and that whilst there is so much discontent 
 fermenting within the Cabinet itself, there must be 
 great doubt of Lord Melbourne's being much longer 
 able to hold the Administration together. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 lOth February 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and is very sorry that his communication has 
 occasioned your Majesty so much alarm and uneasi- 
 ness. Lord Melbourne hopes that there is nothing 
 imminent and immediate, but this sort of outbreak 
 and contention may so soon become serious, that 
 Lord Melbourne thought it his duty to take an early 
 
 1 The Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
 
186 THE DUKE OF LUCCA [chap, vni 
 
 opportunity of informing your Majesty of what had 
 taken place. Lord Melbourne would wait upon your 
 Majesty without delay, but trusts that this letter will 
 be sufficient to dispel any disquietude which his for- 
 mer communication may have excited. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wilton Crescent, 20<A February 1839. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has the honour to report that Mr Charles 
 Villiers ^ moved yesterday, after a very able speech, that 
 the petitioners against the Corn Laws should be heard 
 at the Bar of the House. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel opposed the Motion on the ground 
 that he meant to resist any change in the Corn Laws. 
 He made a very skilful use of the returns of cotton, 
 etc., exported. 
 
 discount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Stanhope Street, 6th March 1839. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and requests to be honoured with your 
 Majesty's commands upon the accompanying letter 
 from Count PoUon.*^ Viscount Palmerston at the 
 same time begs to state that he has reason to believe, 
 from what Count PoUon said to him in conversation 
 two days ago, that the Duke of Lucca* has a notion 
 that Sovereign Princes who have had the honour of 
 dining with your Majesty, have been invited by note and 
 not by card. If that should be so, and if your Majesty 
 should invite the Duke of Lucca to dine at the Palace 
 before his departure, perhaps the invitation might be 
 made by note, instead of by card, as it was when the 
 Duke last dined at the Palace. Your Majesty may 
 think this a smaU matter, but the Duke is a small 
 Sovereign. 
 
 1 M.P. for Wolverhampton 1835-1898, becoming " Father of the House." 
 
 2 For many years Sardinian Minister in England. 
 ' Lucca was an independent Italian State. 
 
839] PORTUGAL 187 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 9th March 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and feels very deeply the very kind and 
 ^acious concern which your Majesty expresses for 
 iiis health, as well as your Majesty's solicitude and 
 interests upon all occasions. Lord Melbourne will take 
 your Majesty's advice, but his experience teaches him 
 that illness is not so easily put off, and that it will 
 have its course in spite of precaution. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne thinks, upon the whole, that your 
 Majesty had perhaps better write by messenger a 
 few lines of kindness and recollection. It can be no 
 descent on your Majesty's part to do so, and as we may 
 be obliged to take very strong measures with respect 
 to Portugal, it is as weU that there should be no 
 appearance of any deficiency of affection or attention. 
 Lord Melbourne [thinks] that, for the reason given by 
 your Majesty, your Majesty may perhaps as well not 
 go to the play this evening, but is very sorry to hear 
 that your Majesty is low and out of spirits. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, lith March 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — Many thanks for two letters, 
 one which I received last Sunday, and the other 
 enclosing a letter from Stockmar this morning. 
 I am glad you agree with me about Victoire.^ Since 
 I wrote to you, I got these two letters from the 
 Portuguese children — as I disrespectfully but very 
 deservedly call them — which I send you, in order that 
 you may see how they wish Victoire to come to them, 
 which I fear and think is totally impracticable, for it 
 would never do for Victoire to go so far without her 
 
 1 Daughter of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, and married in April 1840 
 to the Due de Nemours. 
 
188 UNCERTAINTY [chap, vhi 
 
 mother. Nevertheless, I thought it but right by 
 them to send you these letters, and I have written 
 to them giving them little hope. 
 
 The French Ministry are gone, and I am sure the 
 poor King will be much vexed by it. They talk of 
 Broglie as Minister for Foreign Affairs,* but I am 
 afraid Thiers is inevitable. We are rather in fear of 
 Thiers here, but it is a pity that Louis Philippe 
 should show so much dislike to a man he must 
 take, for it will have the effect of a defeat. 
 
 I have no time to add more, but to beg you to 
 believe me, always, your most affectionate Niece, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 22nd March 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs to acquaint your Majesty that the 
 Cabinet have decided — 
 
 1. That it is impossible to acquiesce in the vote of 
 last night in the House of Lords.* 
 
 2. That it would not be justifiable to resign in the 
 face of the declaration which I made in the year 1836, 
 in the House of Lords, that I would maintain my 
 post as long as I possessed the confidence of the 
 Crown and of the House of Commons, particularly as 
 there is no reason to suppose that we have lost the 
 confidence of the House. 
 
 3. That the course to be pursued is to give notice 
 in the House of Commons to-night, that the sense of 
 that House will be taken immediately after the Easter 
 Holidays, upon a vote of approbation of the principles 
 of Lord Normanby's government of Ireland. 
 
 If we lose that question, or carry it by a small 
 
 1 After a provisional Cabinet, in which the Due de Montebello was Foreign 
 Minister, the King appointed a ministry with Soult as Premier and Foreign 
 Minister. 
 
 ' By 63 to 58 Lord Roden carried a motion for a Select Committee to 
 enquire into the state of Ireland ; the Ministry replied by obtaining a vote of 
 the House of Commons in their favour by 318 to 296. 
 
1839] A CHANGE OF RELIGION 189 
 
 majority, we must resign. If we carry it, we may go 
 on. 
 
 This is a plain statement of the case, and this 
 course will at least give your Majesty time to consider 
 what is to be done. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brocket Hau..^ lat April 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has just received your Majesty's letters, 
 for which he returns many and warm thanks. Nothing 
 could be more prosperous than his journey down, 
 although it rained hard the greater part of the way. 
 Lord Melbourne slept well, and has walked out this 
 morning, although it was stiU showery. Nothing is 
 so fatiguing as the first exposure to the air of the 
 country and Lord Melbourne feels the influence of it. 
 
 Lord Melbourne returns the letters of the King of 
 the Belgians. He accounts very naturally for the 
 conduct of the poor Duchess,** but she should have 
 recollected the extreme disadvantage and discredit 
 which attaches to a change of religion. Un gentil- 
 homme ne change Javiais la religion, was the saying 
 of Napoleon, and is very just. It is difficult to under- 
 stand the movements and motives of parties in a 
 foreign country, and therefore Lord Melbourne does 
 not feel able to pronounce any opinion upon the 
 transactions in France. Lord Melbourne had seen 
 
 G 's letters, a pert jackanapes, who always takes 
 
 the worst view of every subject, and does as much 
 mischief as he can. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne is just starting for Panshanger.* 
 The evening is better than the morning was, but cold. 
 
 1 Lord Melbourne's house on the Lea, about three miles north of Hatfield. 
 Its construction was begun by Sir Matthew Lamb, and completed by his son. 
 Sir Peniston, the first Lord Melbourne. 
 
 2 Princess Alexander of Wiirtemberg. On her death-bed, she had ex- 
 pressed a wish to her husband that he should join the Roman Catholic Church. 
 
 ' Panshanger, not far distant from Brocket, the house of Lord Melbourne's 
 brother-in-law, Lord Cowper, and celebrated for its pictures, was bought by 
 Lord Chancellor Cowper, temp. Queen Anne. 
 
190 ENGLAND AND BELGIUM [chap, vm 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 BucEiNGHAM Palace, Qth April 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — ... I regret to learn you are 
 still not easy about your own affairs, but trust aU will 
 now be speedily adjusted. You always allow me, dear 
 Uncle, to speak frankly to you ; you will, therefore, I 
 hope, not be displeased if 1 venture to make a few 
 observations on one or two parts of your letter. 
 
 You say that the anger of the Belgians is principally 
 directed against England.^ Now, 1 must say you are 
 very unjust towards us, and (if I could) I might be 
 even a little angry with you, dear Uncle. We only 
 pressed Belgium for her own good, and not for ours. 
 It may seem hard at first, but the time will come 
 when you will see that we were right in urging you 
 not to delay any longer the signature of the treaty. 
 
 I think that you will see in this frank expression 
 of my sentiments no wish to annoy or hurt you, but 
 only an anxious desire to prove to you that England 
 is Belgium's sincere friend, and that my Government 
 are ever desirous of doing what is in their power for 
 the welfare, security, and prosperity of yourself and 
 your kingdom. 
 
 I regret much the state of affairs in France,^ which 
 cannot but make us all somewhat anxious ; you will, 
 I hope, tell me what news you hear from Paris. 
 
 Pray, dearest Uncle, receive my best, my very 
 warmest, wishes for many happy returns of dear 
 Leopold's birthday, and also, though somewhat late, 
 for Philippe's birthday. 
 
 Give my love to my dear Aunt, and believe me, 
 always, your most devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 1 He had written on Sth April : — " The feeling is strongest against 
 England, in which the people expected to see a support, and only found a 
 strong determination to decide everythintf against them and at their expense. 
 If there was a great explosion in France, it would not be astonishing to see 
 the people here join it ; it would rather be astonishing to see it otherwise, after 
 the kind treatment they received from the Powers." 
 
 " The King was for a time without any Ministry, and the meeting of the 
 Chambers had to be postponed. 
 
1839] PRINCE ALBERTS TOUR IN ITALY 191 
 
 Baron Stockmar to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Naples, I6th April 1839. 
 
 Madam, — As it is some time that I had the 
 honour to address your Majesty, I hope that a further 
 account of our crusades "will meet with a favourable 
 reception. 
 
 It is now somewhat better than a month that 
 we left Florence, I may say with regret, for we were 
 there very comfortably in every respect. On our 
 route to Rome we enjoyed the beautiful sight of the 
 cataract at Terni, the place where Queen Carohne 
 sojourned for some time. We were particularly fortu- 
 nate that day, as the brightest sunshine heightened 
 its picturesque effects beyond description. We found 
 old Rome very fuU, and to see it and its ecclesiastic 
 governors to advantage, the Holy Week is certainly the 
 properest time. From morning to noon the Prince 
 was at seeing sights, and he made so good a use of his 
 time, that I don't think that something really remark- 
 able was left unseen. Upon this very principle, we paid 
 our respects to the Holy Father,^ of which interview 
 the Prince made so admirable a sketch, so very worthy 
 of H.B.,'^ that I am very much tempted to send it for 
 the inspection of your Majesty. We assisted at the 
 Church ceremonies of the Holy Week from the 
 beginning to the end. The music of the Sistine 
 Chapel, which is only vocal, may be well considered 
 as unique, and has not failed to make a lasting im- 
 pression upon a mind so musical as the Prince's. . . . 
 
 I never think of your Majesty — and I take the 
 liberty of thinking very frequently of you — without 
 prajdng for health, serenity of mind, comfort and 
 success for you, and I can well say that I am from 
 my heart, your Majesty's sincerely attached and devoted 
 Servant, Stockmak. 
 
 1 Gregory XVI. 
 
 2 Initials adopted by Mr Doyle, father of Richard Doyle, in his Reform 
 
 Caricatures. 
 
192 BELGIUM [chap, vm 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 19<A April 1839. 
 
 ... I am glad I extracted some spark of politics 
 from your dear Majesty, very kindly and nicely 
 expressed. I know that your generous little heart 
 would not have wished at any time but what was 
 good for a country in which you were much beloved. 
 But the fact is, that certainly your Government have 
 taken the lead in maintaining a condition which time 
 had rendered difficult to comply with. Physicians will 
 tell you that often an operation, which might have 
 been performed at one time, could not, without great 
 danger for the patient, be undertaken some years later. 
 We have not been listened to, and arrangements are 
 forced on us, in themselves full of seeds of danger, 
 when by consulting the real interests of Holland and 
 Belgium, both countries might have been placed on 
 a footing of sincere peace and good neighbourhood. 
 This country feels now humbled and desenchante with 
 its soi-disant political independence, as it pleased the 
 Conference to settle it. They will take a dislike to 
 a political state which wounds their vanity, and will, 
 in consequence of this, not wish it to continue. Two 
 things will happen, therefore, on the very first oppor- 
 tunity, either that this country will be involved in 
 war to better a position which it thinks too humiliating, 
 or that it will voluntarily throw up a nominal indepen- 
 dence in which it is now hemmed in between France 
 and Holland, which begins on the North Sea, and 
 ends, of all the things in this world, on the Moselle! 
 
 I think old Pirson, who said in the Chamber that 
 if the treaty was carried into execution I was likely 
 to be the first and last King of the country, was not 
 wrong. Whenever this will happen, it will be very 
 awkward for England, and deservedly so. To see, after 
 eight years of hard work, blooming and thriving 
 political plantations cut and maimed, and that by 
 those who have a real interest to protect them, is 
 
1839] JAMAICA 193 
 
 very melancholy. I do not say these things with the 
 most distant idea of bringing about any change, but 
 only because in the high and very responsible position 
 in which Providence has placed you, it is good to 
 teU you the truth, as you ought to have weight and 
 influence on the affairs of Europe ; and England, not 
 being in the possibility of making territorial acquisi- 
 tion, has a real and permanent interest in the proper 
 maintenance of a balance of political power in Europe. 
 Now I will leave you to enjoy the beginning of Spring, 
 which a mild rain seems to push on prodigiously. 
 Believe me ever, my dear Victoria, your very attached 
 Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 26th April 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty and begs to inform your Majesty that the 
 result of the Cabinet has been a decision to stand by 
 the Bill as we have introduced it, and not to accede 
 to Sir Robert Peel's proposal. The BiU is for sus- 
 pending the functions of the Legislative Assembly of 
 Jamaica, and governing that island for five years by 
 a Governor and Council.* If Sir Robert Peel should 
 persist in his proposal, and a majority of the House 
 of Commons should concur with him, it will be such 
 a mark of want of confidence as it will be impossible 
 for your Majesty's Government to submit to. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, SOth April 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — I have to thank you for your 
 last letter, which I received on Sunday. Though you 
 seem not to dislike my political sparks, I think it is 
 better not to increase them, as they might finally take 
 fire, particularly as I see vnth. regret that upon this one 
 subject we cannot agree. I shall therefore limit myself 
 
 1 See Introductory Note, ante, p. 178. 
 Vol. I. — 13 
 
194 JAMAICA [chap, via 
 
 to my expressions of very sincere wishes for the welfare 
 and prosperity of Belgium. 
 
 The Grand Duke/ after a long delay, is at length 
 to arrive on Friday night ; I shall put myself out of 
 my way in order to be very civil to such a great 
 personage. I am already thinking how I shall lodge 
 all my relations ; you must prepare Uncle Ferdinand 
 for its not being very ample, but this Palace, though 
 large, is not calculated to hold many visitors. . . . 
 
 Believe me, always, your very affectionate Niece, 
 
 ViCTOKIA R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 7th May 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has to acquaint your Majesty that the 
 division upon the Jamaica Bill, which took place about 
 two this morning, was two hundred and ninety-nine 
 against the measure, and three hundred and four in 
 favour of it.^ Lord Melbourne has not heard from 
 Lord John Russell since this event, but a Cabinet will 
 of course be summoned early this morning, and Lord 
 Melbourne cannot conceal from your Majesty that in 
 his opinion the determination of the Cabinet must be 
 that the relative numbers upon this vote, joined to 
 the consideration of no less than nine members of 
 those who have hitherto invariably supported the 
 Government having gone against it now, leave your 
 Majesty's confidential servants no alternative but to 
 resign their offices into your Majesty's hands. They 
 cannot give up the Bill either with honour or satisfac- 
 tion to their own consciences, and in the face of such 
 an opposition they cannot persevere in it with any 
 hope of success. Lord Melbourne is certain, that your 
 Majesty will not deem him too presuming if he ex- 
 presses his fear that this decision will be both painful 
 and embarrassing to your Majesty, but your Majesty 
 
 1 The hereditary Grand Duke of Russia, afterwards the Emperor 
 Alexander II. 
 
 2 The numbers are apparently incorrectly stated. The division was 294 
 to 289. 
 
1839] CHANGE OF MINISTRY IMMINENT 195 
 
 will meet this crisis with that firmness which belongs 
 to your character, and with that rectitude and sincerity 
 which will cany your Majesty through all difficulties. 
 It will also be greatly painful to Lord Melbourne to quit 
 the service of a Mistress who has treated him with such 
 unvarying kindness and unlimited confidence; but in 
 whatever station he may be placed, he will always feel 
 the deepest anxiety for your Majesty's interests and 
 happiness, and will do the utmost in his power to 
 promote and secure them. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 7th May 1839. 
 
 The present circumstances have been for some time 
 30 probable, or rather so certain, that Lord Melbourne 
 has naturally been led to weigh and consider maturely 
 the advice which, if called upon, he should tender to 
 your Majesty when they did arrive. That advice is, 
 at once to send for the Duke of Wellington. Your 
 Majesty appears to Lord Melbourne to have no other 
 alternative. The Radicals have neither ability, honesty 
 nor numbers. They have no leaders of any character. 
 Lord Durham was raised, one hardly knows how, into 
 something of a factitious importance by his own extreme 
 opinions, by the panegyrics of those who thought he 
 would serve them as an instrument, and by the manage- 
 ment of the Press, but any little public reputation 
 which he might once have acquired has been entirely 
 dissipated and destroyed by the continued foUy of 
 his conduct in his Canadian Government. There is 
 no party in the State to which your Majesty can 
 low resort, except that great party which calls itself 
 Conservative, and of that party, his rank, station, 
 'eputation and experience point out the Duke of 
 Wellington as the person to whom your Majesty 
 should apply. 
 
 Lord Melbourne therefore advises that your Majesty 
 ihould send for the Duke of Wellington, and should 
 icquaint him, provided your Ma.iesty so feels, that you 
 vere entirely satisfied with your late Government, 
 
196 VIGILANCE ADVISED [chap, vin 
 
 and that you part from them with reluctance ; but 
 that as he and the party of which he is the head have 
 been the means of removing them from office, you nat- 
 urally look to him to advise you as to the means of 
 supplying their places and carrying on the business of 
 the country. 
 
 If the Duke should be unwilling to form the 
 Government himself, and should desire to devolve the 
 task upon Sir Robert Peel, Lord Melbourne would 
 advise your Majesty to accede to that suggestion ; but 
 Lord Melbourne would counsel your Majesty to be very 
 unwilling to suffer the Government to be formed by 
 Sir Robert Peel without the active assistance in office 
 of the Duke of Wellington. 
 
 With respect both to measures and appointments, 
 your Majesty should place the fullest confidence in 
 those to whom you entrust the management of affairs, 
 exercising at the same time, and fully expressing, your 
 own judgment upon both. 
 
 Your Majesty will do well to be from the beginning 
 very vigilant that all measures and all appointments are 
 stated to your Majesty in the first instance, and your 
 Majesty's pleasure taken thereon previously to any 
 instruments being drawn out for carrying them into 
 effect, and submitted to your Majesty's signature. It 
 is the more necessary to be watchful and active in this 
 respect, as the extreme confidence which your Majesty 
 has reposed in me may have led to some omission at 
 times of these most necessary preliminaries. 
 
 The patronage of the Lord Chamberlain's Depart- 
 ment is of the greatest importance, and may be made 
 to conduce at once to the beneficial influence of the 
 Crown, and to the elevation and encouragement of the 
 professions of the Church and of Medicine. This 
 patronage, by being left to the uncontrolled exercise 
 of successive Lord Chamberlains, has been administered 
 not only wastefuUy but perniciously. The physicians 
 to the late King were many of them men of little 
 eminence; the chaplains are still a sorry set. Your 
 Majesty should insist with the new Ministers that this 
 
839] DISTRESS OF THE QUEEN 197 
 
 patronage should be disposed of, not by the Lord 
 Chamberlain, but, as it has hitherto been during your 
 Majesty's reign, by your Majesty upon consultation 
 ivith your Prime Minister. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, Sth May 1939. 
 
 The Queen thinks Lord Melbourne may possibly 
 wish to know how she is this morning ; the Queen is 
 somewhat calmer; she was in a wretched state till 
 oine o'clock last night, when she tried to occupy herself 
 and try to think less gloomily of this dreadfiil change, 
 and she succeeded in calming herself till she went to 
 bed at twelve, and she slept well ; but on waking this 
 morning, all — all that had happened in one short 
 eventful day came most forcibly to her mind, and 
 brought back her grief; the Queen, however, feels 
 better now ; but she couldn't touch a morsel of food 
 last night, nor can she this morning. The Queen 
 trusts Lord Melbourne slept weU, and is well this 
 morning ; and that he will come precisely at eleven 
 o'clock. The Queen has received no answer from the 
 Duke, which is very odd, for she knows he got her 
 letter. The Queen hopes Lord Melbourne received 
 her letter last night. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 8th May 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and is much grieved that he did not 
 answer your Majesty's letter yesterday evening, as your 
 Majesty desired, but he did not get it till late, and he 
 felt much tired and harassed by all that had passed 
 during the day. The situation is very painful, but it 
 is. necessary for your Majesty to be prudent and firm. 
 [t is of all things necessary not to be suspected of 
 my unfair dealing. Whilst Lord Melbourne holds his 
 office, everything of course may be written to him as 
 iisual; but still the resolutions for the formation of 
 
198 INTERVIEW WITH WELLINGTON [chap, vm 
 
 the new Government will now commence, and it will 
 never do, whilst they are going on, either for 
 appearance or in reality, that Lord Melbourne should 
 dine with your Majesty, as he did before this 
 disturbance. It would create feehng, possibly lead to 
 remonstrance, and throw a doubt upon the fairness and 
 integrity of your Majesty's conduct. All this is very 
 painful both to do and to say, but it is unavoidable ; it 
 must be said, and it must be done. Lord Melbourne 
 wUl wait upon your Majesty at eleven.' 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 6th May 1839. 
 
 The Queen told Lord Melbourne she would give 
 him an account of what passed, which she is very 
 anxious to do. She saw the Duke for about twenty 
 minutes ; the Queen said she supposed he knew why 
 she sent for him, upon which the Duke said. No, he 
 had no idea. The Queen then said that she had had the 
 greatest confidence in her late Ministry, and had parted 
 with them with the greatest reluctance ; upon which the 
 Duke observed that he could assure me no one felt 
 more pain in hearing the announcement of their 
 resignation than he did, and that he was deeply grieved 
 at it. The Queen then continued, that as his party had 
 been instrumental in removing them, that she must 
 look to him to form a new Government. The Duke 
 answered that he had no power whatever in the House 
 of Commons, " that if he was to say black was white,^ 
 they would say it was not," and that he advised me to 
 send for Sir Robert Peel, in whom I could place 
 confidence, and who was a gentleman and a man of 
 
 1 Lord Melbourne had made the not unnatural mistake of recommending 
 to the Queen, as members of her first Household, ladies who were nearly 
 related to himself and his Whig colleagues. No doubt these were the ladies 
 whom he knew best, and in whom he had entire confidence ; but he ought to 
 have had sufficient prescience to see that the Queen would probably form 
 strong attachments to the ladies who first served her ; and that if the appoint- 
 ments had not in the first instance a political complexion, yet that the Whig 
 tendencies which these ladies represented were likely to affect the Queen, in 
 the direction of allying her closely with a particular party in the State. 
 
 " Sic: an obvious mistake, for " black was black." 
 
839] THE DUKE'S SUPPORT 199 
 
 lonour and integrity. The Queen then said she hoped 
 le would at all events have a place in the new Cabinet. 
 The Duke at first rather refused, and said he was so 
 leaf, and so old and unfit for any discussion, that if he 
 jv^ere to consult his own feelings he would rather not do 
 t, and remain quite aloof; but that as he was very 
 mxious to do anything that would tend to the Queen's 
 iomfort, and would do everything and at all times that 
 20uld be of use to the Queen, and therefore if she and 
 tier Prime Minister urged his accepting office, he would. 
 The Queen said she had more confidence in him than 
 in any of the others of his party. The Queen then 
 mentioned the subject of the Household, and of those 
 who were not in Parliament. The Duke did not give 
 any decisive answer about it, but advised the Queen not 
 to begin with conditions of this sort, and wait till the 
 matter was proposed. The Queen then said that she 
 felt certain he would understand the great friendship 
 she had for Lord Melbourne, who had been to her quite 
 a parent, and the Duke said no one felt and knew 
 that better than he did, and that no one could still be of 
 greater use to the Queen than Lord Melbourne. The 
 Duke spoke of his personal friendship for Lord 
 Melbourne, and that he hoped I knew that he had 
 often done all he could to help your (Lord Melbourne's) 
 Government. The Queen then mentioned her inten- 
 tion to prove her great fairness to her new Gov- 
 ernment in telling them, that they might know there 
 was no unfair dealing, that I meant to see you 
 often as a friend, as I owed so much to you. The Duke 
 said he quite understood it, and knew I would not 
 exercise this to weaken the Government, and that he 
 would take my part about it, and felt for me. He was 
 very kind, and said he called it " a misfortune " that 
 you had all left me. 
 
 The Queen wrote to Peel, who came after two, em- 
 barrassed and put out. The Queen repeated what she 
 had said to the Duke about her former Government, 
 and asked Sir Robert to form a new Ministry. He does 
 not seem sanguine ; says entering the Government in a 
 
200 INTERVIEW WITH SIR ROBERT PEEL [chap, vin 
 
 minority is very difficult ; he felt unequal to the task, 
 and far from exulting in what had happened, as he 
 knew what pain it must give me, he quite approved 
 that the Duke should take office, and saw the 
 importance of it ; meant to offer him the post of 
 Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and if he refused, Lord 
 Aberdeen ; Lord Lyndhurst, Chancellor ; hoped to 
 secure Stanley and Graham ; Goulburn to be the 
 candidate for the Speaker's Chair ; he expects a severe 
 conflict then, and if he should be beat must either 
 resign or dissolve Parliament. Before this the Queen 
 said she was against a dissolution, in which he quite 
 agreed, but of course wished no conditions should be 
 made ; he felt the task arduous, and that he would 
 require me to demonstrate (a certain degree, if any I 
 can only feel) confidence in the Government, and that 
 my Household would be one of the marks of that. The 
 Queen mentioned the same thing about her Household, 
 to which he at present would give no answer, and said 
 nothing should be done without my knowledge or 
 approbation. He repeated his surprise at the course 
 you had all taken in resigning, which he did not expect. 
 The Queen talked of her great friendship for, and 
 gratitude to, Lord JMelbourne, and repeated what she 
 had said to the Duke, in which Peel agreed ; but he 
 is such a cold, odd man she can't make out what he 
 means. He said he couldn't expect me to have the 
 confidence in him I had in you (and which he never 
 can have) as he has not deserved it. My impression is, 
 he is not happy and sanguine. He comes to me 
 to-morrow at one to report progress in his formation of 
 the new Government. The Queen don't like his manner 
 after — oh I how different, how dreadfully different, to 
 that frank, open, natural and most kind, warm manner 
 of Lord Melbourne.* The Duke I like by far better to 
 
 1 Lady de Grey had written to Peel on 7th May : — " The Queen has 
 always expressed herself much impressed with Lord Melbourne's open manner, 
 and his truth. The latter quality you possess, the former not. 
 
 " Now, dear Peel, the first impression on so young a girl's mind is of 
 immense consequence, accustomed as she has been to the open and affectionate 
 manner of Lord Melbourne, who, entre nous, treats her as a. fatlier, and, with 
 all his faults, feels for her as such." — Sir Robert Peel, Parker, vol. ii. p. 389. 
 
1839] LETTER FROM LORD MELBOURNE 201 
 
 Peel. The Queen trusts Lord Melbourne will excuse 
 this long letter, but she was so very anxious he should 
 know all. The Queen was very much collected, and 
 betrayed no agitation during these two trying Audiences. 
 But afterwards again all gave way. She feels Lord 
 Melbourne will understand it, amongst enemies to 
 those she most relied on and esteemed, and people 
 who seem to have no heart ; but what is worst of all 
 is the being deprived of seeing Lord Melbourne as 
 she used to do. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 9th May 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has read with the greatest attention the 
 very clear and distinct account which your Majesty has 
 written of that which passed at the Audiences which 
 your Majesty has given to the Duke of Wellington 
 and Sir Robert Peel. Nothing could have been more 
 proper and judicious than your Majesty's conduct, and 
 they appear to have acted upon their part with propriety 
 and sincerity. Lord Melbourne has no doubt that 
 both with respect to him (Lord Melbourne) and to 
 themselves and their own feelings and position, they 
 expressed what they reaUy think. The Duke was right 
 in saying that in general, in affairs of this nature, it is 
 best not to begin with conditions ; but this matter of 
 the Household is so personal to yourself, that it was 
 best to give an intimation of your feelings upon it in 
 the first instance. Lord Melbourne has little doubt that 
 if they could have acted from themselves, they would 
 have acceded to your Majesty's wish at once ; but your 
 Majesty must recoUect that they have others to satisfy, 
 and must not attribute entirely to them anything that 
 is harsh and unreasonable. Lord Melbourne advises 
 your Majesty to urge this question of the Household 
 strongly as a matter due to yourself and your own 
 
202 MELBOURNE ON PEEL [chap, vm 
 
 (vishes ; but if Sir Robert is unable to concede it, it will 
 [lot do to refuse and to put off the negotiation upon it. 
 Lord Melbourne would strongly advise your Majesty 
 :o do everything to facilitate the formation of the 
 Government. Everything is to be done and to be 
 mdured rather than run the risk of getting into the 
 situation in which they are in France, of no party 
 jcing able to form a Government and conduct the 
 ifFairs of the country.^ 
 
 The Dissolution of Parliament is a matter of 
 till more importance, and if this should be again 
 )ressed upon your Majesty, Lord Melbourne would 
 id vise your Majesty to reserve your opinion, not 
 o give a promise that you will dissolve, nor to 
 ay positively that you will not. You may say that 
 '^ou do not think it right to fetter the Prerogative 
 »f the Crown by previous engagements, that a dis- 
 olution of Parliament is to be decided according to 
 he circumstances at the time, that you mean to 
 [ive full confidence to the Government that shall 
 le formed, and to do everything in your power 
 o support them, and that you will consider whether 
 'arliament shall be dissolved, when you are advised 
 
 dissolve it and have before you the reasons for 
 uch a measure. 
 
 Lord Melbourne earnestly entreats your Majesty 
 lot to suiFer yourself to be affected by any faultiness 
 f manner which you may observe. Depend upon it 
 here is no personal hostility to Lord Melbourne nor 
 ny bitter feelings against him. Sir Robert is the 
 lost cautious and reserved of mankind. Nobody 
 eems to Lord Melbourne to know him, but he is 
 ot therefore deceitful or dishonest. Many a very 
 ilse man has a very open sincere manner, and vice 
 ersd. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne earnestly hopes that your Majesty 
 
 1 better this morning. 
 
 1 Alluding to the successive failures of Soult, Thiers, and Broglie. 
 
1839] LETTER FROM LORD PALMERSTON 203 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 9lh May 1839. 
 
 The Queen cannot sufficiently thank Lord Mel- 
 bourne for his most kind letter, and for his excellent 
 advice, which is at once the greatest comfort and 
 of the greatest use to her ; the Queen wiU follow 
 it in every respect, and nothing of importance shall 
 be done without due reflection ; and she trusts Lord 
 Melbourne will help her and be to her what she told 
 him he was, and begged him stiU ever to be — a father 
 to one who never wanted support more than she does 
 now. 
 
 Lord Melbourne shall hear again after she sees 
 Peel this morning. . . . 
 
 The Queen has just now heard Lord Liverpool is 
 not in town. 
 
 The Queen hopes Lord Melbourne is able to 
 read her letters ; if ever there is anything he cannot 
 read, he must send them back, and mark what he 
 can't read. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Stanhope Street, 9th May 1839. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and begs to return your Majesty his 
 grateful thanks for your Majesty's gracious com- 
 munication of this morning. It affords Viscount 
 Palmerston the most heartfelt satisfaction to know 
 that his humble but zealous endeavours to promote 
 the interests of his country, and to uphold the honour 
 of your Majesty's Crown, have had the good fortune 
 to meet with your Majesty's approbation ; and he 
 begs most respectfully to assure your Majesty that 
 bhe deep impression produced by the condescending 
 Idndness which he has upon aU occasions experienced 
 Tom your Majesty can never be effaced from his mind. 
 
THE HOUSEHOLD [chap, vm 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 9th May 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs to suggest that if Sir Robert Peel 
 presses for the dismissal of those of your Household 
 who are not in Parliament, you may observe that in 
 so doing he is pressing your Majesty more hardly 
 than any Minister ever pressed a Sovereign before. 
 
 When the Government was changed in 1830, the 
 principal posts of the Household were placed at the 
 disposal of Lord Grey, but the Grooms and Equerries 
 were not removed. 
 
 When Sir Robert Peel himself became Minister 
 in 1834, no part of the Household were removed except 
 those who were in Parliament. 
 
 When I became Prime Minister again in 1835, none 
 of the Grooms or Equerries were removed because 
 none of them were in Parliament. 
 
 They press upon your Majesty, whose personal 
 feelings ought from your circumstances to be more 
 consulted, a measure which no Minister before ever 
 pressed upon a Sovereign. 
 
 If this is put to him by your Majesty, Lord 
 Melbourne does not see how he can resist it. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 9th May 1839. 
 
 The Queen writes one line to prepare Lord 
 Melbourne for what may happen in a very few hours. 
 Sir Robert Peel has behaved very ill, and has insisted 
 on my giving up my Ladies, to which I replied that 
 I never would consent, and I never saw a man so 
 frightened. He said he must go to the Duke of 
 Wellington and consult with him, when both would 
 return, and he said this must suspend all further pro- 
 ceedings, and he asked whether I should be ready to 
 receive a decision, which I said 1 should ; he was quite 
 perturbed — but this is infamous. I said, besides many 
 
1839] PROPOSED NEW CABINET 205 
 
 other things, that if he or the Duke of Wellington 
 had been at the head of the Government when I came 
 to the Throne, perhaps there might have been a few 
 more Tory Ladies, but that then if you had come 
 into Office you would never have dreamt of changing 
 them. I was calm but very decided, and I think you 
 would have been pleased to see my composure and 
 great firmness ; the Queen of England will not submit 
 to such trickery. Keep yourself in readiness, for you 
 may soon be wanted. 
 
 Esctract from the Queens Journal. 
 
 Thursday, 9th May 1839. 
 
 At half-past two I saw the Duke of Wellington. I 
 remained firm, and he told Sir Robert that I remained 
 firm. I then saw Sir Robert Peel, who stopped a few 
 minutes with me ; he must consult those (of whom I 
 annex the List) whom he had named : 
 
 The Duke of Wellington 
 
 Sir James Gbaham 
 LoED Stanley . . 
 LoKD Lyndhuest . 
 LoEn Ellenboeough 
 Sir H. Haedinge . 
 
 Secretary for Foreign Affairs. 
 
 Secretary for the Home Department. 
 
 Secretary for the Colonies. 
 
 Lord Chancellor. 
 
 President of the Board of Control. 
 
 Secretary at War. 
 
 and he said he would return in two or three hours with 
 the result, which I said I should await. ^ 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 BucKnroHAM Palace, 9th May 1839. 
 
 The Queen has received Lord Melbourne's letter. 
 Lord Melbourne will since have heard what has taken 
 place. Lord Melbourne must not think the Queen 
 rash in her conduct ; she saw both the Duke and Sir 
 Robert again, and declared to them she could not 
 
 * It was a curious circumstance, much commented on at the time, that in 
 he Globe of 9th May, a ministerial evening paper, which would probably have 
 ;one to press at two o'clock in the afternoon, the following paragraph appeared : 
 ' The determination which it is well known Her Majesty has taken, not to 
 illow the change in the Government to interfere with the ladies of her Court, 
 las given great offence to the Tories." 
 
206 THE LADIES [chap, vin 
 
 change her opinion. The Ladies are not (as the 
 Duke imagined was stated in the Civil List Bill) in 
 the place of the Lords ; and the Queen felt this was 
 an attempt to see whether she could be led and 
 managed Uke a child ; if it should lead to Sir Robert 
 Peel's refusing to undertake the formation of the 
 Government, which would be absurd, the Queen will 
 feel satisfied that she has only been defending her own 
 rights, on a point which so nearly concerned her person, 
 and which, if they had succeeded in, would have led 
 to every sort of unfair attempt at power ; the Queen 
 maintains all her Ladies, — and thinks her Prime Min- 
 ister will cut a sorry figure indeed if he resigns on this. 
 Sir Robert has gone to consult with his friends, and 
 will return in two or three hours with his decision. 
 The Queen also maintained the Mistress of the Robes, 
 for as he said only those who are in Parliament shall 
 be removed, I should like to know if they mean to 
 give the Ladies seats in Parliament? 
 
 We shall see what will be done. The Queen would 
 not have stood so firmly on the Grooms and Equerries, 
 but her Ladies are entirely her own affair, and not the 
 Minister's. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 9th May 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. Lord ]Melbourne had certainly never expected 
 that this demand would be urged, and therefore had 
 never advised your Majesty as to what was to be done 
 in such a case. Lord Melbourne strongly advises your 
 Majesty to hear what the Duke of Wellington and 
 Sir Robert Peel urge, but to take time before you come 
 to a peremptory and final decision. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 mh May 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. This is a matter of so much importance, 
 
839] INTERVIEW WITH MELBOURNE 207 
 
 md may have such grave results, that any advice 
 sv^hich Lord Melbourne could give would be of little 
 importance unless it coincided with the opinions of 
 athers, and particularly of all those who were and 
 intend still [to] continue to be his colleagues. 
 
 It will depend upon their determination whether 
 your Majesty is to be supported or not. The best 
 course will perhaps be that you should hear Sir 
 Robert Peel's determination, say nothing, but send for 
 Lord Melbourne, and lay the matter before him. Lord 
 Melbourne will then summon a Cabinet to consider of it. 
 
 Extract from the Queens Journal. 
 
 9ih May 1839. 
 
 At half-past six came Lord Melbourne and stayed 
 with me tiU ten minutes past seven. 
 
 I then began by giving him a detailed account 
 of the whole proceeding, which I shall state here as 
 briefly as possible. I first again related what took 
 place in the two first interviews, and when I said 
 that the Duke said he had assisted my Government 
 often very much. Lord Melbourne said : " Well, that 
 is true enough, but the Duke did all he could about 
 this vote." "Well, then," I said, "when Sir Robert 
 Peel came this morning, he began first about the 
 Ministry. I consented, though I said I might have 
 my personal feelings about Lord Lyndhurst and Lord 
 Aberdeen, but that I would suppress every personal 
 feeling and be quite fair. I then repeated that I 
 wished to retain about me those who were not in 
 Parliament, and Sir Robert pretended that I had the 
 preceding day expressed a wish to keep about me 
 those who were in ParUament. I mentioned my wish 
 to have Lord Liverpool, to which Sir Robert readily 
 acceded, saying he would offer him the place of Lord 
 Steward, or of Lord in Waiting. He then suggested 
 my having Lord Ashley,* which I said I should like, 
 as Treasurer or Comptroller. Soon after this Sir 
 Robert said : ' Now, about the Ladies,' upon which I 
 
 1 Afterwards Earl of Shaftesbury, the well-known Philanthropist. 
 
08 SIR ROBERT PEEL AND [chap, vm 
 
 aid I could not give up any of my Ladies, and 
 lever had imagined such a thing. He asked if I 
 [leant to retain all. 'All,' I said. 'The Mistress 
 if the Robes and the Ladies of the Bedchamber?' 
 rephed, 'AlV — for he said they were the wives of 
 he opponents of the Government, mentioning Lady 
 »f ormanby ^ in particular as one of the late Ministers' 
 vives. I said that would not interfere ; that I never 
 alked politics with them, and that they were related, 
 nany of them, to Tories, and I enumerated those of 
 ny Bedchamber women and Maids of Honour ; upon 
 vhich he said he did not mean all the Bedchamber 
 vomen and all the Maids of Honour, he meant the 
 distress of the Robes and the Ladies of the Bed- 
 ihamber ; to which I replied they were of more 
 :onsequence than the others, and that I could not 
 lonsent, and that it had never been done before. 
 3e said I was a Queen Regnant, and that made 
 he difference. 'Not here,' I said — and I maintained 
 ny right. Sir Robert then urged it upon public 
 grounds only, but I said here I could not consent. 
 Se then begged to be allowed to consult with the 
 Duke upon such an important matter. I expressed 
 I wish also to see the Duke, if Sir Robert approved, 
 vhich he said he did, and that he would return with 
 ;he Duke, if I would then be prepared for the 
 lecision, which I said I would. Well," I continued, 
 'the Duke and Sir Robert returned soon, and I first 
 
 I J. W. Croker wrote to the King of Hanover : — 
 
 " nth May 1839. 
 
 "... This is the sum of the whole affair. Sir R. Peel could not admit 
 hat broad principle that all were to remain. Lady Normanby (whom the 
 Jueen particularly wishes for), for instance, the wife of the very Minister 
 vhose measures have been the cause of the change, two sisters of Lord 
 ilorpeth, the sisters-in-law of Lord John Russell, the daughter of the Privy 
 Seal and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. . . . 
 
 " Her Majesty's ball last night was, I am told, rather dull, though she 
 lerself seemed in high spirits, as if she were pleased at retaining her 
 klinisters. She has a great concert on the 13th, but to both, as I hear, the 
 nvitations have been on a very exclusive principle, no Tories being invited 
 pho could on any pretence be left out. These are small matters, but every- 
 hing tends to create a. public impression that Her Majesty takes a personal 
 md strong interest in the Whigs — a new ingredient of difficulty."— Oo/to* 
 Papers, H. 347. 
 
1839] THE LADIES OF THE HOUSEHOLD 209 
 
 saw the Duke, who talked first of his being ready 
 to take the post of Secretary for Foreign Affairs, 
 which I had pressed Peel to urge on him (the Duke 
 having first wished to be in the Cabinet, without 
 accepting office), and the Duke said, 'I am able to 
 do anything,' for I asked him if it would not be too 
 much for him. Then I told him that I had been 
 very well satisfied with Sir Robert yesterday, and 
 asked the Duke if Sir Robert had told him what 
 had passed about the Ladies. He said he had, and 
 then I repeated all my arguments, and the Duke 
 his; but the Duke and Sir Robert differed consider- 
 ably on two points. The Duke said the opinions of 
 the Ladies were nothing, but it was the principle, 
 whether the Minister could remove the Ladies or 
 not, and that he (the Duke) had understood it was 
 stated in the Civil List Bill, 'that the Ladies were 
 instead of the Lords' which is quite false, and I 
 told the Duke that there were not twelve Lords, as 
 the expense with the Ladies would have been too 
 great." Lord Melbourne said: "There you had the 
 better of him, and what did he say ? " " Not much," 
 I replied. I repeated many of my arguments, aU 
 which pleased Lord Melbourne, and which he agreed 
 to, amongst others, that I said to the Duke was 
 Sir Robert so weak that even the Ladies must be 
 of his opinion ? The Duke denied that. The Duke 
 then took my decision to Sir Robert, who was waiting 
 in the next room ; after a few minutes Sir Robert 
 returned. After stopping a few minutes, as I have 
 already stated. Sir Robert went to see his colleagues, 
 and returned at five : said he had consulted with 
 those who were to have been his colleagues, and that 
 they agreed that, with the probability of being beat 
 the first night about the Speaker, and beginning with 
 a Minority in the House of Commons, that unless 
 there was some [all the Officers of state and Lords 
 I gave up) demonstration of my confidence, and if I 
 retained all my Ladies this would not be, "they 
 agreed unanimously they could not go on." I replied 
 
 Vol. l — U 
 
210 MIDNIGHT CABINET [chap, vm 
 
 I would reflect, that I felt certain I should not change 
 my mind, but that I should do nothing in a hurry, 
 and would write him my decision either that evening 
 or the next morning. He said, meanwhile, he would 
 suspend aU further proceedings. 
 
 I also told Lord Melbourne that I feared I had 
 embarrassed the Government, that I acted quite 
 alone. Lord Melbourne saw, and said I could not 
 do otherwise. " I must summon the Cabinet," said 
 Lord Melbourne, at half-past nine. " It may have 
 very serious consequences. If we can't go on with 
 this House of Commons, we may have to dissolve 
 Parliament, and we don't know if we may get as 
 good a House of Commons." I begged him to come, 
 and he said : " I'U come if it is in any time — if it's 
 twelve ; but if it's one or two, I'll write." 
 
 After dinner (as usual with the Household) I 
 went to my room, and sat up till a quarter past two. 
 At a quarter to two I received the following letter 
 from Lord Melbourne, written at one o'clock: — 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 loth May 1839 (1 a.m.). 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. The Cabinet has sate until now, and, after 
 much discussion, advises your Majesty to return the 
 following answer to Sir Robert Peel : — 
 
 " The Queen having considered the proposal made 
 to her yesterday by Sir Robert Peel, to remove the 
 Ladies of her Bedchamber, cannot consent to adopt 
 a course which she conceives to be contrary to usage, 
 and which is repugnant to her feelings."^ 
 
 1 Greville asserts that the plan adopted by the outgoing Cabinet, of 
 meeting and suggesting that this letter should be despatched, was " utterly 
 anomalous and imprecedented, and a course as dangerous as unconstitu- 
 tional. . . . They ought to have explained to her that imtil Sir Robert 
 Peel had formally and finally resigned his commission into her hands, they 
 could tender no advice. . . . The Cabinet of Lord Melbourne discussed 
 the proposals of that of Sir Robert Peel, and they dictated to the Queen 
 the reply in which she refused to consent to the advice tendered to her 
 by the man who was at that moment her Minister." — Oreville'a Jourjtal, 12th 
 May 1839. 
 
1839] THE REPLY TO SIR ROBERT PEEL 211 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 lOth May 1939. 
 
 The Queen having considered the proposal made 
 to her yesterday by Sir Robert Peel, to remove the 
 Ladies of her Bedchamber, cannot consent to adopt 
 a course which she conceives to be contrary to usage, 
 and which is repugnant to her feelings.^ 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, \Oth May 1839. 
 
 The Queen wrote the letter before she went to 
 bed, and sent it at nine this morning ; she has received 
 no answer, and concludes she will receive none, as Sir 
 Robert told the Queen if the Ladies were not removed, 
 his party would fall directly, and could not go on, and 
 that he only awaited the Queen's decision. The Queen 
 therefore wishes to see Lord Melbourne about half-past 
 twelve or one, if that would do. 
 
 The Queen fears Lord Melbourne has much trouble 
 in consequence of all this ; but the Queen was fully 
 prepared, and fuUy intended to give these people a fair 
 trial, though she always told Lord Melbourne she knew 
 they couldn't stand ; and she must rejoice at having got 
 out of the hands of people who would have sacrificed 
 every personal feeling and instinct of the Queen's to 
 their bad party purposes. 
 
 How is Lord Melbourne this morning ? 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, lOth May 1839. 
 
 Half-past one will do as well as one ; any hour will do 
 that Lord Melbourne likes, for the Queen will not go out. 
 There is no answer from Peel. 
 
 1 Sixty years later the Queen, during a conversation at Osborne with Sir 
 Arthur Bigge, her Private Secretary, after eulogising Sir Robert Peel, said: 
 " I was vely young then, and perhaps I should act differently if it was aU to 
 be done again." 
 
212 THE QUEEN SUSPECTS A PLOT [chap, vm 
 
 The Queen is wonderfully well considering all the 
 fatigue of yesterday, and not getting to bed till near 
 half-past two, which is somewhat of a fatigue for 
 to-night when the Queen must be very late. Really 
 all these Fetes in the midst of such very serious and 
 anxious business are quite overwhelming. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 10th May 1839. 
 
 The Queen forgot to ask Lord Melbourne if he 
 thought there would be any harm in her writing to 
 the Duke of Cambridge that she really was fearful 
 of fatiguing herself, if she went out to a party at 
 Gloucester House on Tuesday, an Ancient Concert on 
 Wednesday, and a ball at Northumberland House on 
 Thursday, considering how much she had to do these 
 last four days. If she went to the Ancient Concert 
 on Wednesday, having besides a concert of her own 
 here on Monday, it would be four nights of fatigue, 
 really exhausted as the Queen is. 
 
 But if Lord Melbourne thinks that as these are only 
 to be English singers at the Ancient Concert, she ought 
 to go, she could go there for one act ; but she would 
 much rather, if possible, get out of it, for it is a 
 fatiguing time. . . . 
 
 As the negotiations with the Tories are quite at an 
 end, and Lord Melbourne has been here, the Queen 
 hopes Lord Melbourne wUl not object to dining with 
 her on Sunday? 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 lOth May 1839. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has had the honour of receiving your 
 Majesty's note of this morning. 
 
 In respectfully submitting to your Majesty's 
 pleasure, and humbly returning into your Majesty's 
 hands the important trust which your Majesty had 
 
1839] RESIGNATION OF SIR ROBERT PEEL 213 
 
 been graciously pleased to commit to him, Sir Robert 
 Peel trusts that your Majesty will permit him to 
 state to your Majesty his impression with respect to 
 the circumstances which have led to the termination 
 of his attempt to form an Administration for the 
 conduct of your Majesty's Service. 
 
 In the interview with which your Majesty honoured 
 Sir Robert Peel yesterday morning, after he had sub- 
 mitted to your Majesty the names of those whom he 
 proposed to recommend to your Majesty for the 
 principal executive appointments, he mentioned to 
 your Majesty his earnest wish to be enabled, with 
 your Majesty's sanction, so to constitute your Majesty's 
 Household that your Majesty's confidential servants 
 might have the advantage of a public demonstration 
 of your Majesty's full support and confidence, and 
 that at the same time, as far as possible consistently 
 with that demonstration, each individual appointment 
 in the Household should be entirely acceptable to 
 your Majesty's personal feelings. 
 
 On your Majesty's expressing a desire that the 
 Earl of Liverpool ^ should hold an office in the House- 
 hold, Sir Robert Peel requested your Majesty's per- 
 mission at once to offer to Lord Liverpool the office 
 of Lord Steward, or any other which he might prefer. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel then observed that he should 
 have every wish to apply a similar principle to the 
 chief appointments which are filled by the Ladies of 
 your Majesty's Household, upon which your Majesty 
 was pleased to remark that you must reserve the 
 whole of those appointments, and that it was your 
 Majesty's pleasure that the whole should continue 
 as at present, without any change. 
 
 The Duke of Wellington, in the interview to which 
 your Majesty subsequently admitted him, understood 
 also that this was your Majesty's determination, 
 and concurred with Sir Robert Peel in opinion that, 
 considering the great difficulties of the present crisis, 
 
 1 Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, third Earl, 1784-1951, became Lord 
 Steward in 1841. 
 
214. THE QUEEN'S JOURNAL [chap, mi 
 
 and the expediency of making every eflfort in the 
 first instance to conduct the pubhc business of the 
 country with the aid of the present Parliament, it 
 was essential to the success of the Commission with 
 which your Majesty had honoured Sir Robert Peel 
 that he should have that public proof of your Majesty's 
 entire support and confidence which would be afforded 
 by the permission to make some changes in that part 
 of your Majesty's Household which your Majesty 
 resolved on maintaining entirely without change. 
 
 Having had the opportunity, through your Majesty's 
 gracious consideration, of reflecting upon this point, 
 he humbly submits to your Majesty that he is reluc- 
 tantly compelled, by a sense of public duty and of the 
 interests of your Majesty's service, to adhere to his 
 opinion which he ventured to express to your Majesty. 
 
 He trusts he may be permitted at the same 
 time to express to your Majesty his grateful acknow- 
 ledgments for the distinction which your Majesty 
 conferred upon him by requiring his advice and 
 assistance in the attempt to form an Administration, 
 and his earnest prayers that whatever arrangements 
 your Majesty may be enabled to make for that purpose 
 may be most conducive to your Majesty's personal 
 comfort and happiness, and to the promotion of the 
 public warfare. 
 
 Extract from the Queens Journal. 
 
 Friday, lOth May 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne came to me at two and stayed 
 with me till ten minutes to three. I placed in his 
 hands Sir Robert Peel's answer, which he read. He 
 started at one part where he (Sir Robert) says, " some 
 changes " — but some or all, I said, was the same ; and 
 Lord Melbourne said, "I must submit this to the 
 Cabinet." Lord Melbourne showed me a letter from 
 Lord Grey about it — a good deal alarmed, thinking 
 I was right, and yet half doubtful ; one from Spring 
 Rice, dreadfully frightened, and wishing the Whig 
 
1839] CABINET MINUTE 
 
 21^ 
 
 ladies should resign; and one from Lord Lansdown( 
 wishing to state that the ladies would have resigned 
 Lord Melbourne had also seen the Duke of Richmond 
 and Lord Melbourne said we might be beat ; I said : 
 never would yield, and would never apply to Pee 
 again. Lord Melbourne said, "You are for standim 
 out then?" I said, "Certainly." I asked how th( 
 Cabinet felt. "John Russell, strongly for standing 
 out," he said; " Duncannon, very much so; Holland 
 Lord Minto, Hobhouse and the Chancellor, all foi 
 standing out; Poulett Thomson too, and Normanbj 
 also; S. Rice and Howick alarmed." 
 
 Cabinet Minute. 
 
 Present. 
 
 The Lord Chancellor. The Lord John Russell. 
 
 The Lord President. The Viscount Palmerston. 
 
 The Lord Privy Seal. The Viscount Howick. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne. The Viscount Morpeth. 
 
 The MARttuis OF Normanby. Sir John Hobhouse, Bart. 
 
 The Earl of Minto. The Chancellor of the Ex- 
 The Chancellor of the Duchy chequer. 
 
 of Lancaster. Mr Pouleti Thomson. 
 
 Her Majesty's Confidential Servants having taken 
 into consideration the letter addressed by Her Majesty 
 to Sir Robert Peel on the 10th of May, and the reply 
 of Sir Robert Peel of the same day, are of opinion 
 that for the purpose of giving to an Administration that 
 character of efficiency and stability and those marks 
 of the constitutional support of the Crown, which are 
 required to enable it to act usefully for the public 
 service, it is reasonable that the great offices of the 
 Court and the situations in the Household held by 
 members of either House of Parliament should be 
 included in the political arrangements made on a 
 change of Administration ; but they are not of opinion 
 
216 WHIGS RESUME OFFICE [chap, vm 
 
 that a similar principle should be applied or extended 
 to the offices held by Ladies in Her Majesty's House- 
 hold.^ 
 
 Her Majesty's Confidential Servants are therefore 
 prepared to support Her Majesty in refusing to assent 
 to the removal of the Ladies of her Household, which 
 Her Majesty conceived to be contrary to usage, and 
 which is repugnant to her feelings, and are prepared 
 to continue in their offices on these grounds. 
 
 Viscount Howick concurs in the opinion expressed 
 in the foregoing Minute that the removal of the 
 Ladies of Her Majesty's Household ought not to form 
 part of the arrangements consequent upon a change 
 of Administration, and shares in the readiness his 
 colleagues have declared to support Her Majesty in 
 acting upon this opinion ; but he thinks it his duty 
 to state his conviction that the immediate resumption 
 of their offices by Her Majesty's Confidential Servants 
 is not the mode in which their support can be most 
 effectively afforded, and is not calculated to promote 
 the good of Her Majesty's service. 
 
 He conceives that before it is determined that the 
 present Administration should be continued, further 
 explanation should be sought with Sir Robert Peel, 
 by which it is not impossible that his concession to 
 Her Majesty's just objection to the removal of the 
 Ladies of her Household might have been obtained, 
 while the endeavour to arrive at this result, even 
 though unsuccessful, would at all events tend to 
 secure additional support to Her Majesty's present 
 Servants, and thus to enable them to surmount those 
 difficulties, which have recently compelled them 
 humbly to tender their resignations to Her Majesty, 
 and which he fears will be found not to have been 
 diminished by the course it has now been determined 
 to pursue. 
 
 In humbly submitting this opinion to Her Majesty, 
 Viscount Howick begs permission to add that he 
 
 1 This paragraph was read by Lord John Russell to the House of Commons, 
 during the course of the Ministerial explanations on 13th May. 
 
1839] BALL AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE 217 
 
 nevertheless acquiesces in the determination of his 
 colleagues, and will render them the best assistance 
 in his power in their endeavour to carry on Her 
 Majesty's service. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Bdceinghasi Palace, Wth May 1839. 
 
 The Queen is very anxious to hear that Lord 
 Melbourne has not suffered from the ball last night, 
 as it was very hot at first. The beginning was rather 
 duU and heavy, but after supper it got very animated, 
 and we kept it up till a quarter past three ; the Queen 
 enjoyed herself very much and isn't at all tired ; she 
 felt much the kindness of many of her kind friends, 
 who are her only real friends. Lady Cowper and Lord 
 and Lady Minto, the Duchess of Somerset, and Lord 
 Anglesey were particularly kind. On the other hand, 
 there were some gloomy faces to be seen, and the 
 Duchess of Gloucester was very cross. 
 
 The Queen is ashamed to say it, but she has for- 
 gotten when she appointed the Judge Advocate ; when 
 will the Cabinet be over ? 
 
 The Queen danced the first and the last dance with 
 the Grand Duke,^ made him sit near her, and tried to 
 be very civU to him, and I think we are great friends 
 already and get on very well ; I like him exceedingly. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, l^th May 1839. 
 
 The Queen anxiously hopes Lord Melbourne is 
 quite well this morning, and has not suffered from the 
 dinner at Pozzo's. 
 
 The Queen wishes to know if she ought to say 
 anything to the Duchess, of the noble manner in which 
 her Government mean to stand by her ? The account 
 in the Observer of the whole proceeding is the most 
 
 1 The hereditaiy Grand Duke of Russia, afterwards the Emperor 
 Alexander II. 
 
218 LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND SIR R. PEEL [chap, vih 
 
 correct both as to details and facts, that the Queen 
 has yet seen ; were they told what to put in ? There 
 was considerable applause when the Queen entered 
 the Theatre, which she, however, thought best and 
 most delicate not to encourage, and she was cheered 
 when she drove up to the Theatre and got out, which 
 she never is in general. 
 
 The Grand Duke came and sat with the Queen 
 in her box, for at least half an hour last night — and 
 the Queen asked him if he knew exactly what had 
 happened, which he said he did not — and the Queen 
 accordingly gave him an account of what passed, 
 and he was shocked at Sir Robert Peel's proposal, 
 thought his resignation on that account absurd, and was 
 delighted at the continuance in office of my present 
 Government. 
 
 The Queen supposes and fears that Lord Melbourne 
 dines with the Lansdownes to-morrow, but she wishes 
 to know if Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday would 
 suit him ? 
 
 Lord Melbourne must not forget the List of our 
 Supporters in the House of Commons, which the 
 Queen is very anxious to have as soon as possible. If 
 Lord Melbourne can dine here to-morrow the Queen 
 would be glad, of course. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 13th May 1839. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to report that he 
 this day made his statement to the House, in answer 
 to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel made a skilful, and not unfair 
 statement. He, however, spoke only of his intention 
 of changing some of the Ladies of the Bedchamber. 
 But he did not say that he had made this intention 
 clear to your Majesty ; only that he had so arranged 
 the matter with his political friends. The popular 
 impression is greatly in favour of the course pursued 
 by your Majesty. 
 
1839] THE QUEEN ON THE CRISIS 219 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Uth May 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and is most sorry to hear that your Majesty 
 does not feel well. It is very natural that your 
 Majesty does not. Lord Melbourne does not believe 
 that there was anything wanting in your Majesty's 
 manner yesterday evening,* but depend upon it, if 
 there was, every allowance would be made for the 
 fatigue and anxiety which your Majesty has gone 
 through, and for the painful and embarrassing situation 
 in which your Majesty is stiU placed. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will wait upon your Majesty at 
 two, and wiU have the honour of conversing with your 
 Majesty upon Peel's speech. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 BcrcEiKGHAM Paiace, Uth May 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — I begin to think you have 
 forgotten me, and you wiU think I have forgotten you, 
 but 1 am certain you will have guessed the cause of 
 my silence. How much has taken place since Monday 
 the 7th to yesterday the 13th. You will have easily 
 imagined how dreadful the resignation of my Govern- 
 ment — and particularly of that truly inestimable and 
 excellent man. Lord Melbourne — was for me, and you 
 will have felt for me! What I suffered I cannot 
 describe 1 To have to take people whom I should have 
 no confidence in, . . . was most painful and disagreeable ; 
 but I felt I must do it, and made up my mind to 
 it — nobly advised and supported by Lord Melbourne, 
 whose character seems to me still more perfect and 
 noble since 1 have gone through all this. 
 
 1 At the State Concert. 
 
220 THE QUEEN ON THE CRISIS [chap, vin 
 
 I sent for the Duke of Wellington, who referred 
 me to Peel, whom I accordingly saw. 
 
 Everything fair and just I assented to, even to 
 having Lord Lyndhurst as Chancellor, and Sir H. 
 Hardinge and Lord Ellenborough in the Cabinet ; I 
 insisted upon the Duke in the Foreign Office, instead 
 of Lord Aberdeen. . . . All this I granted, as also to 
 give up all the Officers of State and all those of my 
 Household who are in Parliament. 
 
 When to my utter astonishment he asked me to 
 change my Ladies — my principal Ladies ! — this I of 
 course refused ; and he upon this resigned, saying, as he 
 felt he should be beat the very first night upon the 
 Speaker, and having to begin with a minority, that 
 unless he had this demonstration of my confidence 
 he could not go on! 
 
 You will easily imagine that I firmly resisted this 
 attack upon my power, from these people who pride 
 themselves upon upholding the prerogative I I acted 
 quite alone, but I have been, and shall be, supported 
 by my country, who are very enthusiastic about it, and 
 loudly cheered me on going to church on Sunday. 
 My Government have nobly stood by me, and have 
 resumed their posts, strengthened by the feelings of 
 the country. . . . 
 
 Pray tell my dearest Aunt that I really cannot write 
 to her to-day, for you have no conception of what I 
 have to do, for there are balls, concerts, and dinners 
 all going on besides. — Adieu 1 my beloved Uncle. Ever 
 your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, nth May 1839. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I feel deeply grateful 
 for your very kind and interesting letter, which reached 
 me yesterday, inclusive of the papers. 
 
 You have passed a time of great agitation and 
 difficulty, which will, however, contribute to enlarge 
 
1839] APPROVAL OF KING LEOPOLD 221 
 
 the circle of your experience. / approve very highly 
 of the whole mode in which you proceeded ; you acted 
 with great good faith and fairness, and when finally 
 propositions were made which you considered you 
 could not submit to, you were very right to resist 
 them. The march of the whole affair is very clear 
 and fair, and does you great credit. . . . Peel in 
 making his demand misjudged you ; he remembered 
 George IV., and even the late King, and dreamt of 
 Court influence of people near the Sovereign. You 
 have the great merit, for which you cannot be too 
 much praised, of being extremely honest and honourable 
 in your dealings. If you had kept Peel, you would 
 have acted honestly by him, without any Lady's 
 having a chance of doing him a bad turn. When 
 he asked the measure as an expression of your great 
 confidence in him it was not fair, because you had 
 not wished to take him ; he was forced upon you, 
 and therefore, even if you had granted his request, 
 nobody would have seen in it a proof of your confi- 
 dence in him,' but rather a sacrifice to a far-stretched 
 pretence. 
 
 Besides, that he was to have encountered difficulties 
 as a Minister was partly the consequence of the 
 policy of his party, and you were not bound to give 
 him any assistance beyond what he had a right to 
 ask as a Minister. I was sure that Lord Melbourne 
 would give you both the fairest and the most honour- 
 able advice in this painful crisis. He was kind enough 
 last year to speak to me on the subject, and I could 
 but approve what he said on the subject. Altogether, 
 keeping now your old Ministers you will have reason 
 to congratulate yourself on the result ; it is likely to 
 strengthen them, by showing the Radicals what may 
 be the consequences. 
 
 Rumour spoke of their wishing to add some 
 Radicals to the Cabinet ; I don't see that they could 
 improve the Ministry by it, which is perfectly well 
 composed as it is at present, and new elements often 
 have a dissolving effect. It was very kind of you 
 
222 A SMALL LIBERAL MAJORITY [chap, vm 
 
 to have explained everything so clearly to me, but I 
 deserve it for the great interest I take in all that 
 concerns you. . . . 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 6th June 1839. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to report that Sir 
 Robert Peel's BiU^ vpas discussed yesterday in the 
 House of Commons, vdth great fairness and an entire 
 absence of party spirit. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne will have acquainted your 
 Majesty with the result of the Cabinet of yesterday. 
 It appears to Lord John Russell that the Liberal 
 party, with some explanation, wiU be satisfied with 
 the state of things for the present, and that the great 
 difficulties which attend the complete union of the 
 majority will be deferred tiU the commencement of 
 next Session. It is always well to have some breathing- 
 time. 
 
 Lord John JRiissell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wilton Crescent, Wth June 1839. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has the honour to state that the division 
 of last night was extremely encouraging to the future 
 prospects of the Government. 
 
 Combined with the division on the Speakership,*^ it 
 shows that the Liberal party have still a clear though 
 small majority in the House of Commons, and that 
 it may probably not be necessary to resort to a dissolu- 
 tion. Indeed, such a measure in present circumstances 
 would be of very doubtful issue. 
 
 Lord John Russell stated last night that he would 
 not divide on the Canada resolutions, but move for 
 leave to bring in a Bill. 
 
 1 The Jamaica Bill for the temporary suspension of the constitution. 
 * Mr Shaw Lefevre was elected by 317 against 299 for Mr Goulburn. 
 
1839] , THE PENNY POSTAGE 223 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 6th July 1839. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to report that 
 Mr Rice yesterday brought forward his financial state- 
 ment with great ability. 
 
 He moved a resolution in favour of a penny postage, 
 which Sir Robert Peel declared it to be his intention to 
 oppose on the report. This will be on Friday next. 
 This seems a mistake on the part of the Opposition.^ 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 BucEiNGHAivi Palace, \'2th July 1839. 
 (20 minutes to 12.) 
 
 The Queen is really quite shocked to see that her 
 box was taken to Lord Melbourne to Park Lane, and 
 she fears (by the manner in which Lord Melbourne's 
 note is written), that he was at dinner at Lady 
 Elizabeth H. Vere's when he got it. The Queen 
 had imagined that the House of Lords was still 
 sitting, and therefore desired them to take the box 
 there, but never had intended it should follow him 
 to dinner; she begs Lord Melbourne to excuse this 
 mistake which must have appeared so strange. 
 
 Did the dinner go off well at Lady Elizabeth H. 
 Vere's, and were there many people there ? Did Lord 
 Melbourne go to Lady R. Grosvenor's party or did 
 he go home ? 
 
 The Queen hopes Lord Melbourne is quite well 
 and not tired. 
 
 Monday at two o'clock for the Judge Advocate. 
 
 The Queen hears Lady Sandwich is very much 
 delighted at her appointment. 
 
 Qv^en Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 16th July 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — I have no letter from you, but 
 hope to get one soon. . . . 
 
 1 The penny postage scheme came into operation on 10th January 1840. 
 
224 THE QUEEN AND PRINCE ALBERT [chap, vm 
 
 I shall send this letter by a courier, as I am 
 anxious to put several questions to you, and to 
 mention some feelings of mine upon the subject of 
 my cousins' visit, which I am desirous should not 
 transpire. First of all I wish to know if Albert is 
 aware of the wish of his Father and you relative to 
 me ? Secondly, if he knows that there is no engage- 
 ment between us ? I am anxious that you should 
 acquaint Uncle Ernest, that if I should like Albert, 
 that I can make no final promise this year, for, at the 
 very earliest, any such event could not take place 
 till two or three years hence. For, independent of 
 my youth, and my great repugnance to change my 
 present position, there is no anociety evinced in this 
 country for such an event, and it would be more 
 prudent, in my opinion, to wait till some such demon- 
 stration is shown, — else if it were hurried it might 
 produce discontent. 
 
 Though all the reports of Albert are most favour- 
 able, and though I have little doubt I shall like him, 
 still one can never answer beforehand ior feelings, and 
 I may not have the feeling for him which is requisite 
 to ensure happiness. 1 may like him as a friend, and 
 as a cousin, and as a brother, but not more ; and should 
 this be the case (which is not likely) I am very 
 anxious that it should be understood that 1 am not 
 guilty of any breach of promise, for / never gave 
 any. I am sure you wUl understand my anxiety, 
 for 1 should otherwise, were this not completely 
 understood, be in a very painful position. As it 
 is, I am rather nervous about the visit, for the 
 subject I allude to is not an agreeable one to me. 
 I have little else to say, dear Uncle, as I have 
 now spoken openly to you, which I was very, very 
 anodous to do. 
 
 You will be at Paris, I suppose, when you get 
 this letter, and I therefore beg you to lay me at the 
 feet of the whole family, and to believe me ever your 
 very devoted Niece, Victoria R.. 
 
tv2, . <J\^ .^aL . cJ-ke kiruvce. Goruserrt 
 
 I SAO 
 
 yrom. -th^ ptrrtraLt hylo-hn- iy-ewtridae. aA ^/ditckiriaAam. z/<LLace. 
 
1839] THE DUCHESS OF BRAGANZA 225 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 'iOth July 1939. 
 
 The Queen anxiously hopes Lord Melbourne has 
 slept well, and has not suffered from last night. It 
 was very wrong of him not to wish the Queen good- 
 night, as she expected he would in so small a party, 
 for she saw that he did not go away immediately after 
 supper. When did he get home ? It was great 
 pleasure to the Queen that he came last night. We 
 kept up the dancing till past three, and the Queen 
 was much amused, and slept soundly from four till 
 half-past ten, which she is ashamed of. She is quite 
 well, but has got a good deal of cold in her head ; 
 she hopes to see Lord Melbourne at two. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 BucKiNOHAM Palace, 25M July 1839. 
 
 The Queen has seen the Duchess of Braganza,* who, 
 though a good deal changed, is still handsome, and 
 very amiable ; she seemed so glad, too, to see the 
 Queen again. The child ^ is grown a dear fine girl. 
 Lord Palmerston thought it right that I should ask 
 her to dinner also on Saturday and take her to the 
 Opera ; and on Sunday, as she came on purpose to 
 see the Queen, and goes on Monday. 
 
 On Sunday (besides Lord Melbourne) the Queen 
 proposes asking Palmerston, Normanby, Uxbridge, and 
 Surrey, and no one else except the Duchess's suite. 
 The Queen hopes Lord Melbourne will approve of 
 this. He will not forget to let the Queen know how 
 the debate is going on, at about nine or ten, as she 
 will be curious to know. She trusts he will not suffer 
 from the fatigue of to-night. 
 
 1 The stepmother of Donna Maria. Pedro I. assumed the title of Duke of 
 Braganza after his abdication. ^. . , „ , „ ■ j t • -n 
 
 2^ Probably the princess known as " Chica,'' afterwards Pnncesse de Jomville. 
 
 Vol. I. — 15 
 
226 SYRIA [chap. VIII 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 St Cloud, 26th July 1839. 
 
 . . . Everything is pretty quiet, and the grace 
 accordee a Barbes ^ has put down the rage against the 
 King personally, at least for some little time. The 
 affairs of the Orient interest a good deal. I think that 
 it is better the Porte should be on a favourable footing 
 with Mehemet Ali than if that gentleman had pushed 
 on in arms, as it will put the casus foederis out of the 
 question, and the Turks will not call in the assistance 
 of the Russians. Whoever pushed the late Sultan into 
 this war has done an act of great folly, as it could 
 only bring the Porte into jeopardy. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 3rd August, 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will wait upon your Majesty at 
 a quarter before five, if possible, but there is much 
 to discuss at the Cabinet. The Capitan Pasha has 
 taken the Turkish fleet to Alexandria,^ and Mehemet 
 Ali says that he will not give it up to the Sultan 
 until he dismisses the Grand Vizir, and acknowledges 
 the hereditary right of the Pasha to the countries 
 which he at present governs. This is to make the 
 Sultan his subject and his vassal. 
 
 The accounts from Birmingham are by no means 
 good.^ There has been no disturbance of the peace, 
 but the general disposition is both violent and 
 determined. 
 
 • Armand Barbes the leader of a fatal riot in Paris was sentenced to death ; 
 a sentence afterwards remitted. 
 
 2 The Viceroy of Egypt had revolted against the Porte, and on 8th June 
 the Sultan purported to deprive him and Ibrahim, his son, of their dignities. 
 War was declared, and the Turkish fleet despatched to Syria. But the 
 Admiral treacherously sailed to Alexandria, and the Ottoman troops, under 
 Hafiz, who had succeeded Mehemet Ali in the Government of Egypt, were 
 utterly routed. With the traitorous conduct of the Turkish Admiral, 
 Disraeli, a few years later, compared Peel's conversion to Free Trade. 
 
 * Chartist riots were very frequent at the time. See Introductory Note, 
 ante, p. 178. 
 
1939] AT THE OPERA 227 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 BucEixaRAH Palace, ith August 1839. 
 
 The Queen hopes Lord Melbourne is quite well 
 this morning, and did not sit up working very late 
 last night ; the Queen met him twice yesterday in the 
 Park, and really wondered how anybody could ride, 
 for she came home much hotter than she went out, and 
 thought the air quite like as if it came out of an oven ; 
 to-day we can breathe again. It was intensely hot at 
 the Opera ; the Queen Dowager visited the Queen in 
 her box, as did also the young Grand Duke of Weimar, 
 who is just returned from Scotland, and whom the 
 Queen has asked to come after dinner to-mon'ow. The 
 Queen has not asked the Duke of Sussex to come after 
 dinner to-morrow, as she thought he would be bored 
 by such a sort of party ; does not Lord Melbourne 
 think so ? and she means to ask him to dinner soon. 
 
 The Queen has not asked Lord Melbourne about 
 any days this week besides to-morrow (when she trusts 
 he may be able to come, but she does not know what 
 there is in the House) and Wednesday ; but perhaps 
 Lord Melbourne will consent to leave Thursday and 
 Friday open in case he should be able to come one or 
 both of those days. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, ith August 1839. 
 
 The Queen has just received Lord Melbourne's 
 letter ; and wishes to know if Lord Melbourne means 
 by "to-day" that he is also coming to see her this 
 c^'ternoon (which she does not expect) as well as this 
 evening? for she did not ask him in her note of this 
 morning if he would come to-night (for she felt sure 
 of that), but if he could come to-morrow, about which 
 he has not answered her, as to whether he expects 
 there will be anything of great length in the House 
 of Lords. Lord Melbourne wiU forgive the Queen's 
 
228 PROPOSED VISIT OF [chap, vin 
 
 troubling him again, but she felt a little puzzled by his 
 letter ; she sent him a card for Wednesday without 
 previously asking him, as she thought that would suit 
 him, and hopes it does ? 
 
 The Queen will follow Lord Melbourne's advice 
 respecting the Duke of Sussex. 
 
 We have just returned from hearing not only a 
 very long, and very bad, but also, a very ludicrous, 
 sermon. 
 
 The heat is somewhat less, but the Queen is 
 undecided as to driving out or not. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laekek, 9th August 1839. 
 
 ... I am sorry that you are less pleased with the 
 old Duke, but party spirit is in England an incurable 
 disease. These last two years he had rendered 
 essential service to the present Administration ; perhaps 
 he has been soured by last summer's events. It was 
 my intention to have answered your questions sooner, 
 but from Paris I had not the means. Now the time 
 draws so near when I hope to have the happiness of 
 seeing you, that I think it will be better to treat the 
 matter verbally, the more so as my most beloved 
 Majesty is easily displeased with what may be written 
 with the best intention, instead that in conversation 
 the immediate reply renders any misunderstanding, 
 however small, very difficult ; and as I do not wish to 
 have any great or small with you, and see no occasion 
 for it, I will give my answer de vive voice. 
 
 Now comes a subject which will astonish you. 
 I am charged de sonder your will and pleasure on 
 the following subject. The King my father-in-law 
 goes to Eu, where he hopes to remain till the 5th or 
 6th of September. Having at his disposition some 
 very fine steamers, his great wish would be to go over 
 to Brighton, just for one afternoon and night, to offer 
 you his respects in person. He would in such a case 
 
1839] THE KING OF THE FRENCH 229 
 
 bring with him the Queen, my Aunt, Clementine,* 
 Aumale and Montpensier. The first step in this 
 business is to know what your pleasure is, and to 
 learn that very frankly, as he perfectly understands 
 that, however short such a visit, it must be submitted 
 to the advice even of some of your Ministers. What 
 renders the thing very difficult, in my opinion, is that 
 in a country like France, and with so many Ministerial 
 difficulties, the King to the last hour will hardly know 
 if he can undertake the thing. As, however, the first 
 object is to know your will, he begged me to ascertain 
 that, and to tell you that if you had the smallest objec- 
 tion you would not be carried away by the apprehension 
 of hurting him by telling me honestly that you did 
 not see how the affair could be arranged, but to speak 
 out, that he knew enough how often objections may 
 arise, and that even with himself he could only be 
 sure of the thing at the last moment. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Foreign Office, \Sth August 1839. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and in submitting the accompanying 
 private letter from the Earl Granville* begs to state 
 that neither Viscount Melbourne nor Viscount 
 Palmerston are of opinion that it would be expedient 
 that your Majesty should send an Ambassador 
 Extraordinary to compliment the young Sultan^ on 
 
 ' Who afterwards married Queen Victoria's cousin. Prince Augustus 
 (Gusti) of Coburg. 
 
 " The first Earl Granville (1773-1846), formerly Ambassador Extra- 
 ordinary to the Russian Court, at this time Ambassador at Paris. 
 
 ' Abdul Medjid, a lad of sixteen, succeeded the Sultan Mahmoud. 
 The majority of the Powers agreed to place him under the protection of 
 Europe, and to warn Mehemet Ali that the matter was for Europe, not him, 
 to decide. France, however, wished to support Mehemet, and direct the 
 Alliance against Russia. But Nicholas I. of Russia was prepared to support 
 England as far as regarded the affairs of Turkey and Egypt, and to close the 
 Dardanelles and Bosphorus to war-ships of all nations, it being stipulated that 
 Russian ships of war only were to pass the Bosphorus, as acting under the 
 mandate of Europe in defence of the Turks. See further, Introductory Notes 
 for 1639 and 1840. 
 
230 ENGLAND AND THE SULTAN [chap, vm 
 
 his accession. The circumstances connected with 
 his accession are indeed fitter matter for condolence 
 than for congratulation, and he would probably be 
 better pleased by the restoration of his fleet than 
 by the arrival of Ambassadors Extraordinary. More- 
 over, it has not been customary for the Sovereign of 
 England to send such missions upon the accession of 
 Sultans. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 OsTENDE, 'HUh August 1839. 
 
 . . . The King's intention would be to leave Eu in 
 the evening, let us say at eight or nine o'clock, and 
 to land, perhaps at ten or eleven, at Brighton on the 
 following morning. He would have the honour of 
 dining with you, and would re-embark in the evening 
 of the same day, so as to be back on the following 
 morning at Eu. He will therefore, as you see, not 
 sleep in England. 
 
 If you cannot give any pied-a-terre in the 
 Palace for these few hours, they will remain in an 
 hotel. But I must say that as the King and Queen 
 put themselves to some inconvenience in coming to 
 see you, it would be rather desirable to offer them 
 rooms in the Palace, which I think might be easily 
 managed. As far as we are concerned it does not 
 matter if we are housed in an hotel or where we 
 bivouac. I will charge Van de Weyer to take rooms 
 for us somewhere. . . . 
 
 Do not imagine that I have done the least to bring 
 this about for my own satisfaction, which is very 
 limited in this business, but the King wished much 
 to see you once, and so did the Queen, who abhors 
 sailing more than anybody, and this is perhaps the 
 only opportunity which may ever offer of doing it, 
 even with some political benefit, as it certainly is 
 
1839] LOUIS PHILIPPE'S VISIT 231 
 
 desirable that it should appear that the two maritime 
 Powers are on good terms. ... And now, God 
 bless youl Ever, my dearest Victoria, your devoted 
 Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Ths King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 OsTENDE, 25<A Auguit 1839. 
 {La St Louis. ) 
 
 My dear Victoria, — To keep up the fire of letters, 
 I write again, having received this morning interesting 
 news. As I must forward this letter by Calais, and 
 know not who may read it in these times of curiosity, 
 I am forced to be guarded ; but the news are as follows, 
 of the 23rd — curious coincidence, as your letter was 
 also of that date — that, the moment approaching, many 
 and serioiis difficulties arise, and that the expedition 
 was considered imprudent by some people, that, besides, 
 the presence would perhaps be required, before the 
 possible departure, at the usual home of the person 
 interested, that therefore for the present it would 
 perhaps be best to give it up. I must say that I am 
 m^st happy that matters have come to this pass, because 
 it would have been next to impossible to arrange affairs 
 properly in proper time. You may now consider 
 everything as over, and settle your plans without 
 reference to it. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 26ife August 1839. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I had akeady written you 
 a letter when I received your two very kind ones, 
 and I shall therefore not send my first. My friendship 
 for the dear King and Queen makes me, as you may 
 easily understand, wish most exceedingly to see them, 
 and to make the acquaintance of the Queen and all 
 
232 THE VISIT POSTPONED [chap, vin 
 
 the family. And I feel the immense kindness of 
 them all in wishing to see me, and in coming over 
 for only a few horn's. Politically it would be wished 
 by us all, and the only difficulty I see is the following, 
 which is, that / do not feel quite equal to going to 
 Brighton and receiving them all, so soon after the 
 Prorogation.^ I do not feel well ; I feel thoroughly 
 exhausted from all that I have gone through this 
 Session, and am quite knocked up by the two little 
 trips I made to Windsor. This makes me fear, un- 
 certain as it all is, with such a pressure of business, so 
 many affairs, and with so much going on, that I should 
 be unequal to the journey and the whole thing. This, 
 and this alone, could make me express a wish that 
 this most kind visit should take place next year instead 
 of this year. I feel such regret really in saying this 
 — I should so wish to see them, and yet I feel I am 
 not quite up to it. You will understand me, dear 
 Uncle, I am certain, as I know the anxiety you 
 always express for my health. For once I long to 
 leave London, and shall do so on Friday. If you 
 could be at Windsor by the 4th, I should be delighted. 
 The dear Ferdinands, whom I all dearly love, will 
 await you here. I have had so much to do and so 
 many people to see, that I feel quite confused and 
 have written shockingly, which you must forgive. 
 Ever your devoted Niece, Victokia R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, Wth August 1839. 
 (10 minutes to 12.) 
 
 The Queen has received both Lord Melbourne's 
 notes ; she was a good deal vexed at his not coming, 
 as she had begged him herself to do so, and as he wrote 
 to say he would, and also as she thinks it right and of 
 importance that Lord Melbourne should be here at 
 
 1 On 27th August 
 
1839] PREPARING THE SPEECH 233 
 
 large dinners; the Queen insists upon his coming to 
 dinner to-morrow, and also begs him to do so on 
 Wednesday, her two last nights in town, and as she 
 will probably not see him at all for two days when she 
 goes on Friday ; the Queen would wish to see Lord 
 Melbourne after the Prorogation to-morrow at any 
 hour before five he likes best. 
 
 The Queen has been a good deal annoyed this 
 evening, at Normanby's telling her that John Russell 
 was coming to town next Monday in order to change 
 with Mm} Lord Melbourne never told the Queen that 
 this was definitely settled, on the contrary, he said it 
 would " remain in our hands," to use Lord Melbourne's 
 own words, and only be settled during the Vacation ; 
 considering aU that the Queen has said on the subject 
 to Lord Melbourne, and considering the great con- 
 fidence the Queen has in Lord Melbourne, she thinks 
 and feels he ought to have told her that this was 
 settled, and not let the Queen be the last person to 
 hear what is settled and done in her own name ; Lord 
 Melbourne will excuse the Queen's being a little eager 
 about this, but it has happened once before that she 
 learnt fi-om other people what had been decided on. 
 
 The Queen has such unlimited confidence in Lord 
 Melbourne that she knows all that he does is right, 
 but she cannot help being a little vexed at not being 
 told things, when she is accustomed to great confidence 
 on Lord Melbourne's part. 
 
 Lord Melbourne may rely on the Queen's secrecy 
 respecting Howick ; he knows the Queen always keeps 
 things to herself; Normanby hinted at his wish to get 
 rid of Howick. 
 
 The Speech is safely arrived, has been read over 
 twice, and shall not be forgotten to-morrow ; the Queen 
 wishes they would not use such thin and slippery paper 
 — for it is difficult to hold with nervous, and, as Lord 
 Melbourne knows, shaking hands. The Queen trusts 
 Lord Melbourne will be less tired in the morning. 
 
 » See Introductory Note, ante, p. 178. 
 
234 UNCLE AND NIECE [chap, vm 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 OsTENDE, 21«< September 1839. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — Your delightful little 
 letter has just arrived and went like an an^ow to my 
 heart. Yes, my beloved Victoria I I do love you 
 tenderly, and with all the power of affection which 
 is often found in characters who do not make much 
 outward show of it. I love you for yourself, and I 
 love in you the dear child whose welfare I carefully 
 watched. My great wish is always that you should 
 know that I am desirous of being useful to you, 
 without hoping for any other return than some little 
 affection from your warm and kind heart. I am even 
 so far pleased that my eternal political affairs are 
 settled, as it takes away the last possibility of 
 imagining that I may want something or other. I 
 have all the honours that can be given, and I am, 
 politically speaking, very solidly established, more so 
 than most Sovereigns in Europe. The only political 
 longing I still have is for the Orient, where I perhaps 
 shall once end my life, unlike the sun, rising in the 
 West and setting in the East. I never press my 
 services on you, nor my councils, though I may say 
 with some truth that from the extraordinary fate 
 which the higher powers had ordained for me, my 
 experience, both political and of private life, is great. 
 I am always ready to be useful to you when and 
 where it may be, and I repeat it, all I want in return 
 is some little sincere affection from you. . . . 
 
 And now I conclude for to-day, not without express- 
 ing again my satisfaction and pleasure at having seen 
 you yesterday morning with your dear honest face, 
 looking so dear in your morning attire. Our time 
 was spent very satisfactorily, and only the weather 
 crossed our wishes, and to that one can submit when 
 everything else is delightful. Once more, God bless 
 you 1 Ever, my dearest Victoria, your devoted Uncle, 
 
 Leopold R. 
 
1839] COMING VISIT OF PRINCE ALBERT 235 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiKDsoH Casixe, 25<A September 1839. 
 
 My DEAR Uncle, — You will, I think, laugh when you 
 get this letter, and will think I only mean to employ 
 you in stopping my relations at Brussels, but I think 
 you will approve of my wish. In the first place I 
 don't think one can reckon on the Cousins arriving 
 here on the 30th. Well, all I want is that you should 
 detain them one or two days longer, in order that they 
 may arrive here on Thursday, the 3rd, if possible early. 
 My reason for this is as follows: a number of the 
 Ministers are coming down here on Monday to stay 
 tiU Thursday, on affairs of great importance, and as 
 you know that people are always on the alert to make 
 remarks, I think if all the Ministers were to be down 
 here when they arrive, people would say — it was to 
 settle matters. At all events it is better to avoid 
 this. I think indeed a day or two at Brussels will 
 do these young gentlemen good, and they can be 
 properly fitted out there for their visit. Ever yours 
 devotedly, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 1st October 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — I received your kind letter on 
 Sunday, for which many thanks. The retard of these 
 young people puts me rather out, but of course cannot 
 be helped. I had a letter from Albert yesterday saying 
 they could not set off, he thought, before the 6th. 1 
 think they don't exhibit much empressement to come 
 here, which rather shocks me. 
 
 I got a very nice letter from dear Alexander 
 yesterday from Reinhardtsbrun ; ^ he says Albert is 
 very much improved, but not taller than Augustus. 
 His description of him is as follows : — "Albert, 1 
 found, had become stronger and more handsome ; still 
 he has not grown much taller ; he is of about the 
 
 ' A picturesque castle, about eight miles from Gotha. 
 
236 A CHARM AGAINST EVIL [chap, via 
 
 same size as Augustus ; he is a most pleasant, intelli- 
 gent young man. I find, too, that he has become 
 more lively than he was, and that sits well on him, 
 too." (Translation.) I think you may like to hear 
 this, as I know Alexander is a very correct observer 
 of persons, and his opinion may be relied upon. He 
 adds that Albert plagues Leopold beyond measure. 
 
 I shall take care and send a gentleman and 
 carriages to meet my cousins, either at Woolwich or 
 the Tower, at whichever place you inform me they 
 land at. The sooner they come the better. I have 
 got the house full of Ministers. On Monday the 
 Queen Dowager is coming to sleep here for two 
 nights ; it is the Jirst time, and will be a severe trial. 
 Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 1th October 1839. 
 
 The Queen sends the little charm which she hopes 
 may keep Lord Melbourne from all evil, and which it 
 will make her very happy if he will put [? it with] his 
 keys. If the ring is too small Lord Melbourne must 
 send it back to her, and she will have it altered. 
 
 The Queen has made up her mind at length to ask 
 Lady Clanricarde, as Lord Melbourne wishes it so much. 
 Shall Surrey invite her, or Lord Palmerston ? and from 
 Thursday to Friday ? 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, %th. October 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — I have to thank you for three kind 
 letters of the 1st, 4th, and 5th, the last which I received 
 yesterday. I received another letter from Alex. M. 
 yesterday, since Ernesfs arrival, and he says that they 
 have determined on setting oflF, so as to embark at 
 Antwerp on the 9th and be here after all on the 10th 1 
 I suppose you wiU have also heard. I shall therefore 
 (unless I hear from you to the contrary) send one of my 
 equerries and two carriages to the Tower on Thursday. 
 
1839] ARRIVAL OF THE COUSINS 237 
 
 I am sorry to hear of the serious disturbances at 
 Ghent ; I trust it is all got under now. If you should 
 hear anjrthing more of Roi Guillaume's* Tnarriage, 
 pray let me hear it, as it is such an odd story. Old 
 Alava, who was here for two nights last week, told 
 me he knew Pauline d^Oultremont many years ago, 
 when she was young and very gay and pretty, but 
 that he wonders much at this marriage, as the King 
 hates Cathohcs. Alava is rayonnant de honheur. 
 
 I told Lord Melbourne of your alarms respecting 
 the financial crisis, which we did not bring on — those 
 wild American speculations are the cause of it — and 
 he desires me to assure you that we wiU pxirsue as 
 moderate and cautious a course as possible. 
 
 The Queen Dowager came here yesterday and 
 stays tiQ to-morrow ; she is very cheerful and in good 
 spirits. . . . 
 
 I must conclude in haste. Ever your devoted Niece, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 Many thanks for the two supplies of ortolans, which 
 were delicious. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 12M October 1839. 
 
 My dear. Uncle, — . . . The dear cousins arrived 
 at half-past seven on Thursday, after a very bad and 
 almost dangerous passage, but looking both very well, 
 and much improved. Having no clothes they could 
 not appear at dinner, but nevertheless debuted after 
 dinner in their neglige. Ernest is grown quite hand- 
 some ; Albert's beauty is most striking, and he so 
 amiable and unaffected — in short, very fascinating; 
 he is excessively admired here. The Granvilles and 
 Lord Clanricarde " happened just to be here, but are 
 
 1 William I., King of the Netherlands, was greatly attached to the Roman 
 Catholic Countess d'Oultremont, and in October 1840, being sixty-seven, 
 abdicated his Crown to marry her. He was father of the Prince of Orange, 
 who succeeded him. 
 
 » Ulick John, first Marquis of Clanricarde (1802-18T4), Ambassador at 
 St Petersburg, afterwards Lord Privy Seal 
 
238 A MOMENTOUS DECISION [chap, vm 
 
 gone again to-day. We rode out yesterday and 
 danced after dinner. The young men are very amiable, 
 delightful companions, and I am very happy to have 
 them here ; they are playing some Symphonies of 
 Haydn under me at this very moment ; they are 
 passionately fond of music. 
 
 In the way of news I have got nothing to tell you 
 to-day. Everything is quiet here, and we have no 
 particular news from abroad. In Spain the Fueros^ 
 seem to give sad difficulty to the Cortes. 
 
 Ever, my dearest Uncle, your devoted Niece, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, ISth October 1839. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — This letter will, I am sure, 
 give you pleasure, for you have always shown and 
 taken so warm an interest in all that concerns 
 me. My mind is quite made up — and I told Albert 
 this morning of it ; the warm affection he showed 
 me on learning this gave me great pleasure. He 
 seems perfection, and I think that I have the 
 prospect of very great happiness before me. I love 
 him more than I can say, and I shall do everything 
 in my power to render the sacrifice he has made 
 (for a sacrifice in my opinion it is) as small as I 
 can. He seems to have a very great tact — a very 
 necessary thing in his position. These last few days 
 have passed like a dream to me, and I am so much 
 bewildered by it all that I know hardly how to 
 write ; but 1 do feel very, very happy. 
 
 It is absolutely necessary that this determination 
 of mine should be known to no one but yourself, and 
 Uncle Ernest — till the meeting of Parliament — as it 
 would be considered othervdse neglectful on my part 
 not to have assembled Parliament at once to have 
 informed them of it. . . . Lord Melbourne, whom I of 
 course have consulted about the whole affair, quite 
 
 1 Certain rights and privileges of the Basques. 
 
1839] MELBOURNE'S CONGRATULATIONS 239 
 
 approves my choice, and expresses great satisfaction 
 at the event, which he thinks in every way highly 
 desirable. Lord Melbourne has acted in this business, 
 as he has always done towards me, with the greatest 
 kindness and affection. 
 
 We also think it better, and Albert quite approves 
 of it, that we should be married very soon after 
 Parliament meets, about the beginning of February; 
 and indeed, loving Albert as I do, I cannot wish it 
 should be delayed. My feelings are a little changed, 
 I must say, since last Spring, when I said I couldn't 
 think of marrying for three or four years; but seeing 
 AJbert has changed all this. 
 
 Pray, dearest Uncle, forward these two letters to 
 Uncle Ernest (to whom I beg you will enjoin strict 
 secrecy, and explain these details, which 1 have not 
 time to do) and to faithful Stockmar. 
 
 I think you might tell Louise of it, but none of 
 her family. I should wish to keep the dear young 
 gentlemen here till the end of next month. Ernest's 
 sincere pleasure gave me great delight. He does so 
 adore dearest Albert. Ever, dearest Uncle, your 
 devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Windsor Castle, \Sth October 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will be ready to wait upon your 
 Majesty at a little before one. 
 
 Lord Melbourne reads with great satisfaction your 
 Majesty's expression of feeling, as your Majesty's 
 happiness must ever be one of Lord Melbourne's first 
 objects and strongest interests. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wiesbaden, iith October 1839. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — Nothing could have given 
 me greater pleasure than your dear letter, I had, 
 when I saw your decision, almost the feeling of old 
 
240 KING LEOPOLD'S SATISFACTION [chap, vin 
 
 Zacharias — "Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in 
 peace ! " Your choice had been for these last years 
 my conviction of what might and would be best for 
 your happiness ; and just because I was convinced of 
 it, and knowing how strangely fate often deranges 
 what one tries to bring about as being the best plan 
 one could fix upon, the maximum of a good arrange- 
 ment, I feared that it would not happen. In your 
 position, which may and will, perhaps, become in 
 future even more difficult in a political point of view, 
 you could not exist without having a happy and an 
 agreeable interieur. 
 
 And I am much deceived — which I think I am 
 not — or you will find in Albert just the very qualities 
 and dispositions which are indispensable for your 
 happiness, and which will suit your own character, 
 temper, and mode of life. You say most amiably 
 that you consider it a sacrifice on the part of Albert, 
 This is true in many points, because his position will 
 be a difficult one ; but much, I may say all, will 
 depend on your affection for him. If you love him, 
 and are kind to him, he will easily bear the burthen 
 of the position ; and there is a steadiness and at the 
 same time cheerfulness in his character which will 
 facilitate this. I think your plans excellent. If 
 Parliament had been called at an unusual time it 
 would make them uncomfortable, and if, therefore, 
 they receive the communication at the opening of 
 the Session it will be best. The marriage, as you 
 say, might then follow as closely as possible. 
 
 Lord Melbourne has shown himself the amiable 
 and excellent man I always took him for. Another 
 man in his position, instead of your happiness, might 
 have merely looked to his own personal views and 
 imaginary interests, not so our good friend ; he saw 
 what was best ybr you, and I feel it deeply to his praise. 
 
 Your keeping the cousins next month with you 
 strikes me as a very good plan. It will even show 
 that you had sufficient opportunity of judging of 
 Albert's character. . . . 
 
1839] AUSTRIA AND THE PORTE 241 
 
 On the 22nd Prince Metternich came to see me. 
 He was very kind, and talked most confidentially 
 about political afFairs, particularly the Oriental concerns.^ 
 M. de Brunnow had been with him. The short of his 
 views IS this: he wishes that the Powers could be 
 unanimous, as he sees in this the best chance of 
 avoiding measures of violence against the Pasha of 
 Eg5Tpt, which he considers dangerous, either as not 
 sufficiently effective, or of a nature to bring on 
 comphcations most earnestly to be avoided, such as 
 making use of Russian troops. 
 
 Austria naturally would like to bring about the 
 best possible arrangement for the Porte, but it will 
 adhere to any arrangement or proposition which can 
 be agreed upon by England and France. He is, 
 however, positive that Candia must be given back 
 to the Porte, its position being too threatening, and 
 therefore constantly alarming the Porte. He made 
 me write the import of our conversation to King 
 Louis Philippe, which I did send after him to 
 Frankfort, where he was to forward it to Paris. 
 Perhaps you will have the goodness to communicate 
 this political scrap to good Lord Melbourne with 
 my best regards. He spoke in praise of Lord 
 Beau vale. '^ The Prince is better, but grown very old 
 and looking tired. It gave me great pleasure to see 
 him again. 
 
 I drink the waters now four days, and can therefore 
 not yet judge of their good or bad effects. My 
 palpitations are rather increased here ; if my stupid 
 heart will get diseased I shall soon be departing for 
 some other world. I would it could be soon then. 
 
 Till further orders I shall say nothing to your 
 Mother, Charles, or Feodore. 
 
 Now I will conclude with my best blessings, and 
 remain, my dearest and most beloved Victoria, your 
 devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 1 See Introductory Notes for 1839 and 1840. 
 
 ^ Frederick Lamb, younger brother of Lord Melbourne, Ambassador 
 Extraordinary at Vienna, who had recently been made a Peer. 
 Vol. 1.— 16 
 
242 THE QUEEN'S HAPPINESS [chap, vni 
 
 / 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 2Sth October 1839. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Your most kind and most 
 welcome letter of the 24th arrived yesterday, and 
 gave me very, very great pleasure. I was sure you 
 would be satisfied and pleased with our proceedings. 
 
 Before I proceed further, I wish just to mention 
 one or two alterations in the plan of announcing the 
 event. 
 
 As Parliament has nothing whatever to say respect- 
 ing the marriage, can neither approve or disapprove 
 it (I mean in a manner which might affect it), it is 
 now proposed that, as soon as the cousins are gone 
 (which they now intend to do on the 12th or 14th 
 of November, as time presses) I should assemble all 
 the Privy Councillors and announce to them my 
 intention. . . . 
 
 Oh I dear Uncle, I do feel so happy ! I do so 
 adore Albert ! he is quite an angel, and so very, very 
 kind to me, and seems so fond of me, which touches 
 me much. 1 trust and hope I shall be able to make 
 him as happy as he ought to be ! I cannot bear 
 to part from him, for we spend such happy delightful 
 hours together. 
 
 Poor Ernest has been suffering since Wednesday 
 last with the jaundice, which is very distressing and 
 troublesome, though not alarming. ... I love him 
 dearly too, and look upon him quite as' a brother. 
 
 What you say about Lord Melbourne has given 
 me great pleasure ; it is very just and very true. 
 There are not many such honest kind friends to be 
 found in this world. He desires me to say that he is 
 deeply sensible of your good opinion, and that he can 
 have no other object than that which he considers 
 best to secure my happiness, which is closely connected 
 with the well-being of the country. 
 
1839] QUEEN LOUISE'S CONGRATULATIONS 243 
 
 I am glad you saw Prince Metteraich, and that 
 you were satisfied with the interview. 
 
 I hope and trust you may derive much benefit 
 from your stay at Wiesbaden. Pray name me to 
 good Stockmar, and believe me, always, your most 
 devoted Niece and Child, Victoria R. 
 
 The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 ^ Laeken, Sth November 1839. 
 
 My most beloved Victoria, — Your Uncle has 
 already told you, I trust, with what feelings of deep 
 affection and gratitude I received the so interesting 
 and important communication which you permitted 
 him to make to me ; but I was longing for an oppor- 
 tunity to speak to you myself of the great subject 
 which fills now our hearts, and to tell you how very 
 grateful I have been, I am, and will ever be, for the 
 confidence and trust which you so kindly placed in 
 me. All I can say is that you did fuU justice to my 
 feelings, for nothing could interest more my heart than 
 your marriage, my most dearly loved Victoria, and I 
 could not have heard even of that of Clementine with 
 Tnore anxious affection and sisterly love. 1 cannot 
 really tell you with words how deeply and strongly 
 I was moved and affected by the great news itself, 
 and by your dear, unaffected, confiding, happy letter. 
 When I received it I could do nothing but cry, and 
 say internally, " May God bless her now and ever ! " 
 Ah ! may God bless you, my most beloved Victoria I 
 may He shower on you His best blessings, fulfil all your 
 heart's wishes and hopes, and let you enjoy for many, 
 many years the happiness which the dearest ties of 
 affection alon^ can give, and which is the only real one, 
 the only worthy of the name in this uncertain and 
 transitory world ! 
 
 I have seen much of dear Albert two years 
 
244 QUEEN LOUISE'S CONGRATULATIONS [chap, vin 
 
 ago, I have watched him, as you may well think, with 
 particular care, attention, and interest, and although 
 he was very young then, I am well convinced that he 
 is not only fit for the situation which he is now called 
 to fulfil, but, what is still more important in my eyes, 
 that he has all those qualities of the heart and the mind 
 which can give and ensure happiness. I think even 
 that his disposition is particularly well calculated to 
 suit yours, and I am fully confident that you wiU 
 be both happy together. What you tell me of your 
 fear of not being worthy of him, and able to make him 
 sufficiently happy, is for me but a proof more of it. 
 Deep affection makes us always diffident and very 
 humble. Those that we love stand so high in our 
 own esteem, and are in our opinion so much above 
 us and all others that we naturally feel unworthy 
 of them and unequal to the task of making them 
 happy : but there is, I think, a mingled charm in this 
 feeling, for although we regret not to be what we 
 should wish to be for them, feeling and acknowledging 
 the superiority of those we love, and must always love 
 and respect, is a great satisfaction, and an increasing 
 and everlasting one. You will feel it, I am sure, as 
 well as I do. . . . 
 
 You will excuse my blots and hurried scribbling 
 when I will tell you that in order to profit of the 
 private messenger which goes to-morrow morning I 
 write to you at ten in the evening, a thing quite 
 unusual for me, and even rather forbidden : but after 
 having been deprived of expending my heart for so 
 many days, I could not avail myself of the present 
 opportunity. When I write to you by the ordinary 
 messenger I will continue to be silent; but I trust 
 you will permit me to say some time a word, when a 
 safe opportunity presents itself, for my heart is with 
 you more than I can tell. I would that I could 
 see you, when it could be, for an hour. I remain, 
 my most beloved Victoria, ever and ever your most 
 affectionate Louise. 
 
1839] LETTERS TO THE ROYAL FAMILY 245 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Duke of Sussex. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 14<A November 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — The affection which you have 
 shown me makes me feel certain that you will take 
 interest in an event which so nearly concerns the future 
 happiness of my life ; I cannot, therefore, delay any 
 longer to inform you of my intended marriage with 
 my Cousin Albert, the merits of whose character are 
 so well known by all who are acquainted with him, 
 that I need say no more than that I feel as assured 
 of my own happiness as I can be of anjrthing in this 
 world. 
 
 As it is not to be publicly known, I beg you not 
 to mention it except to our own Family. 
 
 I hope you are well and enjoying yourself Believe 
 me always your affectionate Niece, Victokia R.' 
 
 Queen Victoria to Queen Adelaide. 
 
 Windsor Castle, November, 1839. 
 
 My dear Aunt, — Your constant kindness and the 
 affection you have ever shown me make me certain that 
 you will take much interest in an event which so nearly 
 concerns the future happiness of my life ; I cannot, 
 therefore, any longer delay to inform you of my 
 intended marriage with my Cousin Albert. The merits 
 of his character are so well known to all who are 
 acquainted with him, that I need say no more than 
 that I feel as assured of my own happiness as I can be 
 of anything here below, and only hope that I may be 
 able to make him as happy as he deserves to be. It 
 was both my duty and my incHnation to tell you of this 
 as soon as it was determined upon ; but, as it is not 
 
 1 Similar letters with slight variations were written to the Duke of 
 Cambridge, the Princess Augusta, the Princess Sophia, the Duchess of 
 Gloucester, the Princess Sophia Matilda, the King of Hanover, and the 
 Princess Elizabeth (Landgravine of Hesse-Horaburg). 
 
24,6 NEWS NOT ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY [chap, vin 
 
 to be yet publicly announced I beg you not to mention 
 it except to our own Family. I thank you much for 
 your kind letter, and rejoice to hear you have enjoyed 
 yourself so much. Believe me always your very affec- 
 tionate Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Windsor Castle, ISth November 1839. 
 
 The Queen just writes two lines to send Lord 
 Melbourne the accompanying civil letter from the 
 Queen Dowager, and to give him an account of the 
 visit of the Cambridges. They were all very kind 
 and civil, George grown but not embellished, and 
 much less reserved with the Queen, and evidently 
 happy to be clear of me. He ,gave a very indifferent 
 account of the King of Greece, but a favourable one 
 of the Queen. 
 
 The Duchess said she had expected the Queen 
 would marry Albert, and was not surprised at the event. 
 They were very discreet and asked no questions, but 
 described the Duchess of Gloucester to be stiffering 
 much from the necessity of keeping the secret. 
 
 The weather cleared up, and the Queen has just 
 returned from a walk. She hopes Lord Melbourne 
 got safe to London in spite of the wet and the water 
 on the road ; and she hopes he will take great care of 
 himself. She would be thankful if he would let her 
 know to-morrow if he will dine with her also on 
 Thursday or not. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, \9th November 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — Many thanks for your kind 
 letter of the 5th, received last week. I am in a great 
 hurry, and therefore have only time to write to you 
 a line to tell you, first, that on the 15th I wrote to 
 
1839] LETTER TO THE PRINCE ALBERT 247 
 
 all the Royal Family announcing the event to them, 
 and that they answered all very kindly and civilly; 
 the Duchess of Cambridge and Augusta, with the 
 Duke and George, came over on purpose to con- 
 gratulate me yesterday ; secondly, that the marriage 
 is to be publicly announced in an Open Council on 
 the 23rd, at Buckingham Palace, where I am going 
 to-morrow. I return here . after the Council on the 
 23rd. 1 am so happy to think I need not then 
 conceal my feelings any longer. I have also written 
 to the King of Hanover and the Landgravine,* and to 
 all our relations abroad. I hope, dear Uncle, you will 
 not have ill-treated my dearest Albert ? I am very 
 anxious to hear from him from Wiesbaden. Ever 
 your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 [The following extracts of letters from the Queen 
 to Prince Albert were written partly in English 
 and partly in German. The English portions 
 are printed in italics, the German, translated, 
 in ordinary tjrpe. These letters are all written 
 in terms of profound affection, which deepened 
 very shortly into complete and absolute devotion 
 to the Prince.] 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert 
 
 Buckingham Pai^ce, 2\st November 1839. 
 
 ... It is desired here that the matter should be 
 declared at Coburg as soon as possible, and immediately 
 after that I shall send you the Order.^ 
 
 Your rank will be settled Just before you come 
 over, as also your rank in the Army. Ever5rthing 
 will be very easily arranged. Lord Melbourne showed 
 me yesterday the Declaration, which is very simple 
 and nice. I will send it you as soon as possible. . . . 
 
 1 Princess Elizabeth (1770-1840), daughter of George III. and widow of 
 the Landgrave Frederick Joseph Louis of Hesse-Homburg. 
 » The Garter. 
 
THE PRINCE'S RELIGION [chap, vni 
 
 Lord Melbourne told me yesterday, that the whole 
 Cabinet are strongly of opinion that you should not be 
 made a Peer. 1 will write that to Uncle. . . . 
 
 22nd November 1839. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne has just been with me, and 
 greatly wishes the Declaration to be made at Coburg 
 as soon as possible. He also desired me to ask you 
 to see if you can . . . a short History of the House 
 of Saxe-Coburg, who our direct ancestors were, and 
 what part they took in the Protestant, or rather 
 Lutheran, religion; he wishes to hear this in order 
 to make people here know exactly who your ancestors 
 are, for a few stupid people here try to say you are 
 a Catholic, but nobody will believe it. Send (it) as 
 soon as possible; perhaps good Mr Schenk would 
 write it out in English. . . . 
 
 As there is notMng to be settled for me, we require 
 no treaty of marriage ; but if you should require any- 
 thing to be settled, the best will be to send it here. 
 Respecting the succession, in case Ernest should die 
 without children, it would not do to stipulate now, but 
 your second son, if you had one, should reside at 
 Coburg. That can easily be arranged if the thing 
 should happen hereafter, and the English would not 
 like it to be arranged now. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 2Srd November 1 
 
 . . . Just arrived here, 5.30. Everything has gone 
 off very well. The Council ^ was held at two o'clock ; 
 more than a hundred persons were present, and there 
 I had to read the Declaration. It was rather an awful 
 
 1 A Special Meeting of the Privy Council was held on the 23rd November, 
 to receive the Queen's intimation of her engagement. The Queen wrote in 
 her journal : — 
 
 " I went in ; the room was full, but I hardly knew who was there. Lord 
 M. I saw, looking at me with tears in his eyes, but he was not near me. I 
 then read my short Declaration. I felt my hands shook, but I did not make 
 one mistake. I felt more happy and thankful when it was over." 
 
1839] ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE COUNCIL 249 
 
 moment, to be obliged to announce this to so many people, 
 many of whom were quite strangers, but they told me I 
 did it very well, and I felt so happy to do it. 
 
 Good Lord Melbourne was deeply moved about 
 it, and Uxbridge likewise ; it lasted only two or three 
 minutes. Everybody, they tell me, is very much pleased, 
 and I wish you could have seen the crowds of people who 
 cheered me loudly as I left the Palace for Windsor. 
 I am so happy to-day 1 oh, if only you could be here ! 
 I wish that you were able to participate in all the 
 kindness which is shown to me. To-day I can only 
 send you the Declaration.' The description of the whole 
 I wiU send after this. . . . 
 
 Send me as soon as possible the report of the 
 announcement at Coburg. I wear your dear picture 
 mornings and evenings, and wore it also at the 
 meeting of the Conseil. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wiesbaden, 22»id November 1839. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I was delighted with your 
 dear little letter. You write these kind of letters 
 with a very great facility, and they are generally so 
 natural and clever, that it makes one very happy to 
 
 1 J. W. Croker wrote to Lady Hardwicke : — 
 
 " 24.«A November 1839. 
 
 "... She then unfolded a paper and read her declaration, which you will, 
 before this can reach you, have seen in the newspapers. I cannot describe to 
 you with what a mixture of self-possession and feminine delicacy she read the 
 paper. Her voice, which is naturally beautiful, was clear and untroubled ; 
 and her eye was bright and calm, neither bold nor downcast, but firm and 
 soft There was a blush on her cheek which made her look both handsomer 
 and more interesting ; and certainly she did look as interesting and as 
 handsome as any young lady I ever ^w. ,,„,,. _^ , , . , , . 
 
 " I happened to stand behind the Duke of WeUmgton s chair, and caught 
 her eye twice as she directed it towards him, which I fancy she did with a 
 good-natured interest. ... The crowd, which was not great but very 
 decent, I might ahnost say respectable, expressed their approbation of the 
 Duke of WeUington and Sir R. Peel, and their disapprobation of the 
 Ministers very loudly. Lord John and Lord Normanby, they teU me, were 
 positively hooted. . . . Lord Melbourne . . . seemed to me to look care- 
 worn, and on the whole the meeting had a sombre air. —Croker Papers, 
 II. 359. 
 
250 A MARRIAGE TREATY [chap, vm 
 
 receive them. I had written less of late, because I 
 thought you occupied more agreeably than to read my 
 letters. I have on purpose kept back a courier, to 
 be able to send you the latest news from here of 
 M. Albert. The young people arrived here only on the 
 20th, in the morning, having very kindly stopped at 
 Bonn. I find them looking well, particularly Albert ; 
 it proves that happiness is an excellent remedy, and 
 keeps people in better health than any other. He is 
 much attached to you, and moved when he speaks of 
 you. He is, besides, in great spirits and gaiety, and 
 full of fun ; he is a very amiable companion. 
 
 Concerning the peerage, that is a matter to be 
 considered at any time ; the only reason why T do 
 wish it is, that Albert's foreignership should disappear 
 as much as possible. I have, in different circumstances 
 to be sure, suffered greatly from my having declined 
 conditionally the peerage when it was offered me in 
 1816.^ Your Uncle ^ writes to you in German; as far 
 as I understood him he speaks of the necessity of a 
 marriage treaty ; that is a matter of course. There is, 
 however, something additional to be regulated con- 
 cerning the possible succession in the Coburg-Gotha 
 dominions, there being betwixt it and Albert but good 
 Ernest. Some regulation becomes therefore necessary, 
 at least reasonable. The Duke wishes also to know if 
 the treaty is to be made in England or in Germany. 
 Should the last of the two be fixed upon, he thinks 
 that one of your Ministers abroad would be the proper 
 person for it. Ever, my dear Victoria, your devoted 
 Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of t/ie Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, ^6th November 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — I thank you for your kind 
 letter which I received the day before yesterday ; but 
 I fear you must have been very dull at Wiesbaden. . . . 
 
 1 The Dukedom of Kendal was offered to, and, after consideration, declined 
 by, Prince Leopold. 
 
 ' The Duke of Saxe-Coburg (Ernest L). 
 
1839] QUESTION OF A PEERAGE 251 
 
 Everything went ofF uncommonly well on the 23rd 
 but It was rather formidable ;i eighty-two Privy 
 CounciUors present ; everybody very much pleased — 
 and I was loudly greeted on leaving the Palace after 
 the Council. '^ 
 
 The whole Cabinet agree with me in being strongly 
 of opinion that Albert should not be a Peer ; indeed, 
 I see everything against it and nothing for it; the 
 Enghsh are very jealous at the idea of Albert's 
 havmg any political power, or meddling with affairs 
 here — which I know from himself he will not do. 
 
 As Wiesbaden is half-way (or thereabouts) to 
 Coburg, I take the Uberty of enclosing a large letter 
 to Albert, which I beg you to send on to him. 
 
 We are quite flooded here, and the road to 
 Datchet is quite impassable. Ever your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Slth November 1839. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. . . . 
 
 A little civility would be well bestowed upon 
 Lord and Lady Tankerville, and might not be without 
 its effect, but if your Majesty does not like it, it 
 cannot be helped. 
 
 The others also shall, if possible, be kept in good 
 humour. 
 
 The misrepresentation respecting Prince Alexander^ 
 your Majesty will see corrected in the Morning 
 Chronicle of that morning, but of course your 
 Majesty will not expect that this contradiction will 
 put an end to bitter and offensive remarks. It will 
 now be said that, knowing the true religion, he has 
 given over his children to the false, and that he has 
 sacrificed their eternal welfare to his own worldly 
 
 ' Greville mentions that the Queen's hands trembled so, that she could 
 hardly read the Declaration which she was holding. 
 2 Prince Alexander of Wurtemberg. 
 
252 ENGLISH SUSCEPTIBILITIES [chap, vm 
 
 objects.* There is nothing which cannot be turned 
 in an hostile and mahgnant manner by mahgnity and 
 perverted ingenuity. 
 
 Can your Majesty inform Lord Melbourne what 
 is the arrangement respecting King Leopold's children ? 
 They are, Lord Melbourne presumes, to be brought up 
 Roman Catholics. 
 
 Lord Melbourne earnestly hopes to hear that your 
 Majesty is better and more free from pain. He is 
 himself very well. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Windsor Castle, llth November 1839. 
 
 The English are very jealous of any foreigner 
 interfering in the government of this country, and 
 have already in some of the papers {which are 
 friendly to me and you) expressed a hope that you 
 would not interfere. Now, though I know you never 
 would, still, if you were a Peer they would all say, 
 the Prince meant to play a political part. I am 
 certain you will understand this, but it is much 
 better not to say anything more about it now, 
 and to let the whole matter rest. The Tories 
 make a great disturbance (saying) that you are a 
 Papist, because the words "a Protestant Prince'' have 
 not been put into the Declaration — a thing which 
 would be quite unnecessary, seeing that I cannot 
 marry a Papist. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 29th November 1839. 
 
 I had a talk with Lord Melbourne last night. 
 He thinks your view about the Peerage question 
 quite correct. Uncle seems to me, after all, much 
 more reasonable about it. We had a good talk this 
 morning about your arrangements for our marriage, 
 
 1 See ante, p. 189. 
 
1839] LETTER FROM DONNA MARIA 253 
 
 and also about your official attendants, and he* has 
 told me that young Mr Anson (his private secretary), 
 who is with him, greatly wishes to be with you. I 
 am very much in favour of it, because he is an 
 excellent young man, and very modest, very honest, 
 very steady, very well-informed, and will be of viuch 
 use to you. He is not a member of the House of 
 Commons, which is also convenient ; so long as Lord 
 Melbourne is in office he remains his Secretary — but 
 William Cowper* was also for some time Secretary 
 to his Uncle, and at the same time my Groom-in- 
 Waiting. Lord Melbourne feared it was not advisable 
 for you to have Mr Anson, and also his uncle, but I 
 told him that did not matter if the people are fit for 
 the posts. . . . 
 
 Queen Maria II. of Portugal to Queen Victoria. 
 
 LisBONNE, \st December 1839. 
 
 Ma bien chere Victoire, — Hier ayant re9u la 
 communication de votre mariage avec Albert, je ne 
 veux pas tarder un seul instant a vous en feliciter 
 sur votre heureux choix, et en meme temps vous 
 prier de croire aux voeux sinc^res que je forme pour 
 votre bonheur, avec votre excellent cceur il n'est pas 
 possible le contraire. Permettez que je vous disc que 
 votre choix ne m'a pas du etonner, car sachant com- 
 bien Albert est bon, vous ne pouviez pas choisir un 
 autre dont vous fussiez aussi sure qu'il puisse vous 
 rendre aussi heureuse comme vous le mdritez, ch^re 
 Victoire. Pour que tous mes souhaits soient exauces je 
 vous ddsire un bonheur aussi complet que Test le 
 mien. Qu' Albert soit comme Ferdinand et vous serez 
 parfaitement heureuse. Adieu ! ma ch^re Victoire. Je 
 vous prie de me croire, votre devouee Cousine, 
 
 Marie, 
 
 Ferdinand vous fait dire mille choses. 
 
 ^ Lord Melbourne. 
 
 ' Afterwards William Cowper-Temple, and Lord Mount Temple, author of 
 the well-known amendment to the Education Act of 1870. 
 
254 HOUSEHOLD APPOINTMENTS [chab. vm 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Windsor Castle, ith December 1839. 
 
 As to your wish about your gentlemen, my dear 
 Albert, I must tell you quite honestly that it will not 
 do. You may entirely rely upon me that the people 
 who will be about you will be absolutely pleasant 
 people, of high standing and good character. These 
 gentlemen will not be in continual attendance on you; 
 only on great occasions, and to accompany you when 
 you go anywhere, and to dinners, etc. Seymour is your 
 confidential attendant, and also Schenk and Anson,^ 
 whom Lehzen has written to you about. 
 
 Old Sir George Anson has been told of your gracious 
 wish to have him as Groom of the Bedchamber and is 
 delighted. 
 
 I can only have Lords, and they will not be Peers, 
 but Lords, the eldest sons of Dukes or Marquesses, 
 or Earls (Counts), and who as far as possible are not 
 in ParUament, for then they need not change, but 
 your people are appointed by you and not by me 
 (nominally), and therefore unless they were to vote 
 against my Government {which would be awkward) 
 they need not change. You may rely upon my care 
 that you shall have proper people, and not idle and 
 not too young, and Lord Melbourne has already 
 vientioned several to me who would be very suitable. . . . 
 
 I have received to-day an ungracious letter from 
 Uncle Leopold. He appears to me to be nettled 
 because I no longer ask for his advice, but dear Uncle 
 is given to believe that he must rule the roast every- 
 where. However, that is not a necessity. As he has 
 
 1 Mr George Anson had been Private Secretary to Lord Melbourne; it 
 was on Lord Melbourne's recommendation that the Queen appointed him 
 Private Secretary to Prince Albert. The Prince was inclined to resent the 
 selection, and to think that in the case of so confidential an official he should 
 have been allowed to make his own nomination. But they became firm 
 friends, and the Prince found Mr Anson's capacity, common sense, and 
 entire disinterestedness of the greatest value to him. Later he became 
 keeper of the Prince's Privy Purse, and died in 1849. 
 
1839] THE MAYOR OF NEWPORT KNIGHTED S55 
 
 written to Melbourne, Melbourne will reply to him 
 on every point, and will also tell him that Stockmar 
 ought to come here as soon as possible to arrange 
 everything about the treaty. That wiU be a very 
 good thing, because Stockmar understands all English 
 things so well. 
 
 The Second, as you always called Palmerston, is to 
 be married within the next few days to Lady Cowper, 
 the sister of my Premier {Primus) ; I have known 
 this for a long time, but Melbourne asked me not 
 to teU it to any one. They are, both of them, above 
 fifty, and I think that they are quite right so to act, 
 because Palmerston, since the death of his sisters, is 
 quite alone in the world, and Lady C. is a very 
 clever woman, and much attached to him ; still, I feel 
 sure it wUl make you smile. 
 
 {Continued on the 9th). — To-day I have had a 
 Consdl, and then I knighted the Mayor of Newport^ 
 (who distinguished himself so much in that riot of the 
 Chartists ^) ; he is a very timid, modest man, and was 
 very happy when I told him orally how exceedingly 
 satisfied I am with his conduct. . . . The officers have 
 been rewarded too. ... I am plaguing you already 
 with tiresome politics, but you will, in that, find a 
 proof of my [confidence] love,^ because I must share 
 with you everything that rejoices me, everything that 
 vexes or grieves me, and I am certain you will take 
 your part in it. . . . 
 
 To-day I saw Lord WiUiam Russell — you know 
 him, don't you ? I forgot to tell you that you will 
 have a great officer of State at the head of your 
 Household, who is called the Groom of the Stole ; it 
 is a position in the Court for prestige only, without 
 any business ; he will be a Peer. . . . 
 
 1 Mr T. Phillips, the Mayor of Newport, Monmouthshire, had behaved 
 with great coolness and courage during the riot on 4th November. He read 
 the Riot Act among showers of bullets before ordering the troops to fire. 
 
 " Frost, Williams, and others, afterwards convicted at Monmouth. 
 
 * Tlie Queen had begun the word " confidence " but struck it out and 
 substituted "love." 
 
256 HOUSEHOLD APPOINTMENTS [chap, vm 
 
 Continued lOth December. — I am very impatient 
 at your bust not having yet arrived ; the Duchess of 
 Sutherland wrote to me she had seen it in Rome, 
 and it was so beautiful ! . . . 
 
 Who has made the little copy which you sent me, 
 and who the original ? Feodore writes to me so much 
 about you. . . . 
 
 We expect Queen Adelaide to-day, who will stay 
 here until the day after to-morrow. Melbourne has 
 asked me to enquire of you whether you know Lord 
 Grosvenor ? He is the eldest son of the Marquis of 
 Westminster, and does not belong to any party; he 
 is not in Parliament. He is very pleasant, speaks 
 German very well, and has been a good deal on the 
 Continent. If he accepts, he might be one of your 
 gentlemen. Lord Melbourne is 'particularly desirous of 
 doing everything that is most agreeable to you. I have 
 a request to make, too, viz., that you will appoint 
 poor Clark your physician ; you need not consult him 
 unless you wish it. It is only an honorary title, and 
 would make him very happy. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 9th December 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — ... I was quite miserable at 
 not hearing from Albert for ten days ; such a long 
 silence is quite insupportable for anyone in my posi- 
 tion towards Albert, and I was overjoyed on receiving 
 yesterday the most dear, most affectionate, delightful 
 long letter from him. He writes so beautifully, and 
 so simply and unaffectedly. I hope, dear Uncle, you 
 received my last letter (quite a packet) for Albert, 
 on the 5th or 6th ? I send you another now. I 
 fear I am very indiscreet about these letters, but I 
 have so much to tell him, and it will only last two 
 months, so that I trust you will forgive it, and forward 
 them. 
 
1839] THE WORD "PROTESTANT" 257 
 
 I mentioned the topics you spoke of to me in 
 your letter to our good friend Lord Melbourne, and 
 as he is writing, I leave it to him to explain to you, 
 as he writes so much better than I do. He will 
 explain to you why the word Protestant was left out 
 in the Declaration, which I think was quite right; 
 for do what one will, nothing will please these 
 Tories. ... I shall be delighted to see Stockmar 
 here, for so many reasons, and the quicker he comes 
 the better. . . . 
 
 I have a favour to ask you, dear Uncle, which I 
 hope you will grant, unless it should be indiscreet in 
 me. It is, if you have still got Aunt Charlotte's bust 
 at Claremont, if you would give it to me to put in the 
 Gallery here, where you would see it oftener than you 
 do at Claremont, and I am so anxious there should be 
 one of her here. 
 
 We have vile weather, cold and foggy ; such fogs 
 we have here ! I move to London for good on the 9th 
 or 10th of January. Ever your devoted Niece, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Windsor Castle, llth December 1839. 
 
 ... I like Lady A very much too, only she is a 
 
 little strict and particular, and too severe towards others, 
 which is not right ; for I think one ought always to be 
 indulgent towards other people, as I always think if we 
 had not been well brought up and well taken care of, 
 we might also have gone astray. That is always my 
 feeling. Yet it is always right to show that one does 
 not like to see what is obviously wrong ; but it is very 
 dangerous to be too severe, and I am certain that as a 
 rule such people always greatly regret that in their 
 youth they have not been as careful as they ought 
 to have been. I have explained this so badly, and 
 written it so badly, that I fear you will hardly be 
 able to make it out. 
 
 Vol. I. —17 
 
258 THE PRINCE'S COAT-OF-ARMS [chaf. vm 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 WiNDSOE Castle, Xhfh Decemher 1839. 
 
 . . . Again no letter from you ! . , . Lord Melbourne 
 left here this morning, but comes back to-morrow 
 evening, after the wedding of his sister. I hope he will 
 remain here, because I am fond of him, and because 
 he has a share in all my happiness, and is the only 
 man with whom I can speak without gene on every- 
 thing, which I cannot do with my Court. 
 
 "Islay"' is still plagued by him every evening — a 
 thing which he much enjoys — and constantly begs for 
 the spectacles, 1 forgot to tell you that Karl has 
 given me a pretty little Rowley, who likewise lives 
 in the house. The multitude of dogs is really terrible ! 
 
 The ceremony of Declaration must have been very 
 fine and touching, and I am most happy that the good 
 people of Coburg are so pleased with our marriage. . . . 
 Dec. nth. — I have spoken to Lord M. about your 
 wish, and he says — what is my own opinion too — 
 that your people ought to be as much as possible out of 
 Parliament when they have hardly any politics, which 
 is the best thing — as your Household must not form 
 a contrast to mine — and therefore you could not have 
 violent Tories amongst your people ; but you may be 
 quite certain that both I and Lord Melbourne will take 
 the greatest care to select respectable and distinguished 
 people, and people of good character. Perhaps Lord 
 Grosvenor may be your Groom of the Stole, though 
 he is no Peer ; but his rank and family are so high 
 that he would do very well; and, besides, not belonging 
 to any party, and being out of Parliament, is such 
 a great advantage. 
 
 The design of our Arms without supporters is 
 unfortunately not finished, but I send you a little 
 drawing which I have made of it myself. The report 
 of Sir William Woods I beg you will send back, but 
 the Arms you can keep. 
 
 I add a little pin as a small Christmas present. 
 I hope you will sometimes wear it. 
 
 1 A pet dog of the Queen's. 
 
1839] A PROTESTANT PRINCE 259 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, \Mh December 1839. 
 
 My DEAREST Victoria, — I lived in the hope of 
 receiving some letters for you from Albert, but nothing 
 is arrived to-day. Your dear long letter gave me 
 great pleasure. Before I ansvs^er some parts of it, I 
 will say a few words on Lord Melbourne's letter. 
 Perhaps you will be so good to tell him that it 
 gratified me much. It is the letter of an honest and 
 an amiable statesman, practical and straightforward. 
 In the omission of the word "Protestant" he was 
 probably right, and it is equally probable that they 
 would have abused him — maybe even more if he 
 had put it in. There is only this to say, however : 
 the Ernestine branch of the Saxon family has been, 
 there is no doubt, the real cause of the establishment 
 of Protestantism in Germany, and consequently in 
 great parts of Northern Europe. This same line 
 became a mart5T to that cause, and was deprived of 
 almost all its possessions in consequence of it. Recently 
 there have been two cases of Catholic marriages, but 
 the main branch has remained, and is, in fact, very 
 sincerely Protestant. Both Ernest and Albert are 
 much attached to it, and when deviations took place 
 they were connected more with new branches trans- 
 planted out of the parent soil than with what more 
 properly must be considered as the reigning family. 
 
 The Peerage question may remain as it is, but it 
 will not be denied that the great object must be to 
 make Albert as English as possible, and that nothing 
 wiU render this more difficult than a foreign name. . . . 
 
 I shall be most happy to see poor Charlotte's bust 
 in the Gallery at Windsor, and it is kind of you to 
 have had the thought. She was a high and noble- 
 minded creature, and her affection and kindness for 
 me very great. She had placed the most unbounded 
 confidence in me ; our principle had been never to let 
 a single day pass over any little subject of irritation. 
 The only subjects of that sort we had were about the 
 
260 A MISSING LETTER [chap, vni 
 
 family, particularly the Regent, and then the old 
 Queen Charlotte. Now I must conclude with my 
 best love. Ever my dearest Victoria, your devoted 
 Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, Vlth December 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — Many thanks for your two 
 most kind letters. I suppose I may send for Aunt 
 Charlotte's bust, for which I am most grateful — and 
 say I have your authority to do so? You are very 
 kind to think about my stupid health ; I don't think 
 I ever, at least not for very long, have walked so 
 regularly as I have done this last month — out in fog, 
 and mist, and wind, and cold. But I cannot be 
 otherwise than agitated ; getting no letter makes me 
 ill, and getting them excites me. . . . 
 
 I have much to write, and therefore cannot make 
 this a long letter, but one thing more I must mention. 
 The very day of the Declaration in Council, on the 
 23rd ult., I sent off a letter to Albert, by Van de 
 Weyer, saying it was to be forwarded sans delai to 
 Coburg ; now, Albert never has received that letter, 
 which was a long one, and thanks me for two, 
 of the 26th and 29th. This vexes me much, and 
 I can't help thinking the letter is lying either 
 at Wiesbaden or Brussels. Would you graciously 
 enquire, for I should not like it to be lost. 
 
 Forgive my writing such a letter so full of myself. 
 Ever dearest Uncle, yoiu- devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 WruDSOK Castie. 
 
 TJie 22nd. — I have but little time to write. The 
 Duchess of Sutherland is here, who admires you much, 
 and is very sympathetic. . . . 
 
 The 2Srd. — Your letter of the 1 5th jui=it received. I 
 wiU now answer at once. It is, as you rightly suppose, 
 my greatest, my most anxious wish to do everything most 
 
1839] THE PRINCE AND MR ANSON 261 
 
 agreeable to you, but I must differ with ymi respecting 
 Mr Anson. . . . What I said about Anson giving you 
 advice, means, that if you like to ask him, he can and 
 mil be of the greatest me to you, as he is a very well- 
 informed person. He will leave Lord Melbourne as 
 soon as he is appointed about you. With regard to 
 your last objection, that it would make you a party 
 man if you took the Secretary of the Prime Minister 
 as your Treasurer, I do not agree in it ; for, though 
 I am very anxious you should not appear to belong 
 to a Party, still it is necessary that your Household 
 should not form a too strong contrast to mine, else they 
 will say " Oh, we know the Prince says he belongs to no 
 party, but we are sure he is a Tory ! " Therefore it is 
 also necessary that it should appear that you went with 
 me in having some of your people who are staunch 
 Whigs; but Anson is not in Parliament, and never 
 was, and therefore he is not a violent politician. Do 
 not think, because I urge this. Lord M. prefers it; 
 on the contrary he never urged it, and I only do it as 
 I know it is for your own good. You will pardon this 
 long story. It will ako not do to wait till you come to 
 appoint all your people. I am distressed to tell you what 
 I fear you do not like, but it is necessary, my dearest, 
 most excellent Albert. Once more I tell you that you 
 can perfectly rely on me in these matters. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 WiKDSOH Castle, 26th December 1839. 
 
 . . . The Historical Sketch has interested us greatly ; 
 Lord Melbourne read it through immediately. I 
 greatly thank you also for the genealogical tree you 
 sent me. 
 
 Now, my dearest, to be about what is not so 
 pleasant or amusing. I mean, now for business. I always 
 think it safer to write that in English, as I can explain 
 myself better, and I hope you can read my English, as I 
 try to be very legible. I am much grieved that you feel 
 disappointed about my wish respecting your gentlemen, 
 
262 APPOINTMENT OF TREASURER [chap, rm 
 
 hut very glad that you consent to it, and that you feel 
 confidence in my choice. Respecting the Treasurer, my 
 dearest Albert, I have already written at great length 
 in my last letter, so I will not say much more about it to- 
 day, but I will just observe that, thd I fully understand 
 {indeed no one could feel more for you in the very trying 
 position you will be placed in than I do) your feelings, 
 it is absolutely necessary that an Englishman should be 
 at the head of your affairs ; therefore {tho' I will not 
 force Mr Anson on you) I ask you if it is not better to 
 take a man in whom I have confidence, and whom I know 
 well enough to trust perfectly, than a man who is quite 
 a stranger, and whom I know nothing of? 
 
 I am very glad that your father knows Lord 
 Grosvenor. As to the Tories, I am still in a rage ; * 
 they abuse and grumble incessantly in the most 
 incredible manner. 
 
 1 wiU tell good Lord Melbourne that you are very 
 grateful. That you will write to him is very nice of 
 you, and makes me glad. I shall always feel very 
 happy if you, my dearest Albert, wiU be very friendly 
 to this good and just man ; and I am convinced that, 
 when you will know him more intimately, you will be 
 as fond of him as I am. No one is more abused by bad 
 people than Lord M. — and nobody is so forgiving. . . . 
 
 I have just learned that my two uncles, the Dukes 
 of Sussex and Cambridge [to whom Lord M. had 
 written) very willingly consent to let you take precedence 
 of them ; it was, of course, necessary to ask them about 
 it. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 27th December 1839. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — Just two words (though you 
 don't deserve half a one, as your silence is unpardonable) 
 to say I have just heard from Albert, who, I am glad 
 to say, consents to my choosing his people ; so one 
 
 1 Lit. raging {Wiitheiid). The phrase was a favourite one of King 
 Leopold's from whom the Queen had adopted it. 
 
1839] THE PRINCE AND LORD MELBOURNE 263 
 
 essential point is gained, and we have only the Treasurer 
 to carry now. I am sure, as you are so anxious Albert 
 should be thoroughly Enghsh, you will see how 
 necessary it is that an Englishman should be at the 
 head of his financial affairs. 
 
 I see that you wrote to Lord Melbourne that you 
 were glad to hear I took more walking exercise, but 
 I must tell you that ever since I have done so I sleep 
 badly, and feel unwell 1 If the weather would only 
 allow me to ride I should be quite well. Ever your 
 devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 30th Decemher 1839. 
 
 ... I here enclose Lord Melbourne's letter. I 
 have read it, and / think that nothing could be better ; 
 it is just what I told you, and it is the honest and 
 impartial admce of a very clever, very honest, and very 
 impartial man, whose greatest wish is to secure your 
 and my happiness. Follow this advice and you may 
 be sure of success. Lord Melbourne told me that he 
 had it written on purpose in a clear hand, by one of 
 his secretaries, as he thought and feared you would not 
 be able to read his own hand, which I daresay would 
 have been the case, as he writes a very peculiar hand ; 
 he has therefore only signed it. 
 
 I saw to-day the Duke of Cambridge, who has 
 shown me your letter, with which he is quite delighted 
 — and, indeed, it is a very nice one. The Duke told 
 Lord Melbourne he had always greatly desired our 
 marriage, and never thought of George ; but that / do 
 not believe. 
 
 I must conclude, my dearest, beloved Albert. Be 
 careful as to your valuable health, and be assured that 
 no one loves you as much as your faithful Victoria, 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
 
 TO CHAPTER IX 
 
 The marriage of the Queen and Prince Albert took place amid 
 great splendour and general rejoicings on the 10th of February ; the 
 general satisfaction being unaffected by the tactless conduct of 
 Ministers who, by not acting in conjunction with the Opposition, 
 had been defeated on the question of the amount of the Prince's 
 annuity, the House of Commons reducing it from ^£"50,000 to 
 
 .ieso.ooo. 
 
 At home, the Privilege Question aroused gi-eat interest, a 
 point which for months convulsed the Courts and Parliament being 
 whether a report, ordered by the House to be printed, of a 
 Committee appointed by the House was protected by privilege 
 against being the subject of an action for libel. The Courts 
 having decided that it was not, an Act was passed to alter the 
 rule for the future, but meanwhile the sheriffs had been 
 imprisoned by the House for executing the judgment in the 
 usual course. 
 
 The Ministry tottered on, getting a majority of nine only 
 on their China policy, and twenty-one on a direct vote of confi- 
 dence. The Bill for the union of the two Canadas was, however, 
 passed without difficulty. 
 
 An attempt by a barman named Oxford to assassinate the 
 Queen on Constitution Hill fortunately failed, and Oxford was 
 committed, after trial, to a lunatic asylum. In July, the pros- 
 pect of an heir being bom to the throne led to the passing of 
 a Regency Bill, naming Prince Albert Regent, should the Queen 
 die leaving issue ; the Duke of Sussex alone entered a formal 
 protest against it. 
 
 Afghanistan continued unsettled, and Lord Auckland's policy 
 seemed hardly justified by the unpopularity at Cabul of Shah 
 Sooja ; Dost Mahomed still made efforts to regain his position, 
 but he ultimately surrendered to Sir William Macnaghten, the 
 British envoy at Cabul. The disputes with China continued, and 
 hostilities broke out ; British ships proceeded to China, and Chusan 
 was captured. 
 
 In France an attempt against the Government was made by 
 
 Louis Napoleon, who landed at Boulogne in a British steamer, 
 
 was captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. More serious 
 
 difficulties between this country and France arose out of Eastern 
 
 264 
 
1840] INTRODUCTORY NOTE 265 
 
 affairs. The Four Powers, England, Russia, Austria, and Prussia, 
 had addressed an ultimatum to Mehemet, requiring him to evacuate 
 North Syria, France declining to take pait in the conference on the 
 subject. An Anglo- Austrian army undertook to eject him, St Jean 
 d'Acre was stormed, and France thrust into a position of unwilling 
 isolation. Thiers, who had been made Minister, expected that 
 Mehemet would be able to retain his conquests, and for a time 
 it looked £is though France would interfere to protect him. 
 Ultimately, in spite of some ostentatious preparations in France, 
 peaceful councils prevfiiled, and Thiers found it advisable to retire 
 in favour of Guizot. 
 
 In Holland, William I. (then sixty-seven) abdicated in favour 
 of his son, the Prince of Orange (William II.). The need of a 
 younger and firmer ruler was the reason officially stated in the 
 Royal Proclamation. The real reason was probably the King's 
 attachment to the Roman Catholic Countess d'Oultremont, whom 
 he now privately married, combined with the humiliation he felt at 
 having been finally worsted in 1839 on the Belgian question, 
 when he was obliged to forego all claims on the provinces of 
 Limburg and Luxemburg. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 1840 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 BccKiNGBAM Palace, Wth January 1840. 
 
 Stockmar is here ; I saw him yesterday and 
 to-day, and have begged him to explain to you 
 all the Court affairs, and the affairs concerning the 
 Treaty, in my name. He will explain to you the 
 Treasury affair, and will do it much better than I 
 should. T am very happy to see him again, and to 
 have him here ; he can give such good advice to both 
 of us, and he understands England so fully. . . . Stocky 
 (as I always used to call him) is so sensible about every- 
 thing, and is so much attached to you. 
 
 I shall have no great dinners, because the large 
 rooms in. the upper story here are not yet ready. My 
 good old Primus^ usually dines with me three or four 
 times a week, almost always on Sundays, when I cannot 
 invite other people to dinner, as it is not reckoned 
 right here for me to give dinners on Sunday, or to 
 invite many people. Your song (the bust has been 
 mentioned before), is very fine ; there is something 
 touching in it which I like so much. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 BucEiNOHAH Palace, I'ith Janumy 1840. 
 
 This letter vdU be handed you by Torrington 
 personally. I recommend you not to leave late, so as 
 to make the journey without hurry. 1 did not go to 
 
 * I.e. Premier. 
 
 266 
 
1840] OPENING OF PARLIAMENT 267 
 
 church to-day ; the weather is very cold, and I have 
 to be careful not to catch cold before the 16th, 
 because I open Parliament in person. This is always 
 a nervous proceeding, and the announcement of my 
 marriage at the beginning of my speech is really a 
 very nervous and awful affair for me. I have never 
 Jailed yet, and this is the sixth time that I have done 
 It, and yet I am just as frightened as if I had never 
 done It before. They say that feeling of nervousness is 
 never got over, and that fVm. Pitt himself never got 
 up to make a speech without thinking he should fail. 
 But then I only read my speech. 
 
 I had to-day a visit from George ^ whom I received 
 alone, and he was very courteous. His Papa I have 
 also seen. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 BucEiNOHASi Palace, nth January 1840. 
 
 . . . Yesterday just as I came home from the 
 House of Lords, "^ I received your dear letter of the 
 loth. I cannot understand at all why you have 
 received no letters from me, seeing that I always 
 wrote twice a week, regularly. . . . 
 
 I observe with horror that I have not formally 
 invited your father ; though that is a matter of course. 
 My last letter will have set that right. I ought not 
 to have written to you on picture notepaper, seeing 
 that we are in deep mourning for my poor Aunt, 
 the Landgravine,^ but it was quite impossible for me 
 to write to you on mourning paper. . . . 
 
 But this will not interfere with our marriage in the 
 least ; the mourning will he taken off for that day, and 
 for two or three days after, and then put on again. 
 
 * Prince George of Cambri(^e. 
 
 ' The Queen had opened Parliament in person, and announced her 
 intended marriage. 
 
 * The Princess Elizabeth (born 1770), third daughter of George III., and 
 widow of the Landgrave, Frederick Joseph Louis, of Hesse-Homburg. Set 
 p. 247. 
 
TORIES, WHIGS, AND RADICALS [chxp. k 
 
 Everything went off exceedingly well yesterday. 
 There was an immense multitude of people, and 
 perhaps never, certainly not for a long time, have I 
 been received so well ; and what is remarkable, I 
 was not nervous, and read the speech really well. 
 The Tories began immediately afterwards to conduct 
 themselves very badly and to plague us. But everyone 
 praised you very much. Melbourne made a very 
 fine speech about you and your ancestors. To-day 
 I receive the address of the House of Lords, and, 
 perhaps, also that of the House of Commons. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 21»< January 1840. 
 
 I am awafting with immense impatience a letter 
 from you. Here hardly anything to relate to-day, 
 because we are living in great retirement, until 
 informed that my poor Aunt has been buried. With 
 the exception of Melbourne and my own people no 
 one has dined for the last week. 
 
 We are aU of us very much preoccupied with 
 politics. The Tories really are very astonishing ; as 
 they cannot and dare not attack us in Parliament, 
 they do everything that they can to be personally rude 
 to me. . . . The Whigs are the only safe and loyal 
 people, and the Radicals will also rally round their 
 Queen to protect her from the Tories ; but it is a 
 curious sight to see those, who as Tories, used to pique 
 themselves upon their excessive loyalty, doing everything 
 to degrade their young Sovereign in the eyes of the 
 people. Of course there are exceptions. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert. 
 
 BucEiNGHAM Pauicx, 31*< January 1840. 
 
 . . . You have written to me in one of your letters 
 about our stay at Windsor, but, dear Albert, you have 
 
1840] ARMS AND ORDERS 269 
 
 not at all understood the matter. You forget, my 
 dearest Love, that I am the Sovereign, and that business 
 can stop and wait for nothing. Parliament is sitting, 
 and something occurs almost every day, for which I may 
 be required, and it is quite impossible for me to be absent 
 from London ; therefore two or three days is already 
 a long time to be absent. I am never easy a moment, 
 if I am not on the spot, and see and hear what is going 
 on, and every body, including all my Aunts {who are 
 very knowing in all these things), says I must come out 
 after the second day, for, as I must be surrounded by 
 my Court, I cannot keep alone. This is also my own 
 wish in every way. 
 
 Now as to the Arms : as an English Prince you 
 have no right, and Uncle Leopold had no right to 
 quarter the English Arm^, but the Sovereign has the 
 power to allow it by Royal Command; this was done 
 for Uncle Leopold by the Prince Regent, and I will 
 do it again for you. But it can only be done by 
 Royal Command. 
 
 I will, therefore, without delay, have a seal engraved 
 for you. 
 
 You will certainly feel very happy too, at the news 
 of the coming union of my much-beloved Vecto ^ with 
 Nemours. It gives me quite infinite pleasure, because 
 then I can see the dear child more frequently. 
 
 I read in the newspaper that you, dear Albert, 
 have received many Orders ; also that the Queen of 
 Spain will send you the Golden Fleece. . . . 
 
 Farewell, dearest Albert, and think often of thy 
 faithful Victoria R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brussels, 31st January 1840. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I am most grateful for 
 your long letter of the 27th and 28th inst. I send 
 a messenger to be able to answer quite confidentially. 
 
 * The Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg, cousin of Queen Victoria. 
 
270 THE PRINCE'S GRANT [chap, k 
 
 I must confess that I never saw anything so disgraceful 
 than the discussion and vote in the Commons.^ The 
 whole mode and way in which those who opposed 
 the grant treated the question was so extremely 
 vulgar and disrespectful, that I cannot comprehend 
 the Tories. The men who uphold the dignity of the 
 Crown to treat their Sovereign in such a manner, 
 on such an occasion! Even in private life the most 
 sour and saturnine people relax and grow gay and 
 mildly disposed on occasions like this. Clearly as 
 you are Queen Regnant, Albert's position is to all 
 intents and purposes that of a male Queen Consort, 
 and the same privileges and charges ought to be 
 attached to it which were attached to Queen 
 Adelaide's position. The giving up the income 
 which the Queen Dowager came into, and which 1 
 hope and trust Albert would never have, or have 
 had, any chance of having had himself, was in reality 
 giving up a thing which custom had sanctioned. 
 That Prince George of Denmark^ was considered to 
 be in the same position as a Queen Consort there 
 can be, I think, no doubt about, and when one 
 considers the immense diiFerence in the value of 
 money then and now, it renders matters still more 
 striking. I must say such conduct in Parliament I 
 did not expect, and the less when I consider that 
 your Civil List was rather curtailed than otherwise, 
 perhaps not quite fairly. I rejoice io think that I 
 induced Lord Melbourne to propose to you not to 
 accede to the giving up of the Duchy of Lancaster. 
 Parliament did not deserve it, and by good manage- 
 ment I think something may be made of it. 
 
 Another thing which made me think that Parlia- 
 ment would have acted with more decency, is that 
 I return to the country now near £40,000 a year, 
 not because I thought my income too large, as worthy 
 Sir Robert Peel said, but from motives of political 
 
 1 The ministers proposed an Income of ^£50,000 a year for the Prince : the 
 Conservatives and Radicals united on an amendment reducing it to £30,000, 
 which was carried by a majority of 104. 
 
 ' The Consort of Queen Anne. 
 
1840] THE PRINCE AT BRUSSELS 271 
 
 delicacy, which at least might be acknowledged on 
 such occasions. I was placed by my marriage treaty 
 in the position of a Princess of Wales, which in 
 reality it was, though not yet by law, there existing 
 a possibility of a Prince of Wales as long as George IV. 
 lived. I can only conclude by crying shame, shame / . . . 
 I hope and trust you will not be too much worried 
 with all those unpleasant things, and that Albert will 
 prove a comforter and support to you. And so good- 
 bye for to-day. Ever, my dearest Victoria, your 
 devoted Uncle, ' Leopold R. 
 
 The Kijig of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Bhussels, 1st February ISiO. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I hope you will be 
 pleased with me, as I send a messenger on purpose 
 to inform you of Albert's arrival. He will write 
 himself this night, though rather inclined to surrender 
 himself to Morpheus. 
 
 He looks well and handsome, but a little interesting, 
 being very much irritated by what happened in the 
 House of Commons. He does not care about the 
 money, but he is much shocked and exasperated by 
 the disrespect of the thing, as he well may. 
 
 I do not yet know the exact day of their departure, 
 but I suppose it will be on the 5th, to be able to cross 
 on the 6th. I have already had some conversation 
 with him, and mean to talk a fond to him to-morrow. 
 My wish is to see you both happy and thoroughly 
 united and of one mind, and I trust that both of you 
 vdU ever find in me a faithful, honest, and attached 
 friend. 
 
 As it is eleven o'clock at night I offer you my 
 respects, and remain, ever, my dearest Victoria, your 
 devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Your poor Aunt fainted this morning; she is 
 much given to this, but it was rather too long to-day. 
 
272 AMIABILITY OF THE PRINCE [chap, k 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brussels, ith February 1840. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I have now treated all 
 the questions you wished me to touch upon with 
 Albert, and I was much pleased with his amiable 
 disposition. At a certain distance explanations by 
 letter are next to impossible, and each party in the 
 end thinks the other unreasonable. When he arrived 
 he was rather exasperated about various things, and 
 pretty full of grievances. But our conversations have 
 dissipated these clouds, and now there will only remain 
 the new parliamentary events and consequences, which 
 change a good deal of what one could reasonably 
 have foreseen or arranged. You will best treat 
 these questions now verbally. Albert is quick, not 
 obstinate, in conversation, and open to conviction if 
 good arguments are brought forward. When he 
 thinks himself right he only wishes to have it proved 
 that he misunderstands the case, to give it up without 
 ill-humour. He is not inclined to be sulky, but I 
 think that he may be rendered a little melancholy 
 if he thinks himself unfairly or unjustly treated, but 
 being together and remaining together, there never 
 can arise, I hope, any occasion for any disagreement 
 even on trifling subjects. . . . Ever, my dearest 
 Victoria, your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brussels, 8<A February 1840. 
 
 Mv DEAREST VICTORIA, — This letter will arrive 
 when I trust you will be most happily occupied ; I 
 don't mean therefore to trespass on your time. 
 
 May heaven render you as happy as I always 
 wished you to be, and as I always tried hard to see 
 you. There is every prospect of it, and I am sure 
 you will be mistress in that respect of your own 
 
1840] THE WEDDING MORNING 
 
 avenir. Perfect confidence will best ensure and con- 
 solidate this happiness. Our rule in poor Charlotte's 
 time was never to permit one single day to pass over 
 ein Missverstdndniss however trifling it might be.^ I 
 must do Charlotte the justice to say that she kept 
 this compact most religiously, and at times even more 
 so than myself, as in my younger days I was some- 
 times inchned to be sulky and silently displeased. 
 With this rule no misunderstandings can take root 
 and be increased or complicated by new ones being 
 added to the old. Albert is gentle and open to 
 reason, all will therefore always be easily explained, 
 and he is determined never to be occupied but by 
 what is important or useful to you. . . . 
 
 Now I conclude, with my renewed warmest and 
 sincerest good wishes for you, ever, my dearest 
 Victoria, your devoted Uncle, Leopold. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert.^ 
 
 Wth February 1840. 
 
 Dearest, — ... How are you to-day, and have 
 you ' slept well ? I have rested very well, and feel 
 
 ' (From an tmpublUhed Contemporary Memoir by Admiral Sir William 
 Hotham, G.C.B.) 
 
 " Her Royal Highness was now and then apt to give way to a high flow of 
 animal spirits, natural at her time of life, and from carelessness more than 
 nnkindness to ridicule others. In one of these sallies of inconsiderate mirth, 
 she perceived the Prince, sombre and cold, takmg no apparent notice of what 
 was going on, or if he did, evidently displeased. She at length spoke to him 
 about it, and he at once manifested reluctance to join in the conversation, 
 saying that though he had been a tolerably apt scholar in many things, he 
 had yet to learn m England what pleasure was derived from the exercise of 
 that faculty he understood to be called ' quizzing ' ; that he could by no means 
 reconcile it to himself according to any nile either of good breeding or 
 benevolence. The tears instantly started in her eye, and feeling at once the 
 severity and justice of the reproof, assured him most affectionately that, 
 as it was the first time she had ever merited His Royal Highness's reproof on 
 this subject, she assured him most solemnly it should be the last." 
 
 " A note folded in billet form, to be taken by hand. Addressed : — 
 
 " His ROVAL HlGHJTESS THE PkINCE. 
 
 "The Queen." 
 This was the day of their marriage at the Chapel Royal. After the 
 wedding breakfast at Buckingham Palace they drove to Windsor, and on the 
 14th they returned to London. 
 Vol. l— 18 
 
274 PUBLIC ENTHUSIASM [chap, k 
 
 very comfortable to-day. What weather I I behave, 
 however, the rain will cease. 
 
 Send one word when you, my most dearly loved 
 bridegroom, will be ready. Thy ever-faithful, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, l\th February 1840. 
 
 My deakest Uncle, — I write to you from here, 
 the happiest, happiest Being that ever existed. Really, 
 I do not think it possible for anyone in the world to 
 be happier, or as happy as I am. He is an Angel, and 
 his kindness and affection for me is really touching. 
 To look in those dear eyes, and that dear sunny face, 
 is enough to make me adore him. What I can do to 
 make him happy will be my greatest delight. Indepen- 
 dent of my great personal happiness, the reception we 
 both met with yesterday was the most gratifying and 
 enthusiastic 1 ever experienced ; there was no end of 
 the crowds in London, and all along the road. I was 
 a good deal tired last night, but am quite weU again 
 to-day, and happy. . . . 
 
 My love to dear Louise. Ever your affectionate, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brussels, 21«< February 1840. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I am more grateful than 
 I can express that, notwithstanding your many 
 empechements and occupations, you still found a little 
 moment to write to me. News from you are always 
 most precious to me, and now almost more than 
 ever. This is such an important moment in your 
 life, it will so much decide how the remainder is to 
 be, that I am deeply interested in all I can hear on 
 the subject. Hitherto, with the exception of your 
 own dear and Royal self, I have not been spoiled. 
 
S^.cyPb.L^^e-rv ^lAotaricv 
 
 i<S4o 
 
 •Jrcm the portrait byjofm. Ulxrtridac oA cXJiukuiahanh zralacx^ 
 
1840] PLAYS IN LENT.' 275 
 
 et fai puisd beaucoup de vies nouvelles in the Times 
 and such like sources. 
 
 God be praised that the dear menage is so happy 1 
 I can only say may it be so for ever and ever. I 
 always thought that with your warm and feeling 
 heart and susceptibility for strong and lasting 
 affection, you would prefer this genre of happiness, 
 if you once possessed it, to every other. It must 
 be confessed that it is less frequent than could be 
 wished for the good of mankind, but when it does 
 exist, there is something delightful to a generous 
 heart like yours in this sacred tie, in this attach- 
 ment for better for worse, and I think the English 
 Church service expresses it in a simple and touching 
 manner. 
 
 I was happy to see that the Addresses of both 
 Houses of Parliament were voted in a decent and 
 becoming way. How mean people are I If they had 
 not seen the public .at large take a great interest in 
 your marriage and show you great affection, perhaps 
 some would again have tried to bring on unpleasant 
 subjects. . . . 
 
 My letter is grown long ; I will therefore conclude 
 it with the expression of my great affection for your 
 dear self. Ever, my most beloved Victoria, your devoted 
 Uncle, Leopold R, 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 6ih March 1840. 
 
 ... As your Majesty has by your Lord Chamber- 
 lain permitted plays to be acted on Wednesdays and 
 Fridays in Lent, it would be condemning yourself if 
 you did not go to see them if you like to do so. . . . 
 
 , . . Lord Melbourne is much pleased to hear that 
 your Majesty and the Prince liked the School for 
 Scandal. It is upon the whole the cleverest comedy 
 in the English language, the fullest of wit and at 
 the same time the most free from grossness. 
 
176 DEBATE ON THE CORN LAWS [chap. r. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Uh April 1840. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to youi 
 VTajesty, and has the honour to state that the Housf 
 )f Commons having resumed the consideration of the 
 I!orn Laws, the debate was closed by Sir Robert Peel, 
 n a speech much inferior to those which he usually 
 nakes. Mr Warburton moved an adjournment, which 
 caused many members to leave the House. The motion 
 jeing opposed, there were on a division 240 against 
 idjournment, and only 125 in favour of it. 
 
 Mr Warburton then by some blunder moved that 
 ;he House adjourn, which puts an end to the debate. 
 This was eagerly caught at by the opposite party, and 
 igreed to. So that the question is lost by this ridiculous 
 termination, and it is to be feared that it will produce 
 nuch discontent in the manufacturing class.^ 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SthAprillSiO. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to youi 
 Majesty. He is quite well but much tired. He has 
 50 much to do this morning that he wi\l not be able 
 to speak to Albemarle,^ but if Albemarle dines at the 
 Palace, he certainly will then. 
 
 Lord Melbourne always feared anjrthing like a 
 mixture of the Stable establishments. It would have 
 been much better that what horses the Prince had 
 should have been kept quite separate, and that the 
 horses of your Majesty's which he should have to use 
 should have been settled, and some plan arranged bj 
 w^hich they could have been obtained when wanted 
 Horses to be used by one set of people and kept anc 
 fed by another will never do. Servants and sub 
 
 1 The opposition to the Com Laws was now Increasing in the North. 
 * Master of the Horse. 
 
1840] ENGLAND AND CHINA 277 
 
 ordinate agents in England are quite unmanageable 
 in these respects. If they get [matters] into their 
 hands, neither the Deity nor the Devil, nor both 
 together, can make them agree. Lord Melbourne 
 writes this in ignorance of the actual facts of the 
 case, and therefore it may be inapplicable. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 %th Afml 1840. 
 
 Lord John RusseU presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has the honour to state that Sir James 
 Graham yesterday brought forward his motion on 
 China in a speech of nearly three hours.^ He was 
 answered by Mr Macaulay in a manner most satisfactory 
 to his audience, and with great eloquence. Sir Wilham 
 Follett spoke with much ingenuity, but in the confined 
 spirit of a lawyer. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 9th April 1840. ' • 
 
 Lord John RusseU presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has the honour to report that the debate 
 went on yesterday, when Mr Hawes spoke against the 
 motion. In the course of the debate Mr Gladstone'^ 
 said the Chinese had a right to poison the wells, to 
 keep away the English ! The debate was adjourned. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 2nd May 1840. 
 
 Mr Cowper has just come in and tells me that 
 they have determined to begin the disturbance to-night 
 at the Opera, at the very commencement of the 
 
 ^ The motion was to censure Ministers for their want of foresight in their 
 dealings with China in connection with the extension of commerce, and 
 with the opium trade. The motion was rejected by 271 to 262. 
 
 ^ Mr Gladstone had been member for Newark since 1832. 
 
278 DISTURBANCE AT THE OPERA [chap, k 
 
 performance.^ This may be awkward, as your Majesty 
 will arrive in the middle of the tumult. It is the 
 intention not to permit the opera to proceed until 
 Laporte gives way. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is afraid that if the row has already 
 begun, your Majesty's presence will not put an end 
 to it ; and it might be as well not to go until your 
 Majesty hears that it is over and that the performance 
 is proceeding quietly. Some one might be sent to 
 attend and send word. 
 
 Viscount 31elbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 6th May 1940. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has just received this from Lord John 
 Russell — a most shocking event,^ which your Majesty 
 has probably by this time heard of. The persons who 
 did it came for the purpose of robbing the house ; 
 they entered by the back of the house and went out 
 at the front door.^ The servants in the house, only 
 a man and a maid, never heard anything, and the 
 maid, when she came down to her master's door in 
 the morning, found the horrid deed perpetrated. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 6th May 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. Since he wrote to your Majesty, he has 
 seen Mr Fox Maule,* who had been at the house in 
 Norfolk Street. He says that it is a most mysterious 
 
 1 h. fracas took place at the Opera on 29th April. The manager, Laporte, 
 not having engaged Tamburini to sing, the audience made a hostile demonstra- 
 tion at the conclusion of the performance of / Puritani. An explanation 
 made by Laporte only made matters worse, and eventually the Tamburinists 
 took possession of the stage. 
 
 " The murder of Lord William Russell by his valet, Courvoisier, in Norfolk 
 Street, Park Lane. 
 
 • This was the original theory. 
 
 * Under-Secretary for Home Affairs ; afterwards, as Lord Panmure, 
 Secretary for War. 
 
1840] MURDER OF LORD WILLIAM RUSSELL 279 
 
 affair. Lord William Russell was found in his bed, 
 quite dead, cold and stiff, showing that the act had 
 been perpetrated some time. The bed was of course 
 deluged with blood, but there were no marks of 
 blood in any other part of the room ; so that he had 
 been killed in his bed and by one blow, upon the throat, 
 which had nearly divided his head from his body. 
 The back door of the house was broken open, but 
 there were no traces of persons having approached 
 the door from without. His writing-desk was also 
 broken open and the money taken out, but otherwise 
 little or nothing had been taken away. The police 
 upon duty in the streets had neither heard nor seen 
 anything during the night. In these circumstances 
 strong suspicion lights upon the persons in the house, 
 two maids and a man, the latter a foreigner ^ and 
 who had only been with Lord William about five 
 weeks. These persons are now separately confined, 
 and the Commissioners of Police are actively 
 employed in enquiring into the affair. An inquest 
 will of course be held upon the body without delay. 
 Lord Melbourne has just received your Majesty's 
 letter, and vdll immediately convey to Lord John 
 your Majesty's kind expressions of sympathy. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 22md May 1840. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I received yesterday a 
 most kind and dear letter from your august hands. 
 Charles,^ who wanted to cross yesterday, will have 
 had very bad weather. He is prepared not to make 
 too long a stay in England. He dined here on the 
 19th. Louise was prepared to come to dinner, but 
 was not quite equal to it ; she therefore came after it. 
 He came also to see me on the 20th, before his 
 departure for Ostende. It is very gracious of you to 
 have given him subsidies, but in fact poor Feo stands 
 more in need of it. She really is too poor ; when one 
 
 1 Courvoisier. ' Prince Charles of Leiningen. 
 
280 MRS NORTON [chap, k 
 
 thinks that they have but £600 a year, and that 
 large castles, etc., are to be kept up with it, one 
 cannot conceive how they manage it. It was a 
 very generous feeling which prompted you to see 
 Mrs Norton, and I have been too much her friend to 
 find fault with it. True it is that Norton was freely 
 accepted by her, but she was very poor, and could 
 therefore hardly venture to refuse him. Many people 
 will flirt with a clever, handsome, but poor girl, though 
 not marry her — besides, the idea of having old Shery ^ 
 for a grandfather had nothing very captivating. A 
 very unpleasant husband Norton certainly was, and 
 one who had little tact. I can well believe that she 
 was much frightened, having so many eyes on her, 
 some of which, perhaps, not with the most amiable 
 expression. 
 
 I was delighted to learn that you meant to visit 
 poor Claremont, and to pass there part of your 
 precious birthday. Claremont is the place where in 
 younger days you were least plagued, and generally 
 I saw you there in good spirits. You will also nolens 
 volens be compelled to think of me, and maybe of 
 poor Charlotte. 
 
 This gives me an opening for saying a few words 
 on this subject. I found several times that some 
 people had given you the impression that poor 
 Charlotte had been hasty and violent even to 
 imperiousness and rudeness. 1 can you assure that 
 it was not so ; she was quick, and even violent, but 
 I never have seen anybody so open to conviction, and 
 so fair and candid when MTong. The proverb says, and 
 not without some truth, that ladies come always back to 
 the first words, to avoid any symptom of having been 
 convinced. Generous minds, however, do not do this ; 
 they fight courageously their battles, but when they 
 
 1 The three sisters, Mrs Norton, Lady Dufferin, and Lady Seymour 
 (afterwards Duchess of Somerset), the latter of whom was " Queen of 
 Beauty" at the EgKnton Tournament, were granddaughters of R. B. 
 Sheridan. Lord Melbourne was much in Mrs Norton's company, and Norton, 
 for whom the Premier had found a legal appointment, sued him in the 
 Court of Common Pleas for crim. con. ; the jury found for the defendant. 
 
1840] CHARACTER OF PRINCESS CHARLOTTE 281 
 
 clearly see that they are wrong, and that the reasons 
 and arguments submitted to them are true, they 
 frankly admit the truth. Charlotte had eminently 
 this disposition ; besides, she was so anxious to please 
 me, that often she would say : " Let it be as it may, 
 provided you wish it, I will do it." I always answered : 
 "I never want anything for myself; when I press 
 something on you, it is from a conviction that it is 
 for your interest and for your good." I know that 
 you have been told that she ordered everything in the 
 house, and hked to show that she was the mistress. 
 It was not so. On the contrary, her pride was to make 
 me appear to my best advantage, and even to display 
 respect and obedience, when I least wanted it from 
 her. She would almost exaggerate the feeling, to 
 show very clearly that she considered me as her 
 lord and master. 
 
 And on the day of the marriage, as most people 
 suspected her of a very different disposition, every- 
 body was struck with the manner in which she 
 pronounced the promise of obedience. I must say 
 that I was much more the master of the house than 
 is generally the case in private life. Besides, there 
 was something generous and royal in her mind which 
 alone would have prevented her doing anything vulgar 
 or iU-bred. What rendered her sometimes a little 
 violent was a slight disposition to jealousy. Poor 
 Lady Maryborough,* at all times some twelve or 
 fifteen years older than myself, but whom I had 
 much known in 1814, was once much the cause of 
 a fit of that description. I told her it was quite 
 childish, but she said, " it is not, because she is a very 
 coquettish, dissipated woman." The most difficult 
 task I had was to change her manners; she had 
 something brusque and too rash in her movements, 
 which made the Regent quite unhappy, and which 
 sometimes was occasioned by a struggle between 
 
 » Lord Maryborough (1763-1845) was William WeUesley Pole, brother 
 of the Marquess WeUesley and the Duke of Wellington. He married 
 Katherine Elizabeth Forbes, granddaughter of the third Earl of Granard. 
 
282 ENGLISH MANNERS [chap. « 
 
 shyness and the necessity of exerting herself. I had, 
 I may say so without seeming to boast, the manners 
 of the best society of Europe, having early moved 
 in it, and been rather what is called in French de la 
 fleur des pais. A good judge I therefore was, but 
 Charlotte found it rather hard to be so scrutinized, 
 and grumbled occasionally how I could so often find 
 fault with her. 
 
 Nothing perhaps speaks such volumes as the 
 positive fact of her manners getting quite changed 
 within a year's time, and that to the openly pro- 
 nounced satisfaction of the very fastidious and not 
 over-partial Regent. To explain how it came that 
 manners were a little odd in England, it is necessary 
 to remember that England had been for more than 
 ten years completely cut off from the rest of the 
 world. . . . 
 
 We have bitter cold weather which has given 
 colds to both the children. Uncle Ferdinand^ is now 
 only arriving si dice on Sunday next. He has been 
 robbed of 15,000 francs in his own room au Palais 
 Royal, which is very unpleasant for aU parties. 
 
 My letter is so long that I must haste to 
 conclude it, remaining ever, my beloved Victoria, 
 your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 My love to Alberto. 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Minutes of Conversations with Lord Melbourne and 
 Baron Stockmar. 
 
 2Sth May 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne. — "I have spoken to the Queen, 
 who says the Prince complains of a want of confidence 
 on trivial matters, and on all matters connected with the 
 politics of this country. She said it proceeded entirely 
 from indolence, she knew it was wrong, but when she 
 was with the Prince she preferred talking upon other 
 subjects. I told Her Majesty that she should try and 
 alter this, and that there was no objection to her con- 
 
 1 Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, King Leopold's brother. 
 
1840] THE QUEEN AND THE PRINCE 283 
 
 versing with the Prince upon any subject she pleased. 
 My impression is that the chief obstacle in Her Majesty's 
 mind is the fear of difference of opinion, and she 
 thinks that domestic harmony is more likely to follow 
 from avoiding subjects likely to create difference. My 
 own experience leads me to think that subjects between 
 man and wife, even where difference is sure to ensue, are 
 much better discussed than avoided, for the latter course 
 is sure to beget distrust. I do not think that the 
 Baroness ^ is the cause of this want of openness, though 
 her name to me is never mentioned by the Queen." 
 
 Baron Stockmar. — "I wish to have a talk with you. 
 The Prince leans more on you than any one else, and 
 gives you his entire confidence ; you are honest, moral, 
 and religious, and will not belie that trust. The Queen 
 has not started upon a right principle. She should by 
 degrees impart everything to him, but there is danger 
 in his wishing it all at once. A case may be laid 
 before him ; he may give some crude and unformed 
 opinion; the opinion may be taken and the result 
 disastrous, and a forcible argument is thus raised 
 against advice being asked for the future. 
 
 " The Queen is influenced more than she is aware of 
 by the Baroness. In consequence of that influence, she 
 is not so ingenuous as she was two years ago. I do 
 not think that the withholding of her confidence does 
 proceed wholly from indolence, though it may partly 
 arise, as the Prince suggests, from the entire confidence 
 which she reposes in her present Ministers, making her 
 inattentive to the plans and measures proposed, and 
 thinking it unnecessary entirely to comprehend them ; she 
 is of necessity unable to impart their views and projects 
 to him who ought to be her friend and counsellor." 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Fictoria. 
 
 Caklton Terrace, \Oth June 1840. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and though your Majesty must be 
 overwhehned with congratulations at your Majesty's 
 
 1 Baroness Lehzen. 
 
284 OXFORD'S ATTEMPT [chap, re 
 
 escape from the aim of the assassin/ yet Viscount 
 Palmerston trusts that -he may be allowed to 
 express the horror with which he heard of the 
 diabolical attempt, and the deep thankfulness which 
 he feels at your Majesty's providential preservation. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston humbly trusts that the 
 failure of this atrocious attempt may be considered 
 as an indication that your Majesty is reserved for a 
 long and prosperous reign, and is destined to assure, 
 for many years to come, the welfare and happiness 
 of this nation. 
 
 The KirLg of the French to Queen Victoria. 
 
 nth June 1840. 
 
 Madame ma Sceub, — C'est avec une profonde 
 indignation que je viens d'apprendre I'horrible attentat 
 qui a menac6 les precieux jours de votre Majeste. 
 Je rends grace du fond de mon coeur a la Divine 
 Providence qui les a miraculeusement conserves, et 
 qui semble n'avoir permis qu'ils fussent exposes a un 
 si grand danger, que pour faire briller aux yeux de 
 tons, votre courage, votre sang-froid, et toutes les 
 quaUtfes qui vous distinguent. 
 
 J'ose esperer que votre Majeste me permettra 
 de recourir a son entremise pour ofFrir a S.A.R. le 
 Prince Albert, I'expression de tous les sentiments dont 
 je suis pdnetr^, et quelle voudra bien recevoir I'assur- 
 ance de tous ceux que je lui porte, ainsi que celle de 
 ma haute estime, de mon inalterable attachement et 
 de mon inviolable amitid. Je suis, Madame ma Soeur, 
 de votre Majeste, le bon Frere, Louis Philippe R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 nth June 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and returns your Majesty many, many 
 
 1 Edward Oxford, a pot-boy, aged eighteen, fired twice at the Queen on 
 Constitution Hill. The Queen, who was untouched by either shot, immedi- 
 ately drove to the Duchess of Kent's house to announce her safety. On his 
 trial, Oxford was found to be insane. 
 
1840] A PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE 285 
 
 thanks for your letter. Lord Melbourne was indeed 
 most anxious to learn that your Majesty was well 
 this morning. It was indeed a most awful and provi- 
 dential escape. It is impossible not to shudder at 
 the thought of it. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thinks that it will be necessary 
 to have an examination of this man before such of 
 your Majesty's confidential servants as are of the 
 Privy Council;* it should take place this morning. 
 
 Addresses will be moved in both Houses immedi- 
 ately upon their meeting. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, 132A June 1840. 
 
 My dearest and most beloved Victoria, — I 
 cannot find words strong enough to express to you 
 my horror at what happened on the 10th, and my 
 happiness and delight to see your escape fi-om a danger 
 which was really very great. In your good little heart 
 I hope that it made you feel grateful to God for a 
 protection which was very signal. It does good and 
 is a consolation to think that matters are not quite left 
 to take care of themselves, but that an aU-powerful 
 Hand guides them. 
 
 Louise I told the affair mildly, as it might have 
 made too great an impression on her otherwise. She 
 always feels so much for you and loves you so much, 
 that she was rejoiced beyond measure that you escaped 
 so weU and took the thing with so much courage. 
 That you have shown great Jbt'titude is not to be 
 doubted, and will make a very great and good impres- 
 sion. I see that the general feeling is excellent, but 
 what a melancholy thing to see a young man, without 
 provocation, capable of such a diabolical act ! That 
 attempts of that sort took place against George III., 
 and even George IV., one can comprehend ; but you 
 have not only been extremely liberal, but in no instance 
 
 I I.e., the Cabinet 
 
286 EGYPT AND THE FOUR POWERS [chap, ix 
 
 have you hitherto come into contact with any popular 
 feeling or prejudice ; besides, one should think that your 
 being a lady would alone prevent such unmanly conduct. 
 It shows what an effect bad example and the bad press 
 have. I am sure that this act is une singerie of what 
 passes in France, that it is a fancy of some of those 
 societies de Mort aux Rois et Souverains, without 
 knowing wherefore, merely as a sort of fashion. . . . 
 
 The King of the Belgium to Queen Victoria. 
 
 St. Clodd, 26i!A July 1840. 
 
 My dearest Victoiiia, — Your dear letter of the 
 19th greatly delighted me. . . . 
 
 Let me now add a few words on politics. The 
 secret way in which the arrangement about the arbitra- 
 tion of the Turco-Egyptian affairs has been signed, 
 the keeping out of France in an affair so near it and 
 touching its interests in various ways, has had here a 
 very disastrous effect.^ I cannot disguise from you 
 that the consequences may be very serious, and the 
 more so as the Thiers Ministry is supported by the 
 movement party, and as reckless of consequences as 
 your own Minister for Foreign Affairs, even much 
 more so, as Thiers himself would not be sorry to see 
 everything existing upset. He is strongly impregnated 
 with all the notions of fame and glory which belonged 
 to part of the Repubhcan and the Imperial times ; he 
 would not even be much alarmed at the idea of a 
 Convention ruling again France, as he thinks that he 
 would be the man to rule the Assembly, and has told 
 me last year that he thinks it for France perhaps the 
 Tnost powerful form of Government.'* 
 
 The mode in this affair ought to have been, as 
 
 * On the ISth of July a convention was signed in London by repre- 
 sentatives of England, Russia, Austria, and Prussia, oiFering an ultimatum 
 to the Viceroy of Egypt. The exclusion of France was hotly resented in Paris. 
 Guizot, then Ambassador in London, had been kept in ignorance of the 
 project, but the Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston, denied that there had 
 been any discourtesy intended, or want of consideration shown. 
 
 2 Louis Adolphe'Thiers (1797-1877), who through the Press had contributed to 
 the downfall of the Bourbons, had held various Cabinet offices under Louis 
 Philippe, and, from March to October 1840, was for the second time Premier. 
 
1840] PRINCE LOUIS NAPOLEON 287 
 
 soon as the Four Powers had agreed on a proposition, 
 to communicate it officially to France, to join it. 
 France had but two ways, either to join or to refuse 
 its adhesion. If it had chosen the last it would have 
 been a free decision on her part, and a secession which 
 had nothing offensive in the eyes of the nation. 
 
 But .there is a material difference between leaving 
 a company from motives of one's own, or being kicked 
 out of it. I must beg you to speak seriously to Lord 
 Melbourne, who is the head of your Government, on 
 these important affairs ; they may upset everjrthing in 
 Europe if the mistake is not corrected and moderated. 
 
 I shall write again to you next Friday from hence, 
 and on Saturday, 1st August, we set off. Ever, my 
 dearest Victoria, your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Ith August 1840. 
 
 (10 P.M.) 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. The House of Lords lasted until eight, and 
 Lord Melbourne might by an exertion have got to the 
 Palace to dinner, but as he had the Speech, by no 
 means an easy one, to prepare for the consideration 
 of the Cabinet to-morrow, he thought it better to take 
 this evening for that purpose, and he hopes therefore 
 that your Majesty will excuse his not coming, which 
 is to him a great sacrifice to have made. 
 
 Your Majesty will have probably seen by this 
 time the report from your Majesty's Consul at 
 Boulogne of the mad attempt of Louis Bonaparte.^ 
 It is rather unfortunate that it should have taken 
 place at this moment, as the violent and excited 
 temper of the French nation will certainly lead them 
 to attribute it to England. It will also be highly 
 embarrassing to the King of the French to have in 
 
 » The Prince, afterwards the Emperor Napoleon III., descended on 
 Boulogne with fifty-three persons, and a tame eagle which had been 
 intended with stage efifect to alight on the Colonne de Napol6on. He 
 was captured, tried for high treason, and sentenced to perpetual imprison- 
 ment He effected his escape, which was undoubtedly connived at by the 
 authorities, in 1846. 
 
288 KING LEOPOLD AT WIESBADEN [chap, k 
 
 his possession a member of the family of Bonaparte 
 and so many Bonapartists who have certainly deserved 
 death but whom it may not be prudent or politic to 
 execute. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 WiESBADEK, ^2nd September 1840. 
 
 My" dearest Victoria, — I was most happy in 
 receiving this morning per messenger your dear Uttle 
 letter of the 15th, though it is grown a little elderly. 
 The Ufe one leads here is not favourable to writing, 
 which, besides, is prohibited, and easily gives me 
 palpitation enough to sing " di tanti palpiti ! " I get 
 up at half after six and begin to drink this hot water ; 
 what with drinking and walking one comes to ten 
 o'clock or half after ten for breakfast. Then I read 
 papers and such like things. At one o'clock I have 
 been generally bored with some visit or other till two 
 o'clock. I try to finish some writing, and then I walk 
 and ride out till dinner-time, generally at seven. In 
 the evening I have written sometimes, but it certainly 
 does one harm. You see that there remains but little 
 time for writing. 
 
 I am most happy to find that you are well ; the 
 papers, which don't know what to invent to lower the 
 Funds, said that you had been unwell on the 10th, 
 which, God be praised I is not at all true. 
 
 1 pity poor Princess Augusta* from all my heart. 
 I am sure that if she had in proper time taken care 
 of herself she might have lived to a great age. I 
 have not time to-day to write at any length on the 
 politics of the day, but I am far from thinking that 
 the French acted wisely in the Oriental affair. I must 
 say that I think the King meant well, but I should 
 not have abstained from the Conference as he did, 
 though, in France, interference with Mehemet Ali was 
 certainly not popular. In England much of the 
 fond is logical, but the form towards France was, 
 
 1 Princess Augusta, second daughter of George III. See p. 290. 
 
18401 THE CONVENTION OF 1828 289 
 
 and is still, harsh and insulting. I don't think France, 
 which these ten years behaved well, and the poor 
 King, who was nearly murdered I don't remember 
 how often, deserved to be treated so unkindly, and 
 all that seemingly to please the great Autocrat. We 
 must not forget what were the fruits of the first 
 Convention of July 1828 — 1 think the 16th or 26th 
 of that month ; 1 ought to remember it, as I took 
 its name in vain often enough in the Greek affair. 
 
 This first Convention brought about the battle of 
 Navarino and the second campaign of the Russians, 
 which ended with, in fact, the demise of the poor old 
 Porte, the Treaty of Adrianople} Your Majesty was 
 then afflicted \vith the age of ten, in itself a good age, 
 and may not remember much about it except that 
 in 1829 the affair about my going to Greece began, 
 and that your affectionate heart took some interest in 
 that. Lord Melbourne, however, you must encourage 
 to speak about this matter. Canning's intention was 
 this : he said we must remain with Russia, and by 
 this means prevent mischief. The Duke of Wellington, 
 who came to me shooting at Claremont in 1828, really 
 did cry, though he is not of a crying disposition, and 
 said " by this Convention the Russians will have the power 
 of doing all they never would have dared to do single- 
 handed, and shielded by this infernal Convention, it 
 will not be in our power to stop them." Russia is 
 again in this very snug and comfortable position, 
 that the special protection of the Porte is confided to 
 its tender mercies — la chevre gardant le chou, the 
 wolf the sheep, as I suppose I must not compare the 
 Turcs! to lambs. The Power which ruined the Otto- 
 man Empire, which since a hundred and forty years 
 nearly pared it all round nearly in every direction, 
 is to be the protector and guardian of that same 
 empire ; and we are told that it is the most scandalous 
 
 1 Under this treaty (14th September, 1829) the Danubian principalities 
 were made virtually independent States, the treaty rights of Russia in the 
 navigation of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles were confirmed, and Greek 
 affairs were arranged, by incorporating in the treaty the terras of the Protocol 
 of 22nd March, 1829. 
 Vol. 1. — 19 
 
290 A THREATENED CRISIS [chap, ix 
 
 calumny to suspect the Russians to have any other 
 than the most humane and disinterested views ! " ainsi 
 soit-ilj' as the French say at the end of their sermons. 
 This part of the Convention of the 15th of July 1840 
 strikes impartial people as strange, the more so as 
 nothing lowers the Porte so much in the eyes of the 
 few patriotic Turks who remain than the protection 
 of the arch-enemy of the concern, Russia. I beg you 
 to read this part of my letter to my good and dear 
 friend, Lord Melbourne, to whom I beg to be kindly 
 remembered. '■ 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne} 
 
 WiNDSott Castle, 26tt September 1840. 
 
 This is certainly awkward ; but the latter part 
 about Peel is most absurd ; to him I can never apply, 
 we must do everything but that. But for God's sake 
 do not bring on a crisis ; ^ the Queen really could not 
 go through that now, and it might make her seriously 
 ill if she were to be kept in a state of agitation and 
 excitement if a crisis were to come on ; she has had 
 already so much lately in the distressing illness of her 
 poor Aunt to harass her. I beseech you think of all 
 this, and the consequences it might cause, not only 
 to me, but to all Europe, as it would show our 
 weakness in a way that would be seriously injurious 
 to this country. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, ^6ih September 1840. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I have unfortunately very 
 little time to-day, but I will try and answer your 
 
 1 The letter, to which this is a reply, seems not to have been preserved. 
 The Queen's letter, having been shown to Lord John Russell and copied by 
 him, has hitherto been supposed to be a letter from Lord Melbourne to Lord 
 John Russell. See Walpole's Russell, vol. i. , chap. xiii. 
 
 2 The Cabinet met on the 28th to consider the Oriental Question. The 
 Government was on the verge of dissolution, as Lord Palmerston and Lord 
 John Russell were in conflict. The meeting was adjourned till 1st October. 
 
1840] FRANCE AND THE EAST 291 
 
 kind letters of the 13th and 19th briefly. You know 
 now that the sufferings of good excellent Aunt 
 Augusta were terminated on the 22nd of this month. 
 1 regret her very, very sincerely, though for herself 
 we are all most thankful for the release of such 
 unexampled sufferings, borne with such unexampled 
 patience. Almost the last thing she said when she was 
 still conscious, the day before she died, was to Mr 
 Moore (the apothecary) who wrote me every morning 
 a Report : " Have you written to my darling ? " Is 
 this not touching ? The Queen Dowager had her hand 
 in hers when she died, and closed her eyes when all 
 was over ; all the Family were present. 
 
 I have seen your letters to Palmerston, and his 
 answer to you, and I also send you a paper from 
 Lord Melbourne. I assure you that I do give these 
 affairs my most serious attention : it would be indeed 
 most desirable if France could come hack to us, and 
 I think what Metternich suggests very sagacious 
 and well-judged.* You must allow me to state that 
 France has put herself into this unfortunate state. 
 / know (as I saw all the papers) how she was 
 engaged to join us — and I know how strangely she 
 refused ; I know also, that France agrees in the 
 principle, but only doubts the efficacy of the measures. 
 Where then is " La France outragee ? " wherefore arm 
 when there is no enemy ? wherefore raise the war-cry ? 
 But this has been done, and has taken more effect 
 than I think the French Government now like ; and 
 now she has to undo all this and to calm the general 
 agitation and excitement, which is not so easy. Still, 
 though France is in the virong, and quite in the 
 wrong, still / am most anxious, as I am sure my 
 Government also are, that France should be pacified 
 and should again take her place amongst the five 
 Powers. I am sure she might easily do this. . . . 
 
 Albert, who sends his love, is much occupied with 
 the Eastern affairs, and is quite of my opinion. . . . 
 
 1 Mettemich's suggestion was that if other means of coercion failed, the 
 allies should renew their deliberations in conjunction with France. 
 
292 A DIFFICULT QUESTION [chaf. ix 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 30th September 16M. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He is quite well, and will be ready at half- 
 past one. 
 
 The Prince's* observations are just, but stUl the 
 making an advance to France now, coupled with our 
 constant inability to carry into eflFect the terms of 
 our Convention, will be an humihating step. 
 
 Lord Melbourne sends a letter which he has received 
 this morning from Lord Normanby, whom he had 
 desired to see Lord Palmerston and Lord John 
 Russell, and try what he could do. 
 
 Lord Melbourne also sends a letter which he has 
 received from Lord Lansdovnie. 
 
 Lord Melbourne would beg your Majesty to return 
 them both. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Downing Stkeet, 1st October 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. We have had the Cabinet and it has passed 
 over quietly. We have agreed to make a proposition 
 to France founded upon the communication of Prince 
 Metternich to the King of the Belgians.* Palmerston 
 wiU propose to-morrow to Nieumann,' the Prussian 
 Minister, and Brunnow,* that he should write to 
 Granville, authorising him to acquaint Thiers that if 
 France will concur in respecting the principle of the 
 treaty, we, without expecting her to adopt coercive 
 measures, will concert with her the fui-ther course to 
 be adopted for the purpose of carrying the principle 
 into effect. , This is so far so good. Lord Melbourne 
 trusts that it will get over the present entanglement, 
 but of course we must expect that in a matter so 
 complicated and which we have not the power of 
 immediately terminating, further difficulties will arise. 
 
 1 Prince Metternich. ' See previous page, note. 
 
 » Austrian Ambassador. * Russian Minister. 
 
1840] SERIOUS MEASURES 293 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Dowxixa Steeet, Snd October 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. We have just had another Cabinet,^ which 
 was rendered necessary by Brunnow and the Prussian 
 Minister refusing to concur in what we determined 
 yesterday without reference to their Courts and 
 authority from them. This makes it impossible for 
 us to take the step in the way we proposed, but we 
 have now settled that Palmerston should direct 
 Granville to submit the proposition to Thiers, and 
 ask him how he would be disposed to receive it if 
 it were formally made to him. This, so far as we 
 are concerned, will have all the effect which could have 
 been attained in the other way. 
 
 Very important despatches of the 14th inst. have 
 come from Constantinople. The Ministers of the 
 Porte held the last proposition of Mehemet Ali as a 
 positive refusal of the terms of the Convention, and 
 proceeded by the advice of Lord Ponsonby* at once 
 to divest Mehemet AU of the Pashalik of Egypt ; to 
 direct a blockade of the coasts both of Syria and 
 Egjrpt, and to recall the four Consuls from Alexandria. 
 These are serious measures, and there are despatches 
 from Lord Beauvale' stating that Prince Metternich 
 is much alarmed at them, and thinks that measures 
 should be immediately taken to diminish and guard 
 against the effect which they may have in France. Lord 
 Melbourne humbly begs your Majesty's pardon for 
 this hurried scrawl upon matters of such importance, 
 but Lord Melbourne will have the opportunity of 
 speaking to your Majesty more fully upon them to- 
 morrow. 
 
 1 The peace party in the Cabinet were defeated and Palmerston trixunphant 
 » British Ambassador at Constantinople. »,,.,. , .■ 
 
 - Frederick James Lamb, younger brother of Lord Melbourne, and his 
 
 successor in the title (1783-1853). He was at this time Ambassador at 
 
 Vienna, haying previously been Ambassador at Lisbon. 
 
294 PALMERSTON AND FRANCE [chap, k 
 
 The King of tlie Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wiesbaden, 2nd October 1840. 
 
 . . . There is an idea that Mehemet Ali suffers 
 from what one calls un charhon, a sort of dangerous 
 ulcer which, with old people, is never without some 
 danger. If this is true, it only shows how little one 
 can say that the Pashalik of Aleppo is to decide who 
 is to be the master of the Ottoman Empire in 
 Europe and Asia, the Sultan or Mehemet ? It is 
 highly probable that if the old gentleman dies, his 
 concern will go to pieces ; a division will be attempted 
 by the children, but that in the East hardly ever 
 succeeds. There everything is personal, except the 
 sort of Caliphate which the Sultan possesses, and 
 when the man is gone, his empire also goes. Runjeet 
 Singh * is a proof of this ; his formidable power will 
 certainly go to the dogs, though the Sikhs have a 
 social link which does not exist in the Egyptian 
 concern. If we now were to set everything in 
 Europe on a blaze, have a war which may change 
 totally all that now exists, and in the midst of it 
 we should hear that Mehemet is no more, and his 
 whole boutique broken up, would it not be really 
 laughable if it was not melancholy ? And still the 
 war once raging, it would no longer put a stop to 
 it, but go on for other reasons. 
 
 I cannot understand what has rendered Palmerston 
 so extremely hostile to the King and Government of 
 France. A little civility would have gone a great 
 way with the French ; if in your Speech on the 11th 
 of August some regret had been expressed, it would 
 have greatly modified the feelings of the French. 
 But Palmerston hkes to put his foot on their necks! 
 Now, no statesman must triumph over an enemy that 
 is not quite dead, because people forget a real loss, 
 a real misfortune, but they won't forget an insult. 
 Napoleon made great mistakes that way ; he hated 
 
 * Runjeet Singh, known as the King of Lahore, had died in 1839, having 
 consolidated the Sikh power. As an outcome of the Sikh wars in 1846 and 
 1848, the Punjab was annexed by Great Britain in 1849. 
 
1840] VIEWS OF THE KING OF THE FRENCH 295 
 
 Prussia, insulted it on all occasions, but still left it 
 alive. The consequence was that in 1813 they rose 
 to a man in Prussia, even children and women took 
 arms, not only because they had been injured, but 
 because they had been treated with contempt and 
 insulted. I will here copy what the King wrote to 
 me lately from Paris : 
 
 "Vous ne vous faites pas d'idee k quel point 
 I'approbation publique soutient les armemens, c'est 
 universel. Je regrette que cela aille bien au-dela, 
 car la fureur contre I'Angleterre s'accroit et un des 
 points que je regrette le plus, c'est que tout notre 
 peuple est persuade que I'Angleterre veut r^duire la 
 France au rang de Puissance secondaire, et vous 
 savez ce que c'est que I'orgueil national et la vanitd 
 de tons les peuples. Je crois done bien urgent que 
 la crise actuelle se termine bientot pacifiquement. 
 Plus je crois que I'union de I'Angleterre et de la 
 France est la base du repos du monde, plus je 
 regrette de voir susciter tant d'irritation entre nos 
 deux Nations. La question est de savoir ce que veut 
 veritablement le Gouvernement Anglais. J'avoue que 
 je ne suis pas sans crainte et sans inquietude a cet 
 ^gard quand je rdcapitule dans ma t^te tout ce que 
 Lord Ponsonby a fait pour Tallumer et tout ce qu'il 
 fait encore. Je n'aurais aucune inquietude si je 
 croyais que le Gouvernement suivrait la voix de sa 
 Nation, et les v^ritables int^rets de son pays qui 
 repoussent I'alliance Russe et indiquent celle de la 
 France, ce qui est tout-a-fait conforme a mes vceux 
 personnels. Mais ma vieiUe experience me rappelle ce 
 que font les passions personnelles, qui predominent 
 bien plus de nos jours que les vdritables int^rets, et 
 ce que pent le Gouvernement Anglais pour entrainer 
 son pays, et je crains beaucoup I'art de la Russie 
 ou plutot de I'Empereur Nicolas de captiver, par les 
 plus immenses flatteries, les Ministres Anglais, preuve 
 Lord Durham. Or si ces deux Gouvernements 
 veulent ou osent entreprendre Vabaissement de la 
 France, la guerre s'allumera, et pour mon compte 
 alors Je rrHy jetterai a outrance, mais si comme je 
 
296 PROPOSITIONS FOR SETTLEMENT [chap, n 
 
 I'espere encore, malgre mes soup9ons, ils ne veulent 
 pas la guerre, alors I'affaire de 1' Orient s'arrangera 
 a I'amiable, et le cri de toutes les Nations fera de 
 nouveau justice de ces humeurs belliqueuses et 
 consolidera la paix g^n^rale, comme cela est arrive 
 dans les premieres annees de mon regne." 
 
 I think it right to give you this extract, as it is 
 written from the very bottom of the King's heart, and 
 shows the way in which he considers the present 
 position of aiFairs. Perhaps you will be so kind to 
 read it or to let it be read by Lord Melbourne. It 
 is this abaissement de la France which now sticks 
 in their throats. Chartres ^ has quite the same feeling, 
 and then the refrain is, plutot perir que de sovffrir 
 cette ignominie ! 
 
 Really my paper is abominable, but it is a great 
 shame that in the residence of such a rich Prince 
 nothing can be had. My letter being long, I conclude 
 it with my best blessings. Ever, my dearest Victoria, 
 your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 /' Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Clabemokt, 6th October 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. The King's letter to Lord Melbourne is in 
 many respects just and true.^ The practical measure 
 which it recommends, namely, that Lord Granville 
 should make to Thiers a general proposition for 
 settling the whole matter, is very much the same as 
 that which we agreed upon at the Cabinet should be 
 adopted. Lord Melbourne expects that this has been 
 carried into effect, and if it has not, Lord Melbourne 
 has urged that it should be done without delay. 
 
 These affairs are very troublesome and vexatious, 
 but they are, unfortunately, more than troublesome, 
 they are pregnant with danger. 
 
 1 Ferdinand, Duke of Orleans, who died 13th July 1842, was generally 
 called Chartres in the family circle ; this title, which he had previously borne, 
 was conferred on his younger son, bom 9th November 1840. 
 
 2 The King of the Belgians had written a letter to Lord Melbourne on 
 1st October, which he had sent to Queen Victoria asking her to read it and 
 forward it to Lord Melbourne. 
 
1840] ATTITUDE OF FRANCE 297 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wiesbaden, 6th October 1840. 
 
 ... It is to-day the poor King of the French's 
 birthday ; he is sixty-seven years old, and these last 
 ten years he has had a pleasant time of it. And now 
 he has this serious and difficult complication to deal 
 with, and still I find him always fair and amiable in 
 his way of looking at aU these things, and bearing 
 the almost unbearable annoyance and plagues of his 
 arduous position with a degree of firmness and courage 
 worthy of kinder treatment fi:om the European Powers 
 than he has received. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Steeet, 9<A October 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. Lord John Russell has directed a Cabinet 
 to be summoned for to-morrow at three o'clock, at 
 which he intends to propose that " Instructions should 
 be sent to Lord GranvUle to ascertain from the French 
 Government what terms France would consider satis- 
 factory for the immediate arrangement of the affairs of 
 the East." 
 
 That if such terms shall appear satisfactory, Mr 
 Henry Bulwer ^ or some person of similar rank should 
 be sent to Constantinople to urge their acceptance on 
 the Sultan, and that our Allies should be invited to 
 co-operate in that negotiation. 
 
 That the French Government should be informed 
 that the only mode in which the pacification can be 
 carried into effect is by Mehemet AU's accepting the 
 terms of the treaty and then receiving from the Sultan 
 the terms which shall have been previously agreed upon 
 by his Allies. 
 
 Lord Melbourne feels certain that Lord Palmerston 
 
 1 Henry Bulwer (1801-1872), afterwards Lord Dalling, then first secre- 
 tary of the Embassy in Paris, became Minister to Spain, 1843-1848 ; to the 
 United States 1849-1852 ; to Tuscany, 1852-1855 ; and Ambassador to Turkey, 
 
 1858-1865. 
 
298 PACIFIC INSTRUCTIONS [chap, k 
 
 will not accede to these proposals, and indeed Lord 
 Melbourne himself much doubts whether, after all that 
 has passed, it would be right to submit the whole 
 matter, as it were, to the decision and arbitration of 
 France. Lord John Russell seems very much deter- 
 mined to press this question to a decision to-morrow, 
 and Lord Melbourne much fears that such decision may 
 lead to serious consequences. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is much grieved to have to send 
 your Majesty intelligence which he knows will greatly 
 disquiet your Majesty, but there is no remedy for it. 
 
 Lord Melbourne's lumbago is somewhat better 
 to-day but not much. His being compelled to attend 
 at the House of Lords yesterday prevented him from 
 recovering. He has remained in bed to-day, and hopes 
 to be better to-morrow. 
 
 Viscoujit Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South S*heet, Uh October 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has just received your Majesty's box. 
 He will do aU he can to put everything together, and 
 it does not appear to him that there is any necessity 
 on any side for a decisive step at present. A letter 
 is arrived to-day from Bulwer, which states that the 
 instructions given to Guizot are, through the inter- 
 position of the King, of a very pacific character. It 
 would surely be well to see what they are, and whether 
 they will not afford the means of arranging the whole 
 affair. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thought with your Majesty that 
 the letter to Lord Granville upon Prince Mettemich's 
 proposition was a great deal too short and dry and 
 slight, but the importance of this step is now a good deal 
 superseded by what has taken place, and the position 
 of affairs has already become different from that in 
 which it was resolved upon. 
 
 Lord Melbourne very much thanks the Prince for 
 his letter, which may do much service and have an 
 effect upon the antagonists. 
 
1840] THE PORTE AND MEHEMET ALI 299 
 
 Lord Melbourne has just seen Dr Holland.^ Lord 
 Melbourne is very much crippled and disabled. Lord 
 Melbourne does not think that the shooting has had 
 anything to do with it. His stomach has lately been 
 out of order, which is always the cause of these sort 
 of attacks. Lord Melbourne will come down on Sunday 
 if he possibly can, and unless he should be still disabled 
 from moving. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Sooth Street, lOth October 1940. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. . . . All the question at the Cabinet to-day as 
 to whether we should write a communication to France 
 was fortunately put an end to by Guizot desiring to 
 see Palmerston in the morning and making a com- 
 munication to him. This communication is very much 
 in substance what Mr Bulwer's note had led us to 
 expect. It is a strong condemnation of the act of the 
 Poite depriving Mehemet Ali of the Government of 
 Egypt, an expression of satisfaction at having already 
 learned from Lord Palmerston and Count Apponyi ^ that 
 Austria and England are not prepared to consider this 
 act as irrevocable, and a threat on the part of France 
 that he considers the power of Mehemet Ali in Egypt 
 a constituent part of the balance of Europe, and that 
 he cannot permit him to be deprived of that province 
 without interfering. It was determined that this 
 intimation should be met in an amicable spirit, and 
 that Lord Palmerston should see the Ministers of the 
 other Powers and agree with them to acquaint the 
 French that they with England would use their good 
 offices to induce the Porte not to insist upon the depriva- 
 tion of Mehemet Ali as far as Egypt is concerned. 
 Lord Melbourne hopes that this transaction may lead 
 to a general settlement of the whole question. 
 
 Lord Melbourne feels himself much fatigued to-night. 
 
 I Dr (afterwards Sir) Henry Holland, Physlcian-in-Ordinary to the Queen, 
 1850-1873, father of Lord Knutsford. , . -r, , -, 
 
 * Bom 1782 ; at this time the Austrian Ambassador m England. 
 
300 BOMBARDMENT OF BEYROUT [chap, k 
 
 Though better, he is yet far from well, and he knows 
 by experience that this malady when once it lays hold 
 of him does not easily let go. It was so when he 
 was younger. He fears, therefore, that it will not be 
 prudent for him to leave town so early as Monday, 
 but wUl do so as soon as he can with safety. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Pakshanoes, Wth October 1840. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston submits to your Majesty some 
 interesting letters, which he received some days ago from 
 Paris, showing that there never has been any real founda- 
 tion for the alarm of war with France with was felt 
 by some persons in this country. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston also submits a despatch from 
 Mons. Thiers to Mons. Guizot which was com- 
 municated to him yesterday by Mons. Guizot, and 
 which seems to open a prospect of an amicable and 
 satisfactory understanding between France and the 
 Four Powers. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston also submits a note from Mr 
 Bulwer intimating that the French Government would 
 be contented with an arrangement which should leave 
 Mehemet Ali in possession of Egypt alone, without 
 any part of Sjrria, and Viscount Palmerston submits 
 that such is the arrangement which it would on aU 
 accounts be desirable to accomplish. There seems 
 reason to think that the bombardment of Bejrrout* 
 and the deposal of Mehemet Ali by the Sultan have 
 greatly contributed to render the French more reason- 
 able on this question, by exciting in their minds an 
 apprehension that unless some arrangement be speedily 
 effected, the operations now going on in the Levant 
 win end in the entire overthrow of Mehemet Ali. 
 
 1 On 10th October Ibrahim was defeated by the allies, and next day 
 Beyrout was occupied by British, Austrian, and Turliish troops. 
 
1840] GUIZOT AND THIERS 301 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Fictoria. 
 
 South Street, Wth October 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has not written before to-day, because 
 he had nothing new to lay before your Majesty. Lord 
 Melbourne anxiously hopes she feels some confidence 
 that the present state of the Eastern affairs is such as 
 may lead to a speedy, amicable termination — at the 
 same time with a nation so irritable as the French, 
 and with the Constitution which they have and which 
 they are unused to exercise, it is impossible to feel 
 secure for a moment. Guizot, when he gave the 
 despatch of Thiers to Lord Palmerston, said that he 
 had nothing to do with the reasonings of that despatch, 
 and would not enter into any ' argument upon them. 
 He delivered them only in his official capacity as 
 the Ambassador of the King of France. All he would 
 say was that they were the result of a great effort of 
 that party in France which was for peace. This was 
 a sufficient intimation that he himself did not approve 
 of them, but it was not possible to collect from what 
 he said upon what grounds his dissent was founded. 
 Lord Melbourne has since heard that he says, that he 
 considers that France has taken too low a tone and 
 has made too much concession, and that he could not 
 have been a party to this step if he had been one 
 of the King's Ministers. The step is also probably 
 contrary to the declared opinion of M. Thiers ; whether 
 it be contrary to his real opinion is another question. 
 But if it was written principally by the influence of the 
 King, it is a measure at once bold and friendly upon 
 his part, and the success of which will much depend 
 upon its being met in an amicable spirit here. 
 
 Lord Melbourne returns the letter of the King of 
 the Belgians. Lord Melbourne kept it because he 
 wished to show it to Lord John Russell, and some 
 others, as containing an authentic statement of the 
 feelings of the King of the French, which it is well 
 that they should know. . . . 
 
302 FRIENDLINESS OF FRANCE [chap, tx 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston. 
 
 Windsor Castle, \%th October 1840. 
 
 The Queen in returning these letters must express 
 to Lord Palmerston her very great satisfaction at the 
 favourable turn affairs have taken, and the Queen 
 earnestly trusts that this demonstration of returning 
 amity on the part of France will be met in a very 
 friendly spirit by Lord Palmerston and the rest of 
 her Government. The Queen feels certain that this 
 change on the part of France is also greatly owing to 
 the peaceable disposition of the King of the French, 
 and she thinks that in consideration of the difficulties 
 the King has had to contend with, and which he seems 
 finally to have overcome, we should make some return ; 
 and indeed, as Lord Palmerston states, the arrangement 
 proposed is the best which can be desired. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SotTTH Street, 12<A October 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He is much better to-day, free from pain 
 and difficulty of moving, but he thinks that it would 
 not be prudent, and that he should run the risk of 
 bringing back the complaint, if he should leave town 
 to-morrow. 
 
 He thinks it might also be imprudent in another 
 point of view, as affairs are still in a very unsettled 
 state, and the rest of the Cabinet watch with great 
 impatience, and, to say the truth, not without suspicion, 
 the manner in which Palmerston wiU carry into effect 
 the decision of Saturday. They are particularly 
 anxious for speed, and I have written both last night 
 and this morning to Palmerston, to urge him not to 
 delay. He will go down to Windsor to-morrow, and 
 your Majesty will then have an opportunity of speaking 
 to him, upon which Lord Melbourne will write again to 
 your Majesty. 
 
 Guizot has been with Lord Melbourne this morning 
 for the purpose of repeating what he had before said to 
 
1840] DIFFERING VIEWS 303 
 
 Palmerston that the Note which he delivered on 
 Saturday was the result of a great effort made by the 
 party who are for peace, that it had been conquered 
 against a strong opposition, that if it were not taken 
 advantage of here now, it would not be renewed, that 
 the conduct of affairs in France would probably fall 
 into the hands of the violent party, and that it would 
 be no longer possible to control the excited feehngs 
 of the people of France. 
 
 The worst is that Palmerston, and John Russell, 
 with now the greater part of the Cabinet, proceed upon 
 principles, opinions, and expectations which are entirely 
 different from one another, and which therefore 
 necessarily lead to a different course of action. We 
 are anxious to finish the business speedily, because we 
 fear that there is danger of the Government of France 
 being forced into violent measures by popular outcry. 
 Palmerston, on the contrary, thinks that there is no 
 danger of war, that the French do not mean war, and that 
 there is no feeling in France but what has been produced 
 by the Ministry and their instruments the Press. 
 
 We are anxious that the opportunity should be 
 seized now whilst we have the appearance of success in 
 Syria, not being at all confident of the ultimate result. 
 Palmerston, on the contrary, is so confident of complete 
 success, that he wishes to delay concluding the affair 
 until he can have the benefit of the full advantages, 
 which he anticipates, in the negotiation. 
 
 We should be too glad to see the matter settled, 
 leaving Mehemet Ali in possession of Egypt. 
 
 Palmerston has both the wish and the hope of 
 getting him out of Egypt as well as Syria. 
 
 These great differences of view, object and 
 expectation render it difficult for those who hold them 
 to pursue the same line of conduct. 
 
 There is also, as your Majesty knows, much suspi- 
 cion, distrust and irritation, and all these circumstances 
 throw great obstacles in the way of the progress of 
 affairs, but Lord Melbourne hopes that they will all be 
 overcome, and that we shall arrive at a safe conclusion. 
 
S04 THE QUEEN'S INFLUENCE [chap, k 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 13<A October 1840. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. It is absolutely necessary that we should 
 have a Cabinet on Thursday. There is so much natural 
 impatience, and so deep an interest taken in what is now 
 going on, that it cannot be avoided. . . . 
 
 Your Majesty will naturally seize this opportunity of 
 stating strongly to Palmerston your wishes that this 
 opportunity should be taken advantage of, with a view 
 to the speedy accommodation of the whole difference. 
 Your Majesty will see the necessity of at the same time 
 not appearing to take too much the part of France, 
 which might irritate and indispose. 
 
 Your Majesty will find John Russell perfectly right 
 and reasonable. He was before somewhat embarrassed 
 by the position in which he was placed. Having agreed 
 to the Convention, it was difficult for him to take steps 
 which might appear to be in departure from its policy, 
 and to be occasioned by the gravity of its consequences. 
 But this step upon the part of France will enable all the 
 friends of peace to act cordially together. John Russell 
 thinks that you have not been put fully in possession 
 of his sentiments. Lord Melbourne thinks this is not 
 the case ; but it would be well if your Majesty would 
 try to efface this impression from his mind as much as 
 possible. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 \Zth October 1840. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — . . . I have three kind 
 letters of yours unanswered before me, of the 1st, 2nd, 
 and 6th, for which many thanks. My time is very short 
 indeed to-day, but Albert has I know written to you 
 about the favourable turn which the Oriental affairs 
 have taken, and of the proposition of France, which is 
 very amicably received here ; Austria and Prussia are 
 quite ready to agree, but Brunnow has been making 
 
1840] AN ANXIOUS TIME 305 
 
 already difficulties (this is in confidence to you). I 
 hope and trust that this will at length settle the affiiir, 
 and that peace, the blessings of which are innumerable, 
 will be preserved. I feel we owe much of the change 
 of the conduct of France to the peaceable disposition 
 of the dear King, for which I feel grateful.^ Pray, dear 
 Uncle, when an opportunity offers, do offer the King 
 my best, sincerest wishes for his health and happiness 
 in every way, on the occasion of his birthday; may 
 he live many years, for the benefit of all Europe I . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, I6th October 1840. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I received your kind but 
 anxious letter of the 10th the day before yesterday, 
 and hasten to reply to it by the courier who goes 
 to-day. Indeed, dearest Uncle, I have worked hard 
 this last week to bring about something conciliatory, 
 and I hope and trust I have succeeded. Lord 
 Melbourne, who left Claremont on the same day as 
 we did, was confined to the house till yesterday, 
 when he arrived here, by a lumbago and bilious 
 attack ; but I had a constant correspondence with 
 him on this unfortunate and alarming question, and 
 he is, I can assure you, fully aware of the danger, 
 and as ajixious as we are to set matters right ; and 
 so is Lord John, and Palmerston, I hope, is getting 
 more reasonable. They have settled in consequence 
 of Thiers' two despatches that Palmerston should 
 write to Lord Ponsonby to urge the Porte not to 
 dispossess Mehemet Ali finally of Egypt, and I 
 believe the other foreign Ministers at Constantinople 
 will receive similar instructions ; this despatch 
 Palmerston will send to Granville (to-night, I believe) 
 to be communicated to Thiers, and / have made 
 
 1 The King of the French was alarmed at the wariike language of his 
 Ministers. He checked the preparations for war which Thiers was making ; 
 he went further, and on the 24th of October he dismissed the Thiers Ministry 
 and entrusted the management of affairs to Soult and Guizot, who were 
 pacifically inclined and anxious to preserve the Anglo-French entente. 
 Vol. I.— 20 
 
306 ATTEMPT ON LOUIS PHILIPPE'S LIFE [chap. « 
 
 Palmerston promise to put into the despatch to 
 Granville " that it would be a source of great satis- 
 faction to England, if this would be the cause of 
 bringing back France to that alliance (with the 
 other Four Powers) from which we had seen her 
 depart with so much regret. I hope this will have 
 a good effect. Now, in my humble opinion (but this 
 I say of myself and without anybody's knowledge), 
 if France, upon this, were to make some sort of 
 advance, and were to cease arming, I think all would 
 do ; for you see if France goes on arming, we shall 
 hardly be justified in not doing the same, and that 
 would be very bad. Couldn't you suggest this to 
 the King and Thiers, as of yourself? My anxiety is 
 great for the return of amity and concord, I can 
 assure you. I think our child ought to have besides 
 its other names those of Turco Egypto, as we think 
 of nothing else ! I had a long talk with Palmerston 
 on Wednesday, and also with J. Russell. 
 
 I hope I have done good. The Dutch don't like 
 the abdication. I'm so sorry for poor little Paris ! ^ 
 
 Pray excuse this dreadful scrawl, but I am so 
 hurried. Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Tlie King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, nth October 1840. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — You will, I am sure, have 
 been very much shocked on hearing that on the 15th 
 there was a new attempt made to kill the poor good 
 King at Paris.^ The place was cleverly chosen, as 
 the King generally puts his head out of the carriage 
 window to bow to the guard. I join the letter which 
 he had the goodness to forward us through an 
 estafette.^ May this melancholy attentat impress on 
 
 1 The Comte de Paris, born 24th August, 1838, eldest son of Ferdinand 
 Duke of Orleans, who was Louis Philippe's eldest son. 
 
 " The King was fired at as he was leaving the Tuileries, by Darmes, a 
 Marseillais. As Croker wrote to Lord Brougham on the 31st of October, 
 1840: — "Poor Louis Philippe lives the life of a mad dog, and will soon, I 
 fear, suiFer the death of that general object of every man's shot" 
 
 2 Express messenger. 
 
1840] NEGOTIATION WITH FRANCE ADVISED 307 
 
 your Ministers the necessity of aiding the King in 
 his arduous task. . . . You will have the goodness to 
 show this letter to Albert. 
 
 Louise was much alarmed when it arrived at such 
 an unusual hour; it was ten o'clock. At first we 
 thought it might be something about poor little Paris, 
 who is not yet so well as one could wish. 
 
 We have gloomy miserable weather, and I feel much 
 disgusted with this part of the world. Ever, my 
 beloved Victoria, your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The King of the Selgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, 20tk October 1840. 
 
 My most beloved Victoria, — I must write to you 
 a few lines by M. Drouet, who returns to-morrow 
 morning to England. God bless you for the great 
 zeal you have mis en action for our great work, the 
 maintenance of peace, it is one of the greatest im- 
 portance for everjrthing worth caring for in Europe. 
 You know well that no personal interest guides me 
 in my exertions, I am in fact bored with being here, 
 and shall ever regret to have remained in these regions, 
 when I might so easily have gone myself to the Orient, 
 the great object of my predilection. 
 
 I never shall advise anything which would be 
 against the interests and honour of yourself, your 
 Government, or your country, in which I have so 
 great a stake myself. The great thing now is not to 
 refuse to negotiate with France, even if it should end 
 in nothing, still for the King Louis Philippe there is 
 an immense strength and facihty in that word "nous 
 negocions" vdth this he may get over the opening of 
 the session, and this once done, one may hope to come 
 to a conclusion. Since I wrote to Lord Melbourne 
 to-day, I have received a letter from the King, of the 
 19th, i.e. yesterday, in which he tells me, " Pourvu qu'il 
 y ait, pour commencer, des negodations, cela me donne 
 une grande force." 
 
 I have written yesterday to him most fully a letter 
 
308 THIERS MORE MODERATE [chap, k 
 
 he may show Thiers also concerning the armaments. 
 I think that my arguments will make some impression on 
 Thiers. The King writes me word that by dint of great 
 exertion he had brought Thiers to be more moderate. 
 If it was possible to bring France and Mehemet Ali 
 to agree to the greatest part of the Treaty, it will be 
 worth while for everybody to consent. The way to 
 bring France to join in some arrangement, and to 
 take the engagement to compel Mehemet to accept 
 it, would be the best practical way to come to a 
 conclusion. It is probable, though I know nothing 
 about it in any positive way, that the efforts of getting 
 possession of Syria will fail, if the country itself does 
 not take up arms on a large scale, which seems not 
 to be believed. 
 
 To conclude then my somewhat hurried argumenta- 
 tion, the greatest thing is to negotiate. The negotiation 
 cannot now have the effect of weakening the execution 
 as that goes on, and it may have the advantage of 
 covering the non-success if that should take place, which 
 is at all events possible if not probable. May I beg you 
 to read these few confused words to Lord Melbourne 
 as a supplement of my letter to him. Darmes says 
 that if Chartres had been with the King, he would 
 not have fired, but that his reason for wishing to kill 
 the King was his conviction that one could not hope 
 for war till he was dead. 
 
 It is really melancholy to see the poor King taking 
 this acharnement very much to heart, and upon my 
 word, the other Powers of Europe owe it to themselves 
 and to him, to do everything to ease and strengthen 
 his awful task. 
 
 What do you say to poor Christina's departure ? ' 
 I am sorry for it, and for the poor children. She is 
 believed to be very rich. 
 
 Now I must conclude, but not without thanking 
 you once more for your great and most laudable 
 
 I Queen Christina abdicated the Regency of Spain, and went to Paris. 
 In the following May General Espartero, Duke of Vittoria, was appointed 
 sole Regent. 
 
1840] DEATH OF LORD HOLLAND 309 
 
 exertions, and wishing you every happiness, which you 
 so much deserve. Ever, my most beloved Victoria, your 
 devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 23r(i October 1840. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Many thanks for your two 
 kind letters of the 17th and 20th. I have very little 
 time to-day, and it being besides not my regular day, 
 I must beg you to excuse this letter being very 
 short. I return you the King's letters with Men des 
 remerciments. It is a horrid business. We have had 
 accounts of successes on the Syrian coast. Guizot 
 is here since Wednesday, and goes this morning. 
 Albert (who desires me to thank you for your kind 
 letter) has been talking to him, and so have I, and 
 he promised in return for my expressions of sincere 
 anxiety to see matters raccommodees, to do all in his 
 power to do so. " Je ne vais que pour cela," he said. 
 
 We were much shocked yesterday at the sudden 
 death of poor, good, old Lord Holland.* I send you 
 Dr Holland's letter to Lord Melbourne about it. 
 He is a great loss, and to Society an irreparable one. 
 I'm sure you will be sorry for it. 
 
 Mamma comes back sooner than the 31st. She is 
 in great distress at poor Polly's death. You will regret 
 him. Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Pray do try and get the King's speech to be pacific, 
 else Parliament must meet here in November which 
 would be dreadful for me. 
 
 TJie Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Lae&en, ^6th October 1840. 
 
 . . . The Duke of Cambridge arrived, as you know, 
 before yesterday evening, at Brussels. Your Uncle 
 visited him yesterday, and at six he came to Laeken 
 to dine with us. I found him looking well, and he 
 
 1 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who, by reason of his social 
 influence, great wealth, and high intellectual endowments, was one of the 
 most efficient supporters of the Whig party. 
 
310 CHANGE OF MINISTRY IN FRANCE [chap, ix 
 
 was as usual very good-natured and kind, I need 
 not tell you that conversation did not flag between 
 us, and that I thought of you almost the whole time. 
 In the course of the evening he took leave. He left 
 Brussels this morning early, on his way to Calais, 
 and I suppose you will hear of him before this letter 
 reaches you. He took charge of all my love and 
 hommages for you, dear Albert, and all the Royal 
 Family. Before dinner the children were presented to 
 him (that is Leopold and Philippe), but I am sorry 
 to say that poor Lippchen was so much frightened 
 with his appearance, loud voice, and black gloves, 
 that he burst out crying, and that we were obliged 
 to send him away. The Duke took his shyness very 
 kindly; but I am still ashamed with his behaviour. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Carlton Terrace, 8«A November 1840. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and in addition to the good news from 
 Syria, which confirms the defeat and dispersion of the 
 forces, both of Ibrahim and of Solyman Pasha, with 
 the loss of 8000 prisoners, 24 pieces of cannon, the 
 whole of their camp, baggage, and stores, followed by 
 the flight of those two Generals with a small escort,^ 
 he has the satisfaction of informing your Majesty that 
 the new French Ministers had a majority of 68, upon 
 the vote for the election of the President of the 
 Chamber.^ 
 
 This majority, so far exceeding any previous calcula- 
 tion, seems to place the stability of the Government 
 beyond a doubt, though it must, of course, be expected 
 that upon other questions their majority wiU not be 
 so overwhelming. 
 
 > See ante, p. 300. 
 
 2 M. Sauzet was elected in preference to M. Odillon Barrot. Thiers 
 resigned the Premiership on 14th October; in the new Ministry Soult was 
 President of the Council, Guizot Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Duchatel 
 Minister of the Interior. 
 
1840] FRENCH DISAFFECTION 311 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Windsor Castle, llth November 1840. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and with reference to your Majesty's 
 memorandum of the 9th inst., he entreats your Majesty 
 not to believe that there exists at present in France 
 that danger of internal revolution and of external war 
 which the French Government, to serve its own 
 diplomatic purposes, endeavours to represent. 
 
 There is no doubt a large Party among the leading 
 politicians in France, who have long contemplated the 
 establishment of a virtually, if not actually, independent 
 State in Egypt and Syria, under the direct protection 
 and influence of France, and that Party feel great dis- 
 appointment and resentment at finding their schemes 
 in this respect baffled. But that Party will not 
 revenge themselves on the Four Powers by making 
 a revolution in France, and they are enlightened 
 enough to see that France cannot revenge herself by 
 making war against the Four Powers, who are much 
 stronger than she is. 
 
 . . . But your Majesty may be assured that there 
 is in France an immense mass of persons, possessed of 
 property, and engaged in pursuits of industry, who are 
 decidedly adverse to unnecessary war, and determined 
 to oppose revolution. And although those persons have 
 not hitherto come prominently forward, yet their voice 
 would have made itself heard, when the question of peace 
 or unprovoked war came practically to be discussed. 
 
 With regard to internal revolution, there is 
 undoubtedly in France a large floating mass of 
 Republicans and Anarchists, ready at any moment 
 to make a disturbance if there was no strong power 
 to resist them; but the persons who would lose by 
 convulsion are infinitely more numerous, and the 
 National Guard of Paris, consisting of nearly 60,000 
 men, are chiefly persons of this description, and are 
 understood to be decidedly for internal order, and for 
 external peace. 
 
 It is very natural that the French Government, 
 
312 STATE OF EUROPE IN 1792 [chap, k 
 
 after having failed to extort concessions upon the 
 Turkish Question, by menaces of foreign war, 
 should now endeavour to obtain those concessions, 
 by appealing to fears of another kind, and should 
 say that such concessions are necessary in order to 
 prevent revolution in France ; but Viscount Palmerston 
 would submit to your Majesty his deep conviction 
 that this appeal is not better founded than the other, 
 and that a firm and resolute perseverance on the part 
 of the Four Powers, in the measures which they have 
 taken in hand, will effect a settlement of the affairs 
 of Turkey, which will afford great additional security 
 for the future peace of Europe, without producing in 
 the meantime either war with France, or revolution 
 in France. 
 
 France and the rest of Europe are entirely different 
 now from what they were in 1792. The French nation 
 is as much interested now to avoid further revolution, 
 as it was interested then in ridding itself, by any means, 
 of the enormous and intolerable abuses which then 
 existed. France then imagined she had much to gain 
 by foreign war ; France now knows she has every- 
 thing to lose by foreign war. 
 
 Europe then (at least the Continental States), had 
 also a strong desire to get rid of innumerable abuses 
 which pressed heavily upon the people of aU countries. 
 Those abuses have now in general been removed ; the 
 people in many parts of Germany have been admitted, 
 more or less, to a share in the management of their 
 own affairs. A German feeling and a spirit of nation- 
 ality has sprung up among all the German people, 
 and the Germans, instead of receiving the French as 
 Liberators, as many of them did in 1792-93, would now 
 rise as one man to repel a hateful invasion. Upon 
 all these grounds Viscount Palmerston deems it his 
 duty to your Majesty to express his strong conviction 
 that the appeals made to your Majesty's good feelings 
 by the King of the French, upon the score of the 
 danger of revolution in France, unless concessions 
 are made to the French Government, have no founda- 
 
18*0] THE QUEEN'S OPINION 313 
 
 tion in truth, and are only exertions of skilful 
 diplomacy. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston has to apologise to your 
 Majesty for having inadvertently written a part of 
 this memorandum upon a half sheet of paper. And he 
 would be glad if, without inconvenience to your 
 IMajesty, he could be enabled to read to the Cabinet 
 to-morrow the accompanying despatches from Lord 
 GranvUle. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston} 
 
 Windsor Castle, \lth Nmemher \%M0. 
 
 The Queen has to acknowledge the receipt of 
 Lord Palmerston 's letter of this morning, which she 
 has read with great attention. The Queen will just 
 make a few observations upon various points in it, 
 to which she would wish to draw Lord Palmerston's 
 attention. The Queen does so with strict impartiality, 
 having had ample opportunities of hearing both sides 
 of this intricate and highly-important question. 
 
 First of aU, it strikes the Queen that, even if M. 
 Thiers did raise the cry, which was so loud, for war 
 in France (but which the Queen cannot believe he did 
 to the extent Lord Palmerston does), that such an 
 excitement once raised in a country like France, 
 where the people are more excitable than almost any 
 other nation, it cannot be so easily controuled and 
 stopped again, and the Queen thinks this wiU be seen 
 in time. 
 
 Secondly, the Queen cannot either quite agree 
 in Lord Palmerston's observation, that the French 
 Government state the danger of internal revolution, if 
 not supported, merely to extract further concessions 
 for Mehemet Ali. The Queen does not pretend to 
 say that this danger is not exaggerated, but depend 
 upon it, a certain degree of danger does exist, and 
 that the situation of the King of the French and 
 
 1 A copy of this letter was sent at the same time to Lord Melbourne. 
 
314 IMPORTANCE OF CONCILIATION [chap, k 
 
 the present French Government is not an easy- 
 one. The majority, too, cannot be depended upon, 
 as many would vote against Odillon Barrot,^ who 
 would not vote on other occasions with the Soult- 
 Guizot Ministry. 
 
 Thirdly, the danger of war is also doubtless greatly 
 exaggerated, as also the numbers of the French troops. 
 But Lord Palmerston must recollect how very warlike 
 the French are, and that if once roused, they vdll not 
 listen to the calm reasoning of those who wish for 
 peace, or think of the great risk they run of losing 
 by war, but only of the glory and of revenging insult 
 as they call it. 
 
 Fourthly, the Queen sees the difficulty there 
 exists at the present moment of making any specific 
 offer to France, but she must at the same time 
 repeat how highly and exceedingly important she 
 considers it that some sort of conciliatory agree- 
 ment should be come to with France, for she cannot 
 believe that the appeals made to her by the King 
 of the French are only exertions of skilful diplomacy. 
 The Queen's earnest and only wish is peace, and 
 a maintenance of friendly relations with her allies, 
 consistent with the honour and dignity of her 
 country. She does not think, however, that the last 
 would be compromised by attempts to soften the 
 irritation stiU existing in France, or by attempts to 
 bring France back to her former position in the 
 Oriental Question. 
 
 She earnestly hopes that Lord Palmerston will 
 consider this, will reflect upon the importance of not 
 driving France to extremities, and of conciliatory 
 measures, without showing fear (for our successes 
 on the coast of Syria show our power), or vpithout 
 yielding to threats. France has been humbled, and 
 France is in the wrong, but, therefore, it is easier 
 than if we had failed, to do something to bring 
 matters right again. The Queen has thus frankly 
 stated her own opinion which she thought it right 
 
 1 The unsuccessful candidate for the Presidency of the Chamber, 
 
184Q] PRINCE'S NAME IN THE PRAYER BOOK 815 
 
 Lord Palmerston should know, and she is sure he will 
 see it is only dictated by an earnest desire to see all as 
 much united as possible on this important subject. 
 
 Baron Stoc/cmar to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 2lsi November 1840. 
 
 My dear Lord, — I have just received Her Majesty's 
 order to express to you her great desire to have from 
 this day the Prince's name introduced into the Church 
 Prayer. Her own words were : " that I should press 
 it with Lord Melbourne as the wish she had most at 
 heart at this moment." Ever yours most sincerely, 
 
 Stockmar. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to the Prince Albert 
 [translated]. 
 
 Laeken, 26<A November 1840. 
 
 ... As to politics, I do not wish to say much to-day. 
 Palmerston, rex and autocrat, is, for a Minister finding 
 himself in such fortunate circumstances, far too irritable 
 and violent. One does not understand the use of 
 showing so much hatred and anger. What he says 
 about the appeal to the personal feeling of the 
 Queen, on the part of the King of the French, is 
 childlike and malicious, for it has never existed. 
 
 The King was for many years the great friend of 
 the Duke of Kent, after whose death he remained a 
 friend to Victoria. His relations with the latter have, 
 up to 1837, passed through very varied phases; she 
 was for a long time an object of hatred in the family, 
 who had not treated the Duke of Kent over-amicably, 
 and a proof of this is the fact that the Regent, from 
 the year 1819, forbade the Duke his house and presence 
 — which was probably another nail in the Duke's 
 coffin. Many of these things are quite unknown to 
 Victoria, or forgotten by her. Still it is only fair 
 not to forget the people who were her friends before 
 1837; after that date there was a violent outbreak 
 of affection among people who in the year 1836 
 
316 KING LEOPOLD ON LORD PALMERSTON [chap, jx 
 
 would still not go near Victoria. October 1836, when 
 he sat next her at dinner, was the first time that 
 Palmerston himself had ever seen Victoria except at 
 a distance. As you have the best means of knowing, 
 the King has not even dreamt of applying to Victoria. 
 
 As to danger, it was very great in September, on 
 the occasion of the ouvrier riot — for a Paris mob fires 
 at once, a thing which — Heaven be thanked I — English 
 mobs rarely do. Towards the end of October, when 
 Thiers withdrew, there was a possibility of a revolution, 
 and it was only the fear of people of wealth that kept 
 them together, and drew them towards Guizot. 
 
 A revolution, at once democratic and bellicose, 
 could not but become most dangerous. That was on 
 the cards, and only a fairly fortunate combination 
 of circumstances saved matters. The King and my 
 poor mother-in-law were terribly low on both occasions, 
 and I confess that I looked every day with the greatest 
 anxiety for the news. If the poor King had been 
 murdered, or even if he were now to be murdered, 
 what danger, what confusion would follow ! All these 
 things were met by Palmerston with the excessively 
 nonchalante declaration, it was not so, and it is not so ! 
 Those are absolutely baseless assertions and totally 
 valueless. At least I could estimate the danger as well 
 as he and Bulwer — and, indeed, it was an anxious crisis. 
 I should think the Revolution of 1790 et ce qui sen est 
 suivi had done a brisk enough business in Europe, and 
 to risk a new one of the same kind would really be 
 somewhat scandalous. 
 
 What, however, may be the future fruit of the 
 seed of Palmerston 's sowing, we do not in the least 
 know as yet ; it may, however, prove sufficiently full of 
 misfortune for the future of innocent people. The 
 Eastern affairs will be put on an intelligible footing 
 only when, after these differences with Mehemet Ali, 
 something is done for the poor Porte, which is now so 
 much out of repair. Otherwise there remains a little 
 place which is called Sebastopol, and from which, as 
 the wind is almost constantly favourable, one can 
 
1840] BIRTH OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL 817 
 
 get very quickly to Constantinople — and Constanti- 
 nople is always the one place which exercises the 
 greatest influence, and all the more because the ducats 
 come from that quarter, with results which the marked 
 economy of England is hardly likely to effect. . . . 
 
 Victoria has borne herself bravely and properly in 
 the matter, and deserves to be greatly praised. . . . 
 
 The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 3ath November 1840. 
 
 My most beloved Victoria, — I have been longing 
 to write to you ever since we got the joyful tidings,* 
 but I would not do so before the nine days were at an 
 end. Now that they are over, I hope as you are, thank 
 God, so well, I may venture a few lines to express a part 
 of my feelings, and to wish you joy on the happy birth 
 of your dear little girl. I need not tell you the deep, 
 deep share I took in this most happy event, and all I felt 
 for you, for dear Albert, when I heard of it, and since 
 we last met. You know my affection for you, and I 
 will not trouble you with the repetition of what you 
 know. AU I will say is that I thanked God with all 
 my heart, and as I have scarcely thanked Him for 
 any other favour. . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 \Sth December 1840. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Many thanks for your kind 
 little letter of the 10th fron\ Ardenne. I am very 
 prosperous, walking about the house like myself again, 
 and we go to Windsor on the 22nd or 23rd which will 
 quite set me up. I am very prudent and careful, you 
 may rely upon it. Your little grand-niece is most 
 flourishing; she gains daily in health, strength and, 
 I may add, beauty ; I think she will be very like her 
 dearest father ; she grows amazingly ; I shall be proud 
 to present her to you. 
 
 1 The Princess Royal, afterwards the Empress Frederick of Gennany, 
 was bom 21st November 1840. 
 
318 SETTLEMENT OF EASTERN QUESTION [chap, k 
 
 The denouement of the Oriental affair is most 
 fortunate is it not ? * 
 
 1 see Stockmar often, who is very kind about me 
 and the Princess Royal. . , . 
 
 Albert sends his affectionate love, and pray, believe 
 me always, your devoted Niece, Victoeia R. 
 
 J'he KiTig of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 26th December 1840. 
 
 ... I can well understand that you feel quite 
 astonished at finding yourself within a year of your 
 marriage a very respectable mother of a nice little girl, 
 but let us thank Heaven that it is so. Any illness to 
 which, unfortunately, we poor human creatures are very 
 subject, would almost have kept you longer in bed, 
 and make you longer weak and uncomfortable, than 
 an event which in your position as Sovereign is of a 
 very great importance. 
 
 Because there is no doubt that a Sovereign without 
 heirs direct, or brothers and sisters, which by their attach- 
 ment may stand in lieu of them, is much to be pitied, 
 viz.. Queen Anne's later years. Moreover, children of 
 our own, besides the affection which one feels for them, 
 have also for their parents sentiments which one rarely 
 obtains from strangers. 1 flatter myself therefore that 
 you will be a delighted and delightful Maman au milieu 
 dune belle et nombreuse famille. . . . 
 
 1 On the 3rd of November St Jean d'Acre was captured by the allied 
 fleet. Admiral Sir Robert Stopford commanding the British contingent ; the 
 battle is said to have been the first to test the advantages of steam. Admiral 
 Napier proceeded to Alexandria, and threatened bombardment, unless the 
 Pasha came to terms. On 25th November a Convention was signed, by which 
 Mehemet Ali resigned his claims to Syria, and bound himself to restore the 
 Ottoman Fleet, while the Powers undertook to procure for him undisturbed 
 possession of the Fashalik of Egypt 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO CHAPTER X 
 
 At the beginning of the year the Ministry were confronted with 
 monetary difficulties and bad ti-ade ; their special weakness in 
 finance, contrasted with Sir Robert Peel's great ability, in addition 
 to their many reverses, indicated that a change was at hand ; and 
 confidential communications were, with Lord Melbourne's full 
 approval, opened up by the Prince with Sir Robert Peel, to avert 
 the recurrence of a Bedchamber dispute. The Ministry were 
 defeated on their Budget, but did not i-esign. A vote of want of 
 confidence was then carried against them by a majority of one, 
 and Parliament was dissolved ; the Ministers appealing to the 
 country on the cry of a fixed duty on corn. The Conservative 
 and Protectionist victory was a decisive one, the most significant 
 successes being in the city of London, Northumberland, and the 
 West Riding. Somewhat improving their position in Scotland 
 and Ireland, and just holding their own in the English boroughs, 
 the Whigs were absolutely overwhelmed in the counties, and in 
 the result three hundred and sixty-eight Conservatives and only 
 two hundred and ninety-two Liberals were returned. The modern 
 practice of resigning before meeting Parliament had not then been 
 introduced, and Ministers were defeated in both Houses on amend- 
 ments to the address, the Duke of Wellington taking the 
 opportunity of eulogising Lord Melbourne's great services to the 
 Queen. A powerful Protectionist ministry was formed by Sir 
 Robert Peel, including the Duke of Wellington, Lord Aberdeen, 
 Sir James Graham, and Lord Lyndhurst. 
 
 Great national rejoicings took place when, on the 9th of 
 November, a male heir to the throne, now His Majesty King 
 Edward VII., was bom. 
 
 In France the bitter feeling against England, arising out of 
 the Syrian expedition, still continued, but Thiers's supersession by 
 the more pacific Guizot, and the satisfaction with which both the 
 latter and his Sovereign regarded the displacement of Palmerston 
 by Aberdeen began to lead to a better entente. The scheme of 
 fortifying Paris continued, however, to be debated, while the 
 Orleanist family were still the subjects of futile attentats. 
 
 Spain was disturbed, the question of the guardianship of the 
 young Queen giving rise to dissension : insurrections in the interests 
 of the Queen mother took place at Pampeluna and Vittoria, and 
 her pension was suspended by Espartero, the Regent. 
 
 In the East Mehemet Ali surrendered the whole of the 
 Turkish Fleet, and he was subsequently guaranteed the hereditary 
 Pashalik of Egypt by the four European powers who had intervened 
 in the affairs of the Levant. 
 319 
 
820 INTRODUCTORY NOTE [chap, i 
 
 In Afghanistan an insurrection broke out, and Sir Alexander 
 Burnes was murdered ; our envoy at Cabul, Sir William 
 Macnaghten, in an unfortunate moment entered into negotiations 
 with Akbar Khan, a son of Dost Mahommed, who treacherously 
 assassinated him. Somewhat humiliating terms were arranged, 
 and the English force of 4,000 soldiers, with 12,000 camp-followers, 
 proceeded to withdraw from Cabul, harassed by the enemy ; after 
 endless casualties. General Elphinstone, who was in command, 
 with the women and children, became captives, and one man alone, 
 of the 16,000, Dr Brydon, reached Jellalabad to tell the tale. 
 
 In China, operations were continued. Sir Henry Pottinger 
 superseding Captain Elliot, and Canton soon lying at the mercy 
 of the British arms ; the new Superintendent co-operated with 
 Sir Hugh Gough and Admiral Sir William Parker, in the capture 
 of Amoy, Chusan, Chintu, and Ningpo. 
 
 In America, the union of the two Canadas was carried into 
 effect, but a sharp dispute with the United States arose out of 
 the Upper Canada disturbances of 1837. Some Canadian loyalists 
 had then resented the interference of a few individual Americans 
 in favour of the rebels, and an American named Durfee had been 
 killed. One M'Leod, a British subject, was now arrested in the 
 State of New York, on a charge of having been concerned in the 
 affray. He was acquitted, reprisals were made by Canadians, and 
 international feeling was for a time highly acute. 
 
 Much interest naturally attaches to Lord Melbourne's con- 
 tinued correspondence with the Queen, after the change of Gov- 
 ernment. Baron Stockmar's remonstrance on the subject shows 
 that he misunderstood the character of the correspondence, and 
 over-estimated its momentousness. 
 
 These letters dealt chiefly with social and personal matters, 
 and although full of interest fi-om the light which they throw on 
 Lord Melbourne's relations with the Queen, they show him to 
 have behaved with scrupulous honour and delicacy, and to have 
 tried to augment, rather than undermine. Peel's growing influence 
 with the Queen and Prince. There are comparatively few of 
 Peel's letters in the collection. He wrote rarely at first, and only 
 on strictly official matters. But before long his great natural 
 reserve was broken through, and his intercourse with the Prince, 
 to whom his character was particularly sympathetic, became very 
 close and intimate. 
 
 Of all the English ministers with whom the Prince was brought 
 in contact, it is known that he preferred the stately and upright 
 Commoner, who certainly, of all English Ministers, estimated and 
 appreciated the Prince's character most truly and clearly. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 1841 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Sth January 1841. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — 1 have to thank you for 
 two very kind letters, of the 26th December and 1st 
 January, and for all your very kind and good wishes. 
 I am sorry to hear you have all been plagued with 
 colds ; we have as yet escaped them, and I trust wiU 
 continue to do so. I think, dearest Uncle, you cannot 
 really wish me to be the " Mamma d'une. nombreuse 
 famiUe," for I think you will see with me the great 
 inconvenience a large family would be to us all, and 
 particularly to the country, independent of the hardship 
 and inconvenience to myself ; men never think, at least 
 seldom think, what a hard task it is for us women to 
 go through this very often. God's will be done, and 
 if He decrees that we are to have a great number of 
 children, why we must try to bring them up as useful 
 and exemplary members of society. Our young lady 
 flourishes exceedingly, and I hope the Van de Weyers 
 (who have been here for three days), who have seen 
 her twice, will give you a favourable description of 
 her. I think you would be amused to see Albert 
 dancing her in his arms ; he makes a capital nurse 
 (which I do not, and she is much too heavy for me to 
 carry), and she already seems so happy to go to him. 
 
 Vol. I. — 21 321 
 
322 THE PRINCE AND LITERATURE [chap, x 
 
 The christening will be at Buckingham Palace on 
 the 10th of February, our dear marriage-day. 
 
 Affairs are certainly still precarious, but I feel con- 
 fident aU will come right. . . . 
 
 Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 9ith January 1841. 
 
 ... I trust also that affairs will come right ; what 
 is to be feared is the chapter of accidents. Your name 
 bears glorious fruits in all climes ; this globe will soon 
 be too small for you, and something must be done to 
 get at the other planets. . . . 
 
 Memorandum — Mr Anson. 
 
 WiNDSOB Castle, Ibfh January 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne said, " The Prince is bored with the 
 sameness of his chess every evening. He would like to 
 bring literary and scientific people about the Court, 
 vary the society, and infuse a more useful tendency 
 into it. The Queen however has no fancy to encourage 
 such people. This arises from a feeling on her part that 
 her education has not fitted her to take part in such 
 conversation ; she would not like conversation to be 
 going on in which she could not take her fair share, and 
 she is far too open and candid in her nature to pretend 
 to one atom more knowledge than she really possesses 
 on such subjects ; and yet, as the world goes, she would, 
 as any girl, have been considered accomplished, for she 
 speaks German well and writes it ; understands Italian, 
 speaks French fluently, and writes it with great 
 elegance. In addition to this old Davys instilled some 
 Latin into her during his tutorship. The rest of her 
 education she owes to her own natural shrewdness and 
 quickness, and this perhaps has not been the proper 
 education for one who was to wear the Crown of 
 England. 
 
1841] THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE 323 
 
 " The Queen is very proud of the Prince's utter 
 indifference to the attractions of all ladies. I told Her 
 Majesty that these were early days to boast, which 
 made her rather indignant. 1 think she is a little 
 jealous of his talking much even to men." 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 19ih January 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has just received your Majesty's letter. 
 Lord Melbourne is very sorry not to come down to 
 Windsor, but he really thinks that his absence from 
 London at this moment might be prejudicial. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will do his utmost to have the 
 Speech worded in the most calm manner, and so as 
 in no respect to offend or irritate any feelings. Some 
 mention of the good conduct and gallantry of the Navy 
 there must be — to omit it would be injurious and dis- 
 heartening — ■ but as to any expressions complimentary to 
 France or expressive of regret at our separation from it, 
 it will be hardly possible to introduce anything of that 
 nature.^ It is quite unusual in our Speeches from the 
 Throne to express either approbation or disapprobation 
 of the conduct of foreign nations and foreign Govern- 
 ments. It is surprising how very seldom it has been 
 done, and the wisdom and prudence of abstaining from 
 it is very manifest. It would be giving an opinion 
 upon that which does not belong to us. Anything 
 which would have the effect of producing satisfaction 
 in France must be of an apologetic character, which 
 there is no ground for, and for which neither the 
 Government nor the country is prepared. 
 
 The best course will be a total reserve upon this 
 head, certainly abstaining from anything that can be 
 in the slightest degree offensive. 
 
 ^ France was not mentioned, though the Convention with the other Powers, 
 and the naval operations in conjunction with Austria, were referred to. 
 
324 DOMESTIC HAPPINESS [chap, x 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 S2nd January 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will be most happy to wait upon 
 your Majesty on Saturday and Sunday, 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very sorry that your Majesty 
 is compelled to come to London contrary to your 
 inclinations ; but Lord Melbourne much rejoices that 
 your Majesty expresses that reluctance, as there is no 
 surer sign of complete happiness and contentment 
 in the married life than a desire to remain quietly in 
 the country, and there is nothing on the earth Lord 
 Melbourne desires more anxiously than the assurance 
 of your Majesty's happiness. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brussels, 22nd January 1841. 
 
 My deakest Victokia, — I thank you very sincerely 
 for your kind letter of the 19th, which I hasten to 
 answer. I should not have bored you by my presence, 
 but the act of the christening is, in my eyes, a sort of 
 closing of the first cyclus of your dear life. I was 
 shooting at the late Lord Craven's, in Berkshire, when 
 I received the messenger who brought me the horrifying 
 news of your poor father's deadly illness. I hastened 
 in bitter cold weather to Sidmouth, about two days 
 before his death. His affairs were so much deranged 
 that your Mother would have had no means even of 
 leaving Sidmouth if I had not taken all this under my 
 care and management. That dreary journey, under- 
 taken, I think, on the 26th of January, in bitter cold 
 and damp weather, I shall not easily forget. I looked 
 very sharp after the poor little baby, then about eight 
 months old. Arrived in London we were very unkindly 
 treated by George IV., whose great wish was to get you 
 and your Mamma out of the country, and I must say 
 without my assistance you could not have remained. 
 ... 1 state these facts, because it is useful to remember 
 
1841] RETROSPECT 325 
 
 through what difficulties and hardships one had to 
 struggle. You will also remember that though there 
 existed the possibility of your eventually succeeding to 
 the Crown, that possibility was very doubtful, the then 
 Duchess of Clarence having been confined after your 
 Mother, and there being every reason to think that, 
 though poor little Princess Elizabeth did not live more 
 than some months, other children might appear.^ 
 
 It was a long time from 1820 to 1837! We got 
 over it, however, and, as far as you are concerned, God 
 be praised I safely and happily. You are married, with 
 every prospect of many happy years to come, and 
 your happiness is crowned, and consolidated as it were, 
 by the birth of the dear little lady. Having from 
 motives of discretion, perhaps carried even too far, 
 not assisted at your coming to the throne, nor at 
 your Coronation, nor afterwards at your marriage, I 
 wished to assist at the christening of the little Princess, 
 an event which is of after importance. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Carlton Tehbace, 1st February 1841. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and in submitting this letter from Earl 
 Granville, which coupled with the despatches from 
 Sir Robert Stopford virtually show that the Turkish 
 Question is brought to a close, begs most humbly to 
 congratulate your Majesty upon this rapid and peace- 
 ful settlement of a matter which at difFerent periods 
 has assumed appearances so threatening to the peace 
 of Europe.'' 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Snd February 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. Lord Melbourne will be happy to wait upon 
 
 1 Two children were bom to the Duke and Duchess of Clarence — Charlotte 
 Augusta Louisa, born and died 29th March 1819, and Elizabeth Georgina 
 Adelaide, born 10th December 1820, and died 4th March 1821. 
 
 2 See ante, pp. 318, 320. 
 
326 ILLNESS OF DUKE OF WELLINGTON [chap, x 
 
 your Majesty on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, but 
 he finds that there is to be a Cabinet dinner to-morrow. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will speak to Lord Palmerston 
 about Lord John Russell. 
 
 Lord Melbourne does not see the name of the 
 Archbishop of Canterbury as a subscriber to this 
 " Parker " Society, and if your Majesty will give him 
 leave, he will ask him about it before he gives your 
 Majesty an answer. It is in some degree a party 
 measure, and levelled against these new Oxford 
 doctrines. The proposal is to republish the works 
 of the older divines up to the time of the death of 
 Queen Elizabeth. Up to that period the doctrines 
 of the Church of England were decidedly Calvinistic. 
 During the reign of James 11.,^ and particularly after 
 the Synod of Dort (1618-19), the English clergy very 
 generally adopted Arminian opinions. 
 
 It is proposed to republish the works of the divines 
 who wrote during the first period, and to stop short 
 when they come to the second. There is meaning 
 in this. But, after all, the object is not a bad one, 
 and it may not be worth while to consider it so closely. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 6th February 1841. 
 (6 o'clock.) 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and is very sorry to have to acquaint your 
 Majesty that the Duke of Wellington was taken ill 
 in the House of Lords this evening with a seizure, 
 probably paralytic, and of the same nature with those 
 which he has had before. Lord Brougham, who was 
 standing opposite to the Duke and addressing the 
 House, observed the Duke's face to be drawn and 
 distorted, and soon afterwards the Duke rose from his 
 seat and walked staggeringly towards the door. He 
 walked down the gallery, supported on each side, but 
 never spoke. A medical man was procured to attend 
 him, he was placed in his carriage and driven home. . . . 
 
 1 Lord Melbourne must have meant James I. 
 
1841] ENGLAND AND THE UNITED STATES 327 
 
 Lord John Rmsell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 6th March 1841. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has the honour to state that the remainder 
 of the Navy Estimates, and nearly the whole of the 
 Army Estimates, were voted last night without any 
 serious opposition. Indeed the chief fault found with 
 the Army Estimates was that they are not large enough. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel made a remarkable speech. 
 Adverting to the present state of our affairs with the 
 United States,^ he said that much as he disliked war, yet 
 if the honour or interests of the country required it, he 
 should sink all internal differences, and give his best 
 support to the Government of his country. 
 
 This declaration was received with loud cheers. It 
 must be considered as very creditable to Sir Robert 
 Peel. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 PonEioN Office, lOth April 1841. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to submit the 
 accompanjdng letters, which he received yesterday, 
 about the operations in China, and which have just 
 been returned to him by Viscount Melbourne, whose 
 letter he also transmits.* 
 
 Viscount Palmerston has felt greatly mortified and 
 disappointed at this result of the expedition to China, 
 and he much fears that the sequel of the negotiation, 
 which was to follow the conclusion of these preliminary 
 conditions, will not tend to render the arrangement 
 
 1 See Introductory N^te, ante, p. 320. 
 
 ' Captain Elliot, after capturing the Chinese position at the mouth of 
 Canton River, concluded a preliminary treaty with the Chinese Government, 
 which did not satisfy the Chinese, and which was strongly disapproved of by 
 the English Ministry, as containing no mention of the opium traffic, which 
 had been the cause of all the difficulties; Klliot was accordingly recalled, and 
 succeeded by Sir Henry Pottinger. 
 
328 ENGLAND AND CHINA [chap, x 
 
 less objectionable. Captain Elliot seems to have 
 wholly disregarded the instructions which had been 
 sent to him, and even when, by the entire success of 
 the operations of the Fleet, he was in a condition to 
 dictate his own terms, he seems to have agreed to very 
 inadequate conditions.^ The amount of compensation 
 for the opium surrendered falls short of the value of 
 that opium, and nothing has been obtained for the ex- 
 penses of the expedition, nor for the debts of the 
 bankrupt Hong* merchants. The securities which the 
 plenipotentaries were expressly ordered to obtain for 
 British residents in China have been abandoned ; and 
 the Island of Chusan which they were specifically in- 
 formed was to be retained till the whole of the 
 pecuniary compensation should have been paid, has 
 been hastily and discreditably evacuated. Even the 
 cession of Hong Kong has been coupled with a condi- 
 tion about the payment of duties, which would render 
 that island not a possession of the British Crown, but, 
 like Macao, a settlement held by sufferance in the 
 territory of the Crown of China. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston deems it his duty in laying 
 these papers before your Majesty, to state some few 
 of the objections which he feels to the arrangement, 
 but the Cabinet will have to consider, as soon as they 
 meet after the Recess, what advice they may wish 
 humbly to tender to your Majesty upon these 
 important matters. There is no doubt, however, that 
 much has been accomplished, but it is very mortifying 
 to find that other things which the plenipotentiaries 
 were ordered to obtain, and which the force placed 
 at their command, was amply sufficient to enable 
 them to accomplish, have not been attained. 
 
 Viscount Palmerston has sent a small map of the 
 Canton River, which your Majesty may like to keep 
 for future reference. 
 
 1 They were the cession of Hong-Kong, and payment of an indemnity trf 
 6,000,000 dollars to Great Britain, with provision for commercial facilities and 
 collection of customs. 
 
 ''■ The native Canton merchants, — Hong here probably meaning a " row of 
 houses," a " street." Hong Kong (Hiang Kiang) means the " fragrant lagoon." 
 
1841] OPERATIONS IN CHINA 329 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 IZth April 1941. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I thank you much for your 
 kind letter of the 9th, received yesterday. I have just 
 heard from Stockmar (who, I hope, reported favourably 
 of us aU) that your Ministry is at last settled, of which 
 I wish you joy. I think, dear Uncle, that you would 
 find the East not only as " absurd " as the West, but 
 very barbarous, cruel, and dangerous into the bargain. 
 
 The Chinese business vexes us much, and Palmerston 
 is deeply mortified at it. All we wanted might have 
 been got, if it had not been for the unaccountably 
 strange conduct of Charles Elliot {not Admiral Elliot,^ 
 for he was obliged to come away from ill health), who 
 completely disobeyed his instructions and tried to get 
 the lowest terms he could. . . . The attack and storming 
 of the Chorempee Forts on the 7th of January was 
 very gallantly done by the Marines, and immense 
 destruction of the Chinese took place.* The accounts 
 of the cruelty of the Chinese to one another are 
 horrible. Albert is so much amused at my having 
 got the Island of Hong Kong, and we think Victoria 
 ought to be called Princess of Hong Kong in addition 
 to Princess Royal. 
 
 She drives out every day in a close carriage with 
 the window open, since she has been here, which does 
 her^ worlds of good, and she is to have a walk to-day. 
 
 Stockmar writes me word that Charlotte* is quite 
 beautiful. / am very jealous. 
 
 I think Vecto quite right not to travel without 
 Nemours ; for it would look just as if she was 
 unhappy, and ran to her parents for help. I am sure 
 if Albert ever should be away (which, however, will 
 and shall never happen, for I would go with him 
 
 » They were both cousins of Lord Minto, the First Lord of the Admiralty. 
 
 ^ Commodore Bremer very 'speedily reduced some of the forts, but his 
 further operations were stopped. 
 
 * Daughter of King Leopold, who married in 1857 the Archduke Ferdi- 
 nand of Austria (afterwards JEmperor Maximilian of Mexico). 
 
330 LORD CARDIGAN [chap, x 
 
 even if he was to go to the North Pole) I should 
 never think of travelling ; but 1 can't make mamma 
 understand this. Now farewell, ever your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 2ith Apra 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. Mr Labouchere^ has desired that the five- 
 pound piece which is about to be issued from the 
 Mint should be submitted for your Majesty's inspec- 
 tion and approbation. 
 
 We have had under our consideration at the 
 Cabinet the unfortunate subject of the conduct of 
 Lord Cardigan.^ The public feeling upon it is very 
 strong, and it is almost certain that a Motion will be 
 made in the House of Commons for an Address 
 prajdng your Majesty to remove him from the 
 command of his regiment. Such a Motion, if made, 
 there is very little chance of resisting with success, 
 and nothing is more to be apprehended and depre- 
 cated than such an interference of the House of 
 Commons with the interior discipline and govern- 
 ment of the Army. It was also felt that the general 
 order issued by the Horse Guards was not sufficient 
 to meet the case, and in these circumstances it was 
 thought proper that Lord Melbourne should see Lord 
 HUl, and should express to him the opinion of the 
 Cabinet, that it was necessary that he should advise 
 your Majesty to take such measures as should have 
 the effect of removing Lord Cardigan from the 
 command of the 11th Hussars. The repeated acts of 
 
 1 President of the Board of Trade, afterwards created Lord Taunton. 
 
 " "Within the space of a single twelvemonth, one of his [Lord Cardigan's] 
 captains was cashiered for writing him a challenge ; he sent a coarse and 
 insulting verbal message to another, and then punished him with prolonged 
 arrest, because he respectfully refused to shake hands with the officer who 
 had been employed to convey the affront ; he fought a duel with a lieutenant 
 who had left the corps, and shot him through the body; and he flogged a 
 soldier on Sunday, between the Services, on the very spot where, half an hour 
 before, the man's comrades had been mustered for public worship. " — Sir G. 
 Trevelyan, Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay, chap. viii. 
 
18"] ARMY DISCIPLINE 331 
 
 imprudence of which Lord Cardigan has been guilty, and 
 the repeated censures which he has drawn down upon 
 himself, form a ground amply sufficient for such a 
 proceeding, and mdeed seem imperiously to demand it.^ 
 Lord Melbourne has seen Lord Hill and made 
 to him this communication, and has left it for his 
 consideration. Lord Hill is deeply chagrined and 
 annoyed, but will consider the matter and confer 
 again with Lord Melbourne upon it to-morrow. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 25th April 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He is most anxious upon all subjects 
 to be put in possession of your Majesty's full and 
 entire opinions. It is true that this question 
 may materially affisct the discipline of the Army, 
 by subjecting the interior management of regiments 
 to be brought continually under the inspection and 
 control of the House of Commons upon complaints 
 of officers against their superiors, or even of private 
 men against the officers. 
 
 The danger of the whole of Lord Cardigan's pro- 
 ceedings has been lest a precedent of this nature 
 should arise out of them. The question is whether 
 it is not more prudent to prevent a question being 
 brought forward in the House of Commons, than to 
 wait for it with the certainty of being obliged to yield 
 to it or of being overpowered by it. But of course 
 this cannot be done unless it is consistent with justice 
 and with the usage and prestige of the Service. 
 
 Lord Melbourne has desired the Cabinet Ministers 
 to assemble here to-day at four o'clock, in order to 
 consider the subject. Lord Melbourne has seen Lord 
 
 ^ In February he had been acquitted on technical grounds by the House 
 of Lords of shooting a Captain Harvey Garnett Phipps Tuckett. He had 
 accused Tuckett of being the author of letters which had appeared in the 
 papers reflecting on his character ; a duel on Wimbledon Common followed, 
 and Tuckett was wounded. The evidence, consisting in part of a visiting 
 card, showed that a Captain Harvey Tuckett had been wounded, which was 
 held to be insufficient evidence of identity. 
 
332 THE NOTTINGHAM ELECTION [chap, x 
 
 Hill again this morning, and Lord HUl has seen and 
 consulted the Duke of Wellington, who has stated 
 his opinion very fully. 
 
 The opinion of the Duke is that the Punishment 
 on Sunday was a great impropriety and indiscretion 
 upon the part of Lord Cardigan, but not a Military 
 offence, nor a breach of the Mutiny Act or of the 
 Articles of War ; that it called for the censure of the 
 Commander-in-Chief, which censure was pronounced 
 by the General Order upon which the Duke was 
 consulted before it was issued, and that according to 
 the usage of the Service no further step can be taken 
 by the Military Authorities. This opinion Lord Mel- 
 bourne wUl submit to-day to the Cabinet Ministers. 
 
 Lord Melbourne perceives that he has unintention- 
 ally written upon two sheets of paper, which he hopes 
 will cause your Majesty no inconvenience. 
 
 Lord Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Steeet, 28ift April 18il. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has himself seen the result of the 
 election at Nottingham^ without the least surprise, 
 from his knowledge of the place and his observation 
 of the circumstances of the contest. What John 
 Russell reported to your Majesty was the opinion of 
 those who act for us in that place, but as soon as 
 Lord Melbourne saw that there was a disposition upon 
 the part of the violent party. Radicals, Chartists, and 
 what not, to support the Tory candidate, he knew that 
 the contest was formidable and dubious. The Tory 
 party is very strong, naturally, at Nottingham, and if 
 it received any accession of strength, was almost 
 certain to prevail. This combination, or rather this 
 accession of one party to the Tories, which has 
 taken place at Nottingham, is very likely, and in 
 Lord Melbourne's opinion almost certain, to take place 
 in many other parts of the country in the case of a 
 
 1 Where Mr Walter, a Tory, was elected with a majority of 238. 
 
1841] THE BUDGET 333 
 
 general election, and forms very serious matter for 
 consideration as to the prudence of taking such a step 
 as a dissolution of the Parliament. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will wait upon your Majesty after 
 the Levde. It signifies not how late, as there is no 
 House of Lords. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 WiLTOJT Crescent, 1st May 1841. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty 
 to your Majesty, and has the honour to report that 
 Mr Baring yesterday brought forward the Budget in 
 a remarkably clear and forcible speech. 
 
 The changes in the duties on Sugar and Timber,^ 
 and the announcement made by Lord John RusseU of 
 a proposal for a fixed duty on Corn, seemed to surprise 
 and irritate the Opposition. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel refused to give any opinion on 
 these propositions, and satisfied himself with attacking 
 the Government on the state of the finances. 
 
 The supporters of Government were greatly pleased 
 with Mr Baring's plan, and loud in their cheers. 
 
 It is the general opinion that Lord Stanley wiU not 
 proceed with his BiU,^ and there seems little doubt of 
 this fact. 
 
 But the two parties are now evenly balanced, and 
 the absence or defection of some two or three of the 
 Ministerial party may at any time leave the Govern- 
 ment in a minority. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 3rd; May 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. We decided at the Cabinet on Friday that 
 we could not sanction the agreement which Captain 
 
 1 The proposals were to increase the duty on colonial timber from 10s. 
 to 20s. a load, reducing it on foreign timber from SSs. to SOs., to leave the 
 duty on colonial sugar unloaded at 24s. a cwt, reducing that on foreign 
 sugar from 63s. to 36s. a cwt 
 
 s On Irish Registration. 
 
334 CAPTAIN ELLIOT IN CHINA [chap, x 
 
 Elliot has probably by this time concluded with the 
 Government of China, but that it would be necessary 
 to demand a larger amount of indemnity for the past 
 injury, and also a more complete security for our trade 
 in future. For this purpose it was determined to send 
 out instructions, in case the armament should not have 
 left the Chinese coasts and have been dispersed, to 
 reoccupy the Island of Chusan,^ a measure which 
 appears to have had a great effect upon the minds of 
 the Chinese Government. It was also determined to 
 recall Captain Elliot, and to send out as soon as 
 possible another officer with full instructions from 
 hence as to the views and intentions of your Majesty's 
 Government. Sir Henry Pottinger,^ an officer in the 
 East India Company's Service, much distinguished in 
 the recent operations in Afghanistan, is designated with 
 your Majesty's approbation for this service, which he 
 has signified his willingness to undertake. It was also 
 thought that it would be proper to entrust Lord 
 Auckland * with general discretionary powers as to the 
 further conduct of the expedition. These determinations 
 Lord Melbourne hopes that your Majesty will approve. 
 
 Lord John Russell informed Lord Melbourne 
 yesterday that he knew that it was not the intention 
 of the Opposition to press Lord Stanley's Bill ; but it 
 is not to be expected in the present position of affairs 
 that they will not determine upon taking some decisive 
 and united measure in advance. 
 
 In the present state of public measures and of 
 public feeling, when debate may arise at any moment, 
 it would not be fitting for Lord Melbourne to absent 
 himself on any sitting day from the House of Lords. 
 But unless there should be anything so urgent as to 
 prevent him, he will come down after the House on 
 Tuesday evening and stay until Thursday morning. 
 
 Fanny is highly delighted and immeasurably grateful 
 
 1 The Island of Chusan, oflF the coast of China, had been occupied in July 
 1840 as a base of operations, but evacuated by Elliot in 1841. It was retaken 
 in September 1841, atter Elliot's recall, by Sir Henry Pottinger. 
 
 3 He had served in the Mahratta War, and been political agent in Scinde. 
 
 • Governor-General of India. 
 
1841] IRISH REGISTRATION BILL 335 
 
 for your Majesty's offer of the Lodge in Richmond Park, 
 and most desirous to avail herself of your Majesty's 
 kindness, and so is Jocelyn. Lord Melbourne has 
 little doubt that they wiU thankfully accept it.* 
 
 The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Pakis, 3rd May 1841. 
 
 My beloved Victoria, — As you know surely already 
 the day of yesterday went off very well. The christen- 
 ing* was very splendid, the weather beautiful, and 
 everjrthing extremely well managed. . , . The arrival 
 at Notre Dame, and the coup d'cdl of the old church, 
 all hung interiorly with crimson velvet draperies and 
 trophies of flags, was very splendid. There was in the 
 church three rows de tribunes all fuU of well-dressed 
 people. Les grands corps de VEtat etaient ranges de 
 chaque cote et dans le chceur ; I'Autel etait place an 
 centre de tegUse. Les cardinaux et tout le clerge 
 etaient alentour. When my father arrived, the Arch- 
 bishop of Paris received him at the door of the church, 
 and we all walked in state. My father [? ouvrait\ 
 la marche with the Queen. Prie-dieu and chairs were 
 disposed for us en demi-cercle before the altar, or rather 
 before the baptismal font, which was placed in front of 
 it, in the very middle of the Church. My father and 
 mother stood in the centre of the row near each other. 
 Your uncle, Chartres, and all the Princes followed on 
 the side of my father, and the Princesses on the side of 
 my mother. Paris remained with H^l^ne till the 
 moment of the christening. When the ceremony 
 began he advanced near the font with my father 
 and mother (sponsors), and was taken up in the arms 
 of his nurse. After the christening a Mass and Te 
 Deum were read, and when we came back to the 
 Tuileries the corps municipal brought the sword which 
 the City of Paris has given to the Comte de Paris. 
 
 1 Lady Fanny Cowper, Lord Melbourne's niece, was married to Lord 
 Jocelyn on 27th ApriL 
 
 ' Of the Comte de Paris, at this time nearly three years old, son of the Due 
 d'Orl&ns. 
 
336 THE SUGAR DUTIES [chap, x 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wilton Cbesceitt, Uh May 1841. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to report that Lord 
 Stanley yesterday postponed his BUI for a fortnight, 
 which at this period of the year is equivalent to its 
 abandonment. 
 
 On the other hand Lord Sandon gave a notice 
 for Friday for a Resolution on Sugar Duties. 
 
 If, as is probable, this Motion is made as a party 
 movement, it is probable that, with the addition of 
 those on the Ministerial side who have an interest in 
 the West Indies, the Motion will be successful. 
 
 The whole scheme of finance for the year will thus 
 be overturned. 
 
 The Tory party seem to expect a dissolution of 
 Parliament, but your Majesty's advisers will hardly 
 be able to recommend to your Majesty such a step. 
 
 The cry against the Poor Law is sure to be taken 
 up by the worst politicians of the Tory party, and, as 
 at Nottingham, may be successful against that most 
 useful law. 
 
 The friends of Government who represent counties 
 will be taunted with the proposal to alter the Corn 
 Law. 
 
 Bribery is sure to be resorted to beyond anything 
 yet seen. 
 
 A defeat of the Ministry on a dissolution would be 
 final and irreparable. 
 
 On the other hand their successors in the Govern- 
 ment would have to provide for the excess in the 
 expenditure pledged against the best measures that 
 could be resorted to for the purpose. It would be 
 a difficulty of their own seeking, and their want of 
 candour and justice to their opponents would be the 
 cause of their own embarrassments. 
 
 The moment is a very important one, and the con- 
 sequences of the vote of Friday, or probably Monday, 
 cannot fail to be serious. 
 
1841] MINISTERIAL CRISIS 337 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 WiKuaoR Castle, ith May 1841. 
 
 " The Ministry in jeopardy." {Heading in the 
 Prince Albert' s hand.) 
 
 Lord Melbourne came down from town after the 
 House of Lords. I went with him to his room for 
 an hour after the Queen had retired. He said the 
 main struggle would take place on the Sugar duties 
 on Friday. His impression was that the Government 
 would be beat, and he must then decide whether to 
 go out or dissolve. He leaned to the former. I said, 
 " I trusted he would not dissolve unless he thought 
 there was some prospect of increasing his strength, and 
 begged him to remember what was done would not 
 be considered the act of the Government but that 
 of himself and the Queen, and that he individually 
 would be held as the responsible person. 
 
 He said he had not written to the Queen to prepare 
 H.M. for coming events and the course that it 
 would be incumbent upon her to take, for he felt 
 it extremely difficult and delicate, especially as to 
 the use she should make of the Prince, and of her 
 mode of communication when she required it with 
 Lord Melbourne. He thought she ought never to ask 
 his advice direct, but if she required his opinion there 
 would be no objection to her obtaining it through 
 the Prince. 
 
 He said H.M. had relied so impUcitly upon him 
 upon aU affairs, that he felt that she required in this 
 emergency advice upon almost every subject. That he 
 would teU H.M. that she must carefuUy abstain from 
 playing the same part she did, again, on Sir R. Peel's 
 attempt to form a Ministry, for that nothing but the 
 forbearance of the Tories had enabled himself and 
 his colleagues to support H.M. at that time. He 
 feared Peel's doggedness and pertinacity might make 
 him insist, as a point of honour, on having all 
 discretion granted to him in regard to the removal 
 
 Vol. I. —22 
 
338 THE QUEEN PREPARED FOR A CRISIS [chap, s 
 
 of Ladies. I told him of the Prince's suggestion that 
 before the Queen saw Sir R. Peel some negotiation 
 might be entered into with Sir Robert, so that 
 the subject might be avoided by mutual consent, 
 the terms of which might be that Sir Robert 
 should give up his demand to extort the principle. 
 The Queen, on the other hand, should require 
 the resignation of those Ladies objected to by 
 Sir Robert. Lord Melboiune said, however, that the 
 Prince must not have personal communication with 
 Sir Robert on this subject, but he thought that I 
 might through the medium of a common Mend. 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 WiNDSOH Castle, 5ih May 1841. 
 
 Saw Lord Melbourne after his interview this 
 morning with the Queen. He says her Majesty w^as 
 perfectly calm and reasonable and seemed quite 
 prepared for the resignation of the Government. He 
 said she was prepared to give way upon the ladies if 
 required, but much wished that that point might be 
 previously settled by negotiation with Sir R. Peel, to 
 avoid any discussion or difference. Lord Melbourne 
 thinks I might do this. He would also like Peel to 
 be cautioned not to press her Majesty to decide hastily, 
 but to give her Majesty time, and that he should feel 
 that if he acted fairly he would be met in the same 
 spirit by the Queen. 
 
 With regard to future communication with Lord 
 Melbourne, the Queen said she did not mean that a 
 change should exclude her from Lord Melbourne's 
 society, and when Lord Melbourne said that in society 
 Her Majesty could not procure Lord Melbourne's 
 opinion upon any subject, and suggested that that 
 should be obtained through the Prince, Her Majesty 
 said that that could pass in writing under cover to me, 
 but that she must communicate direct. 
 
 The Queen, he says, leans to sending for the Duke 
 of WeUington. Lord Melbourne advised that Her 
 
J<S4-i 
 
 '<^-„,-n.fa>2JM,, 9k.,S'c 
 
1841] LORD MELBOURNE'S ADVICE 339 
 
 Majesty should make up her mind at once to send 
 for Sir Robert. He told me that it would not be 
 without precedent to send for both at once ; this it 
 appears to me would obviate every objection. The 
 Queen, he thinks, has a perfect right to exercise her 
 judgment upon the selection of all persons recom- 
 mended to Her Majesty for Household appointments, 
 both as to liking, but chiefly as to their character and 
 as to the character of the husband or wife of the person 
 selected. He would advise the Queen to adopt the 
 course which King William did with Lord Melbourne 
 in 1835, viz. desiring Lord Melbourne, before His 
 Majesty approved of any appointments, to send a list 
 of those proposed even to the members of every Board, 
 and the King having them all before him expressed 
 his objections to certain persons, which Lord Melbourne 
 yielded to. 
 
 Told Lord Melbourne that the Prince wished him 
 to impress upon the Queen's mind not to act upon the 
 approaching crisis without the Prince, because she 
 would not be able to go through difficulties by herself, 
 and the Prince would not be able to help her when 
 he was ignorant of the considerations which had 
 influenced her actions. He would wish Lord 
 Melbourne when with the Queen to call in the Prince 
 in order :th«t they -might both, be s6t right upoii' Lwd 
 Melbbum^'s-'opioioDs.^that" he" -m^ ek^rfesfe-iri^ the 
 presence of each qther his views,^ in order that he should 
 not convey difFerer^ iTapre&sions b^ Ispfaking to them 
 separately, so that 7A'^^' might act' in concert. 
 
 The Prince says the Queen always sees what is 
 right at a glance, but if her feelings run contrary, she 
 avoids the Prince's arguments, which she feels sure 
 agree with her own, and seeks arguments to support 
 her wishes against her convictions from other people. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SoiTTH Street, 1th May 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and laments much the prospect that lies 
 
340 DISSOLUTION OR RESIGNATION [chap, x 
 
 before us, more especially as it is so repugnant to 
 your Majesty's feelings. Your Majesty has often 
 observed that these events must come in the course 
 of affairs at some moment or another, but Lord 
 Melbourne knows not whether it is much consolation 
 to reflect, that what is very disagreeable is also 
 natural and unavoidable. Lord Melbourne feels certain 
 that your Majesty will consider the situation calmly 
 and impartially, will do that which shall appear the 
 best for your own interests and those of the country, 
 which are identical. 
 
 Everything shall be done that can be ; the questions 
 which may arise shall be considered well, and upon 
 as full information as can be obtained. But Lord 
 Melbourne has little to add to what he wrote to your 
 Majesty yesterday. So many interests are affected 
 by this Sugar question, the West Indian, the East 
 Indian, the opponents of Slavery and others, that 
 no small number of our supporters will be induced 
 either to stay away or to vote against us, and this 
 must place us in a minority upon the main points of 
 our Budget. In this we can hardly acquiesce, nor 
 can we adopt a different policy and propose other 
 taxes, when in our opinion the necessary revenue 
 can be raised without imposing them. This state of 
 ^■^l\ing«>inaposes'. upon 'us.^the alternative ^ of. dissolution 
 '.of'.-'of.' iesigrxatipi>'; a;nd/|tb;- tryf the: fOTmO"; : witliout 
 succeeding in it would be to place both' "your Majesty 
 and ourselves iii ^;Woi;se" atuatiori; than that in which 
 we are at pre'seilt. ' ' •>■•''■..■; ; : 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, %ih May 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. We have been considering this question 
 of dissolution at the Cabinet, and we have had before 
 us a general statement of the public returns for 
 England and Wales. It is not very favourable, but 
 Lord Melbourne fears that it is more favourable than 
 
1841] THE QUESTION OF THE LADIES 341 
 
 the reality would prove. The Chancellor,* Palmerston, 
 and Hobhouse are strongly for dissolution, but the 
 opinion of the majority is the other way, and in 
 that opinion Lord Melbourne is strongly inclined to 
 agree. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will have the honour of waiting 
 upon your Majesty to-morrow at three. 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Notes upon an Interview (No. 1) with 
 SiE Robert Peel.* 
 
 9<A May 1841. 
 
 Told Sir Robert that I had wished to have sought 
 him through the medium of a common friend, which 
 would have given him a greater confidence than I had 
 now a right to expect at his hands, but I felt upon so 
 delicate a mission it was safer, and would be more in 
 accordance with his wishes, to come direct. 
 
 That the Prince had sent me to him, with the object 
 of removing difficulties upon his coming into oflfice. 
 
 That Her Majesjty was anxious that the question of 
 the removal of the Ladies of the Bedchamber should 
 not be revived, and would wish that in any personal 
 communication with Sir Robert this question might 
 be avoided. 
 
 That it might be arranged that if Sir Robert would 
 not insist upon carrying out his principle. Her Majesty 
 might procure the resignation of any Ladies whom Sir 
 Robert might object to ; that I thought there might be 
 a disposition to yield to the removal of the Mistress 
 of the Robes, Lady Normanby, and the Duchess of 
 Bedford, as being connected with leading political 
 persons in Government. 
 
 Endeavoured to impress upon Sir Robert that if he 
 
 1 The Earl of Cottenham. 
 
 ^ See Parker's Sir Robert Peel, voL ii. p. 4SS et teq., where Peel's 
 memorandum of the interview is set out. 
 
342 SIR ROBERT PEEL [chap, x 
 
 acts fairly and kindly towards the Queen, he will be 
 met in the same spirit. 
 
 Sir Robert said he had considered the probable 
 object of my interview, and thought, from my former 
 position with Lord Melbourne, that Lord Melbourne 
 would be aware of my coming. He must be assured 
 of this before he could speak confidentially to me. 
 
 Upon this I admitted that Lord Melbourne had 
 knowledge of my intention, but that I was not 
 authorised to say that he had. 
 
 Sir Robert said, " I shall put aside all form, and 
 treat you frankly and confidentially. You may depend 
 upon every word you say being held as sacred. No 
 part, without further permission, shall be mentioned 
 even to the Duke, much less to any of my other 
 colleagues. 
 
 " / would waive every pretension to office, I declare 
 to God! sooner than that my acceptance of it should be 
 attended with any personal humiliation to the Queen." 
 
 He thought that giving in the names of those 
 Ladies whom he considered obnoxious was an offensive 
 course towards the Queen. 
 
 For the sake of office, which he did not covet, he 
 could not concede any constitutional principle, but it 
 was not necessary that that principle should be mooted. 
 
 " It would be repulsive to my feelings that Her 
 Majesty should part with any of her Ladies, as the 
 result of a forced stipulation on my part ; in a party 
 sense it would doubtless be advantageous to me to say 
 that I had demanded from the Queen, and the Queen 
 had conceded to me the appointments of these three 
 ladies." 
 
 The mode he would like, and which he considered as 
 least objectionable for Her Majesty, was for Her Majesty 
 to say to him, "There is no occasion to revive this 
 constitutional question as those ladies immediately 
 connected with prominent members of the Admini- 
 stration have sent in their resignation." 
 
 The vacancies existing before Sir Robert Peel sees 
 Her Majesty, there is no necessity for discussion. 
 
1841] MR ANSON'S INTERVENTION 343 
 
 On the one hand, by this means, there was less 
 appearance of insult to the Queen, and on the other, 
 there was no appearance of concession of principle 
 upon his. 
 
 Sir Robert was ready to make any personal sacrifice 
 for Her Majesty's comfort, except that of his honour. 
 " Can the Queen for an instant suppose that I would 
 permit my party to urge me on to insist upon anything 
 incompatible with Her Majesty's dignity, which it 
 would be my great aim and honour to defend ? " 
 
 [This was his indignant reply to my remark upon 
 the rumours that his party would press him to coerce 
 and subdue Her Majesty.] 
 
 Sir Robert thinks it better for the Queen to avoid 
 anything in the shape of a stipulation. He would like 
 what he would have done upon a former occasion (and 
 upon which, on the honour of a gentleman, his views 
 had undergone no change) to be taken as a test of 
 what he would be ready to concede to. 
 
 Nothing but misconception, he said, could in his 
 opinion have led to failure before. "Had the Queen told 
 me " (after the question was mooted, which it never need 
 have been) " that those three Ladies immediately connected 
 with the Government had tendered their resignation, I 
 should have been perfectly satisfied, .and should have 
 consulted the Queen's feelings in replacing them." 
 
 Sir Robert said this conversation shall remain sacred, 
 and to all efFect, as if it had never happened, until he 
 saw me again to-morrow morning. 
 
 There is nothing said, he added, which in any way 
 pledges or compromises the Queen, Prince or Lord 
 Melbourne. 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 Interview with Sir Robert Peel (No. 2). 
 
 loth May 1841. 
 
 Peel said : " It is essential to my position with the 
 Queen that her Majesty should understand that I 
 have the feelings of a gentleman, and where my duty 
 
344 HOUSEHOLD APPOINTMENTS [chap, x 
 
 does not interfere, I cannot act against her wishes. 
 Her Majesty doubtless knows how pressed I am as the 
 head of a powerful party, but the impression I wish 
 to create in Her Majesty's mind is, that I am bound 
 to defend her against their encroachments." 
 
 In regard to Household appointments the holders 
 of which are not in Parliament, he had not considered 
 the question, but in the meantime he would in no way 
 commit himself to anyone, or to any understanding 
 upon the subject, without previous communication. 
 He had no personal objects to serve, and the Queen's 
 wishes would always be consulted. 
 
 He again repeated, that if the Queen's personal 
 feelings would suffer less by forming an Administration 
 to his exclusion, he should not be offended. Private 
 life satisfied him, and he had no ambition beyond it. 
 
 Lord Melbourne might rest assured that he fully 
 appreciated his aim, that his only object was to do 
 that which was most for Her Majesty's advantage, and 
 no human being should know that he was privy to this 
 overture. Lord Melbourne might depend upon his 
 honour. If Lord Melbourne was pressed to a dissolu- 
 tion he should still feel the same impression of Lord 
 Melbourne's conduct, that it was honourable and 
 straightforward. 
 
 He wished the Prince to send him a list of those 
 Ladies whom it would be agreeable to Her Majesty to 
 have in her Household. Sir Robert must propose it 
 to the Ladies, but will be entirely guided by Her 
 Majesty's wishes. There should be no appearance 
 that Her Majesty has any understanding, as he was 
 bound to his party to make it appear that the appoint- 
 ments emanated from himself.' 
 
 Memorandum by the Queen. 
 
 Wth May 1841. 
 
 The Queen considers it her right (and is aware that 
 her predecessors were peculiarly tenacious of this right) 
 
 • There was a further interview on the following day at which various 
 detailed points were arranged. 
 
1841] MEMORANDUM BY THE QUEEN 345 
 
 to appoint her Household. She, however, gives up the 
 great officers of State and those of her Lords-in- 
 Waiting, Equerries, and Grooms-in- Waiting, who are 
 in Parliament, to the appointment of the Prime 
 Minister, subject to her approval. 
 
 The Queen has always appointed her Ladies of the 
 Bedchamber herself, but has generally mentioned their 
 names to the Prime Minister before appointing them, 
 in order to leave him room for objection in case he 
 should deem their appointment injurious to his Govern- 
 ment, when the Queen would probably not appoint 
 the Lady. 
 
 The Maids of Honour and Women of the Bed- 
 chamber are of course not included amongst those who 
 are mentioned to the Prime Minister before their 
 appointment, but are at once appointed by the Queen, 
 
 Extract from the Queen's Journal. 
 
 Wednesday, ISth May 1841, 
 
 "At seven minutes to five Lord Melbourne came 
 to me and stayed till half-past five. He gave me the 
 copies of Anson's conversations with Peel, Lord 
 Melbourne then gave me a letter from the Chancellor 
 to read, strongly advocating a dissolution, and wishing 
 that there should be a division also on Lord John 
 Russell's amendment.^ 
 
 " Lord Melbourne left the letter with me. The first 
 part of the letter, relative to Lord John's amendment, 
 we think good, but the other part we can't quite agree 
 in, ' There is to be a Cabinet to-morrow to consider 
 what is to be done,' said Lord Melbourne, ' for the 
 Chancellor's opinion must be considered. There is a 
 preferment amongst our people for dissolution,' Lord M. 
 added. The feeling in the country good, I asked Lord 
 M,, ' Must they resign directly, the next day, after the 
 division (if they intended resigning) ? ' ' Why,' he said, 
 ' it was awkward not to do so if Parliament was sitting ; 
 if the division were only to take place on Friday, then 
 
 1 To Lord Sandon's resolution on the Sugar duties. 
 
346 PRESSURE OF BUSINESS [chap, x 
 
 they needn't announce it till Monday,' which we hope 
 will be the case, as we agreed it wouldn't do for me to 
 have a ball the day Lord M. had resigned, and before 
 I had sent for anybody else, and therefore I hoped 
 that it could be managed that the division did not 
 take place till Friday. Lord M. said that in case they 
 resigned, he wished Vernon Smith ^ to be made a Privy 
 Councillor ; the only addition to the Peers he mentioned 
 the other day he wished to make is Surrey ; ^ we agreed 
 that too many Peers was always a bad thing." 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 nth May 1841. 
 
 ... I am sure you will forgive my writing a very 
 short letter to-day, but I am so harassed and occupied 
 with business that I cannot find time to write letters. 
 You will, I am sure, feel for me ; the probability of 
 parting from so kind and excellent a being as Lord 
 Melbourne as a Minister (for a fiend he will always 
 remain) is very, very painful, even if one feels it will not 
 probably be for long ; to take it philosophically is my 
 great wish, and quietly 1 certainly shall, but one cannot 
 help feelings of affection and gratitude. Albert is the 
 greatest possible comfort to me in every way, and my 
 position is much more independent than it was before. 
 
 I am glad you see the French feeling in the right 
 light. I rejoice that the christening, etc., went off so well. 
 Believe me ever, your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Extract from the Queen's Journal. 
 
 Thursday, 13th May 1841. 
 
 " Saw Lord Melbourne at a little past four. 
 
 "... ' We have had a Cabinet,' Lord Melbourne 
 said, * and we have been considering the question 
 of dissolution, and what is the best course to be 
 pursued ; if we were to dissolve, Johji Russell,' he said, 
 
 1 Robert Vernon Smith (1800-1873), Under-Secretary for War and the 
 Colonies, afterwards Lord Lyveden. 
 
 2 The Earl of Surrey (IT91-18S6) was now M.P. for West Sussex, and 
 Treasurer of the Household, and was afterwards thirteenth Duke of Norfolk. 
 
1841] INTERVIEW WITH LORD MELBOURNE S47 
 
 ' would pursue quite a different course ; he would 
 then announce the Sugar duties at once. I (Lord 
 Melbourne) said, that I had been considering well 
 the whole question, and the Chancellor's letter, but 
 that altogether I did not think it advisable to have 
 recourse to a dissolution — and I think the greater 
 part lean towards that opinion ; but there are a few 
 who are very much for a dissolution ; — the Chancellor 
 and Hobhouse very much so, and Palmerston. They 
 have, however, not quite finally decided the matter, 
 I understand the debate will certainly go over 
 to-night,' he said, 'and that they would have time 
 on Saturday and Sunday to consider about Lord 
 John's amendment.'" 
 
 Extract from the Queen's Journal. 
 
 Saturday, \Sth May 1841. 
 
 "Lord Melbourne came to me at twenty minutes 
 past one, and we talked about this question of disso- 
 lution. ' We shall have a long debate upon it 
 this morning at the Cabinet,' Lord Melbourne said. 
 ' The worst thing is, that if we carry the Sugar 
 duties, we must dissolve. If we were to dissolve,' 
 he continued, 'and were to have the parties equal 
 as they are now, it would be very bad ; if we were 
 to have a majority, it would be a great thing; 
 but if we were to have a minority it would be 
 still worse. . . . We know that Charles I. and 
 Charles II., and even Cromwell, appealed to the 
 country, and had a Parliament returned into their 
 very teeth' (so strong an Opposition) 'and that 
 produced deposition, and convulsion, and bloodshed 
 and death; but since then the Crown has always had 
 a majority returned in favour of it. Even Queen 
 Anne,' he continued, 'who removed Marlborough in 
 the midst of his most glorious victories and dissolved 
 Pariiament, had an immense majority, though her 
 measures were miserable; William IV.,' he said, 'even 
 though he had a majority against him which 
 
348 KING LEOPOLD'S SYMPATHY [chap, x 
 
 prevented him from keeping his Ministers, had a 
 much stronger feeling for him in that Parhament, 
 than he ever had before. But I am afraid,' he 
 added, 'that for the first time the Crown would 
 have an Opposition returned smack against it ; and 
 that would be an affront to which I am very 
 unwilling to expose the Crown.' This is very true." 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 TuiLEBiES, Uth May 1841. 
 
 My deakest Victoria, — I am deeply grateful 
 for your kind letter, which reached me this morning. 
 Letters from hence ought not to be longer on their 
 way than, at the longest, forty hours, forty-eight is 
 the maximum. I fear that they are delayed at the 
 Foreign Office ; here it cannot be, as for instance 
 these lines go this evening. 
 
 I can easily understand that the present crisis 
 must have something very painful for you, and you 
 will do well for your health and comfort to try to 
 take it as philosophically as possible ; it is a part of 
 the Constitutional system which is for the Sovereign 
 very hard to get over. 
 
 Nous Savons tous des paroles sur cet air, as the 
 French say. I was convinced that Lord Melbourne's 
 right and good feeling would make him pause before 
 he proposed to you a dissolution. A general election 
 in England, when great passions must be roused or 
 created to render it efficacious for one party or 
 another, is a dangerous experiment, always calculated 
 to shake the foundations on which have hitherto 
 reposed the great elements of the political power of 
 the country. Albert will be a great comfort to you, 
 and to hear it from yourself has given me the 
 sincerest delight. His judgment is good, and he is 
 mild and safe in his opinions ; they deserve your 
 serious attention ; young as he is, I have really 
 often been quite surprised how quick and correct his 
 judgment is. . . . 
 
1841] DISSENSION 349 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wilton Crescent, \6th May 1841, 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to state that the 
 general effect of last week's debate ^ has been greatly in 
 favour of the measures of your Majesty's Ministers. 
 
 The speeches of ]\Ir Labouchere, Sir George 
 Grey, and Lord Howick, with the powerful argument 
 of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Friday night, 
 have not been met by any corresponding ability on 
 the other side. 
 
 In fact the Opposition seem to have concealed 
 their own views of policy, and to have imagined that 
 the Anti-Slavery feeling would carry them through 
 successfully. But this expectation has been entirely 
 disappointed ; debate has unmasked the hollow 
 pretence of humanity, and the meetings at Exeter 
 Hall and in the country have completely counter- 
 acted the impressions which Dr Lushington's speech^ 
 had produced. 
 
 Lancashire, Cheshire, and the West Riding of 
 Yorkshire have been roused to strong excitement by 
 the prospect of a reduction of the duty on corn. 
 Several of the large towns have expressed their 
 opinions without distinction of party. 
 
 These symptoms are said to have created some 
 dissensions among the opponents of your Majesty's 
 present Government. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel, Lord Stanley, and nearly all the 
 eminent leaders of the party, profess their adherence 
 to the principles of Mr Huskisson.^ On the other 
 hand, the Duke of Buckingham,* with many Lords 
 and Commoners, is opposed to any relaxation of the 
 present Corn Laws. This difference must ultimately 
 
 * On Lord Sandon's resolution. 
 
 " Against the Budget, on the ground that it tended to encourage slavery. 
 « Which were opposed to Protection and the Navigation laws. 
 
 * Richard Plantagenet (1797-1861), second Duke of the 1822 creation, M. P. 
 for Bucks 1818-1839, and author of the " Chandos clause," became Lord Privy 
 Seal this year, but resigned shortly after. He dissipated his property, and 
 had to sell the contents of Stowe. 
 
350 THE CORN LAWS [chap, x 
 
 produce serious consequences, and it is possible they 
 may break out before the present debate is ended. 
 
 One consequence of the propositions of the 
 Ministry is the weakening of the power of the 
 Chartists, who have relied on the misrepresentation 
 that neither Whigs nor Tories would ever do any- 
 thing for the improvement of the condition of the 
 working classes. 
 
 All these circumstances have a bearing on the 
 question of a dissolution of Parliament, and are to 
 be weighed against the risks and inconveniences of 
 so bold a measure. 
 
 Extract from the Queen's Journal. 
 
 Monday, nth May 1841. 
 
 " Lord Melbourne came to me at twenty minutes 
 to three. There were no new news. He gave me a 
 letter from the Duke of Roxburgh,* saying he could 
 not support Government on the Corn Laws, and 
 writing an unnecessarily cold letter. Lord Melbourne 
 fears this would lose Roxburgh in case of an election. 
 A great many of the friends of the Government, 
 however, are against any alteration in the Corn Laws. 
 Talked of the excellent accounts from the country, 
 with which the papers are full, and I said I couldn't 
 help thinking the Government would gain by a 
 dissolution, and the feeling in the country so strong, 
 and daily increasing. They would lose the counties. 
 Lord Melbourne thinks, and the question is whether 
 their successes in the manufacturing towns would be 
 sufficient to counterbalance that. The debate may 
 last longer. Lord Melbourne says, as J. Russell 
 says he wiU continue it as long as their friends wish 
 it. Many of their friends would be very angry if we 
 did not dissolve, Lord Melbourne says. ' I say 
 always,' said Lord Melbourne, 'that your Majesty 
 will be in such a much worse position' (if a majority 
 should be returned against us), ' but they say not, 
 
 1 James, sixth Duke. The Duchess was afterwards a Lady of the Bed- 
 chamber. 
 
1841] THE QUEEN'S JOURNAL 351 
 
 for that the others would dissolve.' I said that if 
 that was so we miist dissolve, for then that it would 
 come to just the same thing, and that that changed 
 my opinion very much. ' You would like us then 
 to make the attempt?' Lord Melbourne asked. I 
 said 'Almost.' I asked if he really thought they 
 would dissolve. 'I've great reason to believe they 
 would,' he replied. ' Hardinge ^ told Vivian * " we shall 
 prevent your dissolving, but we shall dissolve." ' . . . 
 I asked did Lord Melbourne think they (the Con- 
 servatives) would remain in long, and Melbourne 
 said : ' One can't tell beforehand what may happen, 
 but you would find their divisions and dissensions 
 amongst themselves sufficient to prevent their staying 
 in long.' . . . 
 
 " Saw Lord John Russell, who didn't feel certain 
 if the debate would end to-night. Talked of the very 
 good feeling in the country. He said he understood 
 Sir Edward Knatchbull* was exceedingly displeased 
 at what Peel had said concerning Free Trade, and 
 said in that case Peel would be as bad as the 
 present Government. He thinks the Tories, if in 
 power, might try and collect the Sugar duties without 
 Law, which would do them a great deal of harm and 
 be exceedingly unpopular. He does not think the 
 Tories intend certainly to dissolve. He thinks they 
 would not dissolve now, and that they would hereafter 
 get so entangled by their own dissensions as to render 
 it unfavourable to them." 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Kth May 1841. 
 
 ... I was sure you would feel for me. Since 
 last Monday, the 10th, we have lived in the daily 
 expectation of a final event taking place, and the 
 debate still continues, and it is not certain whether 
 it will even finish to-night, this being the eighth night, 
 
 1 Sir Heniy Hardinge (1785-1856) had been Secretary at War, and Chief 
 Secretary for Ireland under former Tory Governments. 
 
 2 Master-General of the Ordnance. 
 
 ' M.P. for East Kent. He became Paymaster-General in Peel s Cabinet 
 
352 THE PRINCE'S SUPPORT [chap, x 
 
 it having begun on Friday the 7th, two Saturdays 
 and two Sundays having intervened ! Our plans are 
 so unsettled that I can tell you nothing, only that 
 you may depend upon it nothing will be done without 
 having been duly, properly, and maturely weighed. 
 Lord Melbourne's conduct is as usual perfect ; fair, 
 calm, and totally disinterested, and I am certain that 
 in whatever position he is, you will treat him Just as 
 you have always done. 
 
 My dearest Angel is indeed a great comfort to 
 me. He takes the greatest interest in what goes on, 
 feeling with and for me, and yet abstaining as he 
 ought from biassing me either way, though we talk 
 much on the subject, and his judgment is, as you say, 
 good and mild. . . . 
 
 P.S. — Pray let me hear soon when you come. 
 You, I know, like me to tell you what I hear, and 
 for me to be frank with you. I therefore tell you 
 that it is believed by some people here, and even 
 by some in the Government, that you wish my 
 Government to be out. Now, I never for an instant 
 can beheve such an assertion, as I know your liberal 
 feelings, and your interest in my welfare and in that 
 of the country too well to think you could wish for 
 such a thing, and I immediately said I was sure this 
 was not so ; but I think you would do well to say 
 to Seymour something which might imply interest in 
 my present Government. 
 
 I know you wiU understand my anxiety on your 
 account, lest such a mischievous report should be 
 believed. It comes, you see, from the idea that your 
 feelings are very French. 
 
 Extract from the Queen's Journal. 
 
 Tuesday, \%th May 1841. 
 
 " Saw Lord Melbourne.* He said Lord John RusseU 
 had been to see him, and, ' He now wishes us not to 
 resign, but to give notice immediately of a Motion 
 
 1 After eight days' discussions of Lord Sandon's Motion, the Ministers were 
 defeated by 317 to 281. 
 
18411 FURTHER INTERVIEWS 353 
 
 on the Corn Laws. This, he thinks, will make the 
 others propose a vote of confidence, or make them 
 oppose the Sugar duties, which, he thinks, will be 
 better for us to resign upon, and when it would be 
 clear to our people that we couldn't dissoh'e. Every- 
 body says it would be a very bad thing for us to 
 resign now, upon such a question as this, and we 
 must consider the party a little.' I said, of course, this 
 would be agreeable to me as it gave us another chance. 
 I said it would be awkward if they resigned Thursday, 
 on account of the Birthday. Lord Melbourne said 
 I could wait a day and only send for Peel on 
 Saturday, that that wouldn't signify to Peel, as he 
 could come down to Claremont. ... I asked, in case 
 they meant to bring on this Corn Law question, when 
 would they do so. ' Perhaps about the 30th,' Lord 
 Melbourne said. It would be a more dangerous 
 question, but it would make them (the Tories) show 
 their colours, which is a great advantage. He said 
 they prevented Sir Edward KnatchbuU from speaking 
 last night." 
 
 Wednesday, 19th May. 
 
 " At twenty minutes to one came Lord Melbourne. 
 ... I returned him Lord John Russell's letter, and 
 talked of it, and of John Russell's saying the division 
 and Peel's speech made it absolutely necessary to 
 decide to-day whether to resign or dissolve. I asked 
 what Peel had said in his speech about the Corn 
 Laws. ' I'll tell you. Ma'am, what he said,' Lord 
 Melbourne replied, 'that he was for a sliding duty 
 and not for a fixed duty; but he did not pledge 
 himself as to what rate of duty it should be. I 
 must say,' Lord Melbourne continued, 'I am still 
 against dissolution. I don't think our chances of 
 success are sufficient' I replied that I couldn't quite 
 beheve that, but that I might be wrong. Lord John 
 is for dissolving. ' You wish it ? ' I said I always 
 did. Talked of the feeling in the city and in the 
 country being so good. Lord Melbourne don't think 
 so much of the feeling in the country. Talked of 
 
 Vol. I.— 23 
 
354 RESIGNATION POSTPONED [chap. ^ 
 
 the majority of thirty-six having not been more than 
 they expected. . . . Lord Melbourne said people 
 thought the debate was lengthened to please me. I 
 said not at all, but that it was more convenient for me. 
 Anyhow I need do nothing till Saturday. The House 
 of Commons was adjourned to the next day, and the 
 House of Lords to Monday. ' Mr Baring says,' he said, 
 * if there was only a majority one way or another, it 
 would be better than this state of complete equality.' 
 
 "At twenty minutes past four Lord Melbourne 
 returned. ' Well, Ma'am,' he said, ' we've considered 
 this question, and both the sides of it well, and 
 at last we voted upon it ; and there were — the 
 Lord Chancellor or dissolution. Lord Minto^ for it. 
 Lord Normanby against it, but greatly modified ; Lord 
 John for. Lord Palmerston for. Lord Clarendon for. 
 Lord Morpeth for. Lord Lansdowne for, Labouchere 
 for, Hobhouse for, Duncannon^ for, Baring for, 
 Macaulay for ; and under those circumstances of 
 course 1 felt I could not but go with them.'^ Lord 
 Melbourne was much affected in saying all this. 'So 
 we shall go on, bring on the Sugar duties, and then, 
 if things are in a pretty good state, dissolve. I hope 
 you approve ? ' I said I did highly . . . and that I 
 felt so happy to keep him longer. ' You are aware 
 we may have a majority against us ? ' he said ; he 
 means in our election. The Sugar duties would 
 probably take a fortnight or three weeks to pass, 
 and they would dissolve in June and meet again in 
 October. He thought they must." 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 2Ut May 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thinks that what your Majesty 
 proposes to say will do very well, but it is thought 
 best to say " Church as Reformed " at the Reformation. 
 
 1 Lord Minto was First Lord of the Admiralty. 
 ^ Then First Commissioner of Land Revenue. 
 
 ' See Sir John Hobhouse's account of this Cabinet meeting, Edinburgh 
 Beview, vol. 133, p. 336. ' 
 
1841] THE QUEEN AND THE CHURCH 355 
 
 If your Majesty could say this, it would be well : 
 
 "I am very grateful for your congratulations on 
 the return of this day. I am happy to take this 
 opportunity of again expressing to you my fii'm 
 determination to maintain the Church of England 
 as settled at the Reformation, and my firm belief in 
 her Articles and Creeds, as hitherto understood and 
 interpreted by her soundest divines." 
 
 Nothing could go off better than the dinner. 
 Everybody was much pleased with the Prince. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is not conscious of having slept.^ 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Bkussels, '20th May 1841. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I receive this very 
 moment your dear letter of the 18th, and without loss 
 of time I begin my answer here, though the messenger 
 can only go to-morrow. I cannot sufficiently express 
 to you my gratitude for the frankness with which you 
 have written to me — and let me entreat you, whenever 
 you have anything sur le cceur, to do the same. I 
 shall begin with your postscript concerning the idea 
 that I wished your present Ministers to retire, because 
 they had become disagreeable to France. The people 
 who avancent quelque chose de la sorte probably have 
 some iU-natured motive which it is not always easy 
 to guess ; perhaps in the present instance does it mean, 
 let us say that ; whatever opinion he may then express 
 we can easily counteract it, representing it as the result 
 of strong partiality to France. Let us therefore 
 examine what France has to gain in a change of 
 Administration. Certainly your present Ministers are 
 not much loved now in France, not so much in conse- 
 quence of the political events of last year themselves, 
 than for the manner in which they came to pass. 
 Nevertheless, when I was at Paris, King and Council 
 
 1 It seems that someone had told the Queen that Lord Melbourne had 
 fallen asleep at dinner. 
 
356 THE CORN LAWS [chap, x 
 
 were decided to sign the treaty with the four other 
 Powers, which would put an end to the isolement, 
 though many people are stoutly for the isolement. 
 There end the relations which will exist for some time 
 between the two countries — they will be on decent 
 terms ; that is all 1 wish for the present, and it is 
 matter of moonshine who your Ministers are. No 
 doubt, formerly there existed such a predilection in 
 favour of Lord Grey's ^ Administration and those who 
 continued it, that the coming in of the Tories would 
 have been considered as a great public calamity ; but 
 even now, though this affection is gone, the Tories 
 wiU also be looked on with some suspicion. Lord 
 Melbourne's Administration has had the great merit 
 of being liberal, and at the same time prudent, con- 
 servative in the good sense of the word, preserving 
 what was good. Monarchy, by an adherence to this 
 system, was very safe, aiid the popular liberal cry 
 needless. 
 
 {Continued at) Laeken, 21st May. 
 
 I regret that the corn question was brought forward 
 somewhat abruptly ;^ it is a dangerous one, as it roused 
 the most numerous and poorest classes of society, and 
 may easily degenerate into bloodshed. The dissolution 
 under such circumstances would become still more a 
 source of agitation, as it generally always is in England. 
 Lord Melbourne, I am sure, will think so too. 
 
 I am delighted by what you say of Albert; it is 
 just the proper line for him to take, without biassing 
 you either way, to show you honestly the consequences 
 which in his opinion the one or the other may have. 
 As he has really a very clear and logical judgment, 
 his opinion will be valuable for you. I feel very much 
 for you, and these Ministerial complications are of a 
 most painful and perplexing nature, though less in 
 England than on the Continent, as the thing is at 
 least better understood. To amuse you a little, and 
 
 1 1830-1834. 
 
 ' The Ministerial proposal of a fixed duty instead of a sliding scale. 
 
1841] KING LEOPOLD'S ADVICE 857 
 
 to prove to you how impartial 1 must be to be in this 
 way accused by both parties, I must tell you that it 
 is said in France that, conjointly with Lord Melbourne, 
 we artfully ruined the Thiers Administration,^ to the 
 great detriment of the honour and welfare of France. 
 But what is still stranger is, that the younger branches 
 of the family, seeing that my arrival at Paris was 
 delayed from time to time, became convinced that / 
 would not come at all, and that my intention was to 
 cut them completely, not to compromettre myself with 
 England I Truly people are strange, and the unneces- 
 sary suspicions and stories which they love to have, 
 and to tell, a great bore. . . . 
 
 Pray have the goodness of giving my kindest 
 regards to Lord Melbourne. I will love him very 
 tenderly in and out of office, as I am really attached 
 to him. Now last, though first, I offer my sincerest 
 wishes on the happy return of your birthday ; may 
 every blessing be always bestowed on your beloved 
 head. You possess muck, let your warm and honest 
 heart appreciate that. Let me also express the hope 
 that you always will maintain your dear character true 
 and good as it is, and let us also humbly express the 
 hope that our warmth of feeling, a valuable gift, will 
 not be permitted to grow occasionally a little violent, 
 and particularly not against your uncle. You may 
 pull Albertus by the ear, when so inclined, but be 
 never irritated against your uncle. But I have not to 
 complain when other people do not instigate such 
 things ; you have always been kind and affectionate, 
 and when you look at my deeds for you, and on 
 behalf of you, these twenty-two years, 1 think you 
 wiU not have many hardships to recollect. I am 
 happy to hear of my god-daughter's teeth, and that 
 she is so well. May God keep the whole dear little 
 family well and happy for ever. My dearest Victoria, 
 your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 1 The Thiers Government had resigned in the preceding October owing to 
 the King objecting to the warlike speech which they wished him to pronounce 
 to the Chambers. The Soult-Guizot Cabinet was accordingly formed. 
 
THE QUEEN'S IMPARTIALITY [chap, x 
 
 Memorandum of Mr Anson's last secret interview with 
 Sir E. Peel. {No. 4.) 
 
 Sunday, 23rd May 184.1. 
 
 Called upon Sir Robert Peel this morning. I said 
 I could not feel satisfied without seeing him after the 
 very unexpected course which political affairs had 
 taken. I wished to know that he felt assured, though 
 1 trusted there could be no doubt upon his mind, 
 that there had been perfect honesty of purpose on 
 my part towards him, and more especially upon the 
 part of those with whose knowledge I had been 
 acting. I assured Sir Robert that H.M. had acted 
 in the most perfect fairness towards him, and I was 
 most anxious that there should be no erroneous 
 impression upon his mind as to the conduct of either 
 H.M. or The Prince. 
 
 I said (quoting the Prince's expression), "that the 
 Queen has a natural modesty upon her constitu- 
 tional views, and when she receives an advice from 
 men like the Lord Chancellor, Lord John Russell, 
 Mr Baring, Mr Labouchere, and Lord Clarendon, and 
 knows that they have been weighing the question 
 through so many days, she concludes that her judg- 
 ment cannot be better than theirs, and that she would 
 do wrong to reject their advice." 
 
 The Prince, I said, however strongly impressed 
 for or against a question, thinks it wrong and impolitic, 
 considering his age and inexperience and his novelty 
 to the country, to press upon the Queen views of his 
 own in opposition to those of experienced statesmen. 
 Sir Robert said he could relieve my mind entirely ; 
 that he was convinced that all that had taken place 
 had becH with the most perfect honesty ; that he had 
 no feeling whatever of annoyance, or of having been 
 ill-used ; that, on the contrary, he had the feeling, and 
 should always retain it, of the deepest gratitude to 
 the Queen for the condescension which Her Majesty 
 had been pleased to show him, and that it had only 
 
1841] DIFFICULTIES REMOVED 359 
 
 increased his devotion to Her Majesty's person. He 
 said that much of the reserve which he had shown in 
 treating with me was not on his own account, but 
 that he felt from his own experience that events were 
 by no means certain, and he most cautiously abstained 
 from permitting Her Majesty in any way to commit 
 herself, or to bind herself by any engagement which 
 unforeseen circumstances might render inconvenient. 
 Sir Robert said it was very natural to try and 
 remove obstacles which had before created so much 
 confusion, and he was convinced that they would 
 have been practically removed by what had passed. 
 He said that neither Lord Stanley nor Sir James 
 Graham knew a word of what had passed. That 
 Mr GrevUle had asked his friend Mr Arbuthnot 
 whether some understanding had not been entered 
 into between Lord Melbourne and him. That 
 Mr Arbuthnot had replied that he was certain that 
 nothing of the sort could have passed,^ as, if it 
 had. Sir Robert Peel would have informed him 
 (Mr Arbuthnot) of the fact. Again, Lady de Grey, 
 the night of the ball at the Palace, came up to him 
 and said the Duke of Bedford had been speaking to 
 her about the resignation of the Duchess of Bedford, 
 and asking her whether she thought it necessary. She 
 volunteered to find out from Sir Robert whether 
 he thought it requisite. She asked the question, 
 which Sir Robert tried to evade, but not being able, 
 he said it struck him that if it was a question of doubt 
 the best means of solving it, was for the Duke of 
 Bedford to ask Lord Melbourne for his opinion. 
 
 I added that if the dissolution was a failure, 
 which it was generally apprehended would be the 
 case, I felt convinced that Sir Robert would be dealt 
 with in the most perfect fairness by Her Majesty. 
 
 1 "After I had been told by the Duke of Bedford that Peel was going to 
 insist on certain terms, which was repeated to me by Clarendon, 1 went to 
 Arbuthnot, told him Melbourne's impression, and asked him what it all meant. 
 He said it was all false, that he was certain Peel had no such intentions, 
 but on the contrary, as he had before assured me, was disposed to do every- 
 thing that would be conciliatory and agreeable to the Queen. "— OrmZZe s 
 Journal, 19th May 1841. 
 
S60 VOTE OF WANT OF CONFIDENCE [chap, x 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Stueet, 24<A May 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has to acquaint your Majesty that in 
 the House of Commons this evening Sir Robert Peel 
 gave notice that on Thursday next he would move 
 a resolution to the following effect : " That Her 
 Majesty's Ministers not possessing power sufficient to 
 carry into effect the measures which they considered 
 necessaiy, their retention of office was unconsti- 
 tutional and contrary to usage." ^ These are not the 
 exact words, but they convey the substance. This 
 is a direct vote of want of confidence, and Lord 
 Melbourne would be inclined to doubt whether it will be 
 carried, and if it is, it certainly will not be by so large a 
 majority as the former vote. When the Chancellor of 
 the Exchequer moved the resolution upon the Sugar 
 duties, Sir Robert Peel seconded the motion, thereby 
 intending to intimate that he did not mean to interfere 
 with the Supplies. This course was determined upon 
 at a meeting held at Sii' R. Peel's this morning. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wilton Chescent, Wth May 1841. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to state that Sir 
 Robert Peel yesterday brought forward his motion 
 in a remarkably calm and temperate speech. 
 
 Sir John Hobhouse and Mr Macaulay completely 
 exposed the fallacy of his resolution, and success- 
 fully vindicated the Government. Lord Worsley^ 
 declared he would oppose the resolution, which 
 declaration excited great anger, and produced much 
 disappointment in the Tory party. 
 
 1 The closing words of the resolution were as follows : " . . . That Her 
 Majesty's Ministers do not sufficiently possess the confidence of the House of 
 Commons to enable them to carry through the House measures which they 
 deem of essential importance to the public welfare, and that their continu- 
 ance in office under such circumstances is at variance with the spirit of the 
 Constitution." 
 
 2 M.P. for Lincolnshire, who had voted for Lord Sandon's motion. 
 
18"] THE COUNTRY QUIET 361 
 
 If the debate is carried on till next week, it is pro- 
 bable the Ministers may have a majority of one or two. 
 
 The accounts from the country are encouraging. 
 
 It does not appear that Sir Robert Peel, even 
 if he carries this motion, intends to obstruct the 
 measures necessary for a dissolution of Parliament. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 31«« May 1841. 
 
 ... I beg you not to be alarmed about what 
 is to be done; it is not for a Party triumph that 
 ParUament [the longest that has sat for viany years) 
 is to be dissolved; it is the fairest and most consti- 
 tutional mode of proceeding; and you may trust 
 to the moderation and prudence of my whole 
 Government that nothing wUl be done without due 
 consideration; if the present Government get a 
 majority by the elections they will go on prosper- 
 ously; if not, the Tories wiU come in for a short 
 time. The country is quiet and the people very 
 well disposed. I am happy, dearest Uncle, to give 
 you these quieting news, which I assure you are 
 not partial. . . . 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laekejt, 31«< May 1841. 
 
 My deakest Victoria, — Your Mother * is safely 
 arrived, though she was received close to Ostende by 
 a formidable thunderstorm. I had given directions that 
 everywhere great civilities should be shown her. She 
 stood the fatigues better than I had expected, and is less 
 sleepy than in England. She seems to be pleased with 
 her sejour here, and inclined in fact to remain rather 
 than to go on ; but I am sure, when once in Germany 
 she will be both pleased and interested by it. It vdll 
 amuse you to hear from herself her own impressions. 
 
 I cannot help to add a few political lines. I regret 
 much I must confess that the idea of a dissolution 
 has gained ground, and I will try to show in a very 
 few words why I am against it. In politics, a great 
 
 1 The Duchess of Kent had left England for a tour on the Continent 
 
362 KING LEOPOLD'S VIEWS [chap, x 
 
 rule ought to be to rule with the things which one 
 knows already, and not to jump into something 
 entirely new of which no one can do more than guess 
 the consequences. The present Parliament has been 
 elected at a moment most favourable to the present 
 Administration after a most popular accession to the 
 throne, everything new and fresh, and with the natural 
 fondness of the great mass of people a change is always 
 popular ; it was known that you were kindly disposed 
 towards your Ministers, everything therefore was a 
 souhait for the election of a new ParUament. In this 
 respect Ministers have nothing like the favourable 
 circumstances which smiled upon them at the last 
 general election. Feeling this, they raise a cry, 
 which may become popular and embarrass their 
 antagonists about cheap bread ! I do not think this 
 is quite befitting their dignity ; such things do for 
 revolutionaries like Thiers, or my late Ministers. . . . 
 If the thing rouses the people it may do serious 
 mischief, if not, it will look awkward for the 
 Ministers themselves. If you do not grant a 
 dissolution to your present Ministers you would have, 
 at the coming in of a new Administration, the right 
 to tell them that they must go on with the present 
 Parliament ; and I have no doubt that they could do 
 so. The statistics of the present House of Commons 
 are well known to all the men who sit in it, and to 
 keep it a few years longer would be a real advantage. 
 You know that I have been rather maltreated by 
 the Tories, formerly to please George IV., and since 
 I left the country, because I served in their opinion 
 on the revolutionary side of the question. I must say, 
 however, that for your service as well as for the quiet 
 of the country, it would be good to give them a trial. 
 If they could not remain in office it will make them 
 quieter for some time. If by a dissolution the 
 Conservative interest in the House is too much 
 weakened, the permanent interests of the country 
 can but suffer from that. If, on the contrary, the 
 Conservatives come in stronger, your position will 
 not be very agreeable, and it may induce them to 
 
18"! FISCAL POLICY 363 
 
 be perhaps less moderate than they ought to be. I 
 should be very happy if you would discuss these, my 
 hasty views, with Lord Melbourne. I do not give 
 them for more than what they are, mere practical 
 considerations; but, as far as I can judge of the 
 question, if I was myself concerned I should have no 
 dissolution ; if even there was but the very banale 
 consideration qu'on salt ce qu'on a, mats qu'on ne salt 
 nullevient ce quon aura. The moment is not without 
 importance, a,nd well worthy your earnest consideration, 
 and I feel convinced that Lord Melbourne will agree 
 with me, that, notwithstanding the great political 
 good sense of the people in England, the machine is 
 so compUcated that it should be handled with great 
 care and tenderness. 
 
 To conclude, I must add that perhaps a permanent 
 duty on corn may be a desirable thing, but that it 
 ought to be sufficiently high to serve as a real 
 protection. It may besides produce this effect, that 
 as it will be necessary, at least at first, to buy a good 
 deal of the to be imported corn with money, the 
 currency will be seriously affected by it. The 
 countries which would have a chance of selling would 
 be chiefly Poland in all its parts, Prussia, Austria, 
 and Russia, the South of Russia on the Black Sea, 
 and maybe Sicily. Germany does not grow a 
 sufficient quantity of wheat to profit by such an 
 arrangement, it will besides not buy more from 
 England for the present than it does now, owing to 
 the Zollverein,^ which must first 'be altered. But I 
 will not bore you too long, and conclude with my 
 best love to little Victoria, of whom her Grandmama 
 speaks with raptures. Ever, my dearest Victoria, 
 your devoted Uncle, Leopold R, 
 
 1 After the fall of Napoleon, the hopes of many Germans for a united 
 national Germany were frustrated by the Congress of Vienna, which perpetu- 
 ated the practical independence of a number of German States, as well as the 
 predominance within the Germanic confederation of Austria, a Power largely 
 non-German. One of the chief factors in the subsequent unification of 
 Germany was the ZoUverein, or Customs' Union, by which North Germany 
 was gradually bound together by commercial interest, and thus bpposed to 
 Austria. The success of this method of imperial integration has not been 
 without influence on the policies of other lands. 
 
364 THE OPPOSITION ELATED [chap, x 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wilton Ceescent, 6th June 1841. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to state that the 
 House divided about three this morning. 
 
 For Sir Robert Peel 312 
 
 Against 311 
 
 Majority 1 
 
 The Opposition were greatly elated by this triumph. 
 Lord Stanley, and Sir Robert Peel who spoke last in 
 the debate, did not deny that the Crown might exercise 
 the prerogative of dissolution in the present case. But 
 they insisted that no time should be lost in previous 
 debates, especially on such a subject as the Corn Laws. 
 
 Lord John RusseU spoke after Lord Stanley, and 
 defended the whole policy of the Administration. 
 
 After the division he stated that he would on 
 Monday propose the remaining estimates, and 
 announce the course which he meant to pursue 
 respecting the Corn Laws. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 6th June 1841. 
 
 . . . Now, many thanks for two letters of the 
 31st ult. and 4th June. The former I shall not 
 answer at length, as Albert has done so, and I think 
 has given a very fair view of the state of affairs. 
 Let me only repeat to you again that you need not 
 be alarmed, and that I think you will be pleased 
 and beruhigt when you talk to our friend Lord 
 Melbourne on the subject. . . . 
 
 I fear you will again see nothing of the Season, 
 as Parliament will probably be dissolved by the 
 21st. . . . 
 
 As to my letters, dear Uncle, I beg to assure you 
 (for Lord Palmerston was most indignant at the doubt 
 
1841] MARRIAGE OF LORD JOHN RUSSELL 365 
 
 when I once asked) that none of our letters nor any 
 of those coming to us, are ever opened at the Foreign 
 Office. My letters to Brussels and Paris are quite 
 safe, and aU those to Germany, which are of any real 
 consequence, I always send through Rothschild, 
 which is perfectly safe and very quick. 
 
 We are, and so is everybody here, so charmed 
 with Mme. Rachel ; ^ she is perfect, et puis, such a 
 nice modest girl ; she is going to declaim at Windsor 
 Castle on Monday evening. 
 
 Now adieu in haste, believe me always, your very 
 devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Really Leopold must come or I shall never forgive 
 you. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Windsor Castle, ith June 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He is quite well, and has nothing particular 
 to relate to your Majesty, at least nothing that presses ; 
 except that he is commissioned by Lord John Russell 
 respectfully to acquaint your Majesty that his marriage 
 is settled, and will take place shortly. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Does Lord Melbourne really mean J. Russell's 
 marriage ? and to whom ? 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 The Lady Fanny EUot.'^ Lord Melbourne did 
 not name her before nor does not now, because he 
 did not remember her Christian name. 
 
 1 The young French actress, who made her d^buf in England on 4th May 
 as Hermione in Racine's Andromaque. She was received with great 
 enthusiasm. , „ m, t , 
 
 2 Daughter of Lord Minto. Lord Melbourne originally wrote The Lady 
 
 Eliot at the head of his letter (spelling the surname wrong, which 
 
 should be Elliot). The word Fanny is written in subsequently to the 
 completion of the letter. 
 
366 VISIT TO NUNEHAM [chap, s 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 NuNEHAM,^ \5th June 1841. 
 
 Affairs go on, and all will take some shape or other, 
 but it keeps one in hot water all the time. In the 
 meantime, however, the people are in the best possible 
 humour, and I never was better received at Ascot, 
 which is a great test, and also along the road yesterday. 
 This is a most lovely place ; pleasure grounds in the 
 style of Claremont, only much larger, and with the 
 river Thames winding along beneath them, and Oxford 
 in the distance ; a beautiful flower and kitchen garden, 
 and all kept up in perfect order. I followed Albert 
 here, faithful to my word, and he is gone to Oxford^ 
 for the whole day, to my great grief. And here I am 
 all alone in a strange house, with not even Lehzen as 
 a companion, in Albert's absence, but I thought she and 
 also Lord Gardner,' and some gentlemen should remain 
 with little Victoria for the first time. But it is rather 
 a trial for me. 
 
 I must take leave, and beg you to believe me always, 
 your most devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, X&th June 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has just received your Majesty's letter, and 
 will wait upon your Majesty at half-past five. Lord 
 Melbourne is sorry to hear that your Majesty has been 
 at all indisposed. It will suit him much better to wait 
 upon your Majesty at dinner to-morrow than to-day, 
 as his hand shows some disposition to gather, and it may 
 be well to take care of it. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad to leam that everything 
 
 1 The house of Edward Vernon Harcourt, Archbishop of York. 
 
 2 To receive an address at Commemoration. 
 
 2 Alan Legge, third and last Lord Gardner (1810-1883) was one of the 
 Queen's first Lords-in-Waiting. 
 
1841] ARCHBISHOP HARCOURT 367 
 
 went off well at Oxford. Lord Melbourne expected that 
 the Duke of Sutherland ' would not entirely escape a little 
 public animadversion. Nothing can be more violent or 
 outrageous than the conduct of the students of both 
 Universities upon such occasions ; the worst and lowest 
 mobs of Westminster and London are very superior to 
 them in decency and forbearance. 
 
 The Archbishop ^ is a very agreeable man ; but he is 
 not without cunning, and Lord Melbourne can easily 
 understand his eagerness that the Queen should not 
 prorogue Parliament in person. He knows that it will 
 greatly assist the Tories. It is not true that it is 
 universal for the Sovereign to go down upon such occa- 
 sions. George III. went himself in 1784 ; he did not go 
 in 1807, because he had been prevented from doing so 
 by his infirmities for three years before. WiUiam IV. 
 went down himself in 1830.* 
 
 Lord Melbourne sends a note which he has received 
 from Lord Normanby upon this and another subject. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, \Tth June 1941. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — A few lines I must write 
 to you to express to you my very great delight at 
 the certainty, God willing, of seeing jrou all three next 
 week, and to express a hope, and a great hope, that you 
 will try and arrive a little earlier on Wednesday. . . . 
 I must again repeat I am so sorry you should come 
 when Society is dispersed and at sixes and sevens, and 
 in such a state that naturally I cannot at the moment 
 of the elections invite many Tories, as that tells so 
 at the elections. But we shall try and do our best to 
 make it as little dull as we can, and you will kindly 
 take the will for the deed. 
 
 We came back from Nuneham yesterday after- 
 noon. Albert came back at half-past five on Tuesday 
 
 1 Who was, of course, associated with the Whig Ministry. 
 " Archbishop Vernon Harcourt, of York, the Queen's host. 
 » The Queen prorogued Parliament in person on 22nd June. 
 
368 THE PRINCE VISITS OXFORD [chap, x 
 
 from Oxford, where he had been enthusiastically 
 received, but the students . . . had the bad taste to 
 show their party feeling in groans and hisses when the 
 name of a Whig was mentioned, which they ought 
 not to have done in my husband's presence. 
 
 I must now conclude, begging you ever to believe 
 me, your devoted Niece, Victokia R. 
 
 My CoiiFeur will be quite at Louise's disposal, and 
 he can coiffer in any way she likes, if her dresser teUs 
 him how she wishes it. 
 
 Lord Brougham to Queen Victoria} 
 
 Grafton Stheet, ISth June 1841. 
 
 Most gracious Sovereign, — I crave leave humbly 
 to approach your Majesty and to state in writing what 
 I should have submitted to your Royal consideration at 
 an Audience, because I conceive that this course will 
 be attended with less inconvenience to your Majesty. 
 
 In the counsel which I ventured with great humility, 
 but with an entire conviction of its soundness, to tender, 
 I cannot be biassed by any personal interest, for I am 
 not a candidate for office ; nor by any Parliamentary 
 interest, for I have no concern with elections ; nor by 
 any factious interest, for I am unconnected with party. 
 My only motive is to discharge the duty which 1 owe 
 to both the Crown and the country. Nor am I under 
 the influence of any prejudice against your Majesty's 
 servants or their measures ; for I charge your 
 Majesty's servants with nothing beyond an error, a 
 great error, in judgment, and I entirely approve of 
 the measures which they have lately propounded (with 
 a single exception partially applicable to one of them), 
 while I lament and disapprove of the time and manner 
 of propounding them, both on account of the Govern- 
 ment and of the measures themselves. 
 
 1 Mention has been made earlier of the resentment which Brougham 
 cherished against his late colleagues, after his exclusion from the Whig 
 Cabinet, and this letter, on the proposal to dissolve Parliciment, was, no doubt, 
 prompted by that feeling. 
 
1841] LETTER FROM LORD BROUGHAM 369 
 
 I feel myself, Madam, under the necessity of stating 
 that the dissolution of the Parliament appears to me 
 wholly without justification, either from principle or 
 from policy. They who advise it must needs proceed 
 upon the supposition that a majority will be returned 
 favourable to the continuance of the present Adminis- 
 tration and favourable to their lately announced policy. 
 On no other ground is it possible that any such advice 
 should be tendered to your Majesty. For no one could 
 ever think of such a proceeding as advising the Crown 
 to dissolve the Parliament in order to increase the 
 force of the Opposition to its own future Ministers, 
 thus perverting to the mere purposes of party the 
 exercise of by far the most eminent of the Royal 
 prerogatives ; and I pass over as wholly unworthy of 
 notice the only other supposition which can with any 
 decency be made, when there is no conflict between 
 the two Houses, namely, that of a dissolution in entire 
 ignorance of the national opinon and for the purpose of 
 ascertaining to which side it inclines. Your Majesty's 
 advisers must, therefore, have beheved, and they must 
 still believe, that a majority will be returned favourable 
 both to themselves and their late policy. I, on the 
 other hand, have the most entire conviction that there 
 will be a considerable majority against them, and 
 against their policy a majority larger still, many of 
 their supporters having already joined to swell that 
 majority. Whoever examines the details of the case 
 must be satisfied that the very best result which the 
 Government can possibly hope for is a narrow majority 
 against them — an event which must occasion a second 
 dissolution by whatev^er Ministry may succeed to the 
 confidence of your Majesty. But those best acquainted 
 with the subject have no doubt at all that the majority 
 will be much more considerable. 
 
 I beg leave, Madam, humbly to represent to your 
 Majesty, in my own vindication for not having laid 
 my opinion before your Majesty as soon as I returned 
 from the Continent, that when I first heard of the 
 course taken by the Government early in May, I 
 
 Vol. I. —24. 
 
370 BROUGHAM AND HIS COLLEAGUES [chap. 3 
 
 formed the opinion which I now entertain, but con- 
 ceived that I must have mistaken the facts upon which 
 they were acting ; and when I arrived twelve days ago 
 I was confirmed in the belief (seeing the fixed resolur 
 tion taken to dissolve) that I must have been under 
 an erroneous impression as to the probable results of 
 the elections. But I have since found ample reason 
 for believing that my original conviction was perfectly 
 well founded, and that no grounds whatever exist 
 sufficient to make any one who considers the subject 
 calmly, and without the bias of either interest or 
 prejudice, really believe that this ill-fated proceeding 
 can have any other result than lasting injury to your 
 Majesty's service, to the progress of sound and just views 
 of policy, and to the influence of those in whom the 
 Crown and the country alike should repose confidence. 
 
 That a number of short-sighted persons whose 
 judgments are warped by exclusive attention to a 
 single subject, or by personal feelings, or by party 
 views (and these narrow and erroneous), may have 
 been loudly clamorous for the course apparently about 
 to be pursued, is extremely possible, and affords no 
 kind of excuse for it. Many of these will be the 
 slowest to defend what they have so unfortunately 
 called for ; some will be among the first to condemn 
 it when a manifest failure shall have taken place, and 
 general discomfiture shall throw a few local successes 
 into the shade. 
 
 My advice is humbly offered to your Majesty, as 
 removed far above such confined and factious views ; 
 as the parent of all your people ; as both bound and 
 willing to watch over their true interests ; and as 
 charged by virtue of your exalted office with the 
 preservation of the public peace, the furtherance of 
 the prosperity, and the maintenance of the liberties of 
 your subjects. 
 
 I am, vnth profound respect. Madam, your Majesty's 
 faithful and dutiful Subject, Bkougham.^ 
 
 ' Parliament, however, notwithstanding this rescript of Lord Brougham, 
 was dissolved, and the Ministry went to the country with the cry of a fixed 
 
i8ii] VISIT TO WOBURN ABBEY 371 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 WoBURN Abbey, 27th July 1941. 
 
 Arrived here last night with the Prince and the 
 Queen ; this is now the second expedition (Nuneham 
 being the first) which Her Majesty has taken, and on 
 neither occasion has the Baroness accompanied us. 
 
 The Prince went yesterday through a review of the 
 many steps he had made to his present position — all 
 within eighteen months from the marriage. Those who 
 intended to keep him from being useful to the Queen, 
 from the fear that he might ambitiously touch upon 
 her prerogatives, have been completely foiled ; they 
 thought they had prevented Her Majesty from yielding 
 anything of importance to him by creating distrust 
 through imaginary alarm. The Queen's good sense, 
 however, has seen that the Prince has no other object 
 in all he seeks but a means to Her Majesty's good. 
 The Court from highest to lowest is brought to a 
 proper sense of the position of the Queen's husband. 
 The country has marked its confidence in his character 
 by passing the Regency Bill nem. con. The Queen 
 finds the value of an active right hand and able head 
 to support her and to resort to for advice in time of 
 need. Cabinet Ministers treat him with deference and 
 respect. Arts and science look up to him as their 
 especial patron, and they find this encouragement 
 supported by a full knowledge of the details of every 
 subject. The good and the wise look up to him 
 with pride and gratitude as giving an example, so 
 rarely shown in such a station, of leading a virtuous 
 and religious life. 
 
 duty on corn, as against a sliding scale, and they attacked, as monopolists, 
 at once the landowner, who enjoyed protection for his wheat, and the West 
 Indian proprietor, who profited by the duty on foreign sugar. The Con- 
 servatives impugned the general pohcy of the Whig Administration. The 
 result, a majority of seventy-six, was an even greater Conservative triumph 
 than the most sanguine of the party anticipated. — See Introductory Note, 
 ante, p. 319, 
 
872 A SUCCESSFUL TOUR [chap, x 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of tJie Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 3rd August 1841. 
 
 ... Our little tour was most successful, and 
 we enjoyed it of all things ; nothing could be more 
 enthusiastic or affectionate than our reception every- 
 where, and I am happy to hear that our presence has 
 left a favourable impression, which I think will be of 
 great use. The loyalty in this country is certainly very 
 striking. We enjoyed Panshanger^ still more than 
 Woburn ; the country is quite beautiful, and the house 
 so pretty and wohnlich ; the picture-gallery and pictures 
 very splendid. The Co'w^ers are such good people too. 
 The visit to Brocket naturally interested us very much 
 for our excellent Lord Melbourne's sake. The park 
 and grounds are beautiful. 
 
 1 can't admit the Duke of Bedford * ever was radical ; 
 God knows I I wish everybody now was a little so ! 
 What is to come hangs over me like a baneful dream, 
 as you will easily understand, and when I am often 
 happy and merry, comes and damps it all I ^ 
 
 But God's will be done ! and it is for our best, we 
 must feel, though we can't feel it. I can't say how 
 much we think of our little visit to you, God willing, 
 next year. You would kindly let our good old Grand- 
 mother* come there to see her dear Albert once again 
 before she dies, wouldn't you ? And you would get 
 the Nemours to come ? And you would persuade the 
 dear Queen ^ to come for a little while with Clementine ? 
 
 Now farewell ! Believe me always, your most 
 devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 1 The house of Earl Cowper. 
 
 " The Duke, who had formerly been M.P. for Bedfordshire, was inclined to 
 go further in the direction of Reform than Lord John, yet he applauded the 
 latter's attitude on the occasion of the speech which earned him the nickname 
 of "Finality Jack." 
 
 * Alluding to the Ministerial defeat at the polls. 
 
 * The Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. 
 
 * Marie Am^lie, Queen of the French. 
 
1841] LORD MELBOURNE AND THE GARTER 373 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Windsor Castle, Ith August 1841. 
 
 I went to Lord Melbourne this morning in his 
 toom as he had desired me. He said : " The Prince 
 has been urging me to accept the Blue Riband before 
 I quit office, and I wished to tell you that I am very 
 anxious that this should not be pressed upon me by 
 the Queen ; it may be a foolish weakness on my part, 
 but I wish to quit office without having any honour 
 conferred upon me ; the Queen's confidence towards 
 me is sufficiently known without any public mark of 
 this nature. I have always disregarded these honours, 
 and there would be an inconsistency in my accepting 
 this. 1 feel it to be much better for my reputation 
 that I should not have it forced upon me. Mr Pitt 
 never accepted an order, and only the Cinque Ports 
 on being pressed to do so. Lord Grenville accepted a 
 peerage, but never any other honour or advantage, and 
 I wish to be permitted to retire in likem anner. If 
 I was a poor man, I should have no hesitation in 
 receiving money in the shape of place or pension ; I 
 only don't wish for place, because I do not want it." 
 
 In the course of conversation Lord Melbourne said 
 that he considered it very improbable that he should 
 ever again form a part of any Administration. 
 
 He did not think that a violent course was at all 
 to be apprehended from Lord John Russell; he said 
 Lord John had been far more of a "finality" man 
 than he had, and in the Cabinet had always been 
 averse to violent change. He added, "I think you 
 are in error in forming the opinion which you have 
 of him." 
 
 Lord Melbourne thought the Queen very much 
 disliked being talked at upon religion ; she particularly 
 disliked what Her Majesty termed a Sunday face, but 
 yet that it was a subject far more thought of and 
 reflected upon than was [thought to be] the case. 
 
374 A DREADED MOMENT [chap, s 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, \5th August 1841. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne well knows the feeling which 
 your Majesty describes. The expectation of an event 
 which is dreaded and deprecated, and yet felt to be 
 certain and imminent, presents itself continually to the 
 mind and recurs at every moment, and particularly in 
 moments of satisfaction and enjoyment. It is perhaps 
 no consolation to be told that events of this nature are 
 necessary and incidental to your Majesty's high situation, 
 but Lord Melbourne anxiously hopes that the change, 
 when it does take place, will not be found so grievous 
 as your Majesty anticipates, and your Majesty may rely 
 that Lord Melbourne will do everything in his power to 
 reconcile it to your Majesty's feelings. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 WiiTDSOB. Castle, nth August 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear of the Princess's 
 tooth. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is much obliged to your Majesty 
 for informing him about the mourning. 
 
 He is quite well and will be ready when your 
 Majesty sends. 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 23rd August 1841. 
 
 Lord John Russell was staying at the Castle, and 
 asked to-day for an audience of Her Majesty, and 
 was closeted for a long time. The Prince asked Her 
 Majesty what Lord John came for. The Queen said 
 he came about several things, but particularly he wished 
 to impress upon the Queen that Her Majesty should 
 not allow Sir Robert Peel to propose any new Grants 
 in Parliament, as they (the Whigs) could not well 
 oppose it, and this being felt, the whole unpopularity 
 would fall upon the Queen s person. An idea existed 
 
1841] A HEAVY TRIAL 375 
 
 that the Tories were always jobbing with money, and 
 the grant for the building the new stables at Windsor 
 had shown how suspicious people were. 
 
 Lord John did not speak clearly out, but on 
 consultation with Lord Melbourne the Queen thought 
 Lord John must have alluded to Peel having spoken 
 equivocally at the end of his speech relative to the 
 Prince's annuity, and would now probably propose a 
 further grant, and would say the time was now come 
 in order to stand well with the Queen. The Queen 
 replied that she would never allow such a thing to be 
 proposed, and that it would be a disgrace to owe any 
 favour to that Party. 
 
 The only answer the Prince gave was that these 
 views were very agreeable for him. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, Sith August 1841. 
 
 . . . Our accident* was not so very bad, and con- 
 sidering that it is the very first that had happened in 
 the course of five summers, with so many carriages and 
 horses, one cannot be surprised., I beg leave also to 
 say that I can get out very quick. I am very thankful 
 that you agree to the couriers. I am a little sorry 
 that you have put poor Mamma off so late, as she is 
 very much hurt at it, I fear, by what I hear, and 
 accuses me of it. But that will, I trust, be forgiven. 
 You don't say that you sympathise with me in my 
 present heavy trial,* the heaviest I have ever had to 
 endure, and which will be a sad heartbreaking to me 
 — but I know you do feel for me. I am quiet and 
 prepared, but still I feel very sad, and God knows! 
 very wretched at times, for myself and my country, 
 that such a change must take place. But God in 
 
 1 The Queen had driven to Virginia Water to see Prince Albert's beagles 
 hunting, when, owing to the hounds running between the horses' legs and 
 frightening them, a pony phaeton and four containing Lord Erroll, Lady- 
 Ida Hay, and Miss Cavendish was upset One of the postilions was (not 
 
 ^ I.e., Lord Melbourne being succeeded by Sir Robert Peel as Prime 
 Minister. 
 
376 DEBATE ON THE SPEECH [chap, s 
 
 His mercy will support and guide me through all. 
 Yet I feel that my constant headaches are caused by 
 annoyance and vexation ! 
 
 Adieu, dearest Uncle 1 God bless you ! Ever your 
 devoted Niece, Victokia R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, Siih August 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. We have just delivered the Speech in the 
 House of Lords, and the debate will commence at 
 five o'clock. We understand that the amendment is 
 to be a repetition of the motion of want of confidence, 
 which Sir Robert Peel made in the House of Commons 
 before the dissolution, and nearly in the same terms. 
 It is to be moved by Lord Ripon ^ in the House of 
 Lords, and by Mr Stuart Wortley^ in the House of 
 Commons. It is understood to be their intention to 
 avoid, as much as possible, debate upon the Corn 
 Laws, and upon the other topics in the Speech, and 
 to place the question entirely upon the result of the 
 General Election and the proof which that afford^ 
 that the Ministry does not possess the confidence of 
 the country. Lord Melbourne thinks that it will not 
 be found easy to repress debate in the House of 
 Commons, but would not be surprised if the course 
 which it is intended to pursue should much shorten 
 it in the House of Lords. Lord Melbourne wiU write 
 again to your Majesty after the debate, and will 
 certainly come down to-morrow, unless anything 
 unexpected should occur to prevent him. 
 
 It will be necessary to receive the address of the 
 Convocation in some manner or another. Lord 
 Melbourne will write confidentially to the Archbishop ' 
 to learn how it may be received in the quietest manner 
 
 1 The first Earl (1782-1859) who had, as Lord Goderich, been Premier in 
 1827—1828 
 
 2 J. Stuart Wortley (1901-18SS), M.P. for the West Riding, afterwards 
 the second Lord Wharncliffe. 
 
 • Dr Howley. 
 
1841] MR COBDEN SPEAKS S77 
 
 and with the least trouble. Lord Melbourne has little 
 doubt that the Lords and Commons will send their 
 addresses by the officers of the Household. 
 
 Lord Melbourne entreats your Majesty to pick up 
 your spirits. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 WnTON Crescent, 26<A August 1841. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to report that 
 nothing remarkable occurred in the debate of yesterday, 
 except a powerful speech from Mr Cobden, a manu- 
 facturer.* 
 
 The debate wUl probably close this evening. No 
 one of the Tory leaders, except Sir Robert Peel, 
 appears disposed to speak. 
 
 Should the Address be voted to-night, and reported 
 to-morrow, it may be presented to your Majesty by 
 Lord Marcus Hill* on Saturday. 
 
 But should the debate be continued over this night, 
 the report of the Address can hardly take place till 
 Monday. This, however, is not very likely. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SotJTH Street, 27<A August 184.1. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. Upon his arrival he found that there was 
 no precedent of the House meeting again after an 
 Address, without receiving an answer from the Crown. 
 Lord ErroU therefore delivered the answer in the terms 
 which had been submitted by Lord Melbourne to your 
 Majesty, and it appeared to give satisfaction. The 
 debate will probably terminate in the House of 
 Commons to-night ; at the same time it may not. If 
 it does we must place our resignation in your Majesty's 
 hands on Saturday, and it must be announced to the 
 
 1 Cobden had just been elected for the first time for Stockport. 
 > Son of Lord Downshire, and M.P. for Evesbam ; afterwards (under a 
 special remainder) the third Lord Sandys. 
 
378 AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY [chap, x 
 
 Houses of Parliament on Monday. Your Majesty- 
 will then do well not to delay sending for some other 
 person beyond Tuesday. Lord Melbourne will write 
 to your Majesty more fully upon all these subjects 
 to-morrow, when he will know the result of the night's 
 debate, and be able more surely to point out the course 
 of events. 
 
 Lord Melbourne received the Eau-de-Cologne, and 
 returns your Majesty many thanks for it. 
 
 Lord Melbourne understands that the Duke of 
 Wellington is, in fact, very desirous of having the 
 Foreign Seals,^ and that, if your Majesty feels any 
 preference for him in that department, the slightest 
 intimation of your Majesty's wish in that respect will 
 fix him in his desire to have it. 
 
 Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wilton Crescent, 28</i August 1841. 
 
 Lord John Russell presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the honour to report that the 
 Amendment to the Address was carried by 91, the 
 numbers being — 
 
 For the Address 269 
 
 For the Amendment 360 
 
 ~9T 
 
 The Tory party proposed that the House shoiild 
 meet this day, and the Speaker signified that he should 
 take the Chair at twelve o'clock. The Address will 
 be carried to Windsor by Lord Marcus Hill this 
 evening, if then ready. 
 
 Lord John Russell takes this opportunity of closing 
 his Reports again, to express to your Majesty his deep 
 sense of your Majesty's goodness towards him. It is 
 his fervent prayer that your Majesty may enjoy a long 
 and happy reigij. 
 
 I The Duke bad been Foreign Secretary in 1835. 
 
1841] THE RESIGNATION S79 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 28«A August 1841. 
 
 . . . Your Majesty must, of course, consider us as 
 having tendered our resignations immediately alter the 
 vote of last night, and your Majesty will probably 
 think it right to request us to continue to hold our 
 offices and transact the current business until our 
 successors are appointed. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will have the honour of writing 
 again to your Majesty in the course of the day. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiNDSOH Castle, iith August 1841. 
 
 . . . Albert will not stay for the dinner, and I 
 expect him back at about eleven to-night. He went at 
 half-past eleven this morning. It is the first time that 
 we have ever been separated for so long since our 
 marriage, and I am quite melancholy about it. 
 
 You will forgive me if I mention it to you, but I 
 understand that the Queen Dowager has been some- 
 what offended at your not taking leave of her when 
 she came here, and at your not answering her, when 
 she wrote to you. Perhaps you would write to her and 
 soften and smoothen matters. She did not the least 
 expect you to come to her. BeUeve me always, your 
 most devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 28<A August 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs to acknowledge gratefully the 
 communication which he has just received from your 
 Majesty. Lord Melbourne feels certain that your 
 Majesty's sense and firmness will enable your Majesty 
 to bear up under this which your Majesty names a 
 severe trial. The kindness of your Majesty's expressions 
 emboldens Lord Melbourne to say that he also feels 
 
380 DELAY UNDESIRABLE [chap, x 
 
 deeply the pain of separation from a service, which has 
 now for four years and more been no less his pleasure 
 than his pride. 
 
 Lord Melbourne would have been anxious to have 
 waited upon your Majesty to-day, but he feels that his 
 presence is in some degree material at a meeting, at 
 which not only the present situation of your Majesty's 
 servants, but also their future conduct and prospects 
 will be considered. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is sure that your Majesty will at 
 once perceive that it would not have a good appearance 
 if he were to return to Windsor immediately after 
 having announced his resignation to the House of 
 Lords on Monday next. 
 
 It is right that there should be no appearance of 
 delay or of unwillingness to carry into eifect the wishes 
 of both Houses of Parliament, and, therefore, your 
 Majesty will forgive Lord Melbourne if he suggests 
 that it would be well if your Majesty could make up 
 your mind to appoint Sir R. Peel on Monday next, 
 so that there might be as little delay as possible in the 
 formation of a new Government. On all accounts, and 
 particularly on account of the lateness of the Season, 
 it is desirable that this should be done as speedily as 
 possible. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 29tli August 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He knows well what that feeling of working 
 under the impression of trouble and annoyance is, but 
 if the first gloom is brushed away, confidence and hope 
 and spirits return, and things begin to appear more 
 cheerful. Lord Melbourne is much obliged by your 
 Majesty's enquiries. He slept well, but waked early, 
 which he always does now, and which is a sure sign of 
 anxiety of mind. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will be ready to attend your 
 Majesty at any time. 
 
1841] THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS 381 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 WiMDSOE Castle, 29<A August 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is to take his farewell audience of 
 the Queen to-morrow, and Her Majesty has appointed 
 Sir Robert Peel to come down here at three o'clock 
 to-morrow. 
 
 1 went with Lord Melbourne from luncheon to 
 his room. He seemed in tolerable spirits, though some- 
 what sad when he alluded to taking leave of the 
 Queen. He said he was anxious that Her Majesty 
 should lose no time in writing to appoint Sir Robert 
 Peel to be here to-morrow, for though he was not 
 afraid of Sir Robert taking affront, his Party would 
 be too ready to construe any delay on the Queen's 
 part into a slight. He said the Prince had been with 
 him just before, and amongst other things had urged 
 him to continue to him and to the Queen his advice 
 and assistance, especially on measures affecting their 
 private concerns and family concerns ; he told Lord 
 Melbourne it was on these points that he felt Lord 
 Melbourne's advice had been peculiarly sound, and 
 there was no reason why this should not be continued, 
 and any communication might be made through 
 me. Lord Melbourne said that the Prince had also 
 entered upon the subject of the Baroness, and 
 expressed the constant state of annoyance he was 
 kept in by her interference. Lord Melbourne said to 
 me : " It will be far more difficult to remove her after 
 the change of Government than now, because, if 
 pressed to do it by a Tory Minister, the Queen's 
 prejudice would be immediately aroused." I admitted 
 this, but said that though the Prince felt that if he 
 pressed the point against the Baroness remaining he 
 should be able to carry it, still his good feeling and 
 affection for the Queen prevented him from pressing 
 what he knew would be painful, and what could 
 not be carried without an exciting scene; he must 
 remain on his guard, and patiently abide the result. 
 People were beginning much better to understand that 
 lady's character, and time must surely work its own ends. 
 
382 PARTING WITH LORD MELBOURNE [chap, x 
 
 On my being sent for by the Prince, Lord Melbourne 
 said, " I shall see you again before I take my leave." 
 I was much affected by the earnestness with which 
 this was said, and said I would certainly be with him 
 before he saw the Queen to-morrow. 
 
 The Prince said that Her Majesty was cheerful 
 and in good spirits, and the only part of the approaching 
 scene which he dreaded was the farewell with Lord 
 Melbourne. The Queen had, however, been much 
 relieved by the Prince arranging for her hearing from 
 Lord Melbourne whenever she wished it. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 , SOih August 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and thanks your Majesty much for the very 
 clever and interesting etchings which your Majesty 
 most kindly sent him yesterday evening. Lord 
 Melbourne will ever treasure them as remembrances of 
 your Majesty's kindness and regard, which he prizes 
 beyond measure. 
 
 They will, as your Majesty says, certainly recall to 
 recollection a melancholy day, but still Lord Melbourne 
 hopes and trusts that with the divine blessing it wiU 
 hereafter be looked back upon with less grief and 
 bitterness of feeling, than it must be regarded at 
 present. 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Windsor Castle, SOth August 1811. 
 
 Directly I got here this morning the Prince sent 
 for me, and said he had been made somewhat uneasy 
 by a conversation he had just had with the Queen. 
 Her Majesty said that after the manner in which the 
 Tories had treated the Prince (relative to annuity) he 
 ought now to keep them at a distance. She said they 
 would try to flatter him, and would all come to see 
 him ; this he should resist, and should refuse to see 
 them, at all events for some time. 
 
1841] THE PRINCE IN A NEW POSITION 383 
 
 The Prince wished me to mention this to Lord 
 Melbourne when I went to take leave of him, and to 
 urge Lord Melbourne to set this right with the Queen 
 by his advice before he parted with the Queen, remind- 
 ing him that his view had always been that from this 
 moment the Prince would take up a new position, and 
 that the Queen, no longer having Lord Melbourne to 
 resort to in case of need, must from this moment 
 consult and advise with the Prince. That Lord 
 ISIelbourne should urge the Queen to have no scruple 
 in employing the Prince, and showing that unless a 
 proper understanding existed from the first, he in 
 attempting to do good would be easily misrepresented, 
 
 I found Lord Melbourne alone in his dressing-room 
 and put this case before him. He said he had always 
 thought that when he left the service of the Queen 
 the Prince would of necessity be brought forward, and 
 must render great assistance to the Queen ;■ and the 
 Queen's confidence in his judgment having so much 
 increased, this consequence was the more natural. The 
 Prince must, however, be very cautious at first, and in 
 a little time he would fall into it. He must be very 
 careful not to alarm the Queen, by Her Majesty for 
 an instant supposing that the Prince was carrying on 
 business with Peel without her cognisance. 
 
 If it were possible for any one to advise Peel, he 
 would recommend that he should write fully to Her 
 Majesty, and elementarily, as Her Majesty always liked 
 to have full knowledge upon everything which was 
 going on. He would advise the Queen to be cautious 
 in giving a verbal decision, that she should not allow 
 herself to be driven into a corner, and forced to decide 
 where she felt her mind was not made up and required 
 reflection. 
 
 Peel should be very careful that intelligence came 
 first from him direct. King William was very particular 
 upon this point, so was the Queen. 
 
 I asked Lord Melbourne if he had considered the 
 future position of himself vdth the Queen, and also 
 of Peel with the Queen. He said he owned he had not. 
 
384. THE QUEEN Ai\D SIR ROBERT PEEL [chap, x 
 
 and would avoid entering into any discussion — he felt 
 sure that he should be regarded with extreme jealousy, 
 not so much by Peel as by the party. He would be 
 looked upon as Lord Bute had been in his relation to 
 George III., — always suspected of secret intercourse and 
 intrigue. He would make me the medium of any 
 written communication. 
 
 With regard to Peel's position with the Queen, he 
 thought that circumstances must make it. He thought 
 the Queen must see him oftener than King William 
 did him, as he thought the present state of things 
 would require more frequent intercourse. The late 
 King used to see him once a week after the Levee, 
 seldom oftener ; all the rest of the business was 
 transacted by correspondence, but this mode, though 
 it had its merits in some respect, very much impeded 
 the public business. 
 
 The less personal objections the Queen took to 
 any one the better, as any such expression is sure to 
 come out and a personal enemy is made. It was also 
 to be recollected that Peel was in a very different 
 position now, backed by a large majority, to when 
 the other overture was made. He had the power now 
 to extort what he pleased, and he fancied he saw the 
 blank faces of the heads of the Party when Peel told 
 them that he had agreed to the dismissal or resignation 
 of only three of the Queen's ladies. 
 
 Lord Melbourne said the Queen was afraid she 
 never could be at ease with Peel, because his manner 
 was so embarrassed, and that conveyed embarrassment 
 also to her, which it would be very difficult to get over. 
 
 The Queen took leave of Lord Melbourne to-day. 
 Her Majesty was much affected, but soon recovered 
 her calmness. 
 
 Peel had his first audience at half-past three o'clock. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 30th August 1841, 6 p.m. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. The announcement has been made in both 
 
18411 MELBOURNE'S OPINION OF THE PRINCE 385 
 
 Houses of Parliament. A few words were said by 
 Lord Stanley* in the House of Commons, and nothing 
 in the House of Lords. 
 
 Lord Melbourne cannot satisfy himself without 
 again stating to your Majesty in writing what he had 
 the honour of saying to your Majesty respecting his 
 Royal Highness the Prince. Lord Melbourne has 
 formed the highest opinion of his Royal Highness's 
 judgment, temper, and discretion, and he cannot but 
 feel a great consolation and security in the reflection 
 that he leaves your Majesty in a situation in which 
 your Majesty has the inestimable advantage of such 
 advice and assistance. Lord Melbourne feels certain 
 that your Majesty cannot do better than have recourse 
 to it, whenever it is needed, and rely upon it with 
 confidence. 
 
 Lord Melbourne will be anxious to hear from your 
 Majesty as to what has passed with Sir R. Peel. Your 
 Majesty will, Lord Melbourne is sure, feel that the same 
 general secrecy which your Majesty has always 
 observed respecting public affairs is more particularly 
 necessary at the present moment. 
 
 Lord Melbourne earnestly hopes that your Majesty 
 is well and composed, and with the most anxious 
 wishes for your Majesty's welfare and happiness, 
 remains ever your Majesty's most devoted and attached 
 Servant, and he trusts that he may add, without 
 presumption, your Majesty's faithful and affectionate 
 friend. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. Memorandum. 
 
 Your Majesty might say, if to your Majesty it 
 seems good, that in consequence of the Addresses 
 voted by both Houses of Parliament, your Majesty's 
 servants had tended their resignations, and that for the 
 same reason your Majesty had accepted those resigna- 
 tions. That your Majesty's present servants possessed 
 your Majesty's confidence, and that you only parted 
 with them in deference to the opinion of Parliament 
 
 > Who now became Colonial Secretary. 
 Vot. I.— 25 
 
386 THE QUESTION OF THE HOUSEHOLD [chap, x 
 
 That your Majesty naturally had recourse to Sir 
 Robert Peel as possessing the confidence of the great 
 Party which constitutes the majority of both Houses, 
 and that you were prepared to empower him to form 
 an Administration. 
 
 That your Majesty did not conceive that the 
 giving him this commission of itself empowered him 
 to advise the removal of the officers of your Majesty's 
 Household ; that you conceive that all that the 
 Constitution required was that the Sovereign's 
 Household should support the Sovereign's Ministers; 
 but that you was prepared to place at his disposal, 
 and to take his advice upon all the offices of the 
 Household at present filled by members of either 
 House of Parliament, with the exception of those 
 whom your Majesty might think proper to name, i.e.. 
 Lord Byron ^ — and it should be understood that this 
 exception was not to extend further than to him. 
 
 If Sir Robert Peel should wish that in case of 
 Lord BjTon's remaining it should be considered as a 
 fresh appointment made by his advice, this wish 
 might properly be acceded to. 
 
 The Ladies. — If any difficulty should arise it may 
 be asked to be stated in writing, and reserved for 
 consideration. But it is of great importance that Sir 
 Robert Peel should return to London with full power 
 to form an Administration. Such must be the final 
 result, and the more readily and graciously it is 
 acquiesced in the better. 
 
 Your Majesty must take care not to be driven to 
 the waU, and to be put into a situation in which it is 
 necessary to Aye or No. No positive objection 
 should be taken either to men or measures. 
 
 It must be recollected that at the time of the 
 negotiation in 1839 Lord Melbourne and Lord John 
 Russell were still at the head of a majority in the 
 House of Commons. This is not the case now. 
 
 1 George AnsoD, seventh Lord Byron (1789-1868), cousin and successor of 
 the poet. 
 
18*1] THE CABINET 387 
 
 The Cabinet of Lord Melbourne, 
 As it stood in September 1841. 
 First Lord of the Treasury . . . Viscount Melbourne. 
 Lord Chancellor Lord (afterwards Earl of) 
 
 COTTENHAM. 
 
 Chancellor of the Exchequer . . Mr Francis Baring (after- 
 wards Loi'd Northbrook). 
 
 Lord President of the Council . . Marquis of Lansdowne. 
 
 Lord Privy Seal Earl of Clarendon. 
 
 Home Secretary Marquis of Normanby. 
 
 Foreign Secretary Viscount Palmerston. 
 
 Colonial Secretary Lord John (afterwards Earl) 
 
 Russell. 
 
 First Lord of the Admiralty . . Earl of Minto. 
 
 President of the Board of Control . Sir John Cam Hobhouse (after- 
 wards Lord Broughton). 
 
 Secretary at War Mr T. B. (afterwards Lord) 
 
 Macaulay. 
 
 President of the Board of Trade . Mr Labouchere (afterwards 
 
 Lord Taunton). 
 
 Chief Secretary for Ireland . . . Viscount Morpeth (after- 
 wards Earl of Carlisle). 
 
 First Commissioner of Land Revenue Viscount Duncannon (after- 
 wards EarlofBessborough). 
 
 Chancellor of the Dvchy of Lancaster Sir George Grey, 
 
 The Cabinet of Sir Robert Peel,^ 
 
 As formed in September 1841. 
 
 First Lord of the Treasury ... Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Lord Chancellor Lord Lyndhurst. 
 
 Chancellor of the Exchequer . . Mr H. Goulburn. 
 
 (^Without Office) Duke of Wellington. 
 
 Lord President of the Council . . Lord Wharncliffe. 
 
 Lord Privy Seal Duke of Buckingham. 
 
 Home Secretary Sir James Graham. 
 
 Foreign Secretary Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 Colonial Secretary Lord Stanley (afterwards 
 
 Earl of Derby). 
 
 First Lord of the Admiralty . . Earl of Haddington. 
 
 President of the Board of Control . Lord (afterwards Earl of) 
 
 Ellenborough. 
 
 Secretary at War Sir Henry (afterwards Vis- 
 count) Hardinge. 
 
 President of the Boa7d of Trade . Earl of Ripon. 
 
 Paymaster-General Sir Edward Knatchbull. 
 
 1 The Peel Ministiy of 1841 was unique in containing three ex-Premiers : 
 Sir Robert Peel himself, the Earl of Ripon, and the Duke of Wellington, 
 
388 INTERVIEW WITH SIR ROBERT PEEL [chap, x 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 30rt August 1841. 
 
 . . . The first interview with Sir Robert Peel has 
 gone off well, and only lasted twenty minutes ; and 
 he sends the Queen to-morrow, in writing, the proposed 
 arrangements, and will only come down on Wednesday 
 morning. He first wished to come to-morrow, but on 
 the Queen's saying that he need not to do that, but 
 might send it and only come down Wednesday, he 
 thought the Queen might prefer having it to consider 
 a little, which she said she certainly should, though 
 she meant no want of confidence. The Queen, in 
 the first instance, stated that she concluded he was 
 prepared for her sending for him, and then stated 
 exactly what Lord Melbourne wrote, viz., the resigna- 
 tion having taken place in consequence of the 
 Addresses, — the Queen's great regret at parting with 
 her present Ministers — the confidence she had in 
 them, and her only acceding in consequence of the 
 Addresses in Parliament, and then that consequently 
 she looked to him (Sir Robert Peel) as possessing the 
 confidence of both Houses of Parliament to form an 
 Administration. He made many protestations of his 
 
 who succeeded Lord Goderich as Premier in 1828. Ripon's career was a 
 curious one ; he was a singularly ineffective Prime Minister, and indeed, did 
 not, during the course of his Ministry (August 1827-January 1828) ever have 
 to meet Parliament. He was disappointed at not being invited to join the 
 Wellington Ministry, subsequently joined the Reform Ministry of Lord 
 Grey, but followed Lord Stanley, Sir James Graham, and the Duke of Rich- 
 mond out of it. In August IS-tl he moved the vote of want of confidence 
 in the Melbourne Ministry, and became President of the Board of Trade in 
 Peel's Government. In 1846 it fell to him, when President of the Board of 
 Control, to move the Corn Law Repeal Bill in the Lords. 
 
 The only later instance of an ex-Premier accepting a subordinate office 
 was in the case of Lord John Russell, who, in 1852, took the Foreign 
 OflSce under Aberdeen, subsequently vacating the office and sitting in the 
 Cabinet without office. In June 1854, he became Lord President of the 
 Council, and left the Ministry when it was menaced by Roebuck's motion. 
 When Lord Palmerston formed a Ministry in 1855, Lord John, after an 
 interval, became Colonial Secretary, again resigning in five months. 
 Finally, in 1859, he went back to the Foreign Office, where he remained 
 until he succeeded Palmerston as Premier in 1865. 
 
 The Government also contained three fiiture Premiers, Aberdeen, Stanley, 
 and Gladstone. 
 
1841] THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON 389 
 
 sorrow, at what must give pain to the Queen (as she 
 said to him it did), but of course said he accepted 
 the task. The Duke of Wellington's health too 
 uncertain, and himself too prone to sleep coming 
 over him — as Peel expressed it — to admit of his 
 taking an office in which he would have much to do, 
 but to be in the Cabinet, which the Queen expressed 
 her wish he should. He named Lord De Grey* 
 as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Lord Ehot* as 
 Secretary for Ireland, who, he said, were both moderate 
 people. The Queen said she gave up to him the 
 officers of State and those of her Household who 
 were in Parliament, and he then asked if Lord 
 Liverpool would be agreeable as Lord Steward (the 
 Queen said he would), and if she would object to Lord 
 Jersey as Master of the Horse (she said she would 
 not), as she believed he understood it perfectly. He 
 said he was so anxious to do everything which could 
 be agreeable to the Queen, that he wished her to name 
 whom she should like as Lord Chamberlain ; she said 
 he might suggest someone, but as he would not, and 
 pressed the Queen to name whoever she pleased, she 
 said she should like the Duke of Rutland, and he said 
 he would certainly name it to him. The Queen said 
 that Lord Melbourne had always been very particular 
 to name no one who might be disagreeable to her 
 in the Household, and Sir R. Peel said he felt this, 
 and should be most anxious to do what could be agree- 
 able to me and for my comfort, and that he would 
 even sacrifice any advantage to this. The Queen men- 
 tioned the three Ladies' resignation, and her wish 
 not to fill up the three Ladies' places immediately. 
 She mentioned Lady Byron,^ to which he agreed 
 immediately, and then said, as I had alluded to 
 those communications, he hoped that he had been 
 
 1 Thomas, Earl de Grey (1781-1859) ; he was the elder brother of Lord 
 Ripon who had been previously known as Mr Robinson and Viscount 
 Goderich, and whose son, besides inheriting his father's and uncle's honours, 
 was created Marquis of Ripon. 
 
 " Afterwards third Earl of St Germans. 
 
 » Lady Byron had been Miss EUzabeth Chandos-Pole. 
 
390 THE LADIES [chap, s 
 
 understoood respecting the other appointments (meaning 
 the Ladies), that provided I chose some who had a 
 leaning towards the poUtics of the Administration, I 
 might take any I Hked, and that he quite understood 
 that I should notify it to them. The Queen said this 
 was her rule, and that she wished to choose moderate 
 people who should not have scruples to resign in case 
 another Administration should come in, as changing 
 was disagreeable to her. Here it ended, and so far 
 well. He was very anxious the Queen should under- 
 stand how anxious he was to do everything which was 
 agreeable to the Queen. The Queen wishes to know 
 if Lord Melbourne thinks she should name the 
 Duchess of Buccleuch Mistress of the Robes, on 
 Wednesday, and if she shall ask Sir Robert to sound 
 the Duchess, or some one else, and then write to 
 appoint her? She thinks of proposing Lady de la 
 Warr and Lady Abercorn by and by as the two 
 Ladies, but these she will sound herself through 
 other people, or Lady Canning, or Lady Rosslyn in 
 case these others should not take it. She should say 
 she meant to sound those, and no more. What the 
 Queen felt when she parted from her dear, kind 
 friend. Lord Melbourne, is better imagined than 
 described ; she was dreadfully affected for some time 
 after, but is calm now. It is very, very sad ; and she 
 cannot quite believe it yet — The Prince felt it very, 
 very much too, and really the Queen cannot say how 
 kind and affectionate he is to her, and how anxious to 
 do everything to lighten this heavy trial ; he was quite 
 affected at this sad parting. We do, and shall, miss 
 you so dreadfully ; Lord Melbourne will easily under- 
 stand what a change it is, after these four years when 
 she had the happiness of having Lord Melbourne 
 always about her. But it will not be so long till 
 we meet again. Happier and brighter times will 
 come again. We anxiously hope Lord Melbourne 
 is well, and got up well and safe. The Queen trusts 
 he will take care of his valuable health, now more 
 than ever. 
 
1841] MR ANSON INTERVIEWS MELBOURNE 391 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 3Ut August 1841. 
 
 I was sent up to Town to-day to see Lord Melbourne 
 and Sir Robert Peel. I found Lord Melbourne as 
 usual up in his bedroom. He had received the account 
 of Her Majesty's first interview with Peel, which he 
 thought very satisfactory. Sir Robert very much 
 regretted that he should have been the instrument of 
 obliging Her Majesty to change her Government. The 
 Queen had said to Sir Robert that though she did not 
 conceive the Minister could demand any of the House- 
 hold appointments, still it was Her Majesty's intention 
 to give up to him the great offices of State, and all 
 other places in the Household filled by people in 
 Parliament. He was to send his proposed list for 
 offices the next day and be at Windsor the morning 
 after that. Lord Melbourne had written to the Queen 
 the night before, stating his opinion of the Prince — that 
 he had great discretion, temper, and judgment, and 
 that he considered him to be well worthy of Her 
 Majesty's confidence, and that now was the time for 
 Her Majesty to feel comfort and assistance fi-om giving 
 him her fullest confidence. He had just received the 
 Queen's answer to this, saying what "pleasure it had 
 given the Queen to receive his letter with this expression 
 of his opinion of her beloved husband, and that what 
 he said could not fail to increase the confidence which 
 she already felt in him. He was indeed a great comfort 
 to her in this trying moment ; at times she was very 
 low indeed though she strove to bear up. It would 
 always be a satisfaction to her to feel secure of Lord 
 Melbourne's faithful and affectionate firiendship to her 
 and the Prince. She hoped after a time to see him 
 here again, and it would always be a pleasure to her 
 to hear from him frequently." 
 
 From South Street I went to Sir Robert Peel's. 
 I told him I came to speak to him about Lord Exeter, 
 whom the Prince proposed to make the head of his 
 Household, should it not interfere with any of Sir 
 
392 MELBOURNE'S OFFICIAL FAREWELL [chap, x 
 
 Robert's arrangements for the Queen. Sir Robert said 
 he was so good a man and one that he felt sure the 
 Prince would like, and he therefore thought he had 
 better propose the situation to him at once. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 31s< August 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne had the pleasure of receiving last 
 night both your Majesty's letters, the one dated four 
 o'clock, and written immediately after your Majesty's 
 interview with Sir R. Peel, the other dated half-past 
 nine. Lord Melbourne thanks your Majesty much 
 for them both, and for the expressions of kindness 
 contained in them. Lord Melbourne will ever consider 
 the time during which your Majesty is good enough 
 to think that he has been of service to your Majesty 
 the proudest as well as the happiest part of his life. 
 
 Lord Melbourne has read with great care your 
 Majesty's very clear and full account of what passed. 
 It appears to Lord Melbourne that nothing could be 
 better. Sir Robert Peel seems to have been anxious 
 to act with the utmost respect and consideration for 
 your Majesty, and your Majesty most properly and 
 wisely met him half-way. In the spirit in which the 
 negotiation has been commenced I see the prospect 
 of a termination of it, which will be not so unsatis- 
 factory to your Majesty as your Majesty anticipated, 
 and not, Lord Melbourne trusts, disadvantageous to the 
 country. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne concludes with the most anxious 
 wishes for your Majesty's happiness, and with expressing 
 a great admiration of the firmness, prudence and good 
 sense with which your Majesty has conducted yourself. 
 
 Lord Melbourne begs to be remembered to His 
 Royal Highness most respectfully, most affectionately. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 31«« August ISil. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has just received your Majesty's letter. 
 
1841] SIR ROBERT PEEL'S RECEPTION 
 
 Lord Melbourne rejoices much to learn that your 
 Majesty feels more composed and that you are well. 
 Recollect how precious is your Majesty's health, and 
 how much health depends upon tranquillity of mind. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne will either write to Sir Francis 
 Chantrey^ to-morrow morning, or call upon him and 
 settle without further delay about the Bust. There 
 is no end of subscriptions to Monuments, but perhaps 
 your Majesty wUl do well to subscribe to Sir David 
 Wilkie's.'' 
 
 Your Majesty is very good about the blue Ribband, 
 but Lord Melbourne is certain that upon the whole, 
 it is better for his own position and character that he 
 should not have it 
 
 The Earl of Clarendon ' to Viscount Melbourne} 
 
 Grosvenoh Crescent, 21st Augiuit 1841 . 
 
 My dear Melbourne, — You may like to know 
 that Peel was perfectly satisfied with his reception 
 yesterday, and does full justice to the Queen's decla- 
 ration of her regret at parting with her Ministers, 
 which he said it was quite natural she should feel, 
 and quite right she should express. This I know 
 from undoubted authority, and from a person who 
 came to enquire of me whether I could tell what 
 impression Peel had produced upon the Queen, which 
 of course I could not. 
 
 He assured the Queen that he had had no com- 
 munication with his friends, and was not prepared to 
 submit an Administration for her approval, but he 
 is to see her again to-morrow morning. 
 
 The only appointment yet settled is De Grey to 
 Ireland; he was very unwilling, but Peel insisted. 
 Yours sincerely. Clarendon. 
 
 » Sir Francis Chantrey, the sculptor, bom in 1781, died on 25th November 
 
 2 Sir David Wilkie, Painter-in-Ordinary to the Queen, had died on 1st 
 June, aged fifty-six. 
 
 » The retiring Lord Privy Seal. ^ ^. n 
 
 « Letter forwarded by Lord Melbourne to the Queen. 
 
S94. ARRANGEMENTS FOR RESIGNATION [chap, x 
 
 Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Cahlton Ti:sRACE, 31«< August 1841. 
 
 . . . Viscount Palmerston begs to be allowed to 
 tender to your Majesty the grateful thanks of himself 
 and of Viscountess Palmerston for your Majesty's 
 gracious expressions towards them. Viscount Palmer- 
 ston sees with deep regret the termination of those 
 duties in your Majesty's service, in the course of 
 which he has had the honour of experiencing from 
 your Majesty so much condescending personal kind- 
 ness, and such flattering official confidence ; and it 
 affords him the highest gratification to have obtained 
 your Majesty's approbation. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SotTTH Street, 2nd September 184-1. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He received your Majesty's letter yesterday 
 evening, and was very glad to learn from it that your 
 Majesty was not ill satisfied with Sir Robert Peel, 
 and that the arrangements were going on smoothly, 
 which it is highly desirable that they should. Your 
 Majesty should desire Sir Robert Peel to give notice 
 to all those who have insignia of office, such as 
 Seals, Wands, to give up, to attend at Claremont on 
 Friday ; but of course he will do this of himself 
 Your Majesty will have much to go through upon 
 that day and much that is painful. Your Majesty 
 should spare yourself and be spared as much as 
 possible. It wiU not be necessary for Lord Melbourne 
 to go down. He may be considered as having 
 resigned at the Audience which he had of your 
 Majesty at Windsor, and Lord Melbourne has 
 ventured to teU Lord Lansdowne that he thinks he 
 need not do so either, and that your Majesty wUl 
 excuse his attendance. Lord Melbourne need say 
 nothing about the Secretaries of State, with all of 
 whom your Majesty is so well acquainted; but 
 
1841] NEW APPOINTMENTS 395 
 
 perhaps your Majesty will not omit to thank Mr 
 Baring ^ cordially for his services. He is a thoroughly 
 honest man and an able public servant. If your 
 Majesty could say to the Lord Chancellor,* " that you 
 part with him with much sorrow ; that you are sensible 
 that much of the strength of the late Administration 
 was derived from the manner in which he discharged 
 the duties of his office, and that you consider his retire- 
 ment a great and serious loss to the country," it would 
 certainly be no more than he deserves. 
 
 It is thought by some who know him here that 
 the Duke of Rutland wUl be so extremely pleased 
 with the offer being made, and that by your Majesty 
 yourself, that he will accept it ; but he is a year older 
 than Lord Melbourne, and therefore hardly fit for any 
 very active duty. . . . 
 
 The appointment of Colonel Arbuthnot will of 
 course be very agreeable to the Duke of Wellington. 
 The Arbuthnots are quiet, demure people before 
 others ; but they are not without depth of purpose, 
 and they are very bitter at bottom. 
 
 Your Majesty will not forget the two Knights for 
 Mr de la Beche'and Major Monro. 
 
 Lord Melbourne begins to hope that this affair 
 will be got through more satisfactorily and with less 
 annoyance than your Majesty anticipated. As long 
 as your Majesty is desirous of receiving his com- 
 munications, he will be always most careful to give 
 your Majesty his impartial opinion and the best 
 advice which he has to offer. His most fervent 
 prayer will always be for your Majesty's welfare and 
 happiness. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Strei:t, 2nd September 1841. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne hopes and trusts that when 
 to-morrow is over your Majesty will recover from that 
 
 1 The retiring Chancellor of the Exchequer. 
 
 3 Lord Cottenham. 
 
 3 Sir Henry T. de la Beche, an eminent geologist. 
 
396 COUNCIL AT CLAREMONT [chap, x 
 
 depression of spirits under which your Majesty now 
 labours. Lord Melbourne never doubted that it would 
 be so, but is glad to learn from your Majesty the 
 support and consolation which your Majesty finds in 
 the advice and aiFection of the Prince. 
 
 This is the last letter which Lord Melbourne will 
 send in a box. He will to-morrow morning return 
 his keys to the Foreign Office, and after that your 
 Majesty will be good enough to send the letters, 
 v/ith which you may honour Lord Melbourne, through 
 Mr Anson. 
 
 Lord Melbourne most anxiously wishes your Majesty 
 every blessing. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SotJTH Street, Zrd September 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne earnestly hopes that your Majesty 
 is well after this trying day.^ Lord Melbourne has 
 thought and felt for your Majesty all this morning. 
 But now that the matter is settled it will be necessary 
 that your Majesty should take a calm and composed 
 view of the whole situation, which Lord Melbourne 
 trusts that your Majesty will find by no means 
 unsatisfactory. 
 
 And first with respect to public affairs. In the 
 concerns of a great nation like this there will always be 
 some difficulties and entanglements, but upon the 
 whole the present state is good and the prospect is 
 good for the future. There is no reason to expect 
 that Sir Robert Peel will either be desirous or be 
 able to take a very different course from that which 
 has been taken by your Majesty's late servants, and 
 some difficulties will certainly be removed, and some 
 obstacles smoothed, by the change which has lately 
 taken place. 
 
 With respect to the effect which will be produced 
 
 1 A Council had been held at Claremont for the outgoing Ministers to 
 give up their Seals of Office, which were bestowed upon Sir Robert Peel and 
 the incoming Cabinet. 
 
1841] LETTERS FROM LORD MELBOURNE 397 
 
 upon the comfort of your Majesty's private life, it 
 would be idle in Lord Melbourne, after what your 
 Majesty has said, to doubt of the manner in which 
 your Majesty will feel the change, which must take 
 place in your Majesty, to long accustomed habits 
 and relations. But your Majesty may rest assured 
 of Lord Melbourne's devoted and disinterested attach- 
 ment to your Majesty, and that he will devote 
 himself to giving to your Majesty such information 
 and advice as may be serviceable to your Majesty 
 with the sole view of promoting your Majesty's public 
 interests and private happiness. 
 
 Lord Melbourne hopes, and indeed ventures to 
 expect, that your Majesty, upon reflection and con- 
 sideration of the real state of circumstances, will 
 recover your spirits, and Lord Melbourne has himself 
 great satisfaction in thinking upon the consideration of 
 the advice which he has given, that it has not tended 
 to impair your Majesty's influence and authority, but, on 
 the contrary, to secure to your Majesty the affection, 
 attachment, approbation, and support of all parties. 
 
 In the course of this correspondence Lord Melbourne 
 has thought it his duty to your Majesty to express 
 himself with great freedom upon the characters of 
 many individuals, whose names have come under con- 
 sideration, but Lord Melbourne thinks it right to say 
 that he may have spoken upon insufficient grounds, 
 that he may have been mistaken, and that the persons 
 in question may turn out to be far better than he has 
 been induced to represent them. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, ith September 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He was most happy to hear yesterday the 
 best accounts of everything that had taken place at 
 Claremont. Everybody praised, in the highest manner, 
 the dignity, propriety, and kindness of your Majesty's 
 
398 MELBOURNE ON THE NEW MINISTRY [chap, x 
 
 deportment, and if it can be done without anything 
 of deceit or dissimulation, it is well to take advantage 
 of the powers and quaUties which have been given, 
 and which are so well calculated to gain a fair and 
 powerful influence over the minds and feelings of 
 others. Your Majesty may depend upon it, that the 
 impression made upon the minds of all who were 
 present yesterday, is most favourable. Of course, with 
 persons in new and rather awkward situations, some 
 of whom had never been in high office before, all of 
 whom had not been so now for some years, there was 
 a good deal of embarrassment and mistakes. Forms 
 which are only gone through at long intervals of time, 
 and not every day, are necessarily forgotten, and when 
 they are required nobody knows them. But Lord 
 Melbourne cannot really think that they looked cross ; 
 most probably they did look shy and embarrassed. 
 Strange faces are apt to give the idea of ill humour. . . . 
 Lord Melbourne anxiously hopes that your Majesty 
 is well and happy to-day. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 6th September 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. Your Majesty may depend upon it, that 
 if Lord Melbourne hears anything respecting your 
 Majesty, which it appears to him to be important or 
 advantageous, that your Majesty should know. Lord 
 Melbourne will not fail to convey it to your. Majesty. 
 
 Lord Melbourne encloses the exact names of the 
 two gentlemen to whom Knighthood has been promised 
 by your Majesty. . . . 
 
 Your Majesty is very good, very good indeed, to 
 think of doing what your Majesty mentions for Fanny ; 
 but Lord Melbourne fears that it would hardly suit 
 with their present situation, or with the comfort of 
 then- domestic life. But Lord Melbourne mentioned 
 
1841] LORD MELBOURNE'S ADVICE 399 
 
 the matter yesterday to his sister, and he encloses the 
 letter which she has written to him this morning, after 
 reflecting upon the subject. By that letter your 
 Majesty will perceive that Jocelyn is not so much in 
 debt, as Lord Melbourne's letter had led your Majesty 
 to suppose. . . . 
 
 Lord B is a very old friend of Lord 
 
 Melbourne's. They were at Eton together, and inti- 
 mate there. He is a gentlemanly man and a good 
 
 man, but not very agreeable. Few of the P s 
 
 are, and very bitter in politics ; but still Lord 
 Melbourne is glad, for old acquaintance sake, that 
 your Majesty has taken him. Lord Melbourne must 
 again repeat that when he vrrites with so much 
 freedom about individual characters, it is only to 
 put your Majesty in possession of what he knows 
 respecting them, and not with a view of inducing 
 your Majesty to object to their being appointed. . . . 
 
 Might not Fanny have the Bedchamber Woman's 
 place ? It would be a help to her, and would not 
 take her away from home. This only strikes Lord 
 Melbourne as he is writing. 
 
 6ih September 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne wrote the above yesterday, but 
 had no opportunity of sending it, as there was no 
 post. Lord Melbourne has since seen Lady Palmer- 
 ston, and finds that his last suggestion about Fanny 
 will not do. 
 
 Lord Melbourne encloses Lady Palmerston's two 
 notes upon the subject, which will explain to your 
 Majesty what she wishes. But if Jocelyn is himself 
 to get a place, this will be a better arrangement, and 
 puts an end to all the others. 
 
 What Lady Palmerston says about Sir R. Peel is 
 very unjust. There is no shabbiness whatever in his 
 not coming to a decision upon the factory question.^ 
 
 » Lady Palmerston (no doubt in sympathy with Lord Ashley) expected 
 some factory legislation to be announced. 
 
400 LETTER TO LADY GAINSBOROUGH [chap, x 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Countess of Gainsborough} 
 
 Clakemont, 6th September 1841. 
 
 My dearest Lady Gainsborough, — I had the 
 pleasure of receiving your two kind letters of the 24th 
 and 25th ult. yesterday, and thank you much for them. 
 1 am so happy that you are really better. . . . 
 
 1 hoped that you would be pleased at what you 
 thank me for ; you see I did not forget what you told 
 me once at Windsor when we were out driving, and 
 I assure you that Lord Melbourne was very anxious 
 to do it. Last week was a most painful trying one 
 to me, and this separation from my truly excellent 
 and kind friend Lord Melbourne, most distressing. 
 You will understand what a change it must be to me. 
 I am, however, so happy in my home, and have such 
 a perfect angel in the Prince who has been such a 
 comfort to me, that one must be thankful and grateful 
 for these blessings, and take these hard trials as lessons 
 sent from above, for our best. 
 
 Our little girl makes great progress, and suffers 
 comparatively but very little from her teething. We 
 came here to be quiet for a few days, as this place 
 is so very private. 
 
 The Baroness will write to Lord Gainsborough to 
 say that I wish much you would take Lady Lyttelton's 
 waiting, which begins on 23rd of November. 
 
 The Prince begs to be kindly named to you, and 
 I to Fanny and your brother, and pray believe me 
 always. Dearest Lady Gainsborough, ever yours most 
 affectionately, Victoria R. 
 
 Pray thank Fanny for her kind letter. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 1th September 1841. 
 
 The Queen wishes that Sir Robert Peel would 
 mention to Lord De la Warr ^ that he should be very 
 
 1 Formerly, as Lady Barham, a Lady of the Bedchamber. Lord Barham 
 had been created Earl of Gainsborough in the course of the year (1841). 
 
 2 See ante, p. 196. 
 
18411 LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S DEPARTMENT 401 
 
 particular in always naming to the Queen any appoint- 
 ment he wishes to make in his department, and always 
 to take her pleasure upon an appointment before he 
 settles on them ; this is a point upon which the Queen 
 has always laid great stress. This applies in great 
 measure to the appointment of Physicians and Chap- 
 lains, which used to be very badly managed formerly, 
 and who were appointed in a very careless manner ; 
 but since the Queen's accession the Physicians and 
 Chaplains have been appointed only for merit and 
 abilities, by the Queen herself, which the Queen is 
 certain Sir Robert Peel will at once see is a far better 
 way, and one which must be of use in every way. Sir 
 Robert Peel may also tell Lord De la Warr that it is 
 unnecessary for him to appear in uniform, as the Queen 
 always dispenses with this in the country. This applies 
 also to the Ministers, who the Queen does not expect 
 or wish should appear in uniform at Councils which 
 are held in the country. The Queen concludes that 
 it will be necessary to hold a Council some time 
 next week to swear in some of the new Officers who 
 are not Privy Councillors ; but Sir Robert Peel will 
 be able to tell the Queen when he thinks this will 
 be necessary. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 9th September 1841. 
 
 There is a subject which the Queen wishes to 
 mention to Sir Robert Peel as she is at present so Uttle 
 acquainted with Lord Aberdeen; the Queen is very 
 desirous that, if it were possible. Sir Hamilton Seymour 
 should not be removed from Brussels. The Queen 
 believes that his political views are not violent either 
 way, and she knows that he is peculiarly agreeable to 
 her Uncle, which has, therefore, prompted her to write 
 this to Sir Robert Peel. The Queen seizes the same 
 opportunity to say that she is also very anxious that a 
 moderate and conciliatory person should be sent to 
 Lisbon, as it is of great importance there. 
 
 Vot. t — 26 
 
402 A MELANCHOLY CHANGE [chap, x 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Claremont. %th September 1841. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I begin my letter to-day, 
 for fear 1 should have no time to write to-morrow. 
 Your kind letter gave me great pleasure, and I must 
 own your silence on all that was going on distressed 
 me very much ! It has been indeed a sad time for me, 
 and I am still bewildered, and can't believe that my 
 excellent Lord Melbourne is no longer my Minister, 
 but he will be, as you say, and has already proved 
 himself, very useful and valuable as my friend out 
 of office. He writes to me often, and I write to 
 him, and he gives really the fairest and most impartial 
 advice possible. But after seeing him for four years, 
 with very few exceptions — daily — you may imagine 
 that I must feel the change; and the longer the time 
 gets since we parted, the more 1 feel it. Eleven days 
 was the longest 1 ever was without seeing him, and this 
 time will be elapsed on Saturday, so you may imagine 
 what the change must be. I cannot say what a 
 comfort and support my beloved Angel is to me, 
 and how well and how kindly and properly he 
 behaves. I cannot resist copying for you what 
 Lord Melbourne wrote to me about Albert, the 
 evening after we parted ; he has already praised him 
 greatly to me, before he took leave of me. It is as 
 follows : 
 
 " Lord Melbourne cannot satisfy himself without 
 again stating to your Majesty in writing what he 
 had the honour of saying to your Majesty respecting 
 H.R.H. the Prince. Lord Melbourne has formed 
 the highest opinion of H.R.H's judgment, temper 
 and discretion, and he cannot but feel a great con- 
 solation and security in the reflection that he leaves 
 your Majesty in a situation in which your Majesty 
 has the inestimable advantage of such advice and 
 assistance. Lord Melbourne feels certain that your 
 Majesty cannot do better than have recourse to it, 
 
1841] THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR 403 
 
 whenever it is needed, and rely upon it with 
 confidence." 
 
 This naturally gave me great pleasure, and made 
 me very proud, as it comes from a person who is no 
 flatterer, and would not have said it if he did not 
 think so, or feel so. The new Cabinet you have by 
 this time seen in the papers. 
 
 The Household (of which I send you a list) is 
 well constituted — for Tories. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen has written to me to say Bourqueney 
 has announced St Aulaire^ as Ambassador. This is 
 very well, but let me beg you, for decency's sake, 
 to stop his coming immediately ; if even not meant to, 
 it would have the effect of their sending an ambassador 
 the moment the Government changed, which would 
 be too marked, and most offensive personally to me. 
 Indeed Guizot behaved very badly about refusing to 
 sign that Slave Trade Treaty ^ which they had so long 
 ago settled to do ; it is unwise and foolish to irritate 
 the late Government who may so easily come in 
 again ; for Palmerston will not forgive or forget 
 offences, and then France would be worse off than 
 before, with England. I therefore beg you to stop 
 St Aulaire for a little while, else / shall feel it a 
 great personal offence. 
 
 Mh — I have had a letter from Lord Melbourne 
 to-day who is much gratified by yours to him. . . . 
 Now adieu 1 Beheve me always, your devoted Niece, 
 
 ViCTOKIA R. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SuDBUKT Hali., Sth September 1841. 
 
 My dearest Niece, — I have not ventured to 
 disturb you with a letter since we parted, knowing 
 how fully your time was employed with business of 
 importance. I cannot any longer now refrain to 
 enquire after you, after all you have gone through 
 
 1 See post, p. 419. 
 
 ' A treaty on the subject was signed in London on 20th December between 
 Great Britain, France, Austria, Prussia, and Russia, 
 
404 LETTER FROM QUEEN ADELAIDE [chap, x 
 
 lately, and I must congratulate you with all my heart 
 on having so well completed your difficult task. 
 
 There is but one voice of praise, I hear, of your 
 perfect composure and beautiful conduct during the 
 'trying scenes of last week. It has gratified me more 
 than I can express, for I had fully expected it of you, 
 and it has made me very happy to find that it has 
 been generally remarked and has given so much 
 satisfaction. Everybody feels deeply for you, and 
 the devotion and zeal in your service is redoubled 
 by the interest your trying position has evoked. 
 May our Heavenly Father support and guide you 
 always as hitherto, is my constant prayer! 
 
 I hope that the selection of your Government 
 is to your own satisfaction, and though the change 
 must have been very trying to you, I trust that you 
 will have perfect confidence in the able men who 
 form your Council. Our beloved late King's anxious 
 wishes to see Wellington and Peel again at the head 
 of the Administration is now fulfiEed. His blessing 
 rests upon you. 
 
 Excuse my having touched upon this subject, 
 but I could not keep silent whilst the heart is so 
 full of earnest good wishes for your and the country's 
 prosperity. 
 
 1 hope that an article of the newspapers, of the 
 indisposition of your darling child, is not true, and 
 that she is quite well. God bless and protect her ! . . . 
 
 I am much amused with reading your Life by 
 Miss Strickland,* which, though full of errors, is earnest 
 on the whole, and very interesting to me. However, 
 I wish she would correct the gross errors which 
 otherwise wiU go down to posterity. She ought to 
 have taken first better information before she published 
 her work. . . . 
 
 With my affectionate love to dear Prince Albert, 
 believe me ever, my dearest Niece, your most devoted 
 and affectionate Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 1 Miss Agnes Strickland (1808-1874), who also edited Letters ef Mary 
 Qaeen of Scots, etc. 
 
1841] NEW ARRANGEMENTS 405 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 CLAREMomp, 9iA September 1841. 
 
 The Ministerial arrangements are now nearly- 
 completed. Writs for new elections moved last night. 
 
 Wrote to Sir Robert, telling him the Queen ought 
 to have heard from him respecting the adjournment 
 of the House of Commons, instead of seeing it first 
 in the public papers. Told him also of its being the 
 Queen's wish that a short report of the debates in 
 each House should always be sent to Her Majesty, 
 from him in the Commons and from the Duke of 
 Wellington in the Lords. 
 
 The Queen had a letter to-day from the Queen 
 Dowager, which was kindly meant, but which made 
 Her Majesty rather angry, complimenting Her Majesty 
 on the good grace with which she had changed her 
 Government, and saying that the late King's blessing 
 rested upon her for calling the Duke of Wellington 
 and Peel to her Councils, etc. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 9th September 1841. 
 
 The Queen takes this opportunity of writing to 
 Sir Robert Peel confidentially about another person: 
 
 this is about Lord . The Queen is strongly 
 
 of opinion that Lord should not be employed 
 
 in any post of importance, as his being so would, 
 in her opinion, be detrimental to the interests of 
 the country. The Queen wishes Sir Robert to 
 state this to Lord Aberdeen as her opinion. The 
 Queen is certain that Sir Robert will take care 
 that it should not be known generally that this is 
 her opinion, for she is always most anxious to avoid 
 anything that might appear personal towards anybody. 
 The Queen cannot refrain from saying that she can- 
 not quite approve of Sir Charles Bagot's ^ appointment, 
 as from what she has heard of his qualities she does 
 not think that they are of a character quite to suit 
 
 1 As Governor-General of Canada. 
 
406 CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS [chap, x 
 
 in the arduous and difficult position in which he will 
 be placed. At the same time the Queen does not 
 mean to object to his appointment (for she has 
 already formally approved of it), but she feels it her 
 duty to state frankly and at all times her opinion, 
 as she begs Sir Robert also to do unreservedly to 
 her. For the future, it appears to the Queen that it 
 would be best in all appointments of such importance 
 that before a direct communication was entered into 
 with the individual intended to be proposed, that the 
 Queen should be informed of it, so that she might 
 talk to her Ministers fully about it ; not because it is 
 likely that she would object to the appointment, but 
 merely that she might have time to be acquainted 
 with the qualities and abilities of the person. The 
 Queen has stated this thus freely to Sir Robert as 
 she feels certain that he will understand and appreciate 
 the motives which prompt her to do so. The Queen 
 would wish the Council to be at two on Tuesday, 
 and she begs Sir Robert would inform her which of 
 the Ministers besides him will attend. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 9th September 1841. 
 
 . . . Sir Robert Peel will have the honour of 
 writing to your Majesty to-morrow on the subjects 
 adverted to in the note which he has just received 
 from your Majesty. 
 
 He begs for the present to assure your Majesty 
 that he shall consider every communication which 
 your Majesty may be pleased to address to him in 
 reference to the personal merits or disqualifications 
 of individuals as of a most confidential character. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Mr Anson. 
 
 Whitehall, \Oth September 1841. 
 
 My dear Sir, — I am sorry if I have failed to 
 make any communication to Her Majesty respecting 
 
1841] THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS 407 
 
 public matters, which Her Majesty has been in the 
 habit of receiving, or which she would have wished 
 to receive. 
 
 Having been occupied in the execution of the 
 important trust committed to me not less than sixteen 
 or eighteen hours of the twenty-four for several days 
 past, it may be that I have made some omissions in 
 this respect, which under other circumstances I might 
 have avoided. I did not think Her Majesty would 
 wish to be informed of the issue of writs, necessarily 
 following the appointments to certain offices of all 
 which Her Majesty had approved. I certainly ought 
 to have written to Her Majesty previously to the 
 adjournment of the House of Commons until Thursday 
 the 16th of September. It was an inadvertent omission 
 on my part, amid the mass of business which I have 
 had to transact, and I have little doubt that if I had 
 been in Parliament I should have avoided it. 
 
 The circumstances of my having vacated my seat, 
 and of having thus been compelled to leave to others 
 the duty of proposing the adjournment of the House, 
 was one cause of my inadvertence. 
 
 Both the Duke of Wellington and I fully intended 
 to make a report to Her Majesty after the close of 
 the Parliamentary business of each day, and will do 
 so without fail on the reassembling of Parliament. 
 
 I am, my dear Sir, very faithfully yours, 
 
 Robert Peel. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, Wth September 1841. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne has no doubt that Sir Robert 
 Peel has the most anxious wish to do everything that 
 can be agreeable to your Majesty. 
 
 Your Majesty should not omit to speak fully 
 and seriously to him upon the disposal of great 
 appointments. Their Diplomatic Corps, from which 
 Ambassadors and Governors are generally taken, is 
 the weakest part of their estabUshment. They have 
 
408 DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENTS [chap, z 
 
 amongst them men of moderate abilities and of 
 doubtful integrity, who yet have held high offices 
 and have strong claims upon them. The public 
 service may suffer most essentially by the employment 
 of such men. Lord Melbourne would say to Peel that 
 " affairs depend more upon the hands to which they 
 are entrusted than upon any other cause, and that 
 you hope he will well consider those whose appoint- 
 ment to high and important situations he sanctions, 
 and that he will not suffer claims of connection or of 
 support to overbalance a due regard for your Majesty's 
 service and the welfare of the country." Such an 
 expression of your Majesty's opinion may possibly 
 be a support to Sir Robert Peel against pretensions 
 which he would be otherwise unable to resist ; but 
 this is entirely submitted to your Majesty's judgment, 
 seeing that your Majesty, from an exact knowledge 
 of all that is passing, must be able to form a much 
 more correct opinion of the propriety and discretion of 
 any step than Lord Melbourne can do. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne has a letter from Lord John Russell 
 rather eager for active opposition ; but Lord Melbourne 
 will write to your Majesty more fully upon these 
 subjects from Woburn. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria, 
 
 Woburn Abbey, i^th September 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne has this morning received your 
 Majesty's letter of yesterday. Lord Melbourne entirely 
 agrees with your Majesty about appointments. He 
 knows, as your Majesty does from experience, that 
 with all the claims which there are to satisfy, with 
 all the prejudices which are to be encountered, and 
 with all the interests which require to be reconciled, 
 it is impossible to select the best men, or even 
 always those properly qualified. He is the last 
 man who would wish that a Minister who has the 
 whole machine of the Government before him 
 
1841] GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF CANADA 409 
 
 should be unnecessarily thwarted or interfered with in 
 the selection of those whom he may be desirous to 
 employ. Lord Melbourne would therefore by no means 
 advise your Majesty to throw difficulty in the way of 
 the diplomatic arrangements which may be proposed, 
 unless there should be in them anything manifestly and 
 
 glaringly bad. The nomination of Lord would 
 
 have been so, but otherwise it cannot very greatly signify 
 who is the Ambassador at Vienna, or even at Peters- 
 burg or Paris. Stuart de Rothesay ^ and Strangford ^ are 
 not good men, either of them, but it will be difficult 
 for Lord Aberdeen to neglect their claims altogether. 
 Heytesbury^ is an able man, the best they have. 
 Sir Robert Gordon* is an honest man, slow but not 
 illiberal. It would be well if your Majesty showed 
 Lord Aberdeen that you know these men, and have 
 an opinion upon the subject of them. 
 
 Canada is another matter. It is a most difficult 
 and most hazardous task. There has been recent 
 rebellion in the country. A new Constitution has 
 lately been imposed upon it by Parliament. The two 
 Provinces have been united, and the united Province 
 is bordered by a most hostile and uncontrollable com- 
 munity, the United States of North America. To 
 govern such a country at such a moment requires a 
 man of great abilities, a man experienced and practical 
 in the management of popular assemblies. ... It is 
 possible that matters may go smoothly there, and that 
 if difficulties do arise Sir C. Bagot may prove more 
 equal to them than from his general knowledge of his 
 character Lord Melbourne would judge him to be. . . . 
 
 Upon the subject of diplomatic appointments 
 Lord Melbourne has forgotten to make one general 
 observation which he thmks of importance. Upon 
 
 1 The new ambassador to St Petersburg. 
 
 " Percy, sixth Viscount Strangford (1780-1855), fonnerly Ambassador to 
 Constantinople, whom Byron described as 
 
 " Hibernian Strangford, with thine eyes of blue. 
 And boasted locks of red or auburn hue." 
 ' See post, p. 414. 
 * The new ambassador to Vienna. 
 
410 INDIA AND AFGHANISTAN [chap, x 
 
 a change of Government a very great and sudden 
 change of all or many of the Ministers at Foreign 
 Courts is an evil and to be avoided, inasmuch as 
 it induces an idea of a general change of policy, 
 and disturbs everything that has been settled. 
 George III. always set his face against and dis- 
 couraged such numerous removals as tending to 
 shake confidence abroad in the Government of 
 England generally, and to give it a character of 
 uncertainty and instability. It would be well if 
 your Majesty could make this remark to Lord 
 Aberdeen. 
 
 Lord Ellenborough * to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Lord Ellenborough presents his most humble duty 
 to your Majesty, and humbly acquaints your Majesty 
 that having, on the morning after the Council held 
 at Claremont on the third of this month, requested 
 the clerks of the India Board to put him in posses- 
 sion of the latest information with respect to the 
 Political, Military, and Financial affairs of India, he 
 ascertained that on the 4th of June instructions had 
 been addressed to the Governor-General of India in 
 Council in the following terms : — " We direct that 
 unless circumstances now unknown to us should 
 induce you to adopt a different course, an adequate 
 force be advanced upon Herat, and that that city 
 and its dependencies may be occupied by our troops, 
 and dispositions made for annexing them to the 
 kingdom of Cabul."^ 
 
 The last letters from Calcutta, dated the 9th of 
 July, did not intimate any intention on the part of 
 the Governor - General in Council of directing any 
 hostile movement against Herat, and the Governor- 
 General himself having always evinced much reluc- 
 
 1 President of the Board of Control. 
 
 '' For the progress of affairs in Afghanistan, see Introductory Notes for 
 1839-184.2. 
 
1841] LORD ELLENBOROUGH'S REPORT 411 
 
 tance to extend the operations of the armj'- to that 
 city, it seemed most probable that the execution of 
 the orders of the 4th of June would have been 
 suspended until further communication could be had 
 with the Home Authorities. 
 
 Nevertheless, in a matter of so much moment it 
 did not appear to be prudent to leave anything to 
 probability, and at Lord EUenborough's instance your 
 Majesty's confidential servants came to the conclusion 
 that no time should be lost in addressing to the 
 Governor-General in Council a letter in the following 
 terms — such letter being sent, as your Majesty must 
 be aware, not directly by the Commissioners for the 
 Affairs of India, but, as the Act of Parliament pre- 
 scribes in affairs requiring secrecy, by their direction 
 through and in the name of the Secret Committee 
 of the Court of Directors : — 
 
 "From the Secret Committee of the Court of 
 Directors of the East India Company to the Governor- 
 General of India in Council. 
 
 " Her Majesty having been pleased to form a new 
 Administration, we think it expedient that no step 
 should be taken with respect to Herat which would 
 have the effect of compelling the prosecution of a 
 specific line of Policy in the countries beyond the 
 Indus, until the new Ministers shall have had time 
 to take the subject into their deliberate consideration, 
 and to communicate to us their opinions thereupon. 
 
 " We therefore direct that, unless you should 
 have already taken measures in pursuance of our 
 Instructions of the 4th of June 1841 — which commit 
 the honour of your Government to the prosecution 
 of the line of Policy which we thereby ordered you 
 to adopt, or which could not be arrested without 
 prejudice to the Public interests, or danger to the 
 troops employed — you will consider those Instruc- 
 tions to be suspended. 
 
 " We shall not fail to communicate to you at an 
 early period our fixed decision upon this subject," 
 
412 RUSSIA AND CENTRAL ASIA [chap, x 
 
 It was not possible to bring this subject before 
 your Majesty's confidential servants before the after- 
 noon of Saturday the 4th. The mail for India, which 
 should have been despatched on the 1st, had been 
 detained till Monday the 6th by the direction of your 
 Majesty's late Ministers, in order to enable your 
 Majesty's present servants to transmit to India and 
 China any orders which it might seem to them to be 
 expedient to issue forthwith. Further delay would 
 have been productive of much mercantile incon- 
 venience, and in India probably of much alarm. 
 In this emergency your Majesty's Ministers thought 
 that your Majesty would be graciously pleased to 
 approve of their exercising at once the power of 
 directing the immediate transmission to India of these 
 Instructions. 
 
 Your Majesty must have had frequently before 
 you strong proofs of the deep interest taken by 
 Russia in the affairs of Herat, and your Majesty 
 cannot but be sensible of the difficulty of maintain- 
 ing in Europe that good understanding with Russia 
 which has such an important bearing upon the general 
 peace, if serious differences should exist between your 
 Majesty and that Power with respect to the States 
 of Central Asia. 
 
 But even if the annexation of Herat to the 
 kingdom of Cabul were not to have the effect of 
 endangering the continuance of the good understand- 
 ing between your Majesty and Russia, still your 
 Majesty will not have failed to observe that the 
 further advance of your Majesty's forces 360 miles 
 into the interior of Central Asia for the purpose of 
 effecting that annexation, could not but render more 
 difficult of accomplishment the original intention of 
 your Ma-jesty, publicly announced to the world, of 
 withdrawing your Majesty's troops from Afghanistan 
 as soon as Shah Sooja should be firmly established 
 upon the throne he owes to your Majesty's aid. 
 
 These considerations alone would have led Lord 
 EUenborough to desire that the execution of the 
 
1841] INDIAN FINANCES 413 
 
 orders given on the 4th of June should at least be 
 delayed until your Majesty's confidential servants 
 had had time to consider maturely the Policy which 
 it might be their duty to advise your Majesty to 
 sanction with respect to the countries on the right 
 bank of the Indus ; but financial considerations 
 strengthened this desire and seemed to render it an 
 imperative duty to endeavour to obtain time for 
 mature reflection before any step should be taken 
 which might seriously affect the tranquillity of 
 Europe, and must necessarily have disastrous effects 
 upon the Administration of India. 
 
 It appeared that the political and military charges 
 now incurred beyond the Indus amounted to £1,250,000 
 a year — that the estimate of the expense of the 
 additions made to the Army in India, since April 
 1838, was £1,138,750 a year, and that the deficit of 
 Indian Revenue in 1839-40 having been £2,425,625, a 
 further deficit of £1,987,000 was expected in 1840-41. 
 
 Your Majesty must be too well informed of the 
 many evils consequent upon financial embarrass- 
 ment and entertains too deep a natural affection for 
 all your Majesty's subjects not to desire that in 
 whatever advice your Majesty's confidential servants 
 may tender to your Majesty with respect to the 
 Pohcy t6 be observed in Afghanistan, they should 
 have especial regard to the effect which the pro- 
 tracted continuance of military operations in that 
 country, still more any extension of them to a new 
 and distant field, would have upon the Finances of 
 India, and thereby upon the welfare of eighty millions 
 of people who there acknowledge your Majesty's rule. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Lord Ellenborough. 
 
 Windsor Casti-E, \9ih September 1841. 
 
 The Queen thanks Lord Ellenborough for this 
 clear and interesting Memorandum he has sent. It 
 seems to the Queen that the course intended to be 
 pursued — namely to take time to consider the aff'airs of 
 
414 LORD HEYTESBURY [chap, x 
 
 India without making any precipitate change in the 
 Policy hitherto pursued, and without involving the 
 country hastily in expenses, is far the best and safest. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 19<A September 1841. 
 
 In the conversation that the Queen had with Lord 
 Aberdeen last week, she omitted mentioning two 
 persons to him. The one is Ijord Heytesbury ; the 
 Queen believes him to be a very able man, and 
 would it not therefore be a good thing to employ 
 him in some important mission ? The other person 
 is Mr Aston, who is at Madrid ; the Queen hopes 
 it may be possible to leave him there, for she thinks 
 that he acted with great discretion, prudence, and 
 moderation since he has been there, and the post is 
 one of considerable importance. He was, the Queen 
 believes, long Secretary to the Legation at Paris. 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 FoHEiGN OrncE, '21st September 184.1. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen presents his most humble duty to 
 your Majesty. . . . 
 
 Lord Aberdeen has seen the favourable opinion 
 which your Majesty has been graciously pleased to 
 express of Lord Heytesbury, and he humbly presumes 
 to think that this honour is not unmerited. The 
 situation of Governor-General of India has recently 
 been proposed by Sir Robert Peel for Lord Heytes- 
 bury 's acceptance, which has been declined by him, 
 and it is understood that Lord Heytesbury is not at 
 present desirous of public employment.^ 
 
 Your Majesty's servants have not yet fully con- 
 sidered the propriety of submitting to your Majesty 
 any proposal of a change in the Spanish Mission ; but 
 the opinion which your Majesty has been pleased to 
 signify respecting the conduct of Mr Aston at Madrid 
 
 1 He was made Governor and Captain of the Isle of Wight, and Governor 
 of Carisbrook Castle. 
 
1841] THE SPANISH MISSION 41, 
 
 appears, in the humble judgment of Lord Aberdeen 
 to be fully confirmed by the correspondence in thi: 
 Office. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen would, however, venture humblj 
 to mention that the person filling this Mission ha; 
 usually been replaced on a change of the Administra 
 tion at home. Should this be the case in the preseni 
 instance. Lord Aberdeen begs to assure your Majestj 
 that the greatest care will be taken to select ar 
 individual for your Majesty's approbation who maj 
 be qualified to carry into effect the wise, just, and 
 moderate pohcy which your Majesty has beer 
 graciously pleased to recognise in the conduct of Mi 
 Aston. ' 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Royal Lodge, 21»< September 1841. 
 
 Saw Baron Stockmar this morning at the Castle, 
 and had a good deal of conversation with him on 
 various matters. He is very apprehensive that evil 
 will spring out of the correspondence now carried on 
 between the Queen and Lord Melbourne. He thinks 
 it is productive of the greatest possible danger, and 
 especially to Lord Melbourne ; he thought no Govern- 
 ment could stand such undermining influence. I 
 might tell this to Lord Melbourne, and say that if 
 he was totally disconnected from his Party, instead 
 of being the acknowledged head, there would not be 
 the same objection. He said. Remind Lord Melbourne 
 of the time immediately after the Queen's accession, 
 when he had promised the King of the Belgians to 
 write to him from time to time an account of all that 
 was going on in this country ; and upon Lord Melbourne 
 telling him of this promise, he replied, This will not 
 do. It cannot be kept a secret that you keep up this 
 correspondence, and jealousy and distrust will be the 
 fi-uit of a knowledge of it. " Leave it to me," he said, 
 " to arrange with the King ; you cease to write, and I 
 will put it straight with the King." 
 
416 CORRESPONDENCE WITH MELBOURNE [chap, x 
 
 The Baron seemed to expect Lord Melbourne to 
 draw the inference from this that a correspondence 
 between Lord Melbourne and the Queen was fraught 
 with the same danger, and would, when know^n, be 
 followed by distrust and jealousy on the part of Sir 
 Robert Peel. I said I reconciled it to myself because 
 I felt that it had been productive of much good and 
 no harm — and that, feeling that it was conducted on 
 such honourable terms, I should not, if it were necessary, 
 scruple to acquaint Sir Robert Peel of its existence. 
 The Baron said, "Ask Lord Melbourne whether he 
 would object to it." He said Peel, when he heard it, 
 would not, on the first impression, at all approve of 
 it ; but prudence and caution would be immediately 
 summoned to his aid, and he would see that it was 
 his policy to play the generous part — and would say 
 he felt all was honourably intended, and he had no 
 objection to offer — "but," said the Baron, "look to the 
 result. Distrust being implanted from the first, when- 
 ever the first misunderstanding arose, or things took 
 a wrong turn, all would, in Peel's mind, be immediately 
 attributed to this cause." 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 2ith September 1841. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I have already thanked you 
 for your two kind letters, but I did not wish to answer 
 them but by a Messenger. I feel thankful for your 
 praise of my conduct ; all is going on well, but it would 
 be needless to attempt to deny that I feel the change, 
 and I own I am much happier when I need not see 
 the Ministers ; luckily they do not want to see me often. 
 I feel much the King's kindness about St Aulaire ; ^ 
 I shall see him here on Tuesday next. 
 
 I return you our excellent friend Melbourne's letter, 
 which I had already seen, as he sent it me to read, and 
 then seal and send. I miss him much, but I often 
 hear from him, which is a great pleasure to me. It 
 
 1 See post, p. 419. 
 
1841] FINE ARTS COMMISSION 417 
 
 is a great satisfaction to us to have Stockmar here ; 
 he is a great resource, and is now in excellent spirits. 
 Mamma is, I suppose, with you now, and we may- 
 expect her here either next Thursday or Friday. 
 How much she will have to tell us ! I am very 
 grateful for what you say of Claremont, which could 
 so easily be made perfect; and I must say we enjoy 
 ourselves there always particulierement. . , . Albert 
 begs me to make you his excuses for not writing, but 
 I can bear testimony that he really has not time to-day. 
 And now addio ! dearest Uncle, and pray believe me 
 always, your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 96th September 1841. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs to be permitted to submit for your 
 Majesty's consideration a suggestion which has occurred 
 to Sir Robert Peel, and which has reference to the com- 
 munication which he recently addressed to your Majesty 
 on the subject of the promotion of the Fine Arts in 
 connection with the building of the new Houses of 
 ParUament. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel would humbly enquire from yout 
 Majesty whether (in the event of your Majesty's being 
 graciously pleased to approve of the appointment of a 
 Royal Commission for the further investigation and 
 consideration of a subject of such deep importance and 
 interest to the encouragement of art in this country) 
 your Majesty would deem it desirable that the Prince 
 should be invited in the name of your Majesty to place 
 himself at the head of this Commission, and to give to 
 it the authority and influence of his high name, and 
 the advantage of his taste and knowledge. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel will not of course mention this 
 subject to any one, until he has had the honour of 
 receiving from your Majesty an intimation of your 
 Majesty's opinions and wishes on this subject. 
 
 Vol. 1 — 27 
 
418 THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT [chap, x 
 
 Viscount 3Ielbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SoDTH Stkebtt, 28iA September 1841. 
 
 . . . The diplomatic appointments are as well as 
 they could be made. At least Lord Melbourne thinks 
 so — at least as much in consequence of those whom 
 they exclude, as of those whom they admit. The 
 Duke of Beaufort will do better for Petersburg 
 than for Vienna. He is hardly equal to the place, 
 which requires a clever man, it being more difficult 
 to get information there, and to find out what is going 
 on, than in any other country in Europe. . . . But Lord 
 Melbourne does not much regard this, and the Duke 
 of Beaufort possesses one advantage, which is of the 
 greatest importance in that country. He is a soldier, 
 was the Duke of Wellington's Aide-de-camp, and 
 served during much of the Peninsular War. He will 
 therefore be able to accompany the Emperor to 
 reviews, and to talk with him about troops and 
 manoeuvres. Sir Robert Gordon and Sir S. Canning 
 will do very well.' 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear that your 
 Majesty was pleased and impressed with Archdeacon 
 Wilberforce's ^ sermon and his manner of delivering 
 it. Lord Melbourne has never seen or heard him. 
 His father had as beautiful and touching a voice as 
 ever was heard. It was very fine in itself. He 
 spoiled it a little by giving it a methodistical and 
 precatory intonation. 
 
 Hayter has been to Lord Melbourne to-day to press 
 him to sit to him, which he will do as soon as 
 he has done with Chantrey. Chantrey says that all 
 Lord Melbourne's face is very easy except the mouth. 
 The mouth, he says, is always the most difficult 
 feature, and he can rarely satisfy himself with the 
 
 ' For Vienna and Constantinople. 
 
 2 Samuel, son of William Wilberforce, at this date Archdeacon of Surrey, 
 and chaplain to Prince Albert ; afterwards, in 1844, appointed Bishop of Oxford 
 and eventually translated to the see of Winchester. 
 
1841] STE AULAIRE 419 
 
 delineation of any mouth, but Lord Melbourne's is 
 so flexible and changeable that it is almost impossible 
 to catch it. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South SniEErr, \at October 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He received your Majesty's letter yesterday 
 evening, and cannot express to your Majesty how 
 much obliged he feels by your Majesty's taking the 
 trouble to give him so much information upon so 
 many points. Ste Aulaire's hair-powder seems to 
 make a very deep and general impression.^ Every- 
 body talks about it. " He appears to be very amiable 
 and agreeable," everybody says, but then adds, " 1 
 never saw a man wear so much powder." A head so 
 whitened with flour is quite a novelty and a prodigy 
 in these times. Lord Melbourne has not yet seen him, 
 but means to call upon him immediately. Lord 
 Melbourne is upon the whole glad that the Duke of 
 Beaufort has declined St Petersburg. It is an 
 appointment that might have been acquiesced in, 
 but would not have been approved. Bulwer'' will 
 not be a bad choice to accompany Sir Charles^ to 
 Canada. Your Majesty knows Bulwer well. He is 
 clever, keen, active ; somewhat bitter and caustic, and 
 rather suspicious. A man of a more straightforward 
 character would have done better, but it would be 
 easy to have found many who would have done 
 worse. Lord Melbourne is very glad that it has been 
 offered to the Prince to be at the head of this 
 Commission, and that His Royal Highness has accepted 
 it. It is an easy unexceptionable manner of seeing 
 and becoming acquainted with a great many people, 
 and of observing the mode of transacting business in 
 
 1 Madame de Lieven wrote to Aberdeen, 12th September 1841: " Ne jugez 
 pas cet Ambassadeur par son ext^rieur ; il personnifle un pen les Marquis de 
 Molifere. . . . Passez-lui ses cheveux poudr^s, son air galant et papillon 
 auprfes des femmes. He cannot help it." 
 
 » Sir Henry Bulwer, afterwards Lord Dalling. 
 
 ' Sir Charles Bagot 
 
420 HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT [chap, x 
 
 this country. The Commission itself will be a scene 
 of very considerable difference of opinion. Lord 
 Melbourne is for decorating the interior of the Houses 
 of Parliament, if it be right to do so, but he is not 
 for doing it, whether right or wrong, for the purpose of 
 spending the public money in the encouragement of the 
 Fine Arts. Whether it is to be painting or sculpture, 
 or both ; if painting, what sort of painting, what are to 
 be the subjects chosen, and who are to be the artists 
 employed ? All these questions furnish ample food 
 for discussion, difference, and dispute. Chantrey says 
 fresco will never do ; it stands ill in every climate, 
 will never stand long in this, even in the interior 
 of a building, and in a public work such as this is, 
 durability is the first object to be aimed at. He. says 
 that there is in the Vatican a compartment of which 
 the middle portion has been painted by Giulio Romano^ 
 in fresco, and at each of the ends there is a figure 
 painted by Raphael in oil. The fresco painting 
 has been so often repaired in consequence of decay, 
 that not a vestige of the original work remains ; while 
 the two figures painted by Raphael in oil still stand 
 out in aU their original freshness, and even improved 
 from what they were when first executed. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne dined and slept on Wednesday at 
 Wimbledon.^ He met there Lord and Lady Cottenham, 
 Lord^ and Lady Langdale, Lord Glenelg and his 
 brother Mr Wm. Grant, who was his private 
 secretary, and is an amusing man. Lord Melbourne is 
 going there again to-morrow to stay until Monday. 
 The place is beautiful ; it is not like Claremont, but 
 it is quite of the same character, and always puts 
 Lord Melbourne in mind of it. The Duchess has 
 many merits, but amongst them is the not small one 
 of having one of the best cooks in England. 
 
 * He was a pupil of Raphael, celebrated for (among other works) his 
 " Fall of the Titans." 
 
 ' The word is almost illegible. Wimbledon Park was the property of 
 Lord Spencer. 
 
 » Master of the Rolls. 
 
1841] PEERS AND AUDIENCES 421 
 
 Sir James Graham to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitkbali., 3ik{ October 1841. 
 
 Sir James Graham with humble duty begs to lay 
 before your Majesty two letters, which he has received 
 from the Earl of Radnor,' together with the copy 
 of the answer which Sir James Graham returned to 
 the first of the two letters. 
 
 If the presentation of Petitions were the sole 
 subject of the Audience, it might be needless to 
 impose on your Majesty the trouble incident to this 
 mode of receiving them, since they might be trans- 
 mitted through the accustomed channel of one of the 
 Secretaries of State ; but Sir James Graham infers 
 from a conversation which, since the receipt of the 
 letters he has had with Lord Radnor, that the 
 Audience is asked in exercise of a right claimed by 
 Peers of the Realm. 
 
 The existence of this right is not recognised by 
 Statute ; but it rests in ancient usage, and is noticed 
 by Judge Blackstone in his Commentaries on the 
 Laws of England in the following terms : — 
 
 " It is usually looked upon to be the right of each 
 particular Peer of the Realm to demand an Audience 
 of the King, and to lay before him, with decency and 
 respect, such matters as he shall judge of import- 
 ance to the public weal." 
 
 The general practice on the part of the Sovereign 
 has been not to refuse these Audiences when Peers 
 have asked them. . . . 
 
 The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's 
 dutiful Subject and Servant, J. R. G. Graham. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir James Graham. 
 
 Windsor Castle, Srd October 1841. 
 
 The Queen has received Sir James Graham's 
 communication with the enclosures. She thinks 
 that it would be extremely inconvenient if Audiences 
 
 1 William, third Earl, formerly M.P. for Salisbury. 
 
422 LORD RADNOR'S CLAIM [chap. % 
 
 were to be granted to Peers for the purpose of 
 presenting Petitions or Addresses. The Queen knows 
 that it has always been considered a sort of right of 
 theirs to ask for and receive an Audience of the 
 King or Queen. But the Queen knows that upon 
 several occasions Lord Melbourne and Lord John 
 Russell wrote to the Peers who requested Audiences 
 stating that it would be very inconvenient for the 
 Queen, particularly in the country, and that they 
 had better either put off asking for it, till the 
 Queen came to town, or send what they had to 
 say ; communicate in writing — which was complied 
 with. If, therefore. Sir J. Graham would state this 
 to Lord Radnor, he may probably give up pressing 
 for an Audience. Should he, however, urge his 
 wish very strongly, the Queen will see him in the 
 manner proposed by Sir James. The Queen would 
 wish to hear from Sir James again before she gives 
 a final answeh 
 
 Lord Ellenborough to Queen Victoria. 
 
 India Board, 2nd October IS'^ 
 
 Lord Ellenborough with his most humble duty 
 to your Majesty humbly acquaints your Majesty that 
 your Majesty's Ministers, taking into consideration the 
 smallness of the force with which the campaign in 
 China was commenced this year, and the advanced 
 period of the season at which the reinforcements 
 would arrive (which reinforcements would not so 
 raise the strength of the Army as to afford any 
 reasonable expectation that its operations will produce 
 during the present year any decisive results), have 
 deemed it expedient that instructions would be at 
 once issued to the Indian Government with a view 
 to the making of timely preparations for the 
 campaign of 1842.* 
 
 Your Majesty's Ministers are of opinion that the 
 
 1 Ningpo was taken by Sir Hugh Gough on 13th October 1841, and no 
 further operations took place till the spring of the following year. See Intro- 
 ductory Note, ante, p, 320. 
 
1841] THE CHINESE CAMPAIGN 423 
 
 War with China should be conducted on an enlarged 
 scale, and the Indian Government will be directed to have 
 all their disposable military and naval force at Singapore 
 in April, so that the operations may commence at the 
 earhest period which the season allows. 
 
 Lord Ellenborough cannot but entertain a sanguine 
 expectation that that force so commencing its opera- 
 tions, and directed upon a point where it will intercept 
 the principal internal communication of the Chinese 
 Empire, will finally compel the Chinese Government 
 to accede to terms of Peace honourable to your 
 Majesty, and affording future security to the trade 
 of your Majesty's subjects. 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Windsor Castle, ^rd October 184H. 
 
 Sat by the Queen last night at dinner. Her 
 Majesty alluded to Sir Robert Peel's awkward manner, 
 which she felt she could not get over. I asked if 
 Her Majesty had yet made any effort, which I was 
 good-humouredly assured Her Majesty "thought she 
 really had done." 
 
 Sir Robert's ignorance of character was most striking 
 and unaccountable ; feeling this, made it difficult for 
 Her Majesty to place reliance upon his judgment in 
 recommendations. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Stbeet, ith October 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty. He had the honour of receiving 
 your Majesty's letter of the 2nd inst. yesterday, at 
 Wimbledon. If Lord Melbourne should hear anything 
 of what your Majesty asks respecting the impression 
 made upon Sir Robert and Lady Peel, he will take 
 care and inform your Majesty, but, of course, they 
 will speak very favourably, and if they feel otherwise 
 will not breathe it except in the most secret and 
 confidential manner. 
 
424 ENGLISH AND FOREIGN ARTISTS [chap, x 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very much rejoiced to hear that 
 the Duchess of Kent arrived safe and well in 
 good spirits. 
 
 Lord Melbourne sat to Sir F. Chantrey on Saturday 
 last. He will. Lord Melbourne believes, require only 
 one more sitting, which he wishes to be at the distance 
 of a week from the last, in order that he may take a 
 fresh view of the bust, and not become reconciled 
 to its imperfections by continually looking at it. It 
 may give the Prince some idea of the national feeling 
 which prevails here, when he is told that Lord 
 Melbourne upon asking Sir F. Chantrey what ought to 
 be done if foreign artists were employed to paint the 
 Houses of Parliament, received from him the following 
 answer: "Why, their heads ought to be broke and 
 they driven out of the country, and, old as I am, I 
 should like to lend a hand for that purpose." 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 6th October 1841. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne, by telling your Majesty what 
 Sir Francis Chantrey said respecting foreign artists, 
 and by requesting your Majesty to repeat it to the 
 Prince, by no means intended to imply that there 
 was any disposition on the part of His Royal Highness 
 to recommend the employment of foreigners. He only 
 meant to convey an idea of the strength of the pre- 
 judice which is felt by enlightened and able men 
 upon the subject. Lord Melbourne has been sitting 
 this morning to Hajrter for the picture of the marriage, 
 and he (Hayter) held an entirely contrary language. 
 His tone is : " If foreign artists are more capable than 
 English, let them be employed. All I require is that 
 the work should be done as well as it can be." The 
 English are certainly very jealous of foreigners, and 
 so, Lord Melbourne apprehends, are the rest of man- 
 kind, but not knowing himself any nation except the 
 EngUsh, he cannot venture to make positively that 
 assertion. Lord Melbourne has been reading the 
 
m. fi. ,9{^ She ^' 
 
 ':iL tic/ie,y.) a/ rZ^ic/t/^ 
 
 tJrr-crrn, ihe portrxiAJ^ lyy J<yhyrL Jitcccui cot Lclonxi^xyr LcuytCe- 
 
 ISi/ 
 
1841] LORD MELBOURNE AND THE COURT 425 
 
 evidence given before the committee of the House 
 of Commons upon this subject. It is well worth 
 attention, particularly Mr Eastlake's/ which apppears 
 to Lord JNIelbourne to be very enlightened, dispassionate, 
 and just. . . . 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 6th October 1841. 
 
 Sat by Her Majesty last night at dinner. 
 
 The Queen had written to Lord Melbourne about 
 coming to the Castle, but in his answer he had made 
 no allusion to it ; she did not know whether this was 
 accidental or intentional, for he very often gave no 
 answer to questions which were put. 
 
 I told Her Majesty that I feared he had raised 
 an obstacle to his visit by making a strong speech 
 against the Government just at the time he was 
 thinking of coming. That this attack had identified 
 him as the leader of his Party, at a moment when I 
 had been most anxious that he should abstain from 
 taking an active part, and by withdrawing himself 
 from politics he would enable himself to become the 
 more useful friend to Her Majesty. The Queen had 
 not seen the speech, was sorry he had felt himself 
 obliged to make it, but it would be difficult for him 
 to avoid it after having been so long Prime Minister. 
 
 Her Majesty told me that previous to the exit 
 of the late Government, Lord John had earnestly 
 cautioned Her Majesty not to propose any new grant 
 of money, as it would in the case of £70,000 for 
 the new stables, however unfairly, bring great 
 unpopularity upon the Queen. I said in regard 
 to any increase to the Prince's annuity, I thought 
 it would be very imprudent in him to think of 
 it, except under very peculiar circumstances which 
 might arise, but which could not yet be foreseen. 
 The Queen said that nothing should induce Her 
 Majesty to accept such a favour from these Ministers. 
 
 1 Afterwards Sir Charles EasUake, Keeper of the National Gallery, 
 1843-1847, President of the Royal Academy, 18S0-186S. 
 
426 THE QUEEN AND HER GOVERNMENT [chap, x 
 
 Peel probably now regretted his opposition to the 
 grant, but it was, and was intended to be, a personal 
 insult to herself, and it was followed up [by] opposition 
 to her private wishes in the precedency question, where 
 the Duke of Wellington took the lead against her 
 wishes, as Peel had done in the Commons against the 
 Prince's grant. She never could forget it, and no 
 favour to her should come from such a quarter. I 
 told Her Majesty I could not rest the Prince's case 
 on Her Majesty's objections if they were the only ones 
 which could be brought forward. If the case again arose 
 I feared Her Majesty would find many who before, from 
 Party views, voted according to Her Majesty's wishes, 
 would now rank on the opposite side. 
 
 Her Majesty asked Dr. Hawtrey the evening before 
 who was the cleverest boy at Eton. 
 
 Dr Hawtrey made a profound bow to the Queen 
 and said, " I trust your Majesty will excuse my answer- 
 ing, for if I did I make 600 enemies at once." 
 
 Memorandum by Baron Stockmar. 
 
 6th October 184,1. 
 
 The Queen had asked Lord Melbourne whether 
 he would soon visit her at Windsor. He had not 
 replied on that point, but had written to Prince Albert 
 in order to learn first the Prince's opinion on the 
 feasibility of the matter. 
 
 The Prince sent for me and consulted with me. 
 I was of opinion that the Prince had better refrain 
 fi'om giving an answer, and that I should give my 
 opinion in the written form of a Memorandum, with 
 which Anson should betake himself to town. He 
 was to read it aloud to Melbourne, and orally to add 
 what amplications might be necessary. 
 
 And so it was done. 
 
 My Memorandum was as follows : — 
 
 Sir Robert Peel has yet to make his position 
 opposite^ the Queen, which for him to obtain is 
 
 1 I.e. with. 
 
1841] STOCKMAR'S OPINION 427 
 
 important and desirable from obvious reasons. I 
 have good cause to doubt that Sir Robert is sure 
 within himself of the good -will and confidence of the 
 Queen. As long as the secret communication exists 
 between Her Majesty and Lord Melbourne, this 
 ground, upon which alone Sir Robert could obtain 
 the position necessary to him as Premier, must remain 
 cut away from under his feet. I hold, therefore, this 
 secret interchange an essential injustice to Sir Robert's 
 present situation. I think it equally wrong to call 
 upon the Prince to give an opinion on the subject, 
 as he has not the means to cause his opinion to be 
 either regarded or complied with. In this particular 
 matter nobody has paramount power to do right or 
 wrong but the Queen, and more especially Lord 
 Melbourne himself. To any danger which may come 
 out of this to Her Majesty's character, the caution 
 and objection must come from him, and from him 
 alone; and if I was standing in his shoes I would 
 show the Queen, of my own accord, and upon 
 constitutional grounds too, that a continued corre- 
 spondence of that sort must be fraught with imminent 
 danger to the Queen, especially to Lord Melbourne, 
 and to the State. 
 
 I then gave Anson the further arguments with 
 which he was to accompany the reading out of this 
 Memo. 
 
 On the next day Anson went to Melbourne and 
 told him that his note to him had raised a great 
 consultation, that the Prince felt much averse to 
 giving any opinion in a case upon which he could 
 exercise no control, and in which, if it was known 
 that he had given his sanction, he would be held 
 responsible for any mischief which might arise. He 
 had consulted Baron Stockmar, who had written the 
 enclosed opinion, which the Prince had desired Anson 
 to read to Lord Melbourne. Melbourne read it 
 attentively twice through, with an occasional change 
 of countenance and compression of lips. He said on 
 concluding it : " This is a most decided opinion indeed. 
 
428 DISCRETION URGED ON MELBOURNE [chap, x 
 
 quite an ' apple ^ opinion.'" Anson told him that the 
 Prince felt that if the Queen's confidence in Peel 
 was in a way to be established, it would be extremely 
 shaken by his (Lord Melbourne's) visit at such a 
 moment He felt that it would be better that Lord 
 Melbourne's appearance should be in London, where 
 he would meet the Queen only on the terms of 
 general society, but at the same time he (the Prince) 
 was extremely reluctant to give an opinion upon a 
 case which Lord Melbourne's own sense of right 
 ought to decide. Anson added how he feared his 
 speech of yesterday in the House of Lords * had added 
 another impediment to his coming at this moment, 
 as it had identified him with and established as the 
 head of the Opposition party, which he (Anson) had 
 hoped Melbourne would have been able to avoid. 
 Melbourne, who was then sitting on the sofa, rushed 
 up upon this, and went up and down the room in a 
 violent frenzy, exclaiming — " God eternally d — n it I " 
 etc., etc. " Flesh and blood cannot stand this. 1 only 
 spoke upon the defensive, which Ripon's speech at 
 the beginning of the session rendered quite necessary. 
 I cannot be expected to give up my position in the 
 country, neither do 1 think that it is to the Queen's 
 interest that I should." 
 
 Anson continued that the Baron thought that no 
 Ministry could stand the force of such an undercurrent 
 influence, that all the good that was to be derived from 
 pacifying the Queen's mind at the change had been 
 gained, and that the danger which we were liable to, 
 and which threatened him in particular, could only be 
 averted by his own straightforward decision with the 
 Queen. Anson asked him, if he saw any danger likely 
 to arise from this correspondence. After a long pause 
 he said, " / certainly cannot think it right" though 
 he felt sure that some medium of communication of 
 
 1 No doubt Lord Melbourne said an " apple-pie opinion." 
 ' At the opening of the Session Lord Ripon had reprobated the late 
 Government for resorting to temporary expedients, and Lord Melbourne on 
 the second reading of the Exchequer-bills Funding Bill, caustically but good- 
 bumouredly replied to the attack. 
 
1841] LORD MELBOURNE'S INFLUENCE 429 
 
 this sort was no new precedent. He took care never 
 to say anything which could bring his opinion in 
 opposition to Sir Eoberfs, and he should distinctly 
 advise the Queen to adhere to her Ministers in every- 
 thing,^ unless he saw the time had arrived at which 
 it viight be resisted"^ The principal evil, rephed 
 Anson, to be dreaded from the continuance of Lord 
 Melbourne's influence was, according to the Baron's 
 opinion, that so long as the Queen felt she could 
 resort to Lord Melbourne for his advice, she never 
 would be disposed (from not feeling the necessity) to 
 place any real confidence in the advice she received 
 from Peel. 
 
 The Earl of Liverpool to Baron Stockmar} 
 
 Fife House, 1th October 1841. 
 
 My dear Baron, — Peel sent for me this morning 
 to speak to me about the contents of his letter to me. 
 After some general conversation on matters respecting 
 the Royal Household, he said that he had had much 
 satisfaction in his intercourse lately with Her Majesty, 
 and specifically yesterday, and he asked me whether I 
 had seen Her Majesty, or the Prince yesterday, and 
 whether they were satisfied with him. I told him that 
 except in pubUc I had not seen Her Majesty, and 
 except for a moment in your room I had not seen the 
 Prince, but that as he spoke to me on this matter, I 
 must take the opportunity of saying a word to him 
 about you, from whom I had learnt yesterday that 
 both the Queen and Prince are extremely well pleased 
 with him. That I had known you very long, but that 
 our great intimacy began when King Leopold sent you 
 
 > JVote hy Baron Stoekmar. — If he wishes to carry this out consistently and 
 quite honestly, what then is the value of his advice, if it be only the copy of 
 that of Sir R. Peel? 
 
 ' Note by Baron Stochmar. —This means, in my way of reading it : "The 
 Queen, by her correspondence with me, puts Peel into my hands, and there 
 I mean to let him stay unhurt, until time and extraneous circumstances 
 — but more especially the advantage that will accrue to me by my secret 
 correspondence' with the Queen — shall enable me to plunge, in all security, 
 the dagger into his back." 
 
 > This letter was submitted to the Queen. 
 
430 STOCKMAR AND PEEL [chap, x 
 
 Over just previous to the Queen's accession ; that we 
 had acted together on that occasion, and that our 
 mutual esteem and intimacy had increased ; that your 
 position was a very peculiar one, and that you might 
 be truly said to be a species of second parent to the 
 Queen and the Prince ; that your only object was their 
 welfare, and your only ambition to be of service to 
 them ; that in this sense you had communicated with 
 Melbourne, and that I wished that in this sense you 
 should communicate with him (Peel). He said that 
 he saw the matter exactly as I did, that he wished to 
 communicate with you, and felt the greatest anxiety 
 to do everything to meet the wishes of the Queen 
 and Prince in all matters within his power, and as 
 far as consistent with his known and avowed political 
 principles ; that in all matters respecting the Household 
 and their private feelings that the smallest hint sufficed 
 to guide him, as he would not give way to any party 
 feeling or job which should in any way militate against 
 Her Majesty or his Royal Highness's comfort ; that he 
 wished particularly that it should be known that he 
 never had a thought of riding roughshod over Her 
 Majesty's wishes ; that if you would come to him at 
 any time, and be candid and explicit with him, you 
 might depend upon his frankness and discretion; that 
 above all if you had said anything to him, and 
 expressed a wish that it might not be communicated 
 even to the Duke of Wellington (that was his 
 expression), that he wished me to assure you that 
 your wishes should be strictly attended to. Pray give 
 me a line to say that you do not disapprove of what 1 
 have done. We had a great deal more conversation, 
 but with this I will not now load my letter, being ever 
 sincerely yours, Liverpool. 
 
 Direct your answer to this house. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Steeet, 9th October 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has this morning received your Majesty's 
 
1841] PEERS AND AUDIENCES 431 
 
 letter of yesterday. There can be no doubt that your 
 Majesty is right about the Audiences which have been 
 requested. . . . 
 
 Sir Robert Peel is probably right in supposing that 
 the claim of a Peer to an Audience of the Sovereign 
 originated in early times, and before the present course 
 of government by responsible advisers was fully and 
 decidedly established, which it hardly can be said to 
 have been until after the accession of the House of 
 Hanover, but the custom of asking for such Audiences, 
 and of their being in general granted, was well known, 
 and has for the most part been observed and adhered to. 
 Lord Melbourne remembers that during the part of the 
 French War when considerable alarm began to prevail 
 respecting its duration, and the serious aspect which 
 it was assuming, George III. gave Audiences to the 
 Duke of Norfolk and others, which he certainly would 
 not have been inclined to do if he had not thought 
 himself bound by his duty and by Constitutional 
 precedent. At the time of the passing of the Roman 
 Catholic Relief Act, George IV. received very many 
 Peers, much no doubt against his will, who came 
 to remonstrate with him upon the course which his 
 Ministers were pursuing. William IV. did the same 
 at the time of the Reform Bill, and certainly spoke 
 upon the subject in a manner which Lord Melbourne 
 always thought indiscreet and imprudent. Upon the 
 whole the practice has been so much acted upon and 
 established, that Lord Melbourne will certainly not 
 think it wise to make any alteration now, especially 
 as it has in itself beneficial effects, especially as in 
 a time of strong political feeling it is a satisfaction to 
 the people to think that their wishes and opinions are 
 laid before the Sovereign fairly and impartially. It is 
 not likely to be a very heavy burthen, inasmuch as such 
 Audiences are only asked at particular moments, and 
 they are not in themselves very burthensome nor 
 difficult to deal with. It is only for the Sovereign to 
 say that he is convinced of the good motives which 
 have actuated the step, and that consideration will be 
 
432 PEERS AND AUDIENCES [chap, x 
 
 given to the matter and arguments which have been 
 stated. 
 
 Lord Melbom-ne has one vague recollection of a 
 correspondence upon this subject between Lord Holland 
 and some King, but does not remember the circum- 
 stances with any accuracy. 
 
 Duncannon ^ persuaded Brougham to give up asking 
 an Audience upon condition of Lord Melbourne's 
 promising to place his letters in your Majesty's hands, 
 which he did.^ Lord Charlemont* also was prevented 
 in some manner or another, which Lord Melbourne 
 forgets. 
 
 Upon the whole. Lord Melbourne thinks that it is 
 best to concede this privilege of the Peerage, whether 
 it actually exists or not, but to restrain it within due 
 and reasonable bounds, which in ordinary times it is 
 not difficult to do. Extraordinary times must be dealt 
 with as they can be. . . . 
 
 Lady A is, as your Majesty says, good- 
 natured. She talks three or four times as much as she 
 ought, and like many such women often says exactly 
 
 the things she ought not to say. Lady B has ten 
 
 times the sense of her mother, and a little residue 
 of her folly. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 9th October 1841. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel with his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, begs leave to inform your Majesty that in 
 consequence of the opinion which your Majesty was 
 graciously pleased to express when Sir Robert Peel 
 last had the honour of waiting upon your Majesty, 
 with respect to the superior qualifications of Lord 
 EUenborough for the important trust of Governor- 
 General of India, Sir Robert Peel saw his Lordship 
 yesterday, and enquired whether he would permit Sir 
 
 1 Ex-First Commissioner of Land Revenue. 
 > See ante, pp. 368 and 4.21-2. 
 
 8 Francis William, fifth Viscount Chariemont (1775-1863) created a Peer 
 of the United Kingdom in 1837. 
 
1841] LORD ELLENBOROUGH AND INDIA 
 
 Robert Peel to propose his appointment to your 
 Majesty. 
 
 Lord Ellenborough was very much gratified by the 
 proposal, admitted at once that it was very difficult to 
 find an unexceptionable candidate for an office of such 
 pre-eminent importance, but made some difficulty on 
 two points. 
 
 First — Considerations of health, which though 
 disregarded personally by himself, might he feared 
 interfere with the execution of such unremitting and 
 laborious duties as would devolve upon the Governor- 
 General of India. 
 
 Secondly — The consideration that on his acceptance 
 of the office he would be required by law to give up 
 during his tenure of it no less than £7,500 per annum, 
 the amount of compensation now paid to him in 
 consequence of the abolition of a very valuable office ^ 
 which he held in the Courts of Law. 
 
 During Lord Ellenborough's conversation with Sir 
 Robert Peel, and while the mind of Lord Ellenborough 
 was very much in doubt as to the policy of his acceptance 
 of the office, the box which contained your Majesty's 
 note of yesterday was brought to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel humbly acquaints your Majesty 
 that he ventured to read to Lord Ellenborough on the 
 instant the concluding paragraph of your Majesty's 
 note, namely — 
 
 "The more the Queen thinks of it, the more she 
 thinks that Lord EUenborough would be far the most 
 fit person to send to India." 
 
 Sir Robert Peel is perfectly convinced that this 
 opinion of your Majesty, so graciously expressed, 
 removed every doubt and difficulty from Lord 
 Ellenborough's mind, and decided him to forego every 
 personal consideration rather than appear unmindful 
 of such a favourable impression of his qualifications for 
 pubUc service on the part of his Sovereign. 
 
 1 He was Joint Chief Clerk of the pleas in the Queen's Bench, a sinecure 
 conferred on him by his father, who was Lord Chief Justice of the King's 
 Bench, 1802-1818. 
 Vol. I — 28 
 
434 AFFAIRS IN SPAIN [chap, x 
 
 Sir Robert Peel humbly hopes that your Majesty 
 will not disapprove of the use which he made of a 
 confidential note from your Majesty. 
 
 As your Majesty kindly permitted Sir Robert Peel 
 to send occasionally letters to your Majesty of a private 
 rather than a public character, he ventures to enclose 
 one from the Duke of Wellington on the subject of 
 the appointment of Governor-General. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel had observed to the Duke of 
 Wellington that he had great confidence in Lord 
 EUenborough's integrity, unremitting industry, and 
 intimate knowledge of Indian affairs ; that his only 
 fear was that Lord EUenborough might err from over- 
 activity and eagerness — but that he hoped his tendency 
 to hasty decisions would be checked by the experience 
 and mature judgment of Indian advisers on the spot. 
 
 The Duke of Wellington's comments have reference 
 to these observations of Sir Robert Peel. Your Majesty 
 will nevertheless perceive that the Duke considers upon 
 the whole " that Lord EUenborough is better qualified 
 than any man in England for the office of Governor- 
 General." 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, l^th October 1841. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — ... Respecting the Spanish 
 affairs,* I can give you perfectly satisfactory intelli- 
 gence concerning the Infants' return. Espartero sees 
 them return with the greatest regret, but said he felt 
 he could not prevent them from doing so. If, 
 however, they should be found to intrigue at all, 
 they will not be allowed to remain. Respecting a 
 marriage with the eldest son of Dona Carlotta, I 
 know positively that Espartero never would hear of 
 it ; but, on the other hand, he is equally strongly 
 
 1 The Queen Mother who was living in Paris had been deprived by a vote 
 of the Cortes of the guardianship of the young Queen, Isabella II., and 
 risings in her interest now took place at Parapeluna and Vittoria. On the 
 7tli October, a bold attempt was made at Madrid to storm the Palace, and get 
 possession of the person of the young Queen. Queen Christina denied com- 
 plicity, but the Regent, Espartero, suspended her pension on the ground 
 that she had encouraged the conspirators. 
 
1841] LORD ELLENBOROUGH'S APPOINTMENT 435 
 
 opposed to poor little Isabel marrying any French 
 Prince, and 1 must add that we could never allow 
 that. You will see that I have given you a frank 
 and fair account. . . . 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 12iA October 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and returns many thanks for the letter received 
 yesterday informing Lord Melbourne of the time of 
 your Majesty's coming to London. Lord Melbourne 
 earnestly hopes that your Majesty continues well. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear of the 
 appointment of Lord Ellenborough. The reasons 
 which your Majesty gives are sound and just, and 
 it is of great importance that a man not only of 
 great ability but of high station, and perfectly in the 
 confidence of the Government at home, should be 
 named to this important post. Lord Ellenborough 
 is a man of gi-eat abilities, of much knowledge of 
 India, of great industry and of very accurate habits 
 of business, and Lord Melbourne knows of no objection 
 to his appointment, except the loss of him here, 
 where, whether in or out of office, he has always 
 been of great service. He has hitherto been an 
 unpopular man, and his manners have been considered 
 contemptuous and overbearing, but he is evidently 
 much softened and amended in this respect, as most 
 men are by time, experience and observation. Lord 
 Fitzgerald ^ is a very able public man. Lord Melbourne 
 would say one of the most able, if not the most 
 able they have ; but Lord Melbourne is told by others, 
 who know Lord Fitzgerald better, that Lord Melbourne 
 overrates him. He is a very good speaker, he has 
 not naturally much industry, and his health is bad, 
 which wiU probably disable him from a very close 
 and assiduous attention to business. It is, however, 
 
 ' On Lord Ellenborough becoming Governor-General, Lord Fitzgerald and 
 Vesci, an ex-M.P., and former Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer, succeeded 
 him at the Board of Control. 
 
FRANCE AND SPAIN [chap, x 
 
 upon the whole an adequate appointment, and he is 
 perhaps more Ukely to go on smoothly with the 
 Court of Directors, which is a great matter, than 
 Lord EUenborough. 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 FoHEiGN Office, \6th October 1841. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen, with his most humble duty, begs to 
 lay before your Majesty a private letter from M. Guizot, 
 which has just been communicated to him by M. de Ste 
 Aulaire, on the recent attempt in favour of Queen 
 Christina in Spain. Your Majesty will see that 
 although M. Guizot denies, with every appearance of 
 sincerity, all participation of the French Government 
 in this attempt, he does not conceal that it has their 
 cordial good wishes for its success. These feelings, 
 on the part of such a Government as that of France, 
 will probably be connected with practical assistance 
 of some kind, although M. Guizot's declarations may 
 perhaps be literally true. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 The Queen must say that she fears the French are 
 at the bottom of it, for their jealousy of our influence 
 in Spain is such, that the Queen fears they would not 
 be indisposed to see civil war to a certain degree 
 restored, rather than that Spain should go on quietly 
 supported by us.^ The Queen, however, hopes that, 
 as far as it is possible, the English Government will 
 support the present Regent, who is thoroughly attached 
 to England, and who, from all that the Queen hears of 
 him, is the fittest man they have in Spain for the post 
 he occupies ; and indeed matters till now had gone on 
 much more quietly than they had for some time previous, 
 since Espartero is at the head of the Government. The 
 French intrigues should really be frustrated. The Queen 
 certainly thinks that M. Guizot's veracity is generally 
 not to be doubted, but the conduct of France regarding 
 Spain has always been very equivocal. 
 
 > See post, p. 438. 
 
1841] PROFESSOR WHEWELL 437 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 I6th October 1841. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel, with his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, begs leave to acquaint your Majesty that the 
 Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, has formally 
 signified his wish to retire from the duties of that 
 important trust. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel has reason to believe that it 
 would be advantageous that the selection of a successor 
 to Dr Wordsworth should be made from members of 
 Trinity College who are or have been fellows of the 
 College. Of these, the most eminent in respect to the 
 quaUfications required in the office of Master, and to 
 academical distinction, are : — 
 Professor Whewell.^ 
 
 The Rev Mr Martin,'' Bursar of the College. 
 The Rev Dr Wordsworth,' Head Master of 
 Harrow School, and son of the present 
 Master of Trinity. 
 The latter is a highly distinguished scholar, but his 
 success as Head Master of Harrow has not been such 
 as to overcome the objection which applies on general 
 grounds to the succession of a father by a son in an 
 office of this description. 
 
 Professor Whewell is a member of Trinity College 
 of the highest scientific attainments. His name is 
 probably familiar to your Majesty as the author of 
 one of the Bridgewater Treatises,* and of other works 
 which have attracted considerable notice. 
 
 He is a general favourite among all who have had 
 intercourse with him from his good temper and easy 
 and conciliatory manners. Though not peculiarly 
 
 1 Then Knightsbridge Professor of Moral Philosophy. 
 ' Francis Martin, afterwards Vice-Master, died 1868. 
 
 * Christopher Wordsworth, afterwards Bishop of Lincoln. 
 
 * By the will (dated 1825) of the eighth Earl of Bridgewater — who must 
 not be confounded with the third and last Duke, projector of inland navigation 
 — £8,000 was left for the best work on the " Goodness of God as manifested 
 in the Creation." The money was divided amongst eight persons, including 
 Whewell, wlio wrote on Astronomy, considered in reference to Natural 
 Theology. 
 
438 QUEEN CHRISTINA [chap, x 
 
 eminent as a divine (less so at least than a writer 
 on scientific and philosophical subjects), his works 
 manifest a deep sense of the importance of religion 
 and sound rehgious views. The Archbishop of 
 Canterbury^ and the Bishop of London^ (himself of 
 Trinity College) inchne to think that the most satis- 
 factory appointment upon the whole would be that 
 of Professor Whewell. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel, after making every enquiry into the 
 subject, and with a deep conviction of the importance 
 of the appointment, has arrived at the same conclusion 
 and humbly therefore recommends to your Majesty that 
 Professor Whewell should succeed Dr Wordsworth as 
 Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 nth October 18il. 
 
 The Queen received Lord Aberdeen's letter 
 yesterday evening, and quite approves of the draft to 
 Mr Aston, and of Lord Aberdeen's having sent it off 
 at once. Her earnest wish is that the English 
 Government should be firm, and uphold the Regent 
 as far as it is in our power. The Queen has perused 
 M. Guizot's letter with great attention, but she cannot 
 help fearing that assistance and encouragement has 
 been given in some shape or other to the revolts 
 which have taken place. The Queen Christina's 
 residence at Paris is very suspicious, and much to be 
 regretted ; every one who saw the Queen and knew 
 her when Regent, knew her to be clever and capable of 
 governing, had she but attended to her duties. This 
 she did not, but wasted her time in frivolous amuse- 
 ments and neglected her children sadly, and finally left 
 them. It was her own doing, and therefore it is not the 
 kindest conduct towards her children, but the very 
 worst, to try and disturb the tranquilhty of a country 
 which was just beginning to recover fi:om the baneful 
 effects of one of the most bloody civil wars imaginable. 
 
 1 WUliam Howley. C. J. Blomfield. 
 
1841] QUEEN ISABELLA 439 
 
 The Queen is certain that Lord Aberdeen will 
 feel with her of what importance it is to England 
 that Spain should not become subject to French 
 interests, as it is evident France wishes to make it. 
 The marriage of Queen Isabel is a most important 
 question, and the Queen is hkewise certain that Lord 
 Aberdeen sees at once that we could never let her 
 inarry a French Prince. Ere long the Queen must 
 speak to Lord Aberdeen on this subject. In the 
 meantime the Queen thought it might be of use to 
 Lord Aberdeen to put him in possession of her feelings 
 on the state of Spain, in which the Queen has always 
 taken a very warm interest. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Panshanger, 21st October 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He received here yesterday your Majesty's 
 letter of the 19th inst., and he earnestly hopes that 
 your Majesty has arrived quite safe and well in 
 London. Besides the family we have had hardly 
 anybody here except Lady Clanricarde.^ Yesterday 
 Sir Edward L. Bulwer'* came, beating his brother 
 hollow in ridiculousness of attire, ridiculous as the 
 other is. He has, however, much in him, and is 
 agreeable when you come to converse with him. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne is rather in doubt about his own 
 movements. Lord Leicester ' presses him much to go to 
 Holkham, where Lord Fortescue,* Mr EUice ^ and others 
 are to be, and considering Lord Leicester's age. Lord 
 Melbourne thinks that it will gratify him to see 
 Lord Melbourne again there. But at Holkham they 
 shoot from morning until night, and if you do not shoot 
 you are like a fish upon dry land. Lord Melbourne 
 hardly feels equal to the exertion, and therefore thinks 
 that he shall establish himself for the present at 
 
 ' A daughter of George Canning, the Prime Minister. 
 
 2 Afterwards Lord L^ton, the novelist 
 
 » The famous country gentleman, " Mr Coke of Holkham." 
 
 ♦ Hugh, second Earl. K.G. 
 
 ' The Right Hon. Edward EUice, M.P. (" Bear " EUice). 
 
440 FRENCH INFLUENCE IN SPAIN [chap, x 
 
 Melbourne, where he will be within reach of Trentham, 
 Beau Desert,^ Wentworth,^ and Castle Howard,' if he 
 likes to go to them. The only annoyance is that it is 
 close to Lord and Lady G , whom he will be per- 
 petually meeting. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laekek, 22nd October 184.1. 
 
 ... In France there is a great outcry that a 
 Bourbon must be the future husband of the Queen 
 of Spain, etc. I must say that as the Spaniards and 
 the late King changed themselves the SaUc custom 
 which Philip V. had brought from France,* it is 
 natural for the rest of Europe to wish that no 
 Bourbon should go there. Besides, it must be 
 confessed that the thing is not even easy, as there 
 is great hatred amongst the various branches of that 
 family. The King of the French himself has always 
 been opposed to the idea of one of his sons going 
 there ; in France, however, that opinion still exists, 
 and Thiers had it strongly. 
 
 I confess that I regret that Queen Christina was 
 encouraged to settle at Paris, as it gave the thing the 
 appearance of something preconcerted. I believe that 
 a wish existed that Christina would retire peaceably 
 and par la force des circonstances, but now this took 
 a turn which I am sure the King does not like ; it 
 places him, besides, into une position ingrate ; the 
 Radicals hate him, the Moderates will cry out that 
 he has left them in the lurch, and the Carlists are 
 kept under key, and of course also not much pleased. 
 I meant to have remained in my wilds till yesterday, 
 but my Ministers were so anxious for my return, there 
 being a good many things on the tapis, that I came 
 back on Tuesday, the 19th. . . . 
 
 1 Near Lichfield, a seat of Lord Anglesey. 
 
 * Lord Fitzwilliam's house, near Rotherham. 
 
 ' Lord Carlisle's house, near York, built by Vanbrugh. 
 
 * The Pragmatic Sanction of Philip V. was repealed in 1792 by the 
 Cortes, but the repeal was not promulgated by the King. Under the Salic 
 Law, Don Carlos would have been on the throne. See antt, p. 56. 
 
1841] HOLLAND AND BELGIUM 441 
 
 Here one is exactly shut up as if one was in a 
 menagerie, walking round and round like a tame bear. 
 One breathes here also a mixture of all sorts of moist 
 compounds which one is told is fresh air, but which 
 is not the least Uke it. I suppose, however, that my 
 neighbour in Holland, where they have not even got 
 a hUl as high as yours in Buckingham Gardens, would 
 consider Laeken as an Alpine country. The tender 
 meeting of the old King and the new King,^ as one 
 can hardly call him a young King, must be most 
 amusing. I am told that if the old King had not 
 made that love-match, he would be perfectly able to 
 dethrone his son ; I heard that yesterday from a person 
 rather attached to the son and hating the father. In 
 the meantime, though one can hardly say that he is 
 well at home, some strange mixture of cut-thi'oats and 
 ruined soldiers of fortvme had a mind to play us some 
 tricks here ; we have got more and more insight into 
 this. Is it by instigation from him personally, or does 
 he only know of it without being a party to it ? that 
 is difficult to tell, the more so as he makes immense 
 demonstration of friendly dispositions towards us, and 
 me in particular. I would I could make a chassez 
 croisez with Otho ; * he would be the gainer in solids, 
 and I should have sun and an interesting country ; I 
 will try to make him understand this, the more so 
 as you do not any longer want me in the West. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 SSth October 1841. 
 
 With respect to the appointment of Chief Justice 
 of the Queen's Bench, the Queen approves of Mr 
 Pennefather' for that office. The Queen may be. 
 mistaken, for she is not very well acquainted with the 
 judicial officers in Ireland, but it strikes her that 
 Serjeant Jackson belonged to the very violent Orange 
 
 » William I., who had abdicated in order to marry again, and William 
 
 II., his son, who was nearly fifty. 
 
 » The King of Greece, elected in 1833. , t^ , , 
 
 s Recently appointed Solicitor-General ; Sergeant J. D. Jackson now 
 
 succeeded him. 
 
442 DEPARTURE OF AMBASSADORS [chap, x 
 
 party in Ireland, and if this should be the case 
 she suggests to Sir Robert Peel whether it would 
 not be better not to appoint him. If, on the other 
 hand, the Queen should be mistaken as to his political 
 opinions, she would not disapprove of his succeeding 
 Mr Pennefather. 
 
 The Queen saw in the papers that Lord Stuart 
 de Rothesay is already gone. The Queen can hardly 
 believe this, as no Ambassador or Minister ever left 
 England without previously asking for an Audience 
 and receiving one, as the Queen wishes always to 
 see them before they repair to their posts. Would 
 Sir Robert be so very good as to ask Lord Aberdeen 
 whether Lord Stuart de Rothesay is gone or not, and 
 if he should be, to tell Lord Aberdeen that in future 
 she would wish him always to inform her when they 
 intend to go, and to ask for an Audience, which, if the 
 Queen is well, she would always grant. It is possible 
 that as the Queen said the other day that she did not 
 wish to give many Audiences after the Council, that 
 Lord Aberdeen may have misunderstood this and 
 thought the Queen would give none, which was 
 not her intention. The Queen would be thankful to 
 Sir Robert if he would undertake to clear up this 
 mistake, which she is certain (should Lord Stuart be 
 gone) arose entirely from misapprehension. 
 
 The Queen also wishes Sir Robert to desire Lord 
 Haddington to send her some details of the intended 
 reductions in the Fleet which she sees by a draft of 
 Lord Aberdeen's to Mr Bulwer have taken place.^ 
 
 Memorandum by Baron Stockmar. 
 
 23th October 1841. 
 
 ... I told [Lord Melbourne] that, as I read the 
 Enghsh Constitution, it meant to assign to the Sovereign 
 in Ms Junctions a deliberative part — that I was not sure 
 the Queen had the means within herself to execute this 
 deliberative part properly, but I was sure that the only 
 
 1 The statement of the Royal Navy in Commission at the beginning of 
 1841 sets out 160 vessels carrying 4,277 guns. 
 
1841] STOCKMAR AND MELBOURNE 443 
 
 way for her to execute her functions at all was to be 
 strictly honest to those men who at the time being were 
 her Ministers. That it was chiefly on this account that 
 I had been so very sorry to have found now, on my 
 return from the Continent, that on the change of the 
 Ministry a capital opportunity to read a great Con- 
 stitutional maxim to the Queen had not only been 
 lost by Lord Melbourne, but that he had himself 
 turned an instrument for working great good into an 
 instrument which must produce mischief and danger. 
 That I was afraid that, from what Lord Melbourne 
 had been so weak as to have allowed himself to 
 be driven into, against his own and better conviction, 
 the Queen must have received a most pernicious bias, 
 which on any future occasion would make her inclined 
 to act in a similar position similarly to that what she 
 does now, being convinced that what she does now 
 must be right on all future occasions, or else Lord 
 Melbourne would not have sanctioned it. Upon this. 
 Lord Melbourne endeavoured to palliate, to represent 
 the danger, which would arise from his secret corre- 
 spondence with the Queen as very little, to adduce 
 precedents from history, and to screen his present 
 conduct behind what he imagined Lord Bute's conduct 
 had been under George III.^ I listened patiently, and 
 replied in the end : All this might be mighty fine 
 and quite calculated to lay a flattering unction on his 
 own soul, or it might suffice to tranquillize the minds of 
 the Prince and Anson, but that I was to oold to find 
 the slightest argument in what I had just now heard, 
 nor could it in any way allay my apprehension. I 
 began then to dissect all that he had produced for his 
 excusation, and showed him — as I thought clearly, 
 and as he admitted convincingly — that it would be 
 impossible to carry on this secret commerce with the 
 Sovereign for any length of time without exposing 
 
 I For some time after the accession of George III., Bute, though neither 
 in the Cabinet nor in Parliament, was virtually Prime Minister, but he 
 became Secretary of State on 2Sth March 1761. George II. had disliked 
 him, but he was generally believed to have exercised an undue influence over 
 the consort of Prince Frederic of Wales, mother of George III. 
 
444 STOCKMAR'S ADVICE [chap, x 
 
 the Queen's character and creating mighty embarrass- 
 ments in the quiet and regular working of a Constitu- 
 tional machine. 
 
 My representations seemed to make a very deep 
 impression, and Lord Melbourne became visibly nervous, 
 perplexed and distressed. After he had recovered a 
 little I said, " I never was inclined to obtrude advice ; 
 but if you don't dislike to hear my opinion, I am 
 prepared to give it to you." He said, " What is it ? " 
 I said, " You allow the Queen's confinement to pass 
 over quietly, and you wait till her perfect recovery of 
 it. As soon as this period has arrived, you state of 
 your own accord to Her Majesty that this secret and 
 confidential correspondence with her must cease ; that 
 you gave in to it, much against your feelings, and with 
 a decided notion of its impropriety and danger, and 
 merely out of a sincere solicitude to calm Her 
 Majesty's mind in a critical time, and to prevent the 
 ill effects which great and mental agitation might 
 have produced on her health. That this part of your 
 purpose now being most happily achieved, you thought 
 yourself in duty bound to advise Her Majesty to 
 cease all her communications to you on political subjects, 
 as you felt it wrong within yourself to receive them, 
 and to return your political advice and opinions on 
 such matters ; that painful as such a step must be 
 to your feelings, which to the last moment of your 
 life will remain those of the most loyal attachment 
 and devotion to the Queen's person, it is dictated to 
 you by a deep sense of what you owe to the country, 
 to yoiu- Sovereign, and to yourself." 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 26th October 1841, 
 
 With respect to Seijeant Jackson the Queen will 
 not oppose his appointment, in consequence of the 
 high character Sir Robert Peel gives him ; but she 
 cannot refrain from saying that she very much fears 
 that the favourable effect which has hitherto been 
 
1841] NEW KINGDOMS 445 
 
 produced by the formation of so mild and conciliatory 
 a Government in Ireland, may be endangered by this 
 appointment, which the Queen would sincerely regret. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 26<A October 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and returns your Majesty the letters of the 
 King of the Belgians, with many thanks. It certainly 
 is a very unfortunate thing that the Queen Christina 
 was encouraged to fix her residence at Paris, and the 
 suspicion arising, therefore, cannot but be very injurious 
 both to the King of the French and to the French 
 nation. 
 
 Lord Melbourne returns his warmest thanks for 
 your Majesty's kind expressions. He felt the greatest 
 pleasure at seeing your Majesty again and looking 
 so well, and he hopes that his high spirits did not 
 betray him into talking too much or too heedlessly, 
 which he is conscious that they sometimes do. 
 
 The King Leopold, Lord Melbourne perceives, still 
 hankers after Greece ; but Crowns will not bear to be 
 chopped and changed about in this manner. These 
 new kingdoms are not too firmly fixed as it is, and it 
 will not do to add to the uncertainty by alteration. . . . 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 28<A October 1S41. 
 
 ... Sir Robert Peel humbly assures your Majesty 
 that he fully participates in the surprise which your 
 Majesty so naturally expresses at the extraordinary 
 intimation conveyed to Mr Fox* by the President of 
 the United States.* 
 
 1 British Minister at Washington. . 
 
 » One Alexander M'Leod was tried at Utica on the charge of being imph- 
 cated in the destruction of the Caroline (an American vessel engaged in 
 carrying arms to the Canadian rebels), in 1837, and in the death of Mr. 
 Durfee, an American. The vessel had been boarded by Canadian loyalists 
 when lying in American waters, set on fire and sent over Niagara Falls, and 
 in the affray Durfee was killed. M'Leod was apprehended on American 
 territory, and hence arose the friction between the two countries. M Leod 
 was acquitted 12th October 1841. 
 
446 DISPUTE WITH UNITED STATES [chap, x 
 
 Immediately after re9.ding Mr Fox's despatch upon 
 that subject, Sir Robert Peel sought an interview 
 with Lord Aberdeen. The measure contemplated by 
 the President is a perfectly novel one, a measure of a 
 hostile and unjustifiable character adopted with pacific 
 intentions. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel does not comprehend the object 
 of the President, and giving him credit for the desire 
 to prevent the interruption of amicable relations with 
 this country, Sir Robert Peel fears that the forcible 
 detention of the British Minister, after the demand of 
 passports, will produce a different impression on the 
 public mind, both here and in the United States, from 
 that which the President must (if he be sincere) have 
 anticipated. It appears to Sir Robert Peel that the 
 object which the President professes to have in view 
 would be better answered by the immediate compliance 
 with Mr Fox's demand for passports, and the simul- 
 taneous despatch of a special mission to this country 
 conveying whatever explanations or offers of reparation 
 the President may have in contemplation. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel humbly assures your Majesty that 
 he has advised such measures of preparation to be taken 
 in respect to the amount of disposable naval force, and 
 the position of it, as without bearing the character of 
 menace, or causing needless disquietude and alarm, 
 may provide for an unfavourable issue of our present 
 differences with the United States. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel fears that when the President 
 ventured to make to Mr Fox the communication 
 which he did make, he must have laboured under 
 apprehension that McLeod might be executed in 
 spite of the efforts of the general Government of the 
 United States to save his life. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 31s< October 1841. 
 
 The Queen received yesterday evening Lord 
 Aberdeen's letter with the accompanying despatches 
 
18*1] PORTUGAL 447 
 
 and draft. She certainly is surprised at the strange 
 and improper tone in which Lord Howard's* despatches 
 are written, and can only attribute them to an over- 
 eager and, she fully beheves, mistaken feeling of the 
 danger to which he believes the throne of the Queen 
 to be exposed. 
 
 The Queen has carefully perused Lord Aberdeen's 
 draft, which she highly approves, but wishes to 
 suggest to Lord Aberdeen whether upon further con- 
 sideration it might not perhaps be as well to soften 
 the words under which she has drawn a pencil line, as 
 she fears they might irritate Lord Howard very much. 
 
 The Queen is induced to copy the following 
 sentences from a letter she received from her cousin, 
 the King of Portugal, a few days ago, and which it 
 may be satisfactory to Lord Aberdeen to see : — 
 
 " Je dois encore vous dire que nous avons toutes les 
 raisons de nous louer de la maniere dont le Portugal est 
 traite par voire Ministre des Affaires Etrangeres, et 
 nous ferons de notre cote notre possible pour prouver 
 notre bonne volonte^ 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Stkeet, 1st November 1841. 
 
 . . . Now for his Royal Highness's questions. . . . 
 
 How the power of Prime Ministry grew up into 
 its present form it is difficult to trace precisely, as 
 well as how it became attached, as it were, to the 
 office of First Commissioner of the Treasury. But 
 Lord Melbourne apprehends that Sir Robert Walpole 
 was the first man in whose person this union of 
 powers was decidedly established, and that its being 
 so arose from the very great confidence which both 
 George I. and George II. reposed in him, and from the 
 difficulty which they had in transacting business, 
 particularly George I., from their imperfect knowledge 
 of the language of the country. 
 
 With respect to the Secretary of State, Lord 
 
 1 Lord Howard de Walden, Minister Plenipotentiary at Lisbon. 
 
448 SECRETARIES OF STATE [chap, x 
 
 Melbourne is not prepared from memory to state the 
 dates at which the different arrangements of that 
 office have taken place. There was originally but one 
 officer, and at the present the three are but the heads 
 of the diffigrent departments of one office. The 
 first division was into two, and they were called the 
 Secretary for the Northern and the Secretary for 
 the Southern department. They drew a line across the 
 world, and each transacted the business connected 
 with the countries within his own portion of the 
 globe. Another division then took place, and the 
 Foreign affairs were confided to one Secretary of 
 State, and the Home and Colonial affairs to the 
 other ; but the present arrangement was finally 
 settled in the year 1793, when the junction was 
 formed between Mr Pitt on the one hand, and 
 those friends of Mr Fox, who left him because they 
 differed with him upon the French Revolution. The 
 Home affairs were placed in the hands of one 
 Secretary of State, the Foreign of another, and the 
 Colonial and Military affairs of a third, and this 
 arrangement has continued ever since.* The persons 
 then appointed were the Duke of Portland,^ Lord 
 Grenville,^ and Mr Dundas,* Home, Foreign, and 
 Colonial Secretaries. 
 
 Writing from recollection, it is very possible that 
 Lord Melbourne may be wrong in some of the dates 
 which he has ventured to specify." 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SotJTH Street, Uh November 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has this morning had the honour 
 
 1 A fourth Secretary of State was added at the time of the Crimean 
 War, so as to separate Colonial and Military affairs, and a fifth after the 
 Indian Mutiny to supersede the President of the Board of ControL See 
 Lord Melbourne's letter of 31st December 1837, ante, p. 130. 
 
 2 Third Duke (1T38-1809). 
 
 » William Wyndham, Lord GrenviUe (1759-1834). 
 * Henry Dundas (174.3-1811), afterwards Lord Melville. 
 _ ' See post, pp. 449, 450, 451. 
 
1841] THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION 449 
 
 and pleasure of receiving your Majesty's letter of 
 yesterday. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne sends a letter which he has received 
 from his sister, which may not be unentertaining. 
 Lady Palmerston is struck, as everybody is who goes 
 to Ireland, with the candid warmth and vehement 
 demonstration of feeling. England always appears 
 cold, heartless and sulky in comparison. . . . 
 
 With respect to the questions put to me by your 
 Majesty at the desire of His Royal Highness, Lord 
 Melbourne begs leave to assure your Majesty that he 
 will be at all times most ready and anxious to give any 
 information in his power upon points of this sort, which 
 are very curious, very important, very worthy to be 
 enquired into, and upon which accurate information is 
 not easily to be found. All the political part of the 
 English Constitution is fully understood, and distinctly 
 stated in Blackstone and many other books, but the 
 Ministerial part, the work of conducting the executive 
 government, has rested so much on practice, on usage, 
 on understanding, that there is no publication to which 
 reference can be made for the explanation and 
 description of it. It is to be sought in debates, in 
 protests, in letters, in memoirs, and wherever it can 
 be picked up. It seems to be stupid not to be able 
 to say at once when two Secretaries of State were 
 estabUshed; but Lord Melbourne is not able. He 
 apprehends that there was but one until the end of 
 Queen Anne's reign, and that two were instituted 
 by George I., probably because upon his frequent 
 journeys to Hanover he wanted the Secretary of State 
 with him, and at the same time it was necessary that 
 there should be an officer of the same authority left at 
 home to transact the domestic afFairs. 
 
 Prime Minister is a term belonging to the last 
 century. Lord Melbourne doubts its being to be 
 found in Enghsh Parliamentary language previously. 
 Sir Robert Walpole was always accused of having 
 introduced and arrogated to himself an office previously 
 unknown to the Law and Constitution, that of Prime 
 
 Vol. I.— 29 
 
450 THE "PRIME MINISTER" [chap, x 
 
 or Sole Minister, and we learn from Lady Charlotte 
 Lindsay's^ accounts of her father, that in his own 
 family Lord North would never suffer himself to' 
 be called prime Minister, because it was an office 
 unknown to the Constitution. This was a notion 
 derived from the combined Whig and Tory opposition 
 to Sir Robert Walpole, to which Lord North and his 
 family had belonged. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very sorry to hear that the 
 Princess Royal continues to suffer from some degree of 
 indisposition. From what your Majesty had said more 
 than once before. Lord Melbourne had felt anxiety upon 
 this subject, and he saw the Baron yesterday, who con- 
 versed with him much upon it, and informed him of 
 what had taken place. Lord Melbourne hopes that your 
 Majesty will attribute it only to Lord Melbourne's 
 anxious desire for the security and increase of your 
 Majesty's happiness, if he ventures to say that the Baron 
 appears to him to have much reason in what he urges, 
 and in the view which he takes. It is absolutely 
 required that confidence should be reposed in those 
 who are to have the management and bear the respon- 
 sibility, and that they should not be too much 
 interrupted or interfered with. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 5th November 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. Not feeling satisfied of the correctness of 
 the information which he had given to your Majesty 
 respecting the office of Secretary of State, he yesterday 
 evening requested Mr Allen "^ to look into the matter, 
 and he has just received from him the enclosed short 
 memorandum, which he has the honour of transmitting 
 
 1 Daughter of Lord North (afterwards Earl of Guilford) and wife of 
 Lieut. -Colonel the Hon. John Lindsay. She lived till 1849 — a link with 
 the past. 
 
 ' Secretary and Librarian at Holland House. 
 
1841] THE "SECRETARIES OF STATE" 451 
 
 to your Majesty. This shows that Lord Melbourne was 
 quite wrong with respect to the period at which two 
 Secretaries of State were first employed, and that it 
 was much earlier than he had imagined. 
 
 The year 1782, when the third Secretary of State 
 was abolished, was the period of the adoption of the 
 great measure of Economical Reform which had been 
 introduced by Mr Burke in 1780. 
 
 The present arrangement was settled in 1794, which 
 is about the time which Lord Melbourne stated. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, ^th November 1841. 
 
 . . . Your Majesty asks whether Lord Melbourne 
 thinks that Prince Metternich holds the opinion of Sir 
 Robert Gordon, which he expresses to Lord Beauvale. 
 It is difficult to say what Prince Metternich 's real sen- 
 timents are. Lord Melbourne takes him not to have 
 a very high opinion of the abilities of others in general, 
 and he is not unlikely to depreciate Sir Robert Gordon 
 to Lord Beauvale. Sir Robert Gordon is a man of 
 integrity, but he is tiresome, long and pompous, which 
 cannot be agreeable to the Prince, who has about him 
 much of the French vivacity, and also much of their 
 settled and regular style of argument. . . . 
 
 With respect to the latter part of your Majesty's 
 letter. Lord Melbourne returns for the expressions of 
 your Majesty's kindness his warm and grateful thanks. 
 Your Majesty may rest assured that he will always 
 speak to your Majesty without scruple or reserve, and 
 that he will never ask anything of your Majesty, or ever 
 make a suggestion, which he does not consider to be 
 for your Majesty's service and advantage. Lord 
 Melbourne is of opinion that his visits to the Palace 
 should not only avoid exciting suspicion and uneasiness 
 in your Majesty's present advisers, a result of which he 
 has very little apprehension, but they should not be 
 
452 LETTER FROM BARON STOCKMAR [chap, x 
 
 so frequent as to attract public notice, comment and 
 observation, of which he would be more fearful. A 
 public rumour, however unfounded and absurd, has 
 more force in this country than objections which have 
 in them more of truth and reality. Upon these 
 grounds, and as your Majesty will probably not see 
 much company at present, and the parties therefore 
 will be a good deal confined to the actual Household, 
 Lord Melbourne thinks it would perhaps be as 
 well if he were not again to dine at the Palace at 
 present. 
 
 The course which it may be prudent to take here- 
 after will depend very much upon that which cannot 
 now be foreseen, namely, upon the general course which 
 will be taken by politics and political parties. In this 
 Lord Melbourne does not at present discern his way, 
 and he will not therefore hazard opinions which would 
 not be founded upon any certainty, and might be liable 
 to immediate change and alteration. 
 
 Memorandum : Baron Stockmar to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 23rcZ November 1841. 
 
 The apprehension which haunts me since my return 
 to England is well known to you. It was my inten- 
 tion to have written to you upon it some time hereafter, 
 but the contents of a certain letter, sent by you just 
 before your departure, accelerates the execution of my 
 design. From your own expressions used some time 
 back, I was led to expect that you would be glad to 
 take advantage of any fair opportunity which might 
 contribute towards that devoutly to be wished for 
 object, viz., to let a certain correspondence die a 
 natural death. You may easily conceive how much 
 I felt disappointed when I heard that you had written 
 again, without a challenge, and that, without apparent 
 cause, you had volunteered the promise to write from 
 time to time. This happens at a moment when your 
 harassing apprehension received new life and strength. 
 
1841] STOCKMAR ADVISES DISCRETION 453 
 
 from two incidents which I think it my duty to make 
 known to you, and of which the one came to pass 
 before, the other after, your departure from here. 
 Some weeks back I was walking in the streets with 
 Dr Praetorius,* when, finding myself opposite the house 
 of one of my friends, it came across my mind to give 
 him a call. Praetorius wanted to leave me, on a 
 conception that, as a stranger, he might obstruct the 
 freedom of our conversation. I insisted, however, on 
 his remaining with me, and we were shown into the 
 drawing-room, where in all there were five of us. For 
 some minutes the conversation had turned on insignifi- 
 cant things, when the person talking to me said quite 
 abruptly : " So I find the Queen is in daily correspon- 
 dence with Lord Melbourne." I replied, " Who told 
 you this ? " The answer was, " Mrs Norton ; she told 
 me the other evening. Don't you believe that Lord 
 Melbourne has lost his influence over the Queen's 
 mind ; he daily writes to her, and receives as many 
 answers, in which she communicates eveiything to 
 him." Without betraying much emotion I said, "I 
 don't believe a word of it; the Queen may have 
 written once or twice on private matters, but the 
 daily correspondence on all matters is certainly the 
 amphfication of a thoughtless and imprudent person, 
 who is not aware of such exaggerated assertions." My 
 speech was followed by a general silence, after which 
 we talked of other things, and soon took our leave. 
 When we were fairly in the open air, Preetorius 
 expressed to me his amazement at what he had heard, 
 and he remained for some time at a loss to compre- 
 hend the character of the person who, from mere 
 giddiness, let out so momentous a secret. 
 
 The other fact took place the day after you had 
 left. From the late events at Brussels, it had become 
 desirable that I should see Sir Robert Peel. From 
 Belgium we travelled over to Home politics. I 
 expressed my delight at seeing the Queen so happy, 
 and added a hope that more and more she would seek 
 and find her real happiness in her domestic relations 
 
 1 Librarian and German Secretary to Prince Albert 
 
454 STOCKMAR'S APPREHENSIONS [chap, x 
 
 only. He evidently caught at this, and assured me 
 that he should at all times be too happy to have a 
 share in anything which might be thought conducive 
 to the welfare of Her Majesty. That no consideration 
 of personal inconvenience would ever prevent him 
 from indulging the Queen in all her wishes relating 
 to matters of a private nature, and that the only return 
 for his sincere endeavours to please Her Majesty he 
 looked to, was honesty in public affairs. Becoming 
 then suddenly emphatic, he continued, "But on this 
 I must insist, and I do assure you, that that moment 
 I was to learn that the Queen takes advice upon public 
 matters in another place, 1 shall throw up ; for such a 
 thing I conceive the country could not stand, and I 
 would not remain an hour, whatever the consequences 
 of my resignation may be." 
 
 Fully sensible that he was talking at me, I 
 received the charge with the calmness of a good 
 conscience, and our time being exhausted I pre- 
 pared for retreat. But he did not allow me to do 
 so, before he had found means to come a second 
 time to the topic uppermost in his own mind, and 
 he repeated, it appeared to me with increased force 
 of tone, his determination to throw up, fearless of 
 aU consequences, that moment he found himself 
 and the country dishonestly dealt by. 
 
 I think 1 have now reported to you correctly 
 the two occurrences which of late have added 
 so much to my antecedent suspicions and fears. 
 Permit me to join to this a few general considera- 
 tions which, from the nature of the recited incidents 
 alone, and without the slightest intervention of any 
 other cause, must have presented themselves to my 
 mind. The first is, that I derive from the events 
 related quite ground enough for concluding that the 
 danger I dread is great and imminent, and that, 
 if iU luck is to have its will, no human power can 
 prevent an explosion for a day, or even for an hour. 
 The second is the contemplation — what state will the 
 Queen be placed in by such a catastrophe ? That 
 
1841] EXPOSTULATION WITH MELBOURNE 455 
 
 in my position, portraying to myself all the con- 
 sequences of such a possibility, I look chiefly to the 
 Queen, needs hardly, I trust, an excuse. , . . Can you 
 hope that the Queen's character will ever recover from 
 a shock received by a collision with Peel, upon such a 
 cause? Pray, illustrate to yourself this particular 
 question by taking a purely poUtical and, general 
 survey of the time and period we live in at this 
 moment. In doing so must you not admit that all 
 England is agreed that the Tories must have another 
 trial, and that there is a decided desire in the nation that 
 it should be a fair one ? Would you have it said that 
 Sir Robert Peel failed in his trial, merely because the 
 Queen alone was not fair to him, and that principally 
 you had aided her in the game of dishonesty ? And 
 can you hope that this game can be played with 
 security, even for a short time only, when a person 
 has means of looking into your cards whom you your- 
 self have described to me some years ago as a most 
 passionate, giddy, imprudent and dangerous woman ? 
 I am sure beforehand that your loyalty and devotion 
 has nothing to oppose to the force of my exposition. 
 There are, however, some other and minor reasons 
 which ought likewise to be considered before you 
 come to the determination of trusting entirely to 
 possibilities and chance. For the results of your 
 deliberation you will have to come to wiU in their 
 working and effects go beyond yourself, and must 
 affect two other persons. These will have a right to 
 expect that your decision will not be taken regardless 
 of that position, which accidental circumstances have 
 assigned to them, in an affair the fate of which is 
 placed entirely within your discretion. This is an 
 additional argument why you should deliberate very 
 conscientiously. A mistake of yours in this respect 
 might by itself produce fresh difficulties and have 
 a compUcating and perplexing retro effect upon the 
 existing ones ; because both, seeing that they must 
 be sufferers in the end, may begin to look only to 
 their own safety, and become inclined to refuse that 
 
456 A DECISIVE STEP ADVISED [chap, x 
 
 passive obedience which till now constitutes the 
 vehicle of your hazardous enterprise. 
 
 Approaching the conclusion of this letter, I beg 
 to remind you of a conversation I had with you 
 on the same subject in South Street, the 25th of 
 last month.^ Though you did not avow it then in 
 direct words, I could read from your countenance and 
 manner that you assented in your head and heart to 
 all I had said, and in particular to the advice 1 
 volunteered at the end of my speech. At that time I 
 pointed out to you a period when I thought a decisive 
 step ought to be taken on your part. This period 
 seems to me to have arrived. Placing unreserved 
 confidence into your candour and manhness, I remain, 
 for ever, very faithfully yours, Stockmar. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Baron Stockmar. 
 
 2ith November 1841. 
 {Half-p<ut 10 P.M.) 
 
 My dear Baron, — I have just received your letter; 
 I think it unnecessary to detain your messenger. I will 
 write to you upon the subject and send it through 
 Anson. Yours faithfully, Melbourne. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 BvcKLNGHA^i Palace, 29<A November 1841. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I have to thank you for 
 four most kind letters, of the 4th, 6th, 19th and 26th ; 
 the last I received yesterday. I would have written 
 sooner, had I not been a little bilious, which made me 
 very low, and not in spirits to write. The weather has 
 been so exceedingly relaxing, that it made me at the 
 end of the fortnight quite bilious, and this, you know, 
 affects the spirits. I am much better, but they think 
 
 1 Ante, p. 442. 
 
1841] THE HEIR APPARENT 457 
 
 that I shall not get my appetite and spirits back till I 
 can get out of town ; we are therefore going in a week 
 at latest. I am going for a drive this morning, and am 
 certain it wiU do me good. In all essentials, I am 
 better, if possible, than last year. Our httle boy^ is 
 a wonderfully strong and large child, with very large 
 dark blue eyes, a finely formed but somewhat large 
 nose, and a pretty little mouth ; 1 hope and pray he 
 may be hke his dearest Papa. He is to be called 
 Albert, and Edward is to be his second name. Pussy, 
 dear chUd, is still the great pet amongst us all, and is 
 getting so fat and strong again. 
 
 I beg my most aflFectionate love to dearest Louise 
 and the dear children. The Queen Dowager is 
 recovering wonderfully. 
 
 I beg you to forgive this letter being so badly 
 written, but my feet are being rubbed, and as I 
 have got the box on which 1 am writing on my 
 knee, it is not easy to write quite straight — but you 
 must not think my hand trembles. Ever your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Pussy is not at all pleased with her brother. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Trentham, 1st December 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has had the honour of receiving 
 here your Majesty's letters of yesterday, by which 
 he learns with sincere pleasure and satisfaction that 
 your Majesty is so much recovered as to go to 
 Windsor on so early a day as your Majesty names. 
 Lord Melbourne hears with great concern that your 
 Majesty has been suffering under depression and 
 lowness of spirits. . . . Lord Melbourne well knows how 
 to feel for those who suffer under it, especially as he 
 has lately had much of it himself. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is much rejoiced to hear so good 
 
 1 His Majesty King Edward VII., born 9th November. 
 
458 NAMING THE YOUNG PRINCE [chap, x 
 
 an account of the Heir Apparent and of the Princess 
 Royal, and feels himself greatly obliged by the 
 information respecting the intended names and the 
 sponsors. Lord Melbourne supposes that your Majesty 
 has determined yourself upon the relative position of 
 the two names, but Edward is a good English appella- 
 tion, and has a certain degree of popularity attached 
 to it from ancient recollections. Albert is also an old 
 Anglo-Saxon name — the same. Lord Melbourne believes, 
 as Ethelred — but it has not been so common nor so 
 much in use since the Conquest. However, your 
 Majesty's feelings which Lord Melbourne perfectly 
 understands, must determine this point. The notion 
 of the King of Prussia' gives great satisfaction here, 
 and will do so with aU but Puseyites and Newmanites 
 and those who lean to the Roman Catholic faith. 
 His strong Protestant feelings, and his acting with us 
 in the matter of the Syrian Bishop, have made the 
 King of Prussia highly popular in this country, and 
 particularly with the more religious part of the 
 community. 
 
 Your Majesty cannot offer up for the young Prince 
 a more safe and judicious prayer than that he may 
 resemble his father. The character, in Lord Melbourne's 
 opinion, depends much upon the race, and on both 
 sides he has a good chance. Be not over solicitous 
 about education. It may be able to do much, but it 
 does not do so much as is expected from it. It 
 may mould and direct the character, but it rarely 
 alters it, George IV. and the Duke of York were 
 educated quite Hke English boys, by English school- 
 masters, and in the manner and upon the system of 
 English schools. The consequence was that, whatever 
 were their faults, they were quite Englishmen. The 
 others who were sent earlier abroad, and more to 
 foreign universities, were not quite so much so. The 
 late king was educated as a sailor, and was a complete 
 sailor. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne will tell your Majesty exactly what 
 
 1 King Frederick William IV. who was to be a sponsor. 
 
1841] PRINCE OF WALES 459 
 
 he thinks of John Russell's reply to the Plymouth 
 address. It is very angry and very bitter, and anger 
 and bitterness are never very dignified. Lord Melbourne 
 certainly would not have put in those sarcasms upon 
 the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel, for their 
 change of opinion and conduct upon the Roman 
 Catholic question. But the tone of the rest of the 
 answer is, in Lord Melbourne's opinion, just and right. 
 We certainly delivered the affairs of the country into 
 their hands in a good state, both at home and abroad, 
 and we should be acting unfairly by ourselves if we did 
 not maintain and assert this upon every occasion. 
 Lord Melbourne's notion of the conduct which he has 
 to pursue is, that it should not be aggressive, but that 
 it must be defensive. He would oppose no right 
 measures, but he cannot suffer the course of policy 
 which has been condemned in him to be adopted by 
 others without observation upon the inconsistency and 
 injustice. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne concludes with again wishing your 
 Majesty health and happiness, and much enjoyment 
 of the country. 
 
 Sir James Graham to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, Sth December 1841. 
 
 Sir James Graham, with humble duty, begs to 
 enclose for the Signature of your Majesty the Letters 
 Patent creating His Royal Highness, the Prince of 
 the United Kingdom, Prince of Wales and Earl of 
 Chester.^ 
 
 Understanding that it is your Majesty's pleasure 
 
 1 His present Majesty had been referred to in letters of the previous month 
 as the Duke of CornwaU. " Know ye," ran the present letters patent, " that 
 we have made . . . our most dear son, the Prince of the United Kingdom 
 of Great Britain and Ireland (Duke of Saxony, Duke of Cornwall . . .) Prince 
 of Wales and Earl of Chester . . . and him our said most dear son, ... as 
 has been accustomed, we do ennoble and invest with the said Principality 
 and Earldom, by girding him with a sword, by putting a coronet on his 
 head, and a gold ring on his finger, and also by delivering a gold rod into 
 his hand, that he may preside there, and may direct and defend those 
 parts. ..." 
 
460 THE ROYAL CHILDREN [chap, x 
 
 to have this Creation inserted in the Gazette of to- 
 morrow night, Su- James Graham has given direc- 
 tions, which will ensure the publication, though the 
 Letters Patent themselves may not be completed. 
 The Warrant already signed by your Majesty is a 
 sufficient authority. 
 
 The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's 
 dutiful Subject and Servant, J. R. G. Graham. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 1th December 1841. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — We arrived here sains et 
 saufs with our awfully large Nursery Establishment 
 yesterday morning. It was a nasty warm and very 
 rainy day, but to-day is very bright, clear and dry, 
 and we walked out early and felt like prisoners freed 
 from some dungeon. Many thanks for your kind 
 letter of the 2nd, by which I grieve to see that you 
 are not quite well. But let me repeat again, you 
 must not despond so ; you must not be so out of 
 spirits. I have likewise been suffering so from lowness 
 that it made me quite miserable, and I know how 
 difficult it is to fight against it. I am delighted to 
 hear that all the children are so well. I wonder 
 very much who our little boy will be like. You will 
 understand how fervent my prayers and I am [sure] 
 everybody s must be, to see him resemble his angelic 
 dearest Father in every, every respect, both in body 
 and mind. Oh ! my dearest Uncle, I am sure if 
 you knew how happy, how blessed I feel, and how 
 proud I feel in possessing such a perfect being as my 
 husband, as he is, and if you think that you have 
 been instrumental in bringing about this union, it 
 must gladden your heart ! How happy should I 
 be to see our child grow up just like him ! Dear 
 Pussy travelled with us and behaved like a grown- 
 up person, so quiet and looking about and coquetting 
 with the Hussars on either side of the carriage. Now 
 adieu ! Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
1841] THE APPROACHING CHRISTENING 461 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Castle Howard, 22»d December l%il, 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne will consider himself most 
 highly honoured by being invited to the christening, 
 and will hold himself in readiness to attend, whenever 
 it may take place. He has written to Mr Anson in 
 answer to the letter which he received from him 
 this morning. Lord Melbourne has been obliged to 
 consent to receive an address from Derby, and has 
 fixed Monday the 27th inst. for that purpose. He 
 could have wished to have avoided this, but it was 
 impossible, and he must make the best of it that he 
 can, which he conceives will be effected by conceiving 
 his reply in very guarded terms, and in a tone defensive 
 of his own administration, but not offensive to those 
 who have succeeded him. ... 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear of the feelings 
 of the King of Prussia. For religious matters he is 
 at present very popular with many in this country, 
 and popularity, though transient and uncertain, is a 
 good thing whilst it lasts. The King of the Belgians 
 should not be surprised or mortified at the conduct 
 of the King of Holland. We must expect that 
 people will act according to their nature and feelings. 
 The Union of Belgium and Holland has been for 
 a long time the first wish and the daily dream of 
 the House of Orange. It has been the great object 
 of their lives, and by the separation, which took place 
 in 1830, they saw their fondest hopes disappointed 
 and destroyed at once. It must be expected that 
 under such a state of things, they will be unquiet, 
 and will try to obtain what they so eagerly desire 
 and have once possessed. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is much rejoiced to hear that your 
 Majesty is in the enjoyment of such good health. Your 
 Majesty's observations upon your own situation are m 
 the highest degree just and prudent, and it is a sign of 
 
462 THE UNITED STATES [chap, x 
 
 a right mind and of good feelings to prize the blessings 
 we enjoy, and not to suffer them to be too much altered 
 by circumstances, which may not turn out exactly 
 according to our wishes. 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Foreign Office, '2Uh December 1841. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen presents his most humble duty to 
 your Majesty. He ventures to request your Majesty's 
 attention for a moment to the character of your 
 Majesty's present relations with the Government of 
 the United States. Your Majesty is aware that several 
 questions of great difficulty and importance have been 
 long pending between the two Governments.^ Some of 
 these have become more complicated than they were 
 ten years ago ; and any of them might, at any moment, 
 lead to consequences of the most disastrous nature. 
 
 Instead of continuing negotiations, necessarily 
 tedious and which promise to be interminable, your 
 Majesty's servants are humbly of opinion that an 
 effort ought to be made, by a Special Mission at 
 Washington, to bring all these differences promptly 
 to an adjustment. The public feeling in the United 
 States at this time does not appear to be unfavourable 
 for such an attempt. Should it be undertaken by a 
 person whose rank, character, and abilities would 
 ensure respect, and whose knowledge of the subjects 
 under discussion, and of the people of the country, 
 together with his conciliatory manners, would render 
 him generally acceptable, your Majesty might perhaps 
 indulge the hope of a successful result. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen humbly ventures to think that such 
 a person may be found in Lord Ashburton,'^ whom he 
 submits for your Majesty's gracious approbation. 
 
 1 The question of the North-West boundary had long been one source 
 of dispute ; another was the right the British Government claimed of search- 
 ing vessels suspected of being engaged in the slave trade. 
 
 " Alexander, first Lord Ashburton, who had held ofiBce in Peel's short 
 Ministry, and married Miss Bingham of Philadelphia. See post, p. 577. 
 
1841] CIlRISTMASTIDE 463 
 
 Memorandum by Mr Anson. 
 
 Windsor Castle, '26th December 1841. 
 
 Christmas has brought its usual routine of festivity 
 and its agreeable accompaniment of Christmas presents. 
 The Queen was not at all well again yesterday, being 
 again troubled with lowness. The Melbourne corre- 
 spondence stUl is carried on, but I think not in its 
 pristine vigour by any means. He has taken no 
 notice of the Baron's remonstrance to him, and we 
 are in the dark in what manner, if at all, he means 
 to deal with it. 
 
 I have sat by Her Majesty at dinner several times 
 lately. I should say that Her Majesty interests herself 
 less and less about politics, and that her dislike is less 
 than it was to her present Ministers, though she would 
 not be prepared to acknowledge it. Her Majesty is 
 a good deal occupied with the little Princess Royal, 
 who begins to assume companionable qualities. In 
 an evening, instead of her usual conversation with her 
 old Prime Minister, some round game at cards is sub- 
 stituted, which always terminates at eleven. The 
 Prince, to amuse the Queen at this, has nearly left oiF 
 his chess ; his amusements — shooting or hunting — always 
 commence and terminate between eleven and two, not 
 to interfere with Her Majesty's arrangements, in which 
 he is included as her companion. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Melbourne, 29<A December 1841. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He received here yesterday your Majesty's 
 letter of the 25th inst. upon a paper adorned with many 
 quaint and humorous Christmas devices, and Lord 
 Melbourne begs to offer to your Majesty, most sincerely 
 and most fervently, the good wishes of the Season. 
 Lord Melbourne will be in town on Friday evening 
 next, and after that day will wait upon your Majesty, 
 whenever your Majesty is pleased to command. . . . 
 
464 A RAILWAY ACCIDENT [chap, x 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear that the King 
 of the Belgians is reassured by his journey to Mons 
 and his reception upon it. He need not mind the 
 King of Holland, if he can keep all right at Paris. 
 
 The railway smash* is awful and tremendous, as 
 all railway mishaps are, and Lord Melbourne fears 
 must always be. These slips and falls of earth from 
 the banks are the greatest danger that now impends 
 over them, and if they take place suddenly and in 
 the dark. Lord Melbourne does not see how the fatal 
 consequences of them are to be effectually guarded 
 against. They are peculiarly likely to happen now, 
 as the cuttings have been recently and hastily made, 
 the banks are very steep, and the season has been 
 peculiarly wet, interrupted by severe frosts. 
 
 Lord Melbourne received the deputation from 
 Derby, a large and respectable one, here on Monday 
 last. The address was very guarded, temperate and 
 judicious, and Lord Melbourne strove to construct his 
 answer in the same manner. 
 
 1 This accident took place on Stth December in the Sonning Hill cutting, 
 two and a half miles from Reading. Eight persons were killed on the spot 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
 TO CHAPTER XI 
 
 The session was mainly occupied by the great ministerial 
 measure of finance, direct taxation by means of income tax being 
 imposed, and the import duties on a large number of articles 
 being removed or relaxed, Mr Gladstone, now at the Board of 
 Trade, taking charge of the bills. Two more attempts on the 
 Queen's life were made, the former again on Constitution Hill 
 by one Francis, whose capital sentence was commuted ; the latter 
 by a hunchback. Bean, who was sentenced to eighteen months' 
 imprisonment. An Act was promptly passed to deal with such 
 outrsiges in future as misdemeanours, without giving them the 
 importance of high treason. Lord Ashley's Bill was passed, pro- 
 hibiting woman and child labour in mines and collieries. But the 
 Anti-Com Law League of Manchester was not satisfied with the 
 policy of the Government and objected to the income tax ; while 
 riots broke out in the manufacturing districts of the North. 
 
 In Afghanistan, the disasters of the previous year were retrieved ; 
 Sir Robert Sale, who was gallantly defending Jellalabad, made a 
 sortie and defeated Akbar Khan ; General Nott airived at Ghuznee, 
 but found it evacuated ; he destroyed the citadel and removed the 
 Gates of Somnauth. General Pollock swept the Khyber Pass and 
 entered Cabul. The captives taken on the retreat from Cabul 
 were recovered — Lady Macnaghten and Lady Sale among them. 
 In retribution for the murder of Macnaghten, the great bazaar of 
 Cabul, where his remains had been dishonoured, was destroyed by 
 Pollock ; the British force was then withdrawn. Dost Mahommed 
 made himself again ruler of Cabul, and a proclamation of Lord 
 Ellenborough announced that the British Government accepted any 
 Sovereign and Constitution approved by the Afghans themselves. 
 
 In China, also, operations were successfully terminated, Chapoo 
 being taken in May, and an attack by Admiral Parker upon 
 Nanking being only averted by the conclusion of a favourable 
 treaty, involving an indemnity, the cession by China of Hong 
 Kong, and the opening of important ports to commerce. 
 
 A dispute arose between this country and the United States on 
 the right of search of ships suspected of being engaged in the 
 slave trade. Lord Ashburton was accordingly sent out as a 
 Special Ambassador, and a treaty concluded in August for the 
 purpose (amongst others) of enforcing each country's rights and 
 obligations for suppressing the trade. 
 
 Vol. I.— 30 465 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 1842 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Sudbury Hall, ith January 1842. 
 
 My dear Niece, — -Most grateful for your very 
 amiable kind letter full of good wishes for me, I 
 hasten to answer it and to assure you that I deeply 
 feel all your affectionate kindness to me in wishing 
 my life to be prolonged. From ill-health I have 
 become such a useless member of your family, that 
 I must wonder you have not long been tired of me. 
 I wish I was more able to be of any use to you 
 which you might like to make of me. My services 
 would be most faithful, I can assure you. Should 
 my life be spared, there may perhaps yet be a time 
 when I can prove to you, that what I say is not 
 merely a fa^on de parler, but my sincere wish. 
 
 Your domestic happiness, dearest Victoria, gives 
 me great satisfaction whenever I think of it, and that 
 is very often. God continue it so, uninterrupted, 
 is my daily prayer. 
 
 Your approbation of my little offering to my dear 
 godchild gives me much pleasure. It occupied me 
 several days during my illness to make the drawing, 
 weak as I then was, and it was a pleasant occupation. 
 
 We have frost again, with a clear blue sky, which 
 is much better for me than the damp close weather 
 of last week, which oppressed me so much. I breathe 
 466 
 
1842] BEAUTY OF WINDSOR 467 
 
 again, and my spirits get their usual tone, which they 
 had lost, but I still cough a great deal, which is very 
 fatiguing. 
 
 Will you kiss your darlings in my name and bless 
 them, and pray believe me ever, my dear Niece, your 
 most affectionately devoted Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 BaoADLAiTDS,^ &th January 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs to return to your Majesty and to 
 His Royal Highness his thanks for all the kindness 
 shown him at Windsor. He was very happy to find 
 himself there again and in your Majesty's society. 
 He has seen many fine places and much fine country, 
 but after all there is nothing like Windsor and the 
 Park. Twenty very fine places might easily be 
 made out of the latter. Lord Melbourne as he drove 
 to Bagshot was very glad to see the plantations at 
 and about Cumberland Lodge and onwards so well 
 and judiciously thinned. He had a very prosperous 
 journey here. It is a very lovely place, with the 
 greatest beauty that a place can have, a very swift, 
 clear, natural stream, running and winding in front 
 of the house. The whole place is much improved 
 since Lord Melbourne saw it last ; a great deal of new 
 pleasure-ground has been made. The trees, cypresses, 
 elders, planes, elms, white poplars and acacias are 
 very fine indeed. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne thinks of staying here six or 
 seven days, and then returning to London and going 
 to Brocket Hall and Panshanger, but he has not 
 fixed his plans decidedly, which he is never very fond 
 of doing. 
 
 Lord Melbourne was delighted at thinking that 
 he left your Majesty in good health, which he 
 earnestly hopes and fervently prays may, together 
 with every other blessing, long continue. 
 
 1 The house of Lord Palmerston in Hants. 
 
468 DISASTERS IN AFGHANISTAN [chap, a 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Foreign Office, 6th January 1842. 
 
 ... Sir Robert Peel has informed Lord Aberdeen 
 that he had mentioned to your Majesty the sugges- 
 tion of the King of Prussia to confer the Order of 
 the Black Eagle ^ upon the Prince of Wales, immedi- 
 ately after the christening of his Royal Highness. 
 Lord Aberdeen therefore abstains from troubling your 
 Majesty with any observations on this subject. 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald to Queen Victoria. 
 
 8<ft January 1842. 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald, with his most humble duty to 
 your Majesty, begs leave humbly to inform your 
 Majesty that despatches have been this day received 
 at the India House from the Earl of Auckland, 
 Governor - General of India, which most officially 
 confirm to too great an extent the disastrous intelli- 
 gence contained in the public journals of yesterday, 
 the particulars of which the editors of these journals 
 had received by express messengers from Marseilles.* 
 
 This intelligence is of a most painful character, 
 and though the details which have arrived do high 
 honour to the courage and the gallantry of your 
 Majesty's forces, as well as of the East India 
 Company's Army, yet the loss sustained has been 
 very great, and many valuable officers have fallen 
 the victims of a widespread conspiracy which seems 
 to have embraced within its confederation the most 
 warlike tribes of the Afghan nation. 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald begs leave most humbly to lay 
 before your Majesty an interesting despatch from 
 Lord Auckland, comprising the most important details 
 of the late events in Afghanistan. 
 
 It is very satisfactory to Lord Fitzgerald to be 
 enabled humbly to acquaint your Majesty that Lord 
 
 I Founded by Frederick I. in 1701. 
 
 ^ See Introductory Note, 1841, ante, p. 320. The rebellion broke out at 
 Cabul on 2nd November, and Sir Alexander Burnes was murdered. 
 
1842] THE OXFORD MOVEMENT 469 
 
 Auckland has decided on waiting the arrival of his 
 successor, Lord Ellenborough, and states to Lord 
 Fitzgerald that he will feel it to be his duty to 
 remain in his [Government], in the present critical 
 state of affairs, until he is relieved by the new Governor- 
 General. 
 
 All of which is most humbly submitted to your 
 Majesty, by your Majesty's most dutiful Subject and 
 Servant, riTZGERAi,D and Vesci. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Broaslaitds, \2th January 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has this morning received your Majesty's 
 letter of the 10th inst., and is glad to infer from it 
 that your Majesty and the Prince are both weU and 
 in good spirits. 
 
 With respect to the Oxford affair, your Majesty 
 is aware that for a long time a serious difference has 
 been fermenting and showing itself in the Church of 
 England, one party leaning back towards Popery, and 
 the other either wishing to keep doctrines as they 
 are, or, perhaps, to approach somewhat nearer to the 
 dissenting Churches. This difference has particularly 
 manifested itself in a publication, now discontinued, 
 but which had been long going on at Oxford, entitled 
 Tracts for the Times, and generally called the Oxford 
 Tracts. The Professorship of Poetry is now vacant 
 at Oxford, and two candidates have been put forward, 
 the one Mr Williams, who is the author of one or 
 two of the most questionable of the Oxford Tracts, 
 and the other Mr Garbett, who is a representative 
 of the opposite party. Of course the result of this 
 election, which is made by the Masters of Arts of 
 the University, is looked to with much interest and 
 anxiety, as likely to afford no unequivocal sign of 
 which is the strongest party in the University and 
 amongst the clergy generally. It is expected that 
 Mr Garbett will be chosen by a large majority. . . . 
 
470 CHURCH MATTERS [chap, si 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Stheet, Vtth January 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and begs to acknowledge your Majesty's 
 letter of the 15th, which he has received here this 
 morning. 
 
 Lord Melbourne does not think this Puseyite differ- 
 ence in the Church so serious or dangerous as others 
 do. If it is discreetly managed, it will calm down or 
 blow over or sink into disputes of little significance. 
 All Lord Melbourne fears is lest the Bishops should 
 be induced to act hastily and should get into the 
 vsTong. The Puseyites have the most learning, or, 
 rather, have considered the points more recently and 
 more accurately than their opponents. 
 
 Lord Melbourne hopes that the Spanish ajBPair will be 
 settled. Lord Melbourne cannot doubt that the French 
 are wrong. Even if the precedents are in their favour, 
 the Spanish Court has a right to settle its own etiquette 
 and its own mode of transacting business, and to change 
 them if it thinks proper.^ 
 
 Lord Melbourne was at Broadlands when the Article 
 to which your Majesty alludes appeared in the Morning 
 Chronicle, and he talked it over with Palmerston. He 
 does not think that Palmerston wrote it, because there 
 were in it errors, and those errors to Palmerston's 
 disadvantage ; but it was written by Easthope under 
 the impression that it conveyed Palmerston's notions 
 and opinions. Your Majesty knows very well that 
 Palmerston has long had much communication with 
 the Morning Chronicle and nmch influence over it, and 
 has made great use of it for the purpose of maintaining 
 and defending his own policy. In this sort of matter 
 there is much to be said upon both sides. A Minister 
 
 1 An Ambassador, M. de Salvandy, had been sent from France to Madrid. 
 Espartero, the Regent, required the credentials to be presented to him and 
 not to the young Queen. The French Ambassador having refused to comply, 
 an unseemly dispute arose, and M. de Salvandy left Madrid. 
 
1842] THE MORNING CHRONICLE 471 
 
 has a great advantage in stating his own views to the 
 pubhc, and if Palmerston in the Syrian affair had not 
 had as devoted an assistant as the Morning Chronicle, he 
 would hardly have been able to maintain his course 
 or carry through his measures. It has always been 
 Lord Melbourne's policy to keep himself aloof from 
 the public press and to hold it at arm's-length, and 
 he considers it the best course, but it is subject to 
 disadvantages. You are never in that case strongly 
 supported by them, nor are the motives and reasons 
 of your conduct given to the public with that force 
 and distinctness which they might be. 
 
 Lord Melbourne has no doubt that your Majesty's 
 assurance is well founded, and that the present Govern- 
 ment are anxious for the welfare and prosperity and 
 tranquillity of Spain. It cannot be otherwise. 
 
 Palmerston dislikes Aberdeen and has a low opinion 
 of him. He thinks him weak and timid, and likely to 
 let down the character and influence of the country. 
 Your Majesty knows that Lord Melbourne does not 
 partake these opinions, certainly not at least to 
 anything like the extent to which Palmerston carries 
 them. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is going down to Panshanger 
 to-morrow, where he understands that he is to meet 
 Lord and Lady Lansdowne and Lord and Lady 
 Leveson.^ Lord Melbourne will take care and say 
 nothing about Brighton, but is glad to hear that 
 your Majesty is going thither. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, l%th January 1842. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — Not to miss my day, I write 
 a line to thank you for your kind letters of the 10th 
 and 13th, but shall write fully by the messenger. 
 Our Claremont trip was very enjoyable, only we 
 
 1 The late Lord Granville and his first wife, only chUd of the Due de Dalberg, 
 and widow of Sir Ferdinand Acton. 
 
4.72 THE DUKE AND THE CHRISTENING [chap, xi 
 
 missed Pussy so much ; another time we shall take 
 her with us ; the dear child was so pleased to see us 
 again, particularly dear Albert, whom she is so fond of. 
 . . . We think of going to Brighton early in February, 
 as the physicians think it will do the children great 
 good, and perhaps it may me; for I am very strong 
 as to fatigue and exertion, but not quite right other- 
 wise ; I am growing thinner, and there is a want of 
 tone, which the sea may correct. 
 
 Albert's great fonction ^ yesterday went off beauti- 
 fully, and he was so much admired in all ways ; he 
 always fascinates the people wherever he goes, by his 
 very modest and unostentatious yet dignified ways. 
 He only came back at twelve last night ; it was very 
 kind of him to come. The King of Prussia means, 
 I believe, to cross on the 20th. Now addio. Ever 
 your most affectionate Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 The Duke of Wellington to Queen Victoria. 
 
 London, '21st January 1842. 
 
 Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents his 
 humble duty to your Majesty. He is much flattered 
 by your Majesty's most gracious desire that he should 
 bear the Sword of State at the ceremony of the 
 christening of His Royal Highness the Prince of 
 Wales. 
 
 He had already received from Sir Robert Peel an 
 intimation of your Majesty's gracious pleasure on this 
 subject. He is in such good health, as to be able to 
 perform any duty upon which your Majesty may 
 think proper to employ him ; and he will attend your 
 Majesty's gracious ceremony at Windsor Castle on 
 Tuesday morning, the 25th Jan. inst. 
 
 All of which is humbly submitted to your Majesty 
 by your Majesty's most dutiful, and devoted Subject 
 and Servant, Wellington. 
 
 1 The Prince laid the foundation stone of the new Royal Exchange, .., 
 
1842] LORD MELBOURNE ILL 473 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 WiNDSOK Castle, 22»d January 1842. 
 
 The Queen cannot say how grieved she is, and the 
 Prince also, at hearing of Lord Melbourne's serious 
 indisposition, by his letter this morning. How very 
 provoking if he cannot come on Tuesday ! It will be 
 the only important ceremony during the Queen's reign 
 which Lord Melbourne has not been present at, and it 
 grieves her deeply. It was already a deep mortification 
 not to see him in his old place, but not to see him at all 
 is too provoking. If Lord Melbourne should soon get 
 well we shall hope to see him later during the King's ' 
 stay. The Prince is gone to Greenwich to meet the 
 King, and I expect them about five o'clock. 
 
 The Queen hopes to hear soon of Lord Melbourne's 
 being better and expresses again her very sincere regret 
 at his being prevented from coming. 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoyia. 
 
 2%th Jarmary 1842. ' 
 
 Lord Aberdeen presents his most humble duty to 
 your Majesty. Some time ago, your Majesty was 
 graciously pleased to express a desire to have a copy of 
 the Treaty concluded by your Majesty with the Four 
 Great Powers of Europe, for the more effectual 
 suppression of the Slave Trade.'^ Lord Aberdeen has 
 had one prepared for your Majesty's use, which he' 
 humbly begs to lay before your Majesty. 
 
 In obeying your Majesty's commands. Lord 
 Aberdeen thinks it his duty, at the same time, to 
 state to your Majesty that, with the exception of 
 some alterations and additions of little importance, 
 the Treaty in its present form had existed for a con- 
 siderable time in the Foreign Office, He found, also, 
 that there had been a reluctance to sign it on the 
 part of the French Government ; but as the objection 
 was chiefly of a personal nature, it was speedily 
 removed. The only share, therefore, which Lord 
 
 1 Frederick William IV., King of Prussia. 
 
 « The treaty conferred a mutual right of search. 
 
474 A FAVOURITE DOG [chap, a 
 
 Aberdeen can properly be said to have had in this 
 transaction is that of having been enabled to afford 
 your Majesty the great satisfaction of completing 
 this blessed work at an earlier period than would 
 otherwise have been the case. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Sooth Stbeet, \st Fehruary 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has to thank your Majesty for the letters 
 of the 28th and the 31st ult., the last of which he 
 received this morning. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad that your Majesty 
 opens the Parliament in person. Your Majesty knows 
 Lord Melbourne's opinion, that it ought always to be 
 done, when it can be without reference to Ministers, 
 politics, or political questions. Lord Melbourne hopes 
 to be able to go to the House in the evening, but he 
 fears that it would be too much for him if he were 
 to attempt to attend also in the morning. 
 
 Lord Melbourne was in despair at hearing of poor 
 Eos.* Favourites often get shot ; Lord Melbourne 
 has known it happen often in his time. That is 
 the worst of dogs, they add another strong interest 
 to a life which has already of itself interest enough, 
 and those, God knows ! sufficiently subject both to 
 ^accident and decay. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is sorry to do anything that 
 could trouble your Majesty in the slightest de- 
 gree, but he doubts not that your Majesty is already 
 aware of the matter, and therefore he has less scruple 
 in sending to your Majesty a letter'^ which he has 
 received from the Duke of Sussex. Upon the plea 
 of not being well, Lord Melbourne has put off seeing 
 the Duke upon this subject until after Monday, next, 
 and when he does see him, he will try to keep him. 
 quiet, which your Majesty knows, when he has got 
 a thing of this sort into his head, is no easy matter. 
 
 ^ A favourite p;reyhound of the Prince, accidentally shot by Prince 
 Ferdinand. Vide King Leopold's letter, 4th February. 
 ^ This letter is not preserved among the Queen's papers. 
 
1842] THE KING OF PRUSSIA 475 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WnmsoK Castle, \st February 1842. 
 
 My DEAR Uncle, — 1 have to thank you for a 
 kind, short note of the 27th inst., which I received 
 on Sunday. I gave your kind message to the King 
 of Prussia, who was much touche by it. He is a most 
 amiable man, so kind and well-meaning, and seems 
 so much beloved. He is so amusing too. He is very 
 anxious that Belgium should become liee with Germany, 
 and I think, dearest Uncle, that it would be for the 
 real good of Belgium if it could be so. You will 
 have heard how perfectly and splendidly everything 
 went off on the 25th. Nothing could have done 
 better, and little Albert {what a pleasure that he has 
 that dearest name 1 ) behaved so well. The King left us 
 yesterday morning to go to town, where we foUow him 
 to-morrow ; he was quite sad to leave Windsor, which 
 he admired so much. He dined with the Sutherlands 
 yesterday, and dines with the Duke of Wellington to- 
 day, and the Cambridges to-morrow. On Thursday he 
 dines with us (he lodges in Buckingham Palace), and 
 on Friday takes his departure. He is really a most 
 agreeable visitor, though I must own that I am some- 
 what knocked up by our great exertions. 
 
 Uncle Ferdinand is very well, and we are delighted 
 with dear Leopold ; ^ he is so much improved, and is 
 such a modest, sensible boy. 
 
 I can't say much for poor Gusti,^ though I love 
 him, but he is really too odd and inanimate. I hope 
 Louise will see the King of Prussia. You have heard 
 our great misfortune about dear Eos ; she is going on 
 well, but slowly, and still makes us rather anxious. 
 It made me quite ill the first day, and keeps me 
 fidgety still, till we know that she is quite safe. 
 Ever your devoted Niece, Victokia R. 
 
 We were grieved to hear Papa had been so ill. 
 
 1 Son of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, and brother of the King of 
 Portugal, afterwards a candidate for the jhand of Queen Isabella of Spain. 
 See post, p. 609. 
 
 * Prince Augustus, afterwards married to the Princess Clementine, 
 daughter of King Louis Philippe. 
 
476 THE KING OF PRUSSIA IN BELGIUM [chap, h 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, Uh February 1842. 
 
 My DEAR ViCTOBiA, — Thousand thanks for your 
 kind letter of the 1st, which I received yesterday. 
 
 The King of Prussia is a very dehghtful person ; * 
 he is so clever and amiable, and, owing to his good- 
 nature, not by any means fatiguing. I fear you had 
 cold weather yesterday for the opening of Parliament. 
 To-day we have here a tremendous fog ; Heaven grant 
 that it may not be so heavy on the Thames I else the 
 King's journey will be rendered difficult. 
 
 We expect him to-morrow about eleven o'clock ; he 
 wishes to be at Antwerp at five, which would indicate 
 his departure from hence at three o'clock. There can 
 be no doubt that nothing could be better than to link 
 this country as much as possible to Germany. The 
 public feeling was and is still favourable to this, but 
 in Germany some years ago they were childishly ultra, 
 and kicked us off most unnecessarily, which renders 
 everything of the sort now much less easy. In a 
 political point of view the King's journey will prove 
 useful, as it takes him still more out of the clutches 
 of Russia and gives him more correct views of what 
 is going on in the West of Europe. 
 
 I wish the King may also talk to his helter-skelter 
 cousin in Holland ; if the man goes on in his wild 
 intrigues, though he will get most probably nothing 
 by it himself, he may do a great deal of harm, and 
 may force us to incline more towards France for fear 
 of his intrigues with France. 
 
 I was extremely sorry to hear the accident which 
 befeU dear Eos, a great friend of mine. I do not 
 understand how your uncle managed it ; he ought 
 rather to have shot somebody else of the famUy. 
 
 1 Lord Aberdeen wrote to Madame de Lieven : " I passed a great deal of 
 time with the King of Prussia when he was in this country, and perfectly sub- 
 scribe to the truth of the description you gave me of him before his arrival — 
 intelligent, high-minded, and sincere. Like all Germans, he is sometimes 
 a little in the clouds, but bis projects are generous, and he wishes to do 
 what is right" 
 
1842] MARRIAGE OF PRINCE ERNEST 477 
 
 Ernest has then been going on fast enough; all I 
 hear of the lady is very satisfactory.* I don't yet know 
 when he means to come here. 
 
 Now I must conclude in haste. Ever, my dear 
 Victoria, your affectionate Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiuDsoB Castle, Hh February 1842. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I thank you de tout mon 
 cceur for your kind letter of the 4th, which I received 
 the day before yesterday. You have now seen our 
 good, kind, amiable King of Prussia, for whom I have 
 really the greatest affection and respect. We were 
 quite sorry to lose him, and he was much affected at 
 going. He is so open and natural, and seems really so 
 anxious to do good whenever he can. His liberality 
 and generosity here has been immense. He is very 
 much displeased with his " helter-skelter cousin," ^ and 
 quite unhappy at the state of things in that country. . . . 
 
 Ernest's marriage is a great, great delight to us ; 
 thank God ! I say, as I so ardently wished it, and Alex- 
 andrina is said to be really so perfect. I have begged 
 Ernest beforehand to pass his honeymoon with us, and 
 I beg you to urge him to do it ; for he witnessed our 
 first happiness, and we must therefore witness his. 
 
 Leopold is a dear, sweet boy, really, so fuU of 
 feeling, and so very good-tempered and modest ; the 
 King was charmed with him and he with the King. I 
 am happy to say faithful Eos is quite convalescent ; she 
 walks about wrapped up in flannel. 
 
 We are off for Brighton the day after to-morrow, I 
 can't say I like it at all. We were, and the boy too, all 
 three, vaccinated from the same child yesterday ! Now 
 adieu ! Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Fanny Jocelyn is taking her first waiting, and 
 makes a most excellent and sedate Dame d'Honneur. 
 I am sorry she is so very thin still. 
 
 1 He married the Grand Duchess Alexandrina of Baden on 3rd May 
 1842. 
 
 " The King of Holland. Vide King Leopold's letter of 4th February. 
 
478 CHRISTENING OF PRINCE OF WALES [chap, xi 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Mablbobouoh House, 5th February 1842, 
 
 My dear Niece, — I thank you a thousand times 
 for your kind letter, just received, and am dehghted with 
 the hope of seeing you, if you have time to spare, when 
 you come to town next week. I hardly dare to expect 
 it, but it will make me very happy should you be able 
 to fulfil your kind intention. 
 
 I was happy to hear how well the holy ceremony 
 went off on Tuesday, and how splendid the whole was. 
 The earnest attention of the King of Prussia to the 
 ceremony, and the manner with which he read the 
 responses, was universally remarked and admired. May 
 your dear child, our beloved Prince of Wales, follow 
 his pious example in future, and become as truly 
 estimable and amiable and good as his Godfather really 
 is. He is indeed most charming, and so very agreeable 
 and affable to everyone, that he must be loved and 
 respected by all who have the good fortune to approach 
 him. I hope he does not over-fatigue himself, for 
 he does a great deal in the short time of his stay in 
 England. He expresses himself delighted with his 
 reception. 
 
 I regret to find that your dear little girl is still 
 suffering so much from her teeth. God bless and 
 guard her and her brother 1 — who by all descriptions 
 must be a very fine babe. The King of Prussia 
 admires little Victoria very much ; he described her 
 to me as the most lovely child he ever saw. 
 
 I enclose the impression of my seal, according to 
 your wish. . . . 
 
 With my best love to dear Albert, I beg you to 
 believe me ever, dearest Victoria, your most attached 
 and devoted Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 May I ask you to give my affectionate respects to 
 the King of Prussia, and my love to your Mamma ? 
 
1842] THE CORN LAWS 479 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, Monday night (half-^ast 1 a.m.) 
 Uth February. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel, with his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, begs leave to acquaint your Majesty that Lord 
 John Russell proposed this evening in the House of 
 Commons a resolution condemnatory of the principle 
 of the plan for the adjustment of the Corn Laws 
 brought forward by your Majesty's servants. 
 
 Lord John Russell was followed in the debate by Mr. 
 Gladstone, the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, 
 who vindicated the plan. . . . 
 
 Sir Robert Peel had a meeting yesterday of the 
 Mends of the Government in the House of Commons, 
 and he is convinced that although many may have 
 wished that the plan of the Government had given an 
 increased degree of protection to agriculture, the great 
 body will support the measure, and that we shall have 
 no difficulty in resisting any detached efforts that may 
 be made to add to the duties on foreign corn. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Whitehall, \&th February (?) 1842. ' 
 
 Sir, — When I had the honour of last seeing yoiu- 
 Royal Highness at Windsor Castle, I stated to your 
 Royal Highness that it would give me great satisfac- 
 tion to have the opportunity from time to time of 
 apprising your Royal Highness of the legislative 
 measures in contemplation of Her Majesty's servants, 
 and of explaining in detail any matters in respect 
 to which your Royal Highness might wish for 
 information. 
 
 In conformity with this feeling on my part, I take 
 the liberty of sending to your Royal Highness two 
 confidential Memoranda prepared for the information 
 of Her Majesty's servants on the important subjects 
 respectively of the state of Slavery in the East Indies, 
 and of the Poor Laws in this country. 
 
480 FREE TRADE [chap, xi 
 
 They may probably be interesting to your Royal 
 Highness, and if your Royal Highness should encour- 
 age me to do so, I wUl, as occasion may arise, make 
 similar communications to your Royal Highness. I 
 have the honour to be, Sir, with sincere respect, 
 your Royal Highness's most faithful and humble 
 Servant, Robert Peel. 
 
 P. S. — I do not think that the measure which I 
 have brought forward for the diminution of the duties 
 on the import of foreign corn, will deprive us of any 
 portion of the support or good-will of our friends. 
 Many wish that the reduction had not been carried 
 so far, but almost all are aware of the consequences of 
 rejecting or obstructing the measure. 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald and Vesd to Queen Victoria. 
 
 India Board, \st March 1842. 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald, with his most humble duty to 
 your Majesty, requests permission humbly to submit 
 to your Majesty, that the communications received 
 yesterday at the India House present a dark and 
 alarming picture of the position and danger of the 
 British troops in Afghanistan.^ 
 
 Although the Governor-General's despatch announc- 
 ing these melancholy tidings also states that no strictly 
 official intelligence had reached him from Cabul, yet 
 the opinion of Lord Auckland evidently is, that the 
 reports on which his despatch is founded are but too 
 likely to be true. 
 
 From them it would appear that a numerous and 
 excited native population had succeeded in intercepting 
 all supplies, that the army at Cabul laboured under 
 severe privations, and that in consequence of the strict 
 investment of the cantonments by the enemy there 
 remained, according to a letter from the late Sir William 
 Macnaghten to an officer with Sir Robert Sale's force, 
 only three days' provision in the camp. 
 
 Under such circumstances it can perhaps be but 
 
 1 See Introductory Note, ante, pp. 320, 46S. 
 
1842] THE TIDINGS FROM CABUL 481 
 
 faintly hoped that any degree of gallantry and devotion 
 on the part of your Majesty's forces can have 
 extricated them from the difficulties by which they 
 were encompassed on every side. 
 
 Capitulation had been spoken of, and it may, 
 unhappily, have become inevitable, as the relieving 
 column, expected from Candahar, had been compelled 
 by the severity of an unusual season to retrace its 
 march. 
 
 The despatches from Calcutta being voluminous, 
 and embracing minute unofficial reports. Lord Fitz- 
 gerald has extracted and copied those parts which 
 relate to the military operations in Afghanistan, and 
 most humbly submits them to your Majesty. 
 
 He at the same time solicits permission to annex 
 a precis of some of the most important of the private 
 letters which have been forwarded from India ; and, 
 as yom- Majesty was graciously pleased to peruse with 
 interest some passages from the first journal of Lady 
 Sale, Lord Fitzgerald ventures to add the further 
 extracts, transmitted by Lord Auckland, in which 
 Lady Sale describes successive actions with the enemy, 
 and paints the state of the sufferings of the army, as 
 late as the 9th of December, 
 
 Nothing contained in any of these communications 
 encourages the hope of Sir Alexander Burnes's safety. 
 In one letter the death of an individual is mentioned, 
 who is described as the assassin of that lamented 
 officer. 
 
 All of which is most humbly submitted to your 
 Majesty by your Majesty's most dutiful Subject and 
 Servant, Fitzgerald and Vesci. 
 
 Queen Fictoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Pavilioit, ith March 1849. 
 
 The Queen thanks Lord Melbourne for his kind 
 letter, received the day before yesterday, by which 
 
 Vol. I.— 31 
 
482 A MARINE EXCURSION [chap, xi 
 
 she is glad to see he is well, and Fanny got safe to 
 Dublin. 
 
 Our excursion was most successful and gratifying. It 
 rained very much all Monday evening at Portsmouth, 
 but, nevertheless, we visited the St Vincent, and the 
 Royal George yacht, and the Prince went all over the 
 Dockyards. 
 
 It stormed and rained all night, and rained when we 
 set off on board the Black Eagle (the Firebrand that 
 was) for Spithead on Tuesday morning ; it, however, 
 got quite fine when we got there, and we went on 
 board the Queen, and a glorious sight it was ; she is a 
 magnificent ship, so wide and roomy, and though only 
 just commissioned, in the best order. With marines, 
 etc., her crew is near upon a thousand men I We saw 
 the men at dinner, and tasted the grog and soup, which 
 pleased them very much. Old Sir Edward Owen is 
 very proud of her. 
 
 It was a great pleasure for the Queen to be at sea 
 again, and not a creature thought even of being sick. 
 The saluting of all those great ships in the harbour 
 at once, as we came out and returned, has a splendid 
 effect. 
 
 The Queen was also much pleased at seeing four of 
 the crew of the Emerald again whom she knew so well 
 nine years ago ! The Prince was delighted with all he 
 saw, as were also our Uncle and Cousins ; these last, we 
 are sorry to say, leave us on Monday, — and we go up to 
 Town on Tuesday, where the Queen hopes to see Lord 
 Melbourne soon. 
 
 The Queen sends Lord Melbourne a letter from the 
 Queen of Portugal, all which tends to show how wrong 
 it is to think that they connive at the restoration of the 
 Charter. . . . 
 
 Lady Dunmore is in Waiting, and makes an 
 excellent Lady-in- Waiting. Lord Hardwicke the 
 Queen likes very much, he seems so straightforward. 
 He took the greatest care of the Queen when on 
 board ship. 
 
1842] OUR WOODEN WALLS 483 
 
 Was not his father drowned at Spithead or Ports- 
 mouth ? ^ 
 
 The Queen hopes to hear that Lord Melbourne is 
 very well. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Pavilion, 1th March 1842. 
 
 My dear Uncle, — As I wrote you so long a letter 
 yesterday, I shall only write you a few lines to-day, to 
 thank you for your kind letter of the 4th, received 
 yesterday. Our dear Uncle and dear Cousins have 
 just left us, and we are very sorry to see them go ; for 
 the longer one is together the more intimate one gets, 
 and they were quite become as belonging to us, and 
 were so quiet and unassuming, that we shall miss 
 them much, particularly dear Leopold, whom poor 
 Uncle Ferdinand recommended to my especial care, 
 and therefore am really very anxious that we should 
 settle something for his future. Uncle Ferdinand 
 likes the idea of his passing some time at Brussels, 
 and some time here, very much, and I hope we may 
 be able to settle that. Uncle and Cousins were sorry 
 to go. 
 
 You will have heard how well our Portsmouth 
 expedition went off; the sea was quite smooth on 
 Tuesday, and we had a delightful visit to the Queen, 
 which is a splendid ship. I think it is in these 
 immense wooden walls that our real greatness exists, 
 and I am proud to think that no other nation can 
 equal us in this. ... 
 
 Now addio/ Ever your most affectionate Niece, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 1 " His father, Sir Joseph Yorke," Lord Melbourne replied, " was 
 drowned in the Southampton River, off Netley Abbey, when sailing for 
 pleasure. The boat was supposed to have been struck by lightning. His 
 cousin. Lord Eoyston, was drowned in the year 180T in the Baltic, at Cron- 
 stadt " [according to Burke in 1808, off LUbeck, eet. twenty-three], " which 
 event, together with the death of two younger sons of Lord Hardwicke, gave 
 the earldom ultimately to the present Lord." 
 
484 THE FALL OF CABUL [chap, h 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Wth March 1842. 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald, with his most humble duty to 
 your Majesty, begs leave most humbly and with deep 
 sorrow to lay before your Majesty reports which he 
 has only within this hour received. 
 
 They are to be found in a despatch from the 
 Governor and Council of Bombay, and unhappily 
 confirm, to an appalling degree, the disastrous intelli- 
 gence from Afghanistan. The commercial expresses, 
 which reached London yesterday, gave to the public 
 some of the details of the fall of Cabul ; and Lord 
 Fitzgerald laments that it is his painful duty most 
 humbly to inform your Majesty that the despatches 
 just arrived confirm to their full extent the particulars 
 of Sir William Macnaghten's fate, and of the fate of 
 that remnant of gallant men who, on the faith of a 
 capitulation, had evacuated that cantonment which 
 they had defended with unavailing courage. 
 
 In addition to the despatch from the Council of 
 Bombay, Lord Fitzgerald humbly ventures to submit 
 to your Majesty a letter addressed to him by Mr 
 Anderson, the Acting-Governor of that Presidency, 
 with further details of these melancholy events. 
 
 The despatches from the Governor-General of India 
 come down to the date of the 22nd of January (three 
 days previous to the tragical death of Sir William 
 Macnaghten). Lord Auckland was then uninformed 
 of the actual state of the force in Cabul, though not 
 unprepared for severe reverses. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 'iOth March 1842 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and will take an opportunity to-morrow of 
 ascertaining your Majesty's pleasure with respect to 
 the remaining Garter which still remains undisposed 
 of, as your Majesty may probably think it advisable 
 
1842] CANDIDATES FOR THE GARTER 485 
 
 that the Investiture of all the Knights selected for the 
 vacant Garters should take place at the same time. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel humbly represents to your Majesty 
 that those Peers who may severally be considered 
 from their rank and station candidates for this high 
 distinction, have behaved very well in respect to it, as 
 since Sir Robert Peel has had the honour of serving 
 your Majesty he has never received, excepting in the 
 cases of the Duke of Buckingham and recently of 
 Lord Cardigan, a direct application on the subject of 
 the Garter. 
 
 Of those who fi'om their position and rank in 
 the Peerage, and from the Garter having been hereto- 
 fore conferred on their ancestors or relations, may 
 be regarded as competitors, the principal appear to 
 Sir Robert Peel to be the following : — 
 The Duke of Cleveland 
 The Duke of Montrose 
 The Marquis of Hertford 
 The Marquis of Bute 
 The Marquis of Abercorn 
 The Marquis Camden 
 The Marquis of Londonderry. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel names all, without meaning to 
 imply that the pretensions of all are very valid ones. 
 He would humbly represent for your Majesty's con- 
 sideration, whether on account of rank, fortune and 
 general character and station in the country, the claims 
 of the Duke of Cleveland do not upon the whole 
 predominate.* 
 
 His Grace is very much mortified and disappointed 
 at Sir Robert Peel's having humbly advised your 
 Majesty to apply the general rule against the son's 
 succeeding the father immediately in the Lieutenancy 
 of a county to his case in reference to his county 
 of Durham. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel thinks it better to write to your 
 Majesty upon this subject, as your Majesty may wish 
 to have an opportunity of considering it. 
 
 1 The Garter was conferred on the Duke of Cleveland. 
 
486 THE EARL OF MUNSTER [chap, xi 
 
 VisGount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SourH Street, '2l»t March 1849. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. A letter from Charles Fox to Lady Holland, 
 and which she has sent to me, informs me of the 
 shocking end of Munster,^ which your Majesty will 
 have heard long before you receive this. Charles Fox 
 attributes it entirely to the vexatious and uneasy life 
 which he led with Lady Munster, but he was always, 
 as your Majesty knows, an unhappy and discontented 
 man, and there is something in that unfortunate 
 condition of illegitimacy which seems to distort the 
 mind and feelings and render them incapable of 
 justice or contentment. 
 
 It is not impossible that upon this event application 
 may be made to your Majesty for the continuance of 
 the pension upon the Privy Purse to his son. As 
 Lord Melbourne advised your Majesty to continue 
 these pensions upon the late King's death, perhaps 
 it may not be improper that he should now say that 
 it is his strong opinion that they should not be 
 continued further. There is no reason for it. They 
 are not very rich, but neither are very poor, and they 
 have very opulent connections and relations. It 
 appears to me that the first opportunity should be 
 taken to show that it is not your Majesty's intention 
 to charge the Crown Avith the maintenance and 
 support of all these families, which will otherwise 
 be the case. Lord Melbourne thinks it not improper 
 to mention this matter thus early, as otherwise the 
 [compassionate] feelings naturally raised by such an 
 event might lead to a different determination. 
 
 There is another matter mentioned in your 
 Majesty's letter, relating to money, which is of con- 
 siderable importance, and that is the determination 
 taken by your Majesty to subject your own provision 
 to the proposed duty on income.. When it was put 
 
 1 The Earl of Munster, son of William IV. and Mrs. Jordan, shot himself 
 20th March. His wife was a daughter of the Earl of Egremont. 
 
1842] THE QUEEN AND THE INCOME TAX 487 
 
 to your Majesty Lord Melbourne is disposed to think 
 that your Majesty's determination ^ was right, and it 
 certainly will be very popular, which in the present 
 circumstances of the country and state of pubhc 
 feelings is a great advantage. At the same time it 
 is givmg up a principle of the Constitution, which 
 has hitherto exempted the Sovereign from all direct 
 taxation, and there are very great doubts entertained 
 whether the announcement to Parliament of the 
 intention was not in a constitutional point of view 
 objectionable, inasmuch as it pronounced the opinion 
 of the Crown upon a tax which was still under 
 discussion. It is also a great pecuniary sacrifice, and, 
 as your Majesty says, together with the loss of the 
 Duchy of Cornwall and other revenues will make a 
 great change in your Majesty's pecuniary circum- 
 stances. These defalcations can only be repaired by 
 care and economy. Your Majesty has all the most 
 right feehngs and the best judgment about money, 
 and Lord Melbourne has no doubt that your Majesty 
 will so act as to avoid pecuniary embarrassment — the 
 only difficulty which Lord Melbourne fears for your 
 Majesty, arid the only contingency which could involve 
 your Majesty in serious personal inconvenience. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thanks your Majesty much for 
 the kindness of your letter. . . . 
 
 Everybody says that the marriage between Miss 
 Stuart and Lord Waterford^ is likely to take place. 
 It is said that he would do almost anything rather 
 than go to St Petersburg. Lord Melbourne has not 
 seen Lord Waterford, but he is said to be very good- 
 looking ; we know him to be rich and of high rank, 
 and, after all, that sort of character is not disliked 
 by all ladies. Perhaps also she counts upon the 
 effect of her influence to soften, to tranquillise, and 
 to restrain. 
 
 Lord Melbourne hears a very bad account of Lord 
 Anglesey's affairs. His case is a hard one, for these 
 
 1 The Queen had decided that she would herself pay Income Tax. 
 ' Henry, third Marquis, and Louisa, second daughter of Lord Stuart de 
 Rothesay, were married on 8th June. 
 
488 LAMBETH PALACE [chap xi 
 
 pecuniary difficulties are owing to the extravagance of 
 others, and by no means to his own. Lord Melbourne 
 saw Uxbridge and Ellen at Lady Palmerston's on 
 Saturday evening. The latter seemed in good spirits, 
 and said that she did not mean to shut herself up 
 too closely in Hertfordshire. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thought that your Majesty would 
 be pleased with Lambeth. The view from the great 
 window in the drawing-room over the river, and to 
 the Houses of Parliament and the Abbey, is very 
 fine indeed, but like all London views can rarely be 
 seen in consequence of the foggy atmosphere. . . . 
 
 No doubt your Majesty and His Royal Highness 
 must be anxious for a little quiet and repose, which 
 Lord Melbourne hopes that your Majesty wiU enjoy. 
 Lord Melbourne had feared that your Majesty's health 
 was not quite so good as it appeared. . . . Lord 
 Melbourne concludes this very long letter with the 
 most fervent expression of his most sincere wishes 
 for your Majesty's health and happiness. 
 
 Lord Melbourne in speaking of poor Lord Munster 
 forgot to mention that at the Levee on Wednesday 
 last he followed Lord Melbourne down the long gallery 
 as he was going away, came up to him with great 
 emotion of manner, pressed his hand warmly, and 
 said that he wished to take the earliest opportunity 
 of thanking Lord Melbourne for all the kindness he 
 had shown him whilst he had been in office. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 PANSHAifGER, S\st March 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He is much rejoiced to learn that your 
 Majesty has had fine weather and has enjoyed it. It 
 rained here hard yesterday in the morning, but cleared 
 up about half-past twelve and was very fine indeed. 
 Lord Melbourne went over to Brocket Hall and enjoyed 
 it much. He does not intend to return to London 
 until Monday next, when the House of Lords 
 
1842] SALE AT STRAWBERRY HILL 489 
 
 reassembles. It is to be hoped that we shall then 
 soon have the Corn Bill up from the Commons and 
 pass it. The Income Tax will give some trouble, but 
 that done, and the Poor Law Bill, the end of the 
 Session may begin to be looked forward to. 
 
 The sale at Strawberry Hill* naturally excites 
 interest, and things are not unlikely to be sold high. 
 The collection has after all been kept together, and 
 the place has remained in the family of his niece, * the 
 Duchess of Gloucester, to whom he bequeathed it, 
 longer than he himself expected. He says in one of 
 his letters that he would send a statue down to Linton, 
 Sir Horace Mann's place in Kent, because there it had 
 a better chance of remaining permanently, "for as to 
 this poor bauble of a place," he adds, " it will be knocked 
 to pieces in a very few years after my decease." It 
 has stood, however, and remained five-and-forty years, 
 a longer period than he had anticipated. Some of 
 the works, such as the bell by Benvenuto Cellini, and 
 the antique Eagle, are very fine ; others are only 
 curious. Lord Melbourne would not give much 
 money for a mere curiosity, unless there were also 
 some intrinsic merits or beauty. What is the value 
 of Cardinal Wolsey's cap for instance ? It was not 
 different from that of any other Cardinal, and a 
 Cardinal's cap is no great wonder. 
 
 Lord Melbourne returns Lord Munster's letter. It 
 is without date, but was evidently written in con- 
 templation of the dreadful act which he afterwards 
 perpetrated. It is very melancholy. Lord Melbourne 
 was certain that your Majesty would send to Lord 
 Adolphus' the assurance which you have done, and 
 that you would be anxious to assist his children, and 
 promote their interests by every means in your power. 
 
 1 Near Twickenham, formerly the residence of Horace Walpole, and filled 
 with his collection of pictures and objetg de vertu. 
 
 » The Duke of Gloucester, brother of George III., married in 1766 Maria, 
 Countess-Dowager Waldegrave, iUegitimate daughter of Sir Edward Walpole, 
 and niece of Horace Walpole. This, and the Duke of Cumberland's marriage in 
 17T1 to Lady Anne Horton, occasioned the passing of the Royal Marriages Act. 
 
 ' Lord Adolphus FitzClarence (1802-1856), a Rear-Admiral, brother of 
 the Earl of Munster. 
 
490 SELECTION OF A GOVERNESS [chap, a 
 
 But both their brothers and they must be made sensible 
 that they must make some effort for themselves. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad to learn that your 
 Majesty intends to offer the Round Tower ^ to the 
 Duke of Sussex. It is in every respect kind. It 
 will be of essential service to him, and it will gratify 
 him most exceedingly. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thinks that your Majesty's decision 
 respecting the Governess ^ is right. It should be a lady 
 of rank ; but that she should be a woman of sense and 
 discretion, and capable of fulfilling the duties of the 
 office, is of more importance than whether she is a 
 Duchess, a Marchioness, or a Countess. The selection 
 is difficult, but if your Majesty can find a person, 
 it would not be well to consider either high or low 
 rank as a disqualification. 
 
 Lord Melbourne intends to take advantage of his 
 freedom from the restraints of office in order to see 
 a little of the bloom of spring and summer, which he 
 has missed for so many years. He has got one or two 
 horses, which he likes well enough, and has begun 
 to ride again a little. Lord Melbourne wishes your 
 Majesty much of the same enjoyment, together with 
 aU health, happiness and prosperity. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brocket Hall, 6th April 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has this morning received your Majesty's 
 very kind and confidential letter, for which he greatly 
 thanks your Majesty. Your Majesty may depend upon 
 it that Lord Melbourne will do everything in his power to 
 discourage and restrain factious and vexatious opposition, 
 not only on account of your Majesty's wish, but because 
 he disapproves it as much as your Majesty can possibly 
 do. But everything in his power he fears is but little. 
 The leaders of a party, or those who are so called, have 
 
 * The Earl of Munster had held the office of Governor and Constable 
 .of Windsor Castle, with a salary of £. 1 ,000 a year. 
 
 " To the Royal children. Lady Lyttelton was ultimately appointed. 
 
1842] PARTY POLITICS 491 
 
 but little sway over their followers, particularly when 
 not in Government and when they have it not in their 
 power to threaten them with any very serious conse- 
 quences, such as the dissolution of the Administration. 
 Mr Pulteney, afterwards Earl of Bath, is reported to 
 have said that political parties were like snakes, guided 
 not by their heads, but by their tails. Lord Melbourne 
 does not know whether this is true of the snake, but 
 it is certainly so of the party. The conduct of the 
 Opposition upon the resolution respecting the Income 
 Tax is rendered peculiarly ridiculous by the result. 
 They forcibly put it off until after the holidays, and then 
 upon the first day of the meeting they vote it without 
 a division. What is this but admitting that they 
 looked to a movement in the country which they have 
 not been able to create ? Moreover, all Oppositions that 
 Lord Melbourne has ever seen are more or less factious. 
 The Opposition of Mr Fox to Mr Pitt was the least so, 
 but these were great men, greater than any that exist 
 at the present day, although Lord Melbourne is by no 
 means inclined to depreciate his own times. The 
 factiousness of one Opposition naturally produces the 
 same in the next. They say, " They did so to us ; why 
 should we not do so to them ? " Your Majesty may 
 rest assured that Lord Melbourne wiU do everything 
 he can to prevent delay, and to accelerate the trans- 
 action of the public business. 
 
 Lord Melbourne sends a letter which he has 
 received this morning from the Duke of Sussex, and 
 which expresses very right and proper feelings. Lord 
 Melbourne has written in reply that, " Your Majesty 
 was no doubt influenced principally by your natural 
 affection for him, and by your sense of the generosity 
 of his conduct towards Lord Munster, but that if any 
 thought of Lord Melbourne intervened, your Majesty 
 could not have given a higher or a more acceptable 
 proof of your approbation and regard." 
 
 The Garters * seem to Lord Melbourne to be given 
 
 I The recipients had been the King of Saxony, the Duke of Beaufort, the 
 Duke of Buckingham, the Marquess of Salisbury, the Duke of Cleveland. 
 
492 THE GARTER [chap, h 
 
 well enough. Your Majesty's feelings upon the subject 
 are most kind and amiable. But these things cannot 
 be helped, and it is upon the whole advantageous that 
 each party should have their portion of patronage and 
 honours. If there is very distinguished service, the 
 Garter should be bestowed upon it. Otherwise, in 
 Lord Melbourne's opinion, it is better given to noble- 
 men of high rank and great property. The chapter in 
 Ecclesiasticus, read in St George's Chapel on Obiit 
 Sunday, well describes those who ought to have it, 
 with the exception of those "who find out musical 
 times." Lord Melbourne does not think it well given 
 to Ministers. It is always then subject to the imputa- 
 tion of their giving it to themselves, and pronouncing 
 an approbation of their own conduct. 
 
 Lord Melbourne hopes that the Pope's standing 
 sponsor for the young Prince of Portugal is a sign 
 of complete reconciliation with the See of Rome. It 
 is a very awkward thing for a Roman Catholic 
 Government to be at variance with the Pope. He 
 is still a very ugly customer. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very much concerned to hear 
 of the Baron's * illness — very much indeed ; he is an 
 excellent and most valuable man, with one of the 
 soundest and coolest judgments that Lord Melbourne 
 has ever met with. Your Majesty knows that Lord 
 Melbourne has never had a favourable opinion of his 
 health. There seems to be about him a settled 
 weakness of the stomach, which is in fact the seat 
 of health, strength, thought and life. Lord Melbourne 
 sees that a great physician says that Napoleon lost 
 the battle of Leipsic in consequence of some very 
 greasy soup which he ate the day before, and which 
 clouded his judgment and obscured his perceptions. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear that your 
 Majesty has amused yourself so well in the country, 
 and is not surprised that you are unwilling to quit it. 
 He means himself to see a little of the coming in of 
 the spring, which he has not done for many years. 
 
 ' Baron Stockmar. 
 
1842] A BRILLIANT BALL 493 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Sang of the Belgians. 
 
 BccciNaHXM PiOACE, I9th April 1842. 
 
 Dearest Uncle, — I am so sorry to see by your 
 kind letter of the 15th that you are all so enrhumes, 
 but hear to-day from Vecto that Charlotte is quite 
 well again. I am quite bewildered with all the 
 arrangements for our hal costume, which I wish 
 you could see ; we are to be Edward III. and 
 Queen PhUippa, and a great number of our Court 
 to be dressed like the people in those times, and 
 very correctly, so as to make a grand Aufzug; but 
 there is such asking, and so many silks and drawings and 
 crowns, and God knows what, to look at, that I, who 
 hate being troubled about dress, am quite confuse. 
 
 To get a little rest we mean to run down to 
 Claremont with the children from Friday to Monday. 
 My last ball was very splendid, and I have a con- 
 cert on Monday next. . . . 
 
 I hope Ernest and dear Alexandrine will come 
 in Jime, and stay some time quietly with us in the 
 country. I saw another beautiful letter of hers, so 
 well and sensibly and religiously written, it would 
 have pleased you. Now adieu ! Ever your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Stheet, Wth April 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and thanks your Majesty much for your letter 
 of the 17th inst. Lord Melbourne has been so much 
 occupied with the debates in the House of Lords 
 during the last two days, that he has ventured to put 
 off replying to your Majesty's letters, which he trusts 
 that your Majesty will excuse. 
 
 Lord Melbourne did not leave the ball until ten 
 minutes after one, and as there were so many persons 
 there, which Lord Melbourne thinks quite right and 
 was very glad to see, Lord Melbourne had little hope of 
 seeing your Majesty again, and therefore ventured to 
 
494. THE PRINCE AND THE ARMY [chap, h 
 
 take advantage of having ordered his carriage at half- 
 past twelve and of its having come at the time that it 
 was ordered. It was a very brilliant and very beautiful 
 and a very gay ball. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very sorry to be obliged to 
 express his fear that your Majesty will prove more 
 in the right than he was about the duration of 
 Parliament. There will be much debate in the 
 Committee upon the details of the Income Tax, 
 and the discussions upon the Tariff of duties, which 
 affects so many interests, are likely to be very long 
 indeed. There is one good thing in the House of 
 Lords, and that is that it never much delays or 
 obstructs public business. . . . 
 
 As Lord Melbourne drove down the Park on 
 Saturday evening last to dine with his sister, he could 
 see clearly into your Majesty's room, so as to be able 
 to distinguish the pictures, tables, etc., the candles being 
 lighted and the curtains not drawn. Your Majesty 
 was just setting off for the Opera. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 BtrcEiKGHAM Palace, 20<A April 1842. 
 
 The Queen encloses the Prince's letter to Sir 
 Robert Peel, containing his acceptance of the Guards. 
 At the same time, both the Prince and Queen feel 
 much regret at the Prince's leaving the 11th, which 
 is, if possible, enhanced by seeing the Regiment out 
 to-day which is in beautiful order. It was, besides, 
 the Regiment which escorted the Prince from Dover to 
 Canterbury on his arrival in England in February '40. 
 The Queen fears, indeed knows, that Lord Cardigan 
 will be deeply mortified at the Prince's leaving the 
 Regiment, and that it will have the effect of appearing 
 like another slight to him ; therefore, the Queen much 
 wishes that at some fit opportunity^ a mark of favovu: 
 should be bestowed upon him. . . . 
 
 The Queen hopes Sir Robert will think of this. 
 
 1 Lord Cardigan was promoted Major-General in 1847. He became 
 Inspector-General of Cavalry, and received the K.C.B. in 185S. 
 
1842] LADY LYTTELTON'S APPOINTMENT 495 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 26<A April 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and acknowledges with many thanks your 
 Majesty's letter of the 24th inst, which he received 
 yesterday morning. Lord Melbourne learns with the 
 greatest satisfaction that Lady Lyttelton has under- 
 taken the important and interesting charge, for which 
 she is so well fitted. Lord Melbourne is most sincerely 
 of opinion that no other person so well quahfied could 
 have been selected. Lord Melbourne will keep the 
 matter strictly secret ; he has not yet mentioned it to 
 anyone, nor has he heard it mentioned by any other 
 person, which, as it must be known to some, rather 
 surprises him. Unreserved approbation cannot be 
 expected for anything, but when it is known. Lord 
 Melbourne anticipates that it will meet with as general 
 an assent as could be anticipated for a choice in which 
 aU the community will take, and indeed have, so deep 
 an interest. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brocket Hall, \5th May 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He is very sorry indeed, and entreats your 
 Majesty's pardon for his great omission on Monday 
 evening. He was never told that he was to pass 
 before your Majesty at the beginning ; at the same 
 time he admits that it was a blundering piece of 
 stupidity not to find this out of himself. After this 
 he never saw the glimmer of a chance of being able 
 to get near to your Majesty. 
 
 Lord Melbourne wonders much who could have 
 whispered to your Majesty that he felt or expressed 
 anything but the most unqualified admiration of the 
 ball, which was the most magnificent and beautiful 
 spectacle that he ever beheld. Lord Melbourne also 
 beUeves it to be very popular, for the reasons which 
 your Majesty mentions. 
 
496 GOETHE AND SCHILLER [chap, xi 
 
 Your Majesty having generally chosen handsome 
 and attractive girls for the Maids of Honour, which is 
 very right, must expect to lose them in this way. Lord 
 Melbourne is very glad of the marriage. Lord Emlyn ^ 
 always seemed to him a very pleasing young man, 
 and well calculated to make a woman happy. 
 
 Lord Melbourne felt quite sure that there had been 
 a mistake about Ben Stanley, which was the reason 
 that he mentioned his name. He is sorry that he has 
 made a fool of himself by writing. Having had so 
 much to do with invitations during the two last years, 
 he was not altogether unnaturally mortified to find 
 himself not invited there.* Stanley is not a man to 
 whom Lord Melbourne is very partial, but we must 
 give every one his due. Lord Melbourne always 
 discourages to the utmost of his power the notion 
 of any one's having a right or claim to be asked, 
 which notion, however, has a strong possession of 
 the minds of people in general. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is come down here again, being 
 determined to see this spring thoroughly and com- 
 pletely. His feelings are like those, so beautifully 
 described by Schiller, of Max Piccolomini,* when, 
 after a youth passed entirely in war, he for the first 
 time sees a country which has enjoyed the blessings of 
 peace. The Germans seem to Lord Melbourne gener- 
 ally to prefer Goethe to Schiller, a decision which 
 surprises him, although he feels that he has no right 
 to dictate to a people, of whose language he does not 
 understand a word, their judgment upon their own 
 authors. But the one, Schiller, seems to him to be 
 all truth, clearness, nature and beauty ; the other, 
 principally mysticism, obscurity, and unintelligibility. 
 
 Lord Melbourne intends to return on Wednesday, 
 and will have the honour and pleasure of waiting 
 upon your Majesty on Thursday. 
 
 1 The second Earl Cawdor, who married Miss Susan Mary Cavendish. 
 
 ^ Edward John, afterwards second Lord Stanley of Alderley, was nicknamed 
 Ben, after "Sir Benjamin Backbite." He had mentioned to Lord Melbourne 
 that he was disappointed at not receiving an invitation to the Royal Ball. 
 
 • In the Wallenstein Trilogy. 
 
1842] MR EDWIN LANDSEER 497 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laekek, mth May 1849. 
 
 My DEAREST Victoria, — I found here yesterday 
 a very long and dear letter from your august hand, 
 which made me very happy. Y owe fete I believe to 
 have been most probably one of the most splendid 
 ever given. There is hardly a country where so much 
 magnificence exists ; Austria has some of the means, but 
 the Court is not elegant from its nature. We regret 
 sincerely not to have been able to witness it, and will 
 admire the exhibition of your splendid costume. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, ^Tth May 1842. 
 
 . . . Sir Robert Peel humbly submits his opinion 
 to your Majesty that Mr Landseer's eminence as an 
 artist would fully justify his having the honour of 
 Knighthood, and would not give any legitimate ground 
 of complaint to any other artist on account of a similar 
 distinction not being conferred on him. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel proposes therefore to write to 
 Mr Landseer on the subject, as your Majesty's opinion 
 appears to be in favour of his name appearing with the 
 others, should he wish for the distinction. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, %%th May 1842. 
 
 The Queen is quite vexed at having been quite 
 unable to write to Lord Melbourne sooner, but we 
 have been so occupied that she could not. She was 
 so vexed too to have not had her head turned the 
 other way when she met him yesterday, but she was 
 looking at the Prince, her Uncle, and Cousins riding, 
 and only turned to see Lord Melbourne's groom whom 
 she instantly recognized, but too late, alas I The Queen 
 spent a very merry happy birthday at dear old Clare- 
 mont, and we finished by dancing in the gallery. She 
 was grieved Lord Melbourne could not be there. 
 
 Vol. I. — 32 
 
498 THE MENSDORFF FAMILY [chap, n 
 
 We have got our dear Uncle MensdorfF^ and his 
 four sons here which is a great happiness to us. Dear 
 Uncle (who Lord Melbourne is aware is a most dis- 
 tinguished officer) is a delightful and amiable old man, 
 and the sons were all so nice and amiable and kind and 
 good ; Lord Melbourne remembers seeing Alexander 
 here in 1839, and that the Queen was very partial to 
 him. The two eldest and the youngest — Hugo, 
 Alphonse, and Arthur — are all amiable, though none 
 near so good looking, but so very well brought up and 
 so unassuming. The second is very clever. And it is 
 quite beautiful to see the love the father has for his 
 sons, and vice versa — and the affection the four brothers 
 have for one another ; this is so rarely seen that it 
 does one's heart good to witness it. The Queen has 
 appointed the Duchess of Norfolk in Lady Lyttelton's 
 place, and intends appointing Lady Canning in Lady 
 Dalhousie's, who has resigned from ill-health. 
 
 Lady Lyttelton is established here in her new 
 office, and does everything admirably. 
 
 The Queen must conclude here as she has got so 
 much to do — hoping Lord Melbourne is well. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, iUt May 1842. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel, with his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, begs leave to acquaint your Majesty, that he 
 has just seen Mr Landseer. 
 
 Mr Landseer repeated his expressions of deep and 
 sincere gratitude for the favour and kindness with 
 which your Majesty had contemplated his claims for 
 professional distinction, but appeared to retain the 
 impression that he had yet scarcely done enough to 
 entitle him to the honour which it was contemplated 
 to bestow upon him. 
 
 In the course of conversation he observed that he 
 was now occupied upon works of a more important 
 character than any that he had yet completed, and 
 mentioned particularly an equestrian portrait of your 
 
 1 See p. 126. 
 

1942] ATTACK ON THE QUEEN 499 
 
 Majesty. He said that when these works were finished, 
 and should they prove successful and meet with your 
 Majesty's approbation, he might feel himself better 
 entitled to receive a mark of your Majesty's favour. 
 As these were evidently his sincere impressions and 
 wishes. Sir Robert Peel forebore from pressing upon 
 him the immediate acceptance of the honour of 
 Knighthood. 
 
 Queen Victoria to The King of the Belgians. 
 
 BucKiKGHAM Palace, 31st May 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I wish to be the first to 
 inform you of what happened yesterday evening, and 
 to tell you that we are saines et sauves. On returning 
 from the chapel on Sunday, Albert was observing 
 how civil the people were, and then suddenly turned 
 to me and said it appeared to him as though a man 
 had held out a pistol to the carriage, and that it had 
 hung fire; accordingly, when we came home he 
 mentioned it to Colonel Arbuthnot, who was only to 
 tell it to Sir J. Graham and Sir Robert Peel, and 
 have the police instructed, and nobody else. No one, 
 however, who was with us, such as footmen, etc., 
 had seen anything at all. Albert began to doubt 
 what he believed he had seen. Well, yesterday 
 mornmg (Monday) a lad came to Murray (who of 
 course knew nothing) and said that he saw a man 
 in the crowd as we came home from church, present 
 a pistol to the carriage, which, however, did not go 
 off, and heard the man say, " Fool that I was not to 
 fire ! " The man then vanished, and this boy^ followed 
 another man (an old man) up St James's Street 
 who repeated twice, " How very extraordinary I " but 
 instead of saying anything to the police, asked the 
 boy for his direction and disappeared. The boy 
 accordingly was sent to Sir Robert Peel, and 
 (doubtful as it aU still was) every precaution was 
 taken, still keeping the thing completely secret, not 
 a soul in the house knowing a word, and accordmgly 
 
500 THE ATTEMPT REPEATED [chap, xi 
 
 after some consultation, as nothing could be done, 
 we drove out — many police then in plain clothes 
 being distributed in and about the parks, and the 
 two Equerries riding so close on each side- that they 
 must have been hit, if anybody had ; still the feeling 
 of looking out for such a man was not des plus 
 agr cables ; however, we drove through the parks, up 
 to Hampstead, and back again. All was so quiet 
 that we almost thought of nothing, — when, as we drove 
 down Constitution Hill, very fast, we heard the report 
 of a pistol, but not at all loud, so that had we not 
 been on the alert we should hardly have taken 
 notice of it. We saw the man seized by a police- 
 man, next to whom he was standing when he fired, 
 but we did not stop. Colonel Arbuthnot and two 
 others saw him take aim, but we only heard the 
 report (looking both the other way). We felt both 
 very glad that our drive had had the effect of having 
 the man seized. Whether it was loaded or not we 
 cannot yet tell, but we are again full of gratitude to 
 Providence for invariably protecting us ! The feeling 
 of horror is very great in the public, and great affec- 
 tion is shown us. The man was yesterday examined 
 at the Home Office, is called John Francis, is a 
 cabinet-maker, and son of a machine-maker of 
 Covent Garden Theatre, is good-looking (they say). 
 I have never seen him at all close, but Arbuthnot 
 gave the description of him from what he saw on 
 Sunday, which exactly answered. Only twenty or 
 twenty-one years old, and not the least mad — but 
 very cunning. The boy identified him this morning, 
 amongst many others. Everything is to be kept 
 secret this time, which is very right, and altogether 
 I think it is being well done. Every further particular 
 you shall hear. I was really not at aU Mghtened, 
 and feel very proud at dear Uncle Mensdorff calling 
 me " sehr muthig," which I shall ever remember with 
 peculiar pride, coming from so distinguished an officer 
 as he is ! Thank God my Angel is also well ! but he 
 says that had the man fired on Sunday, he must have 
 
1842] LETTER FROM QUEEN ADELAIDE 601 
 
 been hit in the head ! God is merciful ; that indeed we 
 must feel daily more 1 Uncle and cousins were quite 
 horrified. . . . Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 You will tell Louise all of course. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Bushy House {Monday night). May 1842. 
 
 My dear Niece, — I must write a hne to express 
 to you what I felt when I took up the newspapers 
 which informed me of what had happened yesterday. 
 Is it possible ? — can it be true ? was my first question. 
 However, the detailed accounts leave no doubt that 
 a pistol was pointed at you again, though not fii-ed. 
 It is reaUy shocking that such wretches exist who 
 dare tempt {sic) to alarm you — though in this instance 
 there was nothing alarming except the evil spirit which 
 inspired the boy. 
 
 How grateful must we not feel to our merciful God, 
 who protects you so visibly, and gives you courage and 
 confidence in Him, who is and ever will be your safest 
 guide and support. Trust in Him and you will not fail 
 to be well guided. 
 
 I hope it is true that you were not aware of what 
 had happened when you went to church, not to be 
 disturbed in your devotions, and that the account did 
 not agitate you. 
 
 Edward^ came yesterday from town, but he knew 
 nothing but that a pistol had been taken from a man 
 in the Park. We hardly beheved the story till the 
 papers informed us of the truth. Pray say to dear 
 Albert what I feel for and with you both, and how I 
 thank God and pray that His merciful protection may 
 never faU you. 
 
 We are going to Frogmore to-morrow, and from 
 there shall drive in the Park and to St. George's Chapel. 
 I hope the weather vnW. be as fine as it was to-day. 
 God bless and guard you ever and ever! dearest 
 Victoria, prays your most devotedly attached Aunt, 
 
 Adelaide. 
 
 1 Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar. 
 
502 LETTER FROM LORD MELBOURNE [chap, m 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Stueet, lat June 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He was much shocked at learning, which 
 he did not do until six o'clock yesterday evening, the 
 event which took place on Monday. After what 
 took place on Sunday, it must have been a trial to 
 your Majesty's nerves, and still more to those of the 
 Prince, to go out on Monday ; but it appears to Lord 
 Melbourne that your Majesty judged quite correctly 
 in doing so. Lord Melbourne hardly knows what to 
 say of this repeated attempt. It is a depravity and 
 a malice as unintelligible as it is atrocious. Lord 
 Melbourne is at least as grateful as any one of your 
 Majesty's subjects, and the gratitude is universal and 
 fervent for your Majesty's safety. 
 
 Lord Melbourne had ridden over in the morning 
 to visit Lord and Lady Uxbridge in their rural 
 retirement, and upon his return to Brocket Hall, 
 about six o'clock, found the morning newspaper with 
 the accounts of what had happened. If they had 
 sent him down a messenger on Monday night, which 
 it would have been better to have done, he would have 
 been yesterday in his place in the House of Lords. 
 
 Lord Melbourne found Uxbridge enveloped in 
 parcels and boxes, which he was busy unpacking, 
 Lady Uxbridge recKning by the stream under the 
 shade of a plane-tree, and the two young ladies some- 
 what pensive. The place looked beautiful, but Lord 
 Melbourne fears that all its beauty will not be a com- 
 pensation to them for London at this time of the year. 
 
 Sir James Graham to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 1st Jwne 1842. 
 
 Sir James Graham, with humble duty to your 
 Majesty, submits a copy of the Answer to the Address ; 
 and an alteration has been made in the Answer 
 
1842] THE ADDRESS 503 
 
 which Sir James Graham hopes may render it con- 
 formable to the tender and generous feelings which 
 your Majesty has deigned to express with reference 
 to the Prince. 
 
 The two Houses of Parliament followed the exact 
 precedent which had been established in Oxford's 
 case ; and although the Ufe of the Prince, so dear 
 to your Majesty, is highly valued by all your loving 
 subjects, yet the crime of treason attaches only to 
 an attack on the sacred person of your Majesty ; and 
 the expressions used by Parliament with reference 
 to these atrocious crimes, when directed against the 
 Sovereign, are necessarily inapplicable to any other 
 person, and could not be used with propriety. Hence 
 the omission in the former case of all allusion to the 
 Prince ; and the silence of Parliament on the present 
 occasion is to be ascribed to the same cause — not to 
 any cold indifference, which the general feeling of 
 attachment to the Prince entirely forbids. 
 
 The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's 
 dutiful Subject and Servant, J. R. G. Graham. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiNDSoa Castle, 6th Jime 1842. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I was sure of the kind 
 interest you would take in the event of the 29th and 
 30th. I am most thankful for your very kind, long 
 letter of the 3rd, which I received the day before 
 yesterday. I have so httle time — as we are just 
 setting off for Ascot — that 1 can hardly write anything 
 to you. There seems no doubt whatever that Francis 
 is totally without accompUces, and a mauvais sujet. 
 We shall be able probably to tell you more when we 
 see you. I am grieved thfit you have deferred your 
 visit again. We are then to expect your arrival 
 either on the Tuesday or Wednesday ? Very thankful 
 we should be soon to hear whom you bring with 
 you. 
 
504 SUCCESSES IN AFGHANISTAN [chap, xi 
 
 Dear Uncle and the Cousins are delighted with 
 Windsor, and the weather is beautiful, only unfortu- 
 nately too hot to be pleasant. I rode on my little Barb 
 at a review of Cavalry at Wormwood Scrubbs on 
 Saturday, dont je suis Men fiere. Now adieu ! dearest 
 Uncle. In haste, your devoted Niece, Victoria R, 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald and Vesd to Queen Victoria. 
 
 India Board, Ith June 1842. 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald, with his most humble duty to your 
 Majesty, humbly acquaints your Majesty that despatches 
 have been this day received from the Governor-General 
 and the several Presidencies of India. 
 
 They announce a signal victory, achieved by Sir 
 Robert Sale and his admirable garrison.* 
 
 The circumstances attending his glorious success, 
 and the consequences likely to result from it, are 
 amongst the most important of this hurtful war. 
 
 They are described in Sir Robert Sale's Report, as 
 published in the Bombay Gazette, a copy of which is 
 most humbly submitted to your Majesty. 
 
 The despatches further bring the gratifying in- 
 telligence that General Pollock had forced the 
 Khyber Pass, and, defeating the enemy on every 
 point, had surmounted the chief obstacles of that 
 dangerous defile.^ 
 
 1 Sir R. Sale, who with his column had thrown himself into Jellalahad on 
 13th November 1841, and had heard Brydon's narrative, made a sortw on 
 7th April, and secured a great victory over Akbar Khan, whose force out- 
 numbered Sale's by five to one. 
 
 ^ General Pollock, whom Auckland had selected for the command, and 
 who found everything in confusion on the frontier, swept the Khyber Pass 
 of the enemy, and joined Sale. The insurrection had spread to Candahar, 
 where General (afterwards Sir WUliam) Nott, was in command with a force 
 of 10,000 men. He heard of Macnaghten's murder on 31st January, and, 
 like Sale, refused to follow the order received (under coercion, as he believed) 
 from Elphinstone to return to India. On the contrary, he ordered all 
 Afghans to leave Candahar, marched out himself and attacked and dispersed 
 the enemy, 12,000 strong ; while a flank movement made by the enemy on 
 the city was repulsed with great loss. General (afterwards Sir Richard) 
 England started from Quetta with reinforcements, but met with a reverse at 
 Haikalzai ; meanwhile also Colonel Palmer had had to make terms at 
 Ghuznee, and had to encounter treachery. Nott, who was badly in want of 
 money and ammunition for the troops, sent imperative orders to General 
 England to reinforce him, which he did early in May. 
 
1842] SIR R. SALE AND GENERAL POLLOCK 605 
 
 The relief of the brave men under Sir Robert Sale, 
 to which their own gallantry and their late victory have 
 so mainly contributed, may now be regarded as certain 
 from the success of General Pollock's advance. 
 
 It is with regret that Lord Fitzgerald has to 
 add that the citadel of Ghuznee has surrendered on 
 the faith of a capitulation, perhaps already violated, 
 and that General England, who had marched with a 
 convoy of treasure, and other supplies for the Army 
 at Candahar, had been forced to retrace his steps, 
 and had arrived at Quetta. 
 
 At the same time, however. General Nott had 
 dispersed considerable assemblages of rebel tribes, 
 whom he had defeated with loss, while an attack 
 made during his absence on the city of Candahar 
 had been effectually repulsed by that portion of his 
 force which had been left for its defence. 
 
 The Governor - General having proceeded in person 
 to the North - Western Provinces of Bengal, had 
 issued at Benares General Orders congratulating the 
 army on the return of victory to its ranks, and on 
 the fresh lustre thus added to your Majesty's Arms. 
 
 Fitzgerald and Vesci. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, \Oth June 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has thought it better not to interrupt 
 your Majesty with letters during the bustle of the 
 last week, but he cannot omit to express to your 
 Majesty how much he was struck with the letter of 
 the 2nd inst. which he received, and how entirely he 
 concurs in the justice and propriety of your Majesty's 
 feelings and observations. Let us hope that we shall 
 have no more of these horrid attempts, which are 
 generated by the wild notions of the time, and by 
 the expectation, extravagant and unfounded, so 
 industriously inculcated into the public mind, of 
 advantages to be derived from change and confusion ; 
 
506 DEBATE ON THE INCOME TAX [chap, xi 
 
 Lord Melbourne anxiously hopes that the painful 
 impressions which such events are calculated to 
 produce upon your Majesty's mind, and which they 
 necessarily must produce, will pass away and that 
 nothing will happen to renew and revive them. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is happy to hear from Normanby 
 that everything passed off well and successfully at 
 Windsor and at Ascot. The last is always rather a 
 doubtful and disagreeable ordeal to pass through. 
 
 We should have got through the debate upon 
 the Income Tax this evening in the House of Lords, 
 if Lansdowne had not unfortunately this morning 
 had an access of gout in the hand, which prevented 
 him from attending, and obliged the debate to be 
 deferred. Lord Melbourne hopes that the resolution 
 which Lansdowne is to move * is put in such a shape 
 as to viadicate our course, and at the same time not 
 to condemn that which has been adopted overmuch, 
 not to pledge us for the future. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne earnestly hopes that your Majesty 
 is well and not too much affected by the heat of this 
 weather, which does not suit Lord Melbourne very 
 well. In conjunction with a large dinner which we 
 had at the Reform Club in honour of the Duke of 
 Sussex, it has given Lord Melbourne a good deal of 
 headache and indisposition. The Duke was in very 
 good humour, and much pleased with the dinner, but 
 he was by no means well or strong. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, lUh June 1842. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Though I shall have the 
 inexpressible happiness of seeing you and dearest 
 Louise so soon, I write these few lines to thank you 
 for your very kind letter of the 9th, We arrived 
 here yesterday morning, having come by the raih'oad, 
 
 1 This Resolution was in favour of altering the corn, sugar, and timber 
 duties, in preference to imposing an income tax. It was negatived by 112 
 to 52. 
 
1842] QUEEN^S FIRST RAILWAY JOURNEY 607 
 
 from Windsor, in half an hour, free from dust and 
 crowd and heat, and I am quite charmed with it.^ 
 We spent a delightful time at Windsor, which would 
 have been still pleasanter had not the heat been such, 
 ever since Saturday week, that one is quite overcome ; 
 the grass is quite brown, and the earth full of wide 
 cracks ; there has not been a drop of rain since the 
 24th, my birthday I We rode and walked and danced, 
 and I think I never was better than in all this fatigue 
 and exercise. . . 
 
 I get every day fonder of dearest, excellent Uncle 
 Mensdorff and the dear cousins, who are so amiable 
 and good and unassuming ; really, in society they keep 
 quite in the background. They are out and out the 
 nicest cousins we have. I am sure what I can do 
 for them I shall be too happy to do. Alexander is 
 the most distinguished and solid, but Alphonse and 
 Arthur the most unassuming. There is something so 
 peculiarly good in dear Arthur 1 and they are all five 
 so fond of Pussy, and she so fond of them. . . . Ever 
 your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 19«A June 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and offers many thanks for the letter, which 
 he received yesterday evening. Lord Melbourne is 
 very glad to hear that your Majesty has enjoyed in 
 the society of your near and dear relations so much 
 happiness, which, like all other things, must have its 
 portion of alloy in their departure. Lord Melbourne 
 was much pleased with the short conversation which 
 he had with Count MensdoriF at Stafford House, and 
 it is highly interesting to see at this distance of time 
 a man who has been engaged in affairs so important 
 and of so awful and melancholy a character. Your 
 
 1 This was the Queen's first journey on the Great Western Railway. The 
 Prince had often used it, and had been known to say, on descending from the 
 train, " Not quite so fast next time, Mr Conductor, if you please. — Acworth, 
 Tht Itailwayi of England, p. 17. 
 
508 THE INCOME TAX BILL ; [chat, n 
 
 Majesty is surely right in terming your cousins young 
 men ; if the health and constitution be good, thirty-six 
 is a young man, twenty-nine and thirty-two very young 
 men, and twenty-five quite a boy. The weather has been 
 very hot but very fine. The rain was so much required 
 that Lord Melbourne cannot lament its coming, but he 
 also regrets the hot suns which it has banished. 
 
 The course which had been taken upon the Income 
 Tax in the House of Commons,^ contrary to Lord 
 Melbourne's wish and opinion, rendered it impossible 
 for Lord Melbourne directly to support the Bill 
 in the House of Lords without offending and sep- 
 arating himself from the whole body of those who 
 supported the last Government. 
 
 He therefore acquiesced in the resolution, which 
 was moved by Lord Lansdowne, and which did not 
 oppose the measure, but declared that it might have 
 been avoided if the course which we had proposed 
 had been taken. In the debate Lord Melbourne 
 argued as strongly as he could in favour of the 
 tax, and ended by declaring that if it was imposed, 
 he could not pledge himself for the future against 
 maintaining and even extending it. Lord Melbourne 
 is anxious to make this explanation of his conduct 
 to your Majesty, and hopes therefore that your 
 Majesty wiU forgive his writing thus much upon 
 this subject. Lord Melbourne very much lamented 
 that the business did not terminate as amiably as it 
 began, and that a contest should have been got into 
 respecting the third reading of the Bill ; but con- 
 sidering that the measure had passed by accident 
 through its first stages without any debate, and that 
 there were Lords who were still desirous of speaking 
 upon it, it was imprudent of the Ministers not at 
 once to give another day for that purpose, especially 
 as they were sure to be compelled to do so by repeated 
 motions of adjournment. 
 
 The feelings which your Majesty expresses upon 
 
 ^ Lord John Russell had strenuously opposed the Income Tax Bill, but 
 bad been defeated by large majorities. 
 
1842] CONVICTION OF FRANCIS 509 
 
 the conviction of this man* are natural, and such as 
 must arise in your Majesty's bosom ; but Lord 
 Melbourne knows very well that your Majesty will 
 at once see the necessity of not yielding to your own 
 feelings, and of leaving the issue entirely in the hands 
 of your advisers. 
 
 Without any reference to personal or particular 
 circumstances, without adverting to your Majesty's 
 age, sex, qualities mental or personal, without attend- 
 ing to any sentiments of attachment or affection 
 which may be felt for your Majesty's person, it must 
 be remembered that your Majesty's life is, from the 
 position which you occupy and the office which you 
 fill, the most important life in these realms ; it is also 
 too clear that it is the most exposed life in the country, 
 the Ufe the most obnoxious ^ to danger ; and therefore 
 it is a duty to throw around it every protection which 
 the law and the execution of the law can afford. 
 
 Lord Melbourne was sure that your Majesty, being 
 fond of speed, would be deUghted with the railway. 
 Lord Melbourne hopes that your Majesty was not much 
 affected by the heat, which he feared that you would be. 
 
 Has your Majesty read the last volume of Madame 
 D'Arblay's (Miss Burney) Diary, which contains the 
 account of her service in the family of George III. ?^ 
 It is a curious [work], gives a curious account of the 
 interieur, and shows the King and Queen and the 
 Princesses in a very amiable light. 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Foreign Office, 28<A June 1842. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen with his humble duty, begs to 
 enclose for your Majesty's information a list of the 
 presents brought by the Envoy of the Imam of 
 Muscat for your Majesty. 
 
 1 Francis was tried on 17th June, and convicted. The death sentence was 
 commuted to one of transportation for life. ^^ 
 
 * Used in the classical sense of " exposed to ; ef. " obnoxia fato. 
 
 • The first five volumes were published this year, Madame D'Arblay having 
 died in 1840, at the age of eighty-seven. Croker somewhat rancorously 
 attacked them in the Quarterly, to which Macaulay replied in the EdMurgh. 
 
510 PRESENTS FOR THE QUEEN [chap, xi 
 
 Lord Aberdeen will attend to-morrow with the 
 Envoy, at the hour your Majesty has been pleased 
 to command ; and he will suggest that the presents 
 should be sent previously to the Palace, in order to 
 be laid before your Majesty. 
 
 [List of Articles sent for Her Most Gracious Majesty, 
 The Mighty Queen, a trifling Gift scarce worth 
 being mentioned.] 
 
 Two Pearl Necklaces, 
 
 Two Emeralds, 
 
 An Ornament made like a Crown, 
 
 Ten Cashmere Shawls, 
 
 One Box containing four Bottles Otto of Roses. 
 
 Four Horses, before mentioned in a former letter, but 
 for the transmission of which no opportunity offered in 
 Bombay, but now sent in my own ship. Through your 
 kindness have those things taken ^ from Ali bin Nassur, 
 and make an excuse for me to Her Most Gracious 
 Majesty, and peace be on you ! 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald and Vesd to Queen Victoria. 
 
 India Board, ith July 1842. 
 
 . . . From the seat of war, the intelligence is most 
 satisfactory. The conduct of the army, its perseverance 
 and its courage, have not been surpassed in the military 
 history of British India. 
 
 Recent events have not, however, changed the views 
 of Lord Ellenborough as to the general policy which he 
 recommends to be pursued. 
 
 He regards as the best result of that success which 
 has attended the Arms of your Majesty, that it admits 
 of withdrawing, without dishonour, the British force to 
 positions of safety, having certain and uninterrupted 
 communications vidth the British territory. 
 
 From other quarters the reports are equally favour- 
 able. The successful advance of a division commanded 
 
 1 I.e., accept. 
 
1842] ANOTHER ATTACK ON THE QUEEN 511 
 
 by Brigadier-General England may be regarded as 
 ensuring the safety of the force at Candahar. 
 
 In the Indian Dominions and in the native Army 
 the best spirit prevails. 
 
 All of which is most humbly submitted to your 
 Majesty, by your Majesty's most dutiful Subject and 
 Servant, Fitzgerald and Vesci. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, ith July 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and is anxious to express his earnest hope 
 that your Majesty is well and not disturbed by the 
 event ^ which took place yesterday, and which, although 
 it appears not to have been dangerous in itself, is 
 formidable as affording additional evidence of the ease 
 with which persons of the lower orders can incite 
 themselves, or be incited by others to the contempla- 
 tion and commission of such acts. The only observa- 
 tion that can be made upon these attempts is, that 
 hitherto they appear to have been made by those who 
 have not the means of executing their own wicked 
 designs, and that they are not marked by the same 
 determination and the same long and ferocious 
 preparation which characterised in France the conduct 
 of Fieschi and Alibaud.* Lord Melbourne is not of 
 opinion that the extension of mercy to Francis — which 
 from what Lord Melbourne hears of the opinion of 
 the judges he apprehends to have been unavoidable — 
 could have had any effect in encouraging this man to 
 a similar act ; at the same time it is impossible to say 
 what may have had an effect upon the mind, and 
 we can only collect the intentions of men from the 
 deeds which they perform. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thanks your Majesty much for your 
 letter of the 26th ult. Lord Melbourne again expresses 
 his fervent wishes for your Majesty's health, safety, 
 and tranquillity of mind. 
 
 I Bean, a deformed lad, presented a pistol at the Queen in the Mall. 
 » The perpetrators of attempts on King Louis Philippe. 
 
512 DEATH OF DUKE OF ORLEANS [chap, h 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Claremont, \ith July 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — These two horrible news 
 of poor dear Chartres'* fatal accident have quite 
 overcome us. It is the most dreadful misfortune 
 I ever remember, and will be felt everywhere. I 
 can't say how I feel it ; I liked and admired him, 
 and know how he was adored by all of you, and 
 by poor wretched Hdene, whom this will kill. Those 
 poor helpless little children 1 it is too melancholy. 
 After escaping from so many dangers, to be cut off 
 in this way is too dreadful! God knows what is for 
 our best, but this does seem difficult to understand. 
 I pray and hope that you will all be mercifully 
 supported under this heavy bereavement. 1 think it 
 is so dreadful that poor H^l^ne could not be with 
 him in his last moments 1 God be with you all, and 
 believe me, ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 I had begun a letter to poor Chartres this morning. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Claremont, Wth July 1842. 
 
 The Queen is anxious to draw Sir Robert Peel's 
 attention to a circumstance which she has already some 
 months ago mentioned to him : this is relative tp Sir 
 Edward Disbrowe.'' The Queen knows that Sir Robert 
 Peel shares her opinion as to Sir Edward Disbrowe's 
 abilities not being of the first order, but this is not 
 the only thing; what she chiefly complains of is his 
 decided unfairness towards Belgium, which she thinks 
 has always shown itself, and again most strongly in his 
 last despatches. The King of the Belgians has never 
 dropped a word on the subject, but the Queen really 
 feels it her duty by her Uncle to state this frankly to 
 Sir Robert Peel, and to say that she thinks it highly 
 
 1 On 13th July, the Duke of Orleans (formerly Due de Chartres), eldest 
 son of Louis Philippe, was thrown from his phaeton near the Porte Maillot, 
 Paris, and died shortly afterwards. He was the father of the Comte de Paris 
 and the Due de Chartres. 
 
 a Then British Minister at the Hague. 
 
ACCOUNT OF THE ACCIDENT 513 
 
 important that Sir Edward Disbrowe should be removed 
 to some other Mission. Of course she wishes that this 
 should be done quietly, but she thinks that with a man 
 like the present King of the Netherlands, who is con- 
 tinually intriguing in Belgium and making her Uncle's 
 position very painful, it is of the utmost importance 
 that our Minister there should be totally unbiassed, 
 which Sir Edward Disbrowe most decidedly is not. 
 Could not Sir I. Cartwright be sent there, and Sir 
 Edward Disbrowe go to Stockholm? The Queen 
 merely suggests this; but, of course, as long as the 
 man sent to the Hague is sensible and fair, it is 
 indifferent to her who goes there. ... 
 
 The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, I6th July 1842. 
 
 My beloved Victoria, — You have surely already 
 heard of the heavy visitation God has sent us. My 
 beloved brother was unexpectedly taken away from us 
 before yesterday evening. Before yesterday morning 
 he went to Neuilly to take leave of my parents, previous 
 to his departure for St Omer. The horses ran 
 away : he had the unfortunate idea to jump out from 
 his barouche — a thing I cannot understand, as he had 
 on all occasions an uncommon presence of mind — fell 
 upon his head, and expired a few hours afterwards, 
 in presence of my too unfortunate parents, without 
 having recovered his consciousness. It is the greatest 
 misfortune that could happen to us. We are quite 
 stunned by the sudden and horrid blow, and I cannot 
 believe it yet, although I have before me the letter 
 of my poor parents. They are full of courage and 
 resignation to the will of Providence; but I do not 
 understand what will become of them, particularly of 
 my mother, who loved so fondly, and with so much 
 reason, my brother, and of the too unfortunate Hdl^ne. 
 May God help them and have mercy on them 1 
 Clementine and Victoire are gone to Plombi^res to 
 give to Hdl^ne the fatal news, and bring her back : it 
 
 Vol. I. —33 
 
514 GRIEF OF THE QUEEN [chap, h 
 
 will most probably be her death. My parents wished 
 to see us immediately, and we go to-morrow to Paris. 
 
 I am sure my beloved Victoria of the share you 
 will take in the misfortune, the greatest which could 
 befall us, and I thank you beforehand for it. God's 
 wiU be done ! May He at least always bless you, and 
 preserve those you love from all evil and danger I In 
 affliction as in joy, I am ever, my beloved Victoria, 
 yours most devotedly, Louise. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Claremont, \lih, July 1842. 
 
 The Queen had intended to have written to Lord 
 Melbourne some time ago to have thanked him for 
 his kind letter of the 5th, but she was so occupied, 
 first of all with the arrival of our brother and sister, 
 with our removal here, and lastly by the dreadful 
 misfortune at Paris, which has completely over- 
 powered her, and made her quite ill — that it pre- 
 vented her from doing so. The Queen is sure that 
 Lord Melbourne will have warmly shared the universal 
 horror and regret at the untimely and fearfully sudden 
 end of so amiable and distinguished a Prince as poor 
 Chartres (as we all called the Duke of Orleans) was ! 
 The loss to France, and indeed Europe, is very great ; 
 but to the Royal Family, dearest Louise (who all 
 doted on him), and above all to poor unfortunate 
 Helene, who adored him (and he was a most devoted 
 husband to her), and to his two poor little boys of 
 four and one years old — he is an irreparable loss. 
 The Queen has heard from none yet, but has seen a 
 letter from Guizot, who was a witness of the last 
 scene, which is quite truly reported in the papers ; 
 he says it was fearful — the poor Duke lying and 
 dying on a mattress on the floor, surrounded by 
 his parents and sisters, kneeling and praying around 
 their dearly beloved Child I Alas ! poor Helene had 
 not even that comfort ! 
 
 The Queen is very glad that the Bill for the better 
 
1842] LETTER FROM KING OF THE FRENCH 515 
 
 security of her person has passed so quickly and in 
 so gratifying a manner through both Houses. 
 
 We are here since yesterday week, enjoying the 
 fine weather, and great quiet and peace ; but the news 
 from Paris have damped our spirits. 
 
 The Queen is charmed with her new sister,^ who is a 
 most amiable, sensible, and gentle creature, and without 
 being really handsome, very pretty and pleasing. 
 
 We return to town to-morrow, and the Queen 
 hopes soon to see Lord Melbourne. We intend going 
 to Windsor to settle, on Saturday. 
 
 The Queen trusts Lord Melbourne is quite well. 
 
 The King of the French to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Neuilly, 17 Juillet, 1842. 
 
 Madame ma bien chere et bien bonne Sceur, — 
 J'ai bien reconnu le coeur de votre Majeste dans 
 I'empressement qu'elle a mis a m'exprimer la part 
 qu'elle prend a mon malheur. Ma malheureuse Reine 
 en est egalement bien touchee, et si elle ne le t^moigne 
 pas elle-m^me d^s aujourd'hui a votre Majesty, c'est 
 qu'elle est encore dans I'impossibilitd d'ecrire. Nous 
 osons lui demander tous les deux, d'etre notre 
 interpr^te aupres du Prince Albert, et de lui dire 
 combien nous sommes sensibles k son int^ret. S'il 
 pouvait y avoir une consolation au coup afFreux qui 
 a frapp^ nos vieux jours, ce serait ces temoignages 
 d'int^r§t, et les regrets dont on entoure le tombeau 
 de mon enfant chdri, et la perte immense que tous ont 
 faite en lui I C'est a present qu'on sent ce qu'il ^tait, 
 et ce qu'il devenait chaque jour de plus en plus. 
 
 Je remercie de nouveau votre Majesty, du fond 
 de mon coeur brisd, de tous les sentiments dont elle 
 veut bien me donner tant de preuves, et je la prie 
 d'agr^er I'expression de la haute estime et de I'invio- 
 lable amitid avec lesquelles, je suis, Madame, ma tr^s 
 ch6re Soeur, de votre Majestd, le bien affectionnd 
 Fr^re, Louis Philippe R. 
 
 1 The Duchess Ernest of Saxe-Coburg. 
 
516 LETTER FROM QUEEN OF THE FRENCH [chap, m 
 The Queen of the French to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Neuiixy, 19 Juillet, 1842. 
 
 Madame ma tres chere Sceur, — Je comptais que 
 votre Majeste et le Prince Albert s'associeraient a 
 notre immense douleur ; que Dieu vous benisse pour 
 les tendres expressions de votre lettre. Nous sommes 
 an^antis par le coup dont Dieu nous a frapp^s, que sa 
 Sainte Volonte soit faite ! J'ai perdu I'objet de ma 
 plus vive tendresse, celui qui depuis 32 ans avait 
 et^ mon amour, mon bonheur, et ma gloire, plain 
 de vie, d'avenir, ma t§te n'y est plus, mon cceur est 
 fl^tri, je tache de me r^signer, je pleure et je prie pour 
 cette Ame qui m'^tait si chere et pour que Dieu nous 
 conserve I'infortune et precieux Roi dont la douleur est 
 incommensurable ; nous tactions de nous rdunir tous 
 pour faire un faisceau autour de lui. Notre ange 
 de Louise et votre excellent oncle sont arrives avant- 
 hier ; leur presence nous a fait du bien. Hel^ne 
 andantie par la douleur a un courage admirable, sa 
 sante se soutient. Nemours dont I'affliction est inex- 
 primable tache de prendre des forces pour nous consoler 
 tous, et les bonnes Victoire et Clementine apres I'horrible 
 et douleureuse scene a laquelle elles avaient assiste, ont 
 passe trois nuits pour aller chercher leur infortunde 
 Belle-Soeur. Enfin, Dieu veut que nous vivions pour 
 nous soutenir les uns les autres, que ce Dieu Tout 
 Puissant vous benisse, Madame, et vous preserve a 
 jamais de pareilles douleurs, c'est le voeu bien sincere 
 de celle quis se dit de tout son coeur, Madame, De votre 
 Majeste la toute devouee Soeur, Marie Amelie. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 22md July 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty, and 
 ventures to transmit the copy of Mr Leigh Hunt's 
 poem, which he mentioned to your Majesty in his last 
 letter. Lord Melbourne also sends the letter which 
 Mr Leigh Hunt has taken the liberty of addressing to 
 
1842] LEIGH HUNT 517 
 
 your Majesty, as well as that which he has addressed to 
 Lord Melbourne. Lord Melbourne will inform Mr 
 Hunt that he has done this, and it is not at all required 
 that any further notice should be taken.^ 
 
 It is a very gay and lively work, and has in it some 
 wit and fun. 
 
 Lord Melbourne had great pleasure yesterday in 
 seeing your Majesty well and in good spirits. 
 
 Mr Ldgh Hunt to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 32 Edwardes SaUAHE, 
 Kensington, I5th July 1842. 
 
 My Lokd, — I was once speaking to Mr Fonblanque * 
 of my imwillingness to trouble your Lordship, when 
 Prime Minister, with a request to lay my tragedy of 
 the Legend of Florence^ before Her Majesty; and he 
 said that he was sure your good-nature would not have 
 been displeased with it. This is the reason why 1 
 now venture to ask whether a similar kindness might 
 be shown the accompanying little poem, supposing no 
 etiquette to stand in the way of it. I have no Tory 
 channels of communication with the palace, nor wish 
 to seek any ; neither can I trespass upon any friend- 
 ships of her Majesty's, unless they can find my excuse 
 in some previous knowledge of me. On the other 
 hand, I have no fear of being supposed by your 
 Lordship to approach one who is no longer Premier 
 with less respect than when he was in power. I would 
 even venture to say, if the mode of testifying it were 
 not so poor a one, that it is in a double spirit of 
 respectfulness the application is made. Should it be 
 of a nature calculated to give your Lordship any 
 perplexity, I can only blush for having been the 
 occasion of it, and beg it may be laid to the account 
 of an ignorance which lives very much out of the 
 world. The same reason will plead my excuse for 
 
 1 The poem was no doubt The Palfrey ; a Love Story of Old Times. 
 
 2 Hunt had founded The Examiner in 1808, and Albany Fonblanque 
 (1793-1872) had succeeded him on it as leader writer. 
 
 ' Leigh Hunt's play, A Legend of Florence, had had a preat success at Covent 
 Garden In 1840 ; in 1852 it was performed at Windsor by the Queen's command. 
 
518 LEIGH HUNT [chap, xi 
 
 not knowing whether a letter to her Majesty ought, 
 or ought not to accompany the book ; and for begging 
 your Lordship, after its perusal, to suppress it or 
 otherwise accordingly, in case you can oblige me in 
 the other part of my request. Your Lordship will 
 perceive that the address prefixed to the poem, not 
 having ventured to ask her Majesty's permission, does 
 not presume to call itself a dedication; neither does 
 it leave the public under any erroneous impression 
 whatsoever as to the nature of its intentions : and on 
 this account I not only expect, of course, no acknow- 
 ledgment of its receipt on the part of any one about 
 Her Majesty's person, but shall be more than content 
 to understand by your Lordship's own silence that 
 my book has reached its destination, and therefore not 
 been considered altogether unworthy of it. 
 
 The bookseller tells me that it is no longer " the 
 mode " for authors to present their volumes hound; 
 but in regard to books intended to go to Court, he is 
 not quite so certain ; and I find it so difficult to dis- 
 associate the idea of dress from any such proceeding, 
 that I trust my inexperience in this respect also will 
 procure me whatever pardon it may require. 
 
 1 have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's 
 ever grateful and faithful Servant, Leigh Hunt. 
 
 The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Neuilly, %lst July 1842. 
 
 My beloved Victoeia, — I was unable to thank 
 you the other day for your kind and feeling letter 
 of the 14th, although I was greatly touched by it, and 
 1 trust you will have excused me. I thank you to-day 
 very sincerely for both your letters, and for the share 
 and sympathy you and dear Albert take in our great 
 misfortune. I know it is very heartfelt, and we are 
 all very grateful for it. Victoire and my poor mother 
 have already given you news from the unfortunate 
 Hel^ne. She has sustained and outlived the first 
 shock and shows wonderful courage. She is even 
 
1842] THE AFFLICTED FAMILY 519 
 
 well in health, and much better and stronger in all 
 ways than I had expected. She takes very much 
 upon herself on account of the poor children, to 
 prevent that any melancholy or painful feeling should 
 be connected for them with the remembrance of their 
 beloved and unfortunate father. My parents show 
 great fortitude and resignation, but their hearts are 
 for ever broke. They are only sustained by their 
 feeling of duty. My poor mother bears up for my 
 father, and my father bears up to fulfil his duties of 
 father and of king. Their health is, thank God ! good, 
 and my father retains all his strength of mind and 
 quickness of judgment ; but they are both grown old 
 in looks, and their hairs are turned quite white. 
 
 The first days, my poor father could do nothing 
 but sob, and it was really heartbreaking to c^_ him. 
 He begins now to have more command upon his grief, 
 and the presence of your uncle, whom he dearly loves, 
 seems to do him good. The poor children are well 
 and merry, and seem unconscious of their dreadful 
 loss. From time to time only they jump round us 
 as if looking for protection. The contrast of their 
 gaiety with theu* horrid misfortune is very painful. 
 Paris is looking remarkably well and strong. 
 Robert* is much grown, extremely quick and lively, 
 and begins to speak. The remainder of the family 
 is, as you may easily imagine, in the deepest affliction. 
 Nemours especially is quite broken down with grief. 
 Chartres was more than a brother to him, as he was 
 more than a second father to us all. He was the head 
 and the heart and soul of the whole family. We all 
 looked up to him, and we found him on all occasions. 
 A better, or even such a brother was never seen ; our 
 loss is as great as irreparable ; but God's will be 
 done ! He had surely His motives in sending on my 
 unfortunate parents the horrid affliction in their old 
 days, and in removing from us the being who 
 seemed the most necessary to the hope and happiness 
 I of all; we must submit to His decrees, hard as they 
 
 1 The young Due de Chartres, born in 1840. 
 
520 SORROW AND SYMPATHY [chap, xi 
 
 are ; but it is impossible not to regret that my poor 
 brother has not at least found the death of a soldier, 
 which he had always wished for, instead of such a 
 useless, horrid and miserable one ! It seems, for no one 
 saw him fall, that he did not jump, as we had thought 
 at first, but that he was thrown from the barouche, 
 while standing ; and 1 like it in some measure better 
 so, as God's will is still more manifest in this way. It 
 is equally manifest in all the circumstances attending 
 the catastrophe. My poor brother was not even to have 
 come to Neuilly. He had taken leave of my parents 
 the day before, and would not have gone again if my 
 unfortunate mother had not asked him, and if my 
 parents, who were to go to Paris, had not delayed 
 their departure. . . . 
 
 I thank you again and again, my beloved Victoria, 
 for all your interest and sympathy. I was sure you 
 would think of us and of me : you know how much 
 I loved my brother. I little expected to outlive 
 him, as I have done my beloved Mary ; ^ but once more, 
 God's will be done. I remain now and ever, yours 
 most devotedly, Louise. 
 
 I perceive I forgot mentioning Ernest. Pray 
 thank him for his sympathy also. He knows what 
 a brother is, and may feel for us ! We expect on 
 Saturday poor Joinville. My father will have thus 
 his four remaining sons round him for the opening 
 of the Session, which takes place on the 26th, and 
 which he must preside in person. It is a hard duty 
 for him. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 23r<i July 1842. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel with his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, begs leave to acquaint your Majesty that 
 last night was occupied in the House of Commons 
 with another debate on the Corn Laws, again impeding 
 any progress with the Government business. The 
 debate was entirely confined to those members who 
 
 1 See ante, p. 182. 
 
1842] THE CORN LAWS 521 
 
 act in concert with the Anti-Corn Law League.^ 
 It continued until twelve, when Mr Cobden, the 
 Member for Stockport, moved an adjournment of the 
 House, on the gi-ound that none of your Majesty's 
 servants had taken a part in the debate. . . . 
 
 Several members of the Opposition voted with the 
 Government, and declared that they would not be 
 parties to such vexatious proceedings. 
 
 A division on the main question — a Committee to 
 enquire into the state of the country with a view to 
 the Repeal of the Corn Laws — then took place. 
 
 The motion was negatived by a majority of 156 
 to 64 — 92. The House did not adjourn until three 
 this morning. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Netjiixy, 22nd July 1842. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I was anxious to write to 
 you on the 18th, but I was so overpowered with all 
 that surrounded me that I could really not. Yesterday 
 I received your dear letter of the 19th, and I will 
 answer it, so as to give you a clear view of the sad 
 case. On the 12th, Tuesday, Chartres had taken leave, 
 as he meant to go to St Omer, the 13th ; however, in 
 the family the Queen and others said he ought to come 
 once more to see them. The King had ordered his 
 carriage to go to town on the 13th, to a Council; 
 Chartres meant to have called shortly after ten. 
 
 It is necessary to tell you all this, as it shows 
 how strangely circumstances turned fatally. Chartres 
 did not want to return once more to Neuilly, and 
 the King, if exact, might see him once more in town. 
 Chartres, however, instead of coming early set off after 
 eleven ; his Off. d'Ordonnance, M. Bertin de Veaux, 
 his valet de chamhre, a German, Holder, begged him 
 not to go quite alone in that small phaeton through 
 Paris, as he was in uniform, but all this did not avail ; 
 
 1 The Anti-Ojrn Law League was rapidly gaining importance, and fiscal 
 policy occupied a great part of the session of 1842. Peel was already reducing 
 import duties on articles other than corn. Cobden had been elected at 
 Stockport, for the first time, in 1841. 
 
622 FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE ACCIDENT [chap, h 
 
 he insisted to go in the phaeton and to go alone. He 
 set out later than he expected, and if the King had 
 set out exactly as he had named, the parents and 
 the son would probably have met on the rising avenue 
 of the Champs Elysees, towards the Barriere de I'Etoile 
 and Arc de Triomphe. However, the King delayed 
 his departure and the son set off. At the place 
 where from the great avenue one turns off towards 
 Neuilly, the horses, which were not even young 
 horses, as I am told that he has had them some years, 
 moved by that stupid longing to get to Neuilly, 
 where they knew their stables, got rather above the 
 postillion, and ran quasi away. Chartres got up and 
 asked the postillion if he could hold his horses no 
 longer ; the boy called out " Non, Monseigneur "; he 
 had looked back when he said this, and saw his master 
 for the last time standing in the phaeton. People at 
 some distance saw him come out of his carriage and 
 describe a sort of semicircle falling down. Nobody 
 knows exactly if he jumped out of the carriage, or if 
 he lost his position and fell out. I am inclined to think 
 that, trusting to his lightness and agility, he wanted to 
 jump out, forgetting the impulse which a quick-going 
 carriage gives, as there were marks on his knees as if he 
 had first fallen that way. The principal blow was, how- 
 ever, on the head, the skull being entirely fractured. 
 He was taken up senseless, that is to say confused, but 
 not fainting, and carried into a small inn. At first his 
 appearance, sitting in a chair, was so little altered that 
 people thought it was nothing of any consequence. 
 
 He knew no one, and only spoke a few incoherent 
 words in German. The accident happened about a 
 quarter before twelve, and at four he was no more. 
 
 I refer for some other details to Albert. Poor 
 Louise looks like a shadow, and only her great devo- 
 tion for me supports her. It may serve as a lesson 
 how fragile all human affairs are. Poor Chartres, it 
 seems, with the prospect of these camps and altogether 
 was never in better spirits. But I must end. Ever, my 
 dearest Victoria, your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
1842] SIR EDWARD DISBROWE 523 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 27<A Jidy 1842. 
 
 The Queen thanks Lord Aberdeen for the letter 
 she has this morning received. 
 
 The Queen thinks that a reprimand would hardly 
 do, as it is not so much from any particular despatch 
 that she has formed this opinion of Sir Edward 
 Disbrowe, but more from the general tenor of his 
 conduct and despatches ; therefore she thinks it would 
 be difficult to censure him, which would probably not 
 have the desired effect.^ For this reason the Queen 
 would prefer his being removed without his being 
 told that it was for his conduct, and without his being 
 able to find this out, which, the Queen concludes 
 from Lord Aberdeen's letter, could easily be done. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiNDSOH Castxe, %nd August 1842. 
 
 Dearest Uncle, — I had the pleasure of receiving 
 your kind letter of the 29th, late on Sunday evening. 
 You know all we have felt, and do feel, for the dear 
 and exemplary French family. Really it is too 
 dreadful, but God's will be done I Perhaps poor 
 Chartres is saved great sorrow and grief. Him we 
 must not pity I 
 
 God grant all may go off well on these dreadful 
 days, and may He support the dear afflicted parents, 
 •widow, and brothers and sisters ! My dearest Louise ! 
 I hope and trust that her dear children will occupy 
 her and divert her attention; only don't let her 
 swallow and suppress her grief and keep it to herself; 
 that is dreadful, and very hurtful. Let her give way 
 to her sorrow, and talk of it to her. 
 
 Pray, dearest Uncle, will not and ought not Pans 
 to be Duke of Orleans now ? Hel^ne is sole guardian, 
 is she not ? . . . 
 
 1 See p. 512. Lord Aberdeen had suggested sending Sir Edward Disbrowe 
 a private admonition. 
 
624 FATHERLESS CHILDREN [chap, xi 
 
 Dear Louise will, I trust, excuse my not answer- 
 ing her kind letter to-day ; pray give her my best 
 love, and believe me always, your most devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, &th August 1842. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — . . . Little Paris,^ who 
 has gained much of late, will keep the name of 
 Paris, at least for the present. Hel^ne wiU be, after 
 the poor King's demise, sole guardian of her children ; 
 till then the King as head of the family will be 
 supreme in all matters relating to the children. . . . 
 Your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 5th August 1842. 
 
 My beloved Victoria, — ... Poor little Paris is 
 aware of his misfortune in the way he can be. 
 H^lene told him that he saw everybody weep because 
 he would see no more his beloved father. The poor 
 child wept then very much, and he has done several 
 times since, when the same thing was repeated to 
 him. He wonders why he does not go any more in 
 his unfortunate father's room, and why there is no 
 more " de cher Papa," as he says : else he makes no 
 question or observation and is very quiet and cheerful. 
 He cannot yet feel what he has lost and his melancholy 
 fate : but Helene does what she can to keep alive in 
 him the remembrance of his father. . . . Yours most 
 affectionately, LoyisE. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SoxjTH Street, 8<A August 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He thanks your Majesty much for the 
 letter of the 4th. It can hardly be expected that 
 
 1 The late Comte de Paris, who bore this title to the end of his life, 
 father of the present Due d'Orl^ans. 
 
1842] LORD MELBOURNE ON MARRIAGES 525 
 
 the grief of the French family wUl, as yet, much 
 diminish, but Lord Melbourne hopes that they are 
 somewhat more composed. He has heard this morn- 
 ing that Lord and Lady Beauvale were at Boulogne 
 on Saturday ; they would probably cross yesterday, 
 and wiU be in London to-day. Lord Melbourne 
 understands that Lord Beauvale had an interview of 
 three hours with the King of the French. Charles 
 Howard was married this morning, and Lord Melbourne 
 is going to meet Lord and Lady Carlisle and the 
 rest of the family at Baron Parke's* at dinner. 
 Lord Melbourne thinks that Lord Prudhoe's marriage* 
 was to be expected.* Upon looking at the Peerage, 
 he is only fifty years old, and fifty is young enough 
 to marry anybody. The only fault of fifty is that 
 it advances too rapidly on to sixty, which, on the 
 other hand, is too old to marry anybody. It is Lord 
 Melbourne's opinion that if a man does marry either 
 at fifty or sixty, he had much better take a young 
 girl than a woman of more age and experience. 
 Youth is more malleable, more gentle, and has often 
 more respect and compassion for infirmity than 
 middle-age. 
 
 Lord Hill to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Habdwicke Grange,* Qth August 1942. 
 
 Lord Hill presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and craves your Majesty's gracious permis- 
 sion to lay before your Majesty his resignation of 
 the Command of your Majesty's Army. 
 
 Lord Hill deeply regrets the necessity of taking 
 a step which will deprive him of a charge that has 
 been so long committed to his hands, and for his 
 continuance in which he is indebted to your Majesty's 
 grace and favour; but he has again suffered much 
 
 1 Afterwards Lord Wensleydale. 
 
 » To Lady Eleanor Grosvenor. ,„.,,,,, ,^ 
 
 • Admiral Lord Algernon Percy (1792-186S), President of the Royal 
 Institution, was created in 1816 Baron Prudhoe : in 1847, on the death of his 
 brother, he became fourth Duke of Northumberland. 
 
 * Lord Hill's coimtry bouse in Shropshire. 
 
526 RESIGNATION OF LORD HILL [chap, xi 
 
 from the illness under which he laboured in the early- 
 part of the year, and his health has in consequence 
 become so indifferent as to render him unequal to 
 the adequate discharge of the various important 
 duties of his command, which therefore he feels he 
 could not retain with due regard to the interests of 
 your Majesty's Service. 
 
 Lord Hill had flattered himself that he should 
 have been able to have laid his application for retire- 
 ment before your Majesty himself, and personally to 
 have expressed to your Majesty his deep and lasting 
 sense of your Majesty's gracious kindness to him on 
 all occasions. Having, however, left London by the 
 advice of his medical attendants, and being too 
 unwell to undertake a second journey. Lord Hill 
 avails himself of this mode of assuring your Majesty 
 of his unabated zeal for the Service, of his dutiful 
 devotion to your Majesty's person, and of the pain 
 and sorrow with which he relinquishes an appoint- 
 ment that afforded him the honour and advantage of 
 executing your Majesty's commands, and receiving 
 many gracious proofs of your Majesty's support and 
 confidence. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victo7ia. 
 
 Whitehaix, 10th August 1842. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs leave to acquaint your Majesty that 
 he received at a late hour last night the accompanying 
 letter to your Majesty from Lord Hill. From the one 
 which accompanied it, addressed to Sir Robert Peel, he 
 has reason to believe that it conveys to your Majesty 
 the wish of Lord HiU to be relieved, on the ground of 
 ill health and increasing infirmities, from the command 
 of your Majesty's forces. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel would humbly submit for your 
 Majesty's consideration whether it might not be a 
 deserved mark of your Majesty's approbation to confer 
 upon Lord Hill the rank of Viscount, with remainder 
 
1849] APPOINTMENT OF DUKE OF WELLINGTON 527 
 
 to his nephew Sir Rowland Hill,* who will succeed 
 Lord Hill in the Barony. Lord Beresford * and Lord 
 Combermere ' have the rank of Viscounts, and perhaps 
 the long faithful services of Lord Hill as Commander- 
 in-Chief may appear to your Majesty to entitle him to 
 equal distinction in the Peerage. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel has reason to believe that when 
 Lord Hill's retirement shall be known there will be many 
 competitors for the office of Commander-in-Chief. 
 
 Sir George Murray,* Sir Edward Paget,^ Lord 
 Londonderry,* Lord Combermere, and perhaps Lord 
 Beresford, wUl severally urge their pretensions. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel humbly submits to your Majesty 
 that should the Duke of Wellington be willing to 
 undertake the duties of this important trust, no claims 
 could stand in competition with his, and no selection 
 from the candidates whom he has named would be 
 satisfactory to the Army or public in general. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel would therefore humbly recommend 
 to your Majesty that the offer of this appointment 
 should be made to the Duke of Wellington, with the 
 signification of a wish on the part of your Majesty 
 (should your Majesty be pleased to approve of the 
 arrangement) that His Grace should continue a mem- 
 ber of the Cabinet, and the organ of the Government, 
 as at present, in the House of Lords. 
 
 The Duke of Wellington to Queen Victoria. 
 
 London, \'2th August 1842. 
 
 Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents his 
 humble duty to your Majesty. He has been informed 
 
 1 Lord Hill died 10th December, 1842, and was succeeded in the peerage 
 by Sir Rowland Hill, who died in 1875. 
 
 » WiUiam Carr Beresford (1768-1854), created Viscount Beresford in 1823 
 forthe victory of Albuera, 1811. . .-, , r lu 
 
 > Sir Stapleton Cotton (1775-1865), created Viscount Combermere for the 
 
 capture of Bhurtpore. ., ^ ,. ^ l- • «.i,_ 
 
 * Sir Georee Murray (1772-1846), received a K.C.B. for his services in the 
 
 Peninsula, M.P. for Perth, and afterwards Coramanderin-Chief in Ireland 
 
 ' General Sir Edward Paget, G.C.B. (1775-1849), brother of the first 
 
 ^''.Trior't^^iefnf- Ambassador at Vienna. Lord Londonderry had dis- 
 tinguished himself in the Peninsula. 
 
528 THE QUEEN TO LORD HILL [chap, n 
 
 by Sir Robert Peel that your Majesty had been 
 graciously pleased to approve of the recommendation 
 submitted by your Majesty's servants that he should 
 be appointed "the Commander-in-Chief of your Majesty's 
 forces. 
 
 He is sensible of and grateful for this fresh proof of 
 your Majesty's confidence in him and gracious favour 
 towards him. 
 
 He hopes that your Majesty wiU believe that your 
 Majesty may rely upon his making every effort in his 
 power to promote your Majesty's views for the honour 
 and interest of the country in any situation in which 
 he may be placed. 
 
 Which is humbly submitted to your Majesty by 
 your Majesty's most dutiful and devoted Subject and 
 Servant, Wellington. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Lord Hill. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 12th August 1842. 
 
 The Queen has received Lord Hill's letter of the 
 9th inst., and is much concerned to learn that Lord 
 Hill's health is so indifferent that he thinks it is his 
 duty to resign the important office which he has so long 
 and so honourably held. The Queen can only reluctantly 
 give her consent to this determination, as she regrets to 
 lose Lord Hill's services at the head of her Army. She 
 cannot, however, miss this opportunity of expressing 
 to Lord Hill her entire approbation of his conduct 
 throughout the time he served her. The Prince begs 
 to have his kind regards sent to Lord Hill. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 CABiyET Room, Downing Stbeit, 
 13th August 1842. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and is sorry to be under the necessity of 
 troubling your Majesty so suddenly, but he is sure 
 your Majesty will excuse him for making any proposal 
 
1842] MANCHESTER RIOTS 529 
 
 to your Majesty which the public service may render 
 requisite.^ 
 
 The accounts received this morning from 
 Manchester with regard to the state of the country 
 in that neighbourhood are very unsatisfactory, and they 
 are confirmed by the personal testimony of magistrates 
 who have arrived in London for the purpose of making 
 representations to your Majesty's servants on the subject. 
 
 A Cabinet has just been held, and it is proposed to 
 send a battalion of Guards by the railway this evening. 
 The 16th of August (Tuesday next) is the anniversary 
 of a conflict which took place in Manchester in the year 
 1819 ** between the Yeomanry Cavalry and the populace, 
 and it is feared that there may be a great assemblage 
 of persons riotously disposed on that day. 
 
 Under these circumstances it appears desirable to 
 your Majesty's confidential advisers that a proclama- 
 tion should be immediately issued, warning all persons 
 against attendance on tumultuous meetings, and against 
 aU acts calculated to disturb the public peace. It is 
 necessary that a Council should be held for the issue of 
 this proclamation, and important that it should arrive 
 in Manchester on Monday. 
 
 These considerations have prevented Sir Robert 
 Peel from giving previous notice to your Majesty, and 
 having your Majesty's sanction for the holding of a 
 Council. On account of the urgency of the case, he 
 has requested a sufficient number of Privy Councillors 
 to repair to Windsor this evening, in order that should 
 your Majesty be graciously pleased to hold a Council, 
 the proclamation may be forthwith issued. The 
 members of the Privy Council will be in attendance 
 
 1 The disturbances of this month, which originated in a strike for wages in 
 Lancashire, were inflamed by agitators, and rapidly spread through Cheshire, 
 Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Yorkshire, eventually extending to the 
 populous parts of Scotland and Wales. Several conflicts took place between 
 the populace and the military, and there was much loss of life and property, 
 as well as aggravated distress. 
 
 ^ On 16th August 1819, a great popular demonstration in favour of Parlia- 
 mentary Reform, presided over by Henry Hunt, the Radical, had taken place 
 in St Peter's Fields, Manchester. A riot ensued, and the yeomanry charged the 
 populace, with some loss of life. The affair was afterwards known as the 
 Peterloo massacre. 
 Vol. I. —34 
 
530 MILITARY ASSISTANCE [chap, xi 
 
 about half-past six o'clock, as Sir Robert Peel has 
 considered that from that time to half-past seven will 
 probably be the least inconvenient to your Majesty. 
 
 He writes this immediately after the breaking up of 
 the Cabinet. 
 
 Sir James Graham to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, ISth August 1842. 
 
 Sir James Graham, with humble duty, begs to lay 
 before your Majesty the enclosed letter from Major- 
 General Sir William Warre^ in command of the 
 Northern District. 
 
 From this report it is evident that a strong and 
 salutaiy moral impression had been produced by the 
 arrival of a reinforcement of 1,400 men in the disturbed? 
 district in the short time of six-and-thirty hours after 
 the first requisition for assistance had been sent from 
 Manchester ; and the General has now at his disposal 
 a force quite adequate to cope with the vast assemblage 
 of people who are expected to meet to-morrow at 
 Manchester. 
 
 Some symptoms of this disposition forcibly to 
 suspend labour have appeared in the West Riding of 
 Yorkshire ; but on the whole the accounts, both from 
 Scotland and the disturbed district, which have been 
 received this morning, may be considered favourable. 
 The railroad communications as yet are uninterrupted ; 
 no collision has taken place between the troops and 
 the multitude, except at Preston ; ^ and Sir James 
 Graham is willing to hope that this insurrectionary 
 movement may be suppressed without recourse to 
 extreme measures. Every precaution, however, has 
 been taken, and arrangements are made for augmenting 
 the force under the command of Sir William Warre, 
 if it should become necessary. 
 
 The character of these riots has assumed more 
 
 ^ Lieutenant-General Sir William Warre (1784-18S3), a, distinguished 
 Peninsular officer. 
 
 ^ The mob attacked the military, who fired and killed three or four 
 persons. 
 
1848] SATISFACTORY REPORTS 531 
 
 decidedly a political aspect. It is no longer a strike 
 for higher wages, but the Delegates, who direct the 
 movement, avow that labour shall not be resumed 
 until the people's Charter be gi-anted.^ 
 
 Sir James Graham will hasten to-morrow to inform 
 your Majesty of the accounts which he may receive. 
 
 The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's 
 dutiful Subject and Servant, J. R. G. Graham. 
 
 /Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, Thursday Morning, Wth August 1842. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs leave to acquaint your Majesty that 
 he returned to London last night. 
 
 He has this morning gone through all the letters 
 received from the country, with Sir James Graham, 
 by whom the details of the information received will 
 be forwarded to your Majesty. 
 
 It appears to Sir Robert Peel that the general tenor 
 of the reports is satisfactory. From Manchester, from 
 Wigan, from Preston, the reports are very good. 
 
 The movement is not one caused by distress. The 
 demand for employment has increased, and the price 
 of provisions — and particularly of potatoes, bread, and 
 bacon — has rapidly fallen within the last fortnight or 
 three weeks. 
 
 People of property and the Magistrates (notwith- 
 standing their political dissensions) are now acting in 
 harmony, and with more energy. 
 
 Oi-ders have been sent to apprehend the Delegates 
 assembled in Manchester, the very moment that the 
 law will warrant their apprehension, and Sir Robert 
 Peel should not be surprised to hear of their committal 
 to Lancaster Castle in the course of to-day. 
 
 Every vigilance will be exerted with reference to 
 Cooper'^ (whom your Majesty names) and all other 
 itinerant agitators. 
 
 1 A colossal petition in favour of the Charter had been presented during 
 the session, by Mr T. Duneombe. 
 
 ' A Leicester Chartist, who was afterwards tried for sedition. 
 
532 PARLIAMENT PROROGUED [chap, sx 
 
 As might be naturally expected, the move- 
 ments and disorderly spirit spreading from the centre 
 (Manchester) are appearing in remote points ; but 
 when peace and confidence are thoroughly restored at 
 Manchester, the example will quickly tell in the 
 circumjacent districts. 
 
 Birmingham is tranquil and well-disposed. The 
 accounts fi'om Scotland are favourable. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 17th August 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He is going down to-day to Brocket Hall with 
 Lord and Lady Beauvale. Lord and Lady Palmerston 
 are coming down to-morrow, and Lord and Lady 
 Cowper will probably come over from Panshanger. 
 
 Your Majesty read extremely well in the House 
 of Lords on Friday last.^ Lord Melbourne can judge 
 better of this from the body of the House than he 
 could when he stood close to your Majesty. Nothing 
 can be more clear and distinct, and at the same time 
 more natural and free from effort. Perhaps if your 
 Majesty could read a tone louder it would be as 
 well. Charles BuUer, who was amongst the House of 
 Commons, told Lord Melbourne that, where he stood, 
 the voice, although well heard, sounded somewhat 
 weak. But this should not be attempted unless it can 
 be done with perfect ease. Nothing injures reading so 
 much as the attempt to push the organ beyond its 
 natural powers. 
 
 Lord Melbourne hopes that these tumults in the 
 manufacturing districts are subsiding, but he cannot 
 conceal from your Majesty that he views them with 
 great alarm — much greater than he generally thinks it 
 prudent to express. He fears that they may last in 
 the form of strike, and turn out much longer than is 
 looked for, as they did in 1832 and 1833. 
 
 There is a great mass of discontented feeling in 
 
 1 Parliament was prorogued by the Queen in person on 12th August, 
 
1842] CAUSES OF DISCONTENT 533 
 
 the country arising from the actual state of society. 
 It arises from the distress and destitution which will 
 fall at times upon a great manufacturing population, 
 and from the wild and extravagant opinions which 
 are naturally generated in an advanced and speculative 
 state of society. 
 
 This discontent has been aggravated and fermented 
 by the language of every party in the State. Lord 
 Melbourne can exempt no party from this blame, nor 
 hardly any individual except himself. The Tories and 
 Conservatives (not the Leaders, but the larger portion 
 of the party) have done what they could to inflame the 
 public mind upon that most inflammable topic of the 
 Poor Laws. The Times newspaper has been the most 
 forward in this. The Whigs and Radicals have done 
 what they could in the same direction upon the Corn 
 Laws. Mr Attwood^ and another set have worked 
 the question of the Currency, and the whole career 
 of Mr O'Connell in Ireland has been too manifest 
 to be mistaken. It is no wonder if working in this 
 manner altogether they have at last succeeded in 
 driving the country into this, which is certainly very 
 near, if not actually a rebellion. 
 
 Lord Melbourne earnestly hopes that your Majesty 
 and the Prince, the Prince and Princess are all well. 
 
 Sir James Graham to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, Wth August 1842. 
 
 Sir James Graham, with humble duty, is happily 
 enabled to state to your Majesty that the accounts 
 from the disturbed districts received this morning are 
 more satisfactory. 
 
 In Lancashire a disposition to resume work has been 
 partially evinced ; and at Preston, where the most 
 vigorous measures were taken in the first instance, 
 there has hardly been a cessation of employment. 
 
 Sir James Graham encloses a letter from the Chief 
 Constable of the County of Lancashire detaiUng a 
 
 1 Who represented the Radical views of the Birmingham School. 
 
634 A BETTER OUTLOOK [chap, xi 
 
 successful resistance to a fresh attempt on the part of 
 a mob to enter Preston ; and he sends also a report 
 from the Mayor of Manchester and from Mr Forster, 
 the Stipendiary Magistrate. Decisive measures will 
 be adopted for the immediate apprehension of the 
 Delegates, not only at Manchester, but in every 
 other quarter where legal evidence can be obtained 
 which will justify their arrest. The law, which 
 clearly sanctions resistance to the entry of these 
 mobs into cities, is now understood by the local 
 authorities. A bolder and firmer spirit is rising 
 among all classes possessing property in defence of 
 their rights against these bands of plunderers, who 
 are the enemies both of law and of property. The 
 prisoners taken in the commission of treasonable 
 felonies are numerous ; warrants are issued against 
 others whose persons are known : the supremacy of 
 the law will be promptly vindicated, and Sir James 
 Graham entertains the confident hope that order 
 wiU be soon restored. 
 
 In the Potteries a signal example was made by a 
 handful of your Majesty's troops opposed to a riotous 
 multitude which had burnt houses and spread devasta- 
 tion, and Sir James Graham encloses a letter from 
 Captain Powys giving a description of the occurrence. 
 The effect of this example has been that yesterday 
 throughout this district no rioting took place. 
 
 Sir James Crraham to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 19th August 1842. 
 
 Sir James Graham, with humble duty, begs to 
 announce to your Majesty that the accounts from 
 the North, on the whole, may be considered 
 satisfactory. . . . 
 
 Five of the principal Delegates at Manchester 
 have been apprehended. Warrants are out against 
 four others. A very important seizure of papers has 
 been made which discloses a conspiracy, extensive in 
 its ramifications, going back as far as July 1841. It is 
 
1842] A MOB IN LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS 535 
 
 hoped that these papers, which are stiU at Manchester, 
 may lead to fresh discoveries. Sir James Graham will 
 send to Manchester to-night an experienced law 
 officer, for the purpose of pursuing the investigation 
 on the spot. 
 
 There was a meeting last night in the neighbour- 
 hood of London, of a violent character. Sir James 
 Graham had given positive orders to the police not 
 to allow any mob, as night approached, to enter 
 London. Notwithstanding these directions a mob 
 assembled in Lincoln's Inn Fields about eleven 
 o'clock, and moved through the city to Bethnal 
 Green. Sir James Graham had the troops on the 
 alert, but the multitude dispersed without any serious 
 disturbance. 
 
 Sir James Graham to Queen Victoria. 
 
 SOth August 1842. 
 
 . . . An attempt to hold a meeting at dusk in the 
 suburbs of London was resisted by the police yesterday 
 evening in pursuance of orders issued by the Govern- 
 ment in conjunction with the Lord Mayor, and the 
 peace of the metropoUs was preserved. 
 
 The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's 
 dutiful Subject and Servant, J. R. G. Graham. 
 
 Lord Stanley to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Downing Street, 26th August 1842. 
 
 Lord Stanley, with his humble duty, submits for 
 your Majesty's perusal copies of three despatches, 
 received yesterday from the Governor of the Cape 
 of Good Hope, detailing the unfortunate result of 
 an attack made by a small party of your Majesty's 
 troops upon the camp of the insurgent Boers at 
 Natal ; and also the copy of a despatch which Lord 
 Stanley has sent in consequence to Sir George 
 Napier, ' which, he trusts, may meet your Majesty's 
 
 1 Sir George Napier (1784-1855) governed Cape Colony for seven years 
 vtithout a Kaffir war, and the Boers were extruded ^om Natal by him. 
 
536 TROUBLE AT THE CAPE [chap, xi 
 
 approbation. Lord Stanley would have submitted 
 the draft for your Majesty's approval previous to 
 sending it, had not an opportunity presented itself 
 of sending it off by a fast-sailing private ship which 
 sailed this morning, the intelligence having only 
 been received yesterday. The instructions sent to 
 Sir George Napier, on the 10th of April, but not 
 received when this unfortunate affair took place, 
 were in substance not to attempt the subjugation 
 of these people by direct force, but to warn them 
 that their titles to the land which they occupy 
 would not be recognised by your Majesty, that they 
 would have no title to claim protection from the 
 aggressions of the neighbouring tribes, to interdict 
 communication between them and the settled parts 
 of the Colony, and to prevent any intercourse by 
 sea with foreign or British traders. The unfortunate 
 event which has now occurred will render it neces- 
 sary to take steps, as Sir George Napier has already 
 done, for vindicating the power of your Majesty's 
 Arms ; but when that shall have been effected. Lord 
 Stanley would still hope that a considerable number 
 of these misguided men may be induced to return 
 to their allegiance, and to the settled parts of your 
 Majesty's dominions, and he feels confident that 
 in such an event he will be fulfilling your Majesty's 
 wishes in directing that they may be treated with 
 all possible lenity. 
 
 All which is humbly submitted by your Majesty's 
 most dutiful Servant and Subject, Stanley. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 BusHEY House, 1th September 1842. 
 
 My dearest Niece, — . . . Your Mamma's visit 
 gave me great pleasure, and it has been a great treat 
 to me to hear her sing again, and so well, which put 
 me in mind of former happy days. I regret much 
 that she leaves me already this afternoon again, but 
 the strong and powerful magnet which you have left 
 
1842] TOUR IN SCOTLAND 537 
 
 at the castle draws her back, and I dare not keep 
 her away from such treasures. 
 
 I beg you, my dearest Victoria, to give my afFec- 
 tionate love to dear Albert, and to believe me ever most 
 devotedly, your very affectionate Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Taymoxjth,! %th September 1842. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I make no excuses for not 
 having written, as I know that you will understand that 
 when one is travelling about and seeing so much that is 
 totally new, it is very difficult to find time to write. . . . 
 Albert has told you already how successfully every- 
 thing had gone off hitherto, and how much pleased 
 we were with Edinburgh, which is an unique town in 
 its way. We left Dalkeith on Monday, and lunched 
 at Dupplin, Lord Kinnoul's, a pretty place with quite 
 a new house, and which poor Lord Kinnoul displayed 
 so weU as to fall head over heels down a steep 
 bank, and was proceeding down another, if Albert 
 had not caught him ; I did not see it, but Albert and 
 I have nearly died with laughing at the relation of 
 it. From Dalkeith we went through Perth (which 
 is most beautifully situated on the Tay) to Scone 
 Palace,** Lord Mansfield's, where we slept ; fine but 
 rather gloomy. Yesterday morning (Tuesday) we 
 left Scone and lunched at Dunkeld, the beginning 
 of the Highlands, in a tent ; all the Highlanders in 
 their fine dress, being encamped there, and with 
 their old shields and swords, looked very romantic ; 
 they were chiefly Lord Glenlyon's ^ men. He, poor 
 man I is suddenly become totally blind, and it was 
 very melancholy to see him do the honours, not seeing 
 anything. The situation of Dunkeld, down in a valley 
 
 1 Lord Breadalbane's house. The Queen left London on 29th August for 
 Scotland, by sea, reaching Edinburgh on 1st September. 
 
 » Scone Abbey was granted to Sir David Murray (afterwards Viscount 
 Stormont), by James VL of Scotland, whose cup-bearer he was, and whose 
 life he saved. 
 
 » Afterwards George, sixth Duke of Atholl (1814-1864). 
 
538 VISIT TO LORD BREADALBANE [chap, xi 
 
 surrounded by wooded hills, is very, very pretty. 
 From thence we proceeded to this enchanting and 
 princely place ; the whole drive here was beautiful. 
 All Lord Breadalbane's ^ Highlanders, with himself 
 at their head, and a battalion of the 92nd High- 
 landers were drawn up in front of the House. In 
 the evening the grounds were splendidly illuminated, 
 and bonfires burning on the hills ; and a number of 
 Highlanders danced reels by torchlight, to the bagpipes, 
 which was very wild and pretty. . . . 
 
 Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. 
 
 Taymouth, 10th September 1842. 
 
 It has been long the Queen's intention to write to 
 Lord Melbourne, but we have seen and done so much, 
 it has been impossible. Everything has gone off" so 
 well at Edinburgh, Perth, and elsewhere. This is a 
 princely and most beautiful place, and we have been 
 entertained by Lord Breadalbane in a magnificent way. 
 The Highland Volunteers, two hundred in number 
 (without the officers), keeping guard, are encamped in 
 the park ; the whole place was twice splendidly 
 illuminated, and the sport he gave the Prince out 
 shooting was on the largest scale. 
 
 The Highlands and the mountains are too beautiful, 
 and we must come back for longer another time. The 
 Queen will finish this letter at Drummond Castle,^ as 
 we leave this in half an hour. 
 
 Drummond Castle, Wth. — We arrived here yester- 
 day evening at seven, having had a most beautiful 
 journey. We went with Lord Breadalbane up the 
 Loch Tay (by water) to Ochmore ^ (I don't know how 
 it is written), a cottage belonging to Lord Breadalbane, 
 close to Killin. The morning was very fine, and the 
 view indescribably beautiful ; the mountains so high, 
 and so wooded close to Killin. It is impossible to 
 say how kind and attentive Lord Breadalbane and poor 
 
 1 John, second Marquis of Breadalbane, K.T. (1796-1862). 
 5 The seat of Lord Willoughby d'Eresby. 
 ' It should be written Auchmore. 
 
1842] RETURN TO WINDSOR 639 
 
 Lady Breadalbane (who is so wretchedly delicate) were 
 to us. We were so sorry to go away, and might perhaps 
 have managed to stay two days longer at Taymouth, 
 were we not fearful of delaying our sea voyage back 
 too much. However, we mean to visit him for longer 
 another time ; the Highlands are so beautiful, and so new 
 to me, that we are most anxious to return there again. 
 
 The journey from Killia to Comrie was most 
 beautiful, and through such -wild scenery — Glen Ogle, 
 which of course Lord Melbourne knows — and then 
 along Loch Ern. This house is quite a cottage, but 
 the situation is fine, and the garden very beautiful. 
 We leave this on Tuesday for Dalkeith ^ where we sleep 
 and re-embark the next day for England. We greatly 
 admire the extreme beauty of Edinburgh ; the situation 
 as well as the town is most striking ; and the Prince, 
 who has seen so much, says it is the finest town he ever 
 saw. Scone Palace (where we slept on Tuesday night) 
 is fine, but gloomy ; Perth is beautiful. 
 
 The Queen hopes Lord Melbourne is very well. 
 The Prince begs to be remembered to him. 
 
 Dalkeith is a fine good house, and the park and 
 grounds very pretty. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiNBSOB Castle, '20th September 1842. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Pray accept my best thanks 
 for your kind letter of the 15th, which I received on 
 Saturday, the day of our arrival here. Dearest Louise 
 will have told you what I wrote to her. We had a 
 speedy and prosperous voyage home of forty-eight 
 hours, on board a fine large and very fast steamer, the 
 Trident, belonging to the General Steam Navigation 
 Company. We found our dear httle Victoria so grown 
 and so improved, and speaking so plain, and become so 
 independent ; 1 think really few children are as forward 
 as she is. She is quite a dear little companion. The 
 Baby is sadly backward, but also grown, and very 
 
 1 The seat of the Duke of Buccleuch. 
 
540 ROYAL VISITORS [chap, xi 
 
 strong. I am so distressed about dearest Louise's still 
 coughing, but she teUs me it is decreasing. Only pray 
 let her give way to her grief ; much crying, even if it 
 makes her cough for the moment, can do her no real 
 harm, but stifling and swallowing grief (which she 
 cannot repress) gnaws at the very roots of life and 
 undermines health. Ostend and sea-baths would, I 
 should think, do her good. 
 
 I am very glad that you went to see the King of 
 Prussia, and saw so many old friends ; Fritz of 
 Mecklenburg ^ is, you know, Albert's very dear friend ; 
 he is just arrived here. 
 
 Alexandrine's brother everybody praises ; the whole 
 famUy are handsome and well brought up. 
 
 The Archduke Frederic ^ comes here to-morrow for 
 a week's visit. Everybody praises him, and Ferdinand 
 liked him very much ; all Archduke Charles's ' sons 
 are said to be very well brought up. How I wish 
 Archduke John * had come over here ! 
 
 Now, dearest Uncle, adieu 1 and pray believe me 
 always, your most affectionate Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 It would be very kind of you if you would tell 
 me if there is a chance of Augustus's marrying 
 Clementine.^ Don't believe I should say a word 
 against it; but I have heard so much about it that 
 I should be really and sincerely glad to know a little 
 of the truth from you. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 22nd September 1842. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs leave, with reference to your 
 
 1 Frederic Francis (1823-1883), afterwards Grand Duke of Mecklenburg- 
 Strelitz. See post, p. 54.7. 
 
 ^ Son of the Archduke Charles. 
 
 ' (1771-1847), third son of the Emperor Leopold II. Distinguished In the 
 Napoleonic wars. 
 
 * (1782-1859), younger son of the Emperor Leopold II. Commander on 
 the Rhine, 1815. Administrator of the Empire, 1848. 
 
 ' Prince Augustus of Saxe-Coburg and Princess Clementine of Orleans 
 were married in the following April. Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria is 
 their son. 
 
1842] A STEAM YACHT FOR THE QUEEN 541 
 
 Majesty's note of yesterday, to state to your Majesty 
 that the first act of Sir Robert Peel on his return 
 from Scotland was to write to Lord Haddington^ 
 and strongly urge upon the Admiralty the necessity 
 of providing a steam yacht for your Majesty's accom- 
 modation. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel trusts that your Majesty may 
 entirely depend upon being enabled to make any 
 excursions your Majesty may resolve upon in the early 
 part of next summer, in a steam vessel belonging to 
 your Majesty, and suitable in every respect for your 
 Majesty's accommodation. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel has had a personal communication 
 with Sir John Barrow,^ one of the Secretaries to the 
 Admiralty, this morning, upon the subject, and Sir 
 Robert Peel has written by this post to Sir George 
 Cockburn,^ who is out of town. 
 
 He finds that the Admiralty is now building a 
 large vessel to be worked by steam power, applied by 
 means of a revolving screw instead of paddles. It may 
 be doubtful whether the same degree of velocity can 
 be attained by means of the screw, particularly in a 
 very large vessel. Of this a full trial will be made. 
 
 Sir John Barrow assures Sir Robert Peel that he 
 has been on board a steam-boat moved by the screw, 
 and that the working of the engine is scarcely 
 perceptible ; that there is none of the tremulous motion 
 which accompanies the beats of the paddles, and that 
 it will be possible to apply an apparatus by means 
 of which the smoke can be consumed, and the 
 disagreeable smell in great measure prevented. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel will leave nothing undone to ensure 
 your Majesty's comfort and safety in any future naval 
 excursions that your Majesty may be pleased to make. 
 
 1 First Lord of the Admiralty. 
 
 " Barrow had been made second Secretary in 1804 by Dundas ; he was a 
 self-made man, and a most indefatigable traveller, writer, and promoter of 
 Arctic exploration. 
 
 3 Admiral of the Fleet, Sir George Cockburn (1772-1853), First Naval 
 Lord. 
 
542 FUTURE OF QUEEN ISABELLA [chap, xi 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 2nh September 1842. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen, with his most humble duty, lays 
 before your Majesty a letter which he has received 
 from Mr Aston respecting the marriage of the Queen 
 of Spain, and which, after what has already passed, 
 may perhaps cause your Majesty some surprise. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen is humbly of opinion that the 
 language hitherto employed by your Majesty's 
 Government upon this subject ought not to undergo 
 any change, and that it ought to be treated entirely 
 as a Spanish question. 
 
 Great Britain would naturally regard a marriage 
 with a son of the King of the French as injurious to 
 Spain and menacing to Europe, but would probably 
 not feel it necessary to give such an opinion respecting 
 any other alliance. While this might be plainly 
 stated, and the Spanish Government exhorted to act 
 according to their own independent view of the real 
 interests of the country and of the Queen, Lord 
 Aberdeen would humbly propose that the Regent 
 should be explicitly informed by Mr Aston that he 
 must not expect to receive any assistance from your 
 Majesty's Government in promoting a marriage with 
 a Prince of the Netherlands. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen believes that the difficulties in the 
 way of such an alliance will be found to be very 
 great, and especially that the religion of the Prince 
 will present an obstacle which in Spain must be 
 nearly insurmountable. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Bbocket Hall, 29<A September 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has to acknowledge your Majesty's 
 letter of the 25th inst., which he had the honour 
 and pleasure of receiving here on the 27th. Lord 
 Melbourne is well aware how much your Majesty's 
 
1842] THE PRINCESS LIECHTENSTEIN 643 
 
 time must have been occupied by the number of 
 visitors at the Castle. We are much rejoiced here 
 that your Majesty saw the Prince and Princess 
 Liechtenstein.^ The latter is a great favourite of 
 Lady Beauvale's, to whom she was always very kind 
 and who describes her exactly as your Majesty does, 
 as being very " amiable and unassuming " and though 
 one of the first, if not the first Lady at Vienna, as 
 not at aU partaking of the insolence and hauteur 
 which is by some ascribed to the society of that 
 capital. As a beauty, she is perhaps upon too large 
 a scale, except for those who admire women of all 
 shapes and sizes ; but her eyes and brow are very 
 fine, and there is a very pecuUarly soft and radiant 
 expression about them. Lord Melbourne had heard 
 of his Sovereignty, but understands that his territory 
 is extremely limited. His possessions as a subject 
 of Austria are worth a good deal more than his 
 German principality. 
 
 Lord Melbourne greatly congratulates your Majesty 
 upon the happy progress and termination of the 
 expedition to Scotland. He is very glad of three 
 things — that your Majesty returned by sea, in the 
 steamer, and that the passage was a good one. . . . 
 
 The country is indeed most interesting, full of 
 real picturesque beauty and of historical and poetical 
 associations and recollections. There is nothing to 
 detract from it, except the very high opinion that 
 the Scotch themselves entertain of it. Edinburgh is 
 magnificent — situation, buildings and aU — but the 
 boasting of the articles in the newspapers respectmg 
 it almost inclined one to deny its superiority. It is 
 also, as your Majesty says, most striking to contem- 
 plate in the Clans the remains of feudal times and 
 institutions. It is quite as well, however, particularly 
 for Monarchy, that they are but remains, and that no 
 more of them has been left. 
 
 Lord Melbourne thanks your Majesty much for 
 
 1 Prince Aloysius Joseph of Liechtenstein (1796-1858) and his wife, 
 Princess Franjoise^ie-Paule, Countess Kinsky. 
 
544 AN APPROACHING MARRIAGE [char n 
 
 your kind enquiries after his health. He thinks that 
 he is getting better and stronger than he has been, and 
 has a notion of trying a little shooting in October. 
 
 Lord Melbourne begs to be respectfully remembered 
 to the Prince. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiiTDsoH Castle, 18th October 1842. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I only received your kind 
 letter yesterday, for which my best thanks. I am 
 delighted to hear that Louise's cough is decidedly 
 better, and that upon the whole the dear family are 
 well, thank God ! Certainly where He sees fit to 
 afilict. He gives strength to bear up ! 
 
 Louise says Vecto is in great beauty, and the 
 baby magnificent. I wish you could see Pussy now; 
 she is {unbe7'ufen) the picture of health, and has just 
 cut her first eye-tooth, without the slightest suffering. 
 We are going to Brighton on the 1st of November 
 for a month ; it is the best month tliere and the worst 
 liere. I think I may announce Augusta Cambridge's ^ 
 marriage as certain, as I have just received a note 
 from the Duke, which is as follows : — 
 
 " Being very anxious to communicate to you as 
 soon as possible an event which concerns deeply my 
 family, I take the liberty of requesting you to let me know 
 on what day and at what hour I may wait upon you." 
 
 I shall see him to-morrow, and report the result 
 to Louise on Friday. 
 
 I have just taken leave of poor Esterhazy^ who has 
 presented his letters of recall. He looked wretched, 
 and Lord Aberdeen told me he is only ill at being 
 obliged to go ; he is quite miserable to do so, 
 but the great gentleman at Johannisberg has most 
 ungraciously refused to listen to his entreaties to 
 remain, which is very foolish, as they don't know who 
 to send in his place. 1 am very sorry to lose him, 
 
 1 The Princess Augusta of Cambridge, who was married to the Hereditary 
 Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in the following June. 
 ' Prince Paul Esterhazy, who had figured at the Coronation. 
 
im] HISTORICAL WORKS 645 
 
 he is so amiable and agreeable, and I have known him 
 ever since I can remember anybody ; he is, besides, 
 equally liked and on equally good terms with both 
 parties here, which was of the greatest importance. 
 It was touching to see him so low and ill and unlike 
 himself. 
 
 The accounts of poor dear Alexandrine's eyes 
 continue very bad; she cannot write at aU, or go out, 
 or do anything. 
 
 Say everything proper from us to the whole 
 family, and pray believe me always, your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brocket Hall, 20th October 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs leave respectfully to acknowledge 
 your Majesty's of the 15th inst., which he received here 
 the day before yesterday. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear that your 
 Majesty is reading with the Prince. Hallam's work* 
 certainly requires much consideration and much expla- 
 nation, but it is a fair, solid, impartial work, formed 
 upon much thought and much reading. St Simon's* 
 is an excellent work ; he has some prejudices, but was 
 a good honest man, and his book is full of useful infor- 
 mation. If your Majesty wishes for a book relating 
 to what passed from one hundred to two hundred 
 years ago. Lord Melbourne would strongly recommend 
 the Private Memoirs of the Lord Chancellor Clarendon 
 (Edward Hyde), not the great work. The History of the 
 Rebellion, though that is well worth reading, but the 
 Memoirs, and Bishop Burnet's History of his own time. 
 The reigns of Charles II., James II., and the 
 Revolution are very curious in the latter. During 
 Queen Anne's reign the Bishop was not so much 
 consulted, and his work is therefore not so mterestmg. 
 
 » The Constitutional History, published in 1827. , v. ^ j Tit, ■ 
 
 a Louis Rouffroy, Due de Saint-Simon, author of the celebrated Mimotres, 
 published 1829-1830. 
 Vol. I.— 35 
 
546 DOMESTIC HAPPINESS [chap, xi 
 
 If your Majesty wishes to turn your attention to 
 more recent events, Professor Smyth's^ lectures upon 
 Modern History, and particularly upon the French 
 Revolution, seem to Lord Melbourne soimd, fair, and 
 comprehensive. Lord Mahon's'* is also a good work, 
 and gives a good account of the reigns of George I, 
 and George II. He has been thought by some in 
 his last volume to have given too favourable a 
 character of the Chevalier, Charles Edward Stuart. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is much touched by what your 
 Majesty says of the Princess Royal, and the delight 
 and comfort which your Majesty finds in her, as well 
 as by the whole picture which your Majesty draws 
 of your domestic happiness. When your Majesty 
 refers to what passed three years ago, your Majesty 
 may be assured that it is with no small pleasure that 
 Lord Melbourne recalls any share which he may have 
 had in that transaction, and congratulates himself as 
 well as your Majesty and the Prince upon results 
 which have been so fortunate both for yourselves 
 and for the country. Lord Melbourne ventures to 
 hope that your Majesty will convey these feelings 
 to the Prince, together with the assurance of his 
 respectful remembrance. 
 
 The Duke of Wellington to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Walmer Castle, 26th October 1842. 
 
 My dear Peel, — Arbuthnot has shown me your 
 letter to him respecting this house. 
 
 Nothing can be more convenient to me than to 
 place it at Her Majesty's disposition at any time she 
 pleases. . . . 
 
 I am only apprehensive that the accommodation in 
 the Castle would scarcely be sufficient for Her Majesty, 
 the Prince, and the Royal children, and such suite 
 as must attend. . . . 
 
 1 William Smyth (176S-1849), Regius Professor of Modern History at 
 Cambridge. 
 
 ^ Afterwards fifth Earl Stanhope : the book referred to is his History of 
 England from the Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of Versailles. 
 
1842] WALMER CASTLE 647 
 
 It is the most delightful sea-residence to be found 
 anywhere, particularly for children. They can be out 
 all day, on the ramparts and platforms quite dry, and 
 the beautiful gardens and wood are enclosed and 
 sheltered from the severe gales of wind. There are 
 good lodgings at Walmer village and on Walmer 
 beach at no great distance from the Castle, not above 
 half a mile. Believe me ever, yours most sincerely, 
 
 Wellington. 
 
 If the Queen should send anybody here, I beg that 
 he will write me a line, that 1 may have an apartment 
 prepared for him. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Canfohd House, 31s< October 1842. 
 
 My deauest Niece, — A thousand thanks for your 
 very kind dear letter of yesterday with its enclosures, 
 which I have just received. Your opinion respecting 
 George of Hanover's* marriage is quite my own, and 
 I regret that the King does not seem to be inclined 
 to settle it and fix a day for the celebration of it. I do 
 not know his reasons against it, for I have not heard 
 from him for a long, long time. I am so sorry to find 
 that the accounts of his health are so indifferent, and 
 fear he is not careful enough. 
 
 I am happy to hear that you thought the Cambridge 
 visit went off well, and that the affianced ^ looked and 
 seemed happy. I hope it will always be the same, 
 and that the marriage will not be delayed too long. 
 I always had imagined that the Duke of Cambridge 
 was rich and would give a fortune to his daughters, 
 but I have lately heard that it is not the case. 1 do 
 not know what is the usual marriage portion of an 
 English Princess given by the country. In Germany 
 those portions are called die Prinzessin Taum. 
 
 1 Afterwards, from 1851 to 1878, King George V. of Hanover. He 
 married Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg, 18th February 1813. 
 " Princess Augusta of Cambridge. See p. S44. 
 
548 QUEEN ADELAIDE VISITS A CONVENT [chap, xi 
 
 We received 25,000 Fl, each when we married, and 
 10,000 Fl. for our trousseaux each. 
 
 If the young couple are to live in future with the 
 Grand Duke they will not want any Plate, but if they 
 are to have a separate menage, then they will want it, 
 I shall find it out by and by. I wonder that the Duchess 
 likes to part with her fine sapphires. I thought the 
 turquoises had been intended for Augusta, 
 
 I wish you could see the Convent to which I went 
 the other day. The nuns belong to the Order of the 
 Cistercian Trappists. They are not allowed to speak 
 amongst themselves — what a relief my visit must have 
 been to them 1 — and they neither eat meat, nor butter, 
 nor eggs — nothing but milk, vegetables and rice. 
 They look healthy, and there were several young 
 rather pretty ones amongst them. One, the best- 
 looking of them all. Sister Marie Josepha, took me 
 aiFectionately by the hand and said, " I hope the air 
 agrees with you here and that you feel better ? " and 
 then she added, " Come again — will you, before you 
 leave this country again ? " She told me that she 
 was born in Ireland and had a German grandfather. 
 She seemed to be the favourite amongst them all, 
 for when I bought of their works and asked them 
 to make up my bill, they called Marie Josepha to 
 summon it up, and she said to me, " Do not stay 
 for that ; we will send you your things with the 
 bill." Two hours after my visit to them I received 
 my things, with a wreath of flowers besides as their 
 gift to me ; on the paper attached to it was written, 
 " To the Queen Dowager, from the Reverend Mother 
 and her Community." 
 
 This old Reverend Mother, the Abbess, was very 
 infirm, and could not get up from her chair, but she 
 spoke very politely and ladylike to me in French. 
 She has been forty years in her present situation, and 
 comes from Bretagne. The chaplain of the Convent 
 is also an old Frenchman, and there are several other 
 French nuns amongst them — one who had been 
 condemned to be guillotined in the Revolution, and 
 
7832 
 Srom. the. rrurhLoture. by ^.C/ t/c>A>ne atW^uxcLyor CaMLe. 
 
1842] LORD MELBOURNE'S ILLNESS 549 
 
 was set at liberty just at the moment the execution 
 was to have taken place. I should like to know 
 whether these good nuns resumed again at once 
 their silence when I left them, or whether they were 
 permitted to talk over the events of that day. . . . 
 Your most affectionately devoted Aunt, 
 
 Adelaide. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 lat November 1842. 
 
 Many thanks 
 for your most kind and amiable letter of the 28th, 
 which I received yesterday. The prospect of the 
 possibility of dearest Louise's spending some time 
 with us quite enchants us, and I hope and trust that 
 you wiU carry your plan into execution. Our plans, 
 which we only settled last night, are as follows : — 
 the scarlet fever is on the decrease at Brighton, but 
 not sufficiently so to justily our going there immedi- 
 ately ; so we therefore intend going to Walmer with 
 the children, but a very reduced suite (as the house 
 is considerably smaller than Claremont), on the 10th, 
 and to stay there tiU the 22nd inst., when we shall 
 go to Brighton, and remain there till the 13th of 
 December. Now if dearest Louise would meet us 
 there then, and perhaps come back with us here for a 
 little while then ? Windsor is beautiful in December. 
 
 The news of Lord Melbourne, I am thankful to 
 say, are excellent, and he improves rapidly under 
 Dr. Holland's care, but his first seizure was very 
 alarming.^ I shall not fail to convey your kind 
 message to this worthy friend of ours. 
 
 1 am so pleased at your account of Nemours and 
 poor Hel^ne. Tatane * is not your favourite, is he ? 
 
 Lord Douglas's^ marriage with Princess M. of 
 
 1 He had a paralytic seizure, and never regained his former health or 
 spirits. 
 
 " Due de Montpensier. 
 
 ' Afterwards eleventh Duke of Hamilton : he was married to Princess 
 Mary on 23rd February following. 
 
550 THE CROWN JEWELS [chap, m 
 
 Baden is settled ; / shall of course treat her as a 
 Princess of Baden — I can't do otherwise (it is like 
 Aunt Sophie/ and Princess M. of Wiirtemberg who 
 married Count Neipperg ^) — and him as Lord Douglas, 
 which won't please him. 
 
 I wish Clem's marriage was no longer a secret, 
 now that it is settled, as it is (forgive my saying it) 
 really a fashion in our family to have these secrets de 
 la comedie, when one is almost forced to tell a lie 
 about what is true. I own I dislike these secrets ; 
 it was so with poor JNIarie and with Vecto. Now 
 adieu ! dearest, kindest Uncle, and believe me always, 
 your most affectionate Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, \Uh November 1842. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs leave to acquaint your Majesty 
 that he brought under the consideration of your 
 Majesty's servants the questions relating to certain of 
 the Crown Jewels, and the claim upon them preferred 
 by the King of Hanover.^ 
 
 In the course of the discussion it appeared to Sir 
 Robert Peel that there were still some points in respect 
 to this very embarrassing question which required the 
 grave consideration of legal authorities, and that it 
 would not be prudent to take any step, even that of 
 submitting the case to arbitration, without the highest 
 legal authority. 
 
 The submission to arbitration might avoid the evil 
 (and a very great one it would be) of public contro- 
 versy in a Court of Justice, and of public examination 
 
 1 Sister of the Duchess of Kent and of the King of the Belgians, and the 
 wife of Count Mensdorff. 
 
 ^ Alfred, Count Neipperg, who died in 1865. 
 
 ' The King claimed them on the ground that part belonged to the Crown 
 of Hanover, and part had been bequeathed to him by Queen Charlotte. 
 The matter was referred to a Commission consisting of Lords Lyndhurst and 
 Langdale, and Chief Justice Tindal. The two former were divided in 
 opinion, and the Chief Justice died before the award was made. If was 
 not till 18S7 that a final decision, substantially in favour of Hanover, was 
 given. 
 
I6i2] PROVISION FOR PRINCESS AUGUSTA 551 
 
 of members of the Royal Family on a matter partly 
 of a domestic nature ; but, on the other hand, great 
 care must be taken that by submitting the case to 
 the award of arbitrators, even should they be nominated 
 altogether by your Majesty, we do not rehnquish any 
 fair advantage for the Crown of England which would 
 have accompanied an appeal to the regularly constituted 
 tribunals of the country. 
 
 Your Majesty's Solicitor-General was employed as 
 Counsel for the King of Hanover, and it has been 
 thought therefore advisable to make the reference to 
 the Attorney-General and to the Queen's Advocate. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel has attempted to bring every 
 questionable point in the case submitted to them 
 under the consideration of your Majesty's law advisers, 
 and when their report shall be received he will not 
 fail to lay it before your Majesty. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel had a personal interview a few 
 days since with His Royal Highness the Duke of 
 Cambridge, on the subject of a public provision for 
 the Princess Augusta on the occasion of her marriage.^ 
 
 Sir Robert Peel thought it advisable to enquire 
 from the Duke of Cambridge, as the impression of 
 the public (of which His Royal Highness is quite 
 aware) is that he has a considerable fortune of his 
 own, independently of his annual allowance from 
 Parliament. 
 
 The Duke of Cambridge seemed entirely to share 
 the impressions of Sir Robert Peel that in the present 
 state of the country, and of the public revenue, great 
 caution is requisite in respect to the proposal of a 
 grant of public money as a marriage portion to the 
 Princess Augusta, and that it would be important 
 that in any proposal to be made there should be a 
 general acquiescence on the part of the House of 
 Commons. 
 
 As the marriage is not to take place for some time 
 it appears to Sir Robert Peel that it might be advis- 
 able to postpone a decision at least in respect to the 
 
 1 See ante, p. 547. 
 
652 SUCCESS IN CHINA [chap, xi 
 
 particular amount of any provision to be made, till 
 a period nearer to the meeting of Parliament. 
 
 A public intimation, or the public notoriety long 
 beforehand, of the intention to propose a grant of 
 public money might, in the present temper of the 
 times, interpose additional obstacles in the way of it. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel proposes to return to Drayton 
 Manor for a short time, and to leave London 
 to-morrow morning. 
 
 Lord Stanley to Queen Victoria. 
 
 DowNiuG Stheet, 23rd November 1843. 
 
 Lord Stanley, with his humble duty, has the honour 
 of submitting to your Majesty an original despatch 
 from Lieutenant-General Sir Hugh Gough, received 
 this morning, detailing the triumphant successes which 
 had crowned the exertions of your Majesty's Naval and 
 Military forces in China,^ and of the completely satis- 
 factory result in the execution of a Treaty of Peace with 
 the Emperor of China, upon terms highly honourable 
 to your Majesty and advantageous to this country. 
 
 Lord Stanley learns from Lord Fitzgerald that he 
 is also forwarding to your Majesty, by this messenger, 
 the details which the same mail has brought of the 
 complete and triumphant issue of the campaign in 
 Afghanistan. 
 
 Lord Stanley trusts that he may be permitted to 
 offer to your Majesty his humble congratulations upon 
 intelligence so glorious to British Arms, and so im- 
 portant to British interests. It is difficult to estimate 
 the moral effect which these victories may produce, 
 not on Asia merely, but throughout Europe also. At 
 the same moment your Majesty has brought to a 
 triumphant issue two gigantic operations, one in the 
 centre of Asia, the other in the heart of the hitherto 
 
 1 Chapoo was taken by Sir Hugh Gough in May : in June the squadron, 
 under Admiral William Parker, entered the waters of the Yang-tze, captured 
 Chin-Kiang-fu, and were about to attack Nanking, when the treaty was 
 concluded, embracing among other things a payment by the Chinese of 
 21,000,000 dollars, the cession of Hong Kong, and the opening of the ports 
 of Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo and Shanghai. 
 
18*2] A TREATY SIGNED 553 
 
 unapproachable Chinese Empire. In the former, 
 past disasters have been retrieved ; a signal victory 
 has been achieved on the very spot memorable for 
 former failure and massacre ; the honour of the British 
 Arms has been signally vindicated; the interests of 
 humanity have been consulted by the rescue of the 
 whole of the prisoners ; and, after a series of victories, 
 the Governor-General of India is free, without discredit, 
 to enter upon measures of internal improvement, and 
 having established the supremacy of British power, to 
 carry on henceforth a more pacific pohcy. 
 
 in China a termination has been put to the effusion 
 of blood by the signature of a treaty which has placed 
 your Majesty's dominions on a footing never recog- 
 nised in favour of any foreign Power — a footing of 
 perfect equality with the Chinese Empire ; which 
 has obtained large indemnity for the past, and ample 
 security for the future, and which has opened to 
 British enterprise the commerce of China to an extent 
 which it is almost impossible to anticipate. It may 
 interest your Majesty to hear that already enquiries 
 are made in the city for superintendents of ships to 
 trade to Ningpo direct. 
 
 Lord Stanley has taken upon himself to give orders 
 in your Majesty's name for firing the Park and Tower 
 guns in honour of these glorious successes. A Gazette 
 extraordinary wiQ be published to-morrow, the volumi- 
 nous nature of the despatches rendering it necessary 
 to take some time lest an important despatch should 
 be omitted. 
 
 All which is humbly submitted by your Majesty's 
 most dutiful Servant and Subject, Stanley. 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci to Queen Victoria. 
 
 India Board, 23rd November 1842.1 
 
 Lord Fitzgerald, with his most humble duty to your 
 Majesty, begs leave most humbly to inform your Majesty 
 
 1 The mail, which informed Ministers of the Chinese success, also brought 
 the news of the capture of Cabul. General Nott (see ante, p. 504) had by the 
 end of July completed his preparations, and marched upon Ghuznee, having 
 
554 VICTORIES IN AFGHANISTAN [chap, xi 
 
 that the despatches received from the Governor-General 
 of India announce the results of a series of most brilliant 
 exploits by the armies under Major-General Nott and 
 General Pollock in Afghanistan, 
 
 Each of those armies has achieved a glorious 
 victory over superior numbers of the enemy. 
 
 The city of Ghuznee has been captured, and its 
 formidable fortress utterly razed and destroyed. 
 
 The survivors of the British garrison, which had 
 capitulated in the Spring of the year, and who had been 
 reduced to slavery, have been redeemed from bondage. 
 
 The splendid victory of General Pollock has been 
 obtained over the army commanded by Akbar Khan 
 in person, on the veiy spot where the greatest disaster 
 had befallen the British Army on their retreat, and 
 where the last gun had been lost. 
 
 On the 16th of September, General Pollock entered 
 Cabul with his victorious troops and planted the 
 Colours of your Majesty in the Balla Hissar, on the 
 spot most conspicuous from the city. 
 
 An extract of a letter from General Pollock to 
 Lord EUenborough, dated at Cabul the 21st of 
 September, gives the most gratifying intelligence 
 that all the British prisoners, with the exception 
 of Captain Bygrave, have been rescued from Akbar 
 Khan, and were expected in the British camp on 
 the 22nd of September. 
 
 An extract from a letter from General Pollock 
 announcing the redemption of the prisoners is also 
 most humbly submitted to your Majesty, by your 
 Majesty's most dutiful Subject and Servant, 
 
 FlTZGEEALD AND VeSCI. 
 
 arranged to meet Pollock at Cabul, and having transferred the Scinde 
 command to General England. Nott was before Ghuznee on Sth September, 
 but at daylight on the 6th found it evacuated ; the citadel was destroyed by 
 him and the Gates of Somnauth removed, as directed by Lord EUenborough. 
 Pollock, to whose discretion EUenborough had entrusted the poUcy of 
 advancing on Cabul, secured supplies at Gundamuck, and on his advance met 
 the enemy in a strong position in the JugduUuck Pass and dispersed them ; 
 then at Tezeen, on 13th September, he was attacked by Akbar Khan with 
 20,000 men. The Pass was forced, and the Afghans retired to the Haft 
 Kotal, where they were utterly defeated, close to the scene of Elphinstone's 
 disaster. Nott arrived at Cabul on the day after PoUock. 
 
1842] PORTUGUESE AFFAIRS 655 
 
 Quee7i Victoria to Sir Robert Peel 
 
 Wauier Castle, 2S<A November 1842. 
 
 The Queen wishes Sir Robert to consider, and at 
 an early period to submit to her, his propositions as 
 to how to recompense and how to mark her high 
 approbation of the admirable conduct of all those meri- 
 torious persons who have by their strenuous endeavours 
 brought about the recent brilliant successes in China 
 and Afghanistan. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Ardenne, 2ith November 1842. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — . . . I do not think, or 
 I may say 1 am pretty certain, because I have often 
 seen Donna Maria's letters, they hardly ever speak 
 of politics, except just saying that they are sur- 
 rounded by such very sad people without honour 
 or honesty. I am sure they are not French at 
 Lisbon beyond the kindly feelings which result from 
 the recollection of Donna Maria's stay at Paris. 
 My constant advice has been to look exclusively to 
 the closest alliance with England, and Ferdinand is 
 now well aware of it ; but you know that the 
 Liberal party tried to even harm him by represent- 
 ing him as a mere creature of England. We live 
 in odd times when really one very often thinks 
 people mad ; their uncontrouled passions do not 
 develop amiable feelings, but on the contrary every- 
 thing that is bad and unreasonable. . . . 
 
 You are a very affectionate and kind Mamma, 
 which is very praiseworthy; may Heaven preserve 
 your dear little children ! Victoria is very clever, and 
 it will give you great pleasure to see the develop- 
 ment which takes place with children just at that 
 time of life. What you say of Ernest is unfortu- 
 nately but too true; that trick of exaggeration is 
 one of the worst I almost know, and particularly 
 in people in high stations, as one finally knows not 
 
554 VICTORIES IN AFGHANISTAN [chap. « 
 
 that the despatches received from the Governor-General 
 of India announce the results of a series of most brUliant 
 exploits by the armies under Major-General Nott and 
 General Pollock in Afghanistan. 
 
 Each of those armies has achieved a glorious 
 victory over superior numbers of the enemy. 
 
 The city of Ghuznee has been captured, and its 
 formidable fortress utterly razed and destroyed. 
 
 The survivors of the British garrison, which had 
 capitulated in the Spring of the year, and who had been 
 reduced to slavery, have been redeemed from bondage. 
 
 The splendid victory of General Pollock has been 
 obtained over the army commanded by Akbar Khan 
 in person, on the veiy spot where the greatest disaster 
 had befallen the British Army on their retreat, and 
 where the last gun had been lost. 
 
 On the 16th of September, General Pollock entered 
 Cabul with his victorious troops and planted the 
 Colours of your Majesty in the Balla Hissar, on the 
 spot most conspicuous from the city. 
 
 An extract of a letter from General Pollock to 
 Lord EUenborough, dated at Cabul the 21st of 
 September, gives the most gratifying intelligence 
 that all the British prisoners, with the exception 
 of Captain Bygrave, have been rescued from Akbar 
 Khan, and were expected in the British camp on 
 the 22nd of September. 
 
 An extract from a letter from General Pollock 
 announcing the redemption of the prisoners is also 
 most humbly submitted to your Majesty, by your 
 Majesty's most dutiful Subject and Servant, 
 
 FiTZGEKALD AND VeSCI. 
 
 arranged to meet Pollock at Cabtil, and having transferred the Scinde 
 command to General England. Nott was before Ghuznee on Sth September, 
 but at daylight on the 6th found it evacuated ; the citadel was destroyed by 
 him and the Gates of Somnauth removed, as directed by Lord EUenborough. 
 Pollock, to whose discretion EUenborough had entrusted the policy of 
 advancing on Cabul, secured supplies at Gundamuck, and on his advance met 
 the enen^ in a strong position in the JugduUuck Pass and dispersed them ; 
 then at Tezeen, on 12th September, he was attacked by Akbar Khan with 
 20,000 men. The Pass was forced, and the Afghans retired to the Haft 
 Kotal, where they were utterly defeated, close to the scene of Elphinstone's 
 disaster. Nott arrived at Cabul on the day after PoUock. 
 
1842] PORTUGUESE AFFAIRS 655 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Waoieh Castle, 2oth November 1842. 
 
 The Queen wishes Sir Robert to consider, and at 
 an early period to submit to her, his propositions as 
 to how to recompense and how to mark her high 
 approbation of the admirable conduct of all those meri- 
 torious persons who have by their strenuous endeavours 
 brought about the recent brilliant successes in China 
 and Afghanistan. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Ardenne, 24<A November 1842. 
 
 My deakest Victoria, — . . . I do not think, or 
 I may say 1 am pretty certain, because I have often 
 seen Donna Maria's letters, they hardly ever speak 
 of politics, except just saying that they are sur- 
 rounded by such very sad people without honour 
 or honesty. I am sure they are not French at 
 Lisbon beyond the kindly feeUngs which result from 
 the recollection of Donna Maria's stay at Paris. 
 My constant advice has been to look exclusively to 
 the closest alliance with England, and Ferdinand is 
 now well aware of it ; but you know that the 
 Liberal party tried to even harm him by represent- 
 ing him as a mere creature of England. We live 
 in odd times when really one very often thinks 
 people mad ; their uncontrouled passions do not 
 develop amiable feelings, but on the contrary every- 
 thing that is bad and unreasonable. . . . 
 
 You are a very affectionate and kind Mamma, 
 which is very praiseworthy; may Heaven preserve 
 your dear little children ! Victoria is very clever, and 
 it will give you great pleasure to see the develop- 
 ment which takes place with children just at that 
 time of hfe. What you say of Ernest is unfortu- 
 nately but too true; that trick of exaggeration is 
 one of the worst I almost know, and particularly 
 in people in high stations, as one finally knows not 
 
556 HONOURS FOR THE ARMY [chap, a 
 
 what to believe, and it generally ends with people 
 disbelieving aU such individuals do say. . , . Your 
 devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Walmer Castle, 29th N'ovember 1842. 
 
 Approve of the G.C.B. given to — 
 
 Sir H. POTTINGER. 
 
 Sir W. Parker. 
 
 General Nott. 
 
 General Pollock. 
 Likewise of the proposed pension to Sir R. Sale, and 
 the Baronetcy to Sir Hugh Gough. 
 
 Thinks the latter very fit to succeed Sir Jasper 
 Nicols * as Commander-in-Chief in India. 
 
 Grants with pleasure the permission to her troops 
 engaged in Afghanistan to accept and wear the 
 four medals which the Governor- General has had 
 struck for the Indian Army, and hopes that besides 
 gratifying the troops it will have the beneficial effect 
 of still strengthening the good feeling existing between 
 the two armies. Were it not for this impression the 
 Queen would have thought it more becoming that 
 she herself should have rewarded her troops with a 
 medal than leaving it to the Governor-General. 
 
 Lord Ellenborough to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Simla, 18«A October 1842. 
 
 Lord Ellenborough, with his most humble duty 
 to your Majesty, humbly offers to your Majesty his 
 congratulation on the entire success which has attended 
 the operations of the Fleet and Army under your 
 Majesty's directions in the Yaalke-Kiang,'^ and submits 
 to your Majesty the general order which, on the 
 receipt of the intelligence of that success and of the 
 peace concluded with the Emperor of China upon 
 the terms dictated by your Majesty, he issued to 
 the Army of India. 
 
 1 Lieut. -General Sir Jasper Nicols (1T78-1849) created a K.C.B. for his 
 services at Bhurtpore. 
 
 2 See ante, p. 552, note 1. 
 
1842] THE GATES OF SOMNAUTH 557 
 
 Your Majesty will have observed that in the 
 letter of the 4th of July to Major-General Nott, that 
 officer was instructed to bring away the gates of the 
 Temple of Somnauth, from the tomb of Mahmood of 
 Ghuznee, and the club of Mahmood also. 
 
 The club was no longer upon the tomb, and it 
 seems to be doubtful whether it was taken away by 
 some person of Lord Keane's Army in 1839, or by 
 Shah Sooja, or whether it was hidden in order to 
 prevent its being taken away at that time. 
 
 The gates of the Temple of Somnauth have been 
 brought away by Major-General Nott. 
 
 These gates were taken to Ghuznee by Sultan 
 Mahmood in the year 1024. The tradition of the 
 Invasion of India by Sultan Mahmood in that year 
 and of the carrying away of the gates after the 
 destruction of the Temple, is still current in every 
 part of India, and known to every one. So earnest 
 is the desire of the Hindoos and of all who are not 
 Mussulmans to recover the gates of the Temple that 
 when ten or twelve years ago Runjeet Singh was 
 making arrangements with Shah Sooja for assisting 
 him in the endeavour to recover his throne,' he wished 
 to make a stipulation that when Shah Sooja recovered 
 his power he should restore the gates to India, and 
 Shah Sooja refused. 
 
 Lord EUenborough transmits for your Majesty's 
 information, a copy of the Address he intends to 
 publish on announcing that the gates of the Temple 
 will be restored.* 
 
 The progress of the gates from Ferozepore to 
 Somnauth will be one great national triumph, and 
 their restoration to Ii^a will endear the Government 
 to the whole people.' 
 
 1 See ante, p. 179. 
 
 ' "The insult of 800 years," he wrote in this rather theatrical proclama- 
 tion, " is at last avenged. The gates of the temple of Somnauth, so long the 
 memorial of your humiliation, are become the proudest record of your 
 national glory. . . . You will yourselves, with all honour, transmit the 
 
 fates of sandal-wood, through your respective territories, to the restored 
 'emple of Somnauth." 
 " See pott, pp. 679, 586, and 598. 
 
558 FRANCE AND SPAIN [chap, m 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 13th December 1942. 
 
 Dearest Uncle, — I have to thank you for two most 
 kind letters of the 5th and 8th. I can report very favour- 
 ably of the healths of young and old ; we are all very 
 flourishing, and have since yesterday perfectly May 
 weather. Clear, dry frost would be wholesome. 
 
 Victoire gave me yesterday a much better account 
 of poor little Robert.^ 
 
 In Portugal affairs seem quieted down, but Ferdinand 
 is imprudent enough to say to Mamma that he would 
 be wretched to lose Dietz (very naturally) and would 
 not be at all sorry to go away! Now, this is folly, 
 and a most dangerous language to hold, as if he 
 entertains this, I fear the Portuguese will some beau 
 matin indulge him in his wishes. 
 
 The news from Spain are better, but I must own 
 frankly to you, that we are all disgusted at the 
 French intrigiies which have without a doubt been at 
 the bottom of it all, and can I fear be traced very 
 close to the Tuileries. Why attempt to ruin a 
 country (which they luckily cannot succeed in) merely 
 out of personal dislike to a man who certainly has 
 proved himself capable of keeping the country quiet, 
 and certainly is by far the most honest Spaniard in 
 existence, whatever crimes or faults the French may 
 choose to bring against him. And what will be the 
 effect of all this? A total dislike and mistrust of 
 France, and a still closer alliance with England. I 
 have spoken thus freely, as a repetition of last year's 
 scenes is too much to remain silent, and as I have 
 ever been privileged to tell you, dearest Uncle, my 
 feelings, and the truth. 
 
 Poor Lord Hill's death, though fully expected, 
 will grieve you, as it has grieved us. 
 
 I am much amused at what you say about Charles, 
 and shall tell it him, when I write to him. Believe me 
 always, your most affectionate Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 > The infant Due de Chartres. 
 
1842] MAJOR MALCOLM 659 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Windsor Castle, \9th December 1842. 
 
 The Queen is very desirous that something should 
 be done for Major Malcolm,* (who was the bearer 
 of "the news of Victory and Peace") either by pro- 
 motion in the Army or by any other distinction. He 
 is a very intelligent and well-informed officer, and has 
 been employed in China both in a Civil and Military 
 capacity, and has made, and is going to make again, a 
 long journey at a very bad time of the year, though 
 suffering severely at this moment from ague. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 26<A December 1949. 
 
 The Queen thanks Sir Robert for his letter of the 
 23rd. She thinks that Major Malcolm's going back 
 to China the bearer of verbal instructions as well as 
 written ones will greatly facihtate the matter and 
 prevent misunderstandings which at such a great 
 distance are mostly fatal. The Queen joins in Sir 
 Robert's opinion, that before coming to a final arrange- 
 ment it will be most valuable to have Sir H. Pottinger's 
 opinion upon your present message, and thinks it 
 much the best that Sir H. should in the meantime be 
 entrusted with the extraordinary full powers for con- 
 cluding any provisional arrangements, as she believes 
 that very great confidence may be placed in him. 
 Lord Stanley's suggestions strike the Queen as very 
 judicious and calculated to facilitate the future 
 Government of Hong-Kong. 
 
 The Queen hopes to hear more from Sir Robert 
 when she sees him here, which she hopes to do from 
 Monday the 2nd to Wednesday the 4th. 
 
 1 In such cases, it has been usual to confer some distinction. 
 
560 THE SCOTCH CHURCH [chap, xi 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Drayton Manor, 26<A December 1842. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and with reference to enquiries made by your 
 Majesty when Sir Robert Peel was last at Windsor, on 
 the subject of the Scotch Church and the proceedings 
 of the last General Assembly, begs leave to acquaint 
 your Majesty that the Moderator of the Assembly has 
 recently addressed a letter to Sir Robert Peel requiring 
 an answer to the demands urged by the General 
 Assembly in a document entitled a Protest and 
 Declaration of Right.^ 
 
 The demands of the General Assembly amount to a 
 reversal by Law of the recent decisions of the Court of 
 Session and of the House of Lords, and to a repeal 
 of the Act of Queen Anne, which establishes the Right 
 of Patronage in respect to Livings in the Church of 
 Scotland. 
 
 That Act by no means gives any such absolute right 
 of appointment to the Crown or other patrons of 
 Livings, as exists in England. It enables those legally 
 entitled to the patronage to present a clergyman to the 
 Living, but the Church Courts have the power, on 
 valid objections being made and duly sustained by the 
 parishioners, to set aside the presentation of the patron, 
 and to require from him a new nomination. 
 
 The Church, however, requires the absolute repeal 
 of the Act of Anne. 
 
 An answer to the demands of the Church will now 
 become requisite. 
 
 1 The famous Auchterarder case had decided that, notwithstanding the 
 vetoing by the congregation of the nominee of the patron, the Presbytery 
 must take him on trial if qualified by life, learning and doctrine, — in other 
 words that the Act of Anne, subjecting the power of the Presbytery to the 
 control of the law courts, was not superseded by the Veto Act, a declaration 
 made by the General Assembly. In the Strathbogie case, a minister had 
 been nominated to Marnock, and 261 out of 300 heads of families had 
 objected to him. The General Assembly having directed the Presbytery to 
 reject him, the civil court held that he must be taken on trial. Seven 
 members of the Presbytery obeyed the civil power, and the General Assembly, 
 on the motion of Dr Chalmers, deposed them and declared their parishes 
 vacant 
 
18*2] A SERIOUS CRISIS 561 
 
 Sir James Graham has been in communication with 
 the law advisers of your Majesty m Scotland upon the 
 legal questions involved in this matter, and will shortly 
 send for your Majesty's consideration the draft of a 
 proposed answer to the General Assembly.^ 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Fictoria. 
 
 Drayton Manor, SOth December 1842. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and rejoices to hear that your Majesty approved 
 of the letter which, with your Majesty's sanction, James 
 Graham proposes to write to the Moderator of the 
 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel fears that there is too much ground 
 for the apprehensions expressed by your Majesty in 
 respect to future embarrassment arising out of the 
 position of the Church Question in Scotland. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel saw yesterday a letter addressed by 
 Dr. Abercrombie,^ the eminent physician in Edinburgh, 
 to Sir George Sinclair,^ declaring his conviction that the 
 Secession of Ministers from their Livings would take 
 place to a very great extent — would comprise very 
 many of the Ministers most distinguished for learning 
 and professional character, and would meet with very 
 general support among their congregations. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel has little doubt that a serious crisis 
 in the History of the Church of Scotland is at hand, 
 and that the result of it will be greatly to be lamented ; 
 but still he could not advise your Majesty to seek to 
 avert it by the acquiescence in demands amounting to 
 the abrogation of important civil rights and to the 
 
 > Sir James Graham's letter is printed in the Annual Register for 1843. A 
 
 getition in answer was drawn by the Assembly and presented to Parliament 
 y Mr Fox Manle. After the debate on it in the Commons, preparations 
 were made throughout Scotland for the secession of the non-intrusionists, 
 as they were called, which event took place on 18th May 1843, when about 
 500 Ministers, headed by Chalmers, seceded from the Old Kirk, and founded 
 the Free Church. 
 
 " John Abercrombie (1780-1844) one of the chief consulting physicians 
 in Scotland, and a great medical writer. He left the Established Church. 
 
 ' Sir George Sinclair (1790-1868), M.P. for Caithness-shire, was a sup- 
 porter of the Anti-Patronage Society, and joined the Free Church. 
 Vol. l— 36 
 
562 LETTER FROM LORD MELBOURNE [chap, a 
 
 establishment in Scotland of an ecclesiastical domina- 
 tion independent of all control. . . . 
 
 He is very confident that your Majesty will feel 
 that in the present state of the controversy with the 
 Church of Scotland, there is peculiar reason for taking 
 the greatest care that every minister presented to a 
 Crown Living should be not only above exception, but 
 should, if possible, be pre-eminently distinguished for 
 his fitness for a pastoral charge. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Bhocket Hall, Wth December 1842. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has been much delighted this morning 
 by receiving your Majesty's letter of the 28th. He 
 was the more gratified, as he had begun to be a little 
 annoyed at being such a very long time without hearing 
 from your Majesty. 
 
 Lord Mahon has sent Lord Melbourne his book.^ 
 Lord Melbourne has not yet read it, but he has read 
 the review of it in the Quarterly, which seems to be 
 a sort of abstract or abridgment of the book. The 
 effect of writing it in French has naturally been to 
 direct all attention and criticism from the merits of 
 the work to the faults of the French. People who 
 have read the work speak of it as entertaining, and 
 the times are curious and interesting. The characters 
 engaged in them, striking and remarkable. Lord 
 Melbourne is very glad to hear that Pottinger's con- 
 duct is so universally approved. He always appeared 
 to Lord Melbourne to be a man of great ability, resolu- 
 tion, and discretion, and Lord Melbourne much rejoices 
 that he has turned out so. 
 
 Hallam's opinions Lord Melbourne believes to be in 
 general sound, and such as have been held and approved 
 by the most able and constitutional statesmen in this 
 country. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is much rejoiced to hear of the 
 
 1 Esiai sur la vie du grand Condi, afterwards published in English. 
 
1842] ESTEEM FOR BARON STOCKMAR 563 
 
 Princess and the Prince of Wales, and also that your 
 Majesty is pursuing your studies quietly, cheerfully, 
 and happily. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very sensible of the interest 
 which the Baron takes in his health and which he 
 warmly reciprocates. There is no man whom he 
 esteems more, nor of whose head and heart he has 
 a better opinion. 
 
 We expect here to-morrow the Duchess of Suther- 
 land ^ and Lady Elizabeth Gower,^ who have been kind 
 enough to propose to pay Lord Melbourne a visit 
 
 1 Formerly Mistress of the Robes. 
 * Afterwards Duchess of ArgyU. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
 TO CHAPTER XII 
 
 Repeated debates took place during the year (1843) on the Com 
 Laws, the agitation against them steadily growing, Mr Cobden 
 coming on one occasion into violent conilict with the Premier. 
 The events of the previous year in Afghanistan were also the subject 
 of constant discussion in Parliament. A movement of some import- 
 ance took, place in Wales in opposition to the increasing number 
 of toll-bars, bands of rioters dressed in women's clothes and known 
 as " Rebecca and her daughters," demolishing the gates and 
 committing acts of greater or less violence. A verse in Genesis 
 (xxiv. 60) fancifully applied gave rise to this name and disguise. 
 
 In Scotland the system of private patronage in the Established 
 Kirk had become very unpopular, the Act of Anne in favour of 
 the nomination by lay patrons, and the control given to the Law 
 Courts over the revising action of the Presbytery being ultimately 
 modified by a declaration of the General Assembly known as the 
 Veto Act. But it was decided in what was called the Strathbogie 
 case that the veto was illusory, the disruption of the old Kirk 
 followed, and on 18th May Dr Chalmers and five hundred other 
 ministers seceded from it in order to form the Free Church. 
 
 In Ireland the agitation for Repeal was at its height. CConnell, 
 supported by the Nation newspaper, founded a Repeal association 
 in Dublin, and monster meetings were held on Sundays on some 
 conspicuous spot of free and historic associations, to claim the 
 re-establishment of a Parliament on College Green. It was believed 
 that a quarter of a million people were present on one occasion, 
 and the Government, alarmed at the absolute power wielded by 
 O'Connell over these huge bodies of men, resolved to prohibit the 
 meetings, and somewhat tardily issued a Proclamation against 
 that announced for Clontarf on 8th October. O'Connell accord- 
 ingly disbanded the meeting, but his action did not please his 
 more zealous supporters, and his ascendancy came to an end. The 
 agitation collapsed and the principal actors were arrested. 
 
 A military duel fought in the summer of this year, in which 
 a colonel in the army was shot by his brother-in-law, made the 
 code of honour existing on the subject a burning question, the 
 criminal law of homicide being the same then as now. On Prince 
 Albert's suggestion the question was taken up by the heads of the 
 Army and Navy, and the Articles of War were in the following 
 year amended so as to admit of an apology and a tender of redress. 
 
 The better feeling existing between this country and France 
 enabled the Queen and Prince to visit Louis Philippe at the 
 Chateau d'Eu. 
 564 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 1843 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiimsoR Castle, Uh Jarmary 1843. 
 
 Dearest Uncle, — ... We have been very gay ; 
 danced into the New Year, and again last night, and 
 were very merry, though but a very small party ; 
 young and old danced. Good Lord Melbourne was 
 here from Saturday till this morning, looking very 
 well, and I almost fancied happy old times were 
 returned ; but alas 1 the dream is past ! He enquired 
 much after you. 
 
 Now adieu ! Ever your devoted Niece, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Claremont, Wih January 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I am happy to write to 
 you again from this so very dear and comfortable 
 old place, where you will have heard from Louise 
 that we arrived with our dear Pussy on Thursday 
 last. We are all so particularly well, including 
 Pussy, that we intend, to my great delight, to 
 prolong our stay till next Monday. This place has 
 a peculiar charm for us both, and to me it brings 
 back recollections of the happiest days of my otherwise 
 dull childhood — where I experienced such kindness 
 
 565 
 
566 RECOLLECTIONS OF CLAREMONT [chap, xn 
 
 from you, dearest Uncle, which has ever since con- 
 tinued. It is true that my last stay here before I 
 came to the Throne, from November '36 to February 
 '37, was a peculiarly painful and disagreeable one, 
 but somehow or other, I do not think of those times, 
 but only of all the former so happy ones. Victoria 
 plays with my old bricks, etc., and I think you would 
 be pleased to see this and to see her running and 
 jumping in the flower garden, as old — though I fear 
 still little — Victoria of former days used to do. She 
 is very well, and such an amusement to us, that I 
 can't bear to move without her ; she is so funny and 
 speaks so well, and in French also, she knows almost 
 everything ; she would therefore get on famously 
 with Charlotte. . . . 
 
 Might I ask you some questions about Joinville's 
 match,^ which interests me much ? First of all, have 
 you heard of his arrival at Rio ? Secondly, if the 
 Donna Francesca pleases, is he empowered at once 
 to make the demand, or must he write home first? 
 How nice it would be if the two marriages could 
 take place at once, but 1 suppose, under any circum- 
 stances, that could not be. . . . 
 
 Alexandrine is nearly quite recovered ; she writes 
 such pretty, affectionate, kind letters, poor dear child, 
 and is so fond of Ernest. I must say I think he 
 seems improved, as he likes to live quietly with her, 
 and speaks of her too with the greatest affection. 
 
 Now, my dearest Uncle, let me take my leave, 
 begging you to believe me always, your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Broceet Hall, 12th January 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and thanks your Majesty much for your 
 letter of the 9th inst. which he received yesterday. 
 
 ' He was married to the Princess Francesca of Brazil on 1st May. 
 
1843] HISTORICAL WRITERS 567 
 
 Every letter that he receives from your Majesty brings 
 back to his mind the recollection of times, which, 
 though they were clouded with much care and anxiety, 
 were still to Lord Melbourne a period of much happi- 
 ness and satisfaction. . . . 
 
 Hallam has not written a History of the Church, 
 but in all his books there is necessarily much about 
 the Church, and much that is worthy of mention. A 
 short History of the Church is, Lord Melbourne fears, 
 not to be found, the subject is so large and so difficult 
 that it cannot be treated shortly. Dr Short ^ has 
 written and published a clever, brief, and distinct 
 summary, but it relates principally to the Church of 
 England, and in order to be fully understood, requires 
 to be read by one who has already some acquaintance 
 with the subject. 
 
 The book which your Majesty remembers Lord 
 Melbourne reading is the production of Dr Waddington,* 
 whom your Majesty, under Lord Melbourne's recom- 
 mendation, made Dean of Durham, which dignity he 
 now holds. It is a very good book. 
 
 Adolphus's' History is by no means a bad book, 
 and wiU give your Majesty the facts of the beginning 
 of the reign of George III. well and accurately 
 enough. The Duke of Sussex once told Lord 
 Melbourne that he had asked his father whether 
 Adolphus's account of the beginning of his reign 
 was correct, and that the King had replied that 
 substantially it was so, but that there were some 
 mistakes, and that what had been done by one person 
 was often attributed to another. Adolphus's History- 
 will receive some illustration from Horace Walpole's 
 letters of that period. ... 
 
 Lord Melbourne thinks that he is really getting rid 
 of the gout, and gathering strength. He still has 
 some doubt whether he shall be able to go up for 
 
 1 Bishop, then of Sodor and Man, afterwards of St Asaph. His book, a 
 Sketch of the History of the Church of Enflland, was pubhshedm 1832 
 
 2 GeorKe Waddington [1793-1869), Dean of Durham, pubhshed m 1833 
 the Histo^ of the Church from the Earli^tAffestotheBeformoition 
 
 3 John Adolphus, barrister, wrote a history of England from 1760 to 1783. 
 
568 A MISUNDERSTANDING [chap, xii 
 
 the meeting of Parliament. Lord Melbourne begs to 
 renew to your Majesty the warm and respectful assur- 
 ance of his gratitude and attachment. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Canfohd House, Friday, 13th January 1843. 
 
 My dearest Niece, — ... As you take so kind 
 an interest in our dear Thesy,^ I send you a letter 
 which I have received from her mother-in-law, with 
 an excellent account of her and her infant. Her 
 happiness is a great blessing, and I thank God that 
 she is so well this time. Can you imagine her with 
 two boys ? It seems so odd, for it is but a short 
 time since she was here with us. How time flies 
 rapidly. I own I was not a little surprised to find 
 that you are probably the godmother; or is the little 
 boy only to be named after you ? I remember well 
 what you said to me when I was asked to be the 
 godmother of the first boy, " that I could not accept 
 it," as I must not take the responsibilities attached 
 to a sponsor with a Roman Catholic child. On that 
 ground alone, and having learned your opinion which 
 sanctioned my own, I refused it then at the risk of 
 offending the dear parents. Now, after all that was 
 said on the subject, if you have accepted the offer of 
 becoming sponsor to this little Victor, you, as the 
 Head of the English Church, give to understand that 
 / was wrong in my notions of the duties which our 
 Church imposes upon sponsors, having refused what 
 you accepted. 1 tell you fairly and openly that it has 
 vexed me, but of course I say this only to yourself, 
 dearest Victoria, and not to any one else, for it does 
 not become me to find fault with what you please to 
 do. But I could not entirely pass it over in silence, 
 and regret that my former refusal must now become 
 doubly annoying to my relations. I beg your pardon 
 for thus frankly stating my feelings to you on a subject 
 
 ^ Princess Therfese, daughter of the Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfiirst, 
 and wife of Prince Frederick Charies of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg. 
 
1843] GOVERNOR-GENERALSHIP OF CANADA 569 
 
 which I shall now dispatch from my mind, and I trust 
 you will not take it ill, and excuse me for having 
 mentioned it to you alone. . . . Your most attached 
 and devoted Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Queen Adelaide. 
 
 Claremont, \Sih Januaiy 1843. 
 
 I am at a loss to comprehend, my dear Aunt, what 
 you mean by saying that you refused being godmother 
 to Thesy's first child, as / had sanctioned your doing 
 so. I never remember even talking to you on the 
 subject, but only heard from Mamma that you had 
 refused doing so — which I was surprised at. I there- 
 fore felt no hesitation in accepting the offer of Thesy, 
 particularly as I am already godmother to one of the 
 children of Prince Esterhazy's daughter. I am grieved, 
 dearest Aunt, that this occurrence should annoy you, 
 but I can assure you that I do not remember ever 
 having spoken to you on the subject at all. 
 
 Lord Stanley to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Downing Stheet, 19th January 1843. 
 
 Lord Stanley with his humble duty submits to 
 your Majesty that in pursuance of the permission 
 which your Majesty was pleased to give him 
 personally, he has this day offered to Su- Charles 
 Metcalfe ^ the Governor- Generalship of Canada ; and 
 Lord Stanley has much satisfaction in adding that the 
 offer has been readily and thankfully accepted. This 
 appointment. Lord Stanley is convinced, is, under 
 the circumstances, the best which could have been 
 made, and he believes not only that it will be 
 generally approved, but that Sir Charles Metcalfe's 
 long experience and tried discretion will afford the 
 best prospect of conducting the affairs of Canada 
 
 1 Metcalfe had had a long Indian career, and for a year had been Provisional 
 GoTemor-General, when he removed the restrictions on the liberty of the 
 Press. He was created a peer in 1845, but never took his seat He resigned 
 his post at the end of that year, and died soon after. 
 
670 MR DRUMMOND SHOT [chap, xii 
 
 safely and successfully through the present crisis. 
 As Sir Charles Metcalfe will naturally be anxious 
 previous to his embarkation (which, however, will 
 probably not take place for at least six weeks) to 
 have the honour of being presented to your Majesty 
 on his appointment, Lord Stanley hopes he may be 
 honoured by your Majesty's commands as to the 
 time when it may be your Majesty's pleasure to 
 admit him to an audience. Perhaps Sir Charles's 
 attendance after the Council at which your Majesty's 
 Speech on the opening of the Session has to be settled, 
 may give your Majesty as little trouble as any time that 
 could be named. 
 
 The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's 
 most dutiful servant and subject, Stanley. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Whitehall, 20th January 1843. 
 
 Sir, — I have the painful duty of acquainting your 
 Royal Highness that Mr Drummond, my Private 
 Secretary, was shot at this day about quarter past 
 three o'clock, in the neighbourhood of Charing Cross.^ 
 
 Two pistols were discharged, the first close to Mr 
 Drummond's back, the second after the assassin had 
 been seized by a policeman. 
 
 The ball entered in the back and has been extracted, 
 after passing round the ribs. I have just left Mr 
 Drummond's house. No vital part appears to have 
 been injured, and there is no unfavourable symptom 
 whatever. 
 
 The assassin gives his name MacNaghten, and 
 appears to be a Glasgow man. 
 
 Two five pound notes were, I understand, found 
 upon his person, and a receipt for £750 given to 
 Daniel MacNaghten, confirming, therefore, the man's 
 account of his name. 
 
 * Edward Drummond had been Private Secretary to Canning, Ripon, and 
 Wellington, as well as to Peel, and was xery popular ; he was in his fifty-first 
 year. He had just left his uncle's Bank at Charing Cross, when lie was shot. 
 
1843] MISTAKEN FOR SIR ROBERT PEEL 571 
 
 We have not hitherto been able to discover that 
 this man had any alleged grievance or complaint 
 against the Treasury or any public office. 
 
 He has been loitering about the public offices for 
 the last fortnight, and being questioned, I understand, 
 some days since, by the Office Keeper of the Council 
 office, said he was a pohceman. This, of course, for 
 the purpose of evading further enquiry. 
 
 The policeman who apprehended the man, says 
 that he heard the man exclaim after firing the shots : 
 " He or she (the policeman is uncertain which) shall 
 not disturb my peace of mind any more." 
 
 These are all the particulars I have heard or 
 learned, I am afraid I have given them to your 
 Royal Highness in a hurried manner. I have 
 thought it better to convey this information to Her 
 Majesty, through the kind intervention of your 
 Royal Highness, than by a direct communication to 
 the Queen. 
 
 I have the honour to be. Sir, with sincere respect, 
 your Royal Highness's most faithful and humble 
 , Servant, Robert Peel. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 21s< January 1943. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel begs leave to mention to your 
 Majesty a fact which has not hitherto transpired — and 
 of which he was not aware until he had an interview 
 this morning with Sir James Graham. 
 
 On the Inspector Tierney going into the cell of 
 MacNaghten this morning, he said to MacNaghten: 
 "I suppose you are aware who is the person whom 
 
 you have shot ? ^ , ^ , „ 
 
 He (MacNaghten) said : "Yes — Sir Robert Peel. 
 From this it would appear that he had mistaken 
 
 Mr Drummond for Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 The Magistrate thought it better not to have 
 
 this evidence at present placed on record. 
 
572 DEATH OF MR DRUMMOND [chap, xn 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 25<A January 1843. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has the very painful duty to 
 report to your Majesty the fatal consequences of 
 the attack on Mr Drummond. 
 
 He breathed his last this morning about half-past 
 ten o'clock. 
 
 A very unfavourable change took place last night, 
 and no hopes were entertained after seven o'clock in 
 the evening. 
 
 This sad event has had such an effect on Lady 
 Peel, and aU the circumstances attending it are so 
 distressing to Sir Robert Peel, that relying upon your 
 Majesty's great kindness, he ventures to express a 
 hope that your Majesty will have the goodness to 
 permit Sir Robert and Lady Peel to remain for the 
 present in London, or should your Majesty desire 
 to see Sir Robert Peel before Wednesday next, to 
 allow him to wait upon your Majesty in the morning 
 of any day which your Majesty may be pleased to 
 name. 
 
 He need scarcely assure your Majesty that nothing 
 but such a sad event as that which has occurred 
 would induce him to prefer this request to your 
 Majesty. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel encloses such further information 
 as has reached him respecting MacNaghten. 
 
 He does not hesitate to send to your Majesty 
 every word of information of the least importance 
 which he receives. . . . 
 
 The evidence of his mental delusion is strong, but 
 it must be borne in mind that he was exactly the 
 instrument which others would employ. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel has no reason for surmising this 
 to be the case, but the possibility of it ought not 
 and shall not be overlooked. 
 
1843] DEMEANOUR OF MACNAGHTEN 673 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehaij., 25th January 1843. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and makes no apology for frequently 
 writing to your Majesty on the painful subject in 
 respect to which your Majesty has manifested so 
 deep an interest. 
 
 Su- Robert Peel humbly thinks that your Majesty's 
 observations with respect to the clear distinctions 
 in the cases of insanity are most just. It will be 
 most unfortunate indeed, if the Law does not attach 
 its severest penalty to a crime so premeditated and 
 so deliberately and savagely perpetrated, as that of 
 MacNaghten. 
 
 The Jury are, however, the sole judges on this 
 point, that is to say, it rests with them exclusively, 
 either to find an absolute verdict of guUty of murder, 
 or to acquit on the ground of insanity. 
 
 MacNaghten wiU be charged with the offence of 
 murder, and every effort will be made to bring him 
 to condign punishment. 
 
 His Counsel will probably endeavour to establish 
 his insanity. 
 
 Nothing can be more collected and intelligent in 
 many respects than his conduct in prison. He was 
 conversing with the gaoler, and seemed not dis- 
 inclined to unburden his mind, when he suddenly 
 stopped and enquired from the gaoler whether such 
 conversations as that which he was holding went 
 beyond the prison walls. 
 
 On being informed that no security could be given 
 that they would remain secret, he said he should hold 
 his tongue, but that all would come out by and by. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel takes the liberty of enclosing 
 for your Majesty's perusal, a note which he has 
 just received from Miss Emily Eden, sister of Lord 
 Auckland, and of Mrs Charles Drummond. 
 
 If it should be in your Majesty's power to assign 
 apartments at some future period to Miss Drummond, 
 
574 LETTER FROM LORD MELBOURNE [chap, tm 
 
 who lived with her brother Edward, and was mainly 
 dependent upon him, it would be a very great comfort 
 to a lady of the most unexceptionable conduct, and 
 most deeply attached to her poor brother. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brocket Hall, 2Sth Jawuary 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has been much gratified this morning 
 by receiving your Majesty's letter of the 23rd ; he has 
 determined upon following your Majesty's advice, and 
 upon not hazarding the throwing himself back by 
 coming up to London and attempting to attend the 
 House of Lords at the commencement of the Session. 
 The assassination of Mr Drummond, for Lord Melbourne 
 fears it must be called so, is indeed a dreadful thing. 
 Lord Melbourne is not surprised, for people are very 
 apt to turn all their vsTath and indignation upon the 
 man from whom they actually receive an answer, 
 which they do not like, without in the least consider- 
 ing whether he is really responsible for it. Lord 
 Melbourne used often to be himself assailed with threats 
 of personal violence. Sometimes he took notice of 
 them by swearing the peace against those who used 
 them, and having them bound over in sureties. 
 Sometimes he disregarded them, but he does not 
 think it either prudent or justifiable entirely to neglect 
 such intimations. Lord Melbourne does not wonder 
 that this event brings to your Majesty's recollection 
 what has taken place in your own case. 
 
 Hallam is, in Lord Melbourne's opinion, right about 
 Ireland. Her advocates are very loud in their outcry, 
 but she has not really much to complain of. 
 
 Lord Melbourne was very glad to hear of the 
 marriage of Prince Augustus of Coburg with the 
 Princess Clementine, as he apprehends that the con- 
 nection must be very agreeable to your Majesty. 
 
 Lord Melbourne begs to be respectfully and afFec- 
 tionally remembered to His Royal Highness. 
 
1843] PREPARATIONS FOR THE TRIAL 575 
 
 Sir James Graham to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 28<A January 1843. 
 
 Sir James Graham, with humble duty, begs to inform 
 your Majesty, that the prisoner Daniel MacNaghten 
 was fully committed for trial this afternoon. He was 
 not defended before the Magistrates ; but in his manner 
 he was quite cool, intelligent, and collected ; he asked 
 no questions, but he expressed a wish to have copies 
 of the Depositions. 
 
 His trial will probably commence on Friday or 
 Saturday next, and there is reason to believe that, at 
 the request of his relatives in Glasgow, Counsel will be 
 retained, and that the plea of insanity will be raised in 
 his defence.^ 
 
 Every preparation is in progress to meet this vague 
 and dangerous excuse. It will turn out that the 
 pistols were bought at Paisley by MacNaghten on 
 the 6th of August last ; and information has reached 
 Sir James Graham, which, he thinks, will prove that 
 MacNaghten is a Chartist, that he has attended political 
 meetings at Glasgow, and that he has taken a violent 
 part in politics. He yesterday saw a Presbyterian 
 clergyman, who prayed with him ; who pointed out 
 the atrocity of his crime, the innocence of his 
 victim, the pangs of sorrowing relatives, and who 
 exhorted him to contrition and repentance. Some 
 impression was made at the moment ; but his general 
 demeanour is marked by cold reserve and hardness 
 of heart. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 BnocKirr Haix, Snd February 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and thanks much for the letter of the 30th 
 
 » He was defended by four counsel, including Mr Cockbum, afterwards 
 Lord Chief Justice. 
 
576 THE ROYAL FAMILY AND POLITICS [chap, hi 
 
 ult. which he received here yesterday morning. He 
 believes it is more prudent not to go to London, but 
 he greatly regrets that his not doing so will deprive 
 him for so long a time of the honour and pleasure of 
 seeing your Majesty. 
 
 The Duke of Sussex acquainted Lord Melbourne 
 and took his opinion before he issued his cards for 
 the dinner. Lord Melbourne does not think that 
 he can have any idea of playing the part to which 
 Lord Erroll alluded. It is better that a dinner should 
 be given somewhere. He having nothing of the 
 kind would look too much like giving up the whole 
 business and disbanding the party. Lord Melbourne 
 entirely agrees with your Majesty as to the political 
 conduct which ought to be pursued by the members 
 of the Royal Family, but he remembers no time 
 in which they have been induced to act with so much 
 prudence and propriety. Your Majesty will see in 
 Adolphus the very prominent share which the Duke 
 of Cumberland/ the General of CuUoden, took in the 
 Party contentions of those days. He was a strong 
 partisan and in a great measure the founder of 
 the Whig party. Lord Melbourne has often heard 
 George IV. converse upon that subject, and he used 
 to contend that it was quite impossible for a Prince 
 of Wales in this country to avoid taking an active 
 part in politics and political contentions. The fact 
 is that George IIL did not discourage this in his own 
 family sufficiently, and the King of Hanover always 
 said that his father had encouraged him in the active 
 part which he took, and which certainly was sufficiently 
 objectionable. 
 
 The assassination of Drummond is indeed a horrible 
 event. Lord Melbourne does not see as yet any clear, 
 distinct and certain evidence of what were the real 
 motives and object of the man. But we shall hear 
 upon his trial what it is that he urges. Your Majesty 
 
 ' This Duke died, unmarried, in 1765, and his nephew, the fourth son of 
 Frederick, Prince of Wales, was created Duke of Cumberland in 1T66. He 
 in his turn died without issue, in 1790, and in 1799 the fifth son of George III. 
 (afterwards King of Hanover), received the same title. 
 
^^^1 DANGER OF ACQUITTAL 577 
 
 wiU, of course, recoUect that the Jury acquitted 
 Oxtord, and then there was nothing to do but to 
 acquiesce m the verdict. If the Jury should take 
 a similar view of this man's crime it wiU be 
 impossible for the Government to do anything to 
 remedy the evil which Lord Melbourne thinks will 
 be caused by such a decision. Lord Melbourne knew 
 Mr Drummond pretty weU. He used formerly to be 
 much in Hertfordshire both at Hatfield and at 
 Gorhambury, and Lord Melbourne has often met 
 him at both places and thought him with all the rest 
 of the world a very quiet, gentlemanly and agree- 
 able man. Lord Melbourne very well remembers 
 the murder of Mr Perceval and Bellingham's trial. 
 Lord Melbourne was then in the House of Commons, 
 but was not present at the time the crime was per- 
 petrated. There were differences of opinion as to the 
 manner in which Sir James Mansfield conducted the 
 trial. Many thought that he ought to have given 
 more time which was asked for on the part of the 
 prisoner in order to search for evidence at Liverpool. 
 But the law which he laid down in his charge is cer- 
 tainly sound, correct and reasonable. Lord Melbourne 
 is very glad to think that your Majesty has not to go 
 to the House of Lords to-day. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Bbocxet Haix, Srd February 1843. 
 
 . . . Lord Melbourne thinks that the Speech was 
 very well and judiciously drawn, the only paragraph 
 which he does not like is that about the American 
 treaty.' It betrays too great an anxiety for peace, and 
 too much fear of war.** 
 
 ^ See ante, pp. 462, *65. The treaty had been negotiated by Lord Ashburton. 
 
 ' " By the treaty which Her Majesty has concluded with the United 
 States of America, and by the adjustment of those differences which, from 
 their long continuance had endangered the preservation of peace. Her 
 Majesty trusts that the amicable relations of the two countries have been 
 confirmed." 
 
 Vol. r.— 3T 
 
67S KING LEOPOLD AND SIR ROBERT PEEL [chap, xn 
 The Queen of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 6th February 1843. 
 
 My beloved Victoria, — I am quite of your 
 opinion about balls. Nothing can change what cannot 
 change, and 1 consider all these things, which have 
 always been a bore to me, as a matter of duty and not 
 otherwise. The duties of station are to be fulfilled like 
 the others, and vay first and most pleasant duty is to do 
 all that your Uncle may command or wish. Your Uncle 
 was much shocked by your answer about Miss Meyer^ 
 whom he considered of uncommon beauty. He is quite 
 in love with her picture, and is very anxious to discover 
 who she is. The other pictures of the book of beauty he 
 abandons to you, and they are certainly worthy of a 
 book of ugliness. . . . Yours most devotedly, Louise. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeeen, lOth February 1843. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — ... I am very much 
 gratified by your having shown my hasty scrawl to 
 Sir Robert Peel, and that the sincere expression of a 
 conscientious opinion should have given him pleasure. 
 
 It was natural at first that you should not have liked 
 to take him as your premier ; many circumstances united 
 against him. But I must say for you and your family, 
 as well as for England, it was a great blessing that so 
 firm and honourable a man as Peel should have become 
 the head of your administration. The State machine 
 breaks often down in consequence of mistakes made forty 
 and fifty years ago ; so it was in France where even 
 Louis XIV. had already laid the first foundation for 
 what happened nearly a hundred years afterwards. 
 
 I believe, besides. Sir Robert sincerely and warmly 
 attached to you, and as you say with great truth quite 
 above mere party feeling. Poor Lady Peel must be 
 much affected by what has happened. . . . Your truly 
 devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 * Eugenie Meyer, stepdaughter of Colonel Gurwood, C.B., married the first 
 Viscount Esher, Master of the Rolls. The Queen had written that she did not 
 admire that style of beauty. 
 
1&43] THE AMERICAN TREATY 579 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Bhocket Hall, X^th February 1943. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to yoiu* 
 Majesty. He received here on Friday last, the 10th, 
 your Majesty's letter of the 8th, which gave him great 
 pleasure, and for which he gratefully thanks your 
 Majesty. Lord Melbourne is getting better, and hopes 
 soon to be nearly as weU as he was before this last 
 attack, but he stiU finds his left hand and arm and his 
 left leg very much affected, and he does not recover 
 his appetite, and worse stUl, he is very sleepless at 
 night, an evil which he is very little used to, and of 
 which he is very impatient. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne adheres to all he said about Lord 
 Ashburton and the Treaty, but he thinks more fire than 
 otherwise would have taken place was drawn upon 
 Lord Ashburton by the confident declaration of 
 Stanley that his appointment was generally approved. 
 The contrary is certainly the case. There is much of 
 popular objection to him from his American connection 
 and his supposed strong American interests. Lady 
 Ashburton, with whom he received a large fortune, is 
 a born American. But he is supposed to possess 
 much funded property in that country, and to have 
 almost as strong an interest in its welfare as in that of 
 Great Britain. With all this behind, it is a bad thing 
 to say that his appointment was liable to no suspicion 
 or objection. It seems to Lord Melbourne that 
 what with EUenborough with the Gates of Ghuznee 
 upon his shoulders,* and Ashburton with the American 
 Treaty round his neck, the Ministry have nearly 
 as heavy a load upon them as they can stand up 
 under, and Lord Melbourne would not be surprised 
 if they were to lighten themselves of one or the 
 other. 
 
 1 The Somnauth Proclamation created a good deal of ridicule. 
 
580 POSITION OF THE PRINCE OF WALES [chap, hi 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brocket Hall, \Zth February 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and has just recollected that in the letter 
 which he wrote yesterday, he omitted to advert to a 
 part of your Majesty's last to which your Majesty may 
 expect some answer. He means the part relating to 
 the character and situation of a Prince of Wales in 
 this country. George IV. was so conscious of having 
 mixed himself most unrestrainedly in politics, and of 
 having taken a very general part in opposition to his 
 father's Government and wishes, that he was naturally 
 anxious to exonerate himself from blame, and to blame 
 it upon the necessity of his position rather than upon 
 his own restless and intermeddling disposition. But 
 Lord Melbourne agrees with your Majesty that his 
 excuse was neither valid nor justifiable, and Lord 
 Melbourne earnestly hopes that your Majesty and the 
 Prince may be successful in training and instructing 
 the young Prince of Wales, and to make him under- 
 stand correctly his real position and its duties, and to 
 enable him to withstand the temptations and seductions 
 with which he will find himself beset, when he approaches 
 the age of twenty-one. It is true that Sir John made 
 the observation, which Lord Melbourne mentioned to 
 your Ma-jesty, and which you now remember correctly. 
 He made it to Sir James Graham, when he went to talk 
 to him about the offence which William IV. had taken 
 at the Duchess of Kent's marine excursion ; and at the 
 receiving of royal salutes. Your Majesty was not 
 very long in the situation of an acknowledged, ad- 
 mitted and certain heir apparent, but stiU long enough 
 to be aware of the use which those arovmd you were 
 inclined to make of that situation and of the petitions 
 and applications which it naturally produced from others, 
 and therefore to have an idea of the difficulties of it. 
 
 Lord Melbourne heartily wishes your Majesty every 
 success in the interesting and important task in which 
 you are engaged of forming the character and disposition 
 of the young Prince. 
 
1843] GOOD WISHES FROM QUEEN ADELAIDE 581 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Canford House, Uth February 1843. 
 
 My dearest Niece, — Your delightful letter of 
 Tuesday gave me such pleasure and satisfaction that I 
 must thank you with all my heart for it. Your happiness, 
 and your gratitude for that happiness, is most gratifying 
 to my feehngs, having loved you from your infancy 
 almost as much as if you had been my own child. It 
 is therefore happiness to me to hear from yourself those 
 expressions to which you gave vent. I thank God that 
 you have such an excellent husband, so weU calculated 
 to make you happy and to assist you in your arduous 
 duties by his advice, as well as his help in sharing your 
 troubles. I pray that your domestic happiness may 
 last uninterruptedly, and that you may enjoy it through 
 a long, long period of many, many years. You cannot 
 say too much of yourself and dear Albert when you 
 write to me, for it is a most interesting subject to my 
 heart, I assure you. 
 
 What a shame to have put on darling little Victoria 
 a powdered wig! Poor dear child must have looked 
 very strange with it I Did her brother appear in dner 
 AUonge-Periicke?" . . . 
 
 I shall hope to foUow you to town early next month, 
 and look forward with great pleasure to seeing you 
 so soon again. Forgive me my horrible scrawl, and 
 with my best love to dearest Albert, believe me ever, 
 my dearest Victoria, your most affectionate and faith- 
 fully devoted Aunt, Adelaide. 
 
 Pray tell your dear mother, with my affectionate 
 love, that I wiU answer her letter to-morrow. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WnraisoH Castle, Uth February 1843. 
 
 My deabest Uncle, — Many thanks for your kind 
 letter of the 10th, which I received on Sunday. I am 
 only a little wee bit distressed at your writing on the 
 10th and not taking any notice of the dearest, happiest 
 
582 PROPOSED EXCHANGE OF VISITS [chap, hu 
 
 day in my life, to which I owe the present great 
 domestic happiness I now enjoy, and which is much 
 greater than I deserve, though certainly my Kensington 
 life for the last six or seven years had been one of great 
 misery and oppression, and I may expect some little 
 retribution, and, indeed, after my accession, there was 
 a great deal of worry. Indeed I am grateful for 
 possessing {really without vanity or flattery or blind- 
 ness) the 7nost perfect being as a husband in existence, 
 or who ever did exist ; and I doubt whether anybody 
 ever did love or respect another as I do my dear 
 Angel 1 And indeed Providence has ever mercifully 
 protected us, through manifold dangers and trials, and 
 I feel confident will continue to do so, and then let 
 outward storms and trials and sorrows be sent us, and 
 we can bear aU. . . . 
 
 I could not help smiling at the exactitude about 
 Monday the 19th of June ; it is a great happiness to 
 us to think with such certainty {D.V'.) of your kind 
 visit, which would suit perfectly. A propos of this, 
 I am anxious to tell you that we are full of hope of 
 pajdng you in August a httle visit, which last year 
 was in so melancholy a way interrupted ; but we think 
 that for many reasons it would be better for us to 
 pay you our first visit only at Ostend, and not at 
 Brussels or Laeken ; you could lodge us anywhere, and 
 we need then bring but very few people with us — it 
 might also facilitate the meeting with Albert's good old 
 grandmother, who fears to cross the sea, and whose great 
 wish is to behold Albert again — and would not be so 
 difficult {pour la lire fois) in many ways. I could, 
 nevertheless, see Bruges and Ghent from thence by help 
 of the railroad, and return the same day to Ostend. 
 
 What you say about Peel is very just. Good Lord 
 Melbourne is much better. 
 
 I hope soon to hear more about Joinville and Donna 
 Franciska. Now, ever your devoted Niece, 
 
 Victoria R. 
 
 We are all very well {unberufen) and move, to our 
 horror, to town on Friday. 
 
J843] MR COBDEN'S SPEECH 583 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, Saturday Morning, lith February (1843). 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs leave to acquaint your Majesty that 
 the debate was brought to a close this morning about 
 half-past three o'clock. The motion of Lord Howick ^ 
 was rejected by a large majority, the number being, 
 
 For the Motion 191 
 
 Against it 305 
 
 Majority 114 
 
 The chief speakers were Mr R. Cobden and Lord 
 John RusseU in favour of the motion, Mr Attwood, 
 Lord Francis Egerton and Sir Robert Peel against it. 
 
 In the course of the evening there was much 
 excitement and animated discussion, in consequence 
 of the speech of Mr Cobden, who is the chief patron 
 of the Anti-Corn Law League. 
 
 Mr Cobden with great vehemence of manner 
 observed more than once that Sir Robert Peel ought 
 to be held individually responsible for the distress of 
 the country.^ 
 
 Coupling these expressions with the language fre- 
 quently held at the meetings of the Anti-Corn Law 
 League, and by the press in connection with it. Sir 
 Robert Peel in replying to Mr. Cobden charged him 
 with holding language calculated to excite to personal 
 violence. 
 
 1 To go into Committee on the depression of the manufacturing industry. 
 The debate turned mainly on the Com Laws. 
 
 ^ To this attack Peel replied with excessive warmth, amid the frantic 
 cheering of his party, who almost refused to hear Cobden's explanation in 
 reply. Peel, alarmed at the fate of Drummond, thought (or affected to think) 
 that Cobden was singling him out as a fit object for assassination. For 
 years Cobden resented this language of Peel most deeply. " Peel's atrocious 
 conduct towards me ought not to be lost sight of," he wrote in February 
 1846. A ra/pprochement was effected by Miss Martineau — see her letter to 
 Peel (Parker, vol. iii. p. 330) — and reference to the matters by Disraeli in the 
 House of Commons led to satisfactory explanations on both sides. 
 
584 THE NEW CHAPEL [chap, xn 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Earl of Lincoln} 
 
 BucKnroHAM Palace, 18<A Pehmary 1843. 
 
 The Queen, immediately on her arrival yesterday, 
 went to look at the new Chapel, with which she is 
 much pleased, but was extremely disappointed to find it 
 still in such a backward state. As it is of the utmost 
 importance to the Queen to be able to use it very soon, 
 she wishes Lord Lincoln would be so good as to hurry 
 on the work as much as possible ; perhaps Lord Lincoln 
 could increase the number of workmen, as there seemed 
 to her to be very few there yesterday. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Broceet Hall, '2\at Fehraary 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He received safely your Majesty's letter of 
 the 18th inst. Lord Melbourne entreats your Majesty 
 that you never will think for a moment that you can 
 tire him by questions, or that it can be to him anything 
 but a great pleasure to answer them. He will be only 
 too happy if any information that he possesses or can 
 procure can be of the least use or pleasure to your 
 Majesty. Lord Melbourne conceives that your Majesty 
 must be surprised at his complaining of sleeplessness. 
 He is much obliged by the suggestion of the camphor. 
 He mentioned it to the gentleman who attends him, 
 and he said that it was a very good thing, and certainly 
 has a soothing and quieting effect, and that in fact there 
 was some in the draught which Lord Melbourne now 
 takes at night. But Lord Melbourne has taken to 
 going down to dinner with those who are in the house, 
 and sitting up afterwards until near twelve o'clock, and 
 since he has done this he has slept better. We expect 
 the Duke and Duchess of Bedford for two nights on 
 Wednesday next. Lord and Lady Uxbridge and 
 Ella and Constance often come over in the morning 
 and eat their luncheon here, which Lord Melbourne 
 
 1 Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests. 
 
1843] FANNY BURNEyS DIARY 585 
 
 takes very kindly of them. George Byng^ came the 
 other morning in a waistcoat of Peel's velveteen. Lord 
 Strafford bought the whole piece off the manufacturer, 
 and let George Byng have enough for a waistcoat. It 
 is a dull blue stuff, and the device and inscription not 
 very clear nor easy to make out.^ 
 
 Adolphus is as Aberdeen says too rigidly Tory, but 
 there are plenty of nan-atives of the same period such 
 as Belsham ' and others, of whom it may be said with 
 equal truth that they are too Whig. . . . 
 
 Lord Melbourne read the Edinburgh on Madame 
 d'Arblay, which is certainly Macaulay's, but thought 
 it unnecessarily severe upon Queen Charlotte, and that 
 it did not do her justice, and also that it rather 
 countenanced too much Miss Burney's dislike to 
 her situation. It appears to Lord Melbourne that 
 Miss Burney was well enough contented to Uve in the 
 Palace and receive her salary, but that she was 
 surprised and disgusted as soon as she found that she 
 was expected to give up some part of her time, to 
 conform to some rules, and to perform some duty. 
 Lord Melbourne is sorry to say that he missed the 
 article on Children's Books, a subject of much 
 importance, and in which he is much interested. 
 
 Lord Melbourne has received the engraving of the 
 Princess and is much pleased by it, and returns many 
 thanks. It is very pretty, very spirited, and as far 
 as Lord Melbourne's recollection serves him, very like. 
 Lord Melbourne remains ever your Majesty's faithful, 
 devoted and attached servant. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, Sunday Morning {Uh March 1843). 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs leave to acquaint your Majesty 
 that the prisoner MacNaghten was acquitted last 
 
 1 Brother-in-law of Lord Uxbridge, and afterwards Earl of Strafford. 
 
 a The aUusion is to a hoax played on the Premier by a presentation made to 
 him of a piece of the then novel fabric, velveteen, stamped with a free-trade 
 desim. Peel afterwards wrote that he was unaware that the specimen bore 
 " anl aUusion to any matters which are the subject of public controversy. 
 
 » WiUiara Belsham (1T52-182T) wrote in twelve volumes, A Hutory of 
 Cheat Britain to the Conclusion of the Peace of Armens %n 1802. 
 
586 MACNAGHTEN ACQUITTED [chap, hi 
 
 night, after a trial which lasted two days, upon the 
 ground of insanity. 
 
 The fuller account of the evidence which Sir Robert 
 Peel has seen is on the accompanying newspaper. 
 
 The only other information which has reached Sir 
 Robert Peel is contained in a note (enclosed) from Mr. 
 Maule, the solicitor to the Treasury, who conducted 
 the prosecution. The three judges^ appear to have 
 concurred in opinion, that the evidence of insanity 
 was so strong as to require a verdict of acquittal — 
 and the Chief Justice advised the Jury to find 
 that verdict without summing up the evidence or 
 delivering any detailed charge upon the facts of the 
 ease and the law bearing upon them. 
 
 It is a lamentable reflection that a man may be at 
 the same time so insane as to be reckless of his own 
 life and the life of others, and to be pronounced free 
 from moral responsibility, and yet capable of preparing 
 for the commission of murder with the utmost caution 
 and dehberation, and of taking every step which shall 
 enable him to commit it with certainty. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, IQth March 1843. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel vsdth his humble duty to your 
 Majesty begs leave to acquaint your Majesty that 
 the House of Commons was occupied last night with 
 the attack upon Lord EUenborough for the Somnauth 
 Proclamation.* 
 
 The motion was made by Mr Vernon Smith.^ 
 The resolution proposed condemned the Proclama- 
 tion as unwise, indecorous and reprehensible. Mr 
 Vernon Smith was followed by Mr Emerson Tennent,* 
 one of the Secretaries to the Board of Controul. 
 
 1 Chief Justice Tindal, and Justices Williams and Coleridge. 
 
 " See ante, p. 557. 
 
 8 Robert Vernon Smith (1808-1873), afterwards President of the Board of 
 Control, created Lord Lyveden in 1859. 
 
 * James Emerson (1804-1869) afterwards Sir James Emerson Tennent, 
 M.P. for Belfast, author of Letters from the JEgean, etc. 
 
1843] THE QUESTION OF CRIMINAL INSANITY 587 
 
 Mr Macaulay next spoke, and condemned the 
 conduct of Lord Ellenborough in a speech of great 
 bitterness and great abiUty. 
 
 The motion was negatived by a majority of 242 
 to 157. 
 
 The minority included Lord Ashley, Sir Robert 
 Inglis, and six other gentlemen, who generally support 
 your Majesty's servants. 
 
 The debate was a very animated one, with a 
 strong infusion of Party zeal. 
 
 Queen Victoria to /Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 BucKiiroHAU Faij^ce, 12th March 1843. 
 
 The Queen returns the paper of the Lord 
 Chancellor's to Sir Robert Peel with her best thanks. 
 
 The law may be perfect, but how is that when- 
 ever a ease for its application arises, it proves to be 
 of no avail ? We have seen the trials of Oxford and 
 MacNaghten conducted by the ablest lawyers of the 
 day — Lord Denman, Chief Justice Tindal, and Sir 
 Wm. Follett,^ — and they allow and advise the Jury to 
 pronounce the verdict of iVb^ Ghiilty on account of 
 Insanity, — whilst everybody is morally convinced that 
 both malefactors were perfectly conscious and aware 
 of what they did ! It appears from this, that the force 
 of the law is entirely put into the judge's hands, and 
 that it depends merely upon his charge whether the 
 law is to be applied or not. Could not the Legislature 
 lay down that rule which the Lord Chancellor does in 
 his paper, and which Chief Justice Mansfield did in 
 the case of Bellingham ; and why could not the judges 
 be bound to interpret the law in this and no other sense 
 in their charges to the Juries ? * 
 
 » Solicitor-General : his health gave way in middle life, and he died in 
 
 »'ln consequence of the manner in which the trial terminated, and the 
 feeling excited in the country, the House of Lords put certain questions on 
 the subject of criminal insanity to the judges, whose answers have been since 
 considered as estabUshjng the law. 
 
588 THE PRINCESS MARY OF BADEN [chap, xn 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Foreign Office, 13<A March 1843. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. In obedience to your Majesty's commands 
 he has endeavoured to consider the letter of the 
 Grand Duke of Baden with reference to the position 
 of the Princess Mary ^ in this country. Lord Aberdeen 
 does not find in the proceedings of the Conference of 
 Great Powers at Vienna, at Aix la Chapelle, or at Paris, 
 anything which can materially affect the question. The 
 great difficulty with respect to the Princess appears to 
 arise from the fact that in this country the rank and 
 precedence of every person are regulated and fixed by 
 law. Should your Majesty be disposed to deviate from 
 the strict observance of this, although Lord Aberdeen 
 cannot doubt that it would receive a very general 
 acquiescence, it is still possible that the Princess 
 might be exposed to occasional disappointment and 
 mortification. . . . 
 
 There is a consideration, to which Lord Aberdeen 
 would humbly advert, which may not altogether be 
 unworthy of your Majesty's notice. Your Majesty does 
 not wish to encourage alliances of this description ; 
 and although there may be no danger of their frequent 
 occurrence, it cannot be denied that an additional 
 inducement would exist if Princesses always retained 
 their own rank in this country. 
 
 On the whole. Lord Aberdeen would humbly 
 submit to your Majesty that the Princess might be 
 received by your Majesty, in the first instance with 
 such distinction as was due to her birth — either by 
 a Royal carriage being sent to bring her to your 
 Majesty's presence, or in any manner which your 
 INIajesty might command — with the understanding 
 that she should permanently adopt the title and 
 station of her husband. Your Majesty's favour and 
 
 * The Princess Mary of Baden had recently married the Marquis of 
 Douglas, eldest son of the Duke of Hamilton. See p. 549. 
 
1843] THE PRINCE AND THE LEVEES 689 
 
 protection, afforded to her in this character, will 
 probably realise all the expectations of the Grand 
 Duke ; and, without acknowledging any positive claim 
 or right, your Majesty would secure the gratitude of 
 the Princess. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, nth March 1843. 
 
 The Queen has spoken again to the Prince about 
 the Levies, who has kindly consented to do what 
 can be of use and convenience to the Queen. There 
 is one circumstance which must be considered and 
 settled, and which the Queen omitted to mention to 
 Sir Robert Peel when she saw him. The chief, 
 indeed the only, object of having these Levies is to 
 save the Queen the extreme fatigue of the Presentations 
 which would come in such a mass together when the 
 Queen held them herself; the Prince naturally holds the 
 Levees for the Queen, and represents her ; could not 
 therefore everybody who were presented to him be 
 made to understand that this would be tantamount to 
 a presentation to the Queen herself? There might 
 perhaps be an objection on the part of people presented 
 to kneel and kiss the Prince's hand. But this could 
 be obviated by merely having the people named to 
 the Prince. The inconvenience would be so great if 
 nobody at all could be presented till late in the 
 season, that something must be devised to get over 
 this difficulty. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 DowwnfG Street, \Hh March 1843. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and begs leave to submit to your 
 Majesty that should your Majesty determine that 
 the Prince should hold Levies on behalf of your 
 Majesty, the best course will be to announce the 
 
590 SIR ROBERT PEEL'S SUGGESTIONS [chap, xii 
 
 intention from the Lord Chamberlain's Office in 
 terms to the following purport : 
 
 "His Royal Highness Prince Albert will, by 
 Her Majesty's command, hold a Lev^e on behalf 
 of Her Majesty on 
 
 " It is Her Majesty's pleasure that presentations 
 to the Prince at this Lev^e shall be considered 
 equivalent to presentations to the Queen. 
 
 "Addresses to Her Majesty may be presented to 
 Her Majesty through the Secretary of State, or 
 may be reserved until Her Majesty can hold a 
 Levee in person." 
 
 Sir Robert Peel humbly submits to your Majesty 
 that it would not be advisable to prohibit by notice 
 in the Gazette subsequent presentations to your 
 Majesty. It will probably answer every purpose 
 to state that they shall be considered equivalent, 
 and when your Majesty shall hold a Levde it may 
 be then notified at the time that second presenta- 
 tions are not necessary. 
 
 When the Prince shall hold the Levde, it may 
 be made known at the time, without any formal 
 public notification, that kneeling and the kissing 
 of hands will not be required. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel hopes that the effect of holding 
 these Levies may be materially to relieve your 
 Majesty, but it is of course difficult to speak with 
 certainty. He was under the impression that in the 
 reign of Queen Anne, Prince George had occasionally 
 held Levees on the part of the Queen during the 
 Queen's indisposition, but on searching the Gazette 
 of the time he cannot find any record of this. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Clakemont, 19th March 1843. 
 
 The Queen has received Sir Robert's letter, and 
 quite approves of his suggestions concerning the 
 Levies. The Prince is quite ready to do whatever 
 
1843] POLICE ARRANGEMENTS 691 
 
 may be thought right, and the Queen wishes Sir 
 Robert to act upon the plan he has laid before her 
 in his letter of yesterday. Perhaps it would be right 
 before making anything public to consider the question 
 of Drawing-Rooms likewise, which are of such import- 
 ance to the tradespeople of London. It would be 
 painful for the Queen to think that she should be 
 the cause of disappointment and loss to this class of 
 her subjects, particularly at this moment of commercial 
 stagnation. The Queen conceives that it would be the 
 right thing that the same principle laid down for the 
 Levies should be followed with regard to Drawing- 
 Rooms, the Prince holding them for her. The Queen 
 is anxious to have soon Sir Robert's opinion upon this 
 subject. The Queen in looking at the almanac finds 
 that only the two next weeks are available for these 
 purposes before Easter. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 27<A March 1843. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and hastens to reply to your Majesty's note 
 of this date. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel assures your Majesty that he 
 does not think that there is the slightest ground for 
 apprehension on the occasion of the Lev^e, but Sir 
 Robert Peel will, without the slightest allusion to 
 your Majesty's communication to him, make personal 
 enquiries into the pohce arrangements and see that 
 every precaution possible shall be taken. 
 
 He begs, however, humbly to assure your Majesty 
 that there never has reached him any indication of a 
 hostile feeling towards the Prince. It could only 
 proceed from some person of deranged intellect, 
 and he thinks it would be almost impossible for 
 such a person to act upon it on the occasion of a 
 
 Levee. ,. . . , t»* • i. . 
 
 It may tend to remove or dimmish your Majesty s 
 
592 LOOKING FOR THE COMET [chap, si 
 
 anxiety to know that Sir Robert Peel has walked 
 home every night from the House of Commons, and, 
 notwithstanding frequent menaces and intimations of 
 danger, he has not met with any obstruction. 
 
 He earnestly hopes that your Majesty will dismiss 
 from your mind any apprehension, and sincerely believes 
 that your Majesty may do so with entire confidence. 
 But nothing shall be neglected. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 28<A March 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I had the pleasure of 
 receiving your kind letter of the 24th, on Sunday. 
 How lucky you are to have seen the comet ! ^ It is 
 distinctly to be seen here, and has been seen by many 
 people, but we have till now looked out in vain for 
 it. We shall, however, persevere. 
 
 We left dear Claremont with great regret, and since 
 our return have been regaled with regular March winds, 
 which, however, have not kept me from my daily walks. 
 To-day it is finer again. 
 
 It is most kind and good of dearest Albert to hold 
 these Levees for me, which will be a great relief for 
 hereafter for me. Besides cela le met dans sa position ; 
 he and / must be one, so that I can only be represented 
 by him. I think this, therefore, a good thing for that 
 reason also ; and God knows, he, dear angel, deserves 
 to be the highest in everything. 
 
 Our Consecration went off extremely well, and the 
 Chapel is delightful, and so convenient. I am sure you 
 wiU like it. 
 
 You wiU be glad to hear that dear old Eos (who 
 is still at Claremont) is going on most favourably ; 
 they attribute this sudden attack to her overeating 
 
 ^ Its appearance gave rise to much discussion among astronomers. On 
 the 17th Sir John Herschel saw its nucleus from CoUingwood in Kent, and 
 on the following night a dim nebula only ; so it was probably receding with 
 great velocity. 
 
1843] FLOWERS FROM MELBOURNE 593 
 
 (she steals wherever she can get anything), living in 
 too warm rooms, and getting too little exercise since 
 she was in London. Certainly her wind was not in 
 the slightest degree affected by her accident, for, in the 
 autumn she coursed better than aU the other young 
 dogs, and ran and fetched pheasants, etc., from any 
 distance, and ran about the very evening she was 
 taken so ill, as if nothing was the matter. Evidently 
 part of her lungs must be very sound stiU ; and they 
 say no ones lungs are quite sound. She must be well 
 starved poor thing, and not allowed to sleep in beds, 
 as she generally does. ^..^ 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Brocket Haix, '2nd April, 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He received yesterday morning your 
 Majesty's letter of the 30th ult., for which he 
 sincerely thanks your Majesty. Lord Melbourne is 
 delighted to find that your Majesty was pleased 
 with the bouquet. The daphnes are neither so 
 numerous nor so fine as they were, but there are 
 still enough left to make another bouquet, which 
 Lord Melbourne will take care is sent up by his cart 
 to-morrow, and left at Buckingham Palace. Lord 
 Melbourne is very much touched and obliged by 
 your Majesty's very kind advice, which he will 
 try his utmost to follow, as he himself believes that 
 his health entirely depends upon his keeping up his 
 stomach in good order and free from derangement. 
 He owns that he is very incredulous about the 
 unwholesomeness of dry champagne, and he does 
 not think that the united opinion of the whole 
 College of Physicians and of Surgeons would per- 
 suade him upon these points, — he cannot think that 
 a "Hohenlohe" glass of dry champagne, i.e., half a 
 Schoppen,^ can be prejudicial. Lord and Lady ErroU* 
 and Lord Auckland and Miss Eden are coming 
 
 1 A SehoDDen is about a pint, it is the same word etTinologicaUy as "scoop." 
 = WaUam^Geoie, seventeenth Earl of ErroU, married a sister of the first 
 Earl of Miinster. 
 
 Vol.. I. —38 
 
594 THE ROYAL CHILDREN [chap, xn 
 
 in the course of the week, and they would be much 
 surprised not to get a glass of champagne with their 
 dinner. Lord Melbourne is very glad to learn that 
 the Prince's Lev^e did well, and feels that His Royal 
 Highness undertaking this duty must be a great relief 
 and assistance to your Majesty. Lord Melbourne hopes 
 to see the Baron here when he comes. The spring stUl 
 delays and hangs back, but it rains to-day, which Lord 
 Melbourne hopes wiU bring it on. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Bucking-ham Palace, 4iA April 1843. 
 
 Dearest Uncle, — Many thanks for your very 
 kind letter of the 31st, which I received on Sunday, 
 just as our excellent friend Stockmar made his 
 appearance. He made us very happy by his ex- 
 cellent accounts of you all, including dearest Louise, 
 and the children he says are so grown ; Leo being 
 nearly as tall as Louise I En revanche he will, 1 hope, 
 tell you how prosperous he found us all ; and how 
 surprised and pleased he was with the children ; he 
 also is struck with Albert juniors likeness to his 
 dearest papa, which everybody is struck with. Indeed, 
 dearest Uncle, I will venture to say that not only 
 no Royal Menage is to be found equal to ours, but 
 no other menage is to be compared to ours, or is any 
 one to be compared, take him altogether, to my 
 dearest Angel ! . . . 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, Gth April 1843. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and has this moment received your 
 Majesty's note. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel will immediately make enquiry 
 in the first instance in respect to the correctness of 
 the report of the dinner. The omission of the health 
 
1S43] THE TOAST OF THE PRINCE 595 
 
 of the Prince is certainly very strange — it would be 
 very unusual at any public dinner — but seems quite 
 unaccountable at a dinner given in connection with 
 the interests of one of the Royal Theatres. 
 
 The toasts are generally prepared not by the 
 chairman of the meeting, but by a committee, but 
 stiU the omission of the name of the Prince ought 
 to have occurred at once to the Puke of Cambridge, 
 and there cannot be a doubt that he might have 
 rectified, and ought to have rectified, the omission. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel is sure your Majesty will approve 
 of his ascertaining in the first instance the real facts 
 of the case — whether the report be a correct one, 
 and if a correct one, who are the parties by whom 
 the arrangements in respect to the toasts were made. 
 
 This being done. Sir Robert Peel will then apply 
 himself to the execution of your Majesty's wishes, 
 in the manner pointed out by your. Majesty. 
 
 He begs humbly to assure your Majesty that he 
 enters most fully into your Majesty's very natural feel- 
 ings, and that he shall always have the greatest pleasure 
 in giving effect to your Majesty's wishes in matters of 
 this nature, and in proving himself worthy of the con- 
 fidence your Majesty is kindly pleased to repose in him. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Qiieen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, Sth April \%^. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel with his humble duty to your 
 Majesty hastens to make a communication to your 
 Majesty, on the subject of your Majesty's letter of 
 this morning, which, he hopes, will remove fi-om 
 your Majesty's mind, any unfavourable impression 
 with regard to the toasts at the theatrical dinner, 
 or to the conduct of the Duke of Cambridge in 
 reference to them. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel, since he addressed your Majesty, 
 has made enquiry fi-om Colonel Wood, the member 
 for Brecon, who was present at the meeting. 
 
 In order to have the real statement of the case. 
 Sir Robert Peel did not mention the object of the 
 
596 NO DISRESPECT INTENDED [chap, xh 
 
 enquiry. The following were the questions and the 
 answers : — 
 
 Q. What were the toasts at the theatrical 
 dinner last night ? 
 
 Colonel Wood. The first was The Queen and the 
 Prince. The Duke said he thought he could not give 
 the health of the Queen in a manner more satisfactory 
 than by coupling with the name of Her Majesty that of 
 her illustrious Consort. 
 
 Colonel Wood said that his impression was that 
 the Duke meant to do that which would be most 
 respectful to the Prince, and that he had in his mind 
 when he united the name of the Prince with that 
 of your Majesty, the circumstances of the Prince 
 having recently held the Levee on behalf of your 
 Majesty. 
 
 It might perhaps have been better had His Royal 
 Highness adhered to the usual custom, and proposed 
 the health of the Prince distinctly and separately, 
 but he humbly submits to your Majesty that the 
 intention of His Royal Highness must have been to 
 show respect to the Prince. 
 
 The reports of public dinners are frequently 
 incorrect, the reporters being sometimes placed at 
 a great distance from the chairman. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, \2tli April 1843. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 IVIajesty, and will not fail to forward by the first 
 opportunity the letter to Lord EUenborough which 
 accompanied your Majesty's note. 
 
 In consequence of his conversation yesterday 
 morning with Baron Stockmar, Sir Robert Peel begs 
 to mention to your Majesty that he saw to-day a 
 private letter from Berlin, which mentioned that the 
 King of Hanover had apparently abandoned the 
 intention of visiting England this year, but that on 
 the receipt of some letters from England, which he 
 
1843] KING OF HANOVER'S PROPOSED VISIT 597 
 
 suspected to be written for the purpose of discourag- 
 ing his visit, the King suddenly changed his intention 
 and wrote a letter to your Majesty stating that he had 
 thoughts of such a visit. 
 
 It was not stated from whence the letters advising 
 the King to remain on the Continent had proceeded. 
 
 This letter also stated that the King of Hanover 
 proposed to waive his rank of Sovereign as far as he 
 possibly could on his arrival in England, and to take 
 his seat in the House of Lords without taking any 
 part in the proceedings. 
 
 It added that the King could not in any event 
 be in England before the latter end of May or begin- 
 ning of June, and rather hinted that as his proposed 
 visit was more out of a spirit of contradiction and 
 impatience of obstacles being thrown in the way of it, 
 than from any strong wish on his part to come here, 
 he might probably change his intention and defer his 
 visit, particularly if he should find that there was no 
 particular impediment in the way of it. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, I3th April 1843. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and begs leave to acquaint your Majesty 
 that the Duke of Cambridge having called on Sir 
 Robert Peel this morning, he took an opportunity 
 of asking His Royal Highness whether he thought 
 the King of Hanover had made up his mind to visit 
 England this year. 
 
 The Duke's reply was, as nearly as possible, as 
 follows : — 
 
 " Oh yes, the King will certainly come, but I can 
 tell you privately he means to have nothing to do 
 with the House of Lords. He will not make his 
 appearance there. The King has taken his servants 
 for six weeks — that is, engaged their attendance upon 
 him for that time. I know the porter is engaged 
 and the stable servants. The King has written to 
 
598 GATES OF SOMNAUTH RESTORED [chap, xii 
 
 Her Majesty. His real object in coming is to arrange 
 his private papers, which were left in confusion, and to 
 consult Sir Henry Halford." ^ 
 
 This was all that was material that His Royal 
 Highness said. 
 
 Lord Ellenborough to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Camp, Delhi, \9th February 1843. 
 
 . . . The gates of the Temple of Somnauth, which 
 have been escorted to Delhi by five hundred cavalry 
 of the protected Sikh States, will be escorted from 
 Delhi to Muttra and thence to Agra by the same 
 force of cavalry, furnished by the Rajahs of Bhurtpore 
 and Alwar.^ 
 
 While there has been universally evinced a feeling 
 of gratitude to the British Government for the con- 
 sideration shown to the people of Hindustan in the 
 restoration of these trophies, there has not occurred 
 a single instance of apparent mortification amongst 
 the Mussulmans. AU consider the restoration of the 
 gates to be a national, not a religious, triumph. At 
 no place has more satisfaction been expressed than at 
 Paniput, a town almost exclusively Mussulman, where 
 there exist the remains of the first mosque built by 
 Sultan Mahmood after he had destroyed the city and 
 temples of the Hindoos. . . . 
 
 Extract from the Will of his late Royal Highness the 
 Duke of Sussex, dated the Wth August 1840* {sent 
 at the Queen's request by Sir Robert Peel to the 
 Duke of WeUingt07i for his advice). 
 
 " I desire that on my death my body may be 
 opened, and should the examination present anything 
 
 I The eminent physician. 
 
 * See ante, p. 557. 
 
 » The Duke of Sussex died on 21st April of erysipelas. His first marriage 
 in 1793 to Lady Augusta Murray, daughter of the fourth Earl of Dunmore, 
 was declared void under the Royal Marriage Act. Lady Augusta died in 
 1930 ; her daughter married Sir Thomas Wilde, afterwards Lord Truro. The 
 Duke contracted a second marriage with Lady Cecilia, daughter of the Earl 
 of Arran and widow of Sir George Buggin : she was created Duchess of 
 Inremess in 1840. 
 
1843] DEATH OF THE DUKE OF SUSSEX 699 
 
 useful or interesting to science, 1 empower my 
 executors to make it public. And I desire to be 
 buried in the public cemetery at Kensal Green, in the 
 Parish of Harrow, in the County of Middlesex, and 
 not at Windsor." 
 
 The Duke of Wellington to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Strathfteldsaye, 21»< April 1843. 
 
 My dear Peel, — I have just now received your 
 letter of this day, and 1 return the enclosure in the 
 box. It appears to me that the whole case must be 
 considered as hanging together ; that is, the desire 
 to be buried at Kensal Green, that of Freemasons 
 to pay Masonic Honours,^ that the body of the 
 Duchess of Inverness should be interred near to his 
 when she dies. 
 
 Parties still alive have an interest in the attainment 
 of the two last objects, which are quite incompatible 
 with the interment of a Prince of the Blood, a Knight 
 of the Garter, in St George's Chapel at Windsor. 
 
 The Queen's Royal Command might overrule the 
 Duke's desire to be buried at Kensal Green.^ Nobody 
 would complain of or contend against it. 
 
 But there wiU be no end of the complaints of 
 interference by authority on the part of Freemasons; 
 and of those who wiU take part with the Duchess of 
 Inverness : and it is a curious fact that there are 
 persons in Society who are interested in making out 
 that she was really married to the Duke. Against 
 this we must observe that it will be urged that the 
 omission to insist that the interment should take 
 place in the Collegiate Chapel of St George's, Windsor, 
 and thus to set aside the will, lowers the Royal Family 
 in the opinion of the public; and is a concession to 
 Radicalism. But it is my opinion that the reasons 
 will justify that which will be done in conformity 
 with the will. 
 
 fi The Duke of Sussex being Grand Master of England, and Master of the 
 
 Lodge of Antiquity. , ^ n l ■ j ■.■. 
 
 2 The body lay in state at Kensington, and was eventually buned, as the 
 Duke had desired, in the Kensal Green Cemetery. 
 
600 DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S OPINION [chap, hi 
 
 I confess that I don't like to decide upon cases in 
 such haste ; and I cannot consider it necessary that 
 a decision should be made on the course to be taken 
 in respect to the Duke's funeral, on the morrow of 
 the day on which he died. 
 
 It would be desirable to know the opinion of the 
 Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop, and others. 
 
 I can't think of anjrthing likely to occur, which 
 might alter me : and I '11 abide by that which I have 
 above given. 
 
 It wiU be absolutely necessary to take effective 
 measures for the preservation of the peace at this 
 funeral at Kensal Green : and even that the magistrates 
 should superintend the procession of the Freemasons. 
 Believe me, ever yours most sincerely, 
 
 Wellington. 
 
 Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria. 
 
 22nd April 1843. 
 
 My dearest Niece, — I am just come back and 
 feel very anxious to know how you are, and beg at 
 the same time to offer to you my most affectionate 
 condolence, on the melancholy event which has taken 
 again another member of our family from us. Pray 
 do not trouble yourself with, answering this note, but let 
 me hear how you feel, and whether you will like to see 
 me to-morrow or at any time most corivenient to you. 
 
 I feel deeply our new loss which recalls all the 
 previous sad losses which we have had so forcibly, 
 and I pray that it may not affect you too much, 
 dearest Victoria, and that you will not suffer from 
 the shock it must have been to you. I was not in the 
 least aware of the danger and near approach of the 
 fatal end, and only yesterday began to feel alarmed by 
 the accounts which I have received. 
 
 I have been with the poor Duchess of Inverness on 
 my way to town, and found her as composed as possible 
 under the sad circumstances, and full of gratitude to 
 you and all the family for all the kindness which she 
 
1843] BIRTH OF THE PRINCESS ALICE 601 
 
 had received. I pity her very much. It must be her 
 comfort to have made the last years of the Duke's 
 life happy, and to have been his comfort to the last 
 moment. 
 
 I wish you good-night, dearest Niece, and beg you 
 to give my best love to dear Albert, and to believe 
 me most devotedly your most affectionate Aunt, 
 
 Adelaide. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the JSelgians. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 16th May 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, ^- Your kind and dear letter 
 of the 12th has given me great pleasure. I am 
 happy to give you stiU better accounts of myself.^ I 
 have been out every day since Saturday, and have 
 resumed aU my usual habits almost (of course resting 
 often on the sofa, and not having appeared in Society 
 yet), and feel so strong and well ; much better 
 (independent of the nerves) than I have been either 
 time. We are most thankful for it. The King of 
 Hanover has never said when he will come, even 
 now, but always threatens that he will. . . . 
 
 Our little baby, who I really am proud of, for she 
 is so very forward for her age, is to be called Alice, 
 an old English name, and the other names are to be 
 Maud (another old English name and the same as 
 Matilda) and Mary as she was born on Aunt 
 Gloucester's birthday. The Sponsors are to be : The 
 King of Hanover — Ernestus the Pious ; poor Princess 
 Sophia Matilda,'* and Feodore, and the christening to 
 be on the 2nd of June. It will be delightful to see 
 you and dearest Louise on the 19th of June, God 
 
 willing. 
 
 Are there any news of JomvDle's proceedmgs at 
 Riol^ Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 1 Princess Alice was bom on 2Sth April 
 
 a Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester. , *i, n i a 
 
 3 He married Princess Francesca, sister of the Emperor of the BrazUs and 
 of Queen Donna Maria. 
 
602 CHRISTENING OF THE PRINCESS ALICE [chap, xii 
 The Earl of Ripon to Queen Victoria. 
 
 India Board, &th June 1843. 
 
 Lord Ripon, with his humble duty to your Majesty, 
 begs to inform your Majesty that despatches have 
 been this day received at the India House from the 
 Governor-General of India and from the Governor 
 of Bombay, announcing the successful issue of a 
 battle, on the 24th of March, between Sir Charles 
 Napier and Meer Shere Mahomed.^ The forces of 
 the latter were completely routed, with the loss of 
 all the guns and several standards. Ripon. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Claremont, 6th June 1843. 
 
 Dearest Uncle, — 1 received your kind letter on 
 Sunday, and thank you much for it. I am sorry that 
 you could not take the children to Ardenne, as 
 nothing is so good for children as very frequent 
 change of air, and think you do not let the children 
 do so often enough. Ours do so continually, and are 
 so movable that it gives us no trouble whatever. 
 
 Our christening went off very brilliantly, and I 
 wish you could have witnessed it ; nothing could be 
 more anstdndig, and little Alice behaved extremely 
 well. The dejeuner was served in the Gallery, as at 
 dear Pussy's christening, and there being a profusion 
 of flowers on the table, etc., had a beautiful effect. 
 
 The King of Hanover arrived just in time to be 
 too late. He is grown very old and excessively thin, 
 and bends a good deal. He is very gracious, for him. 
 Pussy and Bertie (as we call the boy) were not at 
 all afraid of him, jortunately; they appeared after 
 the dejeuner on Friday, and I wish you could have 
 seen them ; they behaved so beautifully before that 
 great number of people, and I must say looked very 
 
 1 Sir Charles Napier, who was in command in Scinde, defeated the army 
 of the Ameers of Upper and Lower Scinde at Meeanee on 17th February, and 
 on the 20th took Hyderabad. On the 24th March he attacked the enemy, 
 who were posted in a strong position on the banks of a tributary of the Indus, 
 and obtained a decisive victory. 
 
1843] KING OF HANOVER AN ENGLISH PEER 603 
 
 dear, all in white, and very distingues; they were 
 much admired. 
 
 We came here on Satm-day. The news from 
 Ireland continue to be very alarming. Hoping to 
 hear soon, for certain, when you come, believe me 
 ever, your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 I hope you will kindly answer my letter of last 
 Tuesday. 
 
 Sir Thomas Fremantle^ to Sir Robert Peel} 
 
 House of Commons, 9th June (1843). 
 
 My dear Sir Robert, — The King of Hanover took 
 his seat at twenty minutes past four. He is now on 
 the Woolsack with the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of 
 Wellington, and Lord Strangford ; no other Peers are 
 in the House, the time of meeting being five o'clock. 
 
 It was not necessary that any other Peers should 
 introduce His Majesty. He merely produced his writ 
 of summons and went to the table to be sworn. I 
 remain, yours sincerely, Thomas Fremantle. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Whitehau,, Sunday, lUh June 1843. 
 
 Sir, — In consequence of the conversation which 
 I had with your Royal Highness on Thursday last on 
 the subject of Ireland, I beg to mention to your 
 Royal Highness that the Cabinet met again to-day 
 at Lord Aberdeen's house. 
 
 We had a very long discussion. 
 
 The prevailing opinion was that if legislation were 
 proposed,' that legislation should be as effectual as 
 possible ; that there would be no advantage in seeking 
 for new powers unless these powers were commensurate 
 with the full extent of the mischief to be apprehended. 
 
 1 One of the Secretaries of the Treasury : afterwards Lord Cottesloe. 
 » Forwarded to the Queen by Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 » In consequence of the Repeal agitation, the Ministers had already intro- 
 duced an Irish Anns Bill, which was carried. 
 
604 IRISH AGITATION [chap, xii 
 
 Foreseeing, however, all the difficulties of procuring 
 such powers, and the increased excitement which 
 must follow the demand for them, we were unwilling 
 to come to an immediate decision in favour of recom- 
 mending new legislation, and resolved therefore to 
 watch the course of events for some time longer, 
 continuing precautionary measures against disturbances 
 of the public peace. 
 
 I have not received any material information from 
 Ireland by the post of this day, nor has Sir James 
 Graham. 
 
 I have the honour to be. Sir, with sincere respect, 
 your Royal Highness's most faithful and humble 
 Servant, Robert Peel. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, 22ndJune 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He was infinitely obliged to your Majesty 
 for coming into the room the other evening when he 
 was with the Prince, and very much delighted to 
 have an opportunity of seeing your Majesty, especially 
 in such good healtla and spirits. 
 
 Lord Melbourne is very glad that your Majesty has 
 seen As you Like It. It is indeed a most gay, lively, 
 and beautiful play. To see or to read it is quite like 
 passing an hour or two in a forest or fairyland. It is 
 so lively, and at the same time so romantic. All 
 depends upon Rosalind, which was an excellent 
 part of Mrs Jordan. Jaques is also a very particular 
 character and difficult to play. 
 
 Lord Melbourne feels himself better, but still weak. 
 He does not like to say much about politics, but he 
 cannot refrain from observing that they seem to him 
 to have permitted these lawless riotings in South Wales ^ 
 to go on with success and impunity a great deal 
 
 1 The agitation against the turnpike system which had broken out in 
 South Wales. See Introductory Note, p. 564. 
 
1843] THE REBECCA RIOTS 605 
 
 too long. When such things begin nobody can say 
 how far they will go or how much they will spread. 
 There are many who expect and predict a general 
 rising against property, and this is invariably the way 
 in which such things begin. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir James Graham. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, SSrd June, 1843. 
 
 The Queen returns these communications to Sir 
 James Graham, which are of a very unpleasant nature. 
 The Queen trusts that measures of the greatest severity 
 wUl be taken, as well to suppress the revolutionary 
 spirit as to bring the culprits^ to immediate trial and 
 punishment. The Queen thinks this of the greatest 
 importance with respect to the effect it may have in 
 Ireland, likewise as proving that the Government is 
 willing to show great forbearance, and to trust to the 
 good sense of the people, but that if outrages are 
 committed and it is called upon to act, it is not to 
 be trifled with, but will visit wrong-doers with the 
 utmost severity. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Lord Stanley. 
 
 Buckingham Palace, 24<A June 1843. 
 
 The Queen follows Lord Stanley's recommenda- 
 tion to confer the G.C.B. on Sir Charles Napier with 
 great pleasure, from her high opinion of his late achieve- 
 ments, and she thinks it might be advisable that some 
 of the officers who most contributed to the victories of 
 Meeanee and Hyderabad^ should receive lower grades 
 of the Bath. The Queen is much impressed mth the 
 propriety of a medal being given to the troops who 
 fought under Sir Charles Napier, as the armies under 
 Nott, Pollock, and Sale received such distinctions for 
 actions hardly equal to those in Scinde. 
 
 1 I.e., the Rebecca rioters. 
 » See ante, p. 602. 
 
606 DUCHESS OF NORFOLK'S RESIGNATION [chap, xn 
 Sir James Graham to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Whitehall, 24(ft June 1843. 
 
 Sir James Graham with humble duty begs to lay 
 before your Majesty the report received from Car- 
 marthen this morning. The Earl of Cawdor went to 
 Carmarthen this morning.^ 
 
 Every effort will be made to trace this lawless 
 outbreak to its source, and to bring the principal 
 offenders to justice. 
 
 Sir James Graham encloses two Police Reports, 
 which have been received this morning from Dublin. 
 They would seem to indicate some foreign interference, 
 and some hope of foreign assistance mingled with this 
 domestic strife. Several Frenchmen have lately made 
 their appearance in different parts of Ireland. 
 
 The above is humbly submitted by your Majesty's 
 dutiful Subject and Servant, J. B. G. Graham. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Duchess of Norfolk. 
 
 Bdckingham Palace, ^ith June 1843. 
 
 My dear Duchess, — The same right which you feel, 
 and which you had to overcome before you took the final 
 step of tendering your resignation,^ has kept me from 
 sooner acknowledging the receipt of your letter. Under 
 the circumstances which you allude to, it is incumbent 
 upon me to accept of your resignation, but as you 
 throw out yourself a hint that it would be agreeable 
 to you sometimes to perform the duties (which you 
 have hitherto fulfilled) it would give me the greatest 
 gratification if you would let me continue your name 
 on the list of my Ladies of the Bedchamber, and 
 sometimes at your convenience have the pleasure of 
 your society. 
 
 I agree with you that for the present your step 
 should not be known, till I shall have had time to 
 find a successor, and I am pleased to think that you 
 will take your waitings, which are at present settled. 
 
 1 Lord Cawdor was Lord-Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire. 
 ' Of her position as Bedchamber woman. 
 
1843] DUELLING IN THE ARMY 607 
 
 With the Prince's kind regards to yourself, and 
 mine to the Duke. Believe me always, yours very 
 affectionately, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Buke of Wellington. 
 
 {July 1843.) 
 
 The Queen having attentively perused the proposed 
 General Order for the more efficient repression of the 
 practice of duelling in the army, approves of the same, 
 but recommends that the Duke of Wellington should 
 submit to the Cabinet the propriety of considering of 
 a general measure apphcable to all branches of the 
 Naval and Military Service.^ 
 
 The Prince Albert to Lord Aberdeen. 
 
 20th July 1843. 
 
 My dear Lord Aberdeen, — The Queen and 
 myself have been taken much by surprise by Lord 
 Howard de Walden's despatch marked "most con- 
 fidential." The opinions of the Portuguese Court must 
 have entirely changed. Although we have not heard 
 anything on the subject, we are fully convinced of 
 the correctness of Lord Howard's statements and of 
 his conjectures. We are both pleased to see the view 
 which he takes, and the good opinion he has of our 
 little cousin. The Queen thinks it is right that you 
 should inform Lord Howard that the possibility of 
 a marriage between Prince Leopold* and the Queen 
 of Spain has been for some time a favourite thought 
 of hers and mine, and that you thought that this 
 combination had some advantages which hardly any 
 other could offer. But that the matter had been and was 
 treated here as one purely and solely Spanish, in which 
 
 1 An influential anti-duelling association had been formed this year, and 
 subsequently public attention was drawn to the question by a duel on 1st July, 
 at Camden Town, in which Colonel Fawcett was shot by his brother-in-law. 
 Lieutenant Munro, who had reluctantly gone out, after enduring much 
 provocation. Mainly owing to Prince Albert's efforts, the Articles of War 
 were so amended as to put a stop to the practice. 
 
 » Son of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, and brother of the Kmg of 
 Portugal. See ante, p. 4r75, and post, p. 609. 
 
608 THE OUT-PENSIONERS OF CHELSEA [chap, xn 
 
 we carefully abstained from interfering with, and that 
 we leave it to work itself or not by its own merit. 
 
 That you wished him to take the same view, but 
 not to lose sight of it, and to report to you whatever 
 he might hear bearing upon the subject. Believe 
 me, etc. Albert. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Duchess of Norfolk. 
 
 Dear Duchess, — I write to inform you that I have 
 named your successor,^ who is to be Lady Douro.^ 
 The great regret I experience at your leaving me 
 is certainly diminished by the arrangement which 
 we have agreed upon together, and which will still 
 aiford me the pleasure of having you occasionally 
 about me. 1 trust that the Duke's health will admit 
 of your taking your waiting in September, but think 
 it right to tell you that we shall probably at that 
 time be making some aquatic excursions in our new 
 yacht, and consequently be from home the greater 
 part of your waiting. 
 
 With the Prince's best regards to yourself, and 
 mine to the Duke, believe me always, yours very 
 affectionately, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Windsor Castle, Srd August 1843. 
 
 The Queen returns the enclosed papers, and gives 
 her sanction to the bringing in of the Bill for Enroll- 
 ing and Arming the Out- Pensioners of Chelsea Hospi- 
 tal with great pleasure, as she thinks it a very good 
 measure at the present crisis, calculated to relieve the 
 troops which are rather overworked, and to secure a 
 valuable force to the service of the Government. The 
 Queen hopes that in bringing in the Bill Sir Robert 
 Peel will make as little of it as possible, in order 
 not to make it appear a larger measure than it is. 
 
 The Regulations strike the Queen as very judicious, 
 and she has little doubt that they will raise the military 
 
 1 As Bedchamber woman. 
 
 ' Elizabeth, daughter of the eighth Marquis of Tweeddale, afterwards 
 Duchess of Wellington. She died in 1904. 
 
^8*3] THE CROWN JEWELS 609 
 
 spirit in the Pensioners, and will make the measure 
 popular with them, which cannot fail to attach them 
 more to the Crown. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Windsor Castie, ISth August 1843. 
 
 The Queen is desirous that whatever is right should 
 be done,^ but is strongly of opinion that the King of 
 Hanover's threat (for as such it must be regarded) not 
 to leave this country, till the affair^ is decided upon 
 should in no way influence the transaction, as it is quite 
 immaterial whether the King stays longer here or not. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 Windsor Castle, I3th August 1843. 
 
 The Queen sees with great regret, in Sir Robert 
 Gordon's despatch of 4th August, that Prince Metter- 
 nich has resumed his favourite scheme of a marriage 
 between the Queen of Spain and a son of Don Carlos, 
 and that King Louis Philippe has almost come to a 
 secret understanding with him upon that point.^ The 
 
 1 Of the Crown jewels ; ante, p. S50. 
 
 * Since the Quadruple AUiaDce (of England, France, Spain, and Portugal) 
 in 1834 to expel Don Carlos and Dom Miguel from the Peninsula, the question 
 of the marriage of Queen Isabella (then aged four) had been a subject of 
 incessant consideration by England and France. The Queen-Mother had 
 suggested to Louis Philippe the marriages of the Queen to the Due d'Aumale 
 and of the Infanta (her sister) to the Due de Montpensier : such a proposal, 
 however gratifying to the French King's ambition, would naturally not 
 have been favourably viewed in England ; but Guizot promoted warmly the 
 alternative project of a marriage of the Queen to her cousin Don Francisco de 
 Asis, Duke of Cadiz, son of Don Francisco de Paula, the Infanta being still to 
 marry Montpensier. It was believed that, if this marriage of the Queen took 
 place, there would be no issue of it, and Louis Philippe's ambition would be 
 ultimately gratified. To Palmerston's protest against this scheme (before 
 the Melbourne Ministry fell) Guizot replied, " La Heine aura des enfants et 
 ne mourra pas." The other possible candidates for the Queen's hand from 
 the French point of view were Count Montemolin, the son of Don Carlos, 
 the Count de Trapani, son of Francis I., King of the Two Sicilies, and thus 
 brother of Queen Christina, and the Duke of Seville, a brother of the Duke of 
 Cadiz. Other candidates also favoured by the Queen-Mother were (while he 
 was unmarried) Prince Albert's brother, and his Cousin Leopold, brother of 
 the King of Portugal, but the French King was bent upon a marriage of the 
 Queen with some descendant of Philip V., and equally determined to prevent 
 the Infanta's marriage either with Leopold or any other Prince not a 
 descendant of Philip V. The view of Prince Albert and of Ixird Aberdeen 
 was that it was a matter for the young Queen herself and the Spanish people. 
 See ante, p. 607. 
 Vol. 1 — 39 
 
610 THE SPANISH MARRIAGE [chap, xh 
 
 Queen is as much as ever convinced that instead of 
 tending to pacify Spain this combination cannot fail to 
 call new principles of discord into action, to excite the 
 hopes of a lost and vanquished party for revenge and 
 reacquisition of power, and to carry the civil war into 
 the very interior of the family. The Queen is anxious 
 (should Lord Aberdeen coincide in this view of the 
 subject, as she believes he does) that it should be 
 clearly understood by Sir Robert Gordon, and Prince 
 Metternich. 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 FoBEiGV Office, 16th August 1843. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen, with his most humble duty, begs to 
 assure your Majesty that he will not fail to give his best 
 attention to your Majesty's communication respecting 
 the marriage of the Queen of Spain. 
 
 In a recent despatch to Sir Robert Gordon, Lord 
 Aberdeen has repeated the opinion entertained by your 
 Majesty's Government, that the marriage of the Queen 
 with the son of Don Carlos, instead of leading to the 
 conciliation and unison of parties, would be more likely 
 to produce collision and strife, and to increase the 
 existing animosity between the different political factions 
 by which Spain is distracted. 
 
 This marriage, however, has always been a favourite 
 project with Austria and the Northern Courts ; and it 
 has also been apparently supported by the French 
 Government. It cannot be denied that at first sight 
 there are many considerations by which it may seem 
 to be recommended ; but the weight of these can only 
 be duly estimated by the authorities and people of 
 Spain. 
 
 The same may be said respecting the marriage of 
 the Queen with any other Spanish Prince, a descendant 
 of Philip V. which, in the opinion of many, would be 
 most agreeable to the feelings and prejudices of the 
 nation. To this project also it appears that the French 
 Government have recently assented. 
 
^®*^1 OBSTRUCTION OF BUSINESS 611 
 
 Lord Aberdeen humbly thinks that the interests of 
 this country and of all Europe are deeply concerned in 
 the exclusion of a French Prince from the possibility 
 of receiving the hand of the Queen ; and that it would 
 not be a wise policy to oppose any marriage by which 
 this should be effected, consistently with the free choice 
 of the Queen, and the sanction of the Spanish Govern- 
 ment and people. The avowed predilections of Queen 
 Christina, and her increased means of influence recently 
 acquired, render this a matter of considerable anxiety 
 and importance at the present moment. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel. 
 
 Windsor Castle, I6th August 1843. 
 
 The Queen cannot refrain from writing a line to 
 express her indignation at the very unjustifiable manner 
 in which the minority of thirteen members obstructs 
 the progress of business.^ She hopes that every attempt 
 will be made to put an end to what is really indecent 
 conduct. Indeed, how is business to go on at all if 
 such vexatious opposition prevails ? At all events, the 
 Queen hopes that Sir Robert will make no kind of 
 concession to these gentlemen, which [could] encourage 
 them to go on in the same way. 
 
 The Queen forgot to say this morning that she 
 thinks it would be better that the Investiture of the 
 Thistle should be put off for the present. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir James Graham. 
 
 WiNDSoK Castle, 22nd Augiat 1843. 
 
 The Queen returns these papers to Sir J. Graham, 
 and thinks that this important MemoriaP should not 
 
 1 By opposition to the BiU removing doubts as to the admission of Ministers 
 
 '° 2 The°memorial was that of Sir Augustus d'Este (1794-1848), the son of 
 the union of the Duke of Sussex and Lady Augiasta Murray. On 4th April 
 1793 they were married at Rome by an English clergyman, the ceremony 
 being repeated in the same year at St George's, Hanover Square. The Court 
 of Arches annulled the marriage in 1794 but Sir Augustus now preferred 
 a claim to the peerage. Ultimately the Lords, after consultmg the judges, 
 disallowed it. 
 
612 MELBOURNE ON MATRIMONIAL AFFAIRS [chap, m 
 
 be decided on without the opinion of the House of 
 Lords ; the Queen trusts that everything will be done 
 to secure inviolate the maintenance of the Marriage 
 Act. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 South Street, ^rd August 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and thanks your Majesty much for the last 
 note which he had the honour of receiving. Lord 
 Melbourne is much pleased that your Majesty is glad 
 of Wilhelmina Stanhope's ^ marriage, and was very glad 
 to hear that your Majesty had congratulated her and 
 Lady Stanhope upon it, which was very kind, and gave 
 much satisfaction. Lord Dalmeny is an excellent 
 young man, and altogether it is an event much to be 
 rejoiced at, especially as it has been so long delayed, 
 and fears began to be entertained that it would never 
 happen. The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland seem 
 also much pleased with Evelyn's^ marriage. She is a 
 beautiful girl, and a very nice person in every respect, 
 and everybody must wish her happy. Lord Melbourne 
 has been at Panshanger for two or three days with 
 Uxbridge and Lady Uxbridge, Ella, and Constance. 
 Uxbridge is having continual cricket matches as 
 he used to have, which is a very good thing, 
 making the country gay and pleasing the people. 
 Matrimonial affairs. Lord Melbourne is afraid, remain 
 in statu quo. 
 
 Lord Melbourne was very glad to hear from Anson 
 yesterday, and to learn that he thinks himself getting 
 better. Lord Liverpool had given Lord Melbourne a 
 very poor account of him. Lord Melbourne hopes 
 that your Majesty may have a pleasant tour, but he 
 cannot refrain from earnestly recommending your 
 Majesty to take care about landing and embarking, 
 and not to do it ia dangerous places and on awkward 
 
 ^ To Lord Dalmeny. En secoTidea noces, she married the fourth Duke of 
 Cleveland. 
 
 2 Lady Evelyn Leveson Gower, married, on 4th October, to Charles, Lord 
 Blantyre. 
 

1843] VISIT TO CHATEAU D'EU 613 
 
 coasts. Lord Melbourne is going the day after to- 
 morrow with Lord and Lady Beauvale to Brocket 
 Hall, and from thence on the 29th to Melbourne to 
 stay about three weeks or a month. 
 
 Lord Melbourne congratulates your Majesty upon 
 the near approaching termination of the Session of 
 Parliament, which is always a relief to all parties. 
 Some great measures have been passed. Lord Melbourne 
 wishes your Majesty health and happiness, and begs to 
 be respectfully remembered to the Prince. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Chateau d'Eu, \th September 1943. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I write to you from this 
 dear place where we are in the midst of this admirable 
 and truly amiable family, and where we feel quite at 
 home, and as if we were one of them. Our reception 
 by the dear King and Queen has been most kind, and 
 by the people really gratifying.* Everything is very 
 different to England, particularly the population. 
 Louise has told you all about our doings, and therefore 
 teU you nothing but that I am highly interested and 
 amused. Little Chica (Mdme. Hadjy) ^ is a charming, 
 sprightly, lively creature, with immense brown eyes. 
 We leave this the day after to-morrow for Brighton, 
 where the children are, who are extremely well I hear. 
 Many thanks, dearest Uncle, for your kind letter of 
 the 29th, by which I see that poor Prince Lowenstein * 
 came to see you ; he is Mama's old friend. As I am in 
 a great hurry, and as I hope, God willing, to see 
 you very soon, I must conclude in haste, and leave all 
 my remarks for another day. Ever your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Pray forgive this confused and horrid scrawl. 
 
 1 The Queen was enthusiastically received at Tr^port On the 2nd there 
 was a great entertainment in the banqueting room of the Chateau, and on the 
 4th a f&te champetre on the Mont d'Orleans in the forest On the Sth there 
 was a review, and on the 7th the Queen returned to England. 
 
 !" The Princess of Joinville. See ante, p. 601. Hadjy is the Prince of 
 
 8 Prince WiUiam of Lowenstein (1783-1847). 
 
614 MELBOURNE ON THE VISIT TO FRANCE [chap, xn 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Melbourne, 6th September 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and thanks your Majesty much for your letter 
 of the 27th ult., which he received here some days ago. 
 We have been quite dismayed and overwhelmed with 
 the melancholy intelligence of death after death which 
 has followed us. I was much concerned for poor 
 Charles Howard's loss, but we were quite struck down 
 by the melancholy event of poor Mrs W. Cowper.^ 
 She promised to suit us all weU, tny sister particularly, 
 and to be a great source of happiness and comfort. 
 
 Your Majesty is quite right in supposing that Lord 
 Melbourne would at once attribute your Majesty's visit 
 to the Chateau d'Eu to its right cause — your Majesty's 
 friendship and affection for the French Royal Family, 
 and not to any political object. The principal motive 
 now is to take care that it does not get mixed either 
 in reality or in appearance with politics, and Lord 
 Melbourne cannot conceal from your Majesty that he 
 should lament it much if the result of the visit 
 should turn out to be a treaty upon any European 
 matter, unfavourable to England and favourable to 
 France. Do not let them make any treaty or 
 agreement there. It can be done elsewhere just as 
 weU and without any of the suspicion which is sure 
 to attach to any transaction which takes place there. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeken, 9ith September 1843. 
 
 My dearest and most beloved Victoria, — I have 
 been highly gratified that you found a moment to 
 write me such a dear letter. I am sure that the 
 personal contact with the family at Eu would interest 
 you, and at the same time remove some impressions 
 on the subject of the King, which are really untrue. 
 Particularly the attempt of representing him like the 
 
 1 Mr and Mrs William Cowper had only been maTiied on 24th June. 
 
1843] END OF THE TOUR 615 
 
 most astute of men, calculating constantly everything 
 to deceive people. 
 
 His vivacity alone would render such a system 
 extremely difficult, and if he appears occasionally to 
 speak too much and to seem to hold a different 
 language to different people, it is a good deal owing 
 to his vivacity and his anxiety to carry conviction to 
 people's mind. 
 
 The impression of your visit will besides do 
 wonders in removing the silly irritation which had 
 been got up since 1840, and which might have in the 
 end occasioned serious mischief, and that without being 
 in the least called for, the passions of nations become 
 very inconvenient sometimes for their Governors. . . . 
 Your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 My best love to dearest Albert, he seems to have 
 had the greatest success, and I am very glad of it, 
 as it had some time ago been the fashion to invent 
 all sorts of nonsense. 
 
 I left Stockmar extremely hypochondriacal, but I 
 trust not so unwell as he fancied. His son accompanies 
 him to Coburg. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 On board the Victoria and Albert, in the Riveb,* 
 S\tt September 1843. 
 
 My dearly beloved Uncle, — I seize the first 
 opportunity of informing you of our excellent passage ; 
 we shall be in half-an-hour or three-quarters at Wool- 
 wich ; it is now half-past ten a.m. The day and night 
 were beautiful, and it is again very fine to-day. We 
 anchored in Margate Roads at eleven last night, and 
 set off again about five. 
 
 Let me thank you and my beloved Louise m 
 both our names again for your great kindness to us, 
 which, beheve me, we feel deeply. We were so happy 
 with you, and the stay was so delightful, but so 
 
 1 On the mh the Queen and Prince Albert saUed from Brighton on a 
 visit to ffing Leopold. They visited Ostend, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, and 
 Antwerp. 
 
616 INCREASED TROUBLES IN WALES [chap, xn 
 
 painfully short ! It was such a joy for me to be 
 once again under the roof of one who has ever been 
 a father to me I I was very sad after you left us ; 
 it seems so strange that all should be over — but the 
 delightful souvenir will ever remain. To leave my 
 dearest Louise too was so painful — and also poor 
 Aunt Julia,^ so immediately after making her acquaint- 
 ance ; pray tell her that, for me. I shall write to 
 Louise to-morrow. You must forgive my hand being 
 so trembling, but we are lighter than usual, which causes 
 the tremulous motion to be so much more felt. 
 
 That God may bless and protect you all always is 
 our fervent prayer. Believe me always, your devoted 
 and grateful Niece and Child, Victokia R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Sir James Graham. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 22md September 1843. 
 
 The Queen has received Sir James Graham's letter 
 of the 22nd.^ She has long seen with deep concern the 
 lamentable state of turbulence in South Wales, and 
 has repeatedly urged the necessity of its being put 
 an end to, by vigorous efforts on the part of the 
 Government. The Queen, therefore, willingly gives 
 her sanction to the issuing of a special Commission 
 for the trial of the offenders and to the issuing of a 
 proclamation. Monday, the 2nd, being the earliest 
 day at which. Sir James says, the necessary Council 
 could be held, will suit the Queen very well ; she begs, 
 therefore, that Sir James will cause the Council to meet 
 here on that day at three o'clock. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, '26th September 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I cannot sufficiently thank 
 you for your two most kind and affectionate letters 
 of the 22nd and 23rd, which gave me the greatest 
 
 1 Sister of the Duchess of Kent, married to the Grand Duke Constantine. 
 ^ The insurrection of the Rebeccaites was assuming a more dangerous 
 form, and at Hendy Gate they committed a cold-blooded act of murder. 
 
1843] FRENCH MARRIAGES SUGGESTED 617 
 
 pleasure. How often we think of our dear and 
 detightful visit it is impossible for me to say ; indeed, 
 I fear these two never-to-be-forgotten voyages and 
 visits have made me think Windsor and its daily 
 occurrences very dull. But this is very ungrateful for 
 what I have had, which is so much more than I ever 
 dared to hope for. The weather is become colder, and 
 yesterday and the day before were horrid, foggy, raw 
 days ; to-day it is finer again. . . . 
 
 Feodore and Ernest came to us yesterday, and I 
 find them both very well ; Feodore is, I think, grown 
 more serious than she was. . . . 
 
 You remember that when we were together we 
 talked of who Aumale could marry ; he will only 
 marry a Catholic, and no Spaniard, no Neapolitan, no 
 Austrian, and also no Brazilian, as Louise tells me. 
 Why should not Princess Alexandrine of Bavaria 
 do ? It would be a good connection, and you say 
 (though not as pretty as Princess Hildegarde) that she is 
 not ill-looking. Qu'en pensez-vous ? Then for Tatane ^ 
 — a Princess of Saxony would be extremely passlich. 
 
 How long does Aunt Julia stay with you ? 
 
 Albert, I suppose, writes to you, and I, dearest 
 Uncle, remain ever and ever, your most truly devoted 
 and warmly attached Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 We find Pussy amazingly advanced in intellect, but 
 alas ! also in naughtiness. I hold up Charlotte as an 
 example of every virtue, which has its effect ; for when- 
 ever she is going to be naughty she says : " Dear Ma, 
 what does cousin Charlotte do ? " 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiNDSOH Castle, 3rd October 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Many, many thanks for your 
 kind letter of the 28th, received on Sunday, which 
 was written fi-om the Camp of Beverloo, which Albert 
 recollects with great pleasure and interest, having 
 amused himself so much there. 
 
 > Antoine, Due de Montpensier. 
 
618 ROYAL VISITORS [chap, xa 
 
 I can give you excellent accounts of ourselves. 
 The boy returned from Brighton yesterday, looking 
 really the picture of health, and much embelli; Pussy 
 is in great force, but not to be compared to Charlotte 
 in beauty ; and Fatima {alias AHce) is as enormous 
 and flourishing as ever. Dearest Louise seems much 
 pleased with Aunt Julia, which I am glad of, and 
 I rejoice that poor Aunt has had the happiness of 
 making my beloved Louise's acquaintance, for it 
 will be a happy recollection for her in her solitude. 
 
 We expect the Grand Duke Michael here this 
 afternoon ; he is to stay till Friday. The Michael 
 Woronzows,^ with a son and daughter, are also 
 coming, and we shall be a large party, and are going 
 to dine in the Waterloo Gallery, which makes a very 
 handsome dining-room, and sit after dinner in that 
 beautiful grand Reception Room. How I envy your 
 going to that dear French family ! I hope that you will 
 like my favourite Chica. I trust, however, that you will 
 not stay too long away for your good people's sake. 
 
 Not being quite sure of your going, I shall direct 
 this to Brussels still. 
 
 We went this morning to Kew, visited the old 
 Palace — which is not at all a bad house — the 
 Botanical Gardens, and then my Aunt's.*^ 
 
 The Revolution at Athens* looks like le com- 
 mencement de la fin ; it was very unanimous. 
 
 Now, dearest Uncle, adieu I Ever, your most 
 affectionate Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 Windsor Castle, Sth October 184.3. 
 
 The Queen has received Lord Aberdeen's two 
 letters. She has been reflecting upon his proposition 
 
 1 Prince Michael Woronzow (1782-1856) was a plenipotentiary at the 
 Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (1818), and was in command at the siege of 
 Varna in 1828. 
 
 2 The Duchess of Cambridge. 
 
 » A bloodless revolution had taken place on 14th September in consequence 
 of King Otho exercising his patronage in favour of Bavarians rather than 
 Greeks. He now acceded to the popular demands. 
 
1843] ENGLAND AND SPAIN 619 
 
 that Mr Lytton Bulwer * should be appointed Minister 
 at Madrid, and quite approves it. The Queen 
 trusts that he will try and keep on the best terms 
 with the French Minister there, and that without 
 in any way weakening our interests, the represent- 
 atives of these two powerful countries will act 
 together. The Queen feels certain that if it is known 
 by our respective Ministers that both Governments wish 
 to act together, and not against one another, that much 
 irritation will be avoided ; and that our agents, particu- 
 larly in distant countries, wUl understand that they are 
 not fulfilling the wishes of their Sovereign by repre- 
 senting every httle incident in the most unfavourable 
 light. . . . 
 
 The Queen hopes that Lord Aberdeen will take some 
 early opportunity of employing Mr Aston. Who will 
 replace Mr Bulwer at Paris ? his successor ought to be 
 an efficient man, as Lord Cowley'^ is rather infirm. 
 The Queen regrets to see that the Due de Bordeaux^ 
 is coming here ; he really must not be received by the 
 Queen, as she fears his reception at Berlin has done no 
 good ; and altogether, from what she sees in the papers, 
 she fears there is no good purpose in his coming here. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Cjistle, 13<A October 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — It is not my day, but my 
 object in writing is to speak to you about the 
 dear Nemours' visit, which we are so anxious to see 
 accompUshed. Louise writes to me about the Duke 
 of Bordeaux coming to England making some 
 difficulty, and I wish therefore to state what we 
 know of the affair. We understand (for of course we 
 have had no direct communication) that the Due de 
 
 1 Afterwards Lord Dalling. , ^ , , ,,r „• _^ j r r 
 
 2 Lord Cowley, brother of the Duke of Welhngton, and one of four 
 brothers aU either raised in or promoted to the peerage, was now seventy 
 years of age. In after years his son was also Ambassador at Paris. 
 
 ' Afterwards known as Comte de Chambord, and claiming the French 
 throne as Henri V. : he was grandson of Charles X., and at this time about 
 twenty-three years of age. 
 
620 DUC DE BORDEAUX EXPECTED [chap, xn 
 
 Bordeaux has embarked at Hamburg for Hull, and 
 intends travelling in Scotland before he visits England, 
 and that incognito and under the name of Comte tel 
 et tel; his being in Scotland when Nemours is in 
 England, and particularly on a visit to us here, could 
 make no difficulty, and even if he were travelling 
 about incognito in England, it could not signify, I 
 think. Moreover, I feel certain that if he knew 
 that / had invited the Nemours and that they were 
 coming over shortly, he would go away, as the 
 Legitimistes would not be pleased at Nemours being 
 feted by me — while their Henry V. was not even 
 noticed or received. I could easily, and indeed have 
 almost done so, make it known generally that / 
 expect the Nemours, and I would say immediately, 
 and he would be sure to get out of the way. I 
 cannot teU you how very anxious we are to see the 
 Nemours ; I have been thinking of nothing else, and 
 to lose this great pleasure would be too mortifying. 
 Moreover, as I really and truly do not think it need 
 be, it would be best if the Nemours could come 
 before the 10th of November; which is the latest term 
 when they could come ? Now pray, dearest Uncle, 
 do settle this for me ; you have no notion how we 
 wish it. I will be sure to let you know what 1 hear, 
 and if there is anything you could suggest about 
 this, I need not say but that we shall attend to it 
 with pleasure. The Grand Duke Michael wiU be 
 gone by the end of this month. Ainsi je mets cette 
 chere visite dans vos mains. Ever your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Pray, dearest Uncle, let me have an answer by the 
 next post, about this, as I am all in & fidget about it. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WnrosoR Castle, Ytth October 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Your kind letter of the 
 13th I received yesterday, and return you my warmest 
 thanks for it. . . . 
 
18*3] ARREST OF O'CONNELL 621 
 
 By your letter, and by one I received from Victoire 
 yesterday morning, I see every reason to hope that 
 we shaU see the dear Nemours, for there will be no 
 difficulty to prevent that poor stupid Due de Bordeaux 
 from bemg in London at the time. He is to be 
 mformed mdirectly that the Nemours are coming at 
 the beginning of next month on a visit to us, in 
 consequence of a pressing invitation of ours; this 
 alone will keep him off, as the contrast would be 
 disagreeable to the Legitimists. Independent of this, 
 his disembarkation at Hull, and proceeding at once to 
 Scotland seems to indicate his wish to be in private. 
 
 The great event of the day is O'Connell's arrest;^ 
 they have found bail, but the trial will shortly 
 commence. The case against him is very strong the 
 lawyers say. 
 
 Everything is perfectly quiet at Dublin. You 
 will have seen how O'Connell has abused the King; 
 it is all because our visit to Eu has put an end to 
 any hopes of assistance from France, which he 
 pretended there would be, and he now declares for 
 the Due de Bordeaux I . . . 
 
 You must encourage the dear King and Queen 
 to send over some of the dear famUy often to us ; ils 
 seront repis a bras ouverts. . . . 
 
 We intend to take advantage of Feodore and 
 Ernest's going to the Queen Dowager's to pay a visit 
 to Cambridge where we have never been ; we mean 
 to set off to-morrow week, to sleep at Trinity Lodge 
 that night, and the two following nights at Lord 
 Hardwicke's,^ which is close to Cambridge. These 
 journeys are very popular, and please and interest 
 Albert very much. . . . Believe me always, my dearest 
 Uncle, your very affectionate Niece, Victoria. 
 
 1 After the official prohibition on 7th October of the intended Clontarf 
 meeting, O Connell and others were arrested in Dublin for conspiracy. After 
 giving bail, O'Connell issued an address to the Irish people. The trial was 
 postponed till the following year. 
 
 * Wimpole, near Royston, nine miles from Cambridge. 
 
622 THE DUC DE BORDEAUX [chap, m 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Drayton Manor, '20th October 1843. 
 
 Sir, — The enclosed letter ^ from Sir James Graham 
 to me (which as your Royal Highness will perceive 
 is entirely of a private character) contains details of a 
 conversation with Baron Nieumann which will, 1 think, 
 be interesting to Her Majesty and to your Royal 
 Highness ; and knowing your Royal Highness will 
 consider the communication a confidential one, I 
 prefer sending the letter in extenso to the making 
 of any extracts from it. 
 
 I am afraid there is more in the Due de Bordeaux's 
 visit than the mere gratification of a desire on his 
 part to see again places with which he was familiar 
 in his youth. 
 
 If, however, he should be so ill-advised as to make 
 any political demonstration, or to ally himself with 
 any particular party in this country, he would, in my 
 opinion, derive little from it, and there would be the 
 opportunity of giving to the King of the French a new 
 proof of our fidelity to our engagements, and of the 
 steadiness of our friendship towards him and his dynasty. 
 
 The great body of the French people would 
 comprehend the object of any such demonstrations 
 on the part of the Due de Bordeaux, and would, 
 it is to be hoped, see in them an additional motive 
 for union in support of the King, and confidence in 
 the honour and integrity of this country. 
 
 I vdll not fail to inform the Grand Duke of Her 
 Majesty's intended visit to Cambridge, and to suggest 
 to him that it will not be convenient to the Queen 
 to receive him at Windsor before Saturday at the 
 earliest, and probably Monday. 
 
 On the day after I spoke to your Royal Highness 
 I gave instructions for enquiries to be made respecting 
 the two properties in the Isle of Wight.^ It is necessary 
 
 1 Referring to the visit of the Due de Bordeaux. 
 
 ' The Queen and the Prince were at this time making enquiries about a 
 suitable residence in the Isle of Wight The purchase of Osborne resulted. 
 
1843] NOT RECEIVED AT COURT 623 
 
 to make such enquiries through some very confidential 
 channel, as a suspicion of the object of them would 
 probably greatly enhance the price. 
 
 The party on whom I could entirely rely was out of 
 town but will return to-morrow, and will immediately 
 find out what he can respecting the properties. 
 
 The result shall be made known to the Queen and 
 your Royal Highness without delay. 
 
 Will your Royal Highness have the goodness to 
 mention this to Her Majesty? . . . 
 
 I have the honour to be, Sir, with sincere respect, 
 your Royal Highness's most faithful and humble 
 Servant, Robert Peel. 
 
 The Prince Albert to Sir Robert Peef. 
 
 Windsor Castle, 21*< October 1843. 
 
 My dear Sir Robert, — I return you Sir James 
 Graham's letter. There is a pretty general impression 
 of the Due de Bordeaux's visit being a got-up thing 
 for various political intrigues. I confess I do not 
 understand the link with Ireland, or at least the 
 importance of his being well received by the Roman 
 Catholics, but am strongly impressed that his presence 
 whether in Scotland, England or Ireland is for no 
 good, and therefore think it our duty that we should 
 render it diflicult for him to protract it. The Queen 
 and myself think that the uncertainty of his being 
 received at Court or not is doing harm, and would 
 much wish, therefore that it was decidedly stated that 
 the Queen will not receive him. His coming here 
 without ever asking (indeed knowing that it was dis- 
 liked) as well as the part which Austria and Prussia 
 seem to have taken in the matter, do not strengthen 
 his claim for such a favour. No good can come Jfrom 
 the reception, and the King of the French must prefer 
 its not taking place. Let us, therefore, settle that 
 point and show that we are neither afraid of him nor 
 prepared to be made dupes of. 
 
624 DUC DE NEMOURS EXPECTED [chap, xn 
 
 The Queen is desirous that no official person should 
 treat the Duke with a distinction which is likely to 
 attract unnecessary attention. Believe me, always 
 yours truly, Albert. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiNDsoK Castle, iith October 1843. 
 
 Mv" DEAREST Uncle, — I had the happiness of 
 receiving your most kind letter of the 20th yesterday, 
 for which I thank you very much. The good news of 
 the dear Nemours coming is a great happiness to us, 
 and I fervently hope and trust that the Due de 
 Bordeaux will be kept off, which I fully expect he will. 
 Suppose, however, he could not be, and the Nemours 
 could not come then, would the King not kindly 
 allow them to come later? Even if the Chambers 
 were to be sitting — such a little Ausfiug of ten 
 days only, could really not be a great inconvenience ? 
 Surely if you were to mention this to the dear King, 
 with my aiFectionate respects, he would grant it. It is 
 besides only in case Bordeaux should come to London, 
 which I really think he wUl not, if he once knows 
 that the Nemours are coming. And I must add that 
 I think Nemours not coming at all this year, after 
 it had been announced, would have a bad effect, 
 particularly as people here think that some great 
 Powers have instigated Bordeaux's coming here, — and 
 even think that the Koman Catholics and Repealers 
 in Ireland mean to make use of him. Consequently 
 Nemours not coming at all, should he be prevented 
 from coming at the beginning of November, would 
 not be a good thing politically, independent of the 
 extreme disappointment it would cause us. . . . 
 
 The accounts both you and Louise give me of 
 good Hadjy and Chica give me great pleasure, as I 
 take a lively interest in both, and am very fond of 
 them. We found amongst some very curious old 
 miniatures several of Catherine of Braganza when 
 
^8*31 UUC UE HOKUEAUX 625 
 
 young (Charles II. 's wife), which are so Uke Chica;^ it 
 is curious how sometimes you can trace likenesses many 
 generations back. . . . 
 
 Pray offer our respects to all. How long do you 
 stay ? Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Drumlanrig, 27iA October 1843. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen, with his humble duty, begs to lay 
 before your Majesty another letter received last night 
 from Lord Morton,* which gives an account of the visit 
 of the Due de Bordeaux, and of his further communi- 
 cation with the Due de Ldvis on the projects and views 
 of His Royal Highness. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen has ventured to submit this letter to 
 your Majesty, although not intended for your Majesty's 
 perusal, as it gives a pleasing and satisfactory descrip- 
 tion of the conduct and sentiments of this unfortunate 
 Prince. 
 
 In order to explain to your Majesty how Lord 
 Morton, who lives in a very retired manner, should 
 have received a visit from the Due de Bordeaux, Lord 
 Aberdeen begs to mention that when the family 
 of Charles X. resided at Edinburgh, after the 
 Revolution of July 1830, they received information 
 more than once, from the present Royal Family of 
 France, that certain desperate characters had left Paris 
 for Edinburgh, with the intention of assassinating the 
 Due de Bordeaux, in order to prevent all possibility of 
 a Restoration. In consequence of this information, it 
 was thought to be dangerous for the Prince to walk or 
 to expose himself in the neighbourhood of Holyrood 
 House. He was frequently driven in a carriage to 
 Lord Morton's,^ where he remained for a few hours, 
 taking exercise in the park, and plajdng with Lord 
 Morton's children. It is the recollection of this which 
 
 1 The Princess de Joinville was a sister of Queen Maria II. of Portugal, 
 ind Queen Catherine of Braganza was daughter of King John IV. 
 
 2 George Sholto, nineteenth Earl of Morton (1789-1858). 
 s Dahnahoy, Midlothian. 
 
 Vol. I.— 40 
 
626 RETURN FROM CAMBRIDGE [chap, xa 
 
 has led the Prince to make his acknowledgments on the 
 present occasion. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen also begs humbly to mention to 
 your Majesty that on his arrival here he found the 
 Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch in expectation of a 
 visit from the Due de Bordeaux, on his way from 
 Glasgow to Carlisle. Lord Aberdeen informed the 
 Duke and Duchess of the objections which might exist 
 to this visit ; but he believes that communications on 
 the subject had already gone too far to render it 
 possible to break off it with any degree of propriety. 
 The great attentions paid by the Duke and his pre- 
 decessors to the French Royal Family, both during the 
 former and last emigration, sufficiently account for this 
 desire on the part of the Prince. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 WiNDsoK Castle, 31si October 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I had the pleasure of receiv- 
 ing your dear and kind letter of the 27th yesterday, 
 by which I learn that you are all weU and going on 
 the 4th. Forgive me, dearest Uncle, if I say that 
 I am glad that your are at length going back to 
 Belgium, as (though I fuUy understand from personal 
 experience how delightful it must be to be in the 
 midst of that dear and perfect family) I think these 
 long absences distress your faithful Belgians a little. 
 
 We returned on Saturday, highly pleased and 
 interested with our tour,^ though a little done up. I 
 seldom remember more enthusiasm than was shown at 
 Cambridge, and in particular by the Undergraduates. 
 They received my dear angel, too, with the greatest 
 enthusiasm. This is useful, as these young people 
 will all, in time, have a certain part to play ; they are the 
 
 1 The Royal party went by road from Paddington to Cambridge, and 
 stayed at the Lodge at Trinity ; on the following day Prince Albert was 
 made LL.D. The party then went to Wimpole, and visited Bourne (Lord 
 Delawarr's). At the ball which was given at Wimpole, there was a sofa, covered 
 with a piece of drapery given by Louis XIV. to the poet Prior and by him to 
 Lord Oxford, the owner of Wimpole, before its purchase by Lord Chancellor 
 Hardwicke. See Lord Melbourne s letter of 7th November, post, p. 630. 
 
1843] MANY VISITORS 627 
 
 rising generation, and an event of this kind makes a 
 lasting impression on their minds. 
 
 You will have heard from Louise that there is no 
 longer any impediment to the dear Nemours coming, 
 which you may easily conceive gives me greatest 
 satisfaction. Since then, I have heard that Bordeaux 
 does not intend visiting London till he sees by the 
 papers that the Nemours are gone. I saw a letter from 
 a gentleman, with whom he had been sta)dng, and who 
 says that he is very pleasing and unaiFected, and very 
 easily amused, and quite pleased " with missing a few 
 pheasants, and dancing quadrilles in the evening to a 
 pianoforte." Poor fellow I his fate certainly is a melan- 
 choly one. He should renounce, buy some property in 
 Germany, and marry, and settle there. 
 
 I am glad to hear of Montpensier's arrival, and that 
 my favourite Chica is in your good graces ; she is a 
 dear natural child. I am so impatient to see my dear 
 Victoire and good Nemours, who was always a great 
 ally of mine — again I 
 
 The Grand Duke came here last night, and goes 
 away after luncheon, and leaves England on Thursday. 
 He is charmed with all he has seen, and I must say is 
 very amiable and civil. He has got a most charming 
 large dog, called Dragon, hke a Newfoundland, only 
 brown and white, with the most expressive eyes 
 imaginable, and si Men dresse. Prince Alexander of 
 the Netherlands is also coming down to take leave 
 this week. We never had so many visitors. 
 
 I am beyond everything interested with that 
 beautiful novel by Rellstab,^ 1812, which I know you 
 admire so much. The description of the Russian 
 Campaign is incomparable, and so beautifully written. 
 You quite see everything before you. Have you 
 read his other, Paris und JIgier 1 By the by, 
 have you read Custine's'^ book on Russia? They say 
 
 1 Louis ReUstab (1799-1860), a prolific German writer of novels, whose 
 thinly-veUed attacks on public men earned him at one tune a sentence of 
 imprisonmant^^^ Astolphe de Custine (1790-1857), author of La Russie en 
 1839, at this time recently published. 
 
628 DUC D'AUMALE'S ENGAGEMENT [chap, xn 
 
 it is very severe on Russia, and full of hatred to the 
 EngUsh. 
 
 We found the children very well, and Bertie quite 
 recovered, but poor fat Alice (who, I must say, is 
 becoming very^ pretty) has had the earache. 
 
 Mamma with Feo and Ernest are with the Queen 
 Dowager at Witley Court since Thursday last, and 
 only return next Thursday (the day after to-morrow). 
 Clem seems very happy, and writes that she is happiest 
 when she is tete-a-tete with poor Gusti, which / 
 should not fancy. Ever, dearest Uncle, your devoted 
 Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 I open my letter, dearest Uncle, to say that I 
 have just seen in a confidential despatch from Lord 
 Cowley that Aumale is authorised to ask for the 
 hand of the daughter of the Prince de Salerno^ (a 
 singular coincidence after what I wrote to you in 
 utter ignorance of this report), and that he was also 
 to find out what the opinions of the Neapolitan Royal 
 Family were respecting an alliance with the Queen of 
 Spain. But tell me, dearest Uncle, if these reports 
 are true ? You may rely on my discretion, and I 
 shall not breathe a word of what you may answer me, 
 if you wish the secret to be kept. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Drayton Manor, 31s< October 1843. 
 
 Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to 
 your Majesty, and begs leave to return to your 
 Majesty the accompanying communication from Lord 
 EUenborough, and a letter which your Majesty proposes 
 to send to Lord EUenborough. 
 
 In compliance with your Majesty's desire that 
 Sir Robert Peel should inform your Majesty whether 
 he sees anything objectionable in that letter, Sir 
 Robert Peel humbly represents to your Majesty that 
 he does not think it would be advisable for your 
 
 1 The Due d'Aumale married in November 1844, Caroline, daughter of 
 the Prince and Princess of Salerno. The Prince of Salerno succeeded his 
 father, Ferdinand, as Grand Duke of Tuscany, and afterwards became King 
 Leopold II. of the Two Sicilies. 
 
18^1 INDIAN AFFAIRS 629 
 
 Majesty personally to express to the Governor-General 
 of India your Majesty's opinion with regard either to 
 the poUcy of retaining Scinde/ as being of the greatest 
 importance to the security of the Indian Empire, or 
 as to the completeness of the defence of Sir Charles 
 Napier from the accusations brought against him. 
 
 He humbly and most respectfully takes the liberty 
 of submitting to your Majesty, that these being 
 matters of important public concern, the regular and 
 constitutional channel for conveying the opinion of 
 your Majesty with respect to them would be through 
 your Majesty's servants. 
 
 In the particular case, indeed, of India, instructions 
 do not proceed from your Majesty's servants, directly 
 signifying your Majesty's pleasure, but are conveyed 
 in despatches to the Governor-General signed by the 
 three members of the Secret Committee of the Court 
 of Directors. 
 
 The Secret Court of Directors — that is the whole 
 Court acting in secret — have come to a Resolution (in 
 Sir Robert Peel's opinion very unwisely and precipitately) 
 expressing the gravest doubt, on their part, as to the 
 policy and justice of the recent transactions in Scinde.^ 
 
 The Court is aware that your Majesty's servants 
 disapprove of this proceeding on their part, and that 
 they have declined to transmit officially to Lord 
 EUenborough, through the Secret Committee, the 
 condemnatory Resolution of the Court. One of the 
 grounds on which they deprecated the Resolution was 
 the passing of it in the absence of full and complete 
 information from India, in respect to the policy and 
 to the events which led to the occupation of Scinde. 
 
 Under these circumstances, as well on the general 
 Constitutional ground, as with reference to the present 
 state of the pubUc correspondence in regard to Scinde, 
 and the particular relation of the Governor-General 
 to the East India Company, and the Court of Directors, 
 
 1 Earlier in the year Lord EUenborough had appointed Sir Charles Napier 
 Governor of Scinde, and had by Proclamation applied the Slave Trade and 
 Slavery Abolition Acts to Scinde. 
 
 ' See Parker's Sir Robert Peel, vol. iii., chap. 1. 
 
630 LOYALTY AT CAMBRIDGE [chap, ai 
 
 Sir Robert Peel humbly advises your Majesty to 
 forbear from expressing an opinion, in a private 
 communication to the Governor- General, with regard 
 to events in Scinde or to the policy hereafter to be 
 pursued in respect to that country. Sir Robert Peel 
 begs to add that in a private letter by the last mail 
 to Lord Ripon, Lord EUenborough observes that he 
 is going on very harmoniously with the Members of 
 Council at Calcutta. 
 
 Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Melbourne, ^th November 1843. 
 
 Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty, and thanks your Majesty much for the letter 
 of the 4th inst., which he has received this morning 
 with great satisfaction. Lord ]\lelbourne hears with 
 great pleasure of the gratification which your Majesty 
 and the Prince received in your visit to Cambridge. 
 Lord Melbourne collects from aU the accounts that 
 the proceedings in the Senate House were not only 
 full of loyalty, enthusiasm, and gratitude, but also 
 perfectly decorous, respectful, academic, and free from 
 all those political cries which have recently prevailed 
 so much in the theatre at Oxford on similar occasions.^ 
 Lord Melbourne hopes he is within [the mark] ; if he is 
 it forms a remarkable and advantageous contrast. Lord 
 Melbourne does not know anywhere a better account of 
 Cambridge, its foundations, and the historical recollec- 
 tions of its founders, than is given in Mr Gray's ode on 
 the installation of the Duke of Grafton, which it would 
 not be amiss to read with the large explanatory notes 
 that are given in the editions of Mason and Mathias.'^ 
 Lord Melbourne is very partial to Lord Hardwicke, 
 who always is and has been very civil and good-natured 
 to Lord Melbourne, and these are qualities to which 
 Lord Melbourne is not at all indifferent, Wimpole is 
 a curious place. Lord Melbourne is not exactly aware 
 
 1 See ante, pp. 367, 368. 
 
 ' Gray, the poet, who had been appointed by the Duke Professor of 
 Modern History, composed an ode (set to music by Randall) for the latter's 
 installation as Chancellor, on 1st July 1769. 
 
1843] PROPOSED VISIT TO DRAYTON MANOR 631 
 
 how the Yorkes got hold of iV There is much history 
 and more poetry connected with it. Prior* mentions 
 iu '^^P^^^edly, and always calls the first Lady Harley, 
 
 if u "f ^^^'^ °^ *^^ ^"^^ o^ Newcastle, Belphebe.^ 
 It Hardwicke should have a daughter, he should 
 christen her Belphebe. The Lady Belphebe Yorke 
 would not sound Ul. . . . 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Whitehau., 9th November 1843. 
 
 Sir, — I was greatly gratified by learning on my 
 return to London last night from Witley Court that it 
 is not improbable that Her Majesty and your Royal 
 Highness may confer the high honour of a visit to 
 Drayton INlanor towards the conclusion of the present 
 month. 
 
 I venture to think, fi-om what I saw of Witley 
 Court, that the arrangement proposed by your Royal 
 Highness will be more convenient to Her Majesty 
 than the staying at Witley Court. 
 
 I can assure your Royal Highness that nothing shall 
 be left undone by Lady Peel and me to contribute 
 to the comfort of Her Majesty and your Royal 
 Highness during your occupation of Drayton Manor, 
 and to mark our sense of the kind condescension of 
 Her Majesty and your Royal Highness in making it 
 y^our abode. 
 
 I have the honour to be, Sir, with sincere respect, 
 youv Royal Highness's most faithful and humble 
 Servant, Robert Peel. 
 
 1 The cultured but indolent Edward, Lord Harley, afterwards Earl of 
 Dxford (son of the great minister) sold Wimpole to Lord Chancellor Hard- 
 vicke in 1740 to pay off a debt of £100,000. He had married Lady Henrietta 
 [Cavendish Holies, daughter and heiress of John, Duke of Newcastle, who 
 jrought iiim £300,000, most of which he dissipated. Their only child, 
 Hargaret, the " noble lovely little Peggy " of Prior, married William Bentinck, 
 econd Duke of Portland. Lady Oxford sold to the nation the " Harleian 
 Collection " of manuscripts, now in the British Museum. 
 
 a Who died there in 1721. 
 
 » Alluding to the rarely printed poem " Colin's Mistakes,'' where " Bright 
 'a'ndish Holies Harley " is seen in the glades of Wimpole by the dreamy 
 ■outh, and mistaken for Gloriana, Belphebe, etc. 
 
632 TRAVELLING ARRANGEMENTS [chap, xn 
 
 Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert. 
 
 Whitehall, Sunday, l^th November 1843. 
 
 Sir, — I send to your Royal Highness a little book 
 which is published every month, giving very useful 
 information as to distances, or at least times, on all 
 the railways. Possibly your Royal Highness has this 
 book regularly sent to you. 
 
 I think, before Her Majesty promises a visit to 
 Witley Court, there are one or two points worthy of 
 consideration which are in favour of proposing to the 
 Queen Dowager to meet the Queen at Drayton Manor 
 first. The Queen would have to go and to return in 
 the same day. The Queen Dowager might remain 
 either one night or two nights at Drayton. Secondly, 
 the Birmingham and Derby line is not on the same 
 level with the line which goes to Droitwich (eleven 
 miles from Witley Court), and there is a little delay 
 in posting a carriage, or in passing from the lower line 
 of railway to the upper. 
 
 Thirdly, there is the passage for Her Majesty, 
 though not through Birmingham as in an ordinary 
 travelling carriage, yet in the immediate outskirts of 
 the town, and this twice in the same day. 
 
 The Corporation (which is a completely Radical 
 one) might solicit permission to present an Address to 
 Her Majesty at the station. 
 
 There would, I am sure, be nothing but demonstra- 
 tions of the greatest loyalty and attachment to Her 
 Majesty, but there would probably be a great concourse 
 of people, and some delay, if the Address were received. 
 
 Perhaps your Royal Highness will think of these 
 suggestions, which I am induced to offer by the desire 
 to foresee everything which may have a bearing upon 
 the personal comfort of the Queen. 
 
 I have the honour to be, Sir, with sincere respect, 
 your Royal Highness's most faithful and humble 
 Servant, Robert Peel. 
 
1843] THE DUCHESSE DE NEMOURS 633 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Xing' of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, Uth November 1843. 
 
 My DEAREST, KINDEST Uncle, — A long and most 
 interesting letter reached me on Sunday, dated 9th and 
 10th, and I beg to return my warmest thanks for it. The 
 confidence you show me I feel deeply and gratefully, 
 and you may rely on my discretion. Before I touch 
 upon any of the subjects in your letter, I will give 
 you news of our visitors. The dear Nemours arrived 
 safely after a good passage on Saturday, well but very 
 tired. They are now quite recovered, and we are too 
 happy to have them here. Nemours looks well, and 
 is very kind and amiable, but I think there is a 
 seriousness since poor Chartres' death which used not 
 to be formerly, though he always was reserved, and 
 that, I think, he is not now. Dearest Victoire is 
 amazingly improved and developpee — really quite 
 wonderfully so. We are all so struck by it, by her 
 good sense and by her conversation ; and with that 
 she has kept that innocence and gentleness which she 
 always had — and is so lovely, dear sweet child. I must 
 always look at her, and she, dear child, seems so pleased 
 to see me again. I find her grown, but grown very 
 thin, and she has not those bright colours she used 
 to have. All that you say of Bordeaux is just what 
 Nemours says, and what Guizot writes, and what / 
 and also Sir Robert Peel always felt and thought. 
 Aberdeen, with the greatest wish to do all that is 
 kind and right, really thought that B. was only come to 
 amuse himself, and had no idea till now that the feeling 
 in France in all the different parties was so strong. 
 You will have heard by this time that we have decided 
 not to receive B. in any way whatever. It is a pleasure 
 to hear how mildly and sensibly Nemours speaks upon 
 all these subjects, and indeed every subject. . . . 
 
 I think you did uncommonly right in what you 
 answered the poor King about the arrete in favour 
 of the Prussians, and I am very glad you have done 
 so. It will have a good effect here. 
 
634 BIRMINGHAM [chap, xn 
 
 Louise will tell you how we celebrated good Bertie's 
 birthday. The children are in great favour with the 
 Nemours. 
 
 Pray, dearest Uncle, do not forget to send me the 
 hst of Rellstab's works. We think of making another 
 little tour after the dear Nemours' departure, to Drayton 
 (Sir Robert Peel's), Chatsworth, and Bel voir. 
 
 We are very sorry to lose dear Feo and Ernest. 
 They are so good and excellent, and she is so brav. 
 
 Ever, your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 [Memorandum enclosed from Sir Robert Peel to 
 Prince Albert, about the political condition of Bir- 
 mingham, which the Prince was intending to visit. ^ 
 
 The Mayor is a hosier — of extreme political 
 opinions — in fact a Chartist. 
 
 The contest for the office of Mayor was between 
 him and a man of Radical opinions, but Chartism 
 prevailed. 
 
 The Mayor has taken a violent part, before his 
 Mayoralty, against Church Rates, and in reference to 
 the state of Ireland. 
 
 The Conservative party took no part whatever in 
 the Municipal Elections, and would not vote. 
 
 They would, if invited or permitted by the Mayor 
 and Town Council, cordially co-operate with men of 
 opposite opinions in any mark of respect to the Prince. 
 
 No probability of any tumult or of any demon- 
 stration but one of respect personally towards the 
 Prince, if his visit be clearly and manifestly unconnected 
 with politics. 
 
 An immense concourse of people must be expected, 
 not only from Birmingham, but Wolverhampton, 
 Walsall, and all the neighbouring towns, and previous 
 police arrangements must be very carefully made. 
 
 There may be a proposal of a collation and of an 
 Address, to be received in the Town Hall. 
 
I8i3i ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE VISIT 635 
 
 Should not the Lord Lieutenant (Lord Warwick) 
 have notice ? 
 
 Is the Mayor to accompany the Prince in the same 
 carriage ? * 
 
 The Mayor has no carriage. 
 
 No communication should be made to any party in 
 Birmingham, except to the municipal authorities, not- 
 withstanding their poUtical bias and extreme opinions. 
 
 The late Mayor, Mr. James, though a Radical, 
 would have summoned the leading men of different 
 parties. 
 
 Doubts as to whether the present Mayor would, or 
 whether he would not, place the whole arrangement in 
 the hands of the party with which he is connected. 
 
 This risk must be incurred, as communications to 
 other parties would not be advisable. 
 
 The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Foreign Office, \st December 1843. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen presents his humble duty to your 
 Majesty. He has not yet received any communication 
 from the Due de L^vis, notwithstanding he had been 
 led to expect it, from a notice repeatedly conveyed to 
 him to that effect. It seems probable that in conse- 
 quence of what the Due de L^vis may have heard, 
 as well as from the course pursued by the friends of 
 the Due de Bordeaux, Lord Aberdeen may not now 
 see him at all. Should this be the case, Lord Aberdeen 
 is rather inclined to regret it; as although he would 
 formerly have seen him with some reluctance, he would 
 now be glad to have an opportunity of expressing his 
 sentiments very plainly respecting the proceedings of 
 the Prince and his adherents in this country. 
 
 Lord Aberdeen understands from Sir Robert Peel 
 that your Majesty would like to be informed of any 
 particulars connected with the Lev^e lately held by the 
 Due de Bordeaux. Lord Aberdeen would willingly 
 communicate these particulars, but in reahty there is 
 
 > This was the course adopted. 
 
636 CANADIAN SEAT OF GOVERNMENT [chap, xn 
 
 very little to be added to the official accounts con- 
 tained in the Morning Post, which it is obvious are 
 inserted by authority. He saw M. de Ste. Aulaire 
 this morning, who was a good deal excited by what 
 has taken place, and has written very fully to Paris ; 
 but he knew nothing more than he had seen in the 
 newspapers. 
 
 It may perhaps be worth mentioning to your 
 Majesty that at the presentation of the Address to 
 M. Chateaubriand^ on Friday, the cries of "Vive le Roi ! " 
 and " Vive Henri V. ! " were so loud as to be distinctly 
 audible in the Square. Lord . Aberdeen understands 
 that this enthusiasm has been the cause of serious dif- 
 ferences amongst many of those who had come to 
 pay their respects to the Due de Bordeaux, a large 
 portion of whom are by no means disposed to recognise 
 him as King during the life of the Due d'Angoul#me.^ 
 
 Lord Aberdeen cannot learn that any other mem- 
 ber of the Diplomatic Body has been presented to the 
 Due de Bordeaux, and does not believe that any such 
 presentation has taken place. Indeed there appears 
 to be a general disinclination that such should be the 
 case ; although some of them feel considerable difficulty 
 in consequence of the relationship existing between 
 their Sovereigns and the Prince. 
 
 Queen Victoria to Lord Stanley. 
 
 Chatsworth, Zrd December 1843. 
 
 The Queen approves of Lord Stanley's proposed 
 Draft to Sir Charles Metcalfe.^ This question can in 
 no way be settled without giving offisnce to one part 
 of the country ; the Queen, however, hopes that the 
 fixing upon Montreal as the seat of Government will 
 hereafter be considered as fair by impartial minds. Sir 
 Charles continues to show great discretion and firmness 
 in his most arduous and unsatisfactory situation, and 
 deserves much praise and encouragement. 
 
 I Fran9ois, Vicomte de Chateaubriand (1768-1848), a great supporter of the 
 Bourbons and made a peer in 1815. He was Ambassador in London in 1893. 
 a Eldest son of Charles X. 
 ' Governor-General of Canada. 
 
^^*^1 CHATSWORTH 
 
 637 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Belvoib Castle, ith December 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Being much hurried, I can 
 only write you a few hnes to thank you for your 
 kind letter of the 29th, received this morning. You 
 wiU have heard from Louise the account of our stay 
 at JJrayton (which is a very nice house), and of Albert's 
 brimant reception at Birmingham. We arrived 
 at Chatsworth on Friday, and left it at nine this 
 mormng, quite charmed and delighted with everything 
 there. Splendour and comfort are so admirably 
 eombmed, and the Duke does everything so well. 
 I found many improvements since I was there eleven 
 years ago. The conservatory is out and out the 
 finest thing imaginable of its kind. It is one mass 
 of glass, 64 feet high, 300 long, and 134 wide.^ The 
 grounds, with all the woods and cascades and fountains, 
 are so beautiful too. The first evening there was a 
 ball, and the next the cascades and fountains were 
 illuminated, which had a beautiful effect. There was 
 a large party there, including many of the Duke's 
 family, the Bedfords, Buccleuchs, the Duke of 
 Wellington, the Normanbys, Lord Melbourne (who 
 is much better), and the Beauvales. We arrived here 
 at half -past two, we perform our journey so 
 deHghtfuUy on the railroad, s6 quickly and easily. 
 It puts me in mind of our dear stay in Belgium, 
 when we stop at the various stations. 
 
 Albert is going out hunting to-morrow, which I 
 wish was over, but I am assured that the country 
 is much better than the Windsor country. 
 
 The Due de Bordeaux's proceedings in London 
 are most highly improper. 
 
 The Queen Dowager is also here. 
 
 1 It was built by Mr Joseph Paxton, then Superintendent of the Gardens, 
 whose intelligence had attracted the Duke of Devonshire's attention. In 1850 
 he was the successful competitor for the Great Exhibition building, and was 
 knighted on its completion. He superintended its re-erection at Sydenham, 
 and afterwards became M.P. for Coventry. 
 
638 PRINCE ALBERT WITH THE HOUNDS [chap, xn 
 
 We leave this place on Thursday for home, which, 
 I own, I shaU be glad of at last. Ever your devoted 
 Niece, Victokia R. 
 
 The Princess Hohenlohe to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Langenburg, 10*^ December 1843. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — . . . You ask in your 
 letter about the manner in which my children say 
 their prayers ? They say it when in their beds, but not 
 kneeling ; how absurd to find that necessary, as if it 
 could have anything to do with making our prayers 
 more acceptable to the Almighty or more holy. How 
 really clever people can have those notions I don't 
 understand. I am sorry it is the case there, where 
 there is so much good and, I am certain, real piety. 
 Dear Pussy learning her letters I should like to see 
 and hear ; I am sure she will learn them very quick. 
 Has Bertie not learned some more words and sentences 
 during your absence ? . . . Your attached and devoted 
 sister, Feodoiia. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, I'ith December 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — I thank you much for your 
 kind letter of the 7th, which I received as usual on 
 Sunday. Louise will be able to tell you how well 
 the remainder of our journey went off, and how well 
 Albert's hunting answered.^ One can hardly credit 
 the absurdity of people here, but Albert's riding so 
 boldly and hardy has made such a sensation that it 
 has been written all over the country, and they make 
 much more of it than if he had done some great act ! 
 
 It rather disgusts one, but still it had done, and 
 does, good, for it has put an end to all impertinent 
 sneering for the future about Albert's riding. This 
 journey has done great good, and my beloved Angel 
 in particular has had the greatest success; for instance, 
 at Birmingham the good his visit has done has been 
 
 1 The Prince hunted with the Belvoir hounds on the Sth. 
 
1843] Tjjj, j5U(. jjj, BORDEAUX 639 
 
 immense, for Albert spoke to all these manufacturers 
 *"ri u^ »«'« language, which they did not expect, 
 and these poor people have only been accustomed to 
 near demagogues and Chartists. 
 
 We cannot understand how you can think the 
 country about Chatsworth not pretty, for it is (with 
 the exception of the moors) beautiful, wooded hUls, 
 and valleys and rapid streams. The country round 
 Belvoir I do not admire, but the view from the 
 castle IS very fine and extensive, and Albert says 
 puts him so in mind of the Kalenberg. . . . 
 
 Pray, have you heard anything about Aumale's 
 plans ? Dear little Gaston seems much better. 
 
 The Due de Bordeaux has been informed of my 
 and the Government's extreme displeasure at their 
 conduct ; they say there shall be no more such 
 displays. He was to leave London yesterday, only 
 to return again for a day, and then to leave England 
 altogether. 
 
 With Albert's love, ever, dearest Uncle, your most 
 devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria. 
 
 Laeeek, ISth December 1843. 
 
 My dearest Victoria, — I am most happy to 
 see that your journey passed so well, and trust you 
 are not sorry to be again in your very dear and com- 
 fortable home, and with your dear children. People 
 are very strange, and their great delight is to find 
 fault with their fellow creatures ; what harm could 
 it have done them if Albert had not hunted at all? 
 and still I have no doubt that his having hunted well 
 and boldly has given more satisfaction than if he had 
 done Heaven knows what praiseworthy deed ; aind est 
 et sera le monde. 
 
 I am glad also that the Birmingham course suc- 
 ceeded so well; the theme had been for some years, 
 particularly amongst manufacturers, that Royalty was 
 useless and ignorant, and that the greatest blessing 
 
640 AMERICAN VIEW OF MONARCHY [chap, xn 
 
 would be, to manufacture beyond measure, and to 
 have an American form of Government, with an elective 
 head of State. 
 
 Fortunately, there has always hitherto been in 
 England a very aristocratic feeling, freely accepted 
 by the people who like it, and show that they like 
 it. ... I was much amused, some time ago, by a very 
 rich and influential American from New York assur- 
 ing me that they stood in great need of a Government 
 which was able to grant protection to property, and 
 that the feeling of many was for Monarchy instead of 
 the misrule of mobs, as they had it, and that he wished 
 very much some branch of the Coburg family might 
 be disposable for such a place. Qu'en dites vous, is 
 not this flattering? . . . 
 
 There is nothing very remarkable going on, besides 
 I mean to write again on some subjects. Give my 
 best love to Albert, and Pussy who may remember 
 me perhaps, and I remain ever, my beloved Victoria, 
 your devoted Uncle, Leopold R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians. 
 
 Windsor Castle, \Sth, December 1843. 
 
 My dearest Uncle, — Your kind and dear letter 
 of the 15th, written in your true wit and humour, 
 reached me on Sunday and gave me great pleasure. 
 We have had also most wonderfully mild weather, 
 but / think very disagreeable and unseasonable ; it 
 always makes me so bilious. The young folks are 
 very flourishing and prosperous. Pussette knowing 
 all her letters, and even beginning to read a little. 
 When I mentioned your birthday to her, she said, " I 
 cried when I saw Uncle Leopold," which was the case 
 I am sorry to say the first time she saw you this 
 year. . . . 
 
 I don't believe that the white flag on the house at 
 Belgrave Square^ is true. Lord Melbourne and the 
 Beauvales were here for three nights ; and it was a 
 
 1 The house occupied by the Due de Bordeaux. 
 
1843] PRINCE METTERNICH AND SPAIN 641 
 
 pleasure to see Lord Melbourne so much himself again ; 
 the first evening he was a good deal excited and talked 
 and laughed as of old ; the two other evenings he was 
 in the quite silent mood, which he often used to be 
 in formerly, and really quite himself, and there was 
 hardly any strangeness at all. Lady Beauvale is really 
 a very very, charming person, and so attentive and 
 kind to both her husband and Lord Melbourne. Our 
 little chapel here (which is extremely pretty) is to be 
 consecrated this morning, and Lady Douro comes 
 into Waiting for, the first time. To-morrow Mama 
 gives us a dinner. Poor Lord Lynedoch * is, I fear, 
 dying, and Lord Grey is so bad he cannot last long.^ 
 Ever your devoted Niece, Victoria R. 
 
 Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen. 
 
 WiNDSon Castle, 28<A December 1843. 
 
 The Queen has been much amused to see by Sir 
 Robert Gordon's despatch of the 15th, the extreme 
 fright of Prince Metternich at the proposed marriage 
 of Queen Isabel with Count Trapani,^ but she regrets 
 that Sir Robert tried to make excuses for the conduct 
 we have pursued which the Queen thinks requires no 
 apology. 
 
 1 Thomas, Lord Lynedoch, had died the previous day, aged ninety-five. He 
 highly distinguished himself in the Peninsula and in Holland, and received 
 the thanks of Parliament, and a peerage in 1814. 
 
 2 He died in July 1845. 
 
 ' See ante, p. 609, note 2. 
 
 The University Press, Cambridge, U. SLA.