The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 21

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 different opinion last year; but his fear of being drawn too far, like a man whose clothes get caught by a steam-engine, is natural enough. His dislike to the ultra-Liberals in the Peninsula is also very natural, because they uphold principles of Government which render Monarchy impossible, and the application of which to France would be the ruin of the King. England, from the peculiarity of its position, can do many things which in France would upset everything.... I must close my letter, and shall answer yours to-morrow. G.o.d bless you! Ever, my dearest Victoria, your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 71: French Premier and Foreign Secretary.]

[Footnote 72: 1830.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

PAVILION, 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 communicate to you part of the contents of a letter of Lord Granville's which we received yesterday. Lord Granville complains a good deal of Mole,[73] 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 Granville 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 Mole tells _our_ Amba.s.sador; this differs from what he told _you_. What you say about Louis Philippe I am sure is very true; his situation is a very peculiar and a very difficult one....

[Footnote 73: See _ante_, p. 93. (Ch. VI, Footnote 71)]

[Pageheading: THE FRENCH IN AFRICA]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

TRIANON, _27th October 1837._

... Political matters I shall not touch upon to-day; there is nothing very particular except the taking of Constantin.[74] The Duc de Nemours has greatly distinguished himself. I am sorry to see that in England people are sometimes _sufficiently 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 _pet.i.te guerre_ with the natives, which is the very thing that will do them good.

[Footnote 74: The French losses amounted to 19 officers and 86 men killed, with 38 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.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _19th November 1837._

... Now, dearest Uncle, before I 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 _circ.u.mstances_ of the _moment_ that we cannot say what we should do. You know, dear Uncle, that the fleet has orders to protect the King and Queen in case they should be in any personal danger. As to Lord Howard,[75] though what you say about him is true enough, it would not do to recall him at present; it would give Bois le Comte[76]

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'[77] conduct has been, I fear, much misrepresented, 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 _most friendly_ terms with her, and to co-operate with her.

[Footnote 75: Lord Howard de Walden, British Minister at Lisbon.]

[Footnote 76: French Minister at Madrid.]

[Footnote 77: British Minister at Madrid, afterwards fourth Earl of Clarendon, and twice Foreign Secretary.]

[Pageheading: CLOSE OF THE SESSION]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _25th December 1837._

MY DEAREST 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 Sat.u.r.day to the House of Lords to give my a.s.sent 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.

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._[78]

LAEKEN, _26th December 1837._

MY DEAREST CHILD,--You were _somewhat irritable_ when you wrote to me!... 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 gentleman to his Uncle Mensdorff[79] for three months, would give him so much time for some _manly accomplishments_, 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 all agitated; these topics are very rarely touched upon; besides, Albert is clever, and it is not at the eleventh hour that anybody 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....

[Footnote 78: This letter refers to the course of study which Prince Albert was about to pursue.]

[Footnote 79: Count Emmanuel de Mensdorff-Pouilly, who married, in 1804, Sophia, Princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.]

[Pageheading: CANADA]

_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[80] consenting to remain until Whitsuntide. This is inconvenient enough, but the delay relieves your present embarra.s.sment upon this head, and puts off changes until a period of the Session when public affairs will be more decisively settled.

Lord Melbourne is sorry to have to inform your Majesty that there was a good deal of difference of opinion yesterday in the Cabinet upon the affairs of Canada.[81] 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 will be come to without serious difference.

[Footnote 80: 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.]

[Footnote 81: See Introductory Note, p. 56. (to Ch. VI)]