The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Iii Part 109

We went that afternoon (16th) to Frogmore, where we slept. The first evening was terribly trying, and I must say quite overpowered me for a short time; _all_ looked _like life_, and yet _she_ was not there! But I got calmer; the very fact of being surrounded by all she liked, and of seeing the dear pretty house inhabited again, was a satisfaction, and the next morning was beautiful, and we went after breakfast with wreaths up to the Mausoleum, and into the vault which is _a plain-pied_, and so pretty--so airy--_so_ grand and simple, that, affecting as it is, there was no anguish or bitterness of grief, but calm repose! We placed the wreaths upon the splendid granite sarcophagus, and at its feet, and _felt_ that _only_ the _earthly robe_ we loved so much was there. The pure, tender, loving spirit _which loved us_ so tenderly, is above us--loving us, praying for us, and _free_ from _all_ suffering and woe--_yes_, that _is_ a _comfort_, and that _first birthday_ in _another_ world must have been a _far_ brighter one than _any_ in this poor world below! I only grieve _now_ that we should be going so far away from Frogmore, as I long to go there; only Alice and dear Augusta Bruce[31](who feels as a daughter of hers) went with us. The morning was so beautiful, and the garden _so_ lovely!...

The news from Austria are very sad, and make one very anxious. The King of Sweden is full of wild notions put into his head by the Emperor Napoleon, for whom he has the greatest admiration!...

It is high time I should end my long letter. With Albert's affectionate love, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 31: Lady Augusta Bruce, who bad been living with the d.u.c.h.ess of Kent at the time of her death, was appointed by the Queen to be her resident Bedchamber Woman.]

[Pageheading: VISIT TO IRELAND]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

VICE-REGAL LODGE, PHOENIX PARK, _26th August 1861_.

MY BELOVED UNCLE,--_Not_ to miss your messenger I write a few hurried lines to thank you for your two dear letters of the 16th and the 22nd, the last of which I received yesterday morning here.... Would to G.o.d that affairs in Hungary took a favourable turn--_mais j'en ai bien peur_. We had a very good pa.s.sage on Wednesday night, since which it has blown very hard. We left Osborne on Wednesday morning (21st) at quarter to nine, and anch.o.r.ed in Kingstown Bay at half-past eleven that night. The next day (22nd) we landed at eleven and came here, and it rained the whole day. On Sat.u.r.day we all went over to the camp, where there was a field-day. It is a fine _emplacement_ with beautiful turf. We had two cooling showers. Bertie marched past with his company, and did not look at all so very small.

Yesterday was again a very bad day. I have felt weak and very nervous, and so low at times; I think _so_ much of dearest mamma, and miss her love and interest and solicitude _dreadfully_; I feel as if we were no longer cared for, and miss writing to her and telling her everything, dreadfully. At the Review they played one of her marches, which entirely upset me.

Good Lord Carlisle[32] is most kind and amiable, and so much beloved.

We start for Killarney at half-past twelve. This is the _dearest of days_, and one which fills my heart with love, grat.i.tude, and emotion.

G.o.d bless and protect for ever my beloved Albert--the purest and best of human beings! We miss our four little ones and baby sadly, but have our four eldest (except poor Vicky) with us.

Now good-bye, dearest Uncle. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 32: Lord Carlisle was Viceroy in both the administrations of Lord Palmerston; as Lord Morpeth he had been Chief Secretary in the Melbourne Government.]

_Queen Victoria to Earl Canning._

BALMORAL, _9th September 1861_.

The Queen has not heard of Lord Canning for some time, but is happy to hear indirectly that he is well, and that everything is going on well under his admirable administration.

It is most gratifying to the Queen to see how peaceful her Indian Dominions are, and considering the very alarming state of affairs during the years 1857, '58, and even '59, it must be a source of unbounded satisfaction and pride to Lord Canning to witness this state of prosperity at the end of his Government.

As Lord Canning will now soon return to England, the Queen is anxious to offer him the Rangers.h.i.+p of the Park at Blackheath, with the house which dear Lord Aberdeen had for some years, hoping that he might find it acceptable and agreeable from its vicinity to London.[33]

[Footnote 33: Lord Aberdeen had died on the 14th of December 1860.]

[Pageheading: THE ORLEANS PRINCES]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _17th October 1861_.

MY BELOVED VICTORIA,--Receive my sincerest thanks for your dear letter of the 14th, which arrived very exactly. I am so happy to see all the good which your stay in the Highlands has done you, and I am sure it will be _lasting_, though Windsor must have the effect of reviving strongly some feelings.... When one looks back on those times, one must say that they were full of difficulties, and one ought to feel very grateful that such a happy present has grown out of them. I regret much Paris and Robert[34] having joined the Federal Army, mixing in a civil war!! The object is to show courage, to be able to say: "_Ils se sont beaucoup distingues_." They have a chance of being shot for Abraham Lincoln and the most rank Radicalism. I don't think that step will please in France, where Radicalism is at discount fortunately. The poor Queen is very unhappy about it, but now nothing can be done, only one may wish to see them well out of it. Poor Queen!

constantly new events painful to her a.s.sail her. I had rather a kind letter from the Emperor Napoleon about the state of Mexico. I fear he will find his wishes to see there a stable Government not much liked in England, though his plans are _not_ for any advantage France is to derive from it. To-morrow we go to Liege to be in readiness for the following day. The King William III.[35] will arrive for dinner, stay the night, and go very early on Sunday. He will be extremely well received here, his _procede_ being duly appreciated. To be very civilly received in a country which one was heir to, is rather _un peu penible_, and one feels a little awkward.... Your devoted and only Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 34: The Comte de Paris and the Duc de Chartres, sons of the Duc d'Orleans, eldest son of King Louis Philippe.]

[Footnote 35: The King of Holland.]

[Pageheading: THE COURT OF HANOVER]

_The d.u.c.h.ess of Manchester[36] to Queen Victoria._

HANOVER [_Undated. October 1861_].

MADAM,--Though your Majesty has only very lately seen the Princess Royal, I cannot refrain from addressing your Majesty, as I am sure your Majesty will be pleased to hear how well Her Royal Highness was looking during the Man[oe]uvres on the Rhine, and how much she seems to be beloved, not only by all those who know her, but also by those who have only seen and heard of her. The English could not help feeling proud of the way the Princess Royal was spoken of, and the high esteem she is held in. For one so young it is a most flattering position, and certainly as the Princess's charm of manner and her kind unaffected words had in that short time won her the hearts of all the officers and strangers present, one was not astonished at the praise the Prussians themselves bestow on Her Royal Highness. The Royal Family is so large, and their opinions politically and socially sometimes so different, that it must have been very difficult indeed at first for the Princess Royal, and people therefore cannot praise enough the high principles, great discretion, sound judgment, and cleverness Her Royal Highness has invariably displayed.

Your Majesty would have been amused to hear General Wrangel[37] tell at the top of his voice how delighted the soldiers were to see the Princess on horseback, and the interest she showed for them. What pleased them specially was to see Her Royal Highness ride without a veil--such an odd thing in soldiers to remark. The King of Prussia is looking very well, but the Queen I thought very much altered. Her Majesty looks very pale and tired, and has such a painful drawn look about the mouth. How the Queen will be able to go through all the fatigues of the Coronation I do not know, as Her Majesty already complained of being tired, and knocked up by the man[oe]vres and dinners, and had to go to Mentz for a few days to rest herself.

Their Majesties' kindness was very great, and the Duke told me of the extreme hospitality with which they were entertained. Every one, high and low, were rivalling each other in civility and friendliness towards the strangers, especially the English, and one really felt quite ashamed of those wanton attacks the _Times_ always makes on Prussia, and which are read and copied into all the Prussian papers.

The last night all the officers dined together. General Forey put himself into the President's place and insisted, to the exclusion of Lord Clyde, who was by far the senior officer, and who was expected to do it, on proposing the health of the King, the Royal Family, the Army, and Nation. Not content with doing it in French, he drew out of his pocket a doc.u.ment written for him in German, for he did not know the language, and read it with the most extraordinary p.r.o.nunciation.

The English officers all admired the way the Germans kept their countenance notwithstanding the absurdity of the exhibition.

On the 21st they have had great doings here at Hanover. I hear that to the astonishment of everybody the Queen appeared at the _Enthullung_, where all other people were _en grande tenue_, in a little small round hat with a lilac feather. Her Maids of Honour--she has only one now besides that English Miss Stewart--were ordered to wear hats to keep Her Majesty in countenance. I wonder if your Majesty has read the speech the King has addressed to his people on the occasion of the _Enthullung_ and the Crown Prince's birthday. It cannot fail to excite the greatest pity that such things, however well meant, should be written. Has your Majesty also heard of the pamphlet that has been published here called _Das Welfe_--that name Welfe is quite an _idee fixe_ of the King now, and he brings it in on every occasion, and this pamphlet is written throwing the whole idea into ridicule, and beginning with the last years of the late King's reign. The Crown Prince[38] is very much liked, but, unfortunately, his new tutor will probably also leave very shortly--he has no authority over him, the Prince still regretting M. de Issendorf. Besides, he is not allowed to exercise his judgment in the smallest way--the King going on the principle that a King only can educate a King. The reason the other tutor left, or was dismissed, was partly on account of his remonstrating against the religious instructions, which were carried so far that the Prince had hardly any time left to learn other things. Besides the Prince, who dislikes the clergyman, had drawn a caricature, to which the man very much gives himself, and the King thought M. de Issendorf had known of it, which turned out not to be the case.... I have the honour to remain, your Majesty's most obedient and devoted Servant and Subject,

LOUISE MANCHESTER.

[Footnote 36: Louise Frederica Augusta, wife of the seventh Duke of Manchester, and Mistress of the Robes. She was daughter of the Count von Alten of Hanover, and is now Dowager d.u.c.h.ess of Devons.h.i.+re.]

[Footnote 37: The Queen had met General von Wrangel at Babelsberg in August 1858. "He is seventy-six," she wrote, "and a great character." He had commanded a division in the Danish war of 1848, and it had fallen to him in the same year, as Commandant of the troops, to dissolve the Berlin a.s.sembly by force.]

[Footnote 38: Prince Ernest Augustus, born 1845; the present Duke of c.u.mberland.]

[Pageheading: CORONATION OF KING OF PRUSSIA]