The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 7

Believe me always, my dearest Uncle, your very affectionate and most grateful Niece,

VICTORIA.

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

KENSINGTON PALACE, _2nd February 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 delighted 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[19] 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.

[Footnote 19: Marie de Rabutin Chantal, Marquise de Sevigne, 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 correspondence with her on which her reputation chiefly rests. She died in 1696, and the letters were first published in 1726.]

[Pageheading: THE PRINCESS'S CONFIRMATION]

[Pageheading: HONESTY AND SINCERITY]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

CAMP OF BEVERLOO (in the North of the Province of Limburg), _3rd August 1835._

MY DEAR LOVE,--By your Mother's letter of the 31st ult^o., I learned of the serious and important action in your young life[20] which has pa.s.sed recently, and I cannot let it pa.s.s without saying some words on the subject. I am perhaps rather strangely situated for a 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 all, let me congratulate you that it pa.s.sed happily 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 knowledge of our own heart in _real humility_. _Hypocrisy_ is a besetting sin of all 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 _more_ 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 yourself, my dear love, against this system; let your dear character always be true and loyal; this does not _exclude prudence_--worldly concerns are now unfortunately 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 G.o.d's pleasure that you should once[21] fill the arduous situation to which you seem destined, you will find the importance of 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 still 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 G.o.d 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.

[Footnote 20: The Princess was confirmed at the Chapel Royal, on 30th July 1835.]

[Footnote 21: King Leopold not infrequently 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.]

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 first-rate 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, t.i.thes, Munic.i.p.al Corporations, and such matters; the Marriage Act, and the Act for the Registration 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 establis.h.i.+ng a military empire was made by Louis Bonaparte 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 pa.s.sing an important Munic.i.p.al Act for Belgium caused King Leopold temporarily to regret 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 agreed 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 friends.h.i.+p 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 first husband, the Duc 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 recognised 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 Christinos, 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 (afterwards Sir de Lacy) Evans, landed at San Sebastian in August to a.s.sist 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, a.s.sisted by Mendizabal. The Christino cause did not much advance during the year.

CHAPTER V

1836

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

_4th 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[1] has still a very bad cold; change of air is likely 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.

[Footnote 1: The Queen's first cousin, Prince Ferdinand (son of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, who was brother of the d.u.c.h.ess of Kent and the King of the Belgians), aged nineteen, who married the Queen of Portugal on 9th April. He was at this time visiting the King of the Belgians on his way to Portugal.]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

KENSINGTON PALACE, _7th 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! it would have been dreadful for me and for all your relations to be thus, as it were, cut off from almost all intercourse! 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, _29th 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[2] himself leaves our sh.o.r.es 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 goodwill, 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 all parties, for _I_ have even _heard_ from some great Tories themselves that there was a great feeling _for_ him in this country.

[Footnote 2: See _ante_, p. 45. (Ch. V, Footnote 1).

He had latterly been visiting the d.u.c.h.ess of Kent.]