The Letters of Queen Victoria, Volume 1 (of 3), 1837 to 1843)

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Lord Melbourne has no doubt that your Majesty's assurance is well
founded, and that the present Government 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.[5] Lord Melbourne will take care and say nothing about
Brighton, but is glad to hear that your Majesty is going thither.

[Footnote 4: 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.]

[Footnote 5: The late Lord Granville and his first wife,
only child of the Duc de Dalberg, and widow of Sir Ferdinand
Acton.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _18th 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 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 otherwise; I am growing thinner, and there is a want of
tone, which the sea may correct.

Albert's great _fonction_[6] yesterday went off beautifully, 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.

[Footnote 6: The Prince laid the foundation stone of the new
Royal Exchange.]

[Pageheading: THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON]

_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.

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _22nd 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[7]
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.

[Footnote 7: Frederick Wilham IV., King of Prussia.]

[Pageheading: THE SLAVE TRADE]

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria._

_28th January 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.[8] 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 considerable 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 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.

[Footnote 8: The treaty conferred a mutual right of search.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _1st February 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.[9] 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 degree, 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[10] 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.

[Footnote 9: A favourite greyhound of the Prince, accidentally
shot by Prince Ferdinand. _See_ King Leopold's letter, 4th
February.]

[Footnote 10: This letter is not preserved among the Queen's
papers.]

[Pageheading: THE KING OF PRUSSIA]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _1st February 1842._

MY DEAR UNCLE,--I 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!) behaved so well. The King left us yesterday morning
to go to town, where we follow 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 somewhat knocked
up by our great exertions.

Uncle Ferdinand is very well, and we are delighted with dear
Leopold;[11] he is so much improved, and is such a modest, sensible
boy.

I can't say much for poor Gusti,[12] 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,

VICTORIA R.

We were grieved to hear Papa had been so ill.

[Footnote 11: Son of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, and
brother of the King of Portugal, afterwards a candidate for
the hand of Queen Isabella of Spain. See _post_, p. 487.
(Ch. XII, Footnote 54)]

[Footnote 12: Prince Augustus, afterwards married to the
Princess Clementine, daughter of King Louis Philippe.]

[Pageheading: THE KING OF PRUSSIA]

[Pageheading: BETROTHAL OF PRINCE ERNEST]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _4th February 1842._

MY DEAR VICTORIA,--Thousand thanks for your kind letter of the 1st,
which I received yesterday.

The King of Prussia is a very delightful person;[13] 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! 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 befell 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 family. Ernest
has then been going on fast enough; all I hear of the lady is very
satisfactory.[14] 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.

[Footnote 13: 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 subscribe 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 his
projects are generous, and he wishes to do what is right."]

[Footnote 14: He married the Princess Alexandrina of Baden on
3rd May 1842.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _8th February 1842._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I thank you _de tout mon c[oe]ur_ 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,"[15] 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 Alexandrina 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 full 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.

[Footnote 15: The King of Holland. _See_ King Leopold's letter
of 4th February.]

[Pageheading: CHRISTENING OF PRINCE OF WALES]

_Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria._

MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, _5th February 1842._

MY DEAR NIECE,--I thank you a thousand times for your kind letter,
just received, and am delighted 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
every one, 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!--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?

_Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._

WHITEHALL, _14th February, Monday Night._ (_Half-past_ 1 A.M.)

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 friends 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.

[Pageheading: PEEL AND PRINCE ALBERT]

_Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert._

WHITEHALL, _15th February(?) 1842._

SIR,--When I had the honour of last seeing your Royal Highness at
Windsor Castle, I stated to your Royal Highness that it would give
me great satisfaction 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.

They may probably be interesting to your Royal Highness, and if your
Royal Highness should encourage me to do so, I will, 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 goodwill 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.

[Pageheading: AFGHANISTAN]

_Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci to Queen Victoria._

INDIA BOARD, _1st 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.[16]

Although the Governor-General's despatch announcing 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 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 Fitzgerald 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 your 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.

[Footnote 16: _See_ Introductory Note, _ante_, pp. 254, 370.
(Intro Note to Ch. X; Intro Note to Ch. XI)]

[Pageheading: A MARINE EXCURSION]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._

PAVILION, _4th March 1842._

The Queen thanks Lord Melbourne for his kind letter, received the day
before yesterday, by which 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 bord
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!
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.

Was not his father drowned at Spithead or Portsmouth?[17]

The Queen hopes to hear that Lord Melbourne is very well.

[Footnote 17: "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 Royston,
was drowned in the year 1807 in the Baltic, at Cronstadt"
[according to Burke in 1808, off Lubeck, _aet._ twenty-three],
"which event, together with the death of two younger sons of
Lord Hardwicke, gave the earldom ultimately to the present
Lord."]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

PAVILION, _7th 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.

[Pageheading: THE FALL OF CABUL]

_Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci to Queen Victoria._

_10th 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
intelligence 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.