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

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[Pageheading: REVOLUTION AT LISBON]

[Pageheading: THE PRINCESS'S NAME]

_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 all 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!

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 _apercu_ 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,[15] and how sorry I was to see
by the letter you wrote me, that you were still unaware of it on the
18th. Mamma received a letter from Lord Palmerston yesterday morning,
which she has sent you, and which is consolatory, I think. He speaks
in the highest terms 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[16] wrote Mamma a most desponding letter, so much so,
that had we not got Lord Palmerston's letter we must have thought
all, all was over.[17] 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 Mamma that the country, having been accustomed
to hear me called Victoria, had become used to it, _enfin_, _liked
it_, and therefore, to my great delight, the idea of a change was
given up.[18]

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 jealous_, _envious_ people. _En revanche_, I enclose a
paragraph from a speech of O'Connell's[19] I think worth your reading.

Pray, dearest Uncle, say everything 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 little man are
well.

Believe me, always, your most devoted and affectionately attached
Niece,

VICTORIA.

[Footnote 15: Prince Ferdinand was appointed
Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese army on the advice of
the Duc 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 Dom 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.]

[Footnote 16: 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.]

[Footnote 17: 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.]

[Footnote 18: In the course of the debate (3rd August 1831)
on Lord Althorp's proposition to add L10,000 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. 591, 654 _et seq._]

[Footnote 19: Probably that on the Irish Church Question at
the General (formerly "Catholic") Association, Dublin.]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

CLAREMONT, _5th December 1836._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--... I have begun since a few days Lord Clive's
Life, by Sir John Malcolm,[20] which is very interesting, as it gives
much insight into the affairs of India, over parts of which, I fear,
it would be well to throw a _veil_. I am reading it by myself, _et je
vous le recommande_....

[Footnote 20: 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 opposition 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 retirement 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 O'Connell 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 L385,000 as against L510,000 in
the late reign (of which L75,000, 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 rebellion. The course which events would take in Upper Canada
was for a time doubtful. Sir Francis Head, the Governor, placed his
regular troops at the service of Lord Gosford, preferring to rely on
the militia. This unusual action was successful, but was 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 Tafna with
Abd-el-Kader, but negotiations for a similar agreement with Achmet Bey
were less successful, and operations were continued 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 conjunction 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 Christinos, 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 Constitution of 1833, an
action which, imperfect and open to criticism though the Constitution
was, naturally aroused anxiety among the supporters of representative
institutions throughout Europe.

CHAPTER VI

1837

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

_16th January 1837._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,-- ... We saw Van de Weyer[1] 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_[2] who poison her ears,
and fetter all her actions; poor soul! she is _much_ to be pitied.
About Lavradio[3] 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 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....[4]

[Footnote 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.]

[Footnote 2: _I.e._ a clique.]

[Footnote 3: 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.]

[Footnote 4: 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.]

[Pageheading: SPAIN AND PORTUGAL]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

_23rd January 1837._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,-- ... The affairs of the Peninsula are indeed very
distressing,[5] and what you tell me in your letter of the 20th, as
also in the former one, is highly interesting and, alas! but too true.
I trust, not withstanding what you say, I may yet live to see Spain
and Portugal settled. But I greatly fear that the time is far distant.

Do you know Mendizabal?[6] I saw him at our house in 1835. Alava[7]
presented 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 the Queen of Spain[8] 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?[9] Poor, good Donna Maria! I feel
much for her; her education was one of the worst that 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.[10]

I thank you much for the list of the ball of the 18th, which must
have been very splendid. The last ball _I_ 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
singing-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 Uncle, could you join us, how
delightful that would be! How I should delight in singing with you all
our favourite things from _La Gazza_, _Otello_, _Il Barbiere_, etc.,
etc.

The little Cousin[11] must be a little love: 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.

[Footnote 5: Some interesting observations on these events may
be read in Borrow's _Bible in Spain_.]

[Footnote 6: Don Juan Alvarez y Mendizabal (1790-1853),
Spanish politician and financier.]

[Footnote 7: 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.]

[Footnote 8: The Queen Regent, Christina.]

[Footnote 9: Then six years old; she died in 1904.]

[Footnote 10: This was in 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.]

[Footnote 11: Leopold, born in 1835, afterwards Duke of
Brabant, the present King of the Belgians.]

[Pageheading: PARLIAMENTARY LANGUAGE]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

CLAREMONT, _30th 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,[12] made a most violent speech at a dinner given
to him and old George Byng[13] at Drury Lane last week.[14] He called
Sir R. Peel and 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.

[Footnote 12: Joseph Hume, leader of the Radical party, was
now M.P. for Middlesex.]

[Footnote 13: 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 1817.]

[Footnote 14: This was a dinner given by the Middlesex
reformers to their representatives. 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.]

[Pageheading: POLITICAL PASSION]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

_3rd 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
renders 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;[15] 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.[16]

[Footnote 15: 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.]

[Footnote 16: On 14th April 1837, Sir Robert Peel wrote to J.
W. Croker:-- ... "We are, in short, in this state of things.
All the convictions and inclinations of the Government are
with their Conservative opponents. Half their actions and all
their speeches are with the Radicals." (_Croker Papers_, ii.
306.)]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

CLAREMONT, _6th February 1837._

MY BELOVED UNCLE,-- ... I do not know quite for certain when we leave
this place, but I 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 last, and I am
sure you will stand by me for my having my season fully, as you may
understand that my _Operatic_ and _Terpsichorean_ 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[17] 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 will instil 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?...

[Footnote 17: Afterwards Sir James Clark, and
Physician-in-Ordinary to the Queen.]

[Pageheading: A DINNER PARTY]

[Pageheading: THE THRONE OF GREECE]

_The Princess Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

_14th March 1837._

... We had a dinner on Saturday which amused me, as I am very fond
of _pleasant_ society, and we have been for these last three weeks
immured within our old palace, and I longed sadly for some gaiety.
After being so very long in the country I was preparing to go out in
right earnest, 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. I hope to begin
singing with Lablache shortly after Easter. But to return to last
Saturday's dinner. We had the Archbishop of Dublin,[18] 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,[19] who enquired much after you and Aunt
Louise; Lord and Lady Rosebery,[20] Mr and Mrs E. Stanley,[21] Lord
Morpeth,[22] Lord Templetown,[23] Sir John Cam Hobhouse,[24] Dr
Lushington,[25] and Mr Woulfe,[26] 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 Duc de Nemours were coming over here, which I fear is not
true; I wish it was....

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 _Greece_
would be much happier were you there. But I 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-like; then, again, the country, though undoubtedly fine
in parts, is a rocky and barren country, and also you are constantly
exposed to the effects 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 grieve that they are quarrelling so much in the French
Chambers.[27] I must now conclude.

[Footnote 18: Richard Whateley, formerly Principal of St Alban
Hall, and Drummond Professor of Political Economy at Oxford.]

[Footnote 19: Louisa Honoria, wife of the third Earl, and
sister of Joseph, first Lord Wallscourt.]

[Footnote 20: Archibald, fourth Earl of Rosebery, and Anne
Margaret, his second wife, daughter of the first Viscount
Anson.]

[Footnote 21: Edward Stanley, afterwards fourteenth Earl of
Derby, thrice Prime Minister.]