The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 12

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 _Terpsich.o.r.ean_ 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 grat.i.tude!

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 Sat.u.r.day 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 Sat.u.r.day'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 a.s.sure 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 Princ.i.p.al 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.]

[Footnote 22: Chief Secretary for Ireland.]

[Footnote 23: John Henry, first Viscount, formerly M.P. for Bury St Edmunds.]

[Footnote 24: Sir John Cam Hobhouse, a Radical, and a friend of Byron, at whose wedding he acted as best man; he was imprisoned in 1819 for breach of privilege. He was elected M.P. for Westminster in 1820 as Burdett's colleague, and afterwards for Nottingham and Harwich. Commissioner of Woods and Forests (the old Houses of Parliament being burned down during his term of office), and later President of Board of Control. Created Lord Broughton, 1851.]

[Footnote 25: Stephen Lushington, advocate in the old Ecclesiastical Court, M.P. for Ilchester and the Tower Hamlets, and a Judge in the Ecclesiastical and Admiralty Courts from 1828 to 1867.]

[Footnote 26: Stephen Woulfe, M.P. for Carlisle, Solicitor-General, and subsequently Attorney-General, for Ireland, becoming Chief Baron in 1838.]

[Footnote 27: On 10th March a heated debate took place in the French Chamber on the question of the Queen of the Belgians'

dowry, a Deputy calling for the production of King Louis Philippe's rent-roll, and a complete statement of his income.]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

LAEKEN, _31st March 1837._

MY BELOVED CHILD,--Your dear letter of the 28th gave me the greatest pleasure. I was sure from your constant affection for us that you would feel much interested in the event of the 24th. It was a moment of some anxiety, but all pa.s.sed over very well. Your Aunt is going on very well, and the little cousin[28] also. He is smaller than his brother was, but promises to be like him; the features are much the same, the shape of the forehead and mouth. The elder Prince was much interested about his _frere_, and anxious to see him; at first, however, he declared after a long contemplation, "_pas beau frere!_"

Now he thinks better of him, but makes a very odd little face when he sees him. The name of the little one will be Philippe Eugene Ferdinand Marie Clement Baudouin (Baldwin)--a name of the old Counts of Flanders--Leopold Georges. My Aunt, who is his G.o.dmother, wished he should be called Philippe in honour of his grandfather, and as Philippe _le Bon_ was one of the most powerful Princes of this country, I gave him the name with pleasure. Eugene is her own name, Ferdinand that of Chartres, Marie of the Queen and also of Princess Marie, Clement of Princess Clementine; Leopold your Aunt wished, and George in honour of St George of England and of George IV. Probably I shall hereafter give to Leopold the t.i.tle of Duke of Brabant, and to Philippe that of Count of Flanders, both fine old t.i.tles.

[Footnote 28: Philippe, second son of King Leopold, afterwards Count of Flanders. He died in 1905.]

[Pageheading: PRESS COMMENTS]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

LAEKEN, _7th April 1837._

MY DEAREST CHILD,--... You have been the subject of all sorts of newspaper paragraphs; your good and sensible way of looking on these very creditable productions _will be of use to you_. If the press says useful things, and makes observations which merit attention, there is no doubt that sometimes, though G.o.d knows very rarely, something useful may be gleaned from them. But when you see its present state, when the one side says black and the other white, when the opposite political characters are treated by their respective antagonists as rogues, fools, blockheads, wretches, and all the other names in which the English political dictionary is so _very rich_, one stands like the a.s.s, between two bundles of hay, considerably embarra.s.sed which ought to be chosen....

[Pageheading: THE PRINCESS'S ESTABLISHMENT]

_The King of the Belgians to the Princess Victoria._

LAEKEN, _11th April 1837._

... As I believe the visit at Windsor is fixed for the 15th, I hope this letter will arrive in time. Perhaps the King will speak to you about the necessity of forming you an establishment.[29]... Your position, having a Mother with whom you very naturally remain, would render a _complete_ independent establishment perhaps matter of _real_ inconvenience; still something like that which Charlotte had will become desirable. My idea, if it meets with your approbation, would be this: The d.u.c.h.ess of Northumberland would remain your first Lady, Baroness Lehzen would fill a position similar to that of Mrs Campbell, who had been Charlotte's governess in her younger days, and the Dean[30] would step into the position which good Dr Short[31] held.

An Equerry, I do not think--as you will not go out without your Mother--you would require. On the other hand, it may become matter of examination if you will perhaps like to have some young ladies attendants in the style of Lady Catherine Jenkinson;[32] should this be your wish, it would become necessary to make very good choices, else perhaps you would derive more trouble than comfort from the arrangement; _cela va sans dire_, that the choice could only be made by yourself, and that n.o.body should be given you _against_ your wishes. Should the King speak to you on the subject, I would at once express this my wish if you should approve some such arrangement, and beg him to let _you choose_. Resist mildly but _positively_ any nomination of a Gentleman other than the Dean; it is highly probable that any other would be put about you as a spy, and turn out at all events a great bore, which is better avoided....

I received a messenger from Coburg. I enclose the letters and also a packet with fans. Ever, my beloved child, your faithfully attached Uncle and Friend,

LEOPOLD R.