The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 25

[Pageheading: PRINCE ALBERT'S EDUCATION]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

_13th April 1838._

... Concerning the education of our friend Albert, it has been the best plan you could have fixed upon, to name Stockmar your commissary-general; it will give _unite d'action et de l'ensemble_, which otherwise we should not have had. I have communicated to him what your uncle and the young gentleman seem to wish, and what strikes me as the best for the moment. Stockmar will make a regular report to you on this subject. They will return to Bonn at the beginning of May, and remain till the end of August.... I agree with this, as nothing enlarges the mind so much as travelling. But Stockmar will best treat this affair verbally with you. The young gentlemen wished to pay me another visit at the beginning of May, prior to their return to Bonn.

Nothing definite is, however, as yet settled about it. On one thing you can rely, that it is my _great anxiety_ to see Albert a _very good_ and _distinguished young man_, and _no pains will be thought too much_ on my part if this end can be attained....

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

(_Undated._)

Your Majesty will perceive by this box, which I received this morning but had not time to open, that Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia,[13]

has been appointed Amba.s.sador to the Coronation....

[Footnote 13: Soult entered the French army in 1785, and became Marshal of France in 1804. After distinguishing himself at Austerlitz in 1805, he was made Duke of Dalmatia in 1807.

Serving in the Peninsular War, he pursued Moore to Corunna, and became Commander-in-Chief in Spain in 1809. Subsequently he conducted the French retreat before Wellington in Southern France, 1813-14; was banished, but recalled and created a peer. He was Minister of War 1830-34.]

[Pageheading: OLD SERVANTS]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _17th April 1838._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--... You will by this time have learnt the _sad_ loss we have all sustained in the death of _dearest_, _faithful_, _excellent_ Louie, who breathed her last, without a struggle or a suffering, on Sunday night at nine o'clock. I don't think I have _ever_ been so much overcome or distressed by anything, almost, as by the death of this my earliest friend; it is the first link that has been broken of my first and infantine affections. I always loved Louie, and shall cherish her memory as that of the purest and best of mortals as long as I live! I took leave of her before I left London on Wednesday, and _never_, _never_ shall I forget the blessing she gave me, and the grasp she gave my hand! I was quite upset by it! And I feared and felt I should behold her on earth no more; it was, however, a beautiful lesson of calmness and contentment and resignation to the will of her G.o.d! Prepared as she was at every moment of her life to meet her heavenly Father, she was full of hope of recovery, and quite unconscious of her approaching end. You will, I am sure, dearest Uncle, feel the loss of this excellent creature; I cannot restrain my tears while writing this. One great consolation I have, which is, that I have been the means of making her last days as happy as she could wish to be, after having lost what she loved most!

... Poor _Mason_, our faithful coachman for so many years, is also dead. These old servants cannot be replaced; and to see those whom one has known from one's birth drop off, one by one, is melancholy! You will think this letter a very sad one, but _I feel sad_....

_Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria._

MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, _17th April 1838._

... I can well enter into all your feelings of regret at the death of one so truly attached and so faithful as dear old Louie had been to you from your infancy, and I quite understand your grief; yet I feel sure that you will also rejoice for her, that she has been relieved from her earthly sufferings. For _her_ the change of existence was a happy one; good and pious as she was, we may trust that her state at present is one of felicity and bliss through the redeeming grace of our Saviour....

[Pageheading: THE CORONATION]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

_17th April 1838._

... The Parliamentary affairs will, please Heaven, continue to go on well; I am more than ever bound to wish it, as I am not anxious to exchange my clever and well-informed friend Palmerston, with Lord Aberdeen, for instance, of whose sweetness the Greek negotiation[14]

has given me very fair means of judging. Now I will conclude by touching on one subject which concerns your great goodness to us.

When we left England you expressed a wish to see us at the time of the Coronation, which was then believed to take place at the end of May.

More mature reflection has made me think that a King and Queen at your dear Coronation might perhaps be a _hors-d'[oe]uvre_, and I think, if it meets with your approbation, that it may be better to pay you our respects at some other period, which you might like to fix upon. I do not deny that having been deprived by circ.u.mstances from the happiness of wishing you joy at your birthday, since 1831, in person, I feel strongly tempted to make a short apparition to see you, as seeing and speaking is much pleasanter than ink and paper....

[Footnote 14: Referring to the offer of the throne of Greece to King Leopold in 1830.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _25th April 1838._

MY BELOVED UNCLE,--... With respect to the happiness of seeing you and my dearest Aunt, I shall now respectfully state my feelings. It would have made me very happy to see you both at the Coronation, but I think upon the whole it is perhaps better you should not do so. Then, with respect to your coming for my _old_ birthday, I must observe that I could not enjoy you or my Aunt at all _a mon aise_. First of all, I could not lodge you, and if one is not in the same house together, there is _no real_ seeing one another; secondly, the town will be so full of all sorts of foreigners that I should have _no peace_ to see you and Aunt quietly. If therefore, dearest Uncle, it suits you and Aunt Louise, would you come about the end of August, and stay with me as long as you can? I trust, dearest Uncle, _que vous me comprendrez bien_, and that you are a.s.sured of the great happiness it is for me to see you at any time.

Since I have written to you we have received from Lord Granville the news of Marshal Soult's appointment as Amba.s.sador for the Coronation, and of the Duc de Nemours' intention of coming here as a spectator.

You may be a.s.sured that I shall be delighted to see the Duke, as I always am any of the dear French family. With regard to Soult, I am sure you are aware that whoever the King chose to send would be equally well received by me and the Government.

[Pageheading: THE TRAIN-BEARERS]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _5th May 1838._

The Queen sends the papers relating to the Coronation as Lord Melbourne wished. The Queen also transmits the names of the young ladies who she proposes should carry her train. If Lord Melbourne sees any objection to any of these she hopes he will say so.

The Queen has put down Lady Mary Talbot, as being the daughter of the oldest Earl in the Kingdom[15] and a Roman Catholic; and Lady Anne Fitzwilliam, as she is anxious to show civility to Lord Fitzwilliam, who has been very kind to the Queen.

Perhaps, when the names are agreed to, Lord Melbourne would kindly undertake to speak or write to the parents of the young ladies proposing it to them.

Lady Caroline Lennox.

Lady Adelaide Paget.

Lady f.a.n.n.y Cowper.

Lady Wilhelmina Stanhope.

Lady Mary Talbot.

Lady Anne Fitzwilliam.

Lady Mary Grimston.