The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 26

Lady Louisa Jenkinson.

[Footnote 15: John, sixteenth Earl of Shrewsbury (1791-1852).]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

_17th May 1838._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and thinks that your Majesty had better direct Lord Conyngham to ask the Archbishop, before the Audience, who has generally been there and how it ought to be conducted.

Your Majesty had better read the Answer and not give it to the Archbishop, as Lord Melbourne apprehends the Archbishop does not give your Majesty the Address.

Your Majesty had better say something kind to each of the Bishops as they are presented. They are presented to your Majesty in this manner as a sort of privilege, instead of being presented at the Drawing-Room with others, and your Majesty should conduct yourself towards them exactly as if they had been presented in the usual circle. The time is about half-past one, and your Majesty had better be punctual so as not to delay the Drawing-Room.

[Pageheading: THE SLAVE TRADE]

_In the same letter is enclosed a draft of a letter which it was suggested by Lord Melbourne that the Queen should write to the King of Portugal, with regard to the suppression of the Slave Trade._

[Draft enclosed]

That you hope that the King and Queen of Portugal will not consider the strong representations made by your Government on the subject of the Slave Trade as arising from any desire to embarra.s.s them. That there is every disposition to make allowance for the difficulties of Portugal, but allowance must also be made for the feelings of the people of England; that those feelings on the Slave Trade are as strong as they are just. That England has made great sacrifices for the suppression of that crime, that she has made sacrifices to Portugal, and that she has been extremely indignant at finding that traffic so obstinately continued to be sheltered and protected under the flag of Portugal. That Portugal must not expect that England will much longer refrain from taking effectual measures for preventing these practices. That you have spoken thus openly because you wish them to be aware of the truth, and that you entreat both the Queen and the King to use their power and influence in procuring such a treaty to be concluded without delay, as will satisfy England and exonerate Portugal from the reproach under which she now labours.

This is the substance of what might be written. It is perhaps a little harshly worded, but your Majesty may soften it.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _25th May 1838._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I am most thankful for your very kind letter, and for the beautiful little sword, which delights me.

I have been dancing till past four o'clock this morning; we have had a charming ball, and I have spent the happiest birthday that I have had for many years; oh, _how_ different to last year! Everybody was so kind and so friendly to me.

We have got a number of Austrians and Milanese here, among whom are a Prince Odescalchi, and a Count Eugene Zichy, renowned for his magnificent _turquoises_ and his famous valzing, a good-natured _elegant_; we have also Esterhazy's daughter Marie--now Countess Chorinsky--a Count and Countess Grippa, and a Marquis and Marchioness of Trivalzi, etc.

Old Talleyrand[16] is at last dead. I hear he showed wonderful composure and firmness to the last. He was one of those people who I thought never would die. Did you know what Pozzo said to somebody here about him? He said he (Talleyrand) would not die yet, "_parce que le Diable ne voulait pas l'avoir_."

[Footnote 16: Died 17th May, aged eighty-four.]

[Pageheading: INDEPENDENCE OF BELGIUM]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _2nd June 1838._

... I have not all this time touched on our affairs, from motives of _great discretion_, but as the battle draws nigh,[17] I cannot very well help writing a few words on the subject. I found an Article in the French _Const.i.tutionnel_ which paints our position in pretty true colours. As it is not very long, I beg you to have the goodness to read it. You have given me so many proofs of affection, and your kind speech at Windsor is so fresh in my memory, that it would be _very wrong_ in me to think that in so short a time, and without any cause, those feelings which are so _precious_ to me could have changed. This makes me appeal to those sentiments.

The independent existence of the Provinces which form this Kingdom has always been an object of importance to England; the surest proof of it is, that for centuries England has made the greatest sacrifices of blood and treasure for that object. The last time I saw the late King at Windsor, in 1836, he said to me: "If ever France or any other Power invades your country, it will be a question of immediate war for England; we cannot suffer that." I answered him I was happy to hear him speak so, as I also did not want any foreign Power to invade us....

All I want from your kind Majesty is, that you will _occasionally_ express to your Ministers, and particularly to good Lord Melbourne, that, as far as it is _compatible_ with the interests _of your own_ dominions, you do _not_ wish that your Government should take the _lead_ in such measures as might in a short time bring on the _destruction_ of this country, as well as that of your uncle and his family.

Europe has enjoyed ever since 1833, in our part of it, a state of _profound peace_ and real happiness and prosperity. None can deny that the measures which I adopted to organise this country have greatly contributed to this happy state of affairs; this makes me think that the changes which are to take place should be brought about in a _very gentle manner_....

I am sorry to have you to listen to so much about politics, but it is not my fault; I wished nothing so much as _to be left alone_. I shall do all I can to bring about a good conclusion, but it must not be forgotten that these seven years _all the dangers, all the trouble_, fell constantly to _my share_....

Now I will make haste to conclude, and remain ever, my dearest Victoria, your truly devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 17: The execution of the treaty of 1831, called the Twenty-four Articles, a.s.signing part of Luxemburg to Holland, had been reluctantly agreed to by Leopold, but the King of Holland withheld his a.s.sent for seven years.]

[Pageheading: ANGLO-BELGIAN RELATIONS]

[Pageheading: PROGRESS OF BELGIUM]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _10th June 1838._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--It is indeed a long while since I have written to you, and I fear you will think me very lazy; but I must in turn say, dearest Uncle, that your silence was longer than mine, and that it grieved me, and _m'a beaucoup peinee_. I know, however, you have had, and still have, _much_ to do. Many thanks, my dear Uncle, for your very kind letter of the 2nd inst....

It would indeed, dearest Uncle, be _very wrong_ of you, if you thought my feelings of warm and devoted attachment to you, and of great affection for you, could be changed. _Nothing_ can ever change them!

Independent of my feelings of affection for you, my beloved Uncle, you must be aware that the ancient and hereditary policy of this country with respect to Belgium must make me most anxious that my Government not _only_ should not be parties to any measure that would be prejudicial to Belgium, but that my Ministers should, as far as may not conflict with the interests or engagements of this country, do _everything_ in their power to promote the prosperity and welfare of your Kingdom.

My Ministers, I can a.s.sure you, share all my feelings on this subject, and are most anxious to see everything settled in a satisfactory manner between Belgium and Holland.

We all feel that we cannot sufficiently or adequately express how much Belgium owes to your wise system of government, which has rendered that country so flourishing in every way, and how much all Europe is indebted to you for the preservation of general peace; because it is certain that when you ascended the throne of Belgium that country was the one from which the occasion of a general war was much to be feared; whereas now it is become a link to secure the continuance of peace; and by the happy circ.u.mstances of your double near relationship to me and to the King of the French, _Belgium_--which was in former times the cause of discord between England and France--becomes now a mutual tie to keep them together.

This, my beloved Uncle, we owe to you, and it must be a source of pride and gratification to you.

I perfectly understand and feel that your position with respect to all these affairs is very difficult and trying, and the feelings of your subjects are far from unnatural; yet I sincerely hope that you will use the great influence you possess over the minds of the leading men in Belgium, to mitigate discontent and calm irritation, and procure acquiescence in whatever arrangements may ultimately be found inevitable.

You are right in saying that I, though but a child of twelve years old when you went to Belgium, remember much of what took place, and I have since then had the whole matter fully explained to me. The Treaty of November 1831 was perhaps not so advantageous to the Belgians as could have been wished, yet it cannot have been thought very advantageous to the Dutch, else they would have most probably urged their Government before this time to accept it; besides, when these conditions were framed, England was only one out of _five_ Powers whose concurrence was required, and consequently they were made under very difficult circ.u.mstances. This treaty having been ratified, it is become binding, and therefore it is almost impossible to consider it as otherwise, and to set aside those parts of it which have been ratified by all the parties.

I feel I must in turn, dearest Uncle, entreat your indulgence for so long a letter, and for such full explanations, but I felt it my duty to do so, as you had spoken to me on the subject.