The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Iii Part 50

[Pageheading: THE KING OF PORTUGAL]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BALMORAL, _19th September 1856._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I cannot have your kind and confidential letter of the 15th answered, and therefore write to-day to thank you for it. You may rely on our divulging nothing. We are, however, both very anxious that dear Pedro should be preferred.[47] He is out and out _the_ most distinguished young Prince there is, and besides that, good, excellent, and steady according to one's heart's desire, and as one could wish for an _only and beloved daughter_. For Portugal, too, an _amiable_, well-educated Queen would be an immense blessing, for there _never_ has been one. I am sure you would be more likely to secure Charlotte's happiness if you gave her to Pedro than to one of those innumerable Archdukes, or to Prince George of Saxony. Pedro should, however, be written to, if you were favourably inclined towards him.

I must end now, hoping soon to hear from you again. Pedro is _just_ nineteen; he can therefore well wait till he has completed his twentieth year. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 47: Both the Queen and King Leopold were desirous of arranging a marriage between King Pedro and the Princess Charlotte, which, however, did not take place. See _post_, 10th October, 1856, 16th June, 1857, and 3rd May, 1859.]

[Pageheading: RUSSIAN PROCRASTINATION]

_Queen Victoria to the Empress of the French._

[_Draft._][48]

_Septembre 1856._

Je regrette autant que V.M.I. les divergences existantes entre les vues de nos deux Gouvernements au sujet du Traite de Paris.[49] [Il est impossible pour nous cependant de ceder aux Russes les demandes qu'ils mettent en avant, seulement parcequ'elles sont soutenues par la France. Le fait est que] Ma maniere d'envisager la situation actuelle est celle-ci: les Russes ne cessent de suivre la meme politique des le commencement de la complication Orientale jusqu'a present. Ils cedent ou la force majeure les y contraint, mais tachent de se reserver par des chicanes ou subterfuges les moyens de reprendre a un temps plus opportun leurs attaques sur l'independance et l'integrite de cette pauvre Turquie. [Nous au contraire sommes determines.] La France et l'Angleterre au contraire ont manifeste leur determination de la sauver et de l'a.s.surer contre ces attaques. C'etait la la cause de la guerre; c'etait la le but de la paix; mon Gouvernement n'oserait le sacrifier vis-a-vis de mon peuple par complaisance envers l'Empereur de Russie. Un coup d'oeil sur la Carte, par exemple, demontre qu'en detruisant Ismail, Kilia, etc., etc. [(acte auquel nous ne venons qu'a present d'apprendre que la France avait donne son a.s.sentiment a notre insu)] la Russie a prive l'aile droite de la nouvelle ligne de frontiere de toute defense; tandis qu'en subst.i.tuant le nouveau Bolgrad a celui connu au Congres elle pousserait un point strategique au centre, couperait la partie cedee de la Bessarabie du reste de l'Empire Ottoman, et se mettrait a meme de devenir de nouveau maitresse de la rive gauche du Danube, quand elle le voudra. Comme dans ce cas [nous] nos deux pays sont tenus par Traite a reprendre les armes, il me parait de notre devoir a prevenir de tels dangers. Ces dangers seront ecartes a l'instant que la France s'unira a nous pour tenir un langage ferme a la Russie, qui tache de nous desunir et il ne faut pas qu'elle y reussisse.

Je vous exprime la toute ma pensee, sachant que l'Empereur attend une franchise entiere de son amie, convaincue aussi, que si son opinion differe de la mienne, c'est du au moins d'importance qu'il attache peut-etre aux points en dispute avec la Russie, et a un sentiment de generosite envers un ennemi vaincu, auquel il me serait doux de m'abandonner avec lui, si je pouvais le faire de maniere a concilier les interets de la Turquie et de l'Europe.

[Footnote 48: This is the original draft, which appears to have been modified later by the omission of the sentences in brackets.]

[Footnote 49: The Treaty had involved the rest.i.tution of the fortress and district of Kars to Turkey. The Russians, however, delayed the stipulated evacuation in an unwarrantable manner. Ismail also was included within the portion of Bessarabia to be ceded to Turkey, but, instead of surrendering it intact, the Russians destroyed its fortifications; they also laid claim to Serpent's Island at the mouth of the Danube, which was within the ceded portion, and of Bolgrad, the future ownership of which was, owing to the inaccuracies of maps, in dispute. The English Government sent a fleet to the Black Sea to enforce the obligations of the Treaty, while the French Government seemed to make unnecessary concessions to Russia.]

[Pageheading: ALTERATIONS SUGGESTED]

_The Earl of Clarendon to Queen Victoria._

TAYMOUTH, _21st September 1856_.

Lord Clarendon presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and humbly ventures to express his opinion that the Empress might think the tone of your Majesty's letter rather too severe. It is by no means severe, but perfectly just and true as regards the conduct of Russia and France, and on that very account it might wound the _amour-propre_ of the Emperor.

Lord Clarendon ventures to suggest the omission of the second sentence beginning by "_il est impossible_," and of the parenthesis at the bottom of the second page.[50] In the concluding sentence it might perhaps be better to say "_la France et l'Angleterre_" instead of "_nous_," which would possibly be taken as an announcement of separate action. Your Majesty might perhaps think it right to add after the last words "_tels dangers_"--"_ces dangers seront ecartes a l'instant que la France s'unira a nous pour tenir un langage ferme a la Russie qui tache de nous desunir et il ne faut pas a s qu'elle y reussisse_."[51]

[Footnote 50: _I.e._ the pa.s.sage from "acte auquel" to "notre insu."]

[Footnote 51: The Prince wrote in reply to this letter: "The draft of letter to the Empress of the French has been altered in every particular as you suggest, and I will send you a corrected copy of it by to-morrow." See _post_, 10th November, 1856, note 54.]

_Queen Victoria to the Duke of Cambridge._

BALMORAL, _22nd September 1856_.

MY DEAR GEORGE,--I waited to thank you for your letter of the 17th till I had received Mary's from Lord Clarendon, which I did yesterday morning, and which I now return to you. It is admirably written, and does dear Mary the greatest credit; she puts it on the _right_ ground, viz. that of the _Protestant feeling_ which should _always_ actuate our family, and to this we _now must_ keep. It _effectually_ closes, however, the door to _all Catholic_ proposals--whether from Kings or Princes, which makes matters easier.

I must say, however, that I think it very wrong of _certain_ ladies to have spoken of Mary's feelings and wishes on the subject, which has no doubt encouraged the idea when they had no reason for doing so.

I am very glad that the decision has been so entirely dear Mary's own, and that _she is_ convinced of my anxious wish for her happiness and welfare--which I have as much at heart as if she were my own sister.

It is very necessary, however, that _not_ a word should be breathed of this whole affair, and I trust that you will caution your mother and sisters and their relations to be very silent on the subject, as it would be otherwise very offensive to the King.

With Albert's love, ever your very affectionate Cousin,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: DEATH OF LORD HARDINGE]

_Queen Victoria to Viscountess Hardinge._

BALMORAL, _26th September 1856_.

MY DEAR LADY HARDINGE,--Where can I find words to express to you our _deep heartfelt_ sorrow at the sad and totally unexpected news conveyed to us by telegraph yesterday.[52]

My first thought was for you, dear Lady Hardinge, whose whole existence was so completely bound up in _his_, that this blow must be awful indeed. We feel _truly_ and sincerely what we, and the country, have lost in your dear, high-minded, n.o.ble husband, whose _only_ thought was _his duty_. A more loyal, devoted, fearless public servant the Crown never possessed. His loss to _me_ is one of those which in our times is quite _irreparable_. Added to all this we have ever had _such_ a true affection and personal friendship for dear Lord Hardinge, and know how warmly these feelings were requited. _All_ who had the pleasure of knowing him must ever remember his benevolent smile and kind eye.

But I speak of ourselves and of what we have lost, when I _ought_ only to express _our_ sympathy with _you_, in your present overwhelming loss, but I could not restrain my pen, and the expression of our feelings may perhaps be soothing to your bleeding heart.

Most truly also do we sympathise with your children.

Pray do not think of answering this yourself, but let us hear through your son or daughter how you are. Ever, dear Lady Hardinge, with the sincerest regard and truest sympathy, yours affectionately,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 52: Lord Hardinge, who had only temporarily rallied from the stroke he had received at Aldershot, died on the 24th.]

[Pageheading: THE ARCHDUKE MAXIMILIAN]