The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 129

There may be a proposal of a collation and of an Address, to be received in the Town Hall.

Should not the Lord Lieutenant (Lord Warwick) have notice?

Is the Mayor to accompany the Prince in the same carriage?[91]

The Mayor has no carriage.

No communication should be made to any party in Birmingham, except to the munic.i.p.al authorities, notwithstanding their political bias and _extreme_ opinions.

The late Mayor, Mr James, though a Radical, would have summoned the leading men of different parties.

Doubts as to whether the present Mayor would, or whether he would not, place the whole arrangement in the hands of the party with which he is connected.

This risk must be incurred, as communications to other parties would not be advisable.

[Footnote 91: This was the course adopted.]

[Pageheading: THE DUC DE BORDEAUX]

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria._

FOREIGN OFFICE, _1st December 1843._

Lord Aberdeen presents his humble duty to your Majesty. He has not yet received any communication from the Duc de Levis, notwithstanding he had been led to expect it, from a notice repeatedly conveyed to him to that effect. It seems probable that in consequence of what the Duc de Levis may have heard, as well as from the course pursued by the friends of the Duc de Bordeaux, Lord Aberdeen may not now see him at all. Should this be the case, Lord Aberdeen is rather inclined to regret it; as although he would formerly have seen him with some reluctance, he would now be glad to have an opportunity of expressing his sentiments very plainly respecting the proceedings of the Prince and his adherents in this country.

Lord Aberdeen understands from Sir Robert Peel that your Majesty would like to be informed of any particulars connected with the Levee lately held by the Duc de Bordeaux. Lord Aberdeen would willingly communicate these particulars, but in reality there is very little to be added to the official accounts contained in the _Morning Post_, which it is obvious are inserted by authority. He saw M. de Ste Aulaire this morning, who was a good deal excited by what has taken place, and has written very fully to Paris; but he knew nothing more than he had seen in the newspapers.

It may perhaps be worth mentioning to your Majesty that at the presentation of the Address by M. Chateaubriand[92] on Friday, the cries of "Vive le Roi!" and "Vive Henri V.!" were so loud as to be distinctly audible in the Square. Lord Aberdeen understands that this enthusiasm has been the cause of serious differences amongst many of those who had come to pay their respects to the Duc de Bordeaux, a large portion of whom are by no means disposed to recognise him as King during the life of the Duc d'Angouleme.[93]

Lord Aberdeen cannot learn that any other member of the Diplomatic Body has been presented to the Duc de Bordeaux, and does not believe that any such presentation has taken place. Indeed, there appears to be a general disinclination that such should be the case; although some of them feel considerable difficulty in consequence of the relations.h.i.+p existing between their Sovereigns and the Prince.

[Footnote 92: Francois, Vicomte de Chateaubriand (1768-1848), a great supporter of the Bourbons, and made a Peer in 1815. He was Amba.s.sador in London in 1822.]

[Footnote 93: Eldest son of Charles X.]

_Queen Victoria to Lord Stanley._

CHATSWORTH, _3rd December 1843._

The Queen approves of Lord Stanley's proposed Draft to Sir Charles Metcalfe.[94] This question can in no way be settled without giving offence to one part of the country; the Queen, however, hopes that the fixing upon Montreal as the seat of Government will hereafter be considered as fair by impartial minds. Sir Charles continues to show great discretion and firmness in his most arduous and unsatisfactory situation, and deserves much praise and encouragement.

[Footnote 94: Governor-General of Canada.]

[Pageheading: VISIT TO CHATSWORTH]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BELVOIR CASTLE, _4th December 1843._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Being much hurried, I can only write you a few lines to thank you for your kind letter of the 29th, received this morning. You will have heard from Louise the account of our stay at Drayton (which is a very nice house), and of Albert's brilliant reception at Birmingham. We arrived at Chatsworth on Friday, and left it at nine this morning, quite charmed and delighted with everything there. Splendour and comfort are so admirably combined, and the Duke does everything so well. I found many improvements since I was there eleven years ago. The conservatory is out and out the finest thing imaginable of its kind. It is one ma.s.s of gla.s.s, 64 feet high, 300 long, and 134 wide.[95] The grounds, with all the woods and cascades and fountains, are so beautiful too. The first evening there was a ball, and the next the cascades and fountains were illuminated, which had a beautiful effect. There was a large party there, including many of the Duke's family, the Bedfords, Buccleuchs, the Duke of Wellington, the Normanbys, Lord Melbourne (who is much better), and the Beauvales. We arrived here at half-past two, we perform our journey so delightfully on the railroad, so quickly and easily. It puts me in mind of our dear stay in Belgium, when we stop at the various stations.

Albert is going out hunting to-morrow, which I wish was _over_, but I am a.s.sured that the country is much better than the Windsor country.

The Duc de Bordeaux's proceedings in London are most highly improper.

The Queen Dowager is also here.

We leave this place on Thursday for home, which, I own, I shall be glad of at last. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 95: It was built by Mr Joseph Paxton, then Superintendent of the Gardens, whose intelligence had attracted the Duke of Devons.h.i.+re's attention. In 1850 he was the successful compet.i.tor for the Great Exhibition building, and was knighted on its completion. He superintended its re-erection at Sydenham, and afterwards became M.P. for Coventry.]

_The Princess Hohenhohe to Queen Victoria._

LANGENBURG, _10th December 1843._

MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--... You ask in your letter about the manner in which my children say their prayers? They say it when in their beds, but not kneeling; how absurd to find _that_ necessary, as if it could have anything to do with making our prayers more acceptable to the Almighty or more holy. How really clever people can have those notions I don't understand. I am sorry it is the case there, where there is so much good and, I am certain, real piety. Dear p.u.s.s.y learning her letters I should like to see and hear; I am sure she will learn them very quick. Has Bertie not learned some more words and sentences during your absence?...

Your attached and devoted sister,

FEODORA.

[Pageheading: PRINCE ALBERT WITH THE HOUNDS]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _12th December 1843._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I thank you much for your kind letter of the 7th, which I received as usual on Sunday. Louise will be able to tell you _how_ well the remainder of our journey went off, and how well Albert's hunting answered.[96] One can hardly credit the absurdity of people here, but Albert's riding so boldly and hard has made such a sensation that it has been written all over the country, and they make much more of it than if he had done some great act!