The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 130

It rather disgusts one, but still it had done, and does, good, for it has put an end to all impertinent sneering for the future about Albert's riding. This journey has done great good, and my beloved Angel in particular has had _the greatest success_; for instance, at Birmingham the good his visit has done has been immense, for Albert spoke to all these manufacturers _in their own language_, which they did not expect, and these poor people have only been accustomed to hear demagogues and Chartists.

We cannot understand how you can think the country about Chatsworth _not_ pretty, for it is (with the exception of the moors) beautiful, wooded hills and valleys and rapid streams. The country round Belvoir I do not admire, but the view from the castle is very fine and extensive, and Albert says puts him so in mind of the Kalenberg....

Pray have you heard anything about Aumale's plans? Dear little Gaston seems much better.

The Duc de Bordeaux has been informed of my and the Government's extreme displeasure at their conduct; they say there shall be no more such displays. He was to leave London yesterday, only to return again for a day, and then to leave England altogether.

With Albert's love, ever, dearest Uncle, your most devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 96: The Prince hunted with the Belvoir hounds on the 5th.]

[Pageheading: AN AMERICAN VIEW OF MONARCHY]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _15th December 1843._

MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--I am most happy to see that your journey pa.s.sed so well, and trust you are not sorry to be again in your very dear and comfortable home, and with your dear children. People are very strange, and their great delight is to find fault with their fellow-creatures; what harm could it have done them if Albert had _not_ hunted at all? and still I have no doubt that his having hunted well and boldly has given more satisfaction than if he had done Heaven knows what praiseworthy deed; _ainsi est et sera le monde_.

I am glad also that the Birmingham course succeeded so well; the theme had been for some years, particularly amongst manufacturers, that Royalty was useless and ignorant, and that the greatest blessing would be, to manufacture beyond measure, and to have an American form of Government, with an elective head of State.

Fortunately, there has always. .h.i.therto been in England a very aristocratic feeling freely accepted by the people, who like it, and show that they like it.... I was much amused, some time ago, by a very rich and influential American from New York a.s.suring me that they stood in great need of a Government which was able to grant protection to property, and that the feeling of many was for Monarchy instead of the misrule of mobs, as they had it, and that he wished very much _some branch of the Coburg family might be disposable_ for such a place. _Qu'en dites-vous_, is not this flattering?...

There is nothing very remarkable going on, besides I mean to write again on some subjects. Give my best love to Albert, and p.u.s.s.y, who may remember me perhaps, and I remain, ever, my beloved Victoria, your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _19th December 1843._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Your kind and dear letter of the 15th, written in your true wit and humour, reached me on Sunday and gave me great pleasure. We have had also most wonderfully mild weather, but _I_ think very disagreeable and unseasonable; it always makes me so bilious. The young folks are very flouris.h.i.+ng and prosperous--p.u.s.s.ette knowing all her letters, and even beginning to read a little. When I mentioned your birthday to her, she said, "I cried when I saw Uncle Leopold," which _was_ the case, I am sorry to say, the first time she saw you this year....

I don't believe that the _white_ flag on the house at Belgrave Square[97] is true. Lord Melbourne and the Beauvales were here for three nights; and it was a pleasure to see Lord Melbourne so much himself again; the first evening he was a good deal excited and talked and laughed as of old; the two other evenings he was in the quite silent mood which he often used to be in formerly, and really _quite_ himself, and there was hardly any strangeness at all. Lady Beauvale is really a _very, very_, charming person, and so attentive and kind to both her husband and Lord Melbourne. Our little chapel here (which is extremely pretty) is to be consecrated this morning, and Lady Douro comes into Waiting for the first time. To-morrow Mamma gives us a dinner. Poor Lord Lynedoch[98] is, I fear, dying, and Lord Grey is so bad he cannot last long.[99]

Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 97: The house occupied by the Duc de Bordeaux.]

[Footnote 98: Thomas, Lord Lynedoch, had died the previous day, aged ninety-five. He highly distinguished himself in the Peninsula and in Holland, and received the thanks of Parliament, and a Peerage in 1814.]

[Footnote 99: He died in July 1845.]

[Pageheading: THE SPANISH MARRIAGE]

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Aberdeen._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _28th December 1843._

The Queen has been much amused to see by Sir Robert Gordon's despatch of the 15th, the extreme fright of Prince Metternich at the proposed marriage of Queen Isabel with Count Trapani,[100] but she regrets that Sir Robert tried to make excuses for the conduct we have pursued, which the Queen thinks requires no apology.

[Footnote 100: See _ante_, p. 487, note 54. (this Ch., above)]