The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 25

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _29th September 1846._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I received last week your very kind and _satisfactory_ letter of the 16th. Your opinion on this truly unfortunate and, on the part of the French, disgraceful affair is a great support to us. Stockmar has, I know, communicated to you what has pa.s.sed, and he will send you copies of the King's letter and my answer. Our conduct has been throughout _honest_, and the King's and Guizot's the contrary. _How_ the King _can_ wantonly throw away the friends.h.i.+p of one who has stood by him with such sincere affection, for a _doubtful_ object of personal and family aggrandizement, is to me and to the whole country inexplicable. Have _confidence_ in _him_ I fear I never can again, and Peel, who is here on a visit, says a _war may_ arise any moment, _once_ that the good understanding is disturbed; think, then, that the King has done this in his 74th year, and leaves this inheritance to his successor; and to whom--to a _Grandchild_, and a _Minor!_And for Nemours and Paris, _our_ friends.h.i.+p is of the greatest importance, and yet he prefers the troubles of governing Spain, which will be a source of constant worry and anxiety, to the happy understanding so happily existing between our two countries! I cannot comprehend him. Guizot behaves shamefully, and so totally without good faith. Our protests have been presented. I feel more than ever the loss of our valuable Peel.

I wish, dearest Uncle, you would not go to Paris at all at present.

The Queen-Dowager and the Princess of Prussia[25] have left us this morning after a week's stay, and I have been delighted with the Princess. I find her so clever, so amiable, so well informed, and so good; she seems to have some enemies, for there are whispers of her being _false_; but from all that I have seen of her--from her discretion, her friends.h.i.+p through thick and thin, and to her own detriment, for Helene, and for the Queen-Dowager who has known her from her birth, I _cannot_ and will not believe it. Her position is a very difficult one; she is too enlightened and liberal for the Prussian Court not to have enemies; but _I believe_ that she is a friend to us and our family, and I do believe that _I_ have a friend in her, who may be most useful to us. I must conclude, envying your being in Tyrol. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 25: Marie Louise Augusta, daughter of the Grand Duke Charles of Saxe-Weimar, subsequently Empress of Germany, mother of Prince Frederick William, afterwards the Emperor Frederick, who in 1858 married the Princess Royal.]

[Pageheading: ENGLAND AND THE THREE POWERS]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _1st October 1846._

The Queen wishes to express her approval of the step taken by Lord Palmerston in urging the Three Northern Powers to join in the protest against the Montpensier marriage on the ground of the Treaty of Utrecht and the Declaration of Philip V. She thinks, however, that it is necessary to do more, and wishes Lord Palmerston should send a note to the Cabinets of the three Powers, explanatory of the whole of the proceedings relative to the Spanish marriages, showing the att.i.tude taken by us from the first, and disclosing the facts which led to this unfortunate termination. The three Powers ought to be enabled to see the whole of the transaction if we wish them to sympathise with us.

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

_1st October 1846._

Lord John Russell saw Count Jarnac to-day, and told him that your Majesty's displeasure had not been removed. He had in his hands a memorandum, which is apparently word for word the letter of the King of the French to the Queen of the Belgians.[26]

Lord John Russell observed that it was admitted that the Duke of Montpensier was not to marry the Infanta till the Queen of Spain had children, and that voluntary engagement had been departed from. We might expect the same departure from the professions now made not to interfere in the affairs of Spain.

Count Jarnac protested against this inference, and repeated that the promise with regard to the Infanta was only conditional.

Lord John Russell expects that in consequence of the remonstrances of England, and the attention of Europe to the question, France will be cautious in her interference with the internal government of Spain, and may probably not be able to direct her external policy.

M. Bresson has written a long letter to Lord Minto, defending his own conduct.

[Footnote 26: See Louis Philippe's long letter of the 14th of September, printed in the _Life of the Prince Consort_, vol.

i. Appendix B. Queen Victoria's complete and unanswerable reply will be found there also.]

[Pageheading: THE SPANISH MARRIAGES]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _6th October 1846._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I thank you very much for your last kind letter from Gais of the 23rd. This unfortunate Spanish affair has gone on, heedlessly--and our _entente wantonly_ thrown away! I mourn over it, and feel deeply the ingrat.i.tude shown; for--without boasting--I must say they never had a _truer_ friend than we; and one who _always_ stood by them. When Hadjy wrote that foolish _brochure_, who stood by him through thick and thin, but we? and our friends.h.i.+p for the children will ever continue, but how can we _ever_ feel at our ease with L. P. again? Guizot's conduct is beyond _all_ belief shameful, and so _shabbily_ dishonest. Mole and Thiers both say he cannot stand.

It is the King's birthday to-day, but I thought it better _not_ to write to him, for to say _fine words_ at _this_ moment would be mockery. For my beloved Louise my heart bleeds; it is _so_ sad....

I must now conclude. Begging you to believe me, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _17th November 1846._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I yesterday received your long and interesting letter of the 14th. I would much rather not say anything more about this truly unfortunate and painful Spanish business; but in justice to myself I must make a few observations. You say that the King thinks me _resentful_; this is extraordinary, for I have no such feeling; my feelings were and are _deeply_ wounded at the unhandsome and secret manner (so totally, in _letter_ and _in meaning_, contrary to an _entente cordiale_) in which this affair was settled, and in which the two marriages were incorporated.

What can I do?

The King and French Government never _expressed regret_ at the sudden and _unhandsome_ manner, to say the _least_, in which they behaved to their _best ally_ and _friend_, and _we_ really _cannot admit_ that _they have to forgive us for duping us!_Why have they not tried to make _some_ sort of apology? What do I do, but remain silent _for the present_?

It is a sad affair, but _resentment_ I have none whatever, and this accusation is a new version of the affair.

With respect to Portugal, I refute most positively the unfounded accusations against us; we _cannot_ interfere in internal dissensions beyond ensuring the personal safety of the King, Queen, and Royal Family. The Const.i.tution may be, and I believe is, an unfortunate thing in those Southern countries; but once it is established, the Queen must abide by it; but, unfortunately, the _coup de main_ in sending away Palmella's Government (which would inevitably have crumbled to pieces of itself), was both unconst.i.tutional and unsafe, and I fear they are in a much worse position _vis-a-vis_ of the country than they ever were.[27]

We are all going to-morrow to Osborne for four weeks. Ever your truly devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 27: The Duke de Palmella's Ministry was abruptly dismissed by the Queen of Portugal on the 10th of October, in consequence of their inability to raise money on loan. Civil war broke out, Das Antas, Loule, Fornos, and Sa da Bandeira being the chief rebel leaders. The British Fleet was ordered to the Tagus to support the Queen against her subjects, with the ulterior object of restoring Const.i.tutional Government.]

[Pageheading: ETON MONTEM]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

DOWNING STREET, _19th November 1846._

... Lord John Russell breakfasted with Dr Hawtrey yesterday, and had much conversation with him. He finds Dr Hawtrey strongly impressed with the evils of Montem, and he declared himself as decidedly against its continuance. He thinks your Majesty would please the Etonians equally by going to the boats once a year, which he said the late King was in the habit of doing. The Chancellor of the Exchequer,[28] who was at Eton, wishes to see Montem abolished. Lord Morpeth would prefer seeing it regulated. Upon the whole, Lord John Russell thinks it would not be advisable for your Majesty to interpose your authority against the decided opinion of Dr Hawtrey, the Provost, and the a.s.sistants.[29]