The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 107

[Footnote 84: Frederic William (1819-1904), afterwards Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. See _post_, p 434. (Ch. XI, Footnote 93)]

[Footnote 85: Son of the Archduke Charles.]

[Footnote 86: (1771-1847), third son of the Emperor Leopold II. Distinguished in the Napoleonic wars.]

[Footnote 87: (1782-1859), younger son of the Emperor Leopold II. Commanded on the Rhine, 1815. Administrator of the Empire, 1848.]

[Footnote 88: Prince Augustus of Saxe-Coburg and Princess Clementine of Orleans were married in the following April.

Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria is their son.]

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN'S STEAM YACHT]

_Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._

WHITEHALL, _22nd September 1842._

Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs leave, with reference to your Majesty's note of yesterday, to state to your Majesty that the _first_ act of Sir Robert Peel on his return from Scotland was to write to Lord Haddington[89] and strongly urge upon the Admiralty the necessity of providing a steam yacht for your Majesty's accommodation.

Sir Robert Peel trusts that your Majesty may entirely depend upon being enabled to make any excursions your Majesty may resolve upon in the early part of next summer, in a steam vessel belonging to your Majesty, and suitable in every respect for your Majesty's accommodation.

Sir Robert Peel has had a personal communication with Sir John Barrow,[90] one of the Secretaries to the Admiralty, this morning, upon the subject, and Sir Robert Peel has written by this post to Sir George c.o.c.kburn,[91] who is out of town.

He finds that the Admiralty is now building a large vessel to be worked by steam power, applied by means of a revolving screw instead of paddles. It may be doubtful whether the same degree of velocity can be attained by means of the screw, particularly in a very large vessel. Of this a full trial will be made.

Sir John Barrow a.s.sures Sir Robert Peel that he has been on board a steam-boat moved by the screw, and that the working of the engine is scarcely perceptible; that there is none of the tremulous motion which accompanies the beats of the paddles, and that it will be possible to apply an apparatus by means of which the smoke can be consumed, and the disagreeable smell in great measure prevented.

Sir Robert Peel will leave nothing undone to ensure your Majesty's comfort and safety in any future naval excursions that your Majesty may be pleased to make.

[Footnote 89: First Lord of the Admiralty.]

[Footnote 90: Barrow had been made second Secretary in 1804 by Dundas; he was a self-made man, and a most indefatigable traveller, writer, and promoter of Arctic exploration.]

[Footnote 91: Admiral of the Fleet Sir George c.o.c.kburn (1772-1853), First Naval Lord.]

[Pageheading: QUEEN ISABELLA]

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria._

_27th September 1842._

Lord Aberdeen, with his most humble duty, lays before your Majesty a letter which he has received from Mr Aston, respecting the marriage of the Queen of Spain, and which, after what has already pa.s.sed, may perhaps cause your Majesty some surprise.

Lord Aberdeen is humbly of opinion that the language hitherto employed by your Majesty's Government upon this subject ought not to undergo any change, and that it ought to be treated entirely as a Spanish question.

Great Britain would naturally regard a marriage with a son of the King of the French as injurious to Spain and menacing to Europe, but would probably not feel it necessary to give such an opinion respecting any other alliance. While this might be plainly stated, and the Spanish Government exhorted to act according to their own independent view of the real interests of the country and of the Queen, Lord Aberdeen would humbly propose that the Regent should be explicitly informed by Mr Aston that he must not expect to receive any a.s.sistance from your Majesty's Government in promoting a marriage with a Prince of the Netherlands.

Lord Aberdeen believes that the difficulties in the way of such an alliance will be found to be very great, and especially that the religion of the Prince will present an obstacle which in Spain must be nearly insurmountable.

[Pageheading: LORD MELBOURNE ON SCOTLAND]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

BROCKET HALL, _29th September 1842._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has to acknowledge your Majesty's letter of the 25th inst., which he had the honour and pleasure of receiving here on the 27th. Lord Melbourne is well aware how much your Majesty's time must have been occupied by the number of visitors at the Castle. We are much rejoiced here that your Majesty saw the Prince and Princess Liechtenstein.[92] The latter is a great favourite of Lady Beauvale's, to whom she was always very kind, and who describes her exactly as your Majesty does, as being very "amiable and una.s.suming," and though one of the first, if not the first lady at Vienna, as not at all partaking of the insolence and hauteur which is by some ascribed to the society of that capital. As a beauty, she is perhaps upon too large a scale, except for those who admire women of all shapes and sizes; but her eyes and brow are very fine, and there is a very peculiarly soft and radiant expression about them. Lord Melbourne had heard of his Sovereignty, but understands that his territory is extremely limited. His possessions as a subject of Austria are worth a good deal more than his German princ.i.p.ality.

Lord Melbourne greatly congratulates your Majesty upon the happy progress and termination of the expedition to Scotland. He is very glad of three things--that your Majesty returned by sea, in the steamer, and that the pa.s.sage was a good one....

The country is indeed most interesting, full of real picturesque beauty and of historical and poetical a.s.sociations and recollections.

There is nothing to detract from it, except the very high opinion that the Scotch themselves entertain of it. Edinburgh is magnificent--situation, buildings, and all--but the boasting of the articles in the newspapers respecting it almost inclined one to deny its superiority. It is also, as your Majesty says, most striking to contemplate in the Clans the remains of feudal times and inst.i.tutions.

It is quite as well, however, particularly for Monarchy, that they are but remains, and that no more of them have been left.

Lord Melbourne thanks your Majesty much for your kind enquiries after his health. He thinks that he is getting better and stronger than he has been, and has a notion of trying a little shooting in October.

Lord Melbourne begs to be respectfully remembered to the Prince.

[Footnote 92: Prince Aloysius Joseph of Liechtenstein (1796-1858) and his wife, Princess Francoise-de-Paule, Countess Kinsky.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _18th October 1842._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I only received your kind letter yesterday, for which my best thanks. I am delighted to hear that Louise's cough is decidedly better, and that upon the whole the dear family are well, thank G.o.d! Certainly where He sees fit to afflict, He gives strength to bear up!

Louise says Vecto is in great beauty, and the baby magnificent. I wish you could see p.u.s.s.y now; she is (_unberufen_) the picture of health, and has just cut her first eye-tooth, without the slightest suffering.

We are going to Brighton on the 1st of November for a month; it is the _best_ month _there_ and the _worst here_. I think I _may_ announce Augusta Cambridge's[93] marriage as certain, as I have just received a note from the Duke, which is as follows:--

"Being very anxious to communicate to you as soon as possible an event which concerns deeply my family, I take the liberty of requesting you to let me know on what day and at what hour I may wait upon you."

I shall see him to-morrow, and report the result to Louise on Friday.

I have just taken leave of poor Esterhazy, who has presented his letters of recall. He looked wretched, and Lord Aberdeen told me he is only ill at being obliged to go; he is quite miserable to do so, but the great gentleman at Johannisberg has most ungraciously refused to listen to his entreaties to remain, which is very foolish, as they don't know who to send in his place. I am _very_ sorry to lose him, he is so amiable and agreeable, and I have known him ever since I can remember anybody; he is, besides, _equally liked_ and on _equally good terms_ with _both_ parties _here_, which was of the greatest importance. It was touching to see him so low and ill and unlike himself.