The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Ii Part 38

M. Guizot came to London from Dover at half-past six.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the French._

PALAIS DE BUCKINGHAM, _3eme Mars 1848._

SIRE ET MON CHER FReRE,--C'etait une consolation bien vive pour moi de recevoir la bonne lettre de votre Majeste qui m'a bien touchee. Nous avons tous ete dans de vives inquietudes pour vous, pour la Reine et toute la famille, et nous remercions la Providence pour que vous soyez arrives en surete sur le sol d'Angleterre, et nous sommes bien heureux de savoir que vous etes ici loin de tous ces dangers qui vous ont recemment menaces. Votre Majeste croira combien ces derniers affreux evenements si inattendus nous ont peniblement agites. Il nous tarde de savoir que vos santes n'ont pas ete alterees par ces derniers jours d'inquietude et de fatigue. Albert me charge d'offrir les hommages a votre Majeste, et je vous prie de deposer les notres aux pieds de la Reine, a qui je compte repondre demain. Je me dis, Sire et mon bon Frere, de votre Majeste, la bien affectionnee S[oe]ur,

VICTORIA R.

_Queen Victoria to the Queen of the French._

PALAIS DE BUCKINGHAM, _4eme Mars 1848._

MADAME,--Votre Majeste aura excuse que je ne vous ai pas de suite remercie de votre bonne et aimable lettre de hier. C'est des fonds de mon c[oe]ur que je me rejouis de vous savoir en surete a Claremont avec le Roi. Mes pensees etaient aupres de votre Majeste pendant tous ces affreux jours, et je fremis en pensant a tout ce que vous avez souffert de corps et d'ame.

Albert sera le Porteur de ces lignes; j'aurais ete si heureuse de l'accompagner pour vous voir, mais je n'ose plus quitter Londres.

Avec l'expression de l'affection et de l'estime, je me dis toujours, Madame, de votre Majeste, la bien affectionnee S[oe]ur,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: THE ROYAL FUGITIVES]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

CARLTON GARDENS, _5th March 1848._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and cannot see that there could be any objection to the King and Queen of the French coming to town to visit your Majesty, and indeed, on the contrary, it would seem under all the circ.u.mstances of the case natural that they should be anxious to see your Majesty, and that your Majesty should be desirous of receiving them.

Viscount Palmerston was sure that your Majesty would read with interest Mr Featherstonhaugh's account of the manner in which he managed the escape of the King and Queen of the French. It is like one of Walter Scott's best tales, and the arrangements and the execution of them do great credit to Mr Featherstonhaugh, who will be highly gratified to learn, as Viscount Palmerston proposes to inform him, that your Majesty has approved his conduct. Mr Featherstonhaugh has also probably rendered a good service to the Provisional Government, who would have been much embarra.s.sed if their Commissioner had arrested the King and Queen.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _7th March 1848._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Albert has written to you so constantly that I have little to add; he just tells me this is not quite true. However, there is nothing very new except that we have seen the King and Queen; Albert went down to Claremont to see them on Sat.u.r.day, and yesterday they came here with Montpensier. They both look very _abattus_, and the poor Queen cried much in thinking of what she had gone through--and what dangers the King had incurred; in short, humbled poor people they looked. Dearest Vic I saw on Sunday; _she_ has also gone through much, and is so dear and good and gentle. She looked wonderfully well _considering_. They are still _very_ much in want of means, and live on a very reduced scale.

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN'S VIEW OF THE CRISIS]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _11th March 1848._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I profit by the departure of Andrews to write to you a few lines, and to wish you joy of the continued satisfactory behaviour of my friends, the good Belgians; fervently do I hope and really trust all will go on well; but what an extraordinary state of things everywhere! _"Je ne sais plus ou je suis,"_ and I fancy really that we have gone back into the _old_ century. But I also feel one must not be nervous or alarmed at these moments, but be of good cheer, and muster up courage to meet all the difficulties.

Our little riots are mere nothing, and the feeling here is good....

_What_ is _your_ opinion as to the late events at Paris? Do you not think the King ought to have retired to Vincenness or somewhere else a day or two before, and put himself at the head of the army? Ought not Montpensier at least to have gone to Vincennes? I know Clem even thinks this--as also that _one_ ought to have foreseen, and ought to have managed things better. Certainly at the _very last_, if they had not gone, they would all have been ma.s.sacred; and _I_ think they were quite right, and in short could not avoid going as quickly as they could; but there is an impression they _fled_ too quickly. Still the recollection of Louis XVI.... is enough to justify all, and everybody will admit that; but the Princes, they think, ought to have remained.

_What_ do _you_ think of all this? I think the blunders were _all_ on the last three or four days--and on the last day, but were no longer to be avoided at last; there seemed a _fatality_, and _all_ was lost.

Poor Nemours did his best till he could _no longer_ get to the troops.

People here also abuse him for letting Victoire go alone--but he _remained_ to do his _duty_; a little more _empress.e.m.e.nt_ on her arrival here I would have wished. Albert told you all about the Montpensiers' journey. It would do the King irreparable mischief if they went now to Spain; the feeling of anger would all return. Poor people! they are all in a sad state of _want_ at present.

I must conclude. Hoping to hear from you, and to have your opinion.

Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN'S SYMPATHY]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _15th March 1848._

The Queen cannot let this day pa.s.s without offering Lord Melbourne hers and the Prince's best wishes for many happy returns of it in health and strength.

Lord Melbourne will agree with the Queen that the last three weeks have brought back the times of the last century, and we are in the midst of troubles abroad. The Revolution in France is a sad and alarming thing.... The poor King and his Government made many mistakes within the last two years, and were obstinate and totally blind at the last till flight was inevitable. But for _sixteen_ years he did a great deal to maintain peace, and made France prosperous, which should _not_ be forgotten.... Lord Melbourne's kind heart will grieve to think of the _real want_ the poor King and Queen are in, their dinner-table containing barely enough to eat. And the poor Nemours hardly know which way to turn. If the private property be not restored G.o.d only knows what is to become of these distinguished young Princes and their little children. What will be their _avenir_? It breaks one's heart to think of it, and the Queen, being so nearly related to them and knowing them all, feels it very much. Surely the poor old King is sufficiently punished for his faults. Lord Beauvale will surely be shocked at the complete ruin of the family. Has he seen or heard from his old friend Madame de Montjoye, who is here with the Queen of the French? The poor dear Queen of the Belgians is quite broken-hearted, but, thank G.o.d, Belgium goes on admirably. In Germany also there are everywhere disturbances, but the good Germans are at bottom very loyal....

The state of Paris is very gloomy; the rabble armed--keeping the Government in awe--failures in all directions, and nothing but ruin and misery. This is too gloomy a letter for a birthday, and the Queen must apologise for it. The Prince wishes to be kindly remembered to Lord Melbourne.

[Pageheading: THE CZAR'S VIEW]

_The Emperor of Russia to Queen Victoria._

22 Mars ST. PETERSBURG, _le ------- 1848._ 3 Avril