The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 43

[Pageheading: KING LOUIS PHILIPPE]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _9th August 1839._

... I am sorry that you are less pleased with the old Duke, but party spirit is in England an incurable disease. These last two years he had rendered essential service to the present Administration; perhaps he has been soured by last summer's events. It was my intention to have answered your questions sooner, but from Paris I had not the means.

Now the time draws so near when I hope to have the happiness of seeing you, that I think it will be better to treat the matter verbally, the more so as my most beloved Majesty is easily displeased with what may be written with the best intention, instead that in conversation the immediate reply renders any misunderstanding, however small, very difficult; and as I do not wish to have any great or small with you, and see no occasion for it, I will give my answer _de vive voix_.

Now comes a subject which will _astonish_ you. I am charged _de sonder_ your will and pleasure on the following subject. The King my father-in-law goes to Eu, where he hopes to remain till the 5th or 6th of September. Having at his disposition some very fine steamers, his great wish would be to go over to Brighton, just for one afternoon and night, to offer you his respects in person. He would in such a case bring with him the Queen, my Aunt, Clementine,[52] Aumale and Montpensier. The first step in this business is to know what your pleasure is, and to learn that very frankly, as he perfectly understands that, however short such a visit, it must be submitted to the advice even of some of your Ministers. What renders the thing very difficult, in my opinion, is that in a country like France, and with so many Ministerial difficulties, the King to the _last hour_ will hardly know if he can undertake the thing. As, however, the first object is to know your will, he begged me to ascertain that, and to tell you that if you had the _smallest objection_ you would not be carried away by the apprehension of hurting him by telling me honestly that you did _not_ see how the affair could be arranged, but to speak out, that he knew enough how often objections may arise, and that even with himself he could only be sure of the thing at the last moment.

[Footnote 52: Who afterwards married Queen Victoria's cousin, Prince Augustus (Gusti) of Coburg.]

[Pageheading: THE NEW SULTAN]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

FOREIGN OFFICE, _19th August 1839._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and in submitting the accompanying private letter from the Earl Granville[53]

begs to state that neither Viscount Melbourne nor Viscount Palmerston are of opinion that it would be expedient that your Majesty should send an Amba.s.sador Extraordinary to compliment the young Sultan[54]

on his accession. The circ.u.mstances connected with his accession are indeed fitter matter for condolence than for congratulation, and he would probably be better pleased by the restoration of his fleet than by the arrival of Amba.s.sadors Extraordinary. Moreover, it has not been customary for the Sovereign of England to send such missions upon the accession of Sultans.

[Footnote 53: The first Earl Granville (1773-1846), formerly Amba.s.sador Extraordinary to the Russian Court, at this time Amba.s.sador at Paris.]

[Footnote 54: Abdul Medjid, a lad of sixteen, succeeded the Sultan Mahmoud. The majority of the Powers agreed to place him under the protection of Europe, and to warn Mehemet Ali that the matter was for Europe, not him, to decide. France, however, wished to support Mehemet, and direct the Alliance against Russia. But Nicholas I. of Russia was prepared to support England as far as regarded the affairs of Turkey and Egypt, and to close the Dardanelles and Bosphorus to wars.h.i.+ps of all nations, it being stipulated that Russian s.h.i.+ps of war only were to pa.s.s the Bosphorus, as acting under the mandate of Europe in defence of the Turks. _See_ further, Introductory Notes for 1839 and 1840. (to Ch. VIII and Ch. IX)]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

OSTENDE, _24th August 1839._

... The King's intention would be to leave Eu in the evening, let us say at eight or nine o'clock, and to land, perhaps at ten or eleven, at Brighton on the _following morning_. He would have the honour of dining with you, and would re-embark in the _evening of the same day_, so as to be back on the _following morning_ at Eu. He will therefore, as you see, _not_ sleep in England.

If you cannot give any _pied-a-terre_ in the Palace for these few hours, they will remain in an hotel. But I must say that as the King and Queen put themselves to _some inconvenience in coming_ to see you, it would be _rather desirable_ to offer them rooms in the Palace, which I think might be easily managed. As far as we are concerned, it _does not matter_ if we are housed in an hotel or where we bivouac. I will charge Van de Weyer to take rooms for us somewhere....

Do not imagine that I have done the least to bring this about for my own satisfaction, which is _very limited_ in this business, but the King wished _much to see you once_, and so did the Queen, who abhors sailing more than anybody, and this is perhaps the _only_ opportunity which may ever offer of doing it, even with some political benefit, as it certainly is desirable that it should appear that the two maritime Powers are on good terms.... And now, G.o.d bless you! Ever, my dearest Victoria, your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Pageheading: LOUIS PHILIPPE'S VISIT]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

OSTENDE, _25th August 1839._ (_La St Louis._)

MY DEAR VICTORIA,--To keep up the fire of letters, I write again, having received this morning interesting news. As I must forward this letter by Calais, and know not who may read it in these times of curiosity, I am forced to be guarded; but the news are as follows, of the 23rd--curious coincidence, as your letter was also of that date--that, the moment _approaching, many and serious_ difficulties arise, and that the expedition was considered imprudent by some people, that, besides, the presence would perhaps be required, before the _possible_ departure, at the _usual home_ of the person interested, that therefore for the present it would perhaps be best to give it up. I must say that I am _most happy_ that matters have come to this pa.s.s, because it would have been next to impossible to arrange affairs properly in proper time. You may now consider everything _as over_, and settle your plans without reference to it....

[Pageheading: THE VISIT POSTPONED]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _26th August 1839._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I had already written you a letter when I received your two very kind ones, and I shall therefore not send my first. My friends.h.i.+p for the dear King and Queen makes me, as you may easily understand, wish most exceedingly to see them and to make the acquaintance of the Queen and all the family. And I feel the immense kindness of them all in wis.h.i.+ng to see me, and in coming over for only a few hours. Politically it would be _wished_ by _us all_, and the _only_ difficulty I see is the following, which is, that _I do not feel quite_ equal to going to Brighton and receiving them all, so soon after the Prorogation.[55] I do not _feel_ well; I feel _thoroughly_ exhausted from all that I have gone through this Session, and am quite knocked up by the two little trips I made to Windsor. This makes me fear, uncertain as it all is, with such a pressure of business, so many affairs, and with so much going on, that I should be unequal to the journey and the whole thing. This, and this _alone_, could make me express a wish that this most kind visit should take place _next_ year instead of this year. I feel such regret really in saying this--I should so wish to see them, and yet I feel I am not _quite_ up to it. You will understand me, dear Uncle, I am certain, as I know the anxiety you always express for my health. For _once_ I _long_ to leave London, and shall do so on Friday. If you could be at Windsor by the 4th, I should be delighted.

The dear Ferdinands, whom I _all dearly_ love, will await you here.

I have had so much to do and so many people to see, that I feel quite confused, and have written shockingly, which you must forgive. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 55: On 27th August.]

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN'S SPEECH]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _26 August 1839._ (_10 minutes to 12._)

The Queen has received both Lord Melbourne's notes; she was a good deal vexed at his not coming, as she had begged him herself to do so, and as he wrote to say he would, and also as she thinks it right and of importance that Lord Melbourne should be here at large dinners; the Queen _insists_ upon his coming to dinner to-morrow, and also begs him to do so on Wednesday, her two last nights in town, and as she will probably not see him at all for two days when she goes on Friday; the Queen would wish to see Lord Melbourne _after_ the Prorogation to-morrow at any hour _before_ five he likes best.

The Queen has been a good deal annoyed this evening at Normanby's telling her that John Russell was coming to town next Monday in order to _change_ with _him_.[56] Lord Melbourne _never_ told the Queen that this was definitely settled; on the contrary, he said it would "remain in our hands," to use Lord Melbourne's own words, and only be settled during the Vacation; considering all that the Queen has said on the subject to Lord Melbourne, and considering the great confidence the Queen has in Lord Melbourne, she thinks and feels he ought to have told her that this was _settled_, and not let the Queen be the last person to hear what is settled and done in her own name; Lord Melbourne will excuse the Queen's being a little eager about this, but it has happened once before that she learnt from other people what had been decided on.

The Queen has such unlimited confidence in Lord Melbourne that she knows all that he does is right, but she cannot help being a little vexed at not being told things, when she is accustomed to great confidence on Lord Melbourne's part.

Lord Melbourne may rely on the Queen's secrecy respecting Howick; he knows the Queen always keeps things to herself; Normanby hinted at his wish to get rid of Howick.