The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume I Part 96

Lord Melbourne thinks that your Majesty's decision respecting the Governess[26] is right. It should be a lady of rank; but that she should be a woman of sense and discretion, and capable of fulfilling the duties of the office, is of more importance than whether she is a d.u.c.h.ess, a Marchioness, or a Countess. The selection is difficult, but if your Majesty can find a person, it would not be well to consider either high or low rank as a disqualification.

Lord Melbourne intends to take advantage of his freedom from the restraints of office in order to see a little of the bloom of spring and summer, which he has missed for so many years. He has got one or two horses, which he likes well enough, and has begun to ride again a little. Lord Melbourne wishes your Majesty much of the same enjoyment, together with all health, happiness, and prosperity.

[Footnote 22: Near Twickenham, formerly the residence of Horace Walpole, and filled with his collection of pictures and _objets de vertu_.]

[Footnote 23: The Duke of Gloucester, brother of George III., married in 1766 Maria, Countess-Dowager Waldegrave, illegitimate daughter of Sir Edward Walpole, and niece of Horace Walpole. This, and the Duke of c.u.mberland's marriage in 1771 to Lady Anne Horton, occasioned the pa.s.sing of the Royal Marriages Act.]

[Footnote 24: Lord Adolphus FitzClarence (1802-1856), a Rear-Admiral, brother of the Earl of Munster.]

[Footnote 25: The Earl of Munster had held the office of Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle, with a salary of 1,000 a year.]

[Footnote 26: To the Royal children. Lady Lyttelton was ultimately appointed.]

[Pageheading: PARTY POLITICS]

[Pageheading: THE GARTER]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

BROCKET HALL, _6th April 1842._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and has this morning received your Majesty's very kind and confidential letter, for which he greatly thanks your Majesty. Your Majesty may depend upon it that Lord Melbourne will do everything in his power to discourage and restrain factious and vexatious opposition, not only on account of your Majesty's wish, but because he disapproves it as much as your Majesty can possibly do. But everything in his power he fears is but little. The leaders of a party, or those who are so called, have but little sway over their followers, particularly when not in Government, and when they have it not in their power to threaten them with any very serious consequences, such as the dissolution of the Administration. Mr Pulteney, afterwards Earl of Bath, is reported to have said that political parties were like snakes, guided not by their heads, but by their tails. Lord Melbourne does not know whether this is true of the snake, but it is certainly so of the party. The conduct of the Opposition upon the resolution respecting the Income Tax is rendered peculiarly ridiculous by the result. They forcibly put it off until after the holidays, and then upon the first day of the meeting they vote it without a division. What is this but admitting that they looked to a movement in the country which they have not been able to create? Moreover, all Oppositions that Lord Melbourne has ever seen are more or less factious. The Opposition of Mr Fox to Mr Pitt was the least so, but these were great men, greater than any that exist at the present day, although Lord Melbourne is by no means inclined to depreciate his own times. The factiousness of one Opposition naturally produces the same in the next. They say, "They did so to us; why should we not do so to them?" Your Majesty may rest a.s.sured that Lord Melbourne will do everything he can to prevent delay, and to accelerate the transaction of the public business.

Lord Melbourne sends a letter which he has received this morning from the Duke of Suss.e.x, and which expresses very right and proper feeling.

Lord Melbourne has written in reply that, "Your Majesty was no doubt influenced princ.i.p.ally by your natural affection for him, and by your sense of the generosity of his conduct towards Lord Munster, but that if any thought of Lord Melbourne intervened, your Majesty could not have given a higher or a more acceptable proof of your approbation and regard."

The Garters[27] seem to Lord Melbourne to be given well enough. Your Majesty's feelings upon the subject are most kind and amiable. But these things cannot be helped, and it is upon the whole advantageous that each party should have their portion of patronage and honours.

If there is very distinguished service, the Garter should be bestowed upon it. Otherwise, in Lord Melbourne's opinion, it is better given to n.o.blemen of high rank and great property. The chapter in Ecclesiasticus, read in St George's Chapel on Obiit Sunday, well describes those who ought to have it, with the exception of those "who find out musical tunes." Lord Melbourne does not think it well given to Ministers. It is always then subject to the imputation of their giving it to themselves, and p.r.o.nouncing an approbation of their own conduct.

Lord Melbourne hopes that the Pope's standing sponsor for the young Prince of Portugal is a sign of complete reconciliation with the See of Rome. It is a very awkward thing for a Roman Catholic Government to be at variance with the Pope. He is still a very ugly customer.

Lord Melbourne is very much concerned to hear of the Baron's[28]

illness--very much indeed; he is an excellent and most valuable man, with one of the soundest and coolest judgments that Lord Melbourne has ever met with. Your Majesty knows that Lord Melbourne has never had a favourable opinion of his health. There seems to be about him a settled weakness of the stomach, which is in fact the seat of health, strength, thought and life. Lord Melbourne sees that a great physician says that Napoleon lost the battle of Leipsic in consequence of some very greasy soup which he ate the day before, and which clouded his judgment and obscured his perceptions.

Lord Melbourne is very glad to hear that your Majesty has amused yourself so well in the country, and is not surprised that you are unwilling to quit it. He means himself to see a little of the coming in of the spring, which he has not done for many years.

[Footnote 27: The recipients had been the King of Saxony, the Duke of Beaufort, the Duke of Buckingham, the Marquess of Salisbury, the Duke of Cleveland.]

[Footnote 28: Baron Stockmar.]

[Pageheading: A BRILLIANT BALL]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _19th April 1842._

DEAREST UNCLE,--I am so sorry to see by your kind letter of the 15th that you are all so _enrhumes_, but hear to-day from Vecto that Charlotte is quite well again. I am quite bewildered with all the arrangements for our _bal costume_, which I wish you could see; we are to be Edward III. and Queen Philippa, and a great number of our Court to be dressed like the people in those times, and very correctly, so as to make a grand _Aufzug_; but there is such asking, and so many silks and drawings and crowns, and G.o.d knows what, to look at, that I, who hate being troubled about dress, am quite _confuse_.

To get a little rest we mean to run down to Claremont with the children from Friday to Monday. My last ball was very splendid, and I have a concert on Monday next....

I hope Ernest and dear Alexandrine will come in June, and stay some time _quietly_ with us in the country. I saw another beautiful letter of hers, so well and sensibly and religiously written, it would have pleased you. Now adieu! Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _20th April 1842._

Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and thanks your Majesty much for your letter of the 17th inst. Lord Melbourne has been so much occupied with the debates in the House of Lords during the last two days, that he has ventured to put off replying to your Majesty's letters, which he trusts that your Majesty will excuse.

Lord Melbourne did not leave the ball until ten minutes after one, and as there were so many persons there, which Lord Melbourne thinks quite right and was very glad to see, Lord Melbourne had little hope of seeing your Majesty again, and therefore ventured to take advantage of having ordered his carriage at half-past twelve and of its having come at the time that it was ordered. It was a very brilliant and very beautiful and a very gay ball.

Lord Melbourne is very sorry to be obliged to express his fear that your Majesty will prove more in the right than he was about the duration of Parliament. There will be much debate in the Committee upon the details of the Income Tax, and the discussions upon the Tariff of duties, which affects so many interests, are likely to be very long indeed. There is one good thing in the House of Lords, and that is that it never much delays or obstructs public business....

As Lord Melbourne drove down the Park on Sat.u.r.day evening last to dine with his sister, he could see clearly into your Majesty's room, so as to be able to distinguish the pictures, tables, etc., the candles being lighted and the curtains not drawn. Your Majesty was just setting off for the Opera.

[Pageheading: PRINCE ALBERT AND THE ARMY]

_Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _20th April 1842._

The Queen encloses the Prince's letter to Sir Robert Peel, containing his acceptance of the Guards. At the same time, both the Prince and Queen feel much regret at the Prince's leaving the 11th, which is, if possible, enhanced by seeing the Regiment out to-day, which is in beautiful order. It was, besides, the Regiment which escorted the Prince from Dover to Canterbury on his arrival in England in February '40. The Queen fears, indeed knows, that Lord Cardigan will be deeply mortified at the Prince's leaving the Regiment, and that it will have the effect of appearing like another slight to him; therefore, the Queen much wishes that at some fit opportunity[29] a mark of favour should be bestowed upon him....

The Queen hopes Sir Robert will think of this.

[Footnote 29: Lord Cardigan was promoted Major-General in 1847. He became Inspector-General of Cavalry, and received the K.C.B. in 1855.]

_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._

SOUTH STREET, _26th April 1842._