[Footnote 58: Lady Evelyn Leveson Gower, married, on 4th October, to Charles, Lord Blantyre.]
[Pageheading: VISIT TO THE CHaTEAU D"EU]
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
CHaTEAU D"EU, _4th September 1843._
MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I write to you from this dear place, where we are in the midst of this admirable and truly amiable family, and where we feel quite at home, and as if we were one of them. Our reception by the dear King and Queen has been most kind, and by the people really gratifying.[59] Everything is very different to England, particularly the population. Louise has told you all about our doings, and therefore tell you nothing but that I am highly interested and amused.
Little Chica (Mdme. Hadjy)[60] is a charming, sprightly, lively creature, with immense brown eyes. We leave this the day after to-morrow for Brighton, where the children are, who are extremely well, I hear. Many thanks, dearest Uncle, for your kind letter of the 29th, by which I see that poor Prince Lowenstein[61] came to see you; he is Mamma"s old friend. As I am in a great hurry, and as I hope, G.o.d willing, to see you very soon, I must conclude in haste, and leave all my remarks for another day. Ever your devoted Niece,
VICTORIA R.
Pray forgive this confused and horrid scrawl.
[Footnote 59: The Queen was enthusiastically received at Treport. On the 2nd there was a great entertainment in the banqueting-room of the Chateau, and on the 4th a _fete champetre_ on the Mont d"Orleans in the forest. On the 5th there was a review, and on the 7th the Queen returned to England.]
[Footnote 60: The Princess of Joinville. See _ante_, p. 451.
(Ch. XII, 10th January, 1843).
Hadjy is the Prince of Joinville.]
[Footnote 61: Prince William of Lowenstein (1783-1847).]
[Pageheading: THE FRENCH VISIT]
_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._
MELBOURNE, _6th September 1843._
Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and thanks your Majesty much for your letter of the 27th ult., which he received here some days ago. We have been quite dismayed and overwhelmed with the melancholy intelligence of death after death which has followed us. I was much concerned for poor Charles Howard"s loss, but we were quite struck down by the melancholy event of poor Mrs W. Cowper.[62]
She promised to suit us all well, my sister particularly, and to be a great source of happiness and comfort.
Your Majesty is quite right in supposing that Lord Melbourne would at once attribute your Majesty"s visit to the Chateau d"Eu to its right cause--your Majesty"s friendship and affection for the French Royal Family, and not to any political object. The princ.i.p.al motive now is to take care that it does not get mixed either in reality or in appearance with politics, and Lord Melbourne cannot conceal from your Majesty that he should lament it much if the result of the visit should turn out to be a treaty upon any European matter, unfavourable to England and favourable to France. Do not let them make any treaty or agreement there. It can be done elsewhere just as well, and without any of the suspicion which is sure to attach to any transaction which takes place there.
[Footnote 62: Mr and Mrs William Cowper had only been married on 24th June.]
_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._
LAEKEN, _8th September 1843._
MY DEAREST AND MOST BELOVED VICTORIA,--I have been highly gratified that you found a moment to write me such a dear letter. I am sure that the personal contact with the family at Eu would interest you, and at the same time remove some impressions on the subject of the King, which are really untrue. Particularly the attempt of representing him like the most astute of men, calculating constantly everything to deceive people.
His vivacity alone would render such a system extremely difficult, and if he appears occasionally to speak too much and to seem to hold a different language to different people, it is a good deal owing to his vivacity and his anxiety to carry conviction to people"s mind.
The impression of your visit will besides do wonders in removing the silly irritation which had been got up since 1840, and which might have in the end occasioned serious mischief, and that without being _in the least_ called for, the pa.s.sions of nations become very inconvenient sometimes for their Governors.... Your devoted Uncle,
LEOPOLD R.
My best love to dearest Albert; he seems to have had the greatest success, and I am very glad of it, as it had some time ago been the fashion to invent all sorts of nonsense.
I left Stockmar extremely hypochondriacal, but I trust not so unwell as he fancied. His son accompanies him to Coburg.
[Pageheading: THE QUEEN"S RETURN]
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
ON BOARD THE _Victoria and Albert_, IN THE RIVER,[63]
_21st September 1843._
MY DEARLY BELOVED UNCLE,--I seize the first opportunity of informing you of our excellent pa.s.sage; we shall be in half-an-hour or three-quarters at Woolwich; it is now half-past ten A.M. The day and night were beautiful, and it is again, very fine to-day. We anch.o.r.ed in Margate Roads at eleven last night, and set off again about five.
Let me thank you and my beloved Louise in both our names again for your _great kindness_ to us, which, believe me, we feel _deeply_. We were _so happy_ with you, and the stay was _so delightful_, but so painfully short! It was such a joy for me to be once again under the roof of one who has ever been a father to me! I was _very_ sad after you left us; it seems so strange that all should be over--but the _delightful_ souvenir will _ever_ remain. To leave my dearest Louise too was so painful--and also poor Aunt Julia,[64] so immediately after making her acquaintance; pray tell her that, for me. I shall write to Louise to-morrow. You must forgive my hand being so trembling, but we are _lighter_ than usual, which causes the tremulous motion to be so much more felt.
That G.o.d may bless and protect you _all always_ is our fervent prayer.
Believe me, always, your devoted and grateful Niece and Child,
VICTORIA R.
[Footnote 63: On the 12th the Queen and Prince Albert sailed from Brighton on a visit to King Leopold. They visited Ostend, Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, and Antwerp.]
[Footnote 64: Sister of the d.u.c.h.ess of Kent, married to the Grand Duke Constantine.]
_Queen Victoria to Sir James Graham._
WINDSOR CASTLE, _22nd September 1843._
The Queen has received Sir James Graham"s letter of the 22nd.[65] She has long seen with deep concern the lamentable state of turbulence in South Wales, and has repeatedly urged the necessity of its being put an end to, by _vigorous_ efforts on the part of the Government. The Queen, therefore, willingly gives her sanction to the issuing of a special Commission for the trial of the offenders and to the issuing of a proclamation. Monday, the 2nd, being the earliest day at which, Sir James says, the necessary Council could be held, will suit the Queen very well; she begs, therefore, that Sir James will cause the Council to meet here on that day at three o"clock.
[Footnote 65: The insurrection of the Rebeccaites was a.s.suming a more dangerous form, and at Hendy Gate they committed a cold-blooded act of murder.]