WINDSOR CASTLE, _17th October 1843._
MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Your kind letter of the 13th I received yesterday, and return you my warmest thanks for it....
By your letter, and by one I received from Victoire yesterday morning, I see every reason to hope that we shall see the dear Nemours, for there will be no difficulty to prevent that poor stupid Duc de Bordeaux from being _in London_ at the time. He is to be informed indirectly that the Nemours are coming at the beginning of next month on a visit to us, in consequence of a pressing invitation of ours; this alone will keep him off, as the contrast would be disagreeable to the Legitimists. Independent of this, his disembarkation at Hull, and proceeding at once to Scotland, seems to indicate his wish to be in private.
The great event of the day is O"Connell"s arrest;[73] they have found bail, but the trial will shortly commence. The case against him is _very_ strong, the lawyers say.
Everything is perfectly quiet at Dublin. You will have seen how O"Connell has abused the King; it is all because our visit to Eu has put an end to _any_ hopes of a.s.sistance from France, which he pretended there would be, and he now declares for the Duc de Bordeaux!...
You must encourage the dear King and Queen to send over some of the dear family often to us; _ils seront recus a bras ouverts_....
We intend to take advantage of Feodore and Ernest"s going to the Queen Dowager"s to pay a visit to Cambridge, where we have never been; we mean to set off to-morrow week, to sleep at Trinity Lodge that night, and the two following nights at Lord Hardwicke"s,[74] which is close to Cambridge. These journeys are very popular, and please and interest Albert very much.... Believe me, always, my dearest Uncle, your very affectionate Niece,
VICTORIA R.
[Footnote 73: After the official prohibition on 7th October of the intended Clontarf meeting, O"Connell and others were arrested in Dublin for conspiracy. After giving bail, O"Connell issued an address to the Irish people. The trial was postponed till the following year.]
[Footnote 74: Wimpole, near Royston, nine miles from Cambridge.]
[Pageheading: THE DUC DE BORDEAUX]
_Sir Robert Peel to the Prince Albert._
DRAYTON MANOR, _20th October 1843._
SIR,--The enclosed letter[75] from Sir James Graham to me (which as your Royal Highness will perceive is _entirely of a private character_) contains details of a conversation with Baron Neumann which will, I think, be interesting to Her Majesty and to your Royal Highness; and knowing your Royal Highness will consider the communication a confidential one, I prefer sending the letter _in extenso_ to the making of any extracts from it.
I am afraid there is more in the Duc de Bordeaux"s visit than the mere gratification of a desire on his part to see again places with which he was familiar in his youth.
If, however, he should be so ill-advised as to make any political demonstration, or to ally himself with any particular party in this country, he would, in my opinion, derive little from it, and there would be the opportunity of giving to the King of the French a new proof of our fidelity to our engagements, and of the steadiness of our friendship towards him and his dynasty.
The great body of the French people would comprehend the object of any such demonstrations on the part of the Duc de Bordeaux, and would, it is to be hoped, see in them an additional motive for union in support of the King, and confidence in the honour and integrity of this country.
I will not fail to inform the Grand Duke of Her Majesty"s intended visit to Cambridge, and to suggest to him that it will not be convenient to the Queen to receive him at Windsor before Sat.u.r.day at the earliest, and probably Monday.
On the day after I spoke to your Royal Highness I gave instructions for enquiries to be made respecting the two properties in the Isle of Wight.[76] It is necessary to make such enquiries through some very confidential channel, as a suspicion of the object of them would probably greatly enhance the price.
The party on whom I could entirely rely was out of town, but will return to-morrow, and will immediately find out what he can respecting the properties.
The result shall be made known to the Queen and your Royal Highness without delay.
Will your Royal Highness have the goodness to mention this to Her Majesty?...
I have the honour to be, Sir, with sincere respect, your Royal Highness"s most faithful and humble Servant,
ROBERT PEEL.
[Footnote 75: Referring to the visit of the Duc de Bordeaux.]
[Footnote 76: The Queen and the Prince were at this time making enquiries about a suitable residence in the Isle of Wight. The purchase of Osborne resulted.]
[Pageheading: THE QUEEN"S DECISION]
_The Prince Albert to Sir Robert Peel._
WINDSOR CASTLE, _21st October 1843._
MY DEAR SIR ROBERT,--I return you Sir James Graham"s letter. There is a pretty general impression of the Duc de Bordeaux"s visit being a got-up thing for various political intrigues. I confess I do not understand the link with Ireland, or at least the importance of his being well received by the Roman Catholics, but am strongly impressed that his presence whether in Scotland, England, or Ireland is for no good, and therefore think it our duty that we should render it difficult for him to protract it. The Queen and myself think that the uncertainty of his being received at Court or not is doing harm, and would _much_ wish, therefore, that it was _decidedly_ stated _that the Queen will not receive him_. His coming here without ever asking (indeed knowing that it was disliked), as well as the part which Austria and Prussia seem to have taken in the matter, do not strengthen his claim for such a favour. No good can come from the reception, and the King of the French must prefer its not taking place. Let us, therefore, settle that point, and show that we are neither afraid of him nor prepared to be made dupes of.
The Queen is desirous that no official person should treat the Duke with a distinction which is likely to attract unnecessary attention.
Believe me, always yours truly,
ALBERT.
[Pageheading: THE DUC DE NEMOURS]
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
WINDSOR CASTLE, _24th October 1843._
MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I had the happiness of receiving your most kind letter of the 20th yesterday, for which I thank you very much. The good news of the dear Nemours coming is a great happiness to us, and I fervently hope and trust that the Duc de Bordeaux will be kept off, which I _fully_ expect he will. Suppose, however, he could _not_ be, and the Nemours could not come _then_, would the King not kindly allow them to come later? Even if the Chambers were to be sitting--such a little _Ausflug_ of ten days only could really not be a great inconvenience? Surely if you were to mention this to the dear King, with my affectionate respects, he would grant it. It is besides only in _case_ Bordeaux should come to London, which I _really_ think he will _not_, if he once knows that the Nemours are coming. And I must add that I think Nemours not coming at _all_ this year, after it had been announced, would have a bad effect, particularly as people here think that some great Powers have instigated Bordeaux"s coming here,--and even think that the Roman Catholics and Repealers in Ireland mean to make use of him. Consequently Nemours _not_ coming _at all_, should he be prevented from coming at the beginning of November, would not be a good thing _politically_, independent of the _extreme disappointment_ it would cause us....
The accounts both you and Louise gave me of good Hadjy and Chica give me great pleasure, as I take a lively interest in both, and am very fond of them. We found amongst some very curious old miniatures several of Catherine of Braganza when young (Charles II."s wife), which are so like Chica;[77] it is curious how sometimes you can trace likenesses many generations back....
Pray offer our respects to _all_. How long do you stay? Ever your devoted niece,
VICTORIA R.
[Footnote 77: The Princess de Joinville was a sister of Queen Maria II. of Portugal, and Queen Catherine of Braganza was daughter of King John IV.]
[Pageheading: THE DUC DE BORDEAUX]