ST CLOUD[73] _23rd August 1855_.
MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I do not intend to attempt any description, for I have no time for anything of the sort; besides, I have no doubt you will read the papers, and I know good Van de Weyer has written _au long_ to you about it all. I will therefore only give in a few words my impressions.
I am _delighted_, _enchanted_, _amused_, and _interested_, and think I never saw anything more _beautiful_ and gay than Paris--or more splendid than all the Palaces. Our reception is _most_ gratifying--for it is enthusiastic and really kind in the highest degree; and Marechal Magnan[74] (whom you know well) says that such a reception as I have received _every day here_ is much greater and much more enthusiastic even than Napoleon on his return from his victories had received! Our entrance into Paris was a scene which was _quite feenhaft_, and which could hardly be seen anywhere else; was quite _overpowering_-- splendidly decorated--illuminated--immensely crowded--and 60,000 troops out--from the Gare de Strasbourg to St Cloud, of which 20,000 Gardes Nationales, who had come great distances to see me.
The Emperor has done wonders for Paris, and for the Bois de Boulogne.
Everything is beautifully _monte_ at Court--_very_ quiet, and in excellent order; I must say we are both much struck with the difference between this and the poor King"s time, when the noise, confusion, and bustle were great. We have been to the Exposition, to Versailles--which is most splendid and magnificent--to the Grand Opera, where the reception and the way in which "G.o.d save the Queen"
was sung were _most magnificent_. Yesterday we went to the Tuileries; in the evening _Theatre ici_; to-night an immense ball at the Hotel de Ville. They have asked to call a new street, which we opened, _after me!_
The heat is very great, but the weather splendid, and though the sun may be hotter, the air is certainly _lighter_ than ours--and I have no headache.
The _Zouaves_ are on guard here, and you can"t see finer men; the Cent Gardes are splendid too.
We drove to look at poor Neuilly on Sunday, the Emperor and Empress proposing it themselves; and it was a most _melancholy sight_, all in ruins. At _le grand Trianon_ we saw the pretty chapel in which poor Marie was married; at the Tuileries the Cabinet where the poor King signed his fatal abdication. I wish _you_ would take an opportunity of telling the poor Queen that we had thought much of her and the family here, had visited those spots which were connected with them in particular, and that we had greatly admired the King"s great works at Versailles, which have been left _quite intact_. Indeed, the Emperor (as in everything) has shown _great_ tact and good feeling about all this, and spoke without any bitterness of the King.
I still mean to visit (and this was _his_ proposition) the Chapelle de St Ferdinand, which I hope you will likewise mention to the Queen....
The children are so fond of the Emperor, who is so very kind to them.
He _is_ very _fascinating_, with that great quiet and gentleness. He has certainly excellent manners, and both he and the dear and _very_ charming Empress (whom Albert likes particularly) do the _honneurs extremely_ well and _very_ gracefully, and are full of _every kind_ attention....
Instead of my short letter I have written you a very long one, and must end. Many thanks for your kind letter of the 17th.
How beautiful and how enjoyable is this place! Ever your devoted Niece,
VICTORIA R.
[Footnote 73: The Queen and Prince left Osborne early on the 18th in their new yacht, _Victoria and Albert_, for Boulogne, and the visit to France, which lasted nine days, was brilliantly successful. The Queen, in her Journal, recorded with great minuteness the details of this interesting time, and some extracts are printed by Sir Theodore Martin in _The Life of the Prince Consort_.]
[Footnote 74: Marshal Magnan had repressed an insurrection in Lyons in 1849, and aided in the _Coup d"etat_ of 1851.]
[Pageheading: LETTER TO THE EMPEROR]
_Queen Victoria to the Emperor of the French._
OSBORNE, _le 29 Aout 1855_.
SIRE ET MON CHER FReRE,--Une de mes premieres occupations en arrivant ici est d"ecrire a votre Majeste et d"exprimer du fond de mon c[oe]ur combien nous sommes penetres et touches de l"accueil qui nous a ete fait en France d"abord par votre Majeste et l"Imperatrice ainsi que par toute la Nation. Le souvenir ne s"effacera jamais de notre memoire, et j"aime a y voir un gage precieux pour le futur de la cordialite qui unit nos deux Gouvernements ainsi que nos deux peuples.
Puisse cette heureuse union, que nous devons surtout aux qualites personnelles de votre Majeste, se consolider de plus en plus pour le bien-etre de nos deux nations ainsi que de toute l"Europe.
C"etait avec le c[oe]ur bien gros j"ai pris conge de vous, Sire, apres les beaux et heureux jours que nous avons pa.s.ses avec vous et que vous avez su nous rendre si agreables. Helas! comme toute chose ici-bas, ils se sont ecoules trop vite et ces dix jours de fetes paraissent comme un beau reve, mais ils nous restent graves dans notre memoire et nous aimons a pa.s.ser en revue tout ce qui s"est presente a nos yeux d"interessant et de beau en eprouvant en meme temps le desir de les voir se renouveler un jour.
Je ne saurais vous dire a.s.sez, Sire, combien je suis touchee de toutes vos bontes et de votre amitie pour le Prince et aussi de l"affection et de la bienveillance dont vous avez comble nos enfants. Leur sejour en France a ete la plus heureuse epoque de leur vie, et ils ne cessent d"en parler.
Nous avons trouve tous les autres enfants en bonne sante, et le pet.i.t Arthur se promene avec son bonnet de police qui fait son bonheur et dont il ne veut pas se separer. Que Dieu veille sur votre Majeste et la chere Imperatrice pour laquelle je forme bien des v[oe]ux.
Vous m"avez dit encore du bateau "au revoir," c"est de tout mon c[oe]ur que je le repete aussi!
Permettez que j"exprime ici tous les sentiments de tendre amitie et d"affection avec lesquelles je me dis, Sire et cher Frere, de votre Majeste Imperiale, la bien bonne et affectionnee S[oe]ur et Amie,
VICTORIA R.
Je viens a l"instant meme de recevoir la si aimable depeche telegraphique de votre Majeste. Recevez-en tous mes remerciments les plus affectueux.
[Pageheading: AN _ENTENTE CORDIALE_]
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
OSBORNE, _29th August 1855_.
MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Here we are again, after the _pleasantest_ and _most interesting_ and triumphant ten days that I think I ever pa.s.sed.
So complete a success, so very hearty and kind a reception with and from so _difficile_ a people as the French is indeed _most_ gratifying and _most_ promising for the future. The Army were most friendly and amicable towards us also.
In short, the _complete_ Union of the two countries is stamped and sealed in the most satisfactory and solid manner, for it is not _only_ a Union of the two Governments--the two Sovereigns--it is that of the _two Nations!_ Albert has told you of all the very extraordinary combinations of circ.u.mstances which helped to make all so interesting, so satisfactory. Of the splendour of the _Fete_ at Versailles I can really give _no_ faint impression, for it exceeded all imagination! I have formed a _great_ affection for the Emperor, and I believe it is very reciprocal, for he showed us a confidence which we must feel as very gratifying, and spoke to us on all subjects, even the _most delicate_. I find _no_ great personal rancour towards the Orleans. He has destroyed nothing that the King did, even to the Gymnastics of the children at St Cloud, and showed much kind and good feeling in taking us to see poor Chartres" monument, which is beautiful. Nothing could exceed his tact and kindness. I find I must end in a great hurry, and will say more another day. Ever your devoted Niece,
VICTORIA R.
[Pageheading: PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP]
_Queen Victoria to Baron Stockmar._
OSBORNE, _1st September 1855_.
You continue to refuse to answer me, but I am _not_ discouraged by it; but on the contrary _must_ write to you to give _vent_ to my _delight_ at our triumphant, most interesting, and most enjoyable visit to Paris! The Prince has written to you, and given you some general accounts, which will please you, and the _Times_ has some descriptions ... of the wonderful beauty and magnificence of _every_thing. I never enjoyed myself more, or was more delighted or more interested, _and I can think_ and talk of nothing else. I am _deeply_ touched by the extraordinary warmth, heartiness, and enthusiasm with which we have been received by _all_ ranks, and the kindness shown to every one has brought us all back--beginning with ourselves and ending with the lowest of our servants--full of grat.i.tude, pleasure, admiration, regret at its being over, and a great desire to see such a visit renewed! It was touching and pleasing in the extreme to see the alliance sealed so completely, and without lowering _either_ Country"s pride, and to see old enmities and rivalries _wiped out_ over the tomb of Napoleon I., before whose coffin I stood (by torchlight) at the arm of Napoleon III., now my nearest and dearest ally! We have come back with feelings of _real_ affection for and interest in _France_--and indeed how could it be otherwise when one saw _how_ much was done to _please_ and delight us? The Army too (such a fine one!) I feel a real affection for, as the companions of my beloved troops!
For the Emperor _personally_ I have conceived a _real_ affection and friendship, and so I may truly say of the Prince. You know what _I felt_ the moment I saw him and became acquainted with him, what I wrote down about him, etc. Well, we have now seen him for full _ten days_, from twelve to fourteen hours every day--often alone; and I cannot say _how_ pleasant and easy it is to live with him, or how attached one becomes to him. I know _no_ one who puts me more at my ease, or to whom I felt more inclined to talk unreservedly, or in whom involuntarily I should be more inclined to confide, than the Emperor!
He was entirely at his ease with us--spoke most openly and frankly with us on all subjects--EVEN the _most_ delicate, viz. the Orleans Family (this was with _me_, for I was driving alone with him), and I am happy to _feel_ that there is nothing now between us which could _mar_ our personal good _entente_ and friendly and intimate footing.
He is so simple, so _naf_, never making _des phrases_, or paying compliments--so full of tact, good taste, high breeding; his attentions and respect towards us were so simple and unaffected, his kindness and friendship for the Prince so natural and so gratifying, _because_ it is _not_ forced, not _pour faire des compliments_. He is quite _The Emperor_, and yet in _no_ way playing it; the Court and whole house infinitely more _regal_ and better managed than in poor Louis Philippe"s time, when all was in great noise and confusion, and there was _no_ Court. We parted with _mutual_ sorrow, and the Emperor expressed his hope that we shall frequently meet and "pas avec de si grandes ceremonies"!
What I write here is my feeling and conviction: wonderful it is that this _man_--whom certainly we were _not_ over well-disposed to--should by _force_ of _circ.u.mstances_ be drawn into such close connection with us, and become _personally_ our friend, and _this_ entirely by his _own personal_ qualities, in spite of so much that _was and could_ be said against him! To the children (who behaved beautifully, and had the most extraordinary success) his kindness, and judicious kindness, was _great_, and they are _excessively_ fond of him. In short, without _attempting_ to do anything particular to _make_ one like him, or ANY personal attraction in outward appearance, he _has_ the power of _attaching_ those to him who come near him and know him, which is _quite incredible_. He is excessively kind in private, and so very quiet. I shall always look back on the time pa.s.sed not only in France, but with _him_ personally, as _most_ agreeable. The Prince, though less enthusiastic than I am, I can see well, shares this feeling, and I think it is very reciprocal on the Emperor"s part; he is very fond of the Prince and truly appreciates him. With respect to the War, nothing can be more frank and fair and honest than he is about it, but it makes him unhappy and anxious.
The dear Empress, who was all kindness and goodness, whom we are all very fond of, we saw comparatively but little of, as for _really_ and _certainly very_ good reasons she must take great care of herself....
VICTORIA R.