... It is desired here that the matter should be declared at Coburg as soon as possible, and immediately after that I shall send you the Order.[66]
_Your rank will be settled just before you come over, as also your_ _rank in the Army._ Everything will be very easily arranged. Lord Melbourne showed me yesterday the _Declaration_, which is very simple and nice. I will send it you as soon as possible....
_Lord Melbourne told me yesterday, that the whole Cabinet are strongly of opinion that you should NOT be made a Peer._ I will write that to Uncle....
[Footnote 66: The Garter.]
[Pageheading: THE RELIGIOUS QUESTION]
_22nd November 1839._
... Lord Melbourne has just been with me, and greatly wishes the Declaration to be made at Coburg as soon as possible. _He also desired me to ask you to see if you can ... a short History of the House of Saxe-Coburg, who our direct ancestors were, and what part they took in the Protestant, or rather Lutheran, religion; he wishes to hear this in order to make people here know exactly who your ancestors are, for a few stupid people_ here _try_ to say you are a _Catholic, but n.o.body will believe it._ Send (it) as soon as possible; perhaps good Mr.
Schenk would write it out in English....
_As there is nothing to be settled for me, we require no treaty of marriage; but if you should require anything to be settled, the best will be to send it here. Respecting the succession, in case Ernest should die without children, it would not do to stipulate now, but your second son, if you had one, should reside at Coburg. That can easily be arranged if the thing should happen hereafter, and the English would not like it to be arranged now...._
[Pageheading: THE DECLARATION]
_Queen Victoria to the Prince Albert._
WINDSOR CASTLE, _23rd November 1839._
... Just arrived here, 5.30. Everything has gone off very well. The Council[67] was held at two o"clock; more than a hundred persons were present, and _there_ I had to read the Declaration. _It was rather an awful moment, to be obliged to announce this to so many people, many of whom were quite strangers, but they told me I did it very well, and I felt so happy to do it._
Good Lord Melbourne was deeply moved about it, and Uxbridge likewise; it lasted only two or three minutes. _Everybody, they tell me, is very much pleased, and I wish you could have seen the crowds of people who cheered me loudly as I left the Palace for Windsor._ I am so happy to-day! oh, if only _you_ could be here! I wish that you were able to partic.i.p.ate in all the kindness which is shown to me. To-day I can only send you the Declaration.[68] _The description of the whole_ I will send after this....
Send me as soon as possible the report of the announcement at Coburg.
I wear your dear picture mornings and evenings, and wore it also at the meeting of the _Conseil._
[Footnote 67: A Special Meeting of the Privy Council was held on the 23rd November, to receive the Queen"s intimation of her engagement. The Queen wrote in her Journal:--
"I went in; the room was full, but I hardly knew who was there. Lord M. I saw, looking at me with tears in his eyes, but he was not near me. I then read my short Declaration. I felt my hands shook, but I did not make one mistake. I felt more happy and thankful when it was over."]
[Footnote 68: J. W. Croker wrote to Lady Hardwicke:--
"_24th November 1839._
"... She then unfolded a paper and read her Declaration, which you will, before this can reach you, have seen in the newspapers. I cannot describe to you with what a mixture of self-possession and feminine delicacy she read the paper. Her voice, which is naturally beautiful, was clear and untroubled; and her eye was bright and calm, neither bold nor downcast, but firm and soft. There was a blush on her cheek which made her look both handsomer and more interesting; and certainly she _did_ look as interesting and as handsome as any young lady I ever saw.
"I happened to stand behind the Duke of Wellington"s chair, and caught her eye twice as she directed it towards him, which I fancy she did with a good-natured interest. ...The crowd, which was not great but very decent, I might almost say respectable, expressed their approbation of the Duke of Wellington and Sir R. Peel, and their disapprobation of the Ministers very loudly. Lord John and Lord Normanby, they tell me, were positively hooted.... Lord Melbourne ... seemed to me to look _careworn_, and on the whole the meeting had a sombre air."--_Croker Papers_, ii. 359.]
[Pageheading: THE PEERAGE QUESTION]
_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._
WIESBADEN, _22nd November 1839._
MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--I was delighted with your dear little letter.
You write these kind of letters with a very great facility, and they are generally so natural and clever, that it makes one very happy to receive them. I had written less of late, because I thought you occupied more agreeably than to read my letters. I have on purpose kept back a courier, to be able to send you the latest news from here of M. Albert. The young people arrived here only on the 20th, in the morning, having very kindly stopped at Bonn. I find them looking well, particularly Albert; it proves that happiness is an excellent remedy, and keeps people in better health than any other. He is much attached to you, and moved when he speaks of you. He is, besides, in great spirits and gaiety, and full of fun; he is a very amiable companion.
Concerning the peerage, that is a matter to be considered at any time; the only reason why I do wish it is, that Albert"s foreignership should disappear as much as possible. I have, in different circ.u.mstances to be sure, suffered greatly from my having declined conditionally the peerage when it was offered me in 1816.[69] Your Uncle[70] writes to you in German: as far as I understood him, he speaks of the necessity of a marriage treaty; that is a matter of course. There is, however, something additional to be regulated concerning the possible succession in the Coburg-Gotha dominions, there being betwixt it and Albert but good Ernest. Some regulation becomes therefore necessary, at least reasonable. The Duke wishes also to know if the treaty is to be made in England or in Germany.
Should the last of the two be fixed upon, he thinks that one of your Ministers abroad would be the proper person for it. Ever, my dear Victoria, your devoted Uncle,
LEOPOLD R.
[Footnote 69: The Dukedom of Kendal was offered to, and, after consideration, declined by, Prince Leopold.]
[Footnote 70: The Duke of Saxe-Coburg (Ernest I.).]
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th November 1839._
MY DEAR UNCLE,--I thank you for your kind letter which I received the day before yesterday; but I fear you must have been very dull at Wiesbaden....
Everything went off uncommonly well on the 23rd, but it was rather formidable;[71] eighty-two Privy Councillors present; everybody very much pleased--and I was loudly greeted on leaving the Palace _after_ the Council.
The _whole Cabinet_ agree with me in being _strongly_ of opinion that Albert should _not_ be a Peer; indeed, I see everything against it and _nothing_ for it; the English are very jealous at the idea of Albert"s having any political power, or meddling with affairs here--which I know from himself he will _not_ do.
As Wiesbaden is half-way (or thereabouts) to Coburg, I take the liberty of enclosing a large letter to Albert, which I beg you to send on to him.
We are quite flooded here, and the road to Datchet is quite impa.s.sable. Ever your devoted Niece,
VICTORIA R.
[Footnote 71: Greville mentions that the Queen"s hands trembled so, that she could hardly read the Declaration which she was holding.]
[Pageheading: BRITISH SUSCEPTIBILITIES]
_Viscount Melbourne to Queen Victoria._