Presented to the
LIBRARY of the
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
by
ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE
LIBRARY
THE EARLY
COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
THE EARLY COURT
OF /
QUEEN VICTORIES.1
BY
CLARE JERROLD
AUTHOR OF
The Fair Ladies of Hampton Court? Etc
NEW YORK
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
1912
PREFACE
No apology need be made for this book, though
perhaps a reason for publishing it may be given. In
these pages I have endeavoured to show Queen
Victoria in her natural setting during her youth, hoping
thereby to present her as a really human person. For
twenty-five years at least the tendency among those
who write has been so to overwhelm the late Queen
with adulation that the ordinary reader turns from the
subject in disgust. We are not fit for perfection; we
believe that perfection is only an ideal — one which
would probably become insufferable were it to de-
generate into actuality — and when biographers, whose
line, it is true, has been more or less laid down for
them, depict Queen Victoria without fault and possess-
ing almost preternatural wisdom and virtue, then there
must be danger of unpopularity for the great Queen.
As a child my loyalty was upset by the " I will be
good" story, and in my childish heart I despised the
childish utterer of that sentence. The fault of this lay
not in the fact that the little Princess made an impul-
sive resolution, but in the further fact that that story
has been used as an example for other children by all
adults who know it. When, at the second Jubilee, I
vi PREFACE
wrote an anecdotal life of the Queen, I was amused
at the literature through which I had to wade for my
facts. Taken in the mass, it became a paean of praise
with every trace of real human lovableness erased. Of
course, the person really to blame for this in the last
resort was the Queen herself. For her one great fault
was an exaggerated, indeed a morbid, belief in the
infallibility, not of herself as a person, but of the
Crown. Nothing angered her more than dissent
from, or criticism of, the Crown. It was a
curious position, for she practically was the
Crown, and therefore the criticism of any public
acts of hers, was doubly displeasing to her, as
she considered that it was the highest dignity of the
State, and not a mere person, which was belittled.
Under such pressure — even though it was unspoken
its influence was felt — writers wrote naturally that
which would please, certainly that which would give
no offence ; and they were not so much untrue to fact
as vigilant that all adverse matter and circumstance
should remain unchronicled.
But those who talk of the late Queen do so in an
increasing spirit of criticism, and this prompted me to
endeavour to show the young Monarch as she really
was, surrounded by the somewhat cruel limitations of
her time — a girl frank, loving, truthful, and admirable
in many ways, yet one in whom the seeds of an undue
pride had been planted and most earnestly fostered
by those responsible — in spite of which fact, however,
a person much more lovable than any counsel of per-
fection could possibly have produced.
PREFACE vii
My materials have been gathered largely from con-
temporary journals and newspapers, and among the
books to which I am indebted I must mention Lady
Bloomfield's "Reminiscences" for some delightful
pictures of Queen Victoria's life at the beginning of
her reign. Mr. Sidney Lee's admirable " Life " has
also been of use; while the correspondence of Her
Majesty was more helpful in amplifying or supporting
information already gained than in really supplying
fresh facts. The trenchant remarks of Charles
Greville and the terse, lively, and often amusing
criticisms of Thomas Creevy also could not be ignored
by any writer about public people in the 'thirties who
wished to get a personal impression.
HAMPTON-ON-THAMES,
November, 1911.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES i
CHAPTER II
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE . .30
CHAPTER III
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 59
CHAPTER IV
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S SUITORS 82
CHAPTER V
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 107
CHAPTER VI
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 132
CHAPTER VII
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 159
CHAPTER VIII
QUEEN VICTORIA'S PRIME MINISTER 183
\
CHAPTER IX
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LADIES AND LOVERS 208
CHAPTER X
QUEEN VICTORIA'S DISLOYAL SUBJECTS 238
ix
x CONTENTS
CHAPTER XI
PACK
QUEEN VICTORIA'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 255
CHAPTER XII
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 287
CHAPTER XIII
QUEEN VICTORIA'S EARLY MARRIED LIFE 312
CHAPTER XIV
QUEEN VICTORIA'S TORY MINISTRY .... . * . . 341
CHAPTER XV
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME . ". . ,-, ... . . . 364
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Queen Victoria. (From a painting by W. C. Ross, A.R.A.)
Frontispiece
Queen Adelaide. (From a painting by Sir William
Beechey in National Portrait Gallery) .' • To face page 36
William IV. ... . . „ 60
*H.R.H. The Duchess of Kent . . „ 94
* Lord Melbourne „ 118
King Leopold of the Belgians. (From the drawing by
Sir Thomas Lawrence, P. R. A.) ..... „ 138
Hon. Mrs. Norton „ 150
* Lord Brougham „ 165
* Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland „ 176
* Sir Robert Peel ... „ 210
* Lady Tavistock „ 218
* Lady Flora Hastings „ 258
* Lady Portman . „ 274
14. H.R.H. Prince Albert. (From a painting by Winter-
halter in the National Portrait Gallery) . . „ 314
Queen Victoria. (From the drawing by Drummond,
1842) . . . v . . . . . . „ 338
* The Duke of Wellington „ 352
* Baron Stockmar . . . . . -.. . . . . „ 364
N.B. — The illustrations marked with an asterisk (*} are from the collection
of Mr. A. M. Broadley.
xi
THE EARLY COURT
OF QUEEN VICTORIA
CHAPTER I
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES
* ' We are going presently to write our names for the Duchess
oi Kent, who has produced a daughter." — The Hon. Mrs.
Calvert. 1819.
THE DUCHESS OF KENT was not a very popular
woman with the Guelph family. George IV. hated
her, and made her less welcome than he had made her
husband, his brother, to whom he intimated early in
1819 that he would no longer be received at Court;
William IV. did not like her when he was the Duke
of Clarence, but his wife was so sorry for her sister-in-
law's misfortunes that she showed her much kindness
and affection until, holding the position of Queen her-
self, she was obliged to resent the hauteur with which
she was treated. The Fitzclarences, who surrounded
William IV., had little reason to admire her, and the
Tory Ministers found themselves treated by her with
only spasmodic politeness. The people in general
cared nothing one way or another until the Duchess
displayed marked Whig tendencies, and then the Tory
Press made a custom of criticising all that she did,
2 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
and displaying a wonderfully intimate knowledge of
her affairs, private and public. .
For nearly a quarter of a century the life of the
Duchess in England was one of stress; indeed, one
might repeat of her the oft-repeated words, she " was
ever a fighter/' for she seemed always at variance with
the reigning monarch. She owed the very rare ap-
pearance of herself and her daughter in the Court of
George IV. to the kind heart of Lady Conyngham,
the King's mistress, who thereby earned Victoria's
affectionate regard, in spite of her position. Of this
lady, by the way, who was coarse, fair, dull, and by
no means fascinating, and who succeeded Lady Hert-
ford in the King's household, some wit said that in
taking her George had exchanged St. James for St.
Giles.
By the time of William IV. the Duchess had become
not simply a passive resister but an active agitator,
and many scenes of anger took place between her and
the King. Both George and William often renewed
the threat of taking her child from her that the young
Princess might be placed in the hands of someone more
complacent to the Royal will. George would really
have done this, but that the Duke of Wellington, who
was his adviser, always temporised and put off the
execution of the threat. When the Duchess became
mother to the Queen of England, though things
changed they were no better; but the details of the
relationship between these two prominent people needs
more than a paragraph in explanation.
Yet we have much for which to thank the Duchess
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 8
of Kent, in that she brought up her daughter in busi-
ness habits, in purity of thought, and in all those
virtues which make a good woman. Domestically she
was a kind tyrant, necessarily an injudicious one, for
tyranny is always injudicious. In following the life
of the young Princess one wonders how much the
mother, imposing a very restrictive rule upon the child,
knew of that child's character. Obedient, dutiful, sub-
missive, troubled openly only by occasional fits of
rebellion and self-will, did Victoria in her early days
ever foreshadow the revulsion against the maternal
authority which seized upon her later? One would
imagine not, or the Duchess would have become wiser
in her treatment. As the girl grew towards womanhood,
did she ever betray the growth of resistance, did she
show that beneath all the quiet of the exterior lay an
autocratic character which was only biding its oppor-
tunity?— and did her mother have any suspicion of
what might happen between the years 1837 and 1841,
which were to be the most anguished of her life, when
she would be forced to realise that her too scrupulous
care had brought her, not power and honour, but a
determined and sustained indifference?
When this girl of eighteen was proclaimed Queen
of England no one knew whether to be glad or sorry.
She was said to be shy, young for her age, and entirely
subservient to her mother; indeed, as a person she
was practically non-existent. It was the Duchess who
counted, and absurd reports had been circulated in
the papers as to the Camerilla at Kensington Palace,
which aimed at securing Ministerial power on the death
fi 2
4 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
of King William. As Victoria went to her Proclama-
tion at St. James's Palace there was much curiosity
shown, and but little cheering done on the way. In
the courtyard of the Palace stood a great, observant
crowd, silent until given the signal to cheer, and then
its voice was led by the roar of Daniel O'Connell, the
Liberator, for he considered that the chances, with a
Radical faction at Kensington, were now in his favour.
As for the Ministers, they knew no more of the
fair Alexandrina Victoria than anyone else, and a con-
temporary tells us that none of her acquaintances-
friends she had scarcely any — none of her attendants
at Kensington, had any idea of what lay beneath the
quiet, placid exterior, or could prophesy as to what she
was capable of doing. Even the Duchess of Northum-
berland, who had directed her studies for some years,
was no better informed; for never during those years
had she seen the child alone ; there had always been a
third person present, either the Duchess or the
Baroness Lehzen. Thus while some people regretted
the death of a King who, in spite of his peculiarities,
was a good man and a great improvement on those who
had gone before him, the universal emotion concerning
his successor was neither joy nor sorrow, but that of a
vivid curiosity.
Victoria was like an enchanted princess, around
whom had been drawn a magic circle which rendered
her invisible to all eyes. But she could see beyond
its range, could watch the forces which made up the
world she was about to enter, and learn more of her
subjects than they had learned of her. From time to
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 5
time, while imprisoned in her circle, disturbances from
outside had affected her; she had felt some things
keenly and despairingly, but with an imperturbable
face she had let them pass by; she had been in hot
rebellion often, but no one but herself, and perhaps
her half-sister, Feodore of Leiningen, knew of it; she
had longed for friends and companionship, and had
engrossed herself in her studies, those futile studies
thought the right thing for the girls of that day. Of
these hidden things she did not speak, and she did not
cry over them, for in her mother's house there had been
no spot in which she could shed tears unseen.
From -the day of her birth to her accession she had
scarcely ever been alone for ten minutes at a time !
And doting biographers purr over this and say,
" What an excellent mother ! " Here is a quotation
in slipshod style from one such : " The exemplary
mother had not allowed her daughter to be scarcely ten
minutes together either by night or day out of her sight,
except in her infant years during her daily airing and
on the very rare occasions of her Royal Highness
dining away from home."
The biographers and gossipers about Victoria agree
in speaking of the unremitting surveillance which was
exercised over the young Princess. She was im-
prisoned in a close atmosphere of love and tuition, and
was never free to write a letter, to see a friend, or to
think her own thoughts without the presence of her
mother or the Baroness. It is very probable that for
a long time she was unconscious that there was any-
thing unusual in this, but it must have grown terribly
6 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
burdensome to her, so much so that her first request as
a Queen to her mother concerned this very point. She
received the oaths of allegiance the day after King
William died, and when this trying and tumultuous
ceremony was over she sought her mother, allowing
her overwrought nerves to find relief in tears, or, in the
language of the day, "she flung herself upon her
mother's bosom to weep." Being soothed into calm-
ness, she said :
" I can scarcely believe that I am Queen of Eng-
land, but I suppose it is really true."
On being reassured, she continued :
" In time I shall become accustomed to my change
of station ; meanwhile, since it is really so, and you see
in your little daughter the Sovereign of this great
country, will you grant her the first request she has
had occasion in her regal capacity to put to you ? I
wish, my dear mamma, to be left alone for two hours"
The early writer who gives this incident sees no
youthful tragedy in it, but goes off into paeans of praise
for the careful and diligent mother. But it is scarcely
to be marvelled at that the Queen in later days wrote
of "her sad and unhappy childhood." Nor can we
wonder that from the day of her first regal request to
her mother she availed herself of the luxury of one or
two quiet hours in each twenty-four to herself in her
own room, with a locked door between herself and all
the world. For years she clung to this privilege,
which every ordinary girl would regard as a right.
A letter written by Princess Feodore in 1843 to
Queen Victoria shows how unremitting was the sur-
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 7
veillance upon and how deep was the loneliness of the
girl up to the time of her accession. Victoria had
written from Claremont, and her half-sister answered :
— " Claremont is a dear quiet place ; to me also the
recollection of the few pleasant days spent during my
youth. I always left Claremont with tears for Ken-
sington Palace. When I look back upon those years,
which ought to have been the happiest in my life, from
fourteen to twenty, I cannot help pitying myself. Not
to have enjoyed the pleasures of youth is nothing, but
to have been deprived of all intercourse, and not one
cheerful thought in that dismal existence of ours, was
very hard. My only happy time was going out driving
with you and Lehzen; then I could speak and look
as I liked. I escaped some years of imprisonment,
which you, my poor darling sister, had to endure, after
I was married. But God Almighty has changed both
our destinies most mercifully, and has made us so
happy in our homes — which is the only real happiness
in this life ; and those years of trial were, I am sure,
very useful to us both, though certainly not pleasant.
Thank God, they are over ! "
What would any mother of to-day feel if one of
her children, when grown up, could write to another
in this way of their childhood ? It was a tragedy both
for mother and children, only the mother perhaps
never realised it, and she did not feel the results of it
until the children had escaped her thraldom. " Poor
little Victory ! " as Carlyle called her, looking back
upon this, it is possible to forgive her for her subse-
quent hardness to her mother, for she could not help
8 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
it ; the hardness had been forced upon her by example
and practice in her childish days.
But to understand the life of our late Queen in its
youth it is necessary to know its surroundings and
background, and for this purpose an account of the
Royal family which then existed seems desirable.
King William IV. had, when comparatively young,
married a pretty and delightful actress, who was
known as Mrs. Jordan. He was a man of clean
domestic life, and he persisted in regarding this lady
as his lawful wife, and the children she bore to him
— nine in all — as his lawful children. When Princess
Charlotte died, however, he sacrificed himself — and
his wife — upon the altar of expediency, and married
Amelia Adelaide Louise Therese Caroline Wilhelmina
of Saxe-Meiningen. She was twenty-six, plain, thin,
sedate, reserved, and had been brought up in all the
useless branches of "polite and useful learning,"
thought the correct thing for a lady of her position.
She had no leaning towards gaiety, frivolity, or dress,
and hated immorality and irreligion. She was, in fact,
an " excellent selection," but she was also one of those
people who are invariably described in negatives.
Another woman might have had just the same appear-
ance and thoroughly good character, and by adding to
it a pleasant manner have been a favourite with every-
one. But Adelaide's manner was bad, and she was
generally disliked. William, however, found a good
wife in her — though there are some sly allusions to his
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 9
being hen-pecked — and little Victoria could always
depend on kindly affection from Queen Adelaide.
The Duchess of Clarence gave birth to two
daughters, both of whom died in infancy, and she
seems to have shown no jealousy of the little girl who
would take the place which should have belonged to
her own child had it lived. She was also always kind
to her husband's exacting and loud-mannered children,
the Fitzclarences, receiving them all as constant visitors
at Windsor or St. James's, and making pets of their
children. Thus at one time she had Lady Augusta
Kennedy and four children staying at Windsor, while
Lady Sophia Sydney and three children lived there;
there was also a boy of Lady Falkland's with her.
These eight grandchildren of the King's would play
with the King and Queen in the corridor after lunch,
and as a visitor to Adelaide once remarked, "It is so
pretty to hear them lisp ' dear Queeny,' ' dear King.' '
Yet the conduct of the Fitzclarences to Adelaide was
abominable, and Lord Errol — the husband of the third
daughter, Lady Elizabeth — who had been appointed
Lord Marischal of Scotland, was heard one day speak-
ing in such an unpardonable way of the Queen in a
public coffee-house that he was interrupted by cries
of " Shame ! " from a gentleman present. Colonel
Fox, who married Lady Mary, received the appoint-
ment of Surveyor General of the Ordnance, and was
made Aide-de-Camp to the King. Of the four sons,
Lord Munster held several military appointments,
received an annual allowance from the Privy Purse,
and was given a property by his father-in-law, Lord
10 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Egremont. Lord Frederick was a Colonel, and
Equerry and Aide-de-Camp to his father. Lord
Adolphus was a Captain in the Navy, Groom of the
Robes, and Deputy-Ranger of Bushey Park; while
Lord Augustus was Chaplain to the King, and held
a valuable living at Mapledurham. This family was
by no means popular, and was being constantly
criticised by the newspapers. Said Figaro in London,
in 1832 : — "The brutal conduct of the Fitzclarences
towards their poor weak old father has gained for them
the name unnatural, instead of natural, children."
It seems to have been agreed generally that the Fitz-
clarences felt that the time of their harvest must be
short, and that therefore it behoved them to make as
much hay as possible. They badgered William for
honours and promotions, and the King did what he
could ; he was once heard complaining to one of his ad-
mirals of this persecution, adding, " I had at last to
make him a Guelphic Knight " (a Hanoverian honour).
"And serve him right, your Majesty," replied the sea-
man, imagining that some disgrace was implied.
Once when George Fitzclarence demanded to be
made a peer and to have a pension, and the King said
he could not do it, all the sons struck work, or their
pretence of work, thus in high life foreshadowing the
doings of the workers of- a later time. George actually
resigned his office of Deputy-Adjutant-General, and
wrote the King a furious letter. This was awkward,
because so long as these gentlemen drew their money
through sinecures the public was willing to accept them
fairly good-temperedly, but as avowed pensioners the
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 11
outcry against them would have been overwhelming.
The matter seems to have been smoothed over by the
young man being made Earl of Munster.
The Duke of Sussex had also an unrecognised
family of two, Augustus and Ellen D'Este, who gave
the King much trouble, and in revenge for their dis-
appointment about places and honours published the
Duke's letters to their mother, which caused consider-
able scandal.
Of Princess Victoria's uncles those who survived at
her accession were the Duke of Cumberland, the Duke
of Cambridge, and the Duke of Sussex. The Duke
of Cambridge was Viceroy of Hanover during
William's reign, and had one son, something of a
weakling in his youth.
It is necessary to refer at some length to the Duke
of Cumberland, as he remained a thorn in the side of
the Sovereign of England as long as he lived. He
was a man of a violent temper and of a coarse, over-
bearing disposition, his great desire being to work his
way to the Throne of England. He had hung about
George IV., guarding his own interests, keeping away
from his Royal brother any person whom he thought
might weaken his own influence, and strengthening, as
far as he could, the idea, which arose from what were
considered the eccentricities of Clarence, that the latter
was afflicted by periods of insanity.
Yet from contemporary sources there is evidence that
King George had no love for Cumberland. Lord
Ellenborough, in his " Political Diary," notes in 1829,
' The King, our master, is the weakest man in England.
12 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
He hates the Duke of Cumberland. He wishes his
death. He is relieved when he is away ; but he is afraid
of him, and crouches to him." Again, when the Catholic
Emancipation Bill was being fought, Cumberland in-
sisted upon coming back to England for it. Attempts
were made to stop him, but he either missed or passed
the messengers. Of this Ellenborough writes, " The
King is afraid of him, and God knows what mischief
he may do. However, there is no possibility of form-
ing an anti-Catholic Government, and that the King
must feel." Poor George ! Thenceforth he had his
Government at one ear and Cumberland at the other,
drawing from the diarist the remark : " In fact, the
excitement he is in may lead to insanity, and nothing
but the removal of the Duke of Cumberland will
restore him to peace." In his last illness George IV.
refused to see his brother.
When William ascended the Throne there was little
for Prince Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, to do but to
make the best of it. But beyond that, however, he
made various attempts to be disagreeable. Thus Lord
Ellenborough mentions that the Duke of Wellington
intended to go down to Windsor on the morrow, as the
Duke of Cumberland meditated making a raid on the
late King's papers. Cumberland was probably re-
membering the example of his eldest brother, who,
many years earlier, when George III. was ill, took it
upon himself to examine his father's private papers,
and thus brought about a right royal row.
During George IV.'s reign, Cumberland had kept
his horses in the Queen's disused stables, which, when
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 13
Adelaide was translated to the kingly palace, were
needed for her use. So King William requested his
brother to remove his horses to make room for the
Queen's ; to which the Duke answered politely that " he
would be damned if they should go." However, on
being told that unless he moved them the King's
grooms had orders to turn them out the next day, he
sulkily succumbed. He had, in fact, hoped to retain
in the new reign all the privileges he had secured
during the former, and could not take his disappoint-
ment manfully; thus he had arrogated to himself the
sole dignity of Gold Stick, an honour that had always
been divided among the three Colonels of the
Guards; and when William restored things to their
former position it entailed opposition on the part of
Cumberland, who countermanded the King's orders
about the Guards at his Coronation, which, of course,
was followed by further humiliation for the Duke.
But Cumberland's chief exploit was his leadership of
the Orange Lodges, which aimed at protecting Pro-
testantism from all Popery. As the Duke's ambition
grew, he began to see in this organisation the help it
might be to him, and he taught various lessons to the
emissaries who were sent over the country to form new
Lodges. One of the cries towards the end of George's
reign was that the members should " rally round the
Throne," and then it was asserted that the Duke of
Clarence was insane, and that the Duke of Wellington
was aiming at the Crown. This was spoken of at first
vaguely as " a wild design in embryo," and " a wild
ambition" by Lieutenant-Colonel Fairburn, Cumber-
14 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
land's accredited agent. This gentleman was afraid
of naming names, and classed the Iron Duke among
the "grovelling worms who dare to vie with the
omnipotence of Heaven/' In another letter he said :
" One moreover of whom it might ill become me to
speak but in terms of reverence, has nevertheless been
weak enough to ape the coarseness of a Cromwell, thus
recalling the recollection to what would have been far
better left in oblivion, his seizure of the diadem with
his placing it upon his brow, was a precocious sort of
self inauguration/' This alluded to the widespread
opposition to the raising of Wellington to the Peerage.
Several newspapers became infected by the Orange-
men, members of whose organisation were to be found
in the Army, the Church, and among the rank and file
of the Members of Parliament. A daily journal in
1830 declared first that George the Fourth was not
as ill as he was said to be, and was amusing himself
by writing the bulletins about his health, secondly that
the next in succession (the Duke of Clarence) would
be incapable of reigning " for reasons which occasioned
his removal from the office of Lord High Admiral,"
and that a military chief of most unbounded ambition
would disapprove of a maritime Government, thirdly
that the second heir-presumptive was "not alone a
female but a minor," and that therefore a bold effort
should be made to frustrate any attempt " at a vicarious
form of government."
However, in spite of Cumberland's ambition, and of
the public recognition of that ambition, William the
Fourth came to the throne, but his brother did not for
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 15
at least twelve or thirteen years more give up all hope
of reigning in England. He still fostered the Orange
Lodges, and when it was seen that William would be
obliged to assent to the Reform Bill, the Orange
speakers sounded their audiences as to whether, if
William were deposed, they would support Cumber-
land in an attempt to become his successor.
This scheme not coming off, the Duke went on
building up his power until Joseph Hume brought
the whole thing before Parliament in 1836, when the
startling disclosures then made caused the suppression
of the Orange Lodges. It was asserted that the Duke
of Cumberland, as Grand Master of the whole associa-
tion, was a dangerous man. The Lodges all regarded
him as their political leader; he was called the Supreme
Head of the Grand Orange Lodge of Great Britain
and Ireland; it was laid down that his pleasure was
law, and that the Orangemen were bound to obey his
summons and do his will for whatever purpose he
desired. There were 15,000 Lodges in Ireland, with
a membership of 200,000 arm-bearing men; and 1,500
Lodges in England, besides some in the Colonies.
Thus the Duke had the unquestioning obedience of
300,000 men — 40,000 in London alone. Meetings
were called in Ireland of ten, twenty, and even thirty
thousand men. From all this Joseph Hume not un-
wisely inferred that it was time to consider whether the
Duke of Cumberland was King or subject.
The whole matter made a tremendous public impres-
sion, and there were rumours that the Princess Victoria
was in danger of her life from these secret enemies.
16 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
At a public dinner in Nottingham the chairman, a Mr.
Wakefield, said that the hope of the English people
"was founded on the way in which the illustrious
Princess was educated, which gave them every reason
to believe that her attachment to this country was such
that her reign — provided she lived — would be a bless-
ing at large. The toast he would propose was — The
Princess Victoria, and may the machinations against
her surfer the same fate as the Orange conspiracy."
One of the newspapers of the day endeavoured to
comfort her for any fears she might have had by the
following lines : —
" Oh, fear not, fair lily, our country's just pride,
The hypocrite's schemes or the traitor's foul band;
The firm knights of Britain will range by thy side
And proclaim thee hereafter the Queen of our land.
By virtues illustrious, the gem of our isle —
Around thee will range in the time of alarm,
Those friends whose attachment no fiend shall beguile,
For the isle that has reared thee shall shield thee from
harm."
Other papers were much more emphatic, not so much
in expressing a desire to save the Princess from harm
as in an attempt to accuse Cumberland of evil inten-
tions. The Satirist, for instance, published a cartoon
showing Cumberland smothering someone in bed, with
Queen Adelaide looking on from the doorway. On
the bed hangings is embroidered a crown above a large
" V," and beneath the picture are the following lines :
l< Can such man live to crush the nation's choice,
Which after years of blood would now rejoice?
Will a fond people yield their mighty throne
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 17
To that base heartless prince, whom all disown?
Blest day, when their loud voices shall decree
This land from such a monster shall be free."
Elsewhere the Duke is represented in the company
of the Bishop of Salisbury, Sir Charles Wetherell, and
Billy Holmes,* among whom the following scrap of
conversation passes :
" Cum. A brother's brat between me and the Crown !
Bish. Yet there are means !
Holmes. Poison, for instance.
Weth. Or a razor.
Cum. (with a fiendish laugh}. Ay, a razor, if nothing
better serve."
With such open condemnation as this from any
paper, even though it were one which from its very
name existed to draw attention to irregularities and
unpopular people, there was nothing for the Duke to
do but to dissociate himself from all suspicious connec-
tions. Whether he was a most horribly libelled man or
whether he had been intriguing as affirmed, it is a
matter of history that in March, 1836, he iff the name
of the Orange Lodges signified his submission to the
Royal will that those Lodges should be dissolved.
Like all the Guelphs, the Duke was curiously out-
spoken. For instance, he would take into his con-
fidence someone near his person and tell how he longed
to be King, adding that he was much more fit to be
King than his brother, who might be a good sailor,
but who was kingly neither in looks nor manners.
The writer of a delightful book of gossip, published
some years ago, entitled " Tales of my Father," gives
* William Holmes, D.C.L., "the adroit and dexterous Whip
of the Tory Party."
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18 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
a very definite form to this absorbing ambition. The
Duke and William IV. were dining alone together at
Windsor, the Queen being ill, and the suite dining in
an adjoining room. The sound of loud voices reached
those without, for both brothers had drunk too much;
then the Duke ordered the doors to be opened and
proposed " The King's Health. God save the King ! "
at which the suite dutifully entered and drank. Then
the Duke asked permission to propose another toast.
" Name it, your Grace," answered the King.
" The King's heir, and God bless him! " proudly
responded the Duke.
These audacious words were followed by a dead
silence, the two brothers staring at each other, after
which William rose, held his glass high, and cried,
' The King's heir ! God bless her! " Then throwing
the glass over his shoulder, he turned to his brother
and exclaimed, " My crown came with a lass, and my
crown will go to a lass."
The Duke did not drink the toast, but left the room
abruptly, scarcely bowing to his brother as he passed.
The verses and allusions quoted speak plainly to
the extraordinary dislike which was felt for the Duke ;
he was suspected of horrible crimes, and though pub-
licly pronounced innocent, was still suspected. The
allusion in the verses to blood and a razor referred to
an alleged attempt made upon the Duke's life in 1810
by one of his valets. In the summer of that year
Cumberland was found in his apartments in St. James'
Palace wounded in six different places, and the valet
was found in his bed with his throat cut. The decision
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 19
upon this was that for some unknown reason the ser-
vant had attacked his master and had then gone back
to his room and cut his throat in bed. The evidence
was just shaky enough to leave doubt, for there were
peculiar features, blood being found all about the
man's room, even in the wash basin, but the judge's
decision was, of course, a foregone conclusion. Popular
opinion decided, however, that the Duke had met with
his injuries while his man fought for his life, but
naturally any hardy editor who allowed such an idea
to be published received punishment.
In 1829 Cumberland's reputation suffered a worse
shock in the revelations made by a certain Captain
Garth, who found a box of letters hidden in the house
of his putative father, General Garth. These letters
threw an amazing light on his own birth, showing that
he was the son of the Duke of Cumberland and of
Princess Sophia. Captain Garth appointed a Mr.
Westmacott, while the Duke or George IV. appointed
Sir Herbert Taylor, the King's private secretary, to
arrange matters, and in spite of the fact that the Duke
and the Royal Family denied everything, an agreement
was come to by which Garth was to receive £2,400
a year as annuity, and a sum of £8,000 down to pay
his debts, on condition that he should forget the box
and its contents. The matter was almost forgotten
when Garth filed a bill in Chancery to prevent West-
macott from disposing of the box, because he had only
received £3,000 on account and had been refused the
rest. So the sordid affair was once again dragged
through the columns of every paper. Sir Herbert
C 2
20 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Taylor explained that the failure to keep the arrange-
ment was caused by the fact that Garth had told the
secrets in the box to other people, and had kept copies
of the letters. All the dailies and weeklies had their
varying articles upon this, and then — publicly — the
matter died out. Garth was probably squared.
Whether his tale was true or false it had this justifica-
tion, that General Garth was believed — according to
the " Annual Register "• —to have had a son by a lady
of very illustrious birth, and it was further said that
George III. had induced the General to accept the
paternity of the boy. Earl Grey notes, however, in a
letter to Princess Lieven, that " the renewed attack
on the subject of Garth looks like a renewed appre-
hension of the effects of Cumberland's influence on
the King.55
Quite apart from this charge, Cumberland was un-
scrupulous in his amours, and one is constantly coming
across references to this vice; thus Lord Ellenborough
notes, in 1830: "The suicide of on account of
his wife's seduction by the Duke of Cumberland, will
drive the Duke of Cumberland out of the field."
Cumberland had one legitimate son, Prince George,
who is described as a beautiful boy, tall, slim, upright,
with fair hair and fresh complexion, his eyes always
partly shut, for, poor lad, he was blind. He knew little
of his cousin Victoria, though he often wished to know
her better, but the Duchess was from the first afraid of
any matrimonial entanglement with her husband's
family, and would not let the young people meet of tener
than she could help.
The Duke of Sussex was very different from his
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 21
brother, being a kindly, amiable man, and the most
popular of the Princes. He was a lover of books and
of philosophy ; but Creevy said of him that " he never
says anything that makes you think him foolish, yet
there is a nothingness in him which is to the last degree
fatiguing." He married Lady Augusta Murray,
daughter of the fourth Earl of Dunmore, in 1793, the
marriage being dissolved in the following year as con-
trary to the Royal Marriage Act — a fact which did not
trouble the Duke much until his inclination led him
to break with Lady Augusta. Their son Augustus was
born in 1794, and their daughter in 1801. Long before
Augusta's death in 1830 the Duke of Sussex had taken
as a second partner in life Lady Cecilia, daughter of
the Earl of Arran, and widow of an attorney knight of
the unromantic name of Buggin. It seems a pity that
Lady Augusta, who was of Royal blood, should have
had to give place to one owning such a name ! How-
ever, Lady Cecilia took her mother's name of Under-
wood, and was known by it until, in 1840, the Duke
went through the long-delayed form of marriage
with her, and Queen Victoria created her Duchess of
Inverness.
The Princess Victoria had a real affection for her
uncles, King William and the Duke of Sussex, but
Cumberland she always abhorred, probably not for his
immorality — they were all immoral — but on account of
the hatred he felt for her and her mother, and for the
jbrutality of his nature, which made him subject to
paroxysms of passion, during which everyone, even his
wife, feared him.
It is curious to realise that Queen Victoria, who laid
22 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
such stress upon the purity of her Court, and who did
much to revolutionise society in this regard, was sur-
rounded by people who openly defied the laws, written
and unwritten. In later life she would not allow near
her Throne a woman against whom there had been a
breath of scandal, but in the early days of her reign
she was surrounded by men who were smirched and
dishonoured by loose living. To her, indeed, there
was one law for men and another for women, and
in spite of the terrible lesson she received in 1839
—to be dealt with in a later chapter — she held to that
attitude throughout her life.
One other person who, besides her mother,
dominated the Princess's daily existence was her
uncle, Prince Leopold, her mother's brother. As the
husband of Princess Charlotte he drew an income of
£50,000 from this country, and had been given Clare-
mont as a dwelling. These he retained after the death
of his wife in 1816, living partly in London and partly
at Claremont. He led a quieter, more sedate life than
did the Guelphs, was precise in his ways, prided him-
self highly on his fine manners, and was cordially
detested by the English Princes and Peers. The fact
that he did not drink angered both George IV. and
William IV., while his affectation of superiority
annoyed his associates, and his reputation for meanness
brought him sneers from everyone.
. George IV. showed him almost from the first what
a gulf in manners there was between them, and did
not trouble about the fact that he himself was the one
that lacked them. At a Levee which he held in 1821
he deliberately turned his back upon his son-in-law.
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 23
The Prince did his best to carry off the matter in a
dignified way; he is said not to have altered a muscle
of his face, but to have approached the Duke of York,
saying to him in a loud tone, " The King has thought
proper to take his line, and I shall take mine" He
then left the assembly.
Some hints of Leopold's character may be given
in his own words — words which betray at once his
pedantry and his absolute lack of humour. In a letter
to the young Queen, in which he tried to explain the
character of Princess Charlotte, he said : " The most
difficult task I had was to change her manners; she
had something too brusque and too rash in her move-
ments, which made the Regent quite unhappy, and
which sometimes was occasioned by a struggle between
shyness and the necessity of exerting herself. I had,
I may say so without seeming to boast, the manners of
the best society of Europe, having early moved in it,
and been what is called in French de la fleur des pois.
A good judge I therefore was, but Charlotte found
it rather hard to be so scrutinised, and grumbled
occasionally how I could so often find fault
with her."
Leopold could not understand a joke; chaffing or
quizzing always raised his displeasure ; and indeed he
seems somewhat to have merited, by his manner alone,
some of the severe criticisms lavished upon him. How
much of the feeling against him was prompted by
insular prejudice, how much was jealousy, and how
much personal dislike, it is difficult to say, but there
was probably something of all three to account for it.
As far as the Royal Dukes' feelings went, there was
24 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
some justification for jealousy. Leopold, a foreign
Prince, was being allowed from the Civil List an
annual £50,000, having been for only about a year
the husband of the Heir-Apparent. The Royal Dukes
of England were receiving only £18,000 and £24,000
each, and they were the sons and brothers of Kings
of England. However, the sharp-tongued Creevy,
who could not have been personally affected, spoke of
him always as Humbug Leopold, and one of the
Fitzclarences said in 1824 that the Duchess of Clarence
was the best and most charming woman in the world,
that Prince Leopold was a damned humbug, and that
he (Fitzclarence) disliked the Duchess of Kent.
But whatever the popular opinion concerning him,
Leopold, when his sister became a widow, was a shield
between her and the world. The Duke of Kent was
taken ill in Sidmouth, and two days before he died
Prince Leopold went thither to do what he could
for his sister. One cannot help wondering how it was
that the Duke struggled on so long with the burden
of worries that he had to bear. After his marriage
he lived in Germany until the prospect of an heir
brought him and his wife to England. His income
was then little or nothing, for he had been obliged to
make an assignment of his property to his creditors,
to work off debts contracted partly when, as a young
man, he had been allowed by his tutor, Baron Wangen-
heim, the princely income of thirty shillings a week
as pocket-money, the remainder of £6,000 a year being
used by the Baron, who was astute enough to intercept
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 25
the Prince's letters home. The Duchess of Kent had
a jointure of ,£6,000 a year, and upon this they lived.
From his youth to his death the Duke was worried by
the lack of money and by creditors, through no extrava-
gance of his own, as well as by the enmity of his
brother, the Regent.
When the Duke of Kent died, Leopold was the
only friend the Duchess had in England, and he went
through the affairs of his late brother-in-law, finding
to his consternation that there was not enough money
left even to carry the family back to London, or to
pay for the necessary winding up of affairs at Sid-
mouth. George IV. would give no help of any sort;
he hated the Duchess, as he did most of his brothers'
wives, and his one idea was to cause her to take her
child back to Germany and relieve him and the country
entirely of any obligation towards them. However,
the Duchess and her brother came to the conclusion
that they should resist this desire with all their strength,
and to make things easier Leopold added to his
sister's six thousand a year an annual amount of
£3,000. For decency's sake the King had to
give them a roof over their heads, and he assigned
to the Duchess some rooms in Kensington Palace. I
have come across fatuous biographies of Queen
Victoria in which Leopold has been extolled for his
liberality to his sister, as a noble brother, &c., but when
the position is regarded in a detached way the absurdity
and injustice of the whole arrangement is patent. The
alien Leopold was drawing, as has already been said,
26 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
£50,000 a year from the English Exchequer, having
no obligations upon him of any sort, no Royal position
to keep up, while his sister, the wife of the King's
brother, and mother of the probable Queen of England,
had less than an eighth of that amount, was allowed
nothing more from the Government, and was expected
to be very grateful to Leopold in that he handed over
to her a little of the money that he received. Six
years later a sum of six thousand was annually allowed
the Duchess by the Government for the education of
her daughter, and in 1831, when the Princess Victoria
was needing yet more in the way of instruction, training,
and social necessities, another £10,000 brought her
income up to £22,000 a year, more than her poor
husband had ever owned.
Until 1831 Leopold lived at Claremont, cultivated
its gardens to the utmost, and provoked much criticism
for the business-like way in which he sent the produce
up to London. Claremont became also a country-
house residence for the Duchess of Kent and her little
daughter, Victoria looking back upon the comparative
freedom she enjoyed there as helping to make those
visits the happiest events of her early life. Then came
the demand for a King for Greece, and Leopold had
the chance of securing the position, George, however,
remarking that if he did go to Greece he should leave
his income behind him. There is no doubt that an
affluent, objectless life in England had its charms, and
that a man might pay too dearly for wearing the crown
of a small unsettled kingdom surrounded by enemies.
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 27
So Leopold vacillated, always leaning with each swing
a little nearer the crown, yet wishing to retain the
money. The newspapers of the day were full of the
money part of the transaction. First, would the coun-
try buy of him the land he had purchased here, valued
at fifty thousand or thereabouts? would England
guarantee him a loan of £1,500,000? would England
give him for seven years an annual £70,000 instead
of £50,000? From month to month negotiations
dragged on, until at last it was announced that Leopold
had got the promise of all he desired, and by that time
George IV. was very ill. So the Prince, with new
ideas in his mind, waited for nearly two months more
before even then making his decision, raising many a
laugh and many a scoffing hint in society as to his real
reason. " Ingoldsby " Barham crystallised some of the
sayings in his verses upon "The Mad Dog," as
follows : —
"The Dog hath bitten — Oh, woe is me—
A Market Gardener of high degree;
Imperial Peas
No longer please,
An Imperial Crown he burneth to seize !
Early Cucumbers, Windsor Beans,
Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Broccoli, Greens,
Girkins to pickle, Apples to munch,
Radishes fine, five farthings a bunch,
Carrots red and Turnips white,
Parsnips yellow no more delight,
He spurneth Lettuces, Onions, Leeks,
He would be Sovereign King of the Greeks.
No more in a row
A goodly show.
28 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
His Highness 's carts to market go!
Yet still I heard Sam Rogers hint,
He hath no distaste for celery or mint.
A different whim
Now seizeth him,
And Greece for his part may sink or swim.
For they cry that he
Would Regent be,
And Rule fair England from sea to sea.
Oh, never was mortal man so mad, —
Alack! alack, for the Gardener lad."
When it was certain that George IV. could not
recover, Leopold declined the honour of being King
of Greece, upon which Barham wrote the following
verse : —
" A King for Greece ! — a King for Greece !
Wanted a Sovereign Prince for Greece !
For the recreant Knight
Hath broken his plight,
Some say from policy, some from fright,
Some say in hope to rule for his niece,
He hath refused to be King over Greece."
Thomas Creevy wrote concerning this decision in
one of his letters, " I suppose Mrs. Kent thinks her
daughter's reign is coming on apace, and that her
brother may be of use to her as versus Cumberland."
In 1831 Leopold became King of the Belgians, and
then, attention having been so thoroughly drawn to his
pension, a determined demand was made that it should
cease when he left England. Matters were not settled
quite so simply. Leopold retained Claremont, stipu-
lated that his debts of £83,000 should be paid for him,
and that he should return four-fifths of the annuity.
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S RELATIVES 99
When the Duke of Kent had died crushed with debt,
not so much more than this sober gentleman owed, that
debt was left to hang round the necks of his widow
and child. The Duke of Kent was popular, Leopold
was not; yet the former was neglected and the latter
was honoured. Really there seems little advantage in
being popular !
When Leopold announced with some solemnity that
he was called to reign over four million noble Belgians,
Coleridge, referring to that country's discontented
state, remarked that it would have been more appro-
priate if he had said that he was called to rein in four
million restive asses.
CHAPTER II
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE
" A country gentleman going to the theatre when William IV.
was there would not believe the King was King because he
was not wearing his crown ; being almost persuaded, he looked
more closely and then was quite sure that William was not the
King, for the Lion and the Unicorn did not hang down on
each side of him, and he had always been taught — and implicitly
believed — that the King of England had never had any other
arms than these." — Contemporary Gossip.
FROM what has been said of the treatment given to
the Duchess of Kent it can hardly be wondered at that
she turned from the whole Royal family, though she
could not always resist the kindness of the Duchess
of Clarence, who came to weep with her and to admire
the fat, good baby. The Duke of Sussex, too, did
his best to show by his visits and advice that she might
rely upon his friendship, but on the whole the resent-
ment felt by the widowed mother was so keen that she
would do nothing to conciliate the people among whom
she thought it wise to live. Thus until the death of
William IV. in 1837 there were constant royal dis-
putes, which increased in bitterness as Victoria neared
her majority.
The Duke of Wellington sometimes took an active
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 81
part in trying to make things run smoothly for the
Duchess, even against her will. For instance, he knew
not only the Duke of Cumberland's sentiments about
her, but he knew also that Cumberland was an ugly
hater. He had married in 1815 and his wife was not re-
ceived by his mother, Queen Charlotte, so the Duchess
of Kent, following her lead, took no notice of the
Duchess of Cumberland when she came to take up her
residence in England. Upon this, the Duke of
Wellington told Leopold to advise his sister to write
regretting that she was unable to welcome her on her
arrival, and so was prevented from calling. When
the lady of Kent got the message she wanted to know
why she should do this thing, and Wellington replied
that he should not tell her why, that he knew what
was going on better than she did, and advised her for
her own sake to do as he suggested. The Duchess
returned that she would give him credit for counselling
her well, and did as he suggested. For this act of
politeness she reaped her reward in remaining un-
troubled for a long time by any active show of enmity
from the Duke of Cumberland.
As a matter of fact, the Duchess of Kent had her
share of the Teutonic quality of self-complacence;
she was a strong woman who knew her own mind and
who had very definite aims in life, and she did not
think it worth while to placate anyone. Either anger
against the Royal Family made her continually show
haughtiness to them, or she was obsessed by a sense of
the very important position she held as mother of a
possible Sovereign of England. A weaker person,
32 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
possessing a greater charm and tact, and imbued with
less determination to secure her own rights, would have
sailed serenely and almost unconsciously through
troubles which the Duchess always met more than half-
way, if she did not actually cause them. Perhaps had
she insisted less definitely upon recognition for herself,
that recognition would have been more freely accorded.
It was even more difficult for her to meet William IV.
cordially than George IV. for the reason that they
not only met more often, but that, while William readily
recognised the child as his probable successor, George
had for years refused to see her. It was not until
Victoria was seven that she and her mother received
an invitation to go to Windsor, and there is recorded
an incident of that visit which, though amusing, is
somewhat provocative of cynicism. George told this
infant to choose a tune for the band to play, and she
gave the diplomatic answer that she wanted them to
play "God save the King." One wonders whether
she had run to an astute mother for advice, whether it
was her favourite tune in actual fact, or whether the
unwonted delights of her visit, and the kindness of
George, the hitherto unknown uncle, made her spon-
taneously think of the air which would best please
him. Whatever the motive had been, it was a clever
reply.
When William IV. became King in 1830 he desired
that the Princess Victoria should attend the Court
functions, and we are given a ludicrous picture of this
child of eleven, dressed in a long Court train and a
veil reaching to the ground, following Queen Adelaide
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 33
at a chapter of the Order of the Garter held at St.
James' Palace. She was also present at the proroga-
tion of Parliament, and attended her first Drawing
Room in February, 1831, in honour of the Queen's
birthday. Royalties of the time were inconsistent with
regard to their birthdays. Thus on this occasion
Adelaide's natal day was honoured in February, while
in 1836 it was kept in August. In that latter year, too,
according to the papers, the King's birthday was cele-
brated both in May and August ! But the Duchess
did not willingly allow her child to go to Court. She
may have feared the influence of the coarse manners
and uncontrolled tempers shown by the Princes, but
this could not have been an excuse for slighting Queen
Adelaide. However, there is no record from her own
pen of the reason which induced her to keep Princess
Victoria at home.
As soon as King George was dead, the Duchess
made the first false move in her relations with William.
She was too anxious for recognition, too eager to secure
what she thought was due to her, and she did not give
the new King the chance of showing his appreciation
of her change of circumstances. She wrote to the
Duke of Wellington, then Prime Minister, asking that
a suitable income should be bestowed upon her and
her daughter, over which allowance she should have
full control, and that the Princess should be put on
the footing of Heir-Apparent. It is hard to imagine
a more injudicious course for her to have taken. There
had just been elevated to the Throne a man who had
been comparatively poor all his life, and who was
D
34 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
looking forward to the luxury of exercising a great
power; one who had a quick temper, to which he gave
uncontrolled expression. His wife had borne two
children, both of whom had died, and there was still
the possibility that she might give birth to more. Yet
here, before he had had time to realise his position,
was a woman whom he disliked dictating to him what
her place should be near the Throne, and demanding
that her daughter at once should be recognised as next
in succession.
To the demands of the Duchess the Duke of Wel-
lington replied that nothing could even be proposed for
her until the Civil List was settled, but that nothing
should be considered without her knowledge. This
reply is said to have much offended the Duchess, and
for a long time she ignored the gallant old man when
she met him.
This incident probably left its stamp upon the future
intercourse of the King and the Duchess ; it certainly
affected William's attitude at the Coronation in 1831 ;
for he insisted upon being immediately followed in the
procession, not by the little Victoria, but by his
brothers. Everyone expected to see the child taking
part in the festivities of that day, but when the morning
arrived, and the most wonderful and gorgeous carriages
rolled up to the Abbey, none of them held the Princess.
All the world wondered where were mother and child,
and then The Times published an article upon the
matter, accusing the Duchess of staying away through
pique, and commenting strongly upon the " systematic
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 35
opposition " which Her Royal Highness showed " to
all the wishes and all the feelings of the present King."
Some newspapers had got into the facetious habit of
alluding to The Times as Grandmamma, but on this
occasion the Morning Post insulted its great relative
by accusing it of " grossness and scurrility," and affirm-
ing that a place had been allotted to the Princess which
was derogatory to her rank ; which after all was scarcely
a refutation of the charge against the Duchess. When
questions on this matter of absence were asked in Par-
liament, it was vaguely asserted that sufficient reasons
had existed with which the King was perfectly satisfied.
The Globe — among others — announced that the Prin-
cess had been kept away through illness, and this was
the impression which it seemed most politic to accept.
It appeared that Lord de Ros, whose sister was Maid-
of-Honour to the Queen, had written the offending
article in The Times, and it is quite likely, not
only that he believed what he wrote, but that
it was true, in spite of the reports that the
Duchess "was in the greatest distress and vexation
over the matter." For though the indisposition
of the Princess was said to have "rendered
her removal from the Isle of Wight to town to
take part in so exciting a pageant much too hazardous
to be attempted," the little lady was the centre of a
crowd two or three days later when she laid the founda-
tion stone of a new church at East Cowes. It is also
quite certain that the Princess anticipated going, for in
later life she often, when speaking of that time to her
D 2
36 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
children, mentioned how bitterly she cried at her
mother's decision, and her disappointment when she was
kept at home. " Nothing could console me, not even
my dolls/' she said.
Both King and country showed confidence in the
Duchess when the Regency Bill was under discussion —
an important Bill, for if the King died, a minor would
become the Sovereign. It was decided that if Queen
Adelaide bore another child she should hold the post
of Regent, but otherwise, during the minority of the
Princess Victoria, the Duchess of Kent should be
Regent. When this Bill was framed, the Duke of
Wellington, mindful of his promise, asked the King's
leave to wait upon the Duchess with it. The King
agreed, and the Duke wrote to Her Royal Highness
saying that he had a communication to make to her on
the part of His Majesty, and therefore proposed to
wait upon her at Kensington Palace. The Duchess
was, however, at Claremont, and from there she sent
the following reply : —
" MY LORD DUKE,
I have just received your letter of this date.
As it is not convenient for me to receive Your Grace
at Kensington, I prefer having in writing, addressed
to me here, the communication you state the King has
commanded you to make to me.
" VICTORIA."
It would seem as though the Duchess not only dis-
trusted the King's word, but had not yet forgiven the
Duke for not being able to accede to her earlier request.
Photo-]
'(Emery Walker
QUEEN ADELAIDE.
From the Painting by Sir William Beechey, in the National
Portrait Gallery.
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 37
Had she sent her general adviser, Sir John Conroy, to
negotiate with the Duke, or had she invited the latter
to Claremont, she would have kept within the limits
of politeness; as it was, the only thing left for the Duke
to do was to send the Bill to her to study, as he could
not in writing give all the explanations he had intended.
In the meanwhile Lord Lyndhurst had brought up the
measure in the House of Lords, and the Duchess of
Kent had sent Conroy up to hear him.
Sir John Conroy was very much in the confidence of
the Duchess. He had been equerry to the Duke of
Kent for ten years, and had been greatly trusted by
His Royal Highness, so much so that he was appointed
co-executor of the Duke's will, with General Wetherall
as colleague. After his master's death Conroy became
major-domo to the Duchess, and was consulted by her
in all things. There are some indications that he
fostered the desire for greater importance, and it is
possible that some of the troubles that made so in-
delible an impression upon the mind of the Princess
were due to his influence. It was a great pity, for the
Duchess could quite safely have left her dignity in the
hands of the King's Ministers. Such men as Welling-
ton or Lyndhurst, or even those of the Opposition,
Melbourne and Brougham, would have seen that so
important a person as the mother of the heiress to the
Throne received her due. She could not be sure of
the King, for, when he disliked a person, were it man
or woman, his manners were atrocious. But as one
cynical subject once asked in reference to him, " What
can you expect of a man with a head like a pine-
38 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
apple ? " Greville made the further complimentary
remark concerning something that the King had said,
" If he were not such an ass that nobody does anything
but laugh at what he says, this would be very
important."
However, William was by no means always an ass.
He alternately aroused laughter and admiration, and
sometimes, among individuals, fierce anger. When in
good health he was lively and appreciated a joke, and,
unlike his predecessor, he was conscientious in seeing
to business matters and keeping his engagements.
Even Greville, who, in spite of his sweeping judgments,
was an honest critic, not often allowing mere prejudice
to warp his opinion, said of William on another
occasion, " The fact is he turns out to be an incom-
parable King, and deserves all the encomiums lavished
upon him." William horrified people at first by prying
into every concern ; he actually, to the stupefaction of
some, reviewed the Guards, both horse and foot, and
spent some energy in " blowing up " the people at the
Court, actions which were regarded as symptoms of a
disordered mind. Later, when suffering from illness,
he did not hesitate to " blow up " his Prime Minister,
or the Commander-in-Chief , or the guest at his table —
and all in public ! During the first year of his reign
people thought and spoke of nothing but the King,
how he slept in a cot, how he dismissed his brother's
cooks, how he insisted upon sitting backwards when in
a carriage, refusing to allow anyone to occupy the seat
facing him. One day he went to inspect the Tower of
London, and a contemporary writer gives this picture
of the Royal party : —
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 39
' The King is a little, old, red-nosed, weather-beaten,
jolly-looking person, with an ungraceful air and car-
riage ; and as to the Duke of Sussex, what with his stiff
collar and cocked hat bobbing over his face, nothing
could be seen of him but his nose. He seemed quite
overcome with heat, and went along puffing and panting
with the great, fat Duchess of Cumberland leaning
on his arm. The Queen is even worse than I thought
— a little insignificant person as ever I saw. She was
dressed, as perhaps you will see by the papers,
'exceeding plain/ in bombazine with a little shabby
muslin collar, dyed Leghorn hat, and leather
shoes."
Creevy went to the opera on a Royal night, and his
impressions, related in his own peculiarly flippant way,
were as follows : — " Billy 4th at the Opera was every-
thing one could wish : a more Wapping air I defy a
King to have — his hair five times as full of poudre
as mine, and his seaman's gold lace cock-and-pinch
hat was charming. He slept most of the Opera — never
spoke to anyone, or took the slightest interest in the
concern. ... I was sorry not to see more of Victoria :
she was in a box with the Duchess of Kent, opposite,
and, of course, rather under us. When she looked
over the box I saw her, and she looked a very nice little
girl indeed/5
He adds a little later that when the question of
proroguing Parliament by commission arose, and Lord
Grey said to William that it was, of course, quite out
of the question to ask him to prorogue in person, the
King replied : " My Lord, I'll go, if I go in a hackney
coach," which showed at least the true kingly spirit,
40 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
even if it was perturbing to his Minister. William
meant it, too, and Lord Durham had to borrow the
Chancellor's carriage and dash off to the Master of
the Horse, whom he found at breakfast. On the
demand being made that he should at once have the
King's equipage sent round, the latter asked :
" What, is there a revolution ? "
" No," was the answer, " but there will be if you stop
to finish that meal first."
In 1834 Oliver Wendell Holmes was in England,
and he also went to the Opera one night when the King
was present. His impressions are to the full as uncom-
plimentary and as outspoken as those of the jovial
Creevy.
" I went last night to the Royal Opera, where they
were to be in state. I had to give more than two
dollars for a pit ticket,5* and had hardly room to stand
up, almost crowded to death. The Duchess of Kent
and the Princess Victoria — a girl of fifteen — came in
first on the side opposite the King's box. The audi-
ence applauded somewhat, not ferociously. . . . The
Princess is a nice, fresh-looking girl, blonde, and rather
pretty. The King looks like a retired butcher. The
Queen is much such a person as the wife of the late
William Frost, of Cambridge, an exemplary milkman,
now probably immortal on a slab of slatestone as a
father, a husband, and a brother. The King blew his
nose twice, and wiped the royal perspiration repeatedly
from a face which is probably the largest uncivilised
spot in England." The critic adds, in excuse for his
* The pit in those days was still a fashionable part of the
house, being where the stalls are now.
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 41
plain speaking, " I have a disposition to tartness and
levity which tells to the disadvantage of the Royal
living and advantage of the plebeian defunct, but it
is accidental and must be forgiven."
But to return to the reasons for the animosity
between the King and the Duchess of Kent. There
was another person besides Conroy about the
Duchess's household who was generally regarded as
injudicious, and whose name was speedily written in
the King's bad books. This was John George
Lambton, created Earl of Durham in 1833, a man
of whom Lord Brougham said that he had many good
and some great qualities, but all were much obscured,
and even perverted, by his temper, which was greatly
affected by the painful liver disease from which he
suffered. Creevy speaks of him, soon after the death
of his first wife, as an excellent host, as full of good
qualities, and possessing remarkable talents, adding
that "his three little babies are his great resource."
Durham once said that he thought £40,000 a year a
moderate income — one which a man might just jog
on with ; and the phrase was never forgotten, he being
called "Old Jog" or "King Jog" by some of his
friends ever after.
Before his elevation to the peerage Durham had
been very friendly with the Duke of Kent, for they
thought alike in politics, both being Whigs. Thus
from the start Durham was associated with the Kent
household; and as he was arrogant and tactless, with
tremendous ideas about money, he must have been one
of the worst advisers that the Duchess could have
secured. He seems to have been particularly active
42 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
in small matters before the commencement of
William's reign, becoming Leopold's right-hand man
when he thought of accepting the position of King of
Greece, drawing up all his papers for him, and being
"his bottle-holder ever since." Greville styles him
the Duchess of Kent's "magnus Apollo." When
Leopold left England, Durham became more useful
still to the Duchess, and is heard of constantly in
connection with the affairs at Kensington. In 1831
the Duchess hired Norris Castle, in the Isle of Wight,
for the autumn, and Lord Durham is mentioned as
being there as a guest; one malicious commentary
upon the matter being that " Lord Durham was acting
the part of Prime Minister to the Duchess of Kent
and Queen Victoria, who were all together making
their arrangements for a new reign"; and it was a
general opinion that when the Princess ascended the
throne Durham would be first favourite with her and
her mother. On his return from an Extraordinary
Embassy to St. Petersburg the King gave him an
audience, which, says Greville, " must have been very
agreeable to him (the King), as he hates him and the
Duchess of Kent."
There are many little stories told of this man's
pettishness ; his second wife was the daughter of Lord
Grey, and it is said that he harassed the life out of
his father-in-law during the Reform agitation. Once
when Lord Grey was speaking he rudely interrupted
him. Grey paused, and said, " My dear Lambton,
only hear what I am going to say," whereupon the
other jumped up, replying, " Oh, if I am not to be
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 43
allowed to speak, I may as well go away " ; so, order-
ing his carriage, he departed.
In a bad mood he once said evil things about Lady
Jersey, accusing her of defaming his wife to the Queen,
and declaring that Lady Durham should demand an
audience of Her Majesty to contradict these scandals.
For once he had met his peer in bad temper, for Lady
Jersey, at the Drawing Room which was the cause of
little Victoria's first appearance at William's Court,
saw him standing at the opposite side of the room.
She went close to him, and said loudly :
"Lord Durham, I hear that you have said things
about me which are not true, and I desire that you will
call upon me to-morrow with a witness to hear my
denial."
She was in a fury, and put Lord Durham into the
same state. He, turning white, muttered that he
would never go into her house again, but she had
flounced back to her seat, and did not hear him.
Durham naturally made an enemy of a man like
Brougham, who was too extreme himself to like the
same quality in another, and when Durham resigned
office a popular couplet ran :
" Bore Durham fell — (ye Whigs his loss deplore) —
Pierced by the tusks of Brougham — greater Bore."
There seems to be no record of the Duchess of
Kent asking advice, consulting the King, or even
telling him her plans; she marked out her own path
and took it composedly, leaving the consequences to
follow. She probably reasoned that the Princess
was her child, and she was the recognised guardian,
41 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
therefore she could act independently. That she
brought her up well is evident, though in these days so
often called degenerate, and yet so full of happiness
for children, most mothers would be sorry for a babe
of six years old who had to carry home on Sunday
morning the text of the sermon with the heads of the
discourse. I have read somewhere that the child
would fix her eyes upon the clergyman's face as soon
as he began his sermon, and never move them while
he continued to speak, seeming to give a preternatural
attention to all that he said ; the reason being explained
by the fact that her mother desired to test her appre-
ciation of his address by putting that strain upon her
memory and understanding. Well, many mothers did
the same thing in those days, but, fortunately for the
children, we have a better sense of what is fitting
to-day.
When the extra allowance of £10,000 was
made to the Duchess in 1831, the Duchess of
Northumberland was appointed governess to Victoria,
and went to Kensington each day to superintend the
studies. The Court Journal, in commenting upon
this, spoke of the Princess as the Duchess's " great
charge," upon which Figaro in London made the
remark that it was scarcely according to fact to call
the child a great charge to her governess, though it
might with propriety be admitted that " her little Royal
Highness was a great charge to the country," a weak
pun based upon insufficient cause, as the family income
was, all things considered, by no means large.
Those who had so far helped in the Princess's
education deserve a word. The person who earliest
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 45
exercised her authority was Louise Lehzen, the
daughter of a Lutheran clergyman in Hanover, who
had been governess to Princess Feodore, the Duchess's
elder daughter by the Prince of Leiningen. In 1824,
by the command of George IV., this lady transferred
her attentions to Princess Victoria, and from that time
until 1842 was her constant companion. The fact
that she came from a small German State was suffi-
cient to make her unpopular in England, but she won
the child's confidence, and helped in teaching her the
usual accomplishments of the day. That she was a
governess in reality may be doubted ; she talked much
but knew little, and had no respect for progressive
ideas in education, though she was shrewd in judg-
ment. The Princess both loved and feared her, saying
after her death in 1870: "She knew me from six
months old, and from my fifth to my eighteenth years
devoted all her care and energies to me with most
wonderful abnegation of self, never even taking one
day's holiday. I adored, though I was greatly in awe
of her. She really seemed to have no thought but
for me."
Among the close friends of Baroness Lehzen — she
was created, by the suggestion of Princess Sophia, a
Hanoverian Baroness in 1826, when Dr. Davys was
appointed as tutor to the Princess — was the Baroness
Spath, who had for a long time been Lady-in-
Waiting to the Duchess, and might have continued to
hold the post had not Sir John Couroy quarrelled with
her and secured her dismissal. For this maybe he, in
later years, failed to reach the honours to which he
aspired, for Lehzen never forgave him, and remained
46 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
his enemy to the end. Who can say that her dislike
of the Duchess's counsellor did not influence the
Princess's feelings towards him? Baroness Spath
perhaps annoyed the Duchess as well as Conroy by
her exuberant love for the Princess. It is mentioned
in a letter from Princess Feodore to the Queen :
" There certainly never was such devotedness as hers
to all our family, although it sometimes showed itself
rather foolishly — with you it was always a sort of
idolatry, when she used to go upon her knees before
you when you were a child. She and poor old Louis
did all they could to spoil you/'
Louis had been an attendant and dresser to Princess
Charlotte, and she remained until her death, in 1838,
in the service of Victoria, who felt much affection for
her.
Baroness Lehzen was only responsible for the child's
training for three years, for when the Princess was
about eight years old, as has been said, a grant of six
thousand a year — in addition to the six thousand then
forming the Duchess's income — was allowed " for the
purpose of making an adequate provision for the
honourable support and education of Her Highness
Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent." It was
really felt that the child needed to be under English
tuition, and a country clergyman, the Rev. George
Davys, became her tutor. No sooner had the Duchess
chosen him than King William asserted that it was a
bad choice, and that no one under the rank of a pre-
late should have been offered the work, whereupon the
Duchess intimated that it would be quite easy to give
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 47
Mr. Davys a bishopric ; and this was eventually done,
though at first the Crown living of St. Hallows-on-the-
Wall in the City was the preferment bestowed. Mr.
Davys gathered various masters to teach the Princess
different subjects, but from many sources it is seen
that Baroness Lehzen still did much of the elementary
teaching, though her labours in this respect stopped
when the Duchess of Northumberland took charge.
Mr. Davys's daughter, a girl a little older than the
Princess, shared the tuition, and, as far as can be told,
represented most of what the Princess knew of child
companionship. When Victoria became Queen this
early friend was made permanent Woman of the Bed-
chamber.
The strained relations between the King and his
sister-in-law took active form over what were known
as the Duchess's progresses. On looking at the matter
from this long distance of time, it is impossible not
to agree with the Duchess that it was well that the
child should see England, should know the different
districts of the country, should visit the manufacturing
towns, the seats of learning, and the beautiful hills in
the north and west. The grievance lay, first and fore-
most, in the fact that the King would have liked to
introduce his successor to his people through Court
functions and constant companionship, but was de-
barred almost entirely from seeing her ; and, secondly,
that the Duchess planned all her journeys quite in-
dependently of the King, and demanded Royal
honours wherever she went. Thus for some years
from 1832 an annual series of visits was projected,
48 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
taking place generally in the autumn. The first of
which we have any definite account was made in 1832,
and shows an extraordinary activity. The Duchess
and her suite went to Chatsworth, Hardwicke Hall,
Chesterfield, Matlock; to the Earl of Shrewsbury's at
Alton Towers, and to the Earl of Liverpool's at
Shrewsbury, where they knew they would have a warm
welcome, as Lady Catherine Jenkinson, Lord Liver-
pool's daughter, was one of the Ladies in Waiting
upon the Duchess. This was followed by visits to
Oakley Park, Howell Grange, and Oxford, where the
degree of Doctor was conferred upon Conroy. Powis
Castle, the early home of the Duchess of Northumber-
land, was also visited, and a house rented at Beau-
maris, on the Isle of Anglesey, for a month, whence
they had to flee, because of an epidemic of cholera, to
Plas Newydd, the home of the Marquis of Anglesey,
on the Menai Straits, which the Marquis gladly put at
their disposal.
In Wales, Victoria, a child of thirteen, presented
prizes at the Eisteddfod, laid the foundation of a boys'
school, and, on her way back through Chester, opened
a new bridge over the Dee.
Year after year tours of this sort were carried out,
the arrangements being in the hands of Sir John
Conroy — " a ridiculous fellow," says Greville — who
seemed to have given every opening that he could for
loyal speeches, which, in the peculiar circumstances,
could not avoid touching upon dangerous topics.
On the whole, the laudatory biographies of Queen
Victoria have shown great injustice to William IV.
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 49
The writers of those biographies, painfully anxious to
please living people, have not allowed themselves to
exercise either sound criticism or sound judgment.
They have made the King a vulgar, brutal monster,
always ready to insult "defenceless women," and
have extolled the Duchess of Kent as a miracle of
propriety and wisdom. As a matter of fact, both of
them, in different ways, were wanting in self-control;
both were people of passionate temperament, the King
hotly so, the Duchess in a more reserved but equally
intractable way. At that time William still had a faint
hope that his wife might bear children — a fact that
is shown in the negotiations concerning the Regency,
and in various little significant events. For that
reason he insisted upon Princess Victoria being
regarded as Heir Presumptive, which was keenly
resented by the Duchess, who thought that the right
title should be Heir Apparent. Thus when all the
papers detailed the events of the Duchess's tours
through the country, and gave in full many loyal
speeches and their acknowledgments, or if they did
not give them in full were particular to pick out the
most striking passages, it is scarcely to be wondered
at that the soul of the King was shaken with rage, for
these speeches were sometimes a little too anticipatory
to be pleasant to him. ' The Princess who will rule
over us," was a common phrase, to which the Duchess
responded freely with " your future Queen," softening
the expression, however, with the pious wish, " I trust
at a very distant date."
These progresses, lasting sometimes for a couple of
£
50 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
months or even longer, gave the young Princess much
information, and showed her something of England;
she probably liked the novelty at first, and all through
enjoyed some incidents and the kindness offered her.
She is said to have displayed wonderfully precocious
powers of shrewdness (a cheap bit of praise !), and to
have written long letters to her governess, describing,
" with an accuracy, minuteness, and spirit quite extra-
ordinary," her impressions of the manners, customs,
and peculiarities of the people in the various towns
she visited. But there were times when she was bored
to death. The absurd triumphal meanderings through
this town and that, bowing here, bowing there, sur-
rounded by crowds sometimes so dense that the car-
riage could not move, cheered, gazed at, addressed by
mayors and popular speakers — all this became dull
and tedious to her. A young thing who should have
been playing at ball and learning French verbs had
to sit for hours playing, instead, at being grown up,
and when she entered a house as a guest had to retain
a dignified manner, had to lead off the dance with a
middle-aged host instead of romping with his young
people, and for dreary weeks had to assume a mock
royalty. There must have been also moments of
acute pain ; for a girl of that age, at least in the present
day, will turn scarlet with anger if she and her qualities
are discussed before her face, without perhaps quite
comprehending why she feels that such a course is a
dire and undignified offence, by inference depriving
her of her sensibility and relegating her to the posi-
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 51
tion of the unthinking creatures who cannot under-
stand what is said.
Yet little Victoria had to listen daily to the speeches
made by her mother, in which her education, her ten-
dencies, and the desires concerning her were fully
described to the " great unwashed." Such instances as
the following were of common occurrence. When, in
1833, mother and child attended the ceremony of
opening the pier at Southampton, the Mayor offered a
loyal address, to which the Duchess replied, among
other things, that it was a great advantage to the
Princess to be thus early taught the importance of
being attached to works of utility, adding that it was
her anxious desire to impress upon her daughter the
value of everything recommended by its practical
utility to all classes of the community.
On another occasion she said to the public crowd, fl I
cannot better allude to your good feeling towards the
Princess than by joining fervently in the wish that she
may set an example in her conduct of that piety towards
God and charity towards men which is the only sure
foundation either of individual happiness or national
prosperity."
Again she would say that "it was the object of her
life to render her daughter deserving of the affectionate
solicitude she so universally inspired, and to make her
worthy of the attachment and respect of a free and
loyal people." These sentiments were quite natural
and laudable, the only thing wrong about them being
E 2
52 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
that they were expressed publicly and with consider-
able ceremony before the child of whom they were
spoken. For these responses were generally written,
and when the moment came for their delivery, John
Conroy, standing by the Duchess's side, would hand
up her answer, "just as the Prime Minister hands the
King the copy of his speech when opening Parlia-
ment." This habit was specially noticed when, in 1835,
the royal pair went through the north-east of England,
to York, Wentworth House, Doncaster (where they
witnessed the races), Belvoir Castle, Burghley, Lynn,
Holkham, and Euston Hall. At Burghley the loyal
address spoke of the Princess as one " destined to
mount the throne of these realms," and most splendid
preparations were made by Burghley' s master, the
Marquis of Exeter, for the lodgment of his guests.
The dinner was a great function and all went well until
a clumsy or nervous servant slipped and turned the
contents of an ice-pail into the Duchess's lap, " which
made a great bustle." The Princess opened the ball
with Lord Exeter, and then, like a good child, went
off to bed.
At Holkham a crowd of people were waiting in the
brilliantly illuminated Egyptian Hall while the Prin-
cess was dragged for miles in her carriage by navvies,
making her two hours late. At last a carriage arrived
at the Hall containing three ladies, and Mr. Coke, with
a lighted candle in each hand, made a profound bow.
When he resumed the perpendicular the visitors had
vanished, and the host was told that he had been
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 53
making his obeisance to the dressers ! Soon after this,
their Royal Highnesses appeared, and the Princess
won all by her pleasant courtesy.
It is more than probable that among those who were
personally affected by these journeys they were
popular, but on the whole they were harshly criticised,
not only by those who surrounded the King, but by
the diarists of that time, and among those who guided
the tone of the newspapers ; and these we must suppose
gave voice to the general sentiment. It was an age
which preferred the retirement of women, and many
people were shocked at the publicity of it all. The
Duchess went, they affirmed, " to fish up loyalty in the
provinces, and to prepare her daughter for the business
of sovereignty, which, however, in this free and high-
spirited country is merely to be hooted at, cheered,
gazed at, dragged in triumph and addressed by the
populace." On one occasion they dined at Plymouth,
the blinds up to show the illuminated room to the dense
crowd which filled the area of the hotel, " a vulgar
process which appears to have excited fresh en-
thusiasm among the herd of minions who ac-
companied with adulatory yelps the course of the
visitors."
Apart from the spiteful tone of all this, the charge
was true ; but the Duchess was right. She was follow-
ing a certain system of education; she was bringing
up a Queen, teaching her the social duties of her
station and training her in those habits of self-control
and savoir faire which made Victoria astonish England
54 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
at her accession by her coolness and dignity. Without
her mother's training the Princess would have been
far more like the Georges in outward manners than
she was; with it she became perhaps too conscious of
what was due from others to herself, too ready to be
offended if all did not bow to the wishes of "the
Crown " ; but the gain was the country's, and the coun-
try has largely to thank the Duchess of Kent for a
revolution in the character and moral position of the
English Sovereign.
It was during the second visit to Norris Castle, in
the Isle of Wight, in 1833, tnat another quarrel took
place between the King and his sister-in-law. At
Osborne Lodge — the site of the later Osborne Cottage
built by Victoria — Sir John Conroy had his residence,
where he entertained the two Princesses. They also
went to East Cowes, to Whippingham, and crossed
over at different times to Portsmouth, to Weymouth,
and to Plymouth. They inspected the dockyards,
made a cruise to Eddystone Lighthouse, went to Tor-
quay, Exeter and Swanage; the Princess presented
new colours to the Royal Irish Fusiliers stationed at
Devonport, during which ceremony the Duchess told
the troops that " her daughter's study of English his-
tory had inspired her with martial ardour." Day after
day they were crossing and recrossing the Sound, and
every time they appeared salutes were fired. It is true
that William could not hear the guns at Windsor or
at St. James's, but the knowledge of the daily, and more
than daily, recurrence annoyed him. To be saluted on
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 55
arrival and on departure was one thing, but to have a
" continual popping " going on was quite another. So
William called a Council, and dignified statesmen had
to go to Court to discuss the matter. Greville's account
runs as follows : —
:t The King has been (not unnaturally) disgusted at
the Duchess of Kent's progresses with her daughter
through the kingdom, and amongst the rest with her
sailings at the Isle of Wight, and the continual popping
in the shape of salutes to Her Royal Highness. He
did not choose that the latter practice should go on,
and he signified his pleasure to Sir James Graham
and Lord Hill, for salutes are matters of general order,
both to Army and Navy."
It was thought better to make no order on the sub-
ject, but that the two gentlemen, with Lord Grey,
should open a negotiation with the Duchess, and ask
her of her own accord to waive the salutes, and should
send word when returning to the Isle of Wight that, as
she was sailing about for her amusement, she preferred
that she should not be saluted whenever she appeared.
However, the Duchess was too childishly fond of the
importance of the noise to be a party to its discontinu-
ance, and took council of Conroy, who is reported to
have replied, "that, as Her Royal Highness's con-
fidential adviser > he could not recommend her to give
way on this point." The King would not give way
either, so by an Order in Council the regulations were
altered under the King's directions, and the Royal
56 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Standard was for the future only to be saluted when
the King or Queen was on board.
It was a stupid wrangle on a silly subject, but even
in so small a matter as this, in the modern desire to
justify everything that the mother of Victoria did,
writers of royal " Lives " always affirm that the King
was bad-tempered enough to object to the salute being
offered to the Duchess on her arrival at the commence-
ment of her holiday.
That the Duchess should resent such happenings
as this was natural, but it was rather sad that she in-
cluded her old friend Queen Adelaide in her resentful
feelings.
In contemporary writings I find many comments
upon the change of manner which she gradually
showed towards Adelaide after the former had become
Queen. Before that the two ladies had been good
friends, but there seems to have arisen such a jealousy
on the part of the Duchess that she began to treat the
Queen with studied rudeness, and to make absurd
demands as to her own treatment. Thus, if she were
under the obligation of calling upon the Queen, she
would name her own hour, and, if that did not suit
Adelaide, would make that an excuse for considering
the call paid. In earlier and more friendly times, if
one of these ladies went to see the other, she would
feel at liberty to go from room to room until she
found her. By 1833, however, though the Duchess
still followed this custom at the Palace, she would
not allow it to the Queen at Kensington, but gave
VICTORIA'S MOTHER AND UNCLE 57
orders that she must await her in this or that
room.
In that same year the Duchess had two nephews
on a visit at the time when Donna Maria da Gloria of
Portugal was staying with the King. The Queen gave
a ball for the young people, and between the dances
was quite glad to see that little Victoria seemed to
care for her as much as ever and constantly came to sit
by her side. During the evening Adelaide, wishing
to know something of the two young German prince-
lets, asked the Duchess to have them brought to her
that she might have a talk with them. But for some
hidden reason the Duchess refused, and added to the
snub by taking her whole party away long before the
ball was over, saying that the Princes had been to a
review and were tired. Lady Bedingfield, who tells
this story, adds : " Note that they are six feet high and
stout for their age ! " It is difficult to think that any-
thing but ill-humour was responsible for this, that or
the idea that she must show her importance by leaving
early, for the Duchess would sometimes keep her
daughter at the Opera until a very late hour.
However, gentle-minded Adelaide passed this by
and invited the young men down to Windsor, upon
which the Duchess wrote one of her characteristic notes,
saying that she could not come with them and could
not spare them, and as they had paid their respects to
the King at the Drawing Room, she did not think the
visit to Windsor necessary. There was some discussion
between the royal pair as to how this letter should be
58 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
answered, and the King preferred that a bare acknow-
ledgment should be made. Adelaide had the curiosity
to look in the paper to see what these boys were so
busy about on the day she had hoped to have them
with her, and found that they had spent it at the
Zoological Gardens !
CHAPTER III
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS
"Confound their politics." — National Anthem.
QUEEN ADELAIDE, being in a high place, had many
detractors, though she was certainly a kind and gentle
woman. Her two faults in the eyes of the English
people were that she was drawn from a poor German
family, and that she exercised, or was said, perhaps
erroneously, to exercise a strong political influence in
great matters over the King. It was the time of the
fight over the Reform Bill, when the whole country
was in a ferment, and everyone, down to the children,
took sides, whether they understood the question or
not. When it became known that the Queen was
opposed to the passage of the Bill, the papers pub-
lished skits and cartoons against her, accusing her of
plotting against the people and even against the Crown,
so that the populace did not hesitate to show its animus.
Thus on one occasion when an election was exciting
the passions of all, the King arranged to pay a State
visit to the City, and the Lord Mayor, somewhat
foolishly, illuminated the streets the day before. The
glare and light seem to have been the one thing too
60 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
much for the inflamed minds of the mob, which showed
its joy by breaking windows and creating a general
uproar. The Queen had, unfortunately, gone that
evening to a concert without guards, and as she was
returning she was recognised, her carriage being sur-
rounded by a roaring crowd, some of whom tried to
thrust their heads into the windows. The footmen used
their canes freely to beat them off, and the coach-
man managed to reach the Palace safely; but the poor
lady was much alarmed and thought herself in danger
of her life. The King, worried at her late return, paced
from room to room waiting her, and when at last she
arrived he caught hold of Lord Howe, her Chamber-
lain, who preceded her, asking in agitated voice :
"How is the Queen?"
Howe, being an eager anti-reformer, replied that she
was much frightened and proceeded to make the very
worst of the occurrence, with the result that the King,
in a fury, determined to cancel his proposed visit to
the City, much to the chagrin of his Ministers.
As for William himself, he blew hot and cold over
the Bill, as everyone knows, and it became a duel
between Lord Grey and Queen Adelaide, so it was
said, as to which should gain the greatest power over
the King, and William began to get the reputation of
being a henpecked husband. At one point Grey
desired to go to the country that he might prove that
the Lords were the impediment in the way of the Bill,
and the King consented to a dissolution, actually
taking leave of his Minister. The next day, however,
actuated by some hidden motive, he absolutely and
WILLIAM IV.
:;4\
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 61
flatly refused to countenance the change, thus forcing
Lord Grey to persevere in what seemed a hopeless
attempt to get the Bill passed through the House of
Lords. The Whig press was furious, and published
such outspoken opinions as the following : —
" Hail, thou conundrum of our age,
Britannia's great first fiddle,
By turns a fool, by turns a sage,
A puzzling royal riddle.
By turns you make us weep or smile,
Your country's curse or glory,
The Billy Black of Britain's Isle,
By turns a Whig or Tory."
While the Bill was pressing its turbulent passage
through the Commons, and during the subsequent
troubles, the idea took stronger hold upon the people
that the Queen was the motive of the King's con-
tinued vacillations. They went further still, and said
that she was influenced by Lord Howe, who was be-
lieved to entertain a romantic attachment for her.
Indeed, letters of hers are in existence more or less
proving that there was truth in the idea of the influence.
Her desire was to dismiss the Whigs and form a Tory
Government, hnd in one letter to Lord Howe she
notes that " the King's eyes are open, and he sees the
great difficulties in which he is placed, that he really
sees everything in the right light," adding that he
thought the Tories not strong enough to form an
administration.
Lord Howe voted against the measure, and Lord
Grey, seeing how the Government was being defeated
62 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
by members of the Royal household, forced the King
to dismiss him. This the Queen regarded as an out-
rage. She refused to allow another chamberlain to
be appointed, and Howe attended the Queen as
assiduously as ever, the two working unceasingly
against the Government. This led to something like
popular hatred of Adelaide, and to the universal
spread of the horrid reports which were being cir-
culated about her and her late Chamberlain, proofs of
which animosity were forthcoming every time she
appeared in public. The Court Journal deplored the
fact that when she drove out the Queen experienced
almost daily insult from the populace, being hissed as
she passed. Raikes tells us that he saw the King and
Queen at the Duke of Wellington's fete at Apsley
House, that His Majesty looked tired, and Queen
Adelaide was out of spirits. " She had attended a
review in Hyde Park in the morning, when the
sovereign mob thought proper to greet her with much
incivility and rudeness." The King himself by no
means escaped the hostility of the people, for he no
sooner showed himself on the stand at Ascot than a
stone hit him full in the forehead. Fortunately it did
him no serious injury, and the ruffian who threw it was
found to be half-witted.
Socially the affair with Lord Howe assumed serious
proportions. The Queen was so angry at his dismissal
that, to placate her, it was suggested that he should
be reinstated, a condition being made that, though he
should not be asked to vote against his conscience, he
should undertake not to vote against the Bill. This
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 63
condition he indignantly refused, and the Queen was
not conciliated.
Greville, who much disliked Queen Adelaide, notes
of the Court held at Brighton at Christmas, 1832 : —
" The Court is very active, vulgar, and hospitable. King,
Queen, Princes, Princesses, bastards, and attendants
constantly trotting about in every direction. . . . Lord
Howe is devoted to the Queen, and is never away
from her. She receives his attentions, but demon-
strates nothing in return ; he is like a boy in love with
this frightful spotted Majesty, while his delightful
wife is laid up with a sprained ankle and dislocated
joint on the sofa." Indeed, everyone looked upon
him as an ardent lover, and noted that he was dining
every day at the Pavilion, riding with the Queen, and
never quitting her side, keeping his eyes always fixed
on her face. Adelaide herself was very careful; she
was surrounded by the Fitzclarences, who would have
been delighted to prove her in the wrong, and even
they could not find fault with her attitude to her quasi-
Chamberlain.
Lady Howe, when again able to go to Court, was
vexed to death about it, and induced Greville to warn
her husband of the scandalous stories afloat. Greville
did this, but it only annoyed Lord Howe, who, how-
ever, by his manner convinced that worldly man that
there was nothing in the matter but folly and the vanity
of being confidential adviser to the Queen. As a
result of this conversation, Howe suggested to Her
Majesty that she should appoint a new Chamberlain,
and that he should wait upon the King to inform him
64 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
of the fact. This, however, the Queen absolutely
forbade, and Howe stayed on, with the result that a
year or two later Queen Adelaide's name was in every
mouth in a very discreditable way.
Greville was horribly prejudiced against the Queen,
and very much taken with Lady Howe, but the latter
seems to have been a curiously irresponsible person.
Once, when she and her husband were driving with the
Queen, she, being tired, coolly put her feet up on to
her husband's knee, and then rested them on the
window-ledge, saying innocently to his distressed
lordship, " What do you mean by shaking your head ? "
On another occasion the Howes were assisting
Adelaide to ticket things for a bazaar, and Lady Howe
fell in love with some shoes ; so, fitting one on, she put
her foot on the table to show how well it set. Can
anyone imagine a woman behaving like that before
Queen Victoria? The autocratic manners of the
Duchess of Kent are but a tale to us now, but her
training of her daughter in modesty and decorous ways
was a reality of which we still feel the benefit.
Queen Adelaide was the most confiding and rash
of women ; her theory of life was so simple that when
one of her ladies tried to suggest caution to her in
relation to Lord Howe, saying that the newspapers
had been very ill-natured about her friendship for him,
she replied that she knew that, but truth would always
find its way. It did in her case, but she had personally
to run the gauntlet of scandal. Lady Bedingfield
remarked of her, " The Queen is so good and virtuous
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 65
that she has no idea people could fancy that she likes
him (Howe) too much."
In 1834 the Queen went on an extended tour to her
home in Saxe-Meiningen, taking with her presents of
no less than eleven carriages and many other things,
much to the anger of the people, who were then in a
starving condition. On her return in September she
was ill, being quite knocked up with the festivities in
Germany, and a report was started — being first whis-
pered at the Lord Mayor's banquet — that the Queen
was with child. This was confirmed by her ladies,
and in February the medical men, though still uncer-
tain, leaned to the decision that such was the case.
The Court Journal went so far as to announce that
her Majesty was said to have derived peculiar benefit
from drinking at a spring in Germany known as
Child's Well; so the papers all debated the facts,
and the Royal hangers-on were in a state of great
commotion.
Lord Howe's name was on everyone's lips, and the
less dignified papers did not hesitate openly to hint
what society people were whispering. Alvanley, the
wit of the time, suggested that the psalm, " Lord, how
wonderful are Thy works," should be generally sung,
and cartoons and ribald verses appeared everywhere.
One of the latter ran :
" How(e) wondrous are thy works, my lord,
How(e) glorious are thy ways !
How(e) shall we sing thy song, my lord?
How(e) celebrate thy praise?
F
06 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Another such rhyme tells us how
" Poor little Vicky, in a fright
Disjointed feels her royal nose."
and goes on to explain that
" Her Grace, the Duchess-Mother pouts,
And General Conroy's in the dumps,
He dreams no more of Ins-and-Outs,
His suit is now no longer trumps.
The little Princes in a flutter,
Throw all their whips and tops away,
And quarrel with their bread and butter,
And mope and sulk the live-long day.
The whiskered Ernest rubs his eyes,
Poor Georgie Cumberland loudly groans,
While little Cambridge yells and cries,
That such new cousins he disowns.
However many people may have believed it to be
true that Adelaide expected another child, there were
not many about the Court who could have credited
the scandalous part of the story. As Greville said,
"Of course, there will be plenty of scandal. It so
happens, however, that Howe had not been with the
Court for a considerable time." In May, newspapers
that had given many inches to spreading the belief, an-
nounced in two lines that the report that an heir was
expected to the Throne was untrue, and so vanished
the last of William's hopes that he might be succeeded
in the direct line.
I think it was Lady Cardigan who said that Lord
Howe had named his three daughters after three of his
former loves, Lady Georgina Fane, Queen Adelaide,
and Emily Bagot.
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 67
When William IV. first came to the throne he was
imbued with a determination to rule justly and irre-
spective of party, but he was in the midst of Tory
influence while the Government was Whig. His
Ministers became exhausted by the long effort they
had to make to keep him consistent on the question of
Reform, and the passing of the Bill may be said to
have begun his outwardly expressed leaning towards
Toryism. This increased as time went on, and in
1834 one of the most remarkable political events took
place.
The leadership of the House of Commons was
vacant owing to the death of Earl Spencer, by which
his son, Lord Althorp, took his seat in the higher
chamber. The Whigs were in a majority of a third
of the House, but were obliged to fight the Lords for
the passage of their Bills. Lord Melbourne went to
consult the King as to the new leader, and William,
with vague grumblings and irritable manner, seemed
to agree with Melbourne's plans; however, in the
morning before he left Windsor a letter was handed to
the Minister from the King dismissing the Govern-
ment. This letter was anything but dignified, as it in-
dulged in personal reflections upon Lord John Russell
and Mr. Spring-Rice.
" But conceive our poor friend's desperation
When, in answer to this application,
Turning coolly about,
Said the Sovereign, * You're out !
And I'll form a new Administration.' '
Melbourne spent the day in inducing his Monarch
F 2
68 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
to alter his letter so that it should cause no more heart-
burnings than could be avoided, and he talked the
matter over with Palmerston that night. Lord
Brougham came t in late, and, under a promise not to
divulge until the next day what had happened, he also
heard the story. Brougham kept his promise in a way,
for he waited until after midnight and then communi-
cated the whole matter to the Times. So the next
morning the keepers of this grave secret found a
flourishing announcement in the leading Tory paper.
"The King has taken the opportunity of Lord
Spencer's death to turn out the Ministry, and there is
every reason to believe that the Duke of Wellington
has been sent for. The Queen has done it all."
This caused a series of convulsions in every stratum
of society. The King accused Melbourne of having
published a matter which should have been kept secret
until correctly announced at the correct moment; the
Government blamed Melbourne all round. Everyone
believed that the whole thing had been preconcerted,
but of them all the consequences fell heaviest upon
Queen Adelaide. The sentence, " The Queen has
done it all," was placarded all over London, and the
people believed that now there was no doubt but that
they had a real grievance against the Queen, and they
hated her bitterly. Yet it is fairly certain that the
Queen was as astonished as everyone else ; no one but
the King knew what the King had planned, and it is
probable that he did not know until he suddenly made
up his mind after seeing Melbourne that evening. He
appointed the Duke bf Wellington First Lord of the
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 69
Treasury and Secretary of State, and he had to send
someone off in a hurry to Italy to find Sir Robert Peel ;
but the new Government only lived until April of the
following year-, when it was defeated, and Melbourne
came back to office.
William took this as well as he could, but he grew
to hate the Whigs. There were times when he would
neither see nor speak to one of them, when he treated
his Ministers with open insult. Over and over again
in the last two years of his reign one reads of the way
in which he refused to acknowledge them. At the
Queen's birthday dinner-party in 1836 not one of the
Ministry nor a Whig of any sort was invited ; and at
his own birthday party no one at all connected with
the Government, except the members in his household,
was asked to be present. He was evidently resolved
that, if he had to see them in London, the gates of
Windsor should be closed to them. On the other
hand, he chose his guests deliberately from the Tories,
the men he liked best being Lord Winchilsea and
Lord Wharncliffe, both holding violent views, and the
Duke of Dorset, who was an extreme Tory. It was
said that for the Tories stood the King, the House of
Lords, the Church, the Bar and all the law, a large
minority in the House of Commons, the agricultural
interest, and the monied interest generally; while for
the Whigs stood a small majority in the Commons, the
manufacturing towns, and a portion of the rabble. Of
course, those who triumphantly asserted this blinked
the fact that the majority of the whole country stood
for the Whigs, as the Tories could not, with all their
70 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
interest, form a Government which would be accept-
able.
Greville notes in 1836 : " To-day we had a Council,
when His Most Gracious Majesty behaved most un-
graciously to his confidential servants, whom he cer-
tainly does not delight to honour."
Sometimes the King made a very special effort to
hurt his Ministers. Lord Aylmer had been recalled
from Canada by the Whig Government for some irre-
gularities, and he was introduced at the reception of
the Bath in 1837. As he approached the throne
William called up Palmerston, Secretary for Foreign
Affairs, and Lord Minto, First Lord of the Admiralty,
making them stand one on either side of Aylmer, that
they might hear every word that was said. He then an-
nounced that he wished to take that, the most public
opportunity, of telling him that he approved most
entirely of his conduct in Canada, that he had acted
like a true and loyal subject towards a set of traitors
and conspirators, and behaved as it became a British
officer to do in such circumstances. In fact, he morti-
fied his Ministers as much as he could, and gratified
Aylmer to the same extent.
It is not to be supposed that the Ministers liked to
be treated with such rudeness, nor to be ignored, but
they took it quietly, made no public grumble, went on
with their work, and left such insults to be forgotten ;
only the King's attitude made this difference, they
began to look upon themselves as Ministers to the
House of Commons rather than to the Crown, which
tended to lessen the kingly power, A little later,
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 71
when Victoria sat on the throne, and, being a WRig,
paid honour to her Ministers, but showed dislike to
the Opposition and indifference to the nobles of Tory
tendencies, the outcry was loud and deep. Her in-
experience, her sex, her age, were blamed as the
reasons; open disloyalty was shown her, and some-
times marked rudeness. Yet she was but following
the ways of her predecessor in somewhat milder
fashion. She was one of a family which never hid
its preferences, and she had learned the lesson — bad
as it was — at the Royal board of a man whom she
loved.
Victoria had been bred a Whig. Her father and
mother were Whigs, and all her mother's counsellors
and friends held the same views; Lord Durham went
further even, being regarded as the leader of the
Radicals. Lord Ashley once gave it as his opinion
that from her earliest years the Princess had been
taught to regard the Tories as her personal enemies.
" I am told that the language at Kensington was cal-
culated to inspire her with fear and hatred of them."
Through the years of King William's reign, when
he, poor man, was in a constant state of ebullition with
his Ministers, his people, or members of his family,
the Princess Victoria changed from a child to a woman.
She listened quietly, as children did listen in those
days, to the politics talked in her mother's circle, and
became imbued with very strong views; she visited,
and played at Royalty like a well-made automaton;
she studied music, French, English, singing, and
dancing under various tutors, and thought a great deal
72 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
about the time when she would be England's
Sovereign.
Leopold, who, it is said, was soon deadly sick of his
Belgian crown and wishful to abdicate, thinking it
better to be an English Prince with fifty thousand a
year and uncle to the Queen, than to be monarch of a
troublesome little kingdom which all its neighbours
regarded with an evil or a covetous eye, still kept
Claremont in good order, having given the mastership
of the house over to Sir John Conroy. And there
Victoria was taken when she seemed to flag. She
loved the place, for were not the happiest moments of
her girlish life spent there ? It was there that she met
her grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Saxe-
Coburg-Gotha, who, on seeing her, made the first sug-
gestion that she might do worse than marry into the
Saxe-Coburg family, and she had definitely in her
mind her grandson Albert. The gardens at Clare-
mont were well cultivated, and all that the Duchess of
Kent did not use was sent to Leopold, a thing which
caused many a joke at his expense.
The Duchess of Kent and her daughter stayed
quietly sometimes at Margate, sometimes at Tunbridge
Wells, but their real home was at Kensington. There
the Princess's life was a quiet one ; she saw little, too
little, of the Court, and still went to bed at nine o'clock.
Occasionally the Duchess gave dinner-parties at
which Victoria appeared before and after the meal.
Thus, in 1833, Her Royal Highness did her best to
mollify the King's resentment against her by giving a
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 73
large party in his honour ; and Croker writes of dining
with the Duchess "with a large Conservative party —
four Dukes and three Duchesses, and the rest of thirty
people in proportion. I was the only untitled and
almost the only undecorated guest. The little
Princess ceases to be little. She grows tall, is very
good-looking, but not, I think, strong ; yet she may live
to be plain Mrs. Guelph." A suggestion which, as we
have seen, appeared nearing fulfilment some time
later.
Two of Victoria's first cousins came over that year,
Princes Alexander and Ernest of Wurtemburg, and
even at that date the matchmakers wondered whether
there was not some ulterior motive for their coming.
As on an earlier occasion, King William gave a
juvenile ball at St. James's Palace. But in spite of
the gossip the young men came and went, leaving no
tit-bit of news for the talkers to discuss. This mar-
riage of the Princess had occupied some minds almost
from the day of her birth ; and when she was but nine
years old it was said that she must marry either the
son of the Duke of Cumberland or the son of the
Duke of Cambridge, a proceeding which would have
been entirely gratifying to the father of whichever boy
was chosen.
One of the Princess's favourite amusements was
studying music, and she must have found it much more
entertaining than the pretensions of boy lovers ; indeed,
she liked it so much that in 1834 Mrs. Brookfield said
that her teachers had been obliged to keep her music
74 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
under the smotherings of less delightful studies, or it
would have run away with her; adding that "the
Duchess of Northumberland has no sinecure of her
governorship, but really fags with her pupil." l
Princess Victoria loved the Italian opera, went often
to the theatre, and for her soul's health she was given
every possible opportunity of listening to sacred ora-
torios, with the result that Handel was anathema to
her in later life. Indeed, music occupied so much time
and interest that the papers announced the appoint-
ment of Mr. George Herbert Rodwell — Director of
Music at Covent Garden — as composer to the Duchess
of Kent and Princess Victoria. This led to many
satirical comments, in which it was suggested that they
went through their daily life to an accompaniment of
suitable music. A humorous journal gave the follow-
ing scene as taking place in Victoria's boudoir :
" A tooth-brush, O.P., upper entrance, looking-glass
in flat, toilet-table, P.S., tooth-powder in centre, rouge
in the background, pincushions in the distance, combs,
hair-brushes, &c., in confusion. A chord — enter the
Princess through door in flat. Slow music, during
which the Princess opens the top of a chest of drawers,
and takes out a frill, which she puts on, and exit
through door opposite. Slow music, and enter the
Duchess — she advances towards the toilet-table with
a start. Hurried music by Rodwell, composer to Her
Royal Highness; she sits down. A chord — opens
window. Air and chorus of housemaids without. She
sits down. Crash — advances towards the rouge-pot.
i"Mrs, Brookfield and her Circle."
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 75
Slow music — she takes it away. Crash — by Rodwell,
and exit to hurried music."
The writer adds to this that the curious in these
matters will be enabled to see through the moral of
the delightful sketch, which shows the anxiety of the
Duchess to prevent the amiable little Princess from
applying rouge to her infantile cheeks, " a practice we
cannot sufficiently reprobate. The music is admirably
adapted to the situations by Rodwell, whose appoint-
ment as composer to the royal duo we shall in future
be able to appreciate."
The two Princesses were, in fact, constantly going
to concerts, and William Henry Brookfield poked fun
at them in a letter written to his friend Venables — he
who had broken Thackeray's nose in a fight in their
schoolboy days. A three days5 musical festival was
arranged at Westminster, and he thus describes one
afternoon : — " We went to town for the fiddling, which
it was the pill 1 of the day to cry down. I was much
gratified by the show and altogether. I sate by the
Duke of Wellington, who was good enough to go out
and fetch me a pot of porter. When ' See the Con-
quering Hero Comes ' was sung in c Judas Maccabeus/
all eyes were turned upon me. I rose and bowed —
but did not think the place was suited for any more
marked acknowledgment. The King sang the Corona-
tion Anthem exceedingly well, and Princess Victoria
whistled ' The Dead March in Saul ' with rather more
than her usual effect. But the chef tfceuvre was con-
1 A slang term, probably meaning to talk pompously or
trivially.
76 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
fessed by all to be Macaulay in c The praise of God
and of the second Day/ I rose a wiser and, I think,
a sadder man."
It was probably at this festival that young Lord
Elphinstone first frightened the Royal mother by
writing the following acrostic upon the Princess's
name : —
" Propitious Heaven ! who, midst this beauteous blaze,
Rapt in the grandeur of the Minstrel scene,
Is that young Innocent, on whom all gaze?
Nor conscious they the while of choral strain;
Could I command a Guido's magic power,
Enthusiast grown, I'd catch thy vivid glow —
Serene, unsullied child of sun and shower !
3till on the parent stem allowed to blow.
Vain, worse than vain, the Bard who'd boldly try,
In his most brilliant page or loftiest lay,
Choice how he may be, to depict the eye,
The lovely eye, of that sweet smiling fay !
Oh, 'tis the Maid, who wakes to plaudits loud,
Rich in the treasure of an angel face,
In every gift that makes a nation proud —
A mother's joy — an honoured Monarch's grace."
Elphinstone did not dream that with these lines he
was putting the first nail in the coffin of his hopes of a
career at Court or in England.
In 1835 tne Princess came more to the front, and
probably this was caused by the fact that she suffered
early in the year from a serious attack of typhoid,
striking many people with consternation, and making
King William, who was feeling his age, yet more
keenly desirous of securing her company. So in June
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 77
she went to Ascot in the same carriage with the King
and Queen. It is amusing to note that, in spite of the
simplicity of dress for which she is supposed to have
been so conspicuous, and for which everyone has so
much praised the Duchess of Kent, the Princess wore
on this occasion a large pink bonnet, a rose-coloured
satin dress broche, and a pelerine cape trimmed with
black. The description, at least, is a little painful.
But N. P. Willis, the American literary man, speaks of
her that day as being quite unnecessarily pretty and
interesting, and deplores the probability that the heir
to the English Crown would be sold in marriage for
political purposes without regard to her personal
character and wishes.
One writer described the Duchess of Kent on the
same occasion in the sentimental and fulsome way so
much beloved by women writers about Royalty. " Her
brow seemed as if it would well become an imperial
diadem; such lofty and commanding intellect was
there, united with feminine softness and matronly
grace. She looked fit to be the mother of the Queen.
The expression of maternal pride and delight with
which on this occasion she surveyed her child at every
fresh burst of the people's affection is not to be for-
gotten by those who witnessed it."
In August, Victoria was confirmed by the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London at the
Chapel Royal, St. James's. There is much that is
solemn at a confirmation, there should be much that
is joyous and brave as well; the girl should feel her
78 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
responsibility, she also ought to be glad at becoming
really a member of God's Church, and in outward
show, at least, a Child of God. But at this confirma-
tion the Archbishop made so solemn, so pathetic, so
"parental" an exhortation that the whole company
wept. The Duchess of Kent sobbed audibly, the
Queen and her ladies also wept aloud, tears ran down
the King's rubicund face, and the poor little Princess
was not only drowned in tears, but frightened to death.
The whole tone of the affair seems to have suited the
spirit of the age, for one lady who was present described
it afterwards as a " beautifully touching scene."
Through this part of the year there seems to have
been something like peace between William and his
sister-in-law, though at his birthday party there was
thrown across the dinner-table a shadow of the storm
which later was to descend upon " the duo " from Ken-
sington. William never neglected the opportunity of
making a speech; if he had anything to say he said
it, whether the moment was propitious or otherwise;
if he had nothing to say, he still got on to his feet and
talked, probably without any relevance to what was
going on, and his matter was often personal. After
one dinner he talked disconnectedly about the Turf
and his wife, saying that the Queen was an excellent
woman as everyone knew. At this birthday party, in
l&35> William said, among other things: —
" I cannot expect to live very long, but I hope that
my successor may be of full age when she mounts the
throne. I have a great respect for the person upon
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 79
whom, in the event of my death, the Regency would
devolve, but I have great distrust of the persons by
whom she is surrounded. I know that everything
which falls from my lips is reported again, and I say
this thus candidly and publicly because it is my desire
and intention that these my sentiments should be made
known."
It could hardly be pleasant for the Duchess to be
thus criticised before a great party of her friends, but
a year later criticism was not the right word by which
to describe the King's tirade against the Duchess. All
those around His Majesty knew that he could not live
very long ; not that his health was really bad, but his
temper was vacillating, he was at times so uncontrolled,
so childish, and so changeable that men of the world
listened to his harangues unmoved. He would
deliberately insult one of his " confidential advisers,"
and the injured one would command his face as well
as he could, bow, and let it pass. It was not possible
to make a serious matter of such an incident, for to do
that would have meant introducing new Ministers every
week at least. Those about him felt that the business
of the country could only be carried on by ignoring
his humours, and that they were more or less marking
time until William's successor sat on the throne. In
fact, the future alone was considered by all. The
King prayed to live until Victoria's majority; the
Duchess dreamed of a Regency, a throne, and a hus-
band for her daughter; and the Princess — who knows
what she thought? She contented herself with in-
80 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
specting the young men who came to be inspected while
she waited.
One of the few children who made an impression
upon the life of the young Princess was Donna Maria,
the young Queen of Portugal, who was just a month
older than herself. She came to England in 1829,
and was entertained by George IV., who, among other
festivities, gave a children's ball, being urged thereto
by one of the Court ladies, who pushed the idea by
saying to him with a naive stupidity, " Oh, do ; it would
be so nice to see the two little Queens dancing
together."
In 1833 Donna Maria went to France, where she was
received with great want of hospitality by Louis
Philippe. William did not want her in England, but
the French King's action spurred him to extend a
warm hospitality to her here, and thus she renewed a
childish friendship with Princess Victoria, in so far as
the Duchess of Kent would allow it.
In 1835 tms gifl °f sixteen married the Duke of
Leuchtenberg, who, poor fellow, only went to Lisbon
to be poisoned by its foulness and to die of throat
disease in a month. By the autumn of the same year,
seeing that there was no chance of a successor to the
throne appearing, the callous counsellors determined
that their young Queen must marry again, and were
in such a hurry that the two weddings took place
within twelve months. The second bridegroom chosen
was Prince Ferdinand, the elder son of Prince
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg. En route for his difficult
VICTORIA'S TUITION IN POLITICS 81
position in Portugal, this young man, who was exceed-
ingly handsome, came on a visit to England with his
father and his younger brother Augustus; and the
mention of his name leads to the subject of the Princess
Victoria's suitors.
CHAPTER IV
PRINCESS VICTORIA'S SUITORS
" What warmth is there in your affection towards any of
these princely suitors that are already come? " — Merchant of
Venice.
ALL the world knows that Princess Victoria made a
love match, and that Nathaniel P. Willis's prognostica-
tion that she would be married solely for reasons of
State was never fulfilled, but it is probable that few
people know that she, like other girls, made little
flights into the region of romance, and that a small
crowd of young men presented themselves at the
English Court, as it were, on approbation. The
influx began in the spring of 1836, and, of course, pro-
duced fresh unpleasantness between the King and the
Duchess. The latter had already decided upon the
person whom she would wish for a son-in-law, and it is
almost needless to say that in that case King William
was likely to prefer any other young man in Christen-
dom.
The only fount of information on such a subject as
this is the contemporary Press, with here and there
some allusion in letters of the time. When comparing
the Press of to-day with the Press of seventy or eighty
years ago, it is wonderful to note the difference of
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 83
interest which was shown in such matters. To-day we
not only pretend to believe that Royalty is perfect,
but we publicly express that belief whenever oppor-
tunity offers. We are always very polite. In the
time of King William and in the early years of Queen
Victoria's reign it seems to have been the custom to
regard Royalty as very imperfect indeed ; to find evil
motives for even the most obviously good actions; to
lay bare every secret, and to leave the poor monarch
of the realm not a shred of moral clothing with which
to cover his thoughts or designs. A little while ago
a report was published without comment that the matri-
monial fate of our present Prince of Wales was already
settled. No one troubled about it or took the matter
up, there was not the slightest idea of making political
capital out of it; and when he really does marry we
shall all be decorously delighted. It is quite unlikely
that the newspapers will give columns of criticism to
his bride, will rake up or make up evil stories about
her, point out what a disastrous effect she will have
upon England, or indeed do anything but wish the
young people well, and pass on to the next subject.
Of course, the Princess Victoria presented a special
case; she was believed to be shy and adaptable in
character, and there was some ground for imagining
that it would be the Duchess of Kent who would really
rule when the time came — she and the chosen husband ;
therefore there was an especial wave of agitation when-
ever the idea of an alliance was started.
The same thing applied to the Royal Family as a
whole. One set of papers would make banal announce-
G 2
84 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
ments as to the doings of the King, Queen, or Dukes ;
whereupon another set would fasten upon these seem-
ingly simple incidents, show that they held hidden
significance which was contrary to the nation's
welfare, and would then well belabour the un-
lucky Royal subject. Now the banal announce-
ment may appear, and a few subservient papers
amplify them and fall down and worship, but
most will let them pass without comment. There
is one story which has been appearing weekly
somewhere or other for the past year to the effect that
Queen Mary spends her evenings among her ladies
knitting coarse garments for the poor. This pleases
the sentimental ideas of the lovers of tit-bit publica-
tions, so it is a constant recurrer; but most sensible
people shrug their shoulders at it; they know that a
Queen has more important things to do, and that it
would be a greater act of charity on her part to pay
some poor folks to make the clothes. But no one tries
to prove any connection between this and a possible
German war, or make it a peg upon which to hang tales
of poverty, as they would have done a century ago.
In reality, the people of England know nothing
about the Court; in the old days they knew too much.
The causes of this change are probably three : the
greater security of social and foreign affairs to-day,
the lessening power of the Crown, and the reticent
attitude which the Prince Consort insisted upon con-
cerning Royal doings and surroundings, a habit which
loosened a little under King Edward, but which seems
to be strengthening under his successor. However,
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 85
"the good have no story" may be said, generally
speaking, to be true of families, and it is probable that
if sensational events came to pass in the Palace, all
the papers would once again regard them as legitimate
matter for praise or stricture. In the old days they
did not wait for sensational events ; they took a com-
monplace happening and dressed it in lurid language,
which sold the papers in spite of the tax upon them,
and pleased their readers.
In reproducing some of these highly coloured com-
ments it must not be believed that my loyalty is
peccable. I merely recognise that words that inflamed
people eighty years ago are amusing now, and for
those who can take from them the little spark of truth
they are also to some extent serviceable as illuminators
of the past.
Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg had already
settled the career of his eldest son, and he saw no
reason why — like a good matchmaking parent — he
should not try to find a kingdom for his second son
Augustus, who was much the less attractive of the two.
As soon as they arrived everyone was on the watch,
the pity was that none of the gossip-mongers could
be present when intentions were talked over. Because
they were not there, no one can now tell whether inten-
tions were mentioned at all, or whether things were
left to develop in an ordinary way. In any case,
Prince Ferdinand must have been disappointed, for
Augustus was a silent lad, and did little to make him-
self agreeable, while the handsome Ferdinand the
younger is said to have been captivated by his
86 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
fresh young cousin — they were all cousins — at first
sight.
The visitors went first to Kensington, and then to
Windsor, where they were royally entertained, and
returned to pass two weeks at Kensington Palace.
The Prince and Augustus went home, hoping nothing,
and still Ferdinand remained, in spite of his bride
awaiting him in Lisbon. A lady diarist of the day
says that he lingered from day to day, " nay, week after
week," allured by " the fascinations of Kensington's
Royal bowers." However, this was something of an
exaggeration, as Ferdinand had to be in Lisbon by a
certain date for his marriage in April. At last he had
to go, and he travelled with the Duchess and Princess
to Claremont. There he took an " affectionate leave,"
and went his solitary — but for a few attendants — way
to the sea.
He met his young and dark bride kindly, and within
a week or two took the same disease of the throat
which had killed his predecessor less than a year
earlier. Being a young man of great determination,
he absolutely refused the kind ministrations of the
Portuguese doctors, and was cured by his own German
attendant. Whether he was happier alive than he
would have been dead it is not easy to say, for his new
subjects prepared a nice little quarrel for him before
he arrived, and he was soon in the midst of mutinies
and revolutions.
The first young man who probably caused a real
flutter in the Kensington home was not of Royal blood
at all. This was young Lord Elphinstone, to whom
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 87
it was said the Princess had lost her heart, and
who was therefore thought sufficiently formidable to
make the Duchess take a very extreme step. He was
Lord of the Bedchamber to King William, was hand-
some, well-mannered, unassuming, always ready to
help in small matters, and eminently fitted to catch a
girl's fancy. He was also, as one paper put it
satirically, a most convenient person to engage to do
the amiable at balls and parties, and beyond all doubt
was a most useful and agreeable master of the cere-
monies of fashion. It was said that he had not only
lost his heart to the pretty Princess, but had taken hers
in return. He would sit and watch her surreptitiously
in church, and on one occasion so far forgot his
religious duties as to make a sketch of her while there,
which sketch he was later imprudent enough to present
to her. Maternal care took alarm; Sir John Conroy
was consulted, and a whole set of hidden wires were
pulled to put a stop to love's young dream. The result
was to be read in every morning paper one day at the
beginning of 1836: —
" Lord Elphinstone has been appointed Governor
of Madras. The Court of Directors (of the East
India Company) ratified the nomination on Wednes-
day." So ran the announcement. The Satirist,
much annoyed, commented, ' The appointment of
Lord Elphinstone is certainly not one to be ap-
plauded. ... To send him out as the Governor
of Madras is, to say the very least of it, unwise "; and
it went on to point out that many a man better fitted
for the post had been overlooked that he might have
88 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
it. " A Lord of the Bedchamber spoiled in a Governor
of Madras ! Lord Elphinstone may have qualified for
the appointment, but the public surely has a right to
demand tried ability and weight of character," was
another comment. And so, though gossip awoke
several times later to nod and hint, the young lord left
his goddess and his native land, not to return for seven
long years.
The Age, ultra-Tory and virulently anti-Catholic in
its sentiments, outspoken to the verge of libel, and un-
scrupulous in its assertion of wild facts, had something
to say weekly at this time about the Princess's lovers.
It started the campaign by asserting the obvious truth
that the Princess Victoria was now becoming the object
of the highest and purest interest to England, and
must not be lightly bestowed, adding, " The gentle-
man who with a few sons lives at the Tuileries would
perhaps like to nibble here — but until the established
Protestant religion is overthrown he has no chance. A
German paper mentions that a rumour is current that
Prince Augustus of Saxe-Coburg is likely to win the
Princess Victoria. Whether or not the desire be father
to the thought we know not, nor do we care ; to omit
all other objections to a union such as the one hinted
at, it is sufficient to state that the Prince alluded to
is a Catholic."
With the end of April arrived further papas with
two sons each, and then began the duel between King
William and his sister-in-law. The latter had, as has
been said, quietly made choice of her daughter's bride-
groom, being guided in the selection by her brother
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 80
Leopold, and we are told that her nephew Albert had
been taught from his early childhood that he would
one day marry his cousin Victoria. However, he did
not see his destined mate until May, 1836, when he
was nearly seventeen, and when he and his elder
brother Ernest, escorted by his father, the Duke of
Saxe-Coburg, paid a visit of a month's duration to
Kensington. King William hated the idea, and he
did his little best to spoil the scheme, which was too
unformed to allow of any open action. He had behind
him the Tories generally and all the Tory Press, while
the anti-Catholics wasted much good energy in traduc-
ing Leopold, the Prince whom long before everyone
had received with open arms. Leopold had married
the daughter of the King of France, and was suspected
of having become a Catholic, thus adding to the dis-
like which was felt for him in England. One paper
said of him at this time, " The name of Leopold is
the most unpopular in the kingdom, and is accom-
panied with certain sordid associations of which our
national ledger gives ample and disgraceful evidence."
So, to counterbalance the schemes of the Duchess,
King William invited to England the young Duke of
Brunswick, also the Prince of Orange and his two
sons, William and Alexander, who were reported to
be fine young men, though stiff and formal in their
manner. These were as heartily welcomed by the
King's supporters as the others were traduced.
" There is something in the very name of William of
Orange which is encouraging in these times of Popish
assumption and pseudo-Protestant treachery. Whether
90 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
our fancies as to a certain union be verified or not,
time will prove. Should it take place, we think the
people of England will not object, whatever the
malignants of Ireland may say against one of the same
family as the Hero of the Boyne."
Those who looked on enjoyed the situation, and
there is little doubt but that the Prince of Orange, on
behalf of his son, would have won in the contest if it
had depended on the sympathies of the English people.
In his youth the Prince had been an aspirant for the
hand of Princess Charlotte, his rival being the success-
ful Leopold, who had not only taken his hoped-for
bride, but later half of his Principality. When
Leopold was mentioned in his presence, Orange would
say, " Voila un homme qui a pris ma femme et mon
royaume." Gossip went that he intended to place his
sons at an English university, that he might make them
as English as possible; and there were those who
affirmed that the House of Orange had great claims
upon the country's gratitude, but that we had satisfied
in full any claim that the House of Saxe-Coburg might
put forward. Advice was offered freely to the Duchess
of Kent; she "is a shrewd and sensible woman, and
will not, we hope, misunderstand our loyalty when we
say, ' We must have no more Coburgs.' One fair
rose of England has been gathered by a Coburg, and
there shall be no further sacrifice of a future Queen
to them." The Coburgs were dubbed a mercenary,
good-for-nothing set by one section, while another put
all the German princes into the same category. " All
the multitudinous progeny of the small peoples of the
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 91
Saxe-Gotha, Saxe-Coburg, and their cousin Saxes are
racing against each other for the hand of the Princess
Victoria, to say nothing of a brace of Brunswicks and
a Prince of Orange and his two sons, who probably
thinks he should be given first chance, as he was done
out of the Princess Charlotte. The Duke of Cumber-
land's son is quite hors-de-combat, and the simple
child, George of Cambridge, is not encouraged by the
Government on account of his mental incapacity. The
Saxe tribe are the most hungry, the most persevering,
and the most lucky."
Indeed, the English might have been excused some
annoyance at the favour shown to the great Teutonic
nation, for, in addition to the nine or ten gentlemen
mentioned, there were also here in England during
the same spring the Prince of Leiningen, Victoria's
half-brother, Prince Ernest of Hesse-Philippthal, and
Prince Edward of Carolath. These last three and
Prince Ferdinand with his sons were all invited to a
great ball which the Duchess of Kent gave at the end
of March, just as at the end of May she gave a brilliant
ball at which her own guests and those of the King
were naturally present. King William entertained the
Coburgs as graciously as he did the lad from Bruns-
wick and the Oranges, and, indeed, did his utmost to
ensure that Victoria should meet them all together as
often as possible. But it was inevitable that at Ken-
sington Palace there should be many opportunities for
the young Saxe-Coburgs to talk with their cousin. An
aide-de-camp of the Duke of Cumberland's, and
Lord de Lisle, son-in-law of King William, watched
92 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Victoria and Albert pacing the Palace garden one
day.
" Do you think they are lovers ? " one man asked
the other ; and he shook his head dubiously, answering
in non-committal way, " They seem to be good friends,
anyhow."
Whether there were too many from which to choose,
or whether it was true that Victoria was, for the best
of all reasons, proof against their attractions, this tribe
of young men came and went, making no impression.
She danced with them all, for she dearly loved danc-
ing, talked German to them all, for it is doubtful
whether one of them could speak English, and said
good-bye to them all with an equable smile, and
probably with a sigh of relief that now she would be
free to go her own way to some extent.
The papers showed as much interest in their going
as in their coming. All had an idea that, though
nothing had been announced, something had been
fixed up. Those who had no animus against the Ger-
man " invasion " were contented with such ventures as,
" I hear to-day that the young Prince of Saxe-Coburg
is the destined husband of our Princess Victoria," or,
" It is rumoured that the two rival suitors (Coburg and
Orange) for the highest and fairest hand in the king-
dom, returned home without making any impression on
the heart of the interesting lady in question." One
grumbler observed that the Princess had been pre-
vented from going to Ascot, as she was kept at home
to entertain "these round-faced youths." But those
who feared the youths lashed right and left, speaking
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 93
of the impolitic liberality of certain high personages,
and the dogged good nature of John Bull which gained
for him the appellation of fool from all the world for
allowing his means to be squandered over German
fortune-hunters. The worst tirade was naturally given
by the Age, which used Leopold as a whipping boy,
and in rhythmic sentences announced : — " This King
Leopold has become the Sovereign of a Popish
country, the husband of a Popish Princess, and the
son-in-law of a Popish Monarch. King Leopold was
the accepted of Protestant England's welcome — the
chosen of Protestant England's hope — and the son-in-
law of Protestant England's Sovereign. What a con-
trast ! Nay, further — King Leopold, if not a convert
to Popery, at least conforms to its rites; and mark
this, the nephew whose matrimonial agent he had the
arrogance to be is a member of the Roman Catholic
Chitrch\ although, following his uncle's example, the
youth would also no doubt change his religion — for a
Crown ! "
As for the young people themselves, they were
probably quite as unconscious of the agonised flutter
which their meeting had raised in journalistic dove-
cots as they were unmoved by love for each other.
He thought she was very amiable and astonishingly
self-possessed; she commended his welfare to her
uncle's protection, for the whole project had been
explained to her, and her reason as well as her family
affection had found good in it. So in her letter to
Leopold she acknowledged this by saying, " I hope
and trust that all will go on prosperously and well
94 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
on this subject, now of so much importance to
me."
And so for a space the matter ended. But it is
really worthy of note that among all the young visitors
from Germany and elsewhere, there were no girls ; no
smart young cousins came to rival Victoria's charms,
and she had the field entirely to herself. This, at least,
gives some justification for the belief that match-
making was in the air.
After this, for some reason the Duchess of Kent
withdrew Victoria entirely from Court. William and
Adelaide sent her invitations in vain, and the irascible
Monarch grew more and more angry over the matter.
It may be, of course, that the Duchess was annoyed
at the King's very transparent attempt to frustrate her
plans for her daughter, and showed her resentment in
this somewhat trivial way, or she may have aimed more
strenuously at removing the girl from influence which
she had always deemed bad. It was quite useless for
the King to fume, as all the Kents had to do was to
go to Claremont and get out of his reach; and the
only revenge he could take was that of denouncing the
Duchess at any and every opportunity, and advertising
his increasing dislike of her to all who would listen.
In August, 1837, this simmering hatred came to the
boil, and readily flowed over into the public ears.
William invited the Duchess and her child to stay at
Windsor from early in the month until after the 2ist,
hoping that they would be present to celebrate Queen
Adelaide's birthday on the I3th and his own on the
2ist, for which latter two dinners were arranged, as
the 2ist was a Sunday; thus there was to be a family
H.R.H. THE DUCHESS OF KENT.
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 95
dinner on that day, and a more public one on the 22nd.
The Duchess seems to have had an unfortunate knack
of writing crude — not to say rude — letters. To this
invitation she responded that as she wished to keep her
own birthday on the i5th at Claremont, she could not
be at Windsor until the 2Oth ; and she entirely ignored
all mention of the festivities for the Queen. There
seems to have been little reason for this direct snub
to Adelaide, and it was probably caused more by a
want of imagination than through a definite desire to
annoy, but it naturally resulted in irritating the King
anew. He, however, made no reply to this letter, but
that did not mean that the Duchess was not in his
thoughts. Perhaps someone had given him a hint, or
perhaps William suspected that the Duchess was
taking liberties; but on the afternoon of the 2Oth, when
he had prorogued Parliament, and when he probably
knew that the Duchess would already have started for
Windsor, he went down to Kensington Palace. There
he found what he perhaps had expected to find, that
his sister-in-law had appropriated to her own use
seventeen extra rooms, of which a year before he had
refused her the accommodation. He went straight
from Kensington to Windsor, where the Duchess and
her daughter had already arrived. Without waiting to
change, he marched straight to the drawing-room,
kissed the Princess, holding both her hands and telling
her in fatherly way how pleased he was to see her.
He then made a low bow to the Duchess, and, like the
old dunderhead that he was, immediately began the
battle.
They were by no means alone, the whole house-
96 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
party being assembled, all of whom were astounded
to hear their Monarch say in loud, harsh accents that
he had just come from Kensington, where he had found
that a most unwarrantable liberty had been taken.
Someone had possessed themselves of apartments not
only without his consent, but against his expressed
commands, and he ended up with, " he neither under-
stood nor would endure conduct so disrespectful to
himself."
What happened further we are not told, but there
can be no doubt that all through this very trying even-
ing the Duchess of Kent behaved with perfect dignity ;
she might be wanting in politeness privately, but
publicly nothing upset her control. Adolphus Fitz-
clarence was present, and sat within two or three of
the Duchess at the dinner, thus he heard plainly all
that was said. A little later he fully retailed the
scandal to Greville. He says that on the Sunday
morning the King had by no means got over his excite-
ment, which lasted more or less through the day. At
dinner, though this was supposed to be a family func-
tion, at least a hundred people were present, either
belonging to the Court or gathered from the neigh-
bourhood. On one side of the King sat the Duchess
of Kent, directly opposite him was Princess Victoria
next the Queen. Everything went well until the time
of speeches arrived, and the first health to be proposed
was naturally that of His Majesty. At that this in-
comparably tactless King got upon his feet and
straightway began to express all the anger he felt.
The part particularly interesting to the Duchess ran : —
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 97
" I trust in God that my life may be spared for nine
months longer, after which period, in the event of my
death, no Regency would take place. I should
then have the satisfaction of leaving the Royal
authority to the personal exercise of that young
lady (pointing to the Princess), the heiress pre-
sumptive to the Crown, and not in the hands of a
person now near me, who is surrounded by evil advisers
and who is herself incompetent to act with propriety
in the station in which she would be placed. I have no
hesitation in saying that I have been insulted — grossly
insulted — by that person, but I am determined to
endure no longer a course of behaviour so disrespect-
ful to me. Amongst other things, I have particularly
to complain of the manner in which that young lady
has been kept away from my Court; she has been
repeatedly kept from my Drawing Rooms, at which
she ought always to have been present, but I am fully
resolved that this shall not happen again. I would
have her know that I am King, and I am determined
to make my authority respected, and for the future
I shall insist and command that the Princess do upon
all occasions appear at my Court, as it is her cftity to
do."
It is said that His Majesty finished his tirade by
speaking of the Princess in a fatherly and affectionate
way, saying that though he had seen so little of her, he
took no less interest in her, and the more he saw of her
in public and in private the greater pleasure it would
be to him.
H
98 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Before he had got to this, however, the Princess
was crying, the Queen looked terribly distressed, and
the whole company sat aghast, their eyes on the table.
When a dead silence fell after this awful philippic,
all must have wondered what was to happen next, but
the Duchess, who had more sense than her assailant,
uttered no word, and the Queen gave the signal for
retiring. Then we are told that the Duchess had her
say, and that there was an awful scene between the
pair; she ordered her carriage, but all concerned did
their best to change her determination of going from
the Castle at once, and some sort of a reconciliation
ensued.
The King might relent, might change his mind or
forget things, but he does not seem ever to have re-
pented his foolish deeds. Thus the next day he asked
Adolphus what everyone said of his speech, and that
young man made a diplomatic answer, saying that
though everyone thought the Duchess merited his
rebuke, it ought not to have been given at his own
table before a hundred people ; he ought to have sent
for her to his closet, and said all he felt and thought
there. To which William answered that he did not
care where or before whom he said what he thought,
and that, " by God, he had been insulted by her in a
measure that was past all endurance, and he would
stand it no longer."
What a terrible exhibition of inhospitality and bad
taste ! Yet we have to realise that the King had been
much provoked, and, being the man of severe limita-
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 99
tions that he was, he took the only course which oc-
curred to him. There can be no doubt that a real
affection existed between William and his niece, that
he knew that but a small span of life remained to him,
and that he was constantly refused the society and
the sight of his successor. Though the autocratic
Duchess had married into the Guelph family, she never
seemed to understand the exceedingly primitive char-
acters of the people who composed that family, or, if
she did understand them, she gave them little credit
for their virtues, but recognised to the full all their sins
of omission and commission.
A slight instance of the small way in which she
annoyed them is given in the " Tales of My Father,"
already referred to. The Duchess of Cumberland
sent an aide-de-camp to the Duchess of Kent with a
message about the illness of young George. When the
young man had told Her Royal Highness all that she
wished to know, she invited him to dine and stay the
night. His answer was that he could not do so, as he
had no leave, and the Duke was most particular on
that point.
" I will manage all that ! " the Duchess haughtily
replied. " I should like to present you to the Princess
Victoria." So a message was sent to the Duke of
Cumberland that the captain had been commanded to
remain at Kensington, with the result that the next
morning a letter arrived for the guest from the Duke,
informing him that his business was to look after Prince
George, not to be nursery governess to Princess Vic-
H 2
100 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
toria; that he had slept out of St. James's without
leave ; and that if he did not come back at once he
would be put under arrest. In this there was no defer-
ence shown to the will of the Duchess, nothing but
annoyance expressed at the excess of hospitality to his
messenger.
After that terrible birthday party the Duchess stayed
for yet another dinner at the Castle, and it seems that
she was somewhat long in entering the drawing-room
the second evening. The Queen would not go in with-
out her, which caused William loudly to demand the
whereabouts of his wife. When he was told that she
was waiting for the Duchess, he said just as loudly :
" That woman is a nuisance ! " No one can wonder
that the Duchess hated him; it is only possible to feel
what a pity it was that things had been allowed to come
to such a pass.
From that time history gives no account of meetings
between St. James's and Kensington.
It was during her last year at Kensington Palace
that Victoria was troubled by the first of the mad
suitors who for three years were recurrent factors in
her life. This was a Mr. Runnings, a man of about
forty, who was the owner of considerable property
near Tunbridge Wells, where he first saw Victoria.
He may have been sane enough in other ways, but he
was certainly mad in his regard for the heiress to the
Throne. He spoke of her as his " little Princess,"
and lamented the fact that her cruel guardians kept
her from him. He haunted Kensington Gardens, and
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 101
the Duchess and her daughter scarcely left the Palace
but they found this man stationed near the door,
bowing most gracefully with his hand on his heart.
He would follow the two at a distance until they turned
some corner out of his sight, and then at a smart run
would either overtake them or by a short cut get ahead,
so that they would find him again and again facing
them and making most respectful salutes. He
regularly attended the services in the Chapel Royal
attached to Kensington Palace, sitting where he could
obtain a full view of the Royal pew, and would
generally put half a sovereign in the plate.
Of course, this matter soon became public property,
and was too good a subject for joke to be ignored.
Wags would do their best to encourage the hopeful
lover by writing him letters, and he once showed a
policeman such a missive purporting to be signed by
the Princess, expressing a deep love for him, and
asking him to write to her, placing his answer
under a certain tree, as she would have no chance of
speaking to him. The police had, of course, to be on
the alert in case he did anything more than usually
extravagant, and he complained bitterly of their
surveillance, saying that he felt it to be most
degrading.
He was for ever trying some new way of keeping
the Princess Victoria under his observation, and at
last hit upon the idea of having a barouche exactly like
that of the Duchess of Kent, his servant being dressed
in Royal undress livery, a dark pepper-and-salt coat
102 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
and glazed hat with broad purple velvet band, and in
this he would follow his " little Princess " when she
drove out. On Victoria's eighteenth birthday he
licensed a cab to which he gave her name, decorated it
with ribbons, and persuaded the proprietor to allow it
to be illuminated with lamps at night. His own house
was illuminated from top to bottom, and during the day
he invited everyone who passed to stop and drink the
health of the Princess. By evening a dense crowd had
gathered before his door, most of those who composed
it being ready to drink again and again to their future
Queen, and already in such a state of intoxication that
the police interfered and put a stop to his liberality.
The whole affair would have been nipped in the bud
had it occurred at the present time, but eighty years
years ago the police were few and given but scanty
powers.
On the accession of Victoria to the Throne this
annoying lover was somehow pushed into the back-
ground, and we hear no more of him, excepting that at
a fancy bazaar at Lincoln he eagerly purchased some
things worked by Her Majesty and was eventually
locked up for assaulting the Mayor.
As Princess Victoria neared her majority all the
newspapers showed unrest ; they devoted daily leaders
and paragraphs to their hopes and fears; there were
hints of plots and schemings, of arrangements made
at Kensington, of members chosen to form the new
Royal Household as soon as William was dead. The
names of everyone around the Duchess were paraded
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 103
in print, to their praise or detriment. The Newcastle
Chronicle got frightened over a scheme which, it said,
had been fixed up between Sir John Conroy and Lord
Durham, who was then Ambassador Extraordinary at
St. Petersburg.
When the Princess came of age, they said, she
would, of course, be given an establishment of her own.
Lord Durham would return from Russia before that,
so as to be ready to put himself at the head of Vic-
toria's household, his ambition being, however, to make
that position but a step to the Premiership. Mean-
while, he would be keeping the post warm for Sir John
Conroy, who coveted the headship of the household
for himself. This — the paper pointed out — would
only need a little management. Lord Durham was a
personal friend of Leopold's, so he would arrange the
Coburg marriage, and both men would gain their pro-
motion through the gratitude of the Duchess and her
brother.
Poor Victoria ! she evidently did not count in this
matter at all ; she was but a peg on which two ambitious
men were supposed to hang their schemes for advance-
ment. Yet this note was sounded in all the diatribes
upon her suggested marriage. What the King wished,
what the Duchess and her brother wished, what this or
that party wished, all these were discussed to the full,
but what the Princess herself wished was thought
scarcely worthy of any attention.
So in the spring of 1837 the Princess's future hus-
band was as fertile a subject of interest as it had been
104 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
in the spring of the year before. In Brussels her
marriage with Prince Albert was talked of as an
assured thing, for he and his brother were residing
there, " in a hired house of no very distinguished class,
and obtaining their dinners from the Restaurateur
Dubois for themselves and tutors and servants at
twenty-five francs a day," said one bad-tempered
article, adding, " We mention this to show the extent
of their income and the princely generosity of their
uncle, the King of the Belgians, in not giving them an
attic in his palace."
There had always been whispers about the Kensing-
ton clique or the Kensington camarilla, and from
this time forward those who a year or two before would
have been prominent members of the Orange League
never lost an opportunity of gibing at and traducing
the foreigners who surrounded the Princess on the
score of intrigue and cupidity. What was the motive of
all the outcry it is difficult to say, but when now and
then it seemed necessary to give it some form, it nearly
always resolved itself into a hatred or terror of Popery.
Those who shouted so much seemed to be unaware
that, while they expressed loyalty to the Duchess, it
was her own brother whom they so violently traduced,
and that she was as foreign as he, while Victoria had
the same blood and the same traditions. However,
discrimination cannot be expected of political fanatics,
for whatever happens can be made to fit any theory by
those interested.
The politicians of others countries looked on and
VICTORIA'S SUITORS 105
wondered, and sometimes dug some fact out of history
with which to urge the grumblers onward. Thus the
Gazette de France gravely published an article in 1836
to prove that King William was a mere impostor, and
that the Princess Victoria had no right of succession,
the only legitimate Queen of England being Made-
moiselle de Berry. This is how the writer of the article
proved it; and if there had been no law concerning the
Protestant succession, and also, I think, if James II.
had left no son, he would have been right. But they
are rather big " ifs " : —
(i) Henrietta, daughter of Charles I.
(ii) Anne-Marie of Orleans, daughter of Henrietta.
(iii) Victor Amedee III., King of Sardinia and Duke
of Savoy, son of Anne-Marie.
(iv) Marie-Therese of Savoy, daughter of Victor
Amedee.
(v) Louis-Antoine, Due d'Angouleme, Comte
dArtois, son of Marie-Therese.
(vi) In default of direct issue the right of succession
would go to Mademoiselle de Berry, daughter of the
Due de Berry, and niece of the Due d'Angouleme.
The article concluded with : — " Monseigneur the
Due d'Angouleme, for the Catholics of Ireland, Scot-
land, and England, ought incontestably to be con-
sidered King of Great Britain, and Mademoiselle
heiress presumptive to the Crown, in the place and
instead of William IV. and the Princess Victoria, who
reigns only by virtue of a Protestant law of usurpation
and revolution."
106 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
However, the energetic anti-Catholic gentlemen in
England were perfectly well aware that England —
and, incidentally, themselves — were quite safe from
the rule of any Catholic monarch, and though they
used a thing like this as a peg upon which to hang
their diatribes, they did it with tongue in cheek — and
a very bad-tempered cheek, too.
CHAPTER V
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION
" Oh, maiden, heir of King's,
A King has left his place,
The Majesty of death has swept
All other from his face.
And thou upon thy mother's breast
No longer lean adown —
But take the glory for the rest,
And rule the land that loves thee best !
The Maiden wept ;
She wept to wear a crown ! "
Elizabeth Barrett [Browning] .
ON May 24th, 1837, Princess Victoria attained her
majority, being eighteen years of age; and the King
knew that his prayer had been answered. He arranged
a magnificent State ball in honour of the event;
but his day for balls was over, for just as the
nine months he had asked for expired, he was taken
ill, and though he rallied several times he did not again
show himself in public. Queen Adelaide did not fill
the part of hostess either, for she was too anxious about
her husband to leave him. She was a good wife and,
notwithstanding all the evil said of her, a good woman.
I have not in all my researches come across — apart
from her political bias — a single instance of any act
107
108 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
or word on her part which could be brought forward to
her discredit. But to be no lover of pomp, show, or
dress was a sufficiently serious omission to condemn
any Queen in the eyes of her Court.
This wonderful birthday meant a busy time for the
Princess. She was awakened in the morning by music
outside her window, composed and arranged by Mr.
Rodwell, concerning which a sneering comment was
made that Rodwell had made " an ass of himself on
the Princess's birthday by braying under her window."
There were many costly gifts to receive — the King
sent her a beautiful piano — and many deputations
from public bodies to take her attention. With these
the Duchess was in her element, for she was almost as
fond of making speeches as was the King; but the
Princess still, and for the last time, played the part of
the child in public, standing by and listening to the
wise and indiscreet sayings of her mother. Well, it
was the Duchess's last chance, too, though she did not
know it, for her sun was setting just when she thought
it was rising to the mid heavens.
When a deputation from the City of London came
to make a pretty speech, Her Royal Highness was true
to her custom of not forgetting an injury. Though
eighteen years had passed, and George IV. had long
been in his grave, she still nourished the slights that
had been put upon her on her arrival in England. The
Duchess of Clarence had not been welcomed with open
arms, the Duchess of Cumberland had for years been
ignored by the Royal Family, but these two ladies
treated the matter in dignified silence. However, the
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 109
Duchess of Kent had done everything she could to
keep alive bad feeling, and on this day, which should
have been given over to kindliness, she reminded the
gentlemen from the City that when the Duke of Kent
died she and the Princess " stood alone, almost friend-
less and unknown in this country. I could not even
speak the language of it." Then she went on to point
out that, in spite of all, she had done her best to bring
up her daughter to be the true Sovereign of the nation ;
that she had put her into intercourse with all classes
of people, and had taught her that the protection of
popular liberties and the preservation of the constitu-
tional prerogatives of the Crown were the proper aims
of a Monarch.
It was not a long speech, but it was scarcely cal-
culated to be soothing reading for the irascible and
ailing King.
The village of Kensington — it was a village in those
days, the Duchess appreciating for her child the good
air of the country lanes — was en fete for the birthday ;
a great flag of white silk, inscribed in gold with the
name of Victoria, was hoisted over the Palace, and
Union Jacks were run up on the church and on the
Green, to say nothing of every house showing its regard
by the exhibition of flags. A general holiday was
declared, and at the State ball given that night it is
safe to believe that Victoria grieved at the absence of
the King and Queen, even though there was always fear
of discomfort when they and her mother met. There
had been further strained relations in April of this
year, when Lady de Lisle, one of the King's — his
110 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
favourite — daughters, died at Kensington Palace, of
which she was the custodian. During her illness the
Duchess carried her resentment so far as to pay her
no attention, and the Court Journal announced that a
party, of distinguished guests who had been invited to
dinner, was not put off, though Lady de Lisle lay
dead in the Palace. A bitter comment upon this was
made that, when the Duchess's confectioner, being
insane through drink, had committed suicide a little
while earlier, all festivities had been stopped out of
sympathy for the man's wife.
At the May Drawing Room, probably in retaliation
for this, all the men attached to the Duchess's house-
hold were excluded by Royal mandate from being
present, giving rise to the remark that " the necessity
for this suspension of privilege must have been very
great, as from what everybody knows of the kind dis-
position of the King, he would not have exercised his
prerogative in a way that cannot otherwise be under-
stood than as an act of censure."
The poor old King was still in fear about his
country ; he did not believe, as many did, that Victoria
was too delicate to live long, but he did think her too
young to reign, for he knew that her general attitude
was one of gentle obedience to her mother, and he
thought that when he was dead the Duchess of Kent
would be virtually Queen of England. It is said that
about five days before he died he praised God for the
good sleep he had had, and the Queen said :
"And shall I pray to the Almighty that you may
have a good day?"
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 111
" Oh, do ! " answered the King. " I wish I could
live for ten years for the sake of the country. I feel
it my duty to keep well as long as possible."
Just after the birthday King William wrote to the
Duchess of Kent, offering to form an independent
household for the Princess; but this she sharply
declined, and we are told the reply was couched " in
very unsatisfactory terms."
But William could not bear that this girl should not
benefit in some way personally from her majority, so
he wrote her a letter, offering her the sum of ten
thousand a year from his own purse which was to be
regarded as her very own, independent of her mother's
income. This letter was given to the Lord Chamber-
lain, then Lord Conyngham, with instructions that he
was to give it to no one but the Princess. Conyngham
went to Kensington and was received by Sir John
Conroy, who met his request to see the Princess by
asking on what authority did he make such a demand —
which certainly seems to justify the King's doubt as
to there being fair play at Kensington, and also proves
that Victoria was not allowed to receive visitors.
" On the authority of His Majesty the King," replied
Lord Conyngham.
Upon this Conroy disappeared, and after an interval
the Chamberlain was ushered into the presence of the
Duchess and the Princess. Bowing low, Conyngham
said he had been charged by His Majesty with a letter
for the Princess Victoria, and at this the masterful
mother at once held out her hand to receive the
precious missive.
112 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
" Pardon me, madam," said the courtier, " I have
been expressly commanded by the King to deliver this
into the Princess's own hand."
It must have been a humiliating moment for the proud
woman, and it was but the first of many such. The
Princess took the letter, and Conyngham bowed him-
self out of the room. To the intense anger of the
Duchess, her daughter wrote affectionately to her uncle,
accepting the kind offer made to her. William then
named a responsible person who was to receive this
money for her, and the usual dispute began, for the
Duchess thought she should be the disburser of the
sum, of which she proposed taking six thousand
pounds and giving Victoria four thousand.
This is true, though it reads with all the dramatic
interest of fiction, and the effect is heightened by our
ignorance of the girl who was the unhappy and un-
willing cause of these quarrels. For seven years she
had suffered from these violent and futile disputes
between two persons whom she loved, and who, though
loving her well, yet loved their own conception of what
was good for her so much that they were ready to
make her miserable. Who uttered the last word in
this quarrel no one knows, for it was never settled, and
Victoria had no need of the ten thousand a year.
Everyone knew now that the King was dying. The
Court dreaded death, for there was no forecasting
events. What would happen to the country with a
bit of a girl at its head — a girl who had been rarely
seen among them, who never came to Court, and who
seemed timid and retiring? One cannot wonder that
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 113
the forgotten dislike of Leopold rose to fever heat,
that the wildest stories were told of the Camarilla at
Kensington, and that it was reported that the new
Royal Household was all planned and the members of
it named — all entirely without taking the Princess into
consideration. She did not count with the public or with
the Press ; she was the merest cipher. She would be
Queen, of course — that was admitted — but the people
with whom England would have to deal would be the
Duchess and Leopold, Conroy and Lord Durham, the
Coburgs, and the tribe of Germans who had already
inflamed resentment in some quarters. Lord Durham
was on his way home, and his return was regarded with
keen curiosity, for it was felt that he would probably
play a great political part, and would influence
materially the Councils of the Queen.
A few years later, however, it was a well-known fact,
though since forgotten, that the whole of the appoint-
ments to be filled in the Royal Household upon the
death of William IV. and the formation of Her
Majesty's domestic establishment had been arranged
in accordance with the political notions, not of the
Duchess of Kent, but of Victoria's uncle, the Duke
of Sussex, in conjunction with Lord Melbourne, in
both of whom she reposed great confidence.
England — that part of it which was interested —
watched breathlessly while William fought his last
fight, and the social and political forces gathered them-
selves together for some great and unknown change.
In this state of tension there was one man, loyal and
upright, who seemed always ready to give good advice
114 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
and who would neither lose nor gain by the change ;
this was the Duke of Wellington. To him on
Waterloo Day the King sent a message, bidding him
hold the usual banquet in commemoration of the great
fight; just as it pleased him that Victoria should go
in state to Ascot on June I2th, for which he sent seven
carriages for her cortege, her own being drawn by six
grey horses.
Cumberland, still troubled with a lingering hope that
his ambition might be satisfied, went to the Duke,
asking what he should do.
" Do ? " said the Duke. " The best thing you can
do is to go away as fast as you can. Go instantly, and
take care that you are not pelted."
This is given on good authority, and, if true, could
not have been very pleasant for the Duke to hear, as
he probably had hoped for very different advice. He
had always held that the Salic law, as applied to the
Hanoverian dynasty, should also apply to Great
Britain, and as Victoria had no right to rule in Hanover,
she had therefore no right to rule in England. It was
about this period that he asked of his aide-de-camp,
already mentioned :
" Would you and your troop follow me through the
streets of London if I were proclaimed King ? "
"Yes, and to the Tower the next day," was the
indignant reply.
'You have cut your own throat, my boy, by that
remark. As King of England I could make you a
great man. What will the Princess Victoria do for
you and yours ? "
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 11,5
It was to the Duke of Wellington that Lord Mel-
bourne went a month later for advice as to how best to
initiate the Queen into her various duties. Indeed,
though Wellington had not taken the popular side in
the long struggle over Reform, he was by no means
a keen party man; in each question he followed the
line that he believed would be best for the nation, and,
in spite of plots and innuendoes, he was, with one, per-
haps with two, exceptions, loyal to the Crown, no
matter who wore it.
When it was almost certain that William would not
recover, " Grandmamma," or, to use its better name,
The Times, proceeded to mould " the child " Victoria
into shape. It began with a fairly mild article, not,
of course, insinuating anything, but just devoutly
praying that her education had been conducted under
a noble and lofty regard to her fitness for the duties
of Queen of England, that she had been prepared to
think for herself, to employ her own discernment, to
take nothing upon trust ; and asserting that she ought
not to be made the subject of jealous or vexatious
restraint or be kept in a state of pupilage, &c.
Two days later it went a step further in a leader,
expressing the fear that the Princess had received a
narrow, or a jealous, or otherwise ill-framed education,
and roundly impressing upon the Duchess that she had
no political status, no political duties whatever beyond
that of obedience to laws. They said that she had no
more power over the Sovereign (who happened to be
her offspring) than any other Duchess of the Royal
Family. They considered that she could not be a
I 2
116 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
sound adviser to an inexperienced Queen because of
her foreign connections, while her entourage at home
would form no desirable Cabinet for a Queen of Eng-
land. Then the article concluded with the avowal that
it had been written on purpose to meet the eye of
Victoria, that she might learn how vital it was that her
earliest advisers should be men in whom the better part
of England could repose entire confidence.
Strongly Whig over the Catholic Emancipation Bill,
The Times had gone as strongly Tory on the Reform
Bill, and was furious at the idea that the Whig
Ministry, of which the King could not rid himself, was
still likely to keep in power. They were entirely with-
out information as to the character of King William's
successor, and thought, as did most of the world, that
England would be ruled by the Duchess of Kent and
her circle. What influence these articles may have
had upon the Princess there is no written evidence to
show, but it is certain that from the moment that this
docile little daughter attained the Throne she followed
out exactly in this matter the policy thus urged upon
her by a paper the general policy of which she did
not in the least approve.
When King William died, The Times entirely lost
its head. It had struck these sledge-hammer blows at
the Duchess of Kent, but it did not believe in the
Princess Victoria. The day after the new Queen had
read her Declaration, The Times, as The Examiner
said, insulted her understanding by declaring that she
did not comprehend the import of the words she de-
livered, and they took particular exception to her
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 117
statement that she congratulated herself on succeeding
a monarch whose " desire to promote the amelioration
of the laws and institutions of the country has rendered
his name an object of general attachment and venera-
tion." From their standpoint this was, of course, pure
Radicalism, for, as good Tories, they held concerning
the laws as Leibnitz did of the world, that the laws we
had were " the best of all possible " laws, and needed
no amelioration. Neither The Times nor any other
paper grumbled when, in 1901, King Edward declared
at his first Council that he was determined, " as long
as there is breath in my body, to work for the good
and amelioration of my people." Yet Victoria's was
the better sentence. Of course, it is possible to
ameliorate people, but it is easier to perform the
operation on laws or even on lives.
From Victoria the editorial turned to Lord Mel-
bourne and became really funny, asking, " Has this
Whig-Radical Ethiopian changed his skin? this
leopard of Popery his spots ? " and it finished up with
the fine patriotic intimation that it was the strength of
devotion to the Constitution which prompted "us to
ring the alarm bell throughout the British Empire until
we shall have helped to achieve its salvation, have
seen it perish, or have ourselves ceased to exist/5
On the evening of June iQth, 1837, King William
saw all his children, and at two o'clock on the morning
of the 20th he died. We all know the story of how
the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham,
the Lord Chamberlain, rode to Kensington to convey
the news to Victoria that she was now Queen. Miss
118 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Wynn, who published her diaries under the pseudonym
of "A Lady of Quality," gives a rather amusing
account of the occurrence. The two gentlemen arrived
at Kensington Palace at about five in the morning; they
knocked, rang, and thumped for a considerable time
before they could rouse the porter at the gates ; then,
having been kept waiting in a courtyard, they were
turned into one of the lower rooms and forgotten by
everyone. They rang, and desired the attendant who
appeared to tell the Princess's maid that they requested
an audience. Nothing followed, and they rang again.
The maid, who now answered the bell, said that the
Princess was in such a sweet sleep that she could not
disturb her. " We are come to the Queen on business
of State, and her sleep must give way to that," was
the answer.
In a few minutes Victoria appeared in a loose white
nightgown and shawl, her hair falling about her
shoulders, her feet in slippers, tears in her eyes, but
perfectly cool and collected.
The following morning a Council was called for
eleven o'clock, but the summonses were sent out so
late that many were not received until the hour ap-
pointed. Lord Melbourne, as Prime Minister, had to
teach the Queen her part, which he had first to learn
himself, and he found her quiet, dignified, and eager
to bear herself well. The Lords assembled in one
room of Kensington Palace, and were solemnly
informed by the Lord President of the events, which
they all knew perfectly, that the King was dead, and
that they were gathered together to swear allegiance
LORD MELBOURNE.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 119
to the new Sovereign. This little form observed, the
Lord President, the two Royal Dukes — Cumberland
was quite sure now that he had not a chance left at
present — the two Archbishops, the Chancellor, and the
Prime Minister went into the next room, where with
great formality the news of William's death was con-
veyed to the girl who stood there alone, not in her
nightgown this time, but in a sober garment of black.
The doors between the rooms were then thrown open,
and the Queen entered that in which stood a great
crowd of nobles and office-holders. Greville says,
" The Queen entered, accompanied by her two uncles,
who advanced to meet her," which certainly might have
been more lucid had it been differently worded.
The Duke of Sussex spoke later of the Queen's ner-
vousness, saying that she continually took his hand as
though to reassure herself; he added that Lord Mel-
bourne never took his eyes off her, and seemed more
nervous than she, fearing that she might make a slip.
Half a century later, when the Queen was asked if she
did not feel nervous at her first Council, she replied,
" No, I have no recollection of feeling in the slightest
degree nervous." Nervous or not, she behaved with
grace and dignity, as everyone should have expected ;
but all present seemed to think that something like a
scene would take place, or that they were going to
swear their loyal oaths to a person wanting in under-
standing, if we may judge by the chorus of praise which
arose later. " It was extraordinary and far beyond
what was looked for"; she actually "read her speech
in a clear, distinct, and audible voice " ; Peel said how
120 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
amazed he was at her manner and behaviour, at her
apparent deep sense of her position, her modesty, and
her firmness.
Did these wise men really think that a girl brought
up in such an atmosphere of self-control and restric-
tion as Victoria had been would have shamed herself
by crying, or stuttering, or fainting, or giggling?
Their extenuation lies in the fact that scarcely any
among them knew anything at all of the Princess, and
that very fact excited such intense curiosity to see how
she would behave, that the crowd of Privy Councillors
assembled was so great that, according to one who was
present, the scene of swearing allegiance was more like
that at the bidding in an auction-room than anything
else.
Cumberland, who now became King of Hanover,
was the first to take the oath, and Sussex, who was very
infirm, and some distance from Her Majesty, was met
half-way across the room, the Queen kissing them both.
Greville noted with satisfaction that her courtesy did
not break down when the heads of either party greeted
her, that she was as pleasant to Wellington and Peel
as to Melbourne and the Ministers. Really, his social
knowledge should have saved him any doubts on that
point, and rendered it unnecessary for him to ' ' particu-
larly watch " her when the Tory lords approached.
Creevy was much more pleasing when he wrote, " I
cannot resist telling you that our dear little Queen in
every respect is perfection." Here is exaggeration, it
if true, but no insistence upon doubt as to her being
ordinarily well-mannered.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 121
Even such a grave event as a first Privy Council
meeting may provide food for laughter, and there is
one little incident in connection with this Council which
was not only amusing, but should have given those
present some clear idea of their young Sovereign's
character. Sir Bernard Bosanquet, who was present,
tells us that, "With the utmost dignity, before her
assembled Privy Councillors, with her clear young
voice, the Queen began reading :
"'This Act intituled' — which is the legal way of
spelling entitled.
" ' Entitled, your Majesty, entitled/ hastily corrected
Lord Melbourne in a loud aside.
" The young Queen slowly drew herself up and said,
quietly and firmly, ' I have said it/
" Then, after a pause, once more the beautiful
childish voice rang out :
"'This Act intituled '"
A curious mistake, or change of mind, took place
over the Queen's name. The Peers took the oath of
fidelity to Alexandrina Victoria, and all the forms were
duly made out in those names. Later in the day the
Queen announced that she would be known as Victoria
only, which caused a great stir officially, as new parch-
ments with the amended style had to be procured in
every case.
Her accession seems to have made a great difference
to the little Queen. While only Princess everyone
agreed in describing her as quiet, timid, shy; she was
always hidden under the wing of her mother, who
thought for her, acted for her, and spoke for her. As
122 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
soon as she stood alone she became openly what she
had probably always been in private, gay and high-
spirited; she rode almost every day and drove in the
Park ; she courted publicity, saying, " Let my people
see me," and everywhere she met smiling faces and
affectionate regards. There were, of course, those who
foretold the usual sad tale, among them being Frances
Anne Kemble, who wrote :
" Poor young creature ! at eighteen to bear such a
burden of responsibility! I should think the mere
state and grandeur, and slow-paced solemnity of her
degree enough to strike a girl of that age into a melan-
choly, without all the other graver considerations and
causes for care and anxiety which belong to it. I dare
say, whatever she may think now, before many years
are over, she would be glad to have a small pension of
£30,000 a year, and leave to 'go and play/ like
common folk of fortune. But, to be sure, if noblesse
oblige, Royalty must do so still more, or, at any rate,
on a wider scale ; and so I take up my burden again —
poor young Queen of England."
If anyone ever was, by nature, position, and training,
born to a life of hard work, that person was Queen
Victoria, and so long as she had the spirit and the
ability to meet her life bravely, I cannot see that there
was any need to pity her. It was inevitable that she
should make mistakes and repent of them, for by such
comes growth. If she had great responsibilities, she
was surrounded by those who upheld her arms and
practically took all those responsibilities upon their
shoulders.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 123
Carlyle only mentioned Queen Victoria two or three
times in his letters, always with a fatherly, personal
note, which yet held more than a hint of pity, indicating
that he saw some immediate cause for disquiet. A few
months after her accession he wrote : " Yesterday,
going through one of the Parks, I saw the poor little
Queen. She was in an open carriage, preceded by
three or four swift red-coated troopers; all off for
Windsor just as I happened to pass. Another carriage
or carriages followed with maids of honour, &c. ; the
whole drove very fast. It seemed to me the poor little
Queen was a bit modest, nice, sonsy little lassie ; blue
eyes, light hair, white skin ; of extremely small stature :
she looked timid, anxious, almost frightened; for the
people looked at her in perfect silence ; one old livery-
man alone touched his hat to her : I was heartily
sorry for the poor bairn — though perhaps she might
have said, as Parson Swan did, 4 Greet not for me,
brethren; for verily, yea verily, I greet not for
myselV "
At that first Privy Council, the day after the death
of King William, a somewhat curious document was
prepared or passed in the form of a proclamation from
Queen Victoria : " For the Encouragement of Piety
and Virtue, and for the Prevention and Punishing of
Vice, Profaneness, and Immorality." George III. had
issued such a proclamation, and whether it had been
the custom for all our Sovereigns to do so I do not
know, but this one seems curious enough to be noted.
Part of it ran as follows :
" To the intent therefore that religion, piety, and
124 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
good manners may (according to Our most Hearty
desire) flourish and increase under our administration
and government, We have thought fit by the advice of
our Privy Council to issue this Our Royal Proclama-
tion, and do hereby declare Our Royal Purpose and
Resolution to discountenance and punish all manner of
Vice, Profaneness, and Immorality in all persons of
whatsoever degree or Quality within this Our Realm,
and particularly in such as are employed near Our
Royal Person; and that, for the encouragement of
Religion and morality, We will upon all occasions dis-
tinguish persons of piety and virtue by marks of Our
Royal Favour. And We do expect and require that
all persons of honour, or in place of authority, will give
good example by their own virtue and piety, and to
their utmost contribute to the discountenancing persons
of dissolute and debauched lives, that they, being
reduced by that means to shame and contempt for their
loose and evil actions and behaviour, may be thereby
also enforced the sooner to reform their ill habits and
practices, and that the visible displeasure of good men
towards them may (so far as it is possible) supply what
the laws (probably) cannot altogether prevent."
This lengthy document went on to deal with the
observance of the Lord's Day, with gambling, card-
playing, and drinking.
One wonders whether the Queen or her advisers be-
lieved that such a proclamation could lead to any
raising of the standard of morals. The Queen, in her
youthfulness, might think so, but the men around her
must have been very doubtful of it even while doing
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 125
the will of their Sovereign, or conforming to a custom,
by letting such a document be issued. Yet it is a
notable thing that this proclamation embodies in a para-
graph the form which improvement in social manners
took during the Queen's reign.
The Proclaiming of the Sovereign was the next cere-
mony in the new life which was opening up for this
young person, and she drove to St. James's Palace
with the Duchess of Kent and another lady, while in
the carriage which preceded her were the Earl of
Jersey, Lord Conyngham, the Lord Chamberlain, and
Lord Albemarle, the Master of the Horse ; in the third
carriage were Sir John Conroy and Lady Flora Has-
tings. Lady Flora had attended the Duchess for
some years, and should have been thoroughly well
known to the Queen, but yet two years later she had
the misfortune to be grievously misjudged and tragic-
ally ill-used by her Sovereign.
There were moments at the commencement of her
reign when Queen Victoria felt horribly nervous, but
she had more than enough self-control to prevent her-
self from being overcome by emotion. When she came
out of the door at Kensington Palace arrayed in black,
she looked a veritable child. Her eyes were full of
tears, her hands clasped and unclasped, and she
trembled at the ordeal before her ; yet she turned and
looked at the body of Guards drawn up on either side
of her door, and bowed in acknowledgment of their
salute. Lord Melbourne was by her side, watching
her with a fatherly look, and so began that cordial
friendship between the Queen and the peer which
126 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
lasted for years, and ended only in death on one side
and something like forgetfulness on the other.
On the route to St. James's, Greville says, there
was very little shouting and very few hats were raised,
but other recorders tell of the repeated cheers of the
multitude. In the courtyard, as has been said, there
was no cheering until a given signal, when Daniel
O'Connell led the way, and the noise was then so hearty
that the Queen burst into tears.
After this, events crowded thick and fast, and one
of the first was the Royal removal to the New, or
Buckingham, Palace, a place which Creevy stigmatised
as " the Devil's Own," saying that there were raspberry-
coloured pillars without end, enough to turn you sick
to look at, and that the costly ornaments in the State
rooms exceeded all belief in their bad taste and every
kind of infirmity. It seems to-day strange to regard
the London residence of the Monarch as being at
Pimlico, and yet that is its true locality. On this
removal The Times condescended to ask a conun-
drum : " Why is Buckingham Palace the cheapest that
was ever built?" and proceeded to supply the answer,
" Because it was built for one sovereign and furnished
for another." When the simply arranged bedroom at
Kensington, which had for nearly eighteen years been
shared by mother and child, was finally deserted,
Victoria gave orders that the room should remain as it
was, and nothing be removed or added.
There was the necessary Levee to be held, and so
great was the curiosity that such a crowd attended as
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 127
had never before been seen at such a function. Over
two thousand people were present to kiss the Queen's
hand; diamond buckles were broken and lost, orders
and decorations torn from their wearers, and epaulettes
rubbed from the shoulders of officers. The Drawing
Room the next day, in spite of torrents of rain, was more
fully attended than it had been for many years. At
the Levee Her Majesty was "black as a raven from
head to foot, her hair was plainly dressed without orna-
ment, but she wore the Ribbon of the Garter, with the
Star on her left breast and the buckle on her left arm.
When she found that the Garter had to be worn,
the Queen sent for the Duke of Norfolk, and asked
anxiously, " But, my Lord Duke, where shall I wear
the Garter?" The Duke could only think of a por-
trait of Queen Anne, in which the Garter was placed
on the left arm, and Victoria decided to follow that
precedent.
At the Levee there is room for suspicion that the
Queen did forget her good manners, though the lapse
was not caused by girlish fright or nervousness.
Among those whom she received was Lord Lyndhurst,
and although she had shown "her usual pretty
manner" to all who preceded him, as soon as he
approached she drew herself up as though she had
seen a snake, at which Lyndhurst turned as red
as fire, and afterwards looked as fierce as a fiend.
Having just held a brief for the Queen's good
manners, I feel that this incident is somewhat awkward,
especially as I cannot really tell why she was rude to
128 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Lyndhurst. She may have been affected by his lord-
ship's wonderful system of " ratting," for he had a
habit of making a speech against a Bill, say the
Catholic Emancipation Bill, for example, or the Muni-
cipal Reform Bill, which became famous, and then
when he found it good policy to change his views,
would make another notable speech in its favour.
Early in his career he held republican opinions, and
thought little of the Whigs because their notions of
reform were so mild; but when he showed himself
extremely clever in defending a noted case, Lord
Castlereagh — " carotid-cutting Castlereagh " — is re-
ported to have said, " I can discover in him something
of the rat, and I will set my trap for him, baited with
Cheshire cheese" — meaning that he would offer him
the office of Chief Justice of Cheshire.
The trap was set, and Lyndhurst, then plain John
Copley, quietly — and perhaps gratefully — walked into
it, and on the first vacancy became Solicitor-General
to the King. It was said about him that he had danced
round the Tree of Liberty to the tune of " Ca ira,"
and yet became one of the most virulent opponents
of all movements towards freedom. However, as
Mackintosh said to Lord John Russell, it was with
the Whig -prospects, not their views, that he quarrelled,
and it may have been just this which made the young
Queen scorn him, and feel, as she once owned to Lord
Melbourne, a personal dislike of him.
There is a little incident on record which shows just
how complaisant he could be in any matter affecting
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 129
his interest. A story got about, and was published in
the newspapers, that the Duke of Cumberland had
called upon Lady Lyndhurst, of whom Creevy said
" she has such beautiful eyes and such a way of using
them that quite shocked Lady Louisa and me/3 and so
grossly misbehaved himself that he was turned out of
the house. He went a second time, when he contented
himself with uttering coarse abuse of Lyndhurst.
When this affair was made public, Cumberland sent a
copy of a journal in which the paragraph appeared
to the Lord Chancellor, as Lyndhurst then was, and
asked that he should have Lady Lyndhurst's permis-
sion to contradict " the gross falsehood."
The thing was true, however, and the Chancellor
felt in a fix; he could not fight a Royal Duke, and
yet he wished to warn him not to repeat the offence.
So he temporised; said he had not before seen the
paragraph, which was no doubt one of a series of
calumnies to which Lady Lyndhurst had for some time
been exposed. This, however, did not satisfy Duke
Ernest, who was anxious that his shady character
should be cleared of this stain; so he wrote again,
demanding a definite sanction to contradict the report.
Upon this Lyndhurst, it is said, though seeing the
result one hardly believes it, went to the national
adviser, the Duke of Wellington, who counselled him
to reply that he did not wish to annoy Lady Lyndhurst
by speaking of this matter to her. To this he added
that, as to excluding the Duke from their home, the
grateful attachment they both felt for their Sovereign
£
130 THE COURT OP QUEEN VICTORIA
made that impossible. So the matter ended. Lynd-
hurst had cleverly evaded giving the Duke a straight-
forward answer — which was more like himself than like
the Duke of Wellington — and had practically assured
him that he would be received as a guest again in the
house which he had abused. Lyndhurst would have
seemed more admirable if he had been more of a man
and less of a diplomatist; and it is quite likely that
other incidents of this kind had occurred to make the
young Queen, in her youthful zeal for probity, show
her dislike for him publicly. Besides, had she not
just inculcated virtue by proclamation, and declared
the way in which she would reward evil-doers?
To do Lyndhurst justice, however, he seemed to
bear her no malice, and when the storm, raised by The
Times, gathered strength from her friendship for Mel-
bourne and broke in fury upon her before she had been
Queen many weeks, Lyndhurst sincerely lamented it.
The Tories could not control their disappointment and
anger when it was announced that Lord Melbourne was
to continue Prime Minister, and they vilified the
Queen at every opportunity. To quote from Lord
Campbell, a contemporary : " The practice was to
contrast her invidiously with Adelaide, the Queen
Dowager, and at public dinners to receive the Queen's
health with solemn silence, while the succeeding toast
of the Queen Dowager was the signal for long con-
tinued cheers. Some writers went so far as to praise
the Salic law, by which females are excluded from the
throne, pointing out the happiness we should have
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ACCESSION 131
enjoyed under the rule of the Duke of Cumberland,
but consoling the nation by the assurance that his line
would soon succeed, as the new Queen, from physical
defects, could never bear children."
Well, after all, there was some reason for pitying the
young, sonsie lassie who was then Queen of England !
K 2
CHAPTER VI
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS
" Conservatism stands on man's confessed limitations;
reform on his indisputable infinitude; conservatism on circum-
stance; liberalism on power." — Emerson.
AMONG the deputations that came to wish the new
Queen well was one from the Society of Friends, led
by Joseph Sturge. Asked afterwards if he kissed the
Queen's hand, he answered, " Oh, yes, and found that
act of homage no hardship, I assure thee. It was a
fair, soft, delicate little hand." He added that Her
Majesty was "a nice, pleasant, modest little woman,
graceful though a little shy, and, on the whole,
comely."
Among the investitures that took place was that of
the Duke of Leiningen, Queen Victoria's half-brother,
who was invested with the Order of the Garter; Prince
Esterhazy, that lover of jewels, was invested with the
Military Order of the Bath, and the Queen held a
Chapter for the purpose, wearing the mantle of the
Order, the ribbon and the badge. All the Knights
Grand Cross appeared on this splendid occasion.
Queen Victoria had probably no wish to change her
Parliament, but custom decreed that it should be
132
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 133
prorogued, and she decided to prorogue it in person,
much to the alarm of the Duchess her mother, who
begged her not to do so, fearing the effect that the
excitement might have on her health. But the child
was already three weeks away from her leading-strings ;
she was beginning to feel the glories of independence,
and she would no longer submit blindly to the will of
another. The word excitement displeased her, and she
is said to have answered : ' That is a word I do not
like to hear; all these successive ceremonies interest
and please me, but have no such effect on my mind as
that which I understand by excitement.''
So the Queen went in State to the House of Lords,
where the old Throne devoted to the use of old Sove-
reigns was banished, and replaced by a new one be-
dizened with the Royal Arms in gold, and the words
" Victoria Regina " also in gold. With girlish delight
in her new state, Her Majesty donned "a white satin
kirtle embroidered in gold, a robe of crimson velvet
trimmed with ermine stripes and gold lace, confined at
the waist and shoulders with gold cord, and having an
ermine cape attached (this was in July !) a stomacher
of diamonds, a tiara and bracelets of diamonds, the
Garter round her arm, and the Ribbon of the Garter
over her shoulder completed the outward attire." One
evening paper commented upon the Queen and her
dress as follows : " Her emotion was plainly dis-
cernible in the rapid heaving of her bosom and the
brilliancy of her diamond stomacher, which sparkled
out occasionally from the dark recess in which the
throne was placed, like the sun on the swell of the
134 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
smooth ocean as the billows rise and fall." The
earliest Victorian journalists knew something of the
gentle art of high falutin' !
The Queen acquitted herself well in this trying posi-
tion, and we are told that the Duchess of Kent wept
tears of joy on seeing the way in which "her august
daughter " acquitted herself. Other tears seem also to
have been shed, for Lord Grey declared that he actually
cried from pleasure at the Queen's voice and speech;
and he added that, after seeing and hearing three
Sovereigns of England, the latest surpassed them all,
easily, in every respect.
One of the sentimentalists of the day wrote concern-
ing the Duchess and her daughter, " the first separation
that had ever taken place between Her Majesty and
her Royal mother was decreed by the immutable (?)
laws of Royal etiquette on this occasion, and doubtless
it was felt as no slight trial by both." Yet they were
both in the same room !
Another contemporary tells us that the impertinent
old Lady Jersey took powerful opera-glasses with her
to the House of Lords, and through them fixed her
eyes relentlessly on the Queen, which, according to
the laws of etiquette in those days, was a direct personal
affront if applied to people of high rank.
While King William was ill, there had been many
private conferences among members of the Govern-
ment as to the right course to pursue when the Princess
came to the throne. Sir Robert Peel had given it as
his opinion that the young Queen should retain Lord
Melbourne as her chief adviser and rely frankly on
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 135
his guidance, and the Duke of Wellington (also a
Tory) was strongly in favour of the same course.
Victoria was probably but obeying her uncle Sussex's
promptings when on the morning after the King's death
she sent for Melbourne and put herself in his hands.
One of the first things to be considered was the
formation of the Royal Household, and in this matter
the Queen had something to say. She uttered a wish
on the 2Oth of June that Lady Lansdowne should be
her principal lady, either as Mistress of the Robes or
as First Lady in Waiting. Lady Lansdowne accepted
the post of First Lady in Waiting, and two days later
Victoria invited the Duchess of Sutherland to become
Mistress of the Robes, and asked Lady Tavistock to
be one of her Ladies.
Inquiry had been made into the Household of Queen
Anne, and it was found that she had had eleven Ladies
of the Bedchamber, but Victoria thought that this was
too cumbrous an attendance, and eventually decided
upon one Mistress of the Robes, seven Ladies in
Waiting, and eight Women of the Bedchamber. Lady
Portman, Lady Lyttelton, and the Countess of Durham
were among the Ladies, while Miss Davys, her pre-
ceptor's daughter, was appointed Resident Woman of
the Bedchamber, including in her duties those of
private secretary in so far as private correspondence
was concerned. The Queen and Miss Davys had
been friends for years, and once when Victoria's
opinion was asked on some subject discussed by that
lady, she replied : " If you really wish me to speak my
mind I must say I perfectly agree with Miss Davys.
136 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
How, indeed, should I do otherwise, for have we not
both been educated by her father ? "
Thus some of her ladies were chosen from among
those whom she liked, while others were recommended
to her by Melbourne or her uncle, but the result was
that they were all, or nearly all, related to the Whigs.
Croker touched upon this subject in the Quarterly
Review for July, 1837, pointing out that it was impolitic
that the Queen should be surrounded with many mem-
bers of the same families, " however respectable," and
also that it was neither constitutional in principle nor
convenient in practice that her private life should be
exposed to the fluctuations of political change, or that
political changes should be either produced or pre-
vented by private favour or personal attachments;
meaning thereby that her ladies should be chosen from
both parties, so that when the Government was changed
her Household should be to a certain extent stable.
However, the mistake was made, and in 1839 it had to
be paid for.
As to her Lords in Waiting, Queen Victoria retained
five gentlemen who had been Lords of the Bed-
chamber to King William, and added to them three
from the supporters of Lord Melbourne.
Others besides Croker discussed the formation of
the Household, only they did not content themselves
with philosophical disquisitions or allude chiefly to the
future. One paper said that " the indecent usurpation
of nominating Her Majesty's Household — of sur-
rounding her person by a female brigade of political
spies — had in one instance produced a dignified and
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 137
determined resistance." Alluding probably to the fact
that the Countess of Rosebery had declined to serve.
They declared that Her Majesty's wishes had been
"most sternly thwarted, even where they ought in
kindness and courtesy to have been deemed supreme
— so far is the distribution of offices from affording
any index of the Queen's opinions " ; and averred that
Victoria wished to make the Duchess of Northumber-
land, a Tory, who had resigned her position a few
months earlier, her Mistress of the Robes, only the
Duchess of Kent and " the Irish bombardier, Sir John
Conroy," thought otherwise, so the honour fell to the
Marchioness of Lansdowne. The more volatile Tory
papers begged her piteously to dismiss the Whigs, and
the Age went on its knees to her in the following and
many other effusions : —
" If your Majesty would reign in the hearts of your
subjects, nor hold a barren sceptre in your hand, you
will enquire for the confidential advisers of your family
(and you will not find them among your present
Ministers), solicit their advice, and learn from them
the real nature of your Royal office, the true state of
your loyal subjects, the present position of your
dominions in all their political relations — internal,
foreign, and commercial."
An early matter for discussion was whether Her
Majesty should be allowed a private secretary, after
the example of the two last Sovereigns. George III.
had done all his own work until 1805, when he became
blind, and, much to the disgust of politicians, paid
Colonel Herbert Taylor out of funds at the disposal
138 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
of the Crown to be his private secretary. When the
Prince Regent made Colonel McMahon his secretary,
and asked that his salary should be paid out of the
public funds, Parliament opposed the suggestion to
such an extent that the salary had to be paid from
the Privy Purse. The appointment itself was attacked
in Parliament, the contention being that it was highly
unconstitutional, for the secrets of State would thus
pass through a third party — other than the King and
the Ministers — and that a private secretary would con-
stitute a Court of Revision above the Cabinet. For-
tunately, the Ministers defended the appointment.
Prior to this the poor Monarch had had personally to
sign thousands of documents every year, and in the
absence of the secretary had to seal and address the
communications ; thus the services of an assistant were
absolutely essential if the Sovereign were not to become
a sort of automatic machine for doing mechanical work.
William IV. made Sir Herbert Taylor his secretary ;
but when Victoria came to the throne, the duties of
this servant were so misunderstood that she was allowed
no secretary; all alike being afraid lest the servant
should become the master and adviser. The Queen
wished to appoint Baron Stockmar, but fortunately for
everyone Melbourne would not consent to this, for as
Stockmar was practically the agent of King Leopold,
the nation would have been indignant at his being put
into so important a position. Leopold had had the
prudence not to hurry over to England as soon as
his niece became Queen, which was wise of him, for
had he come he would have been accused of desiring
KING LEOPOLD OF THE BELGIANS.
From the Drawing by Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 139
to rule the country through her, and, besides, discord
must have arisen between him and his sister the
Duchess. What he did was to send the Baron over,
who for some years had been occupied in training
Prince Albert for the high position his uncle intended
him to hold. The Baron's unacknowledged post about
the Queen was that of theoretic political tutor rather
than actual adviser, for he had been brought up in
the midst of German theories, and never seemed to
understand the difference between the English and
German system of governing. That he gave Queen
Victoria much excellent advice, and that a profound
and trusting regard existed between them, cannot be
doubted, but he was another foreigner added to those
already about the Throne, and his name was instantly
connected with those who were still known as the
Kensington Camarilla. There were naturally many
who distrusted the Baron. Abercromby, the Speaker,
said that he felt it his duty to call attention in Parlia-
ment to the unconstitutional position of the foreigner
Stockmar; a course which, however, he never followed.
Melbourne himself, much as he was said to approve
of the German, occasionally felt a certain uneasiness
about him, which was expressed as follows : —
" King Leopold and Stockmar are very good and
intelligent people, but I dislike very much to hear it
said that I am influenced by them. We know it is
not true, but still I dislike to hear it said."
A general report was spread abroad that the Baron
was acting in the important position of secretary to the
Queen, and Melbourne in a letter to a colleague wrote :
140 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
' There is, of course, no truth in Stockmar's appoint-
ment. It should be quietly contradicted." While this
matter was being discussed, Victoria sent for Sir
Herbert Taylor to get his advice, and he asked, " Is
your Majesty afraid of the work?" which drew from
her the reply, " I mean to work." " Then don't have
a secretary," he retorted, which was silly, seeing that
without one the Queen would have to spend all her
time doing secretarial work.
In the end Melbourne arranged to act as secretary
to her Majesty on matters of state, which entailed
seeing her every day, and the Baroness Lehzen under-
took at first personal and domestic affairs, and there
were more than hints that she really did fill the post
of adviser so dreaded by those in Parliament.
The name of the Baroness Lehzen raised the fury
of the more intemperate of political writers, for they
had always suspected her of acting, not against the
interest of England so much as against the interest
of party. This may or may not have been the case,
but there can be no doubt whatever concerning her
intense love for her one-time pupil, and it was probably
this as well as her enmity to Conroy that helped to
make a breach between her and the Duchess ; for two
people loving the same person are very likely to get
different ideas concerning that person's good, and to
quarrel over each other's methods. Baroness Lehzen,
as has been said, was a real German, stolid, conven-
tional, sensible, and, like many of her countrywomen,
showing little imagination. She may have had as
much influence as the Duchess or King Leopold in
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 141
debarring the girl from all imaginative literature and
from all fiction. When Victoria became Queen she
had never read a novel, and there seems to be no
evidence that she had ever touched literature or any-
thing beyond lessons or history books. This, of
course, may have been caused by a certain system of
education, or it may have been that those in authority
had no taste for belles lettres or intellectual exercise.
It was the day in which it was thought dangerous for
a woman to use her brains, and when a certain limited
knowledge of facts was regarded as education. I
notice that when the Duchess asked the Bishops of
London and Lincoln to " examine " the Princess in
1830, they mention only the subjects of Christian
Religion, Scripture, History, Geography, Arithmetic,
and the Latin Grammar, and expressed themselves
entirely satisfied. Of course, this was a fairly good
education for the period, but it was all a matter of
memory, and, apart from history, left little place for the
exercise of the mind.
By the time Victoria had been Queen for a year she
had read three novels, and had struggled through two
books of memoirs, but it was possible that what she
had lost in her youthful training could never be re-
gained. However, her daily habits were impeccable.
She had been brought up in simplicity both in dress
and food, regularity in meals, work, play, and sleep,
and punctuality, being punctual herself and demand-
ing it of others. She was also taught never to half-
learn or half-do anything, but always to finish that
which she began. One story of her punctuality is told
142 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
by several writers, but the irrepressible Creevy gives
it in an amusing form, so I quote it here.
" A word or two about Vic. She is as much idolised
as ever, except by the Duchess of Sutherland, who
received a very proper snub from her two days ago.
She was half an hour late for dinner, so little Vic.
told her that she hoped it might not happen another
time; for, tho5 she did not mind in the least waiting
herself, it was very unpleasant to keep her company
waiting."
Lady Georgiana Grey had the Baroness by her side
at dinner one day, and heard from her high laudations
of Her Majesty, such as that she was absolutely perfect,
that she worked from morning to night, and that she
would be surrounded with dispatch boxes while her
maid was doing her hair. There was an earlier occa-
sion on which Lehzen let her heart overflow about the
perfections of her charge, saying, among other things,
that, though she would never be a beautiful or grand-
looking woman, she would certainly be one of the
greatest Monarchs of Europe — "great, not in beauty
nor in stature, but great in intellect and as a wife and
in motherly love to her children, and greater still as
mother of England.55 To this she added, " I know all
about her, and I feel she will live to be idolised, and
leave a name behind her such as none of her pre-
decessors have left.55
If these words were so uttered, and not amplified
by uncertain memory, it seems that there was at least
one person who thought that she knew the character
of the Princess. Stockmar is said to have come to
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 143
the same judgment when he first saw her in 1836.
" England will grow great and famous under her
rule ! " was his remark. It is added that these words
being repeated to the King, drew from him the answer,
"If Stockmar said that, I cease regretting that I have
no children to whom to hand. down the crown."
It was a pity that between the two women who had
done most towards forming the mind of the young
Queen there should have arisen an abiding coolness.
Sir John Conroy was the one person in whom the
Duchess reposed her confidence, and whose advice she
sought before taking any action; but Lehzen hated
Conroy, and had probably inspired her pupil with the
same sentiment. It was more than likely that
Conroy, as well as the Duchess, was perfectly aware
of her feelings, for the Baroness considered that they
did not use her well. Then, too, judging from after
events, it is very possible that Lehzen had already
acquired an undue influence over Victoria, and had
raised the bitter jealousy of the Duchess. However,
the whole little circle kept up appearances, and the
people forming it were outwardly on cordial terms.
Victoria was devoted to her Lehzen, and when at home
apparently always required her company; for the
Ministers who had occasion to see Her Majesty would
often, on entering a room by one door, see the Baroness
disappearing by another, and as soon as the audience
was over she would return to the Queen.
The one thing about Victoria's new home which
must astonish all who think about it is, that from the
time she became Queen, her mother went into the back-
144 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
ground. This proud woman, who had fought Kings
and Princes that she might give her child the best that
she knew; she who by the asperity of her temper and
haughty pride had become a personage distinct from
all other members of the Royal family, now that that
beloved child was in the highest position in the land,
sank into nothingness. She was never consulted, she
did not always know what was happening, no word of
State affairs reached her ears; the old companionship
was gone, for alas ! in the old days she had drawn the
rein too tightly, so that when once the young creature
was free she feared the restraining hand too much to
trust it again.
One of Victoria's first acts must have given her
mother much pain, though it is likely that she had had
warning of what would occur. Sir John Conroy, who
had been right-hand man both to the Duke and to
the Duchess, had fallen into the faults so common
to long service. He was too sure of his ground, too
ready to assume responsibility, and he had never
troubled to look upon the Princess as a force with
which he should reckon. Thus he was entirely dis-
liked by her, and she determined that in her new
household she would be freed from a man who, what-
ever his merits, was personally obnoxious to herself.
So long as Her Majesty remained at Kensington,
that is, until July I3th, Conroy was a member of the
Household, and he perhaps did not believe that the
young Queen would at once and so effectually grasp
her power. He had not yet learned to discriminate
between the past and the present, and followed his
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 145
usual course as master of the servants. Thus one day
a groom who had been in constant attendance upon
Victoria could not be found, and on inquiries being
made it was explained that Conroy had dismissed him.
That is said to have brought matters to a head. The
Queen sent for Sir John — so runs one account — and
asked him to name the reward he expected for his
services to her parents. His reply was that he desired
the Red Ribband, an Irish Peerage, and a pension of
£3,000 a year. The Queen answered that the first two
lay with her Ministers, and she could not promise for
them, but the pension he should have. In another
account we learn that she made him a baronet in addi-
tion to bestowing the pension, but that all connection
with the Palace ceased, and that he was never dis-
tinguished by the slightest mark of personal favour;
" so that nothing can be more striking than the contrast
between the magnitude of the pecuniary bounty and
the complete personal disregard of which he is the
object."
" Conroy goes not to Court, the reason's plain,
King- John has played his part and ceased to reign "
sung a flippant paragraphist.
Under these circumstances the Duchess lost the
daily companionship of the friend upon whom, judi-
ciously or otherwise, she was accustomed to lean, a
matter which rankled long and bitterly in the poor
lady's mind. However, the Queen was still her well-
beloved child, and it was a long time before she could
forget to exercise her motherly desire to guide events ;
thus she watched with alarm the brilliant life now led
L
146 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
by the girl, who for eighteen years had been carefully
guarded from late hours, luxurious food, and social
excitement of every sort. Now the emancipated girl
filled long days with business engagements, with public
pageants, with theatres and balls, and other amuse-
ments. She was enjoying to the full the consciousness
of being the centre of things, she was beginning to
appreciate her power, and was punctilious in carrying
out any settled plan. When her mother urged her to
remain quietly at home she laughed at her fears, and
showed no disposition to go back to the nursery regime
of Kensington. So the Duchess made an ally of the
doctor — probably Sir James Clark, who played so
unfortunate a part two years later. He remonstrated
with Her Majesty upon the life of excitement that she
was experiencing, saying that it must be injurious to
her.
" Say too much amusement rather than excitement,"
replied the Queen. " I know not what the future will
bring, but I have met with so much affection, so much
respect, and every act of sovereignty has been made
so light, that I have not yet felt the weight of the
Crown."
Then the doctor changed his complaint, and re-
marked upon the enormous dinner parties she gave,
saying that their size must make them very fatiguing.
But Victoria was ready with her answer.
" These dinner parties amuse me. If I had a small
party I should have to exert myself to entertain my
guests, but with a large one they are called upon to
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 147
amuse me, and then I become personally acquainted
with those who surround the throne/'
There was one disquieting person who was partially
removed from Victoria's life upon her accession, and
that was the Duke of Cumberland, who became King
of Hanover on the death of his brother. William had
in 1833 granted a liberal constitution with representa-
tive government to his Hanoverian dominions, where
his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, was Viceroy. On
William's death Cambridge returned to England, and
Cumberland left England to harass his new subjects.
One of his first acts was to reverse all that his brother
had done, to abolish the constitution, make himself
arbitrary King, and prosecute the Liberal Professors of
Gottingen. This was not done in spite, but from a
sincere conviction that reform of any sort was wrong.
He was a Tory of the Tories, but, I believe, quite
honest in his politics. He really thought that England
was going to destruction — a myth which is cherished
by some up to the present day — the first step down-
wards being the repeal of the Corporation and Test
Act in 1828, the next the Catholic Emancipation Act,
while the climax of our ruin was the Reform Bill. It
was in his private and social life that King Ernest was
so odious. His wife, who admired him as a man of
intellect, was terrified by his fits of ungovernable
temper; his sister in Hanover said that the loss of
her brother Cambridge nearly killed her, " the whole
thing is so changed one's mind is quite overset "; while
his lax ideas of morality really made him detestable.
L 2
148 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
The papers abounded in announcements that he was
unpopular. At the coronation of William IV. The
Times drew a gentle contrast between the way in which
the Duke and the Ministers were received : " The
Duke of Cumberland experienced in the course of
yesterday proofs, we dare say not unexpected by His
Royal Highness, of the extraordinary estimation in
which most Englishmen hold him. The Duke of
Wellington whom, if he had never been a politician,
his countrymen would gladly, gratefully, and for ever
have recognised as an illustrious military chief, was
treated respectfully by the spectators in the Abbey;
but Lord Grey and Lord Brougham received every
testimony of the warmest and most eager approbation."
In turning to the article in the Dictionary of National
Biography, I find a very partial account given of the
Duke of Cumberland, the impression made being that
he was a brave, clever man, much maligned by the
Whigs and Radicals. This, however, was not exactly
the case, the Duke's delinquencies being recorded by
every shade of opinion, and though it is most likely
that those opposed to him in politics shouted the
loudest, the undoubted fact remains that all joined in
the cry.
In the election of July, 1837, tne Whigs were re-
turned to power, having lost in the counties but gained
elsewhere ; this confirmed Lord Melbourne in his place
as Prime Minister, and put him into the position of
guardian to Her Majesty. Melbourne must in some
ways have been a wonderful man for that position.
He was then in his fifty-eighth year, a man of the
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 149
world, somewhat sceptical, "but honourable, well-
meaning, honest, clever, highly educated, and a
moderate Liberal." He was a peace lover, and per-
haps sometimes was inclined to say, like the over-
indulgent parent, " anything for peace ! " — one of his
favourite utterances being, " Damn it ! why can't every-
one be quiet ? " He was constitutionally incapable of
sustaining a quarrel, for he had no jealousy or rancour
in his disposition, a dispute bored him, and he felt no
interest in getting the better of an argument ; he could
easily forgive, and do so without humiliating the
aggressor. With these good qualities went indolence
and a certain amount of carelessness. But that he
was neither a place-hunter nor a flatterer is amply
proved by the fact that at first everyone approved of
his position with the Queen. No one could suggest
any other course to pursue, and it was not until a little
later that the Tories saw how entirely they had given
the Crown into the hands of the Whigs.
Melbourne's sufferings in life came from the fact
that he was in advance of his age in one respect.
To-day no one could have had any excuse for trying
to blackmail him or to damage his reputation. Eighty
years ago matters were different, and no man could
make a friend of a charming lady, go to see her as
often as he pleased, and expect to be free from danger.
As Melbourne did this sort of thing, he naturally had
to account for it.
In 1828 Lord Brandon, who was a Doctor of
Divinity, found letters which seemed to prove that
there was a too warm friendship between his wife and
150 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Mr. William Lamb, which was Melbourne's name
before he came into his title. The parson-peer there-
upon wrote to his wife telling her what he had found,
and what conclusion he drew from it. Then he added
that if she would use her influence with Mr. Lamb to
procure him a Bishropic he would overlook the offence
and give her back the letters. To this the lady replied
that she would neither degrade herself nor Mr. Lamb
by such a course, and that the letter just received from
him she should show to the latter gentleman. The
result was a suit for divorce brought by Lord Brandon,
which he lost through insufficient evidence; the pro-
duction of his letter would, however, have been suffi-
cient to make a jury decide against him.
A few years later Melbourne met again the Hon.
Mrs. Norton, whom he had known in her childhood.
She was both beautiful and clever, and being a grand-
daughter of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, had inherited
a shade of his genius. Unfortunately when she was
but nineteen, she had married a man named George
Norton, a younger brother of Fletcher Norton, third
Lord Grantley, who was also an unsuccessful barrister
of twenty-seven, coarse in disposition, greedy and
brutal, though, like most young people, he managed to
hide his faults from the girl he wooed until after the
marriage. Mrs. Norton was a poet, clever rather than
spontaneous, and she published a little volume called
"The Sorrows of Rosalie: A Tale, with Other
Poems." This was Byronic in style, and the praise
poured upon it effectually opened a literary career for
its author. From that time her labours practically
I
* :: :
m
THE HON. MRS. NORTON.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 151
kept her household going, with the exception that,
having begged Lord Melbourne to do something for
her husband, George Norton was given a Metropolitan
police magistracy in 1831. Norton was anything but
satisfactory at his work, and thus a coolness arose
between him and Melbourne; but the latter still visited
at his house, feeling a kindly friendship for Mrs.
Norton, whose lively Irish mind and conversation
charmed him.
Norton was scarcely the man to make home a
pleasant place, and at last matters between husband
and wife came to an open rupture. Upon this, it was
said that a little plot was hatched. Everyone knew
that before long a young Queen would be upon the
throne, and everyone also knew the integrity and strict
sentiments of the Duchess of Kent. From these the
conclusion was drawn by " some of the less reputable
members of the Opposition," that if Melbourne were
publicly discredited he would never be Prime Minister
under the new rule. " The Court is mighty prudish,
and between them our off-hand Premier will find him-
self in a ticklish position." Thus, remembering the
former case against Lord Melbourne, and remember-
ing that mud is likely to stick closest the more fre-
quently it is flung, George Norton was incited to
institute a divorce case against his wife, with Melbourne
as co-respondent.
Lord Melbourne had this thunder-cloud hanging
over him for months, and in spite of his brave words
to Mrs. Norton, it at last made him absolutely ill.
" Since first I heard that I was to be proceeded
152 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
against, I have had neither sleep nor appetite, I have
suffered more intensely than I ever did in my life, and
I attribute the whole of my illness (at least the severity
of it) to the uneasiness of my mind. Now what is this
uneasiness for? Not for my own character, because,
as you justly say, the imputation upon me is as nothing.
It is not for the political consequences to myself,
although I deeply feel the consequences which my
indiscretion may bring upon those who are attached to
me and follow my fortunes. The real and principal
object of my anxiety is you, and the situation in which
you have been so unjustly placed." Again he writes :
" I hope you will not take it ill if I implore you to try
at least to be calm under these trials. You know what
is alleged is utterly false, and what is false can rarely
be made to appear true."
The case was talked of for months before it came
to trial, and all the newspapers had their comments to
make, facetiously writing of " Mrs. Norton and her
Lamb." On the whole, however, they preached the
innocence of the Premier; even the Age, ultra-Tory
and scandalous as it was, honestly said that it believed
him to be wrongly accused; though, later, that paper
was anything but kind to him. It was the 22nd of
June, 1836, when Justice Tindal sat in the Court of
Common Pleas to decide upon the moral conduct of
Viscount Melbourne and the Hon. Mrs. Norton, and
also to decide whether it would be just to award Mr.
Norton damages to the value of £10,000. Sir William
Follett led for the plaintiff, and unwisely admitted that
he had not advised his going to trial, adding, however,
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 153
that he certainly expected to secure a verdict. How-
ever, he managed to ask of his client a most unfor-
tunate question, whether it was true that Mr. Norton
had ever walked with his wife to Lord Melbourne's
house and left her there. Upon Norton admitting that
he had done so, Follett replied that that was the end
of the case. The only witnesses were servants, mostly
of damaged character, discarded from the Norton
household, some of them several years earlier. These
had been nursed for some time quietly at Lord Grant-
ley's country seat, yet in spite of their kindly treatment
none of them could swear to any occurrences which
had taken place within the preceding three years. At
the close of the plaintiff's case the jury refused an
adjournment, so the judge analysed the evidence, and
a verdict of acquittal was returned, drawing loud cheers
from the onlookers, which were echoed by those waiting
outside the Court. The news was carried immediately
to the House of Commons, where it was received with
acclamation; and King William cordially congratu-
lated his Minister the next day on having " baffled the
machinations which he did not doubt had their origin
in sinister aims fomented by the meaner animosities
of party." Other congratulations poured in from
every quarter, and the paragraphist made his harvest
out of the case, one comment running : —
" This Crim. con. case, complex and ram-
ified since it commenced,
Prove that meek Melbourne's still a Lamb,
The fair one sinn'd against. "
Lord Wynford, uncle to George Norton, noted as
154 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
one of the violent Tories, and the Duke of Cumberland
were openly spoken of as the foster-fathers of this
charge, but when it failed both men assured Melbourne
on their honour that they knew nothing about it. Lord
Wynford said that he had not heard of the case until
four days after it was commenced, and had not seen
" that unfortunate young man " (Norton) for two or
three years. The impression, however, remained that
the case had its origin in political scheming, and
Greville (a Tory himself) certainly believed this, for on
the 27th of June he wrote : —
" Great exultation at the verdict on the part of his
(Melbourne's) political adherents, great disappoint-
ment on that of the mob of low Tories, and a creditable
satisfaction among the better sort; it was a triumphal
acquittal. The wonder is how with such a case
Norton's family ventured into Court, but (although it
is stoutly denied) there can be no doubt that old Wyn-
ford was at the bottom of it and persuaded Lord
Grantley to urge it on for some political purposes.
There is pretty conclusive evidence of this. Fletcher
Norton, who is staying in town, was examined on the
trial, and Denison, who is Norton's neighbour, and who
talked to Fletcher Norton's host, was told that Fletcher
Norton had shown him the case on which they were
going to proceed, and that he had told him he thought
it was a very weak one, to which he had replied so
did he, but he expected it would produce a very
important political effect."
In 1837 Lord Melbourne became political adviser
to the Queen. As her Prime Minister he had to see
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 155
her every day, as her Secretary he had to spend an
hour or two with her daily in going through her State
correspondence. Thus before many months were
passed, the Opposition began to make stringent re-
marks upon Melbourne at Windsor, but the Duke of
Wellington, satisfied with his actions and his treatment
of the Queen, said, " I wish he were always there ! "
This continued companionship raised a warm feeling of
friendship in the minds of both; Melbourne became
devoted to his Queen, and received from her an almost
filial confidence. George Villiers, who was once on a
visit to Windsor, was greatly impressed with the
relationship between the two, remarking : —
" Lord Melbourne's attitude to the Queen is so
parental and anxious, but always so deferential and
respectful; hers, indicative of such entire confidence,
such pleasure in his society. She is continually talking
to him ; let who will be there, he always sits next her
at dinner, and evidently by arrangement, because he
always takes in the lady in waiting, which necessarily
places him next her, the etiquette being that the lady
in waiting sits next but one to the Queen. It is not
unnatural, and to him it is peculiarly interesting. I
have no doubt he is passionately fond of her as he
might Be of his daughter if he had one, and the more
because he is a man with a capacity for loving without
having anything in the world to love. It has become
his province to educate, instruct, and form the most
interesting mind in the world. No occupation was ever
more engrossing or involved greater responsibility. I
156 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
have no doubt that Melbourne is both equal to and
worthy of the task, and that it is fortunate she has
fallen into his hands, and that he discharges this great
duty wisely, honourably, and conscientiously. There
are, however, or rather may be hereafter, inconve-
niences in the establishment of such an intimacy, and
in a connection of so close and affectionate a nature
between the young Queen and her Minister ; for when-
ever the Government, which hangs by a thread, shall
be broken up, the parting will be painful, and their
subsequent relations will not be without embarrassment
to themselves, nor fail to be the cause of jealousy in
others. It is a great proof of the discretion and purity
of his conduct and behaviour, that he is admired,
respected, and liked by all the Court."
There were, however, to the Viscount some small
inconveniences caused by his constant attendance at
Court. He possessed very courtierlike instincts, it is
true, but in general his attitudes were anything but
those of a courtier, for he loved to lounge and sprawl,
while his language was distinctly unparliamentary,
being interlarded with Damns. Someone writes that
when Brougham's own irresponsibility made it impos-
sible to trust him again with the Great Seal, Melbourne
made the emphatic remark :
" G — d d — n you, I tell you I can't give you the
Great Seal, and there's an end of it ! " When
Brougham was a second time disappointed of place,
he is reported to have said to his former chief, who
was very anxious not to hurt his feelings more than
could be helped :
QUEEN VICTORIA'S ADVISERS 157
"Why don't you say again what you said before,
and damn me for wanting the Seal ? "
On one occasion Melbourne went with Lady Grant
Duff, Mrs. Norton, and Henry Reeve to see " Every
Man in his Humour," and before the curtain rose he
remarked that it would be a dull play with no kudos
in it. Between the acts he exclaimed in a stentorian
voice, heard across the pit :
" I knew this play would be dull, but that it would
be so damnably dull as this I did not suppose ! "
These things Melbourne had to alter; he had to
soften his laugh, keep a guard upon his tongue, and
sit uprightly in his chair ; all of which he accomplished,
though it is recorded that when in 1846 Peel made a
volte face on the repeal of the Corn Laws, Mel-
bourne, though seated at the Queen's table, burst out
with :
" It's a damned dishonest act, Ma'am, a damned
dishonest act." One account of this relates that the
Queen only laughed, while the others around the table
did not know how or where to look, as the Court was
in favour of Repeal and Peel was its trusted Minister;
but another story goes that Melbourne was so excited
that Her Majesty had to say firmly :
" Never mind, Lord Melbourne; we will discuss this
at another time."
This change of opinion on the part of Peel, by the
way, caused many hard words to be showered upon
him, the Duke of Wellington saying, with a side
allusion to the Irish famine :
" Rotten potatoes have done it; they put Peel in his
158 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
damned fright"; while Lord Alvanley declared that
Peel ought not to die a natural death.
It is probable that Melbourne's upright regard for
his own principles attracted Victoria more sincerely
than some of his other good qualities, for her rank
never inclined him to assent to her wishes if he thought
them injudicious.
CHAPTER VII
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE
" Under the present reign the perfect decorum of the Court
is thought to have put a check on the gross vices of the aris-
tocracy; yet gaming, racing, drinking, and mistresses bring
them down, and the democrat can still gather scandals, if he
will. ' ' — Emerson.
THAT the Queen had a determined will was
evidenced by a rather amusing incident early in her
reign. A great military review in Hyde Park had
been suggested for July i8th, but failed to take place,
and the Press did its best to discover the hidden reason
for its abandonment. It is really wonderful how suc-
cessful newspaper men were in ferreting out secrets,
for this time, though they may have added details, with
a little bit invented and a little bit inferred, the main
fact was correct.
Her Majesty was determined that she would appear
at the review on horseback, accompanied by the Duke
of Wellington and Lord Hill, which was certainly the
most effective way of seeing ranks of soldiers pass
before her. A leading London paper reported that
Lord Melbourne was horrified at the idea, for he
thought that propriety demanded that a great lady
should drive in a carriage. This point was discussed
159
160 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
with " firmness " on both sides, the Queen refusing to
alter her method of going, and the Prime Minister
thinking that method too great an innovation to be
countenanced. At last, as Melbourne backed from her
presence, the Queen finished the interview with, " Very
well, my lord, very well; remember, no horse, no
review ! "
So far the papers. But from contemporary corre-
spondence I find that the matter was considered of
sufficient importance for the Duke of Wellington to
ask Lord Liverpool if there were not some idea of
the Queen riding to the review, and on being told that
there was talk of it, he expressed his opinion that it
would be very dangerous, as it was difficult to get good
steady horses, and, besides, the Queen would not be
able to have a " female " attendant with her, which
would seem indelicate, and that, in fact, she had better
go in a carriage.
But Queen Victoria would not be dictated to in this
matter; she decided that there should be no review
this year. " I was determined to have it only if I could
ride, and as I have not ridden for two years, it was
better not." So she showed diplomacy as well as
determination — two very good qualities in a Sovereign.
As to the Duke's doubt about the horses, at that
very time Victoria was pressing the Dowager Queen
Adelaide to take away two or three of her own riding
horses from among the number which, by the death of
the King, had been transferred to herself.
However, Queen Victoria held a review in the Home
QUEEN^VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 161
Park at Windsor in August, when King Leopold was
with her, and both regiments of the Guards, horse and
foot, passed before her, she being mounted on a grey
charger, and wearing a blue riding-habit and cloth cap
with a deep gold band round it. When the troops were
at "attention" the Queen rode along the line and
between the ranks.
While the elections were in progress in July, both
parties made unfair use of Her Majesty's name.
" Vote for (Whig candidate) and the Queen ! "
was the general appeal from the Whig side. In fact,
both sides claimed her; and though we consider the
tactics employed to-day at elections are sometimes
degrading and unnecessary, they are not quite so bad
as they were in the " good old times " of the early part
of last century. The poor disappointed Tories were
spurred to desperation by the conviction forced upon
them that their turn was not yet, and did their best to
score off their opponents. They would not believe in
the generally received idea that the young Queen
favoured the Whigs, an idea which was absolutely
true, however, and they wrote such warnings as the
following : —
' The infamous use made of the Queen's name is
traitorous, base, and cowardly. Her Majesty, if she
has any political bias, which we very much doubt, and
earnestly for her own sake hope she may never have,
is too young and inexperienced in matters of State
policy to have given utterance to it. The continuance
in office of the Melbourne Ministry is no proof of her
M
162 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
affection for them. They are not of her selection ; and,
it may be, are only retained under warning till more
eligible successors are found."
In this strain ran many protests, which a little later,
when the Government had done some work, took a new
form. There were whispers, and then assertions made,
that the Queen had converted all her Ministers to
Conservatism, and in January, 1838, the Morning Post
had a leader upon the subject :—
" Her Majesty . . . has effected an almost instan-
taneous conversion of Lord Melbourne, Lord John
Russell, and all the other members of the Administra-
tion into Conservatives, the most ostentatious, not the
most sincere, of whom England can boast. Yes, the
same statesmen who vexed and harassed the declining
years of their late aged Monarch by their alliance with
the men of the movement, . . . finding themselves at the
commencement of a Conservative reign which the most
juvenile of their number cannot expect to survive, and
having discovered, moreover, that the hints breathed
at them from Kensington during the latter part of their
Royal Mistress's minority were of no true or holy
inspiration, but such spurious and illicit intimations as
seldom fail to deceive alike the givers and the receivers,
have thought fit to make for themselves a movement,
and a very decided one, in a direction diametrically
opposed to that in which for several years past they
have been labouring to advance. The obsequious
Ministers of a Conservative Sovereign, they are as
decidedly Conservative as their existing alliances and
their actual position will allow. Hence their hoary
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 163
chief is in constant personal attendance upon our
youthful Conservative SOVEREIGN, not to impart
political instruction, but to imbibe it."
A week or so later the same paper followed this up
with another leader, in which it said : — •
" The Whigs — the Melbourne or bastard Whigs we
mean — have, with a most accommodating and mere-
tricious facility, prostituted their hereditary and their
personal pretexts — for principles we cannot call them
— to captivate the ' sweet voices ' of the swinish con-
stituency (? electorate), which, for purposes more
swinish than the constituency created, they have forced
into existence."
We scarcely aim at outdoing this sort of thing to-day ;
no paper would dare to label the electorate "swinish,"
for the extension of the franchise would at least have
had the effect of making all England feel itself insulted
through every constituency.
That there had been no conversion of the Govern-
ment it is unnecessary to say, but there may have been
something to warrant the hope — or otherwise — that
such a change had taken place, for Melbourne was
distinctly a moderate Whig, disapproving of really
Radical measures, just as Wellington disapproved of
following blindly the desires of his party when he
regarded their methods as impolitic. There was,
however, a generally expressed hope that the Whigs
would not long be retained in power, and articles upon
this point filled the Tory papers, while songs were
sung in the streets on the same theme. In Hudders-
M 2
164 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
field upon a window-pane is said to have been
written : —
" The Queen is with us, Whigs insulting say,
For when she found us in she let us stay ;
It may be so, but give me leave to doubt
How long she'll keep you when she finds you out."
Fatherly and experienced as was Melbourne, and
ready as was the Queen to be taught, she did not give
herself unreservedly into his hands, and there was no
truth in the cheap witticism which I have come across
somewhere : ' ' The Lion of England/ said the Queen,
with one of her bland smiles, ' has been taught to lie
down with the Lamb ! '
If there was anything of particular importance to
decide, Victoria was not one to go calmly where she
was led ; she had left all that ductility behind on the
day that she attained her eighteenth year. Her answer
would be : "I would rather think about it first; I will
let you know my decision to-morrow." Thus would
she reply to everyone, with the result that many said
that she could not decide a question until she had
asked advice of Melbourne. But he recorded that
such was her habit with him, and that when he talked
to her upon any subject which required an expressed
opinion of her own, she would reply that she would
think it over and let him know her sentiments the next
day. Of course, the next suggestion was that Lehzen
was her counsellor, and that she always ran to her for
advice ; failing that lady, that it was Stockmar. The
curious thing was that only one person seems to have
suggested that the Duchess of Kent was the power
LORD BROUGHAM.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 165
behind the Throne, and this was Lord Brougham, of
whom Greville, being at Holland House once, wrote
that he "came in after dinner, looking like an old
clothes man, and as dirty as the ground." But there
is no doubt at all that the Queen really and wisely
decided to think matters out for herself, and not to
adjudge any matter rashly. Leopold constantly gave
her this advice : " Whenever a question is of some
importance, it should not be decided on the day on
which it is submitted to you. ... It is really not doing
oneself justice de decider des questions sur le pouce"
Greville complained that Victoria betrayed caution
and prudence, the former to a degree unnatural in one
so young, and unpleasing in that it suppressed the
youthful impulses regarded generally as so graceful
and so attractive. This caution was shown in her dis-
like of expressing an opinion upon people ; Melbourne
was never able to extract any idea as to whom she liked
or disliked, which seemed much to surprise him; but
once, probably anxious to know who, supposing for
some unforeseen reason he failed her, would be most
acceptable as her adviser, he pressed the point. Her
Majesty, still cautious, asked if it were a matter of
State policy that she should answer. Melbourne
replied that in no other circumstances would he have
presumed to put such a question. " Then," she said,
" there is one person for whom I should feel a decided
preference, and that is the Duke of Wellington."
It was but natural that the Premier — a word much
in use at that period — should feel some embarrass-
ment at the amount of work he had to bring this girl,
166 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
who might well have hoped for a life of ease and enjoy-
ment, and sometimes he apologised for his exactions.
She would not, however, recognise the need for such
apology, saying that the attention required from her
was only a change of occupation ; she had not so far
led a life of leisure, " for you know well that I have not
long left off my lessons."
At this time the Queen was said to be much more
like the Brunswicks than the Guelphs, being, in fact,
very like the unfortunate wife of George I., who was
imprisoned for years in the Royal palace at Celle, in
Hanover. Sophia's hair was much fairer, but the
features were the same.
The I ittle Queen, despite her busy life and the extra
work she gave herself in her attempt to remember and
judge, had time to think of other people. She worked
with the zeal of the new-comer, kept a journal, in which
she entered anything remarkable that she noticed, with
her criticisms thereon; and after every important
debate would collect all the newspaper reports and
make a precis of the best of them. She thought for
the comfort of the Dowager Queen, and was somewhat
troubled about the Fitzclarences; the pension list was
gone through by her, and some little acts of kindness
done. Thus old Sir John Lade, who had been one of
the wildest of the Regent's companions in the palmy
days of the Pavilion, was still alive, having run through
all his possessions. " Our Prinny " had given him a
pension of five hundred a year out of the Privy Purse ;
William IV. gave him three hundred a year when he
came to the throne, but it was supposed that with the
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 167
young Queen his pension must end. The poor old
roue, then over eighty, implored Lord Sefton's interest
with Melbourne to secure him some portion, however
small, of the amount; but Melbourne could hold him
out no hope that he would receive it. When Queen
Victoria was asked her pleasure in the matter, she said,
" But is not Sir John over eighty years old? " " That
is so, your Majesty." 'Then I will neither inquire
into the pension nor reduce it; it shall be continued
from my Privy Purse," she answered.
The tribe of Fitzclarences were in a state of rebel-
lious anxiety concerning their own affairs ; they all were
holding sinecures and drawing salaries, besides being
in receipt of pensions out of the public pension list
and nearly ,£10,000 a year given them by King
William. Ft was in Victoria's power to withdraw all
this, and the accounts of the austerity of the Kensing-
ton circle thoroughly frightened them. Between the
Duchess of Kent and all the Fitzclarences, whether
taken singly or as a family, there was no love, no liking,
scarcely tolerance ; and so little was known of Victoria
by them that they could only suppose that she shared
her mother's views.
Lord Munster, the eldest, received the first shock,
which communicated itself to the other members. He
held the post of Lieutenant of the Round Tower, and
on his surrendering the keys to the Queen they were
not given back to him, though Victoria was most
pleasant and polite. But Munster behaved with dis-
cretion, for he probably expected this; and after some
days it was discovered that he had been given the post
168 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
for life. So the keys were returned him, with ample
apology from Lord Melbourne. When the pensions
and other things were considered, the Prime Minister
advised Her Majesty to grant all the Fitzclarences the
same amounts they had enjoyed during their father's
life, for, he said, " It would be kind, it would be
generous, and it would be conclusive. No further
demand could be made."
As for the Dowager Queen, Victoria showed her
every attention and affection, begging her to take from
Windsor anything that she wished for. On the first
occasion that Queen Adelaide visited her at the Castle
she desired that she would choose which bedroom she
would like to occupy; whereupon the old Queen
naturally asked to have that in which she had slept
when King William was alive. It had already been
dedicated to the young Queen's use, but she willingly
gave it up, forbidding anyone to let Queen Adelaide
know that she was turning out for her. Thus every-
one began to feel a certain confidence in at least the
good disposition of the Queen, and those who stood to
lose or gain began to breathe more freely.
It was a queer swinging of the pendulum, for the
Duchess of Kent, who ought to have attained the
height of her ambition and happiness, was at this time
one of the most disappointed and miserable of women,
while those who feared to lose all found themselves
assured in their positions for the rest of their lives.
Madame de Lieven, so noted for her love of political
intrigue, was granted an audience by the Queen at the
end of July, 1837, and found that cautious young lady
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 169
disinclined to talk of anything but commonplaces,
being probably afraid of committing herself. Victoria
had, in fact, been warned by Leopold to beware of the
wily Frenchwoman. Madame de Lieven's interview
with the Duchess of Kent was, however, of a much
more intimate character, and before she left she was
doing her best to condole with that august lady for
being the mother of a Queen — for having, in fact,
accomplished her desire, and having nothing left for
which to live.
The poor Duchess complained that, though her
daughter showed her every attention and kindness, she
had rendered herself absolutely independent of that
mother who had so long (and so unwisely) guided
every moment of her days and nights, so that the
Duchess felt abjectly insignificant. She also still felt
bitterly mortified at the way in which Conroy had been
dismissed. Her words to Madame de Lieven were,
"There is no longer any future for me; there is no
longer anything."
She felt that this child, who for eighteen years had
been almost the only thing she lived for, was now lost
to her. Poor woman! if only she had understood
human nature a little better she would have had a less
royal time over her child in the past and a greater
influence in the present. Madame de Lieven urged
the idea of reflected glory upon her; told her that she
ought to be the happiest of human beings in seeing the
elevation of her child, in watching her success, in
appreciating the praise and admiration which were
lavished upon her ; but the Duchess only " shook her
170 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
head with a melancholy smile," saying that that would
not fill her life ; that the accomplishment of her wishes
only made her unhappy and forlorn. In actual fact
the Duchess was an ambitious woman, and the intrigu-
ing at Kensington had not been a supposition, but a
fact. A month after Queen Victoria's accession
Leopold, writing to her of a person who loved intrigue,
added, "Your life amongst intriguers and tormented
by intrigues has given you an experience on this im-
portant subject, which you will do well not to lose sight
of, as it will unfortunately often reproduce itself —
though the aims and methods may not be the same."
The Duchess had thought to see herself filling the
great post of Regent over a great kingdom, wielding
the power, if not the sceptre, of a monarch ; and when
this dream passed she fully expected to point the guid-
ing finger for her daughter, to be present at State
discussions, to be consulted in all difficulties; indeed,
to continue to be the ruling influence in Victoria's life,
and through her in England. She could not realise
that her own independent attitude had taught her child
the same quality, for the Queen wrote in her journal
on June 2oth that she saw Lord Melbourne at nine
o'clock, " and, of course, quite alone, as I shall always
do all my Ministers." It was well for Victoria that
she put her foot down so firmly, even though so cruelly,
at the outset, for otherwise it would have been inevit-
able that she would have been the unhappy one.
The Duchess's position certainly did not justify
Brougham's spiteful assertion in the House some little
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 171
time later; indeed, it gives the lie to it. That states-
man in this speech started the dislike which for a long
time the Queen felt for him. He was then still sitting
on the Ministerial side, and listened to the proposition
that the Duchess of Kent should receive a grant of
^30,000 a year, with a not unusual desire to make
trouble. In an outrageous speech he denounced as
extravagant such a grant, and spoke of the Duchess
as the " Queen-Mother." There were many who felt
this to be a veiled attack on the Duchess's probable
influence over the Queen, and who resented it; but
Melbourne punished Brougham more astutely by
appearing to believe that he had simply made an error.
" Mother of the Queen," he ejaculated. Brougham
loved a quarrel, and turned upon Melbourne at once.
" I admit my noble friend is right. On a point of this
sort I humble myself before my noble friend. I have
no courtier-like cultivation. I am rude of speech.
The tongue of my noble friend is so well hung and so
well attuned to courtly airs, that I cannot compete with
him for the prize which he is now so eagerly struggling
to win. Not being given to glozing and flattery, I may
say that the Duchess of Kent (whether to be called the
Queen-Mother or the Mother of the Queen) is nearly
connected with the Throne; and a plain man like
myself, having no motive but to do my duty, may be
permitted to surmise that any additional provision for
her might possibly come from the Civil List, which
you have so lavishly voted."
Melbourne replied by pointing out the difference
172 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
between a Queen Dowager and a Princess who had
never sat on the Throne, and complimented Brougham
on his skill in " egregious flattery."
In spite of his dirt and his carelessness about dress—
" He wears a black stock or collar, and it is so wide
that you see a dirty coloured handkerchief under,
tied tight round his neck. You never saw such an
object, or anything half so dirty" — Brougham was one
of the most remarkably intellectual men of his day.
We have heard accounts of how over-prolific writers
dictate three stories at once to three different type-
writers all in the same room; and really Brougham
seems to have had some such capacity. If he did not
do about six things at once, he did them in such rapid
succession that it makes one's brain whirl to think of
it. He worked ceaselessly from 9 a.m. to i a.m., and
seemed quite fresh at the end of that time; a day's
work might include going through the details of a
Chancery suit, writing a philosophical or mathematical
treatise, correcting articles for the " Library of Useful
Knowledge," and preparing a great speech for the
House of Lords. Yet he was so intemperate in his
speech, so ready with invective, so inconstant in his
views, that he became a terror to the House, and,
indeed, seemed constantly on the border-line of in-
sanity. One writer said he was like a wasp, for ever
buzzing and stinging the Government, animated to
sting by spite and malice. Creevy spoke of him as the
Archfiend, Old Wicked-Shifts, and Beelzebub; and
when he had a new carnage with, on the panel, a
coronet surmounting a large B, Sydney Smith
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 173
remarked, " There goes a carriage with a bee outside
and a wasp inside."
In 1838, when he knew that he would no longer
have the Great Seal as Lord Chancellor, someone in
Paris asked him who were the Queen's Ministers.
" Really," he replied, " I do not know; I cannot recall
the names of more than three or four." Yet there was
a very tender spot in his heart, which made him remark
upon being introduced to a beautiful young girl, " I
don't know what to say to these young things ; I feel
like the old Devil talking to an angel." Brougham,
too, adored his daughter, who only lived nineteen years,
dying at Cannes after a life of illness. He built the
Villa Eleanor for her at Cannes, and after her death
her bedroom, always called Eleanor's room, was kept
unaltered during Brougham's life. He had Eleanor's
body brought to England and buried in the graveyard
of Lincoln's Inn Fields, probably the only woman ever
buried there. He became very unpopular with the
Court after Victoria's marriage by speaking of her as
Albertina, and never losing an opportunity of saying
something disrespectful. One night he behaved so
badly at a Court function that he was totally ignored
for a long time after. Then one day Her Majesty
asked the Chancellor why it was that Lord Brougham
never appeared, and this was looked upon as the olive-
branch, which Brougham gladly recognised, sending
both to the Queen and to Prince Albert one of his
books, which Victoria acknowledged by sending him
an autograph letter of thanks, thought by everyone a
great honour.
174 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
His very soul craved for appreciation and applause,
and in October, 1839, he took a queer way of finding
out what the world would say if he were no more. He,
Leader (the member for Westminster), and Robert
Shaf to went in a hackney carriage from Brougham Hall
to see some ruins in the district. An accident of some
sort happened, and this suggested to Brougham the
practical joke of reporting his own death. A letter
supposed to have been written by Shafto was received
by Alfred Montgomery, a great favourite with
Brougham, detailing the expedition, saying that the
splinter bar broke, all were thrown out, Brougham was
kicked on the head, and the carriage turned over on
him, killing him on the spot. Montgomery rushed to
Gore House, before Lady Blessington had sat down
to breakfast, with the news, and by the afternoon a
thousand rumours were afloat. Brougham was
mourned by all. Sheil hurried from the Athenaeum
Club on Monday evening to pen a magniloquent
obituary, which appeared in the next day's Morning
Chronicle. "Windsor Castle shook with glee, and
Lord Holland began to think he should venture to
speak again in the Lords. For the first time for five
years all the world talked for a whole day about
Brougham's virtues, and there was wondrous forgive-
ness of injuries in the whole metropolis." On Monday
a letter by him, written on Sunday, was received at the
Colonial Office, and soon the hoax became known. At
first Brougham denied being the author of the grim
jest, scared, perhaps, by the anger of those who had
wept over his death. He actually challenged his old
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 175
friend Sir Arthur Paget for accusing him of the deed;
and on November 23rd we have the amusing scene of
the Duke of Cambridge, after the Queen had with-
drawn from a Council, running round the room after
Brougham, shouting at the top of his voice :
" By God, Brougham, you did it ! By God, you
wrote the letter yourself ! "
It was in relation to this and to Brougham's desire
for political promotion that Henry Reeve said :
" Brougham is less manageable than usual; for though
he has had a resurrection, he may and must despair of
an ascension."
On an earlier occasion Brougham scored neatly off
another of the Royal Dukes. The Duke of Gloucester
was conversing with him on the burning topic of the
Reform Bill, and grew so warm in the argument that
at length he observed hastily that the Chancellor was
very near a fool. Brougham readily replied that he
could not think of contradicting the Duke, as he fully
saw the force of His Royal Highness's 'position.
Lord John Russell, the Home Secretary, was of a
very different type. Theodore Hook first gave him the
nickname of " the Widow's Mite," as he was very
small, and had married the widow of Lord Ribblesdale,
herself also of small size. Creevy talks of meeting
them somewhere : " In came the little things, as merry-
looking as they well could be, but really much more
calculated, from their size, to show off on a chimney-
piece than to mix and be trod upon in company." But
those who looked at John Russell from a different
aspect found him equal to every occasion, strong in
176 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
principle, clear in his ideas, bold and straightforward
in his disposition, and afraid of no one.
Not the least noteworthy of the men who influenced
politics in the early part of the Queen's reign was Sir
Robert Peel, who declared at the beginning of her
first Parliament that if the Government tried to carry
through any further measures of reform he would
resist them to the utmost. Like Melbourne, he was not
a whole-hearted party man, and when in power dis-
appointed everyone by trying to steer a middle course.
He was shy, reserved, cautious, and unable to be really
decisive; also by his lack of cordial manners he was
unfortunate enough to accentuate in the Queen's mind
every prejudice she held against the Tories, for, unlike
Melbourne, he had no idea of how to please a woman.
Among the Queen's women were one or two worthy
of mention, chief of whom was the First Lady of the
Bedchamber, the Duchess of Sutherland. In spite of
the want of punctuality, she was a most attractive
woman, giving an impression of something very
plenteous and sunny in her appearance. She was tall,
large, and carried herself with a good-natured stateli-
ness ; her hair was blond, her features large and well-
chiselled, her smile beaming, and benevolence in every
look and word. In 1853 Henry Reeve said of her:
" In our time there has been nobody who continues to
surround herself with a sort of fictitious dignity like
the Duchess of Sutherland. She is not clever, and in
anyone else her affectations might be laughed at. But
she is neither worldly nor ambitious; is very good-
natured, and has a thoroughly kindly heart; all of
HARRIET, DUCHESS OF SUTHERLAND.
176 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
principle, clear in his ideas, bold and straightforward
in his disposition, and afraid of no one.
Not the least noteworthy of the men who influenced
politics in the early part of the Queen's reign was Sir
Robert Peel, who declared at the beginning of her
first Parliament that if the Government tried to carry
through any further measures of reform he would
resist them to the utmost. Like Melbourne, he was not
a whole-hearted party man, and when in power dis-
appointed everyone by trying to steer a middle course.
He was shy, reserved, cautious, and unable to be really
decisive; also by his lack of cordial manners he was
unfortunate enough to accentuate in the Queen's mind
every prejudice she held against the Tories, for, unlike
Melbourne, he had no idea of how to please a woman.
Among the Queen's women were one or two worthy
of mention, chief of whom was the First Lady of the
Bedchamber, the Duchess of Sutherland. In spite of
the want of punctuality, she was a most attractive
woman, giving an impression of something very
plenteous and sunny in her appearance. She was tall,
large, and carried herself with a good-natured stateli-
ness ; her hair was blond, her features large and well-
chiselled, her smile beaming, and benevolence in every
look and word. In 1853 Henry Reeve said of her:
" In our time there has been nobody who continues to
surround herself with a sort of fictitious dignity like
the Duchess of Sutherland. She is not clever, and in
anyone else her affectations might be laughed at. But
she is neither worldly nor ambitious; is very good-
natured, and has a thoroughly kindly heart; all of
HARRIET, DUCHESS OF SUTHERLAND.
QUEEN^ VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 177
which, added to her beauty and high character, gives
her an influence in society far beyond what wealth and
rank could claim for her."
It is a pity that the Marchioness of Tavistock, later
Duchess of Bedford, whom Her Majesty had known
many years, had not rather more than she had of Lady
Sutherland's kindliness; she might then have saved
the Queen from one of the most painful episodes in
her life. One writer called her a gaby, modifying it,
however, by saying that she was all truth and daylight ;
and Lady Cardigan speaks of the charming recollec-
tion she could conjure up of her, saying that it was at
her house that she heard Tom Moore sing and play his
Irish melodies. Lady Tavistock was driving one Sun-
day in the carriage which followed the Queen, when the
latter, being cold, got out to walk, and, of course, all
the ladies had to do the same. It had been raining,
and presumably Victoria was properly shod for the
occasion ; Lady Tavistock was not, however, and soon
her shoes and stockings were wet through and covered
with mud. When at last they got back to the Castle
the shivering Lady Tavistock found that her maid was
out, the cupboards were all locked up, and there was
nothing to do but to go to bed until she could get
dry stockings !
The Queen was of quick temper and wilful. Her
half-sister once wrote : " I was much amused at your
tracing the quickness of our tempers in the female line
up to Grandmamma (the Dowager Duchess of Saxe-
Coburg-Saalfeld), but I must own that you are quite
right." Thus she never forgot that she was the Queen,
N
178 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
and went her own way irrespective of other people.
Palmerston said in conversation that any Minister
who had to deal with her (the Queen) would soon find
out that she was no ordinary person; and on a lady
giving the credit to the Duchess of Kent, he added that
Her Majesty had an understanding of her own which
could have been made by no one. "A resolute little
tit," one diarist of the time dubbed her.
Once the first freshness of being Queen was dulled,
Victoria set herself to enjoy life as much as possible.
Theatres, the opera, balls, and parties were the order
of the evening. She rode every day, generally accom-
panied by the Duchess of Kent, and often with Mel-
bourne on one side of her and Lord Palmerston on the
other. Her usual riding habit was of dark green
cloth, and she wore a black beaver hat without veil or
trimming. Once when riding, and having sixteen
people in her train, she passed over Battersea Bridge,
the toll-taker counted the party and demanded the toll
from the groom who brought up the rear. The man
had no money, but, taken by surprise, and perhaps un-
aware that the Monarch had a " free pass " over the
roads of the kingdom, he parted with a silk handker-
chief as a pledge of future payment.
Queen Victoria gave a grand concert at Buckingham
Palace in honour of her mother's birthday on the i;th
of August, the Court going out of mourning for the
day — a concert made memorable by the fact that all the
men — even the aged Duke of Sussex — were required
to stand, as well as the Ladies of the Household, while
the ladies who were guests occupied chairs. This
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 179
somewhat inhospitable arrangement seems to have
made a great impression, for I have come across
mention of it in various places.
The Queen opened the Victoria Gate of Hyde Park,
entertained her uncle, King Leopold, and his wife at
Windsor in September, sat for her portrait — being, it
is said, a most patient sitter — and appointed Sir David
Wilkie as Painter in Ordinary. When Hayter was
painting her he had done much to the face, but had
not started upon the arms, and she asked him how he
would place her hands. :( Just take them and pose
them as you think," she said. With some diffidence
the painter did as she wished. She turned to the lady
near her, saying, " How strange ! I have often thought
how I would place the hands if I were painting the
portrait of a Queen, and it was exactly in this
position."
A queer little speech, which shows how thoroughly
the Princess had soaked her mind in the anticipation
of being Queen.
The Times, which Lord Grey once called the most
infamous of all papers, published a curious description
of a portrait of Queen Victoria which was painted in
1838 by Parris. The writer went into rhapsodies over
it, and concluded by remarking that " the bosom had
been most delicately handled, and had been brought
out by the artist in admirable rotundity, who had
imparted full relief to it." Lord Palmerston used to
say that when Her Majesty was once asked how she
would like to be painted, she replied, " In my Dalmatic
robe. Lord Melbourne thinks that I look best in that."
N 2
180 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
When she went to the Royal Academy for the second
time that year (after her accession), C. R. Leslie says
that she appeared towards her mother the same affec-
tionate little girl as hitherto, calling her " Mamma."
On her return to town from Windsor in the autumn
there were many functions to attend, the first and most
wonderful being the banquet given in her honour on
November Qth at Guildhall. Books have been written
on this ceremony, and amusing incidents are not want-
ing to make it interesting. The streets were avenues
of green boughs and flags as the Queen drove through
them, followed by a train of two hundred carriages.
On this occasion Her Majesty sat alone in her State
carriage, her mother occupying one which preceded
her.
The new Lord Mayor (Alderman Cowan) and the
Aldermen met the Queen outside Temple Bar, near
Child's Bank. All the civic magnates were riding, and
for this purpose had hired horses from the Artillery
Barracks at Woolwich, each horse being brought up by
its usual rider, who was to act as attendant squire to
the Alderman who temporarily became its master.
It was not an easy thing for gentlemen unaccustomed
to the saddle to mount on horseback; however, with
much care and pains bestowed by the troopers, the
Aldermen were at last seated and formed into proces-
sion. One of the daily journals added to its account
of the proceedings : " We believe only one fell off, and
that accident happened through a laudable desire to
perform an act of obeisance to a fair lady at a window.
The worthy Alderman fell flat upon the ground, and
his horse walked over him. Since the days of John
QUEEN VICTORIA'S CIRCLE 181
Gilpin no feat of a citizen of London on horseback has
excited so much masculine laughter and feminine sym-
pathy. A general cry was raised, the procession
stopped, and several military officers and brother cor-
porators rushed to the assistance of the fallen cavalier,
who had sustained but little injury, and he was
hoisted into the saddle amidst general cheers and
laughter."
It is needless to tell of the display at Guildhall — of
the £400,000 worth of plate, gold dishes, coffee-cups
of gold with handles of lapis lazuli, a candelabra
formed of a thousand ounces of gold, and a thousand
other extravagances. It reads like an Eastern story.
The banquet itself lasted three hours, while the whole
function took from two in the afternoon until past nine
at night. The Queen was gorgeous in pink satin, gold
and silver, pearls and diamonds ; and the Queen of the
City was equally gorgeous, though perhaps not so
youthful, in green velvet, white satin, gold fringe,
Brussels lace, opals, and diamonds. On the return
journey the Queen went as she had come, a stately
little figure alone in an enormous carriage.
At this period she delighted in her State amuse-
ments, and it is pleasant to think that for once fate
allowed a young thing to go through all these experi-
ences just at the right age, just when a romantic, colour-
loving girl could really appreciate pomp and ceremony,
could bow and smile, and listen with pleasure to cheers
and applause, without seeing the things that lay
behind.
The Queen's next excitement was the opening of
Parliament, which she did with all the grace that had
182 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
attached to her from the first, making people like
Fanny Kemble go into ecstasies over her face, "not
handsome, but very pretty," her clear soft eyes, her
dignity, her beautifully moulded hands and arms, her
exquisite voice, &c. Well, young queens are not very
plentiful, so it is good to make much of them when
they are found ; only to-day we should feel ashamed
to be so delighted with ordinary composure and good-
breeding; we should be much more likely to condemn
unsparingly the lack of them. But then the standard
of womanly excellence of those days and of these
have little relationship to each other.
There were theatres to visit, with their Royal boxes
fitted up and decorated for the young Sovereign, and
at that time the King's Theatre became Her Majesty's
by her command. This eventful year drew to its close
with the Christmas festivities spent at Windsor.
CHAPTER VIII
QUEEN VICTORIA'S PRIME MINISTER
" Good Monarchs we've had whom we think on with pride,
Who wisely e'er filled their high station,
But now we've a woman, Heaven bless her ! beside
She's a child of our noble nation.
Victoria the First is of virtue the gem,
May sorrow ne'er seek to oppress her,
Then, fill up your goblets once more to the brim,
Long life to the Queen, God bless her ! "
Anon.
" Nobody is more abused by bad people than Melbourne —
and nobody is more forgiving. ' ' — Queen Victoria.
FROM the beginning of the reign Melbourne had
been in constant attendance on his Queen, exacting
from her an assiduity in State matters which she was
very ready to give, and taking no notice of the gos-
sipers' innuendoes which filled the social atmosphere.
Nothing startling had happened, but Court matters
had taken a turn which meant a slow drifting into
trouble of various kinds.
There is no doubt at all that Victoria went heart
and soul with the Whigs. She was not a Radical, but
184 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
she was also not a Tory. Though in later years she
was accused of neglecting Ireland, at that time she
was keen to deal justly with that part of her kingdom.
She was interested in foreign affairs, and she did her
successful utmost to understand the affairs of England.
The fears of the Anti-Catholics had not been verified,
though those people seemed to take little comfort in
the fact; Victoria was not influenced by her foreign
surrounders; she had not put Sir John Conroy into
a high place of honour; nor had Lord Durham, the
leader of the Radicals, become Master of the House-
hold— in place of that he was invested with the dignity
of a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable
Order of the Garter, and appointed Governor of
Canada, while Lady Durham became one of the
Queen's ladies.
But Queen Victoria introduced certain new customs
into her social life which caused considerable offence.
For instance, she gave precedence to the Diplomatic
Corps, and so raised much anger among the aristo-
cracy, who opposed the innovation and revenged them-
selves for it whenever and wherever they got the
opportunity, which frequently gave rise to very dis-
agreeable incidents. This is quite understandable, for
if the Queen always had Melbourne on her left and
Blilow or some other foreigner on her right, the English
Dukes and other men of rank had no chance of being
distinguished by her favours. On the other hand, the
Queen saw the Englishmen often, and it must have
been more amusing for her to talk with the strangers.
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 185
The Opposition felt gradually obliged to divest itself
of the plans it had made for the new reign, and the
Lords, who had assumed that King William was, with-
out his will, in the hands of a faction from whose
bondage he could not release himself, and had strongly
hoped that Victoria would range herself on their side,
had also to realise that they would receive no special
support from the Crown. Indeed, a gulf of dislike
was being formed with the Government and the Queen
on one side, and the Opposition and the House of
Lords on the other. As early as the autumn of 1837,
in their spleen the latter started foolish stories about
the Queen and Melbourne. The more thoughtless
would not believe in the real position of affairs, and
had, forsooth ! to whisper that at last Melbourne was
showing his ambition, and that it was no mere tutorial
care that he was giving to Her Majesty. The Countess
Grey wrote in the October following Victoria's acces-
sion, " I hope you are amused at the report of Lord
Melbourne being likely to marry the Queen. For my
part I have no objection. I am inclined to be very
loyal and fond of her ; she seems to be so considerate
and good-natured." Princess Lieven, too, made in a
letter the very complacent remark about Melbourne's
association with the Queen, " I for myself cannot help
imagining that she must be going to marry him. It is
all, however, according to rule, and I find <it both
proper and in his own interest that Lord Melbourne
should keep himself absolutely master of the situa-
tion." It was so absurd an idea that even if the Queen
186 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
had heard of it she could not have let it trouble her.
A day or so before Princess Lieven's letter had been
written, Victoria had been talking in most intimate
fashion to Lady Cowper (Melbourne's sister), saying
to her : " He eats too much, and I often tell him so.
Indeed, I do so myself, and my doctor has ordered
me not to eat luncheon any more." " And does your
Majesty quite obey him ? " asked Lady Cowoer. " Why
yes, I think I do, for I only eat a little broth."
Creevy comments upon this in a letter, " Now, I
think a little Queen taking care of a Prime Minister's
stomach, he being nearly sixty, is everything one could
wish ! If only the Tory press could get hold of this
fact what fun they would make of it." It would
indeed have been a much better subject than that
Melbourne was anxious to marry his Sovereign. I
must quote a little further from this sprightly diarist,
for he was on the spot, and gives us an account
of the Queen which is frank, and therefore not ani-
mated by the servile desire to praise in spite of every-
thing. He went to dine with Her Majesty when she
made her visit to the Pavilion at Brighton, and having
been told that he was to sit on the Duchess of Kent's
right hand, he said of it later, " Oh, what a fright I
was in about my right ear," which, however, being
deaf, should not have troubled him, as he would
naturally present his left ear to the Duchess. His
account continued :
" Here comes the Queen, the Duchess of Kent the
least little bit in the world behind her, all her ladies
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 187
in a row still more behind; Lord Conyngham and
Cavendish on each flank of the Queen. . . . She was
told by Lord Conyngham that I had not been pre-
sented, upon which a scene took place that to me was
truly distressing. The poor little thing could not get
her glove off. I never was so annoyed in my life ; yet
what could I do ? But she blushed and laughed and
pulled till the thing was done, and I kissed her hand.
. . . Then to dinner. . . . The Duchess of Kent was
agreeable and chatty, and she said, ' Shall we drink
some wine ? ' My eyes, however, all the while were
fixed on Vic. To mitigate the harshness of any criti-
cism I may pronounce upon her manners, let me
express my conviction that she and her mother are
one. I never saw a more pretty or natural devotion
than she shows to her mother in everything, and I
reckon this as by far the most amiable, as well as
valuable, disposition to start with in the fearful struggle
she has in life before her. Now for her appearance,
but all in the strictest confidence. A more homely
little thing you never beheld, when she is at her ease,
and she is evidently dying to be always more so. She
laughs in real earnest, opening her mouth. as wide as
it can go, showing not very pretty gums. . . . She eats
quite as heartily as she laughs, I think I may say she
gobbles. . . . She blushes and laughs every instant in
so natural a way as to disarm anybody. Her voice is
perfect, so is the expression of her face, when she
means to say or do a pretty thing."
One would like to know the sentiments of the
188 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
passages which have been left out of this account by
the editor of the book; things a little more plainly
spoken than those left in, which are plain enough
perhaps. That the Queen loved a hearty laugh is well
known, and from some current print I have copied this
vulgar criticism upon her : " The extraordinary funny
laugh of the little lady is amusing enough. Her smile
is proverbially beautiful; but there is no very great
necessity for such a peculiar display of the ivories,
albeit they are unquestionably excellent." Her
Majesty is said to have eaten ungracefully all her life.
I remember years ago hearing a pert daughter reprove
her father for picking a bone. He turned calm eyes
upon her as he replied, " It is well known that the.
Queen always picks bones at table ; I like doing it and
may surely follow the fashion set by Her Majesty."
A lady diarist of the day notes that during one of her
tours in the Midlands the Princess was given asparagus,
and insisted upon eating it in her own way, "which
was not a very pretty one," and it was some time before
she would give heed to the Duchess's repeated
remonstrances.
A little later the genial letter writer who gave so
frank a description of the greatest lady in the land,
added to an epistle, " Alas ! tho5 last not least, in truth
little Vic. and her mother are not one, tho} Melbourne
knows of no other cause of this disunion than Conroy,
whom the Duchess of Kent sees still almost daily, and
for a long time together."
There was one matter which troubled the Queen
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 189
from the day she began to reign, and that was the need
of money, for the Civil List could not be arranged
until Parliament met in November. Messrs. Coutts,
however, came to the rescue, with a desire that she
would draw upon them for all that she needed. Yet
at that time neither she nor anyone else knew what
would be the amount of her income. It was felt
generally by the Ministers that it would be better to
show confidence in their Sovereign than to be niggardly
in the allowance made, as the provision of a good
income would take away all excuse in future for the
contracting of Royal debt. So the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. Spring-Rice, who when he
first came to Court was said to see everything en couleur
de rose, had to bear the burden of this. Melbourne
begged him to "come prepared to act boldly and
liberally, and by no means to fiddle upon small points
and about petty salaries."
Spring-Rice loyally did as he was advised, and made
himself still more unpopular than he had hitherto been.
The Economists, the Radicals, and the Opposition — a
coalition which was much more successful three or four
years later when asked to grant an income to Prince
Albert — railed alike at the extravagance ; for trade and
agriculture were in a state of depression, and an expen-
sive scheme of Poor Law was being considered with
the hope that it might do something to relieve the worst
poverty. The newspapers taunted and upbraided
Spring-Rice to their mischievous content, and made
little verses upon him.
190 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
" Your name, Spring-Rice, is not the thing,
To call you so is flummery,
For how can that belong to Spring
Whose treatment should be summery? "
was one comment. A second which I have come across
is more spiteful : " Mr. Spring-Rice is a smart, little,
flat-catching thimble-rigger, full of small tricks and
deceptions. Yet whenever he attempts to practise on
a large scale he invariably throws crabs/' I wonder
whether Spring-Rice's optimism survived all the
attacks made upon him during his political career.
In spite of the grumbling the Civil List was quickly
pushed through, and the Royal maiden found herself
the possessor of — in addition to the Duchies of Lan-
caster and Cornwall — a total annuity of £385,000 a
year, being £10,000 more than the net income granted
to William IV. This large sum was divided in the
following way. Privy Purse, £60,000; Household
salaries, £131,260; Household expenses, £172,500;
Royal Bounty, £13,200; and unappropriated, £8,040.
With this the Queen was very content, and returned
thanks to Parliament in person for what it had done.
Then she did a wonderful thing, for by the autumn of
the following year she had transferred to her father's
creditors out of her privy purse nearly £50,000. This
was a noble thing to do, indeed, seemingly almost
impossible, when one remembers the family from
which she had sprung — one King after another, to say
nothing of the Princes, dying deeply in debt, and con-
sidering it but a normal condition — and also remember-
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 191
ing the fascination which the spending of money on
personal matters must have had for a girl hitherto
almost deprived of money.
This income, however, gave new soreness to those
who were smarting already, and the better sort, being
debarred from criticising their Queen too openly, turned
upon Lord Melbourne, who never troubled to read
strictures upon himself, and who took such criticism,
when he did hear it, with a smile. From the day of
Victoria's accession until the day that he went out of
office, Melbourne was the favourite object of vilifica-
tion. The Court was said to be, under his influence,
such a hot-bed of Whiggism " that a Conservative cat
was not so much as permitted to mew in the precincts
of the Palace," and it began to be hinted that the
Queen might remember that she was Queen over
England and not over a party. The first form of
attack was directed against Melbourne's constant asso-
ciation with her; he was accused of pleasure-seeking,
of idleness, and of irresponsibility. Queen Victoria,
who was most conscientious about business matters,
seems to have shortened her stay at Brighton on his
account, for the Court Journal announced : " Her
Majesty arrived at Buckingham Palace from Brighton,
the distance from the latter place being too far for
Lord Melbourne," which meant, of course, for her to
see him each day. Upon this another journal asked :
" Why will the Queen at Brighton make
So very, very short a stay?
Solely, of course, for Sponge's sake,
Who cannot dine there every day."
192 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Sponge Melbourne " was a favourite form of
for him in the satiric papers.
However, the real fury did not burst around the
Throne until some time after the Queen's coronation,
and it became a veritable hurricane after the troubles
of 1839. Meanwhile Melbourne did his best, not only
to guide Her Majesty and to educate her in statecraft,
but to arrange the affairs of the realm as far as he
could in the face of virulent opposition. There was
really no justification for the comment made by The
Times early in 1838 that Melbourne "was a mere
dangler after the frivolous courtesies of the ball room
and boudoir."
In a conversation with her Prime Minister the Queen
once told him that the first thing which had convinced
her that he was worthy of her confidence was his con-
duct in the disputes at Kensington the year before
concerning her suggested allowance. Then, though
he knew that the King was near his end, and that he
was offending the Duchess, who might soon be the
most important person in the kingdom, he consistently
took the King's part, in face of that King's disfavour.
This the then silent but observant young Princess
regarded as a proof of his honesty and determination
to do what was right, and it is evident that she herself
sided with the King on that occasion. Indeed, from
the affection with which she always afterwards spoke
of her uncle, it can hardly be doubted that she was
with him in many of the quarrels which occurred.
Greville says that when King William made that fierce
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 198
attack on her mother at the Windsor banquet, and
expressed his earnest hope that he might live to see
the majority of his niece, " Victoria must have inwardly
rejoiced at the expression of sentiments so accordant
with her own." But this is going too far, for though
it may have been true concerning her concurrence with
the King's hope, it is most likely that in such a scene
the girl's feelings were those of terror, regret, and a
passionate sympathy with her insulted mother. After-
wards that particular sentiment may have appealed to
her, but scarcely at the time.
Many accounts are given by contemporary writers
as to how the Queen's evenings were spent in the first
years of her reign, and they all tally with regard to
the general details. Her semi-state entry into the
drawing-room just before the announcement of dinner
seems always to have commenced the evening. She
would then shake hands with the women and bow to
the men, speaking a few words to everyone. At the
table Melbourne, when present, always sat on her left
hand, and a foreign ambassador or, failing any such,
the highest in rank present among the English, on the
other. The men only stayed a quarter of an hour in
the dining-room after the Queen rose, and were then
expected in the drawing-room, where she always stood
until they appeared. Then the Duchess of Kent
would be settled at a whist table, and the Queen would
marshal the other guests about a round table — Mel-
bourne, the careless and easy, sitting bolt upright and
keeping a guard upon his tongue, still at her left hand.
o
194 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
There they all remained talking small talk until the
band had finished its music, and the evening was at
an end at about half-past eleven. How a man of the
world like Melbourne could put up with that night
after night it is difficult to say, for he might have been
in any one of half a dozen other places where there
was real conversation going on, and where he could
have been at his ease.
Among Melbourne's curious failings was a habit
of talking to himself, a habit which grew with his years.
He was once seen coming out of Brooks's, say-
ing emphatically, though unaccompanied by anyone,
" Til be damned if I do it for you, my Lord."
One day Lord Hardwicke was writing in the library
of the House of Lords, when Melbourne entered
straight from a debate on the Non-Intrusion question
in Scotland. The Prime Minister threw himself into
a chair saying, " God bless me ! What's to be done
now? I had only just settled that confounded Irish
Church question, when earth yawns, and here comes
up a devilish worse one about the Scotch Church."
This peculiarity he seems to have successfully
dropped when in the presence of Queen Victoria, even
though he spent about six hours out of the twenty-four
in her society. But there can be no doubt that he
had a feeling of paternal affection for his young
Sovereign, which led him to give up much for her sake.
Some malicious writer tried to make a joke with a
sting in it upon the Prime Minister and his constant
attendance upon Victoria, heading it " Royal Quip."
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 195
It ran as follows : — " Some days ago the dinner-
seeking Premier, on a drawing-room lounge, was en-
deavouring to render himself as amiable as possible
to his Royal Mistress. Among other questions she
was asked whether or not she had read Lady Blessing-
ton's last charming work, ' The Idler in Italy.' Her
reply was in the negative ; ' I know not/ archly con-
tinued our youthful Sovereign, 'what may have been
the exploits of the Idler in Italy, but I am convinced
that the Idler at Home is a great bore/ Mel. instantly
took leave of Her Majesty. We note, however, that
matters have since been satisfactorily arranged, seeing
that the Premier had his feet under the Royal mahog-
any on Wednesday last."
As for the Coronation, we have heard so much
during late years of these celebrations that there is no
need to enter into any great detail about it, but it may
be mentioned that the event formed a good excuse
for contention between the two political parties, and
others found it a good peg on which to hang their
scorn or their platitudes. The cry of the Banquet was
raised, the Government having decided that as that
picturesque but mediaeval custom had been dropped
at the preceding Coronation it should not be revived.
This was, of course, sufficient to make the Tories call
for one, and to raise a cry of false economy and mean-
ness. The Duke of Buckingham wrote, " The Minis-
ters turned a deaf ear to all representations either of
right or of policy, and the British Empire was con-
o 2
196 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
demned to stand in the eyes of foreigners as too poor
to crown her monarch with the state which, when much
poorer, the nation had willingly afforded."
Yet now, seventy-three years later, we have just
been reading of the amusement caused in foreign
circles about the way in which we cling to old customs
in our coronations. And earlier, when William IV. was
crowned The Times published a curious leader in which
it more than justified the curtailment of the various
functions. The writer of the article spoke of the
quackeries played off in the course of the ceremony,
" revoltingly compounded of the worst dregs of Popery
and feudalism/' and continued, "What a fuss with
palls, and ingots, and spurs, and swords, and oil for
anointing (greasing) their Sacred Majesties, and whip-
ping off and on of mantles and the rest of it." The
writer closed with an expression of the hope that when
a leisure hour should arrive the entire character of the
solemnity should be re-cast. It may well be wondered
how far the views of The Times of to-day agree with
those it held in that yester-year !
The walking procession of all the Estates of the
Realm was also dispensed with, and for the last time
the Queen's Barge-master with forty-eight watermen
preceded twelve of the Royal carriages.
Marshal Soult, who came as special Ambassador
from the King of France, was so much cheered both
in and out of the Abbey that he was overcome, and
seizing the arm of his aide-de-camp, said, " Ah !
vraiment, c'est un brave peuple ! " Later he declared
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 197
publicly that it was the greatest day of his life, for it
proved that the English believed that he had fought
as an honourable man. He brought over with him a
State carriage, which had been used by the Prince of
Conde, and had it decorated in the most costly fashion.
It was a curious thing that both in Queen Victoria's
and King William's Coronations there was a great
competition in equipages. The Russian Ambassador
(Count von Strogonoff) bought for sixteen hundred
pounds a carriage for which the Duke of Devonshire
had given three thousand when he went on his Extra-
ordinary Embassy to St. Petersburg. Another diplo-
matist gave two hundred and fifty pounds merely for
the hire of a vehicle for the day.
There was also among the Ambassadors — who had
the liberty of dressing as they would — what might
almost have seemed a competition in dress. Thus the
Greek Ambassador was adjudged as the most pic-
turesque, and Prince Esterhazy, son of the Minister
Plenipotentiary from the Emperor of Austria, was the
most gorgeous — one lady said of him that he looked
as though he had been caught in a shower of diamonds
and had come in dripping: she almost expected to see
them settling in little pools on the floor. Prince Paul
von Schwartzenberg, the Austrian Ambassador Extra-
ordinary, wore violet velvet heavily embroidered in
seed pearls, the jewels with which lie was covered being
worth half a million florins, while his boots alone cost
sixteen thousand florins.
We have all heard that the old Duke of Sussex
198 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
embraced the Queen on this public occasion, that old
Lord Rolle stumbled and fell down two steps, giving
Her Majesty the opportunity of doing one of her pretty
acts; and that a large bird hovered over the Palace and
was regarded as an omen of good luck. We have all
heard, too, of the Coronation ring, which, though made
for the little finger by mistake, the Archbishop insisted
should be placed on the fourth finger — a painful event
for the poor little Queen. As there had been no
rehearsal, " little Victory " never knew what to do next,
and said once to John Thynne, " Pray tell me what to
do, for they don't know." Someone who "did not
know " made her leave her chair and enter St. Edward's
Chapel before the Archbishop had finished the prayers,
much to that ecclesiastic's chagrin. Then when the
Orb was put into her hand she asked, " What am I to
do with it?" and on learning that she was to carry
it in her left hand, replied, sighingly, " But it is very
heavy ! 5)
All these incidents have been told over and over
again, but there are some things not so well known,
and one is that in consequence of the ceremony extend-
ing from noon to five o'clock people would have fainted
from hunger, if caterers had not been allowed to sell
their wares in the Abbey. At a convenient moment
the Queen was conducted into St. Edward's Chapel,
where she found the altar spread with food and bottles
of wine. It disturbs one's sense of the fitness of
things that an altar, even to a long dead saint, should
be used as a dining table, yet perhaps it is no worse
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 199
than the irreverent selling of the outsides of churches
for the erection of tiers of seats whenever a Royal
Procession is coming along.
The author of " The Ingoldsby Legends " described
the Coronation very amusingly under the name of
Barney Macguire, one verse of which runs : —
" Then the crame and custard, and the beef and mustard,
All on the tombstones like a poulterer's shop;
With lobsters and white-bait, and other swate-meats,
And wine and nagus, and Imparial Pop !
There was cakes and apples in all the chapels,
With fine polonies and rich mellow pears, —
Och ! the Count von Strogonoff, sure he got prog enough,
The sly ould Divil undernathe the stairs."
In another set of verses on the subject the same
author said he was in the Abbey looking through the
wrong end of a pair of binoculars, and —
" At first I saw a little Queen was sitting all alone,
And little Duke and Duchesses knelt round her little throne,
And a little Lord Archbishop came, and a little prayer he said,
Arid then he popped a little crown upon her little head. ' '
It is curious to note that the Queen, when writing
in her journal of the Coronation, just mentioned her
mother as being there, but of Lehzen she wrote :
" There was another most dear being present at this
ceremony, in the box immediately above the Royal
box and who witnessed all : it was my dearly beloved
angelic Lehzen, whose eyes I caught when on the
Throne, and we exchanged smiles."
Lord Glenelg was Victoria's Colonial Secretary for
a period, and one imagines that he must have inspired
200 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Dickens with the idea of the Fat Boy, for we often
hear of him as asleep at the wrong time. Like other
people, he had to get up very early for the Coronation,
and it was therefore not surprising that he fell asleep
in his place in the Abbey. He awoke for the crowning,
and duly put on his coronet, then promptly fell asleep
again, and his head nodding, the heavy thing fell off
with a clatter. Roused by the noise, he sat up, put
his hand to his cranium, and cried aloud, " Oh ! I have
lost my nightcap ! " The " nightcap " had rolled out
of sight, and was not recovered until after the homage,
but the story does not tell how he managed to offer
his fealty without it.
This failing of Glenelg's was constantly being re-
ferred to in the papers in jest or earnest. Here is a
sample : " Is it true, Mel., that railroads rest upon
sleepers?" asked Victoria. "Yes, your Majesty,"
replied Mel. " Then pray take care that Lord Glenelg
travels only by the mail coach, as if he goes by the
railway he may be mistaken for a sleeper," was the
Queen's entreaty. Another joke, even then somewhat
time-worn, ran : —
" * What, twelve ! ' Lord Glenelg, waking cries ;
' How quick the time has passed ! '
' No wonder,' little John replies,
' You sleep so very fast. ' '
Lyndhurst distinguished himself before the cere-
mony commenced by standing on some steps beyond
the choir, and with eyeglass up scrutinising the Peers
"and particularly the Peeresses" as they came from
the entrance.
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 201
One of the silliest customs of the Coronation was
the flinging of medals about behind the throne, that is
to say, between the altar steps and the choir. On this
occasion Lord Surrey, the Lord Treasurer of the
Household, flung them right and left, and there was a
pretty scramble; maids of honour, peers, generals,
goldsticks, robed aldermen wrestled and fought, some
getting more than their share, and some less. The
judges, however, felt themselves enclosed in the dignity
of the law, they did not scramble or move, but patheti-
cally wooed the fates by standing stiffly erect and
holding out their hands. Such a " good boy " attitude
ought to have been rewarded, but alas, not one of them
caught a falling piece of silver.
Lord Dalhousie was struck with the absence of
popular enthusiasm and of reverence inside the Abbey,
and Carlyle's commentary upon the event is scarcely
cheerful. He had been invited to the Montagues'
window to see the procession, and he went there,
though he gave away his invitation ticket to the Abbey.
" Crowds and mummery are not agreeable to me.
The Procession was all gilding, velvet and grandeur ;
the poor little Queen seemed to have been greeting;
one could not but wish the poor little lassie well ; she is
small, sonsy, and modest — and has the ugliest task, I
should say, of all girls in these Isles.5' He added to
this, " She is at an age when a girl can hardly be
trusted to choose a bonnet for herself; yet a task is
laid on her from which an archangel might shrink."
C. R. Leslie, the artist, told of her that as soon as
she returned to Buckingham Palace after this long day
202 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
she hurried to put off all the splendid signs of royalty
that she might give her spaniel Dash its bath. A
similar incident is related of her return from opening
her first Parliament. An old Court official watched her
as she re-entered the Palace, being much impressed with
her dignity as she crossed the rooms of St. James's.
He wondered if this would last when she was alone,
and curiously followed her as she went through a door
leading to the staircase which led to her own apart-
ments. There at the foot of the staircase he saw her
roll her train round her arm, pick up her dress all
round, and run up two steps at a time, calling to her
dogs.
This mixture of dignity and girlishness is very en-
dearing, as those who have watched youthful woman-
hood well know.
The year of the Coronation was a year of small
things as far as the Court was concerned, a year of
steady tramping along the road of disaffection among
the better-class politicians, and a year of endeavour
to do the right thing on the part of the Queen, relieved
by an occasional autocracy of manner which led her
to do the wrong thing. Relations between herself and
her mother became more and more strained, so much
so that it was a matter of public comment. Conroy
still hung about the Duchess and was still maligned
in the papers, The Times toward the end of the year
being found guilty of libelling him by saying that he
bought property in Wales which he had paid f or,though
not with his own money. On the other hand, the
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 203
tradesmen who served the Duchess of Kent presented
Sir John Conroy with plate to the value of £400, to
show their appreciation of the kindness and urbanity
with which he had invariably treated them.
The Age now changed its tone ; instead of vilifying
the Duchess and all her friends, it chose to regard
her as a martyr, against whom plots were formed by
the foreign Camarilla, which included Leopold,
Lehzen, Stockmar, Sir James Clark (Physician), Sir
Henry Seton, and any foreigners who might be at
Court or passing through. It asserted now that the
ruin of Conroy was part of a plot for alienating mother
and daughter, and placing the latter more firmly under
foreign influence; but there are people who would
scarcely consider £3,000 a year pension as ruin.
The Baroness Lehzen, of whom Lady Normanby
said that she was a kind and motherly person to the
young Maids of Honour, retained her position with the
Queen, and the more firmly she seemed to be estab-
lished the more furiously did one section of the public
and the Press hate her. One or two examples will
show the way in which the more outspoken papers
wrote of her ; and all had the idea at the back of their
anger that she was pushing forward with all her in-
fluence the pretensions of Albert of Saxe-Coburg, who,
surrounded by Catholic belongings, would do some
frightful, undescribed, and impossible deeds when
settled in power. It was all wild, stupid, and hysteri-
cal, yet somewhat amusing to look back to now.
It should be remembered that Fraulein Lehzen was
204 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
the daughter of a Lutheran clergyman, and that she
came to England with the Duchess of Kent as a
governess or nursery governess to Princess Feodore.
A Lutheran clergyman was not likely to be a man of
any particular rank, but he was at least a man of
thought ; he may have been very poor, as a large pro-
portion of clergymen have been all through the ages,
and his daughters may have, most likely did, help in
the work of the house and gardens. This, however,
is but surmise in an endeavour to explain the absurd
reproaches levelled at the Baroness. Thus writes the
Age, which was bitterly hated by the Whigs, because it
published every little fault and prank of the men of
their party; a paper which they naturally, under the
circumstances, said to be simply a lying, scandalous
rag, but which, as a matter of fact, was often very
astute, and told the truth with just that touch of
exaggeration which gave it the necessary allurement.
" On public grounds we are determined to let the
country know the detestable schemes by which a foreign
Camarilla rules in the Palace [now Buckingham, not
Kensington, Palace], to which the noble and virtuous
of the land are not invited — nor would they go if they
were. [The last sentence is somewhat reminiscent of
the fox and the grapes.] We do not object to the
Baroness because she was originally a milk girl, but
because of her manner and behaviour, especially to the
Duchess of Kent. She has rendered herself most
hateful to the people of England, because her con-
nection with Leopold, through his creature Stockmar,
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 205
is calculated to inflict the deepest injury upon the
Sovereign and the country generally; because she is
a bad-hearted woman; and because she is trying to
bring about a union at once mercenary and distaste-
ful."
As time went on, the Tory section of the Press grew
more emphatic in its utterances, and the extreme Tory
clique expressed itself in plainer and more violent and
libellous language. With them the Baroness was
anathema. They affirmed that having in her youth
been a milkmaid, she was now only fit for the house-
maid's table; her sister had been Queen Caroline's
maid, and she had come as such to the Duchess of
Kent for a few pounds a year. ' Yet now she insults
the good Duchess, who is beloved by everyone." " She
has broken up the mother's influence, and deliberately
taught the child to look coldly on one who has nobly
done her duty to the country by educating that child
suitably, and, having gained the needed ascendency,
had come to an understanding with Leopold and his
friends as to the use to be made of her power." The
Duchess of Kent, who they said was insulted by her
ci-devant servant, should have their protection, they
vowed, but did not explain how it would be given.
A story went around that once at Windsor the
Baroness mislaid her keys, and that in consequence the
Queen could not open any of her dispatch boxes, and
thus everyone averred that the secrets of the Empire
were entrusted to " this German spy." " We demand
to know what office this woman bears about the
206 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Sovereign? She may rest assured that this question
will not only be asked, but a reply peremptorily de-
manded when Parliament meets." Her position was
denounced as unconstitutional and dangerous to the
personal comfort of Her Majesty, it was said — though
the real meaning was "to the dying hope that the
Tories would ever regain their influence." When some
hireling about the Court made known the fact that
Lehzen had changed her bedroom, taking the next
room to* that occupied by Victoria, there being no door
but a curtain between the two rooms, a terrible fear
arose, and all the exaggerations about complete
ascendency over the mind of the Queen were started
afresh. "The Constitution does not permit the
Sovereign to have an irresponsible adviser, and if any-
one under the guise and specious title of friend obtains
possession of State matters and controls State pro-
ceedings, is a foreigner and in communication with a
foreign Court, that same Constitution will vindicate its
outraged fences and expel the intruder even from the
Royal footstool." To heighten the indignation, it was
said that Louis Philippe was fostering a plot in favour
of the Catholics, and through Leopold was making the
Baroness his tool, so that the " exasperated Protestants
of the Empire " were losing their hope of favour, but
" were determined to wrest a satisfactory certainty from
the Crown as their ancestors had done before them."
Melbourne was naturally blamed, though his in-
fluence was by no means strong enough to allow him
to interfere in the Queen's private friendships, and
THE QUEEN'S PRIME MINISTER 207
he. more or less knew that the suggestion that Lehzen
was consulted in State matters was unfounded.
In all this lies the inner cause of that difficulty which
arose in 1839 and convulsed politicians, the "Bed-
chamber Squabble," as it has been called. It burst
forth without warning, no one probably being more
surprised than the two chief actors, the Queen and Sir
Robert Peel. Though it will be necessary to go back
again to events of 1838, it is better perhaps to detail
here the intricacies of this knotty question, which had
such an important, if temporary, effect on politics.
CHAPTER IX
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LADIES AND LOVERS
* ' The war with China — the price of sugar — the Corn Laws
— the fourteen new Bishops about to be hatched — timber —
cotton — a property tax, and the penny post — all these matters
and persons are of secondary importance to this greater
question — whether the female who hands the Queen her gown
shall think Lord Melbourne ' a very pretty fellow in his day ' ;
or whether she shall believe my friend Sir Robert to be as
great a conjurer as Roger Bacon or the Wizard of the North.
... It is whether Lady Mary thinks black, or Lady Clementina
thinks white; whether her father who begot her voted with
the Marquis of Londonderry or Earl Grey — that is the grand
question to be solved before my friend Sir Robert can con-
descend to be the Saviour of his country." — Punch.
IT was in the very nature of things that the Mel-
bourne Ministry should be weak. Its majority was not
great, and as the House of Lords was almost solidly
against it, Bills could not be passed. In the Lords
was Brougham, angry at being denied the Great Seal,
at heart a lover of the aristocrat, yet making a bid for
the favour of the Radicals. He once brought up a
mischievous subject for discussion in the Peers, draw-
ing upon himself the refusal of the Duke of Welling-
ton to be merely factious, and a declaration from
Melbourne against the motion. At this, Brougham
said furiously of the former, "Westminster Abbey is
208
LADIES AND LOVERS 209
yawning for him/* but he had to drop his motion.
Commenting upon this, Greville says that " Brougham
cares for nothing but the pleasure of worrying and
embarrassing the Ministers (his former colleagues),
whom he detests with an intense hatred ; and the Tories,
who are bitter and spiteful, and hate them merely as
Ministers and as occupants of the place they covet, and
not as men, are provoked to death at being baulked in
the occasion that seemed to present itself of putting
them in a difficulty."
There is on record another occasion on which
Brougham began to attack the Duke of Wellington in
the House of Lords, and Wellington, lifting his finger,
said, loud enough to be heard across the House, " Now
take care what you say next ! " As if panic-struck,
Brougham broke off and began to talk of another
matter. The Duke of Wellington, in fact, with his
larger view and his international sense, generally
refused to do stupid things from party feelings; and
as leader of the House of Lords, he knew the weak-
ness of the Tories at that juncture, and saw little hope
of their forming a Government.
However, given opposition such as Brougham's,
and a majority depending upon doubtful Radicals, it
was not surprising that there was little real work
accomplished in the Commons, and that the Govern-
ment was always in danger of being overturned.
It was on May 6th, 1839, that Lord John Russell
brought in a Bill for the suspension for five years of
the Constitution of Jamaica, because its Assembly had
refused to accept the Prisons Act in connection with
210 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
the slave trade passed by Parliament. The majority
was only five in a House of 583, therefore the Govern-
ment decided to resign. In July, 1837, Fraser's Maga-
zine had a sonnet in facetious vein upon the Princess's
birthday, which might have been written for this event,
it is so appropriate, though the particular allusion I
cannot explain : —
11 Great was the omen on the auspicious night
When kept was fair Victoria's natal day —
London in gas, and oil and tallow gay,
Look'd a vast isle of artificial light;
Anchors and crowns and roses beaming bright;
Stars, garters and triangles shone around ;
Lions or unicorns all chained and crowned,
And other blazonings — yellow, green, red, white —
Dazzled the air. But, more delighted, we
Welcomed one blazing letter, everywhere
Playing a double duty. Hail, great V !
V ! Ministerial sad majority —
Mark of the unhappy five ! With grim despair
Did Melbourne and his men that symbol see ! "
This Government crisis came like a blow upon the
Queen, who saw all the routine of her life being altered ;
she was to lose the genial, fatherly Melbourne, and
take in his place perhaps the Duke of Wellington, but,
failing him, whom ? Sir Robert PeeJ, whom she scarcely
knew and did not like, who possessed none of Mel-
bourne's brilliant social qualities, while his accustomed
attitude was said to be that of a dancing master giving
a lesson. " The Queen might have liked him better
if he could have kept his legs still,3' said Greville.
So poor little Victory cried all the rest of the day,
never stopping even when interviewing Lord John
Russell. She dined alone in her own room, and did
SIR ROBERT PEEL.
LADIES AND LOVERS 211
not appear that evening. By the next morning, how-
ever, she was cool again, and sent for the Duke of
Wellington, whose loyalty she trusted as she did that
of Melbourne. The Duke also had a fatherly feeling
for Her Majesty, and was very sympathetic with her,
even when she said openly that she had always liked
her late Ministers, and was very sorry that she must
lose them. Wellington, who was too strong to be any-
thing but frank, enjoyed the frankness with which the
Queen praised his political opponents, but he said that
he was now too old and too deaf to become her Prime
Minister, and in addition he thought it would be wiser
if she appointed a man whose real position was in the
lower House. Sir Robert Peel was the only possible
person, and Victoria asked the Duke to send him to L^r.
In gentle, paternal tone, he suggested that the matter
would be more in order if she would send personally
for Peel, upon which the Queen said she would do so,
but asked the Duke to see him and tell him to expect
her letter.
As soon as Sir Robert received the important missive
he clothed himself in full dress, according to eti-
quette, and went to the Palace. He was a sensitive,
shy man, and he knew that his principles, if not himself
personally, were disliked, so he went to the interview
in a nervous, diffident frame of mind, which allowed
him no leisure to add an extra courtliness to his awk-
ward manners. At first he felt reassured, as the Queen
received him very graciously, but after her greeting
he had a shock when Victoria openly said that she
was parting with her late Ministers with infinite regret,
P 2
212 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
for she had entirely approved of their actions. It
was so much what the late King would have said !
That little difficulty being over, they began to talk
business, Peel suggesting various names for office.
The audience ended by his being required to bring a
full list with him the next day.
When Sir Robert brought the list the following
morning Victoria approved of it, only stipulating that
the Duke of Wellington should have a seat in the
Cabinet. Then came the unexpected tempest, be-
ginning quietly, as tempests often do, but ending in a
general convulsion.
Having settled the men satisfactorily, Sir Robert
Peel nervously — he must have been nervous, for Lord
Grey reports that he was harsh and peremptory — put
forth a list of changes to be made in the Household.
Her Majesty expected this — had, indeed, talked of it
to the Duke, but she had been thinking solely of the
equerries and other men about her, and for a few
minutes the discussion turned upon them. Soon after
this (to quote from Her Majesty's journal) Sir Robert
Peel said :
"'Now, about the Ladies?'
" Upon which I said I could not give up any of my
Ladies, and never had imagined such a thing. He
asked if I meant to retain all.
" ' All: I said.
"'The Mistress of the Robes and the Ladies of
the Bedchamber?'
" I replied, ' All ! ' — for he said they were the wives
of the opponents of the Government, mentioning Lady
LADIES AND LOVERS 213
Normanby in particular as one of the late Ministers'
wives. I said that would not interfere ; that I never
talked politics with them, and that they were related,
many of them to Tories, and I enumerated those of
my Bedchamber Women and Maids of Honour; upon
which he said he did not mean all the Bedchamber
Women and all the Maids of Honour; he meant the
Mistress of the Robes and the Ladies of the Bed-
chamber; to which I replied they were of more con-
sequence than the others, and that I could not consent,
and that it had never been done before. He said I
was a Queen Regnant, and that made the difference !
' Not here/ I said — and I maintained my right. Sir
Robert then urged it upon public grounds only, but
I said here that I could not consent."
In Victoria's letter to Melbourne she said : " Sir
Robert Peel has behaved very ill, and has insisted
on my giving up my Ladies, to which I replied that I
never would consent; and I never saw a man so
frightened ... he was quite perturbed — but this is
infamous. I said, besides many other things, that if
he or the Duke of Wellington had been at the head
of the Government when I came to the Throne, per-
haps there might have been a few more Tory ladies,
but that if you had come into office you would never
have dreamt of changing them. I was calm but very
decided, and I think you would have been pleased to
see my composure and great firmness; the Queen of
England will not submit to such trickery."
Peel felt it to be a deadlock ; the Queen's autocratic
tendency had already made itself sufficiently felt for
214 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
him to know that argument was of no use for him. He
said that he must consult his colleagues, and so backed
out.
Victoria sent at once for Lord John Russell, and
asked if she could rightfully refuse this demand.
There was no precedent for Sir Robert Peel's decision,
though from his party's point of view there was every
necessity for it. Queen Anne had kept her beloved
Sarah Churchill all through the changes of administra-
tion until she wearied of her. When the Government
changed under William IV., Lord Grey (the Whig)
not only left Queen Adelaide's Household of Ladies
untouclied, but did not change an equerry or groom;
though later, when Lord Howe voted against him on
a vital question, he insisted upon his removal. When
that was done Peel and his party asserted that an
unheard-of outrage had been offered the Queen, and
Adelaide did not speak to Lord Grey for more than
a year, and then had to be keenly persuaded before
she would enter a room where he was closeted with
King William.
Lord John Russell told Queen Victoria that she had
right on her side, and she said that, in that case, she
expected the support of himself and his colleagues as
she had supported them in the past. She sent for the
Duke, who told her that she was wrong, and that she
ought, being Queen Regnant, to regard her ladies in
the same light as her lords.
" No," replied Her Majesty; " I have lords besides,
and these I give up to you."
Peel came also, but both he and the Duke found
LADIES AND LOVERS 215
their young Monarch immovable, and ready with
answers to all that they advanced. She foresaw, as
any astute woman would have done, that in allowing
this innovation she would be opening the door for a
host of petty troubles in the future; she blinked the
fact that she was King as well as Queen, and that a
King was required to change all his officers. So the
two politicians left her presence defeated, and Peel
called his friends together that afternoon.
In the meanwhile, Russell begged Melbourne to do
nothing of himself, but to call the Cabinet together;
and at nine that night the Ministers were gathered from
all places — dinners, the theatres, opera, and clubs.
Before them Melbourne laid a letter from the Queen,
in which she is reported to have said, though probably
the correct text of this letter has been given above :
" Do not fear that I was not calm and composed.
They wanted to deprive me of my Ladies, and I sup-
pose they would deprive me next of my dressers and
housemaids ! They wished to treat me like a girl, but
I will show them I am Queen of England."
Lord John, the most diplomatic member of the
Cabinet, wanted the Queen to be advised to get from
Peel his precise demands, for, as is usual in a quarrel,
the actual details had never been elucidated. This,
however, was overruled, and a letter was concocted for
the Queen to send to Peel. It was short and to the
point : —
" The Queen, having considered the proposal made
to her yesterday by Sir Robert Peel to remove the
Ladies of her Bedchamber, cannot consent to adopt a
216 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
course which she conceives to be contrary to usage,
and which is repugnant to her feelings."
While these events were happening, the report of
them spread far and wide, and was hotly commented
on in all the papers. The Queen may have let drop a
remark that Peel wished to drive from her all the
friends of her childhood, for this was the note the
Whig papers sounded. Anger, condolence, apprecia-
tion were all expressed, while on the other side anger
was mixed with disloyalty and with an assumption
that the Queen must give way to a righteous and politic
course.
:<We can state," said one of the Tory journals,
" that there is not the slightest hesitation or feeling of
annoyance on the part of our Conservative leaders.
For the sake of Royalty they may regret the untoward
interference of female meddlers in State matters of
most awful importance (this was surely a hit at the
Queen as well as at her ladies!); but for themselves
they know that the Sovereign cannot do without ap-
pealing to their loyalty to save her from * her friends,'
and they will not fail in their duty. In a few days
Sir Robert Peel's triumph will be complete."
A few of the most extreme papers begged the
" female nobility of England to abstain from going to
Court," to refuse "to sanction by their presence a
patronage of persons whom they themselves would not
tolerate in private life."
The " persons " who were not to be " patronised "
by the " female nobility " included the Duchess of
LADIES AND LOVERS 217
Sutherland and the Countess of Burlington, both
sisters of Lord Morpeth, a Cabinet Minister and
Secretary for Ireland; the Marchioness of Normanby,
wife of the Secretary of State; the Marchioness of
Tavistock, Lord John Russell's sister-in-law; the
Marchioness of Breadalbane, whose husband had
received his title from the Whigs ; Lady Portman, wife
of another Whig-made peer; Lady Lyttelton, sister
of Earl Spencer; and the Countess of Charlemont,
wife of an Irish Earl.
It was whispered, though probably only scandal-
ously, that Melbourne had in his pocket the resigna-
tions of the Marchioness of Tavistock and Lady
Portman, but kept them from the Queen. There may
have been some truth in this, however, as those ladies
were most unpopular with all classes, and probably
thought their wisest course would be to resign before
worse happened.
Sir Robert Peel replied to the Queen's communica-
tion in a long letter, in which he resigned the charge
she had imposed upon him; and as all England was
discussing the Bedchamber question, Victoria, who
really felt that she had justice on her side, allowed him
to read her letter and his own in Parliament that the
true facts of the matter might be known. For the
public believed that Peel had planned to separate the
Queen from all the friends of her childhood, and to
force her to accept as servants a completely new set,
all especially imbued with Tory principles, and Peel
felt that he should publicly justify his action. But as
218 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
the Queen would not move an inch from the position
she had taken up, the old Whig Ministry was rein-
stated.
As for the opinion expressed by contemporaries on
this matter, I should say that the balance was against
the Queen, not so much because of the justice of the
matter as because she was a young woman, and there-
fore incapable presumably of understanding affairs.
People said that she was an inexperienced girl who
wanted her own way though the heavens fell ; she upset
her Government that her private comfort might not be
assailed; the whole thing was planned so that she
could again have the Whigs in power ! Scarcely any
of them, except perhaps Lord Grey, cast their vote
for her. But these writers were all men, and mostly
Tories — that is to say, they were the people who
suffered. They talked about the principle involved,
but they only cared about the idea in practice. Then
they did not look beyond the Queen's words, nor
remember the violent and exaggerated statements
which they themselves had made about Baroness
Lehzen.
Victoria naturally felt that if she conceded the
principle she would be giving over into the hands of
the enemy the friend whom she most valued. She
knew that some of the Tories had clamoured for
Lehzen's dismissal, had threatened to ask questions
about her in Parliament. Then, too, she had a real
liking for Lady Normanby, of whom one of the Maids
of Honour said later, " She is so clever and well-
informed, and yet there is that about her which pre-
LADY TAVISTOCK.
LADIES AND LOVERS 219
vents one feeling ashamed of one's ignorance " ; for
Lady Tavistock; and probably for other of her ladies.
Think of the position of a girl of twenty, who is sud-
denly called upon, not to dismiss her attendants, but
to send away all those who were, by the nature of their
duties, admitted to the most intimate relations with
her, the Ladies of the Bedchamber. It is quite com-
prehensible that she should resist.
Peel said afterwards that he did not mean all, and
it was a pity that the Queen was too hasty to listen to
his propositions to the end ; though it is certain, if we
may judge by the expression he used, "that his
Government could not be carried on if ladies attached
to Whig leaders remained about the Queen," that he
did at the outset mean all the Bedchamber ladies;
indeed, he said as much as that to Croker when he
wrote that there were only nine of them, while there
were twenty-five women of the Household altogether.
He further said what — in view of all the attacks on
Lehzen — lets some light into his feelings : " The paid
spy of a foreign enemy might be introduced into the
Household — might have access to every Cabinet
secret."
Had Peel been in a strong position he probably
would have been less obstinate on the point, for though
he was perhaps right in a strictly constitutional sense,
he could have yielded without any real sacrifice of
principle; but he feared even the attempt to form a
Government, for it would be a Government with a
minority, an odious position for any Minister. There
was, in fact, some analogy between the position of Peel
220 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
then and that of Melbourne when he accepted office
under the Queen. In 1837 the Whig Ministry was
struggling for its life, and it would have been expect-
ing something impossible to have expected that Mel-
bourne should have put Tory ladies about Her
Majesty. When Peel's turn came he was equally
anxious not to have Whig ladies.
So Peel made an able speech on the matter in the
House, Brougham made a violent one, Wellington a
thoughtful and moderate one, Russell a feeble one,
and Melbourne's, they say, was the best of all. In
the course of his speech Peel referred to the Lehzen
matter, saying that he had not meant to turn out the
Baroness, which annoyed that lady very much, she
remarking with much asperity that he had no right to
say such a thing; he should have said that he could
not turn her out, for she was in no public post or
service, and Peel had nothing to do with her. It is
said that the Duke of Sussex advised his niece not to
accede to Peel's request about the Ladies of the Bed-
chamber, but Victoria herself affirmed that she took no
advice on the matter.
Some wag called the resuscitated Cabinet the /upon
Cabinet, and Justin McCarthy said of its leaders that
Peel could not govern with Lady Normanby, and
Melbourne could not govern without her. " What is
it keeps the present Ministers in office ? Two women
in the Bedchamber and two rats in Parliament," was
another little pleasantry. Macaulay added as his
comment : " The month of May, 1839, saw the leaders
of the great party, which had marched into office
LADIES AND LOVERS 221
across the steps of the Throne, standing feebly at bay
behind the petticoats of their wives and sisters.
Whether the part they played was forced upon them
by circumstances, or whether it was not, their example
was disastrous in its effects upon English public life."
While the excitement was at its height the papers
were full of gibes and personalities, and one published
the following lines upon Melbourne, whose constant
attendance at Windsor, as has been pointed out, led
to a running comment upon his method and place of
dining : —
" Farewell, farewell ! to each rich-brimming chalice,
At Windsor beside me so constantly seen —
Farewell to the dear, daily feeds at the Palace —
The romps with the Baroness, chats with the Queen.
Farewell ! 'tis with tears that, while falling will blister,
I weep for the mesh in which we are all caught ;
Alas ! for poor Lehzen with none to assist her,
They'll never be able to work out the plot."
A little earlier some satirical paper announced of
the Prime Minister that, when compelled to remain in
the House of Lords till late in the evening, " the pet
lamb had a nice tit-bit sent express from the Royal
table, with a particular request to cut the matter as
short as possible and hurry ' to where the glasses
sparkle on the board ! ' ' adding, " We believe Mel-
bourne generally manages to comply, and, if practic-
able, arrives in ' pudding time.' '
Another paragraph offered the information that :
" Lord Melbourne gave a Parliamentary dinner yes-
terday in South Street. The Fire Brigade were all
222 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
activity and we counted six engines in the immediate
vicinity. The alarm was given by his lordship's neigh-
bours, who were extremely horrified by the sight of the
chimney. Melbourne giving a dinner ! Wonders will
never cease ! "
For a long time the Queen's popularity had been
decreasing, and open disloyalty was shown with the
beginning of the Lady Flora Hastings scandal.
Victoria herself did not help matters, for after the
political crisis she became even more exclusive in her
invitations. She had arranged a ball and a great con-
cert for the middle of May, just after the political
tempest, and from all accounts they seem to have been
very dull amusements, or so said the Tories, none of
whom were invited who could possibly be left out.
The Queen herself, however, was in good spirits,
possibly more than pleased at having retained her
Ministers.
The Bedchamber Crisis drew from the King of
Hanover a little moan over the ruin of England :
" Alas ! how fallen is she since the last ten years ! . . .
May Providence be merciful to her, and save her, is
my most earnest prayer ! "
During the spring of 1839, while Victoria was
harassed by the two most disturbing troubles of her
young womanhood, she was also being urged from
various quarters to settle her domestic affairs by mar-
riage, and indeed from the beginning of 1836 curiosity
had made tongues busy on the matter of her choice.
Perhaps it is true that with the spring a young man's
fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love, for it seemed
LADIES AND LOVERS 223
always then that the young men from Germany or
Denmark or Russia came a-courting, or, to put it more
diplomatically, came on a visit to England. Then,
too, if there were any amorous lunatics about they
generally seemed to turn up at Buckingham Palace or
Windsor Castle.
Actual suggestions concerning marriage were made
before Victoria became Queen, for in the spring of
1837 Lord William Russell, then our representative in
Berlin, wrote as follows to the Duchess of Kent."
" Madam, — Would it be agreeable to your Royal
Highness that Prince Adelbert of Prussia, the son of
Prince William, should place himself on the list of
those who pretend to the hand of H.R.H. the Princess
Victoria ?
' Your consent, Madam, would give great satisfac-
tion to the Court of Berlin."
The Duchess acknowledged the receipt, and then
indulged in a little eulogy of herself, for she continued :
' The undoubted confidence placed in me by the
country, being the only parent since the Restoration
who has had the uncontrolled power in bringing up
the heir of the Throne, imposes on me duties of no
ordinary character. Therefore, I could not, compatibly
with those I owe my child, the King, and the country,
give your Lordship the answer you desire ; the applica-
tion should go to the King. But if I know my duty to
the King, I know also my maternal ones, and I will
candidly tell your Lordship that I am of opinion that
the Princess should not marry till she is much older.
I will also add that, in the choice of the person to share
224 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
her great destiny, I have but one wish — that her happi-
ness and the interest of the country be realised in it."
I wonder how the Duchess liked the hint of a rebuke
in Russell's answer : —
" On informing Prince Wittgenstein (Minister of the
Royal House in Berlin) that your maternal feelings
led you to think the Princess Victoria too young to
marry, he said that the King of Prussia would, on
learning your opinion, object to Prince Adelbert's
projected visit to England. I beg to observe to Your
Royal Highness that it was only proposed to admit
Prince Adelbert to the list of suitors for the hand of
Princess Victoria, to which he was to win his claim by
his character and personal attractions."
Von Billow suggested that a young Prince of
Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck-Gliicksburg might find
favour with Queen Victoria, but surely the territorial
miscellany added to his name would have been suffi-
cient to frighten any girl. There was a rumour that
the Due de Nemours intended to enter the lists, and
there was much talk when Duke Ferdinand of Saxe-
Coburg-Gotha projected another visit to England
with his son Augustus. In the spring of 1839 the
Tsarevitch of Russia arrived with the Grand Duke, and
many of the newspapers began their little gossipings
as to the good and evil of such an alliance. This report
was later said to be without foundation, one paper
adding to its repudiation the hope that when the
Queen should be tempted to forego following the
example of Queen Elizabeth, perhaps the Orange
flower would be placed near her heart as well as on
LADIES AND LOVERS 225
her head. " God grant it may be so ! " This being
an allusion to the visit at the same time of Prince
William, the younger son of the King of the
Netherlands.
It was judged that Prince George of Cambridge
stood a good chance, for did not his Queen-cousin
open the first State Ball in May, 1838, by dancing a
quadrille with him? It is true that she also danced with
young Prince Esterhazy — who married the daughter of
the Earl of Jersey — with the Earl of Douro, the Earl
of Uxbridge, and other noblemen, but then George was
first honoured and was of her own age. While writing
of this Ball, I must mention the Austrian Prince's
wonderful clothing at the third State Ball, which was
given on June i8th, the second having been on Her
Majesty's birthday. He wore a pelisse of dark
crimson velvet, his sword-belt thickly studded with
diamonds, the hilt of the sword and scabbard simply
encrusted with them ; round his hussar cap were several
rows of pearls, edging a string of diamonds, and all
fastened with a diamond tassel. His Order of the
Golden Fleece (suspended round his neck) and the
stars and jewels of his other orders of knighthood were
all set in diamonds and other precious stones. He must
surely have looked like Prince Charming in a panto-
mime, and if any old men were there, he probably
reminded them of the Regent who once went to a
ball in pink satin, wearing a hat adorned with five
thousand beads.
Of the first State Ball Greville says, with his usual
Q
226 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
touch of acidity : " Last night I was at the ball at the
Palace — a poor affair in comparison with the Tuileries.
Gallery ill-lit; rest of the rooms tolerable; Queen's
manner and bearing perfect. Before supper and after
dancing she sat on a sofa somewhat elevated in the
drawing-room, looking at the waltzing; she did not
waltz herself. Her mother sat on one side of her,
and the Princess Augusta on the other; then the
Duchesses of Gloucester and Cambridge and the
Princess of Cambridge; her household with their
wands, standing all round; her manners exceedingly
graceful, and blended with dignity and cordiality, a
simplicity and good humour when she talks to people
which are mighty captivating. When supper was
announced she moved from her seat, all her officers
going before her — she first, alone, and the Royal
Family following; her exceeding youth contrasted with
their maturer ages, but she did it well." Lady Bedin-
field commented upon the Queen at this ball : " The
young Queen danced a good deal; if she were taller
and less stout, she would be very pretty."
However, to return to the suitors. What the
Ministers, the Court, or even the Queen did not know
on this matter the papers did, for they caught and
crystallised in type every rumour, adding sufficient
information to make them read like truth. In January,
1838, people said that the Queen was recalling Lord
Elphinstone from the post which really spelt banish-
ment for him. They added that she had sent him an
autograph letter which greatly disconcerted the
Cabinet, and that he would arrive before the Corona-
LADIES AND LOVERS 227
tion, at which a new office would be created for his
benefit. One commentator upon this remarked : " Our
Ministers will find a young girl as difficult to manage
as an old man; the vivacity of youth proves as per-
plexing as the obstinacy of age. The question of our
hereditary government will shortly be agitated as well
as that of our hereditary legislation; since it is quite
certain that the King of Hanover, knowing his chance
of succession, even should he survive the Queen, to be
extremely doubtful, will stir up his party in this country
to protest against Her Majesty's free choice. The
sooner the time comes the better." This report was
repudiated by The Times and The Morning Chronicle.
However, The Satirist asserted that the matter was
debated in the Cabinet and that a certain personage
was with difficulty prevented from sending a letter
she had written. The Times then declared that the
Queen had never spoken to Lord Elphinstone. To
which The Satirist answered with copies of two letters
purporting to be written by Her Majesty, in the first
of which she asked Elphinstone to return before her
Coronation, promising to make him a Duke, which
would ensure his attendance upon her. In the second
absurd and vulgar production, quite obviously fic-
titious, she was made to say :
" I am so enraged I can scarcely hold the pen in
my hand. That old pest, daddy Melbourne, having
found out through Ma, who was told by the baroness
that you and I were carrying on a correspondence —
that horrible old pest, who certainly is the plague of
my existence, has just been here to advise me — not to
Q 2
228 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
break off the match, for that I told him at once would
be useless — but to relinquish the idea of having you
home before I arrive at the age of twenty-one. The
giving of this advice he said was a * duty ' which ' State
reasons ' compelled him to perform. I wish he were
at Jerusalem. He would let me have nothing my own
way if he could help it. Here I must remain now for
nearly three years before I am permitted even to see
you. Is it not dreadful? But I won't, I'm determined
I won't wait so long as he says. I'll get rid of him the
very first opportunity, and if the Prime Minister will
not consent to your immediate return, I'm determined
that I'll have no Prime Minister at all. For the
present, however, I suppose I must yield to ' State
reasons,' which are, in my mind, no reasons at all.
But they sha'n't keep you there much longer, be well
assured of that."
Whatever the young Queen's desires may or may not
have been, Lord Elphinstone did not see his native
land again until about 1843, when Victoria was the
happy mother of several children, and he was not in-
vited to Court until 1846, being made a Lord-in-
Waiting the following year.
Though, as has been said, the young Prince of
Orange came over again he does not seem to have done
himself much credit, eliciting the judgment from one
diarist that he had made a great fool of himself here
supping, dancing, and indulging in little (rather inno-
cent) orgies at the houses of Lady Dudley Stuart and
Mrs. Fox, who, the story went, escorted him — when, to
LADIES AND LOVERS 229
his infinite disgust, he had to go home — as far as
Gravesend, "where they (the ladies) were found the
next day in their white satin shoes and evening
dresses."
Behind all other rumours, however, lurked the idea
that Albert of Saxe-Coburg would be Victoria's bride-
groom, an idea which more or less oppressed the girl-
Queen. Whether there was any real truth in the
report about Lord Elphinstone, or whether she wished
to wield her power independently for a time, it is
impossible to say, but early in 1838, and again in
July, 1839, she wrote to her uncle Leopold that she
had no intention of marrying for several years to come ;
and after her accession she entirely ceased correspond-
ing with her cousin. The Coburgs were not regarded
by those about the Queen as likely to prove attractive
to her, being criticised as " simple" and too " Deutsch."
Palmerston said of them : " After being used to agree-
able and well-informed Englishmen, I fear the Queen
will not easily find a foreign prince to her liking,"
and the national prejudice showed itself in such con-
temptuous phrases about anything they did as, " How
unlike an Englishman ! "
But the Queen's attitude did not seem seriously to
trouble Leopold, who went on training his nephew, writ-
ing of him to Stockmar on one occasion : " If I am not
much mistaken in Albert, he possesses all the qualities
required to fit him completely for the position he will
occupy in England. His understanding is sound, his
apprehension clear and rapid, and his feelings correct.
230 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
He has great powers of observation, and possesses
much prudence, without anything about him that can
be called cold or morose."
In later years Victoria was sad over her decision
not to marry, saying that she could not think without
indignation of her wish to keep the Prince waiting, at
the risk of ruining his prospects, perhaps for three or
four years until she felt inclined to marry, and she put
her vacillation down to the fact that the sudden
change from the seclusion of Kensington Palace to the
independent position of being Queen Regnant diverted
her mind entirely from marriage. She went so far as
to " bitterly repent " this very natural result of her early
life and her peculiar position; yet she might have
known that, given the circumstances and her tempera-
ment, it was the only result to expect.
But Victoria at this time did not entirely break off
the engagement, and as a sign of this she instructed
Stockmar to journey with the Prince when he travelled
through Italy in search of that thing so zealously de-
sired in the early part of the nineteenth century, " the
completion of his education."
It is said that Leopold did not mention the marriage
unreservedly to his nephew until the Prince visited
Brussels in February of 1838. In March of that year
Leopold wrote to Stockmar as follows : " I have had
a long conversation with Albert, and have put the whole
case honestly and kindly before him. He looks at the
question from its most elevated and honourable point
of view; he considers that troubles are inseparable
from all human positions, and that, therefore, if one
LADIES AND LOVERS 231
must be subjected to plagues and annoyances, it is
better to be so for some great or worthy object than
for trifles and miseries. I have told him that his great
youth would make it necessary to postpone the marriage
for a few years. I found him very sensible on all these
points. But one thing he observed with truth : ' I am
ready/ he said, ' to submit to this delay, if I have only
some certain assurance to go upon. But if after wait-
ing, perhaps, for three years I should find that the
Queen no longer desired the marriage, it would place
me in a very ridiculous position, and would to a certain
extent ruin all the prospects of my future life."
The Whigs seemed to take this matter quite philo-
sophically, but the Tories had not a good word to say
either of Leopold or of Albert. Thus The Times in
December, 1838, said : " There is no foreigner who sets
his foot in England less welcome to the people
generally, or looked at with more distrust or alienation
than Leopold, the Brummagem King of Belgium,
who is nothing better than a provisional prefect of
France, on whose ruler his marriage has made him
doubly dependent."
In Paris it was regarded as a most extraordinary
thing that the Queen had not married long before, and
having decided that she was not going to marry her
Prime Minister, the gossipers in the salons suggested
that Queen Victoria was not to be allowed to marry at
all, as Lord Melbourne feared he might so lose his
influence. "Therefore, his anxiety is to keep Her
Majesty single." They added that if, however, the
country insisted on their Sovereign's marrying, Prince
232 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Albert of Saxe-Coburg was being trained for the
honour, under the especial guidance "of that moral
gentleman, Stockmar."
A month later, that is to say in January, 1839, the
following jubilant paragraph appeared in The Sun : —
' The country will learn with delight that the most
interesting part in the Speech from the Throne, to both
Houses of Parliament and the country at large, will
be the announcement of Her Majesty's intended
marriage. The happy object of Queen Victoria's
choice is Prince Albert, son of the reigning Duke of
Saxe-Coburg, and cousin of Her Majesty. Prince
Albert is handsome and about twenty-two years of
age"
The Times asked next day if someone had not been
hoaxing the editor of The Sun. " We suspect so, though
we do not profess to have any knowledge on the
subject."
The Morning Chronicle — Melbourne's paper — re-
plied : " We are authorised to give the most positive
contradiction to the above announcement."
The comment of The Age upon the matter was of the
" I told you so " type, and then it proceeded to libels
and defamation. " Prince Albert is known to be a
youth of most untoward disposition. ... As far as we
can learn, Prince Albert is suspicious, crafty, and, like
his uncle, Leopold, never looks anyone full in the
face.
' Yet this is he who is to be ' the happy object of
Queen Victoria's choice.' Choice^ indeed ! The
Baroness Lehzen has acted well upon the instructions
LADIES AND LOVERS 233
given her by Leopold just before good King William's
death ; and the virtues, beauty, worth, and amiabilities
of this young Prince have been dinned hourly in the
Royal Ear.
" We think Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg intellec-
tually and morally most unfit to be trusted with the hap-
piness of our young Queen ; and because he belongs to
a family which is either Protestant or Papist as it suits
their interest; thus Albert's father is a Protestant, his
uncle Ferdinand is a Papist, and his son is Papist
Connubial King of Portugal; Leopold is anything,
Protestant to an English princess, Papist to a French
princess. And we object to Prince Albert because he
is being thrust upon the Queen, who is in such a state
of vassalage, induced by the cunning influence of the
Baroness Lehzen, as to be publicly talked of in the
salons of Paris as the mere puppet of her uncle
Leopold."
This tirade and mass of exaggeration was followed
by the publication of a spurious letter supposed to
have been addressed to the editor by the young Prince
Albert :—
"Sare, — I sail addresser you in Anglaish, cos vy?
Cos in honnare of de countray in vich I vas vant to
be second rang personne. Ver well. Terefore if the
Q vas like me to mari her, Cot tarn, Sare, vat am
tat to you — eh ? Am you her modare ? Ver well, ten ;
vat rite you to objet to 'tis alliance — eh? Noting:
von tarn noting. Terefore, Sare, I vos appy to troubel
you to hold fast your tam tongue. La Baronne tell
to me tat her M 's modare hab not objection :
234 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
terefore, vy should nobody else hab now? Vy sail
you play him debbil vid dis littel projet ob my uncale
and Stockmar, and odare some ver tere amis? It vos
ter most tamnable ! I say dat, Sare ! Terefore, you
will be pleas to co to de debbel ! I am, Sare,
"ALBERT FRANgOISE AUGUSTE CHARLES EMANUEL."
As a matter of fact, the announcement was prema-
ture, and the Queen had two serious troubles to endure
before she sought refuge in matrimony, one being the
Bedchamber trouble already dealt with, and the other
the Lady Flora Hastings scandal.
What had really started the belief that the marriage
was settled was the fact that two of Leopold's con-
fidential hommes d'affaires, Monsieur Van Praet and
Baron de Diestrau, came over to England in January,
and were said to have had interviews with Melbourne,
to have seen much of Lehzen, to have been agreeable
to Sir James Clark and Sir Henry Seton, and to have
gone back to Brussels " to report progress concerning
the chance of planting another young Coburg in
England."
Prince George of Denmark also came to London in
1839, bringing with him an enormous household, in-
cluding a Master of the Horse, a Master of the Robes,
six Lords of the Bedchamber, and eight grooms of the
Bedchamber, all among the first people of his country.
He, too, was supposed to be looking for a wife, but
he did not find one in England.
From that time on, the Queen, who was said " to
be caricatured here, charivaried there," had to see her
name daily in the papers coupled with that of some
LADIES AND LOVERS 235
young man or other, Albert's name recurring often.
Lord Alfred Paget, the second son of the Marquis of
Anglesey, then in his twenty-third year, figured fairly
frequently as a love-sick swain, who wore Her
Majesty's portrait over his heart — and under his shirt
front — and, the better to assert his love, hung her
miniature round the neck of his dog. The Satirist of
January, 1838, asserted that "Her Majesty must be
married soon, or there will be the devil to pay," and
went on to say, " She must be an extraordinary little
creature to turn people's brains in this fashion. A
swain has forced his way into Buckingham Palace
declaring himself to be * a shepherd sent from Heaven
to look after the Royal lamb.' There are plenty of
wolves in sheep's clothing already looking after her,
and Her Majesty's present shepherd will have plenty
to do to keep them out of the fold."
One paragraph ran as follows, commencing with a
quotation from another paper : * ' Her Majesty having
received from Germany a delicious cake, sent it as a
present to the Princess Augusta.' This is doubtless
one of those delicate attentions which ' my nephew
Albert ' has been instructed to despatch from Coburg
through the medium of the dearly loved Baroness
Lehzen. It would have been cut up for Twelfth
Night at the Palace, but as Lord Melbourne could not
secure the character of the King, he refused to take a
slice, so the cake was sent off to the good-natured
Princess." The italics are mine.
As soon as Victoria's accession had seemed near,
the thoughts of madmen seemed to turn to her, and
236 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
from time to time one such would go to some Royal
residence that he might be crowned King, or receive
his rights, or secure a wife. One day in May, 1837,
a man named Captain John Wood, of the loth Regi-
ment of Foot, was found sitting on the terrace at
Kensington Palace, where the Duchess often break-
fasted. A policeman requested him to go away, but
he said he had a right to be there, as he was the real
and rightful King of England, and the person at
Windsor was only the Duke of Clarence. He told
the magistrate, before whom he was taken, that his
proper name was John Guelph, and that he was a son
of George IV. and Queen Caroline, being born at
Blackheath, adding that the Royal family knew all
about it. He seemed perfectly sane, and being
admonished, went away.
For some time after her accession a Scotch suitor
would make special journeys to Windsor to see Queen
Victoria, sometimes standing all the morning at the
door of St. George's Chapel that he might watch her
leave after service. Then he would walk on the
terrace in the afternoon that he might have the plea-
sure of bowing to his liege Lady.
One, who was undoubtedly a lunatic, climbed some
iron gates in the Park, and walked across to the Castle,
demanding admittance as King of England. "Very
well, your Majesty," said the porter, "be pleased to
wait till I get my hat." He then took him to the
Castle and handed him over to the police. He was
named Stockledge, and was in a large way of business
in Manchester. On being questioned as to his motive,
LADIES AND LOVERS 237
he said he was like all other men who wanted wives —
he was looking after one.
A third was less peaceable, for he got into the
gardens of Buckingham Palace declaring he would
kill the Queen, and was sent to prison. Two days
after his release he went to Windsor and tried to enter
the Castle by breaking some panes of glass. What
became of him I do not know. Another man who
tried to get into the Palace early in 1838 was rather
mixed in his ideas, for he insisted on seeing the Queen,
the Duchess of Kent, or O'Connell, "who is as good
as any ! "
CHAPTER X
QUEEN VICTORIA'S DISLOYAL SUBJECTS.
"We have lordlings in dozens, the Tories exclaim,
To fill every place from the throng",
Although the curs'd Whigs, be it told to our shame,
Kept us poor Lords in waiting too long."
Contemporary Verse.
ALL through this period we get pleasant glimpses
of the young Queen passing some at least of her time
in a girlish way. She was a girl, surrounded by a bevy
of girls, and was very fond of dancing, for which
exercise she did not always wait for the presence of a
band in the ballroom. Count von Billow was once
staying at Windsor, being given rooms which were
directly under the Queen's apartments, and one after-
noon he could hear Victoria singing and playing the
piano. On telling her at dinner what pleasure he had
enjoyed, she looked very concerned, for, as she later
confessed to Lord Melbourne, she had been dancing
about her sitting-room with her Ladies in Waiting,
and had "been quite extravagantly merry." She
would have small impromptu dances at Buckingham
Palace, which were kept up sometimes till dawn.
Georgiana Liddell, Lady Normanby's sister, went to
one of these, and when the dance was over the youth-
DISLOYAL SUBJECTS 239
ful Queen went out on to the roof of the portico to
see the sun rise behind St. Paul's. The Cathedral
was distinctly visible, also Westminster Abbey, which,
with the trees in the Green Park, stood out against
a golden sky.
Most of the Liddell sisters played and sang well,
and the Queen was anxious to hear the voice of the
youngest of them all (and there were many, no fewer
than seventeen brothers and sisters). Georgiana, in
fear and trembling, sang one of Grisi's favourite airs,
omitting a shake at the end through pure nervousness.
The Queen noticed this, and turning to Lady Nor-
manby asked, "Does not your sister shake, Lady
Normanby ? " " Oh, yes, Ma'am," was the reply ;
" she is shaking all over."
Sometimes, perhaps, Her Majesty was thoughtless
in satisfying her desire for pleasure; at least, Thai-
berg, a celebrated musician, thought so on one occa-
sion. He was frequently commanded to play before
the Queen, and one evening she gave him five subjects
to perform. The next day someone congratulated him
on his triumph. " Triumph ! " he exclaimed; "a fine
triumph to be nearly killed."
The Queen often arranged concerts, and I have
come across an announcement of a concert which she
might have organised, full of satirico-political allu-
sions. The parenthetical additions have been inserted
by way of elucidatory notes : —
" The Vicar of Bray." By Lord Palmerston. (An
allusion to his love of office.)
" Pray, Goody, please to Moderate." By Lord
240 THE COURT OF QUEENJVICTORIA
Holland. (Lady Holland was noted as an untiring
talker.)
" The Beautiful Boy." By Lord Morpeth.
"I that once was a Plough-Boy." By Baron
Stockmar. (In allusion to his supposed low origin.)
"An old Man would be Wooing." By Lord Mel-
bourne.
" Buy a Broom ! " By Baroness Lehzen. (Another
allusion to low origin.)
Cf We are all nodding." By Lord Glenelg.
" Oh, what a row ! " By Lord Durham. (He was
noted for his hot temper, and he was then scarcely
out of the Canadian turmoil.)
" The Laird o' Cockpen." By Sir J. Campbell. (A
Scotsman who was then English Attorney-General.)
" I'm a very knowing Prig." By Sir James Clark.
" The King of the Cannibal Islands." By King
Leopold.
I do not know the reason for Lord Morpeth singing
of a beautiful boy, but Sir James Clark seems to have
justified by some of his actions the song chosen for
him.
Though Victoria had been Queen for nearly two
years, she still — to judge from various accounts — pre-
ferred simplicity in dress, and one story is admiringly
told of her which, to an unbiassed mind, is open to the
suggestion that she did not show politeness or good
taste. The Duchess of Sutherland gave a great ball
at Stafford House in honour of the Queen, and, that
she might further show the respect she felt for her
Royal mistress, she wore a most magnificent dress and
DISLOYAL SUBJECTS 241
glittered with diamonds. Her Majesty went "in a
simple muslin embroidered in colours," and, on shaking
hands with her hostess, said :
";I come from my house to your palace." This
sounds too affected or too rude to be true, but it is
given by Lady Dorothy Nevill in " Under Five
Reigns."
Victoria's simplicity seems occasionally to have
degenerated into carelessness, for I have come across
different remarks upon the way in which she wore her
shoes down at heel — remarks always accompanied
with a suggestion that there was something wrong with
her feet, though that was tempered with the addition
that she walked gracefully.
When Lord Durham set England a-talking by his
autocratic actions in Canada, and was, through the
demands of the Opposition, recalled, the Duchess of
Kent must have felt grief at this second failure in the
little circle of her close friends. If all that has been
said was true, she relied very largely upon the advice
of Lord Durham before he became Ambassador to
St. Petersburg, for she was then in the habit of trust-
ing implicitly in her brother. I have seen a report of
a speech made by a Mr. Wilks, the Liberal Member
for Boston in 1836, part of which ran: "Never was
there a more excellent and amiable being than the
Duchess of Kent. She consulted Lord Durham (he
was the great man of the neighbourhood), by Leopold's
desire, upon everything that belonged to the political
opinions of the Duchess and the Princess. He was
asked to prepare replies and to acknowledge com-
B
242 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
munications, and everything breathed a spirit of attach-
ment on their part to the constitutional rights of the
people." As Lord Durham was looked upon as the
leader of the Radical party, it is hardly to be wondered
at that the Tories disliked him and thought him a
dangerous influence.
Lady Durham had been made one of the Ladies of
the Bedchamber at the accession of Victoria, drawing
from the Princess Lieven the opinion that the Queen
could not have a better or a nobler woman ; but when
her husband came back from Canada the Countess
resigned her post, much to the Queen's sorrow, for she,
too, was fond of the Durhams. Early in her reign she
had given Lady Durham apartments at Windsor in
which she could reside permanently, and when she
was in waiting invited her always to bring her little
girl, "the most charming child," to remain with her.
Durham died in 1840, while still a young man.
Victoria was very fond of children, and would
always, if possible, have some staying at the Palace,
spending a part of each day playing with them. She
once instructed Lord Melbourne to invite Lord and
Lady John Russell to stay three days with her, saying
that she "would be delighted to see Lady Russell's
little girl, and would be very happy if she would bring
the baby also." Poor little Lady John ! not many
months later another baby brought death to her !
Occasionally the newspapers spoke of the Queen in
lighter vein, and this paragraph appeared in 1838 : —
" Could anything have been less expected than to see
her present Majesty, a lovely young female, encourag-
ing the practice of snuffing by allowing herself to be
DISLOYAL SUBJECTS 243
named patron of certain snuff-shops ? ' By Special
Appointment Snuff Manufacturer to Her Majesty
Queen Victoria ' ! What next ? "
This second story appeared in a contemporary book
of reminiscences. An Irish check-taker at the Zoo-
logical Gardens told a friend that the Queen had come
once to the gardens incog.
" Why," said his friend, " it is odd that we never
heard of it."
" Not at all, not at all," replied Pat, " for she didn't
come like a Queen, but clane and dacent like any other
body."
During the year of 1839 the spite against Melbourne
became stronger and led to absurdly wild statements ;
indeed, the whole agitation was the result of an acute
and semi-public hysteria. His popularity with the
Queen had led the Tory papers more or less to with-
draw their support of the Crown, thus giving rise to
annoying episodes, not only in political, but in social
life. It was asserted that Victoria v/as surrounded
with people of bad character, and though all the world,
even the journals which delighted in scandal, had
acclaimed the acquittal of Melbourne in the Norton
case, the mud of the past was diligently scraped up
and flung over him, with the evident desire that some
of it would stick on the Queen. The Morning Herald
remarked, " It is one of the unfortunate signs of the
times that we see so many persons of known immoral
character selected for office." To this another paper
added a list of a dozen people who were supposed to
be unfit, about many of whom no evidence of being
R 2
244 THE COURT OP QUEEN VICTORIA
worse than their brothers remains. Of course, the
person who heads the list is " Lord Melbourne, dinner
eater and private secretary." He is followed by the
Marquis of Headford, who, many years earlier, had
been convicted of adultery with his wife's sister. The
Marquis of Anglesey was a third, and I suppose it
would be difficult for anyone to hold a brief for the
particular line of Anglesey lords which Iwas extin-
guished so dramatically a few years ago. Lord
Palmerston had his place in the list, as it was whis-
pered that Lady Cowper, Melbourne's sister, had long
been his mistress. Some time after her widowhood
she married Palmerston — in December, 1839 — of
which event Princess Lieven says : " She wrote to me
on the subject, and such a simple, natural, good letter,
so full of yearning for that happiness and comfort and
support which every woman needs, that I am quite
convinced she is right in what she does." Lady
Cardigan, in her recent book of reminiscences, adds to
this : " She was a perfect hostess, a charming woman,
and an ideal helpmeet. At one of her parties her son
(by Lord Cowper) was presented to a foreign ambas-
sador, who, not understanding, looked at him and at
Lord Palmerston, saying, 'On voit bien, m's'u, que
c'est votre fils, il vous ressemble tant.' '
Upon the publication of this list of evil doers, other
journals took up the cry, and indignant paragraphs,
similar to the following, appeared on all sides.
" Is there a father in the Empire who would endure
such a person as Lord Melbourne to be perpetually
by the side of a young girl? Lord Melbourne may
DISLOYAL SUBJECTS 245
smile, because he had cast aside manly generosity, but
we tell him that if loyalty is becoming dull, and sneers
are taking the place of blessings; if, where the land
would honour, it begins to censure, and where it would
pay homage it passes an unwelcome jest; and if, as
the result of all this, hearts grow cold, and regard only
as a Ministerial puppet one who even yet is the object
of love, he will have to thank his own selfishness for
the blight he will have thus brought upon the Crown."
The Glasgow Constitutional published an effusion
upon the indifferent Prime Minister, and in consider-
ing these articles we must remember that if Melbourne
had been a Tory he would have received praise and
approbation from these very papers, while the
quiescent Whig journals would probably have been
ladling out abuse. " Even his private conduct is in
some respects national property, and by acceptance of
high office, even his personal character becomes no
longer altogether his own, but is intimately associated
both with the nation and its head. It is therefore a
fair subject both of observation and comment, and the
time has now arrived when these are imperiously called
for. His present demeanour has led to most invidious
remarks. It has become too notorious to escape the
most unobservant eye, and whispers of suspicion have
been poured into the dullest ear."
Disloyalty and disrespect began to be shown openly
for the Queen. Greville, the cynic and pessimist, con-
stantly informs us that her people no longer cared for
her. In 1838 Her Majesty was at Ascot, and was
only tolerably received by a great concourse of people ;
246 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
there was some shouting, but not a great deal, and few
hats taken off. " This mark of respect has quite
gone out of use, and neither her station nor her sex
secures it; we are not the nearer a revolution for this,
but it is ugly. All the world went to the Royal stand,
and Her Majesty was very gracious and civil, speaking
to everybody."
In March of the next year Greville shows how this
antipathetic feeling had increased. " The great
characteristic of the present time is indifference, no-
body appears to care for anything; nobody cares for
the Queen, her popularity has sunk to zero, and loyalty
is a dead letter; nobody cares for the Government or
for any man or set of men. . . . Melbourne seems to
hold office for no other purpose but that of dining at
Buckingham House, and he is content to rub on from
day to day, letting all things take their chance.
Palmerston, the most enigmatical of Ministers, who
is detested by the Corps Diplomatique, abhorred in his
own office, unpopular in the House of Commons, liked
by nobody, abused by everybody, still reigns in his
little kingdom of the Foreign Office, and is impervious
to any sense of shame for the obloquy which has been
cast upon him, and apparently not troubling himself
about the affairs of the Government generally.55
Harriet Martineau adds her testimony to this state
,of affairs when she notes that "some rabid Tory
gentlemen have lately grown insolent, and taken in-
sufferable liberties with the Royal name.55 This dis-
loyalty was indeed recognised and justified to their
DISLOYAL SUBJECTS 247
own satisfaction by the Tories themselves ; in alluding
to Lord Melbourne one of their organs asserted : —
" If he sees tEe virtuous of the land avoiding the
Palace Halls and Court receptions as they would a
pestilence — if he sees even common respect withheld
from one whom, but for his despicable policy, we
should reverence and love — if he discovers that cold
loyalty towards the wearer of the Crown in these days
puts the Crown itself in jeopardy — he will then, per-
haps, see the full extent of the scorn and loathing with
which he is regarded by everyone not lost to the
proprieties, decencies,, and modesty of social life."
The Age, probably the most virulent of all Mel-
bourne's paper enemies, published an open letter to
him, saying that he was exposing the highest personage
in the land to be the jest of the vicious and a source
of pity to the well-disposed. " Do you think it likely
that any other young lady who had a father or a brother
to protect her would allow a person of notorious
gallantry to be constantly whispering soft nonsense in
her ear? Why, then, should the highest lady in the
realm, who, in fact, belongs to the country at large,
be subjected to what would not be allowed in any
private family? ... If you affect not to know it I tell
you plainly that ever since the Coronation, the enthu-
siasm of the people for their young Queen has been
sensibly decreasing, owing solely to the bad advice
of her Ministers. . . . However unpalatable it may be,
I again tell you that your constant attendance on the
Queen is unconstitutional, indecent, and disgraceful;
248 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
whatever motive you have, it is impossible to justify
it. I defy you to name an instance of any Prime
Minister acting as you have done ; and considering the
age and sex of the Sovereign, I denounce it as unmanly
and unprincipled. Lolling on your couch at the
Palace, you may pretend to despise these unvarnished
truths; but that you are conscious of your unwarrant-
able conduct was plainly evinced by the passion you
flew into when Lord Brougham so admirably twitted
you with it."
That Melbourne allowed Robert Owen, the re-
former, to be presented to the Queen was, some months
after the event, used in passionate eagerness against
him. The Duke of Kent had known Owen, and at
the time of his death had been arranging to visit his
co-operative settlement at New Lanark, near Glasgow ;
for the Duke agreed with Owen's principles, so much
so that he took the chair at a meeting which was called
to appoint a committee to investigate and report on
Owen's plans to provide for the poor and to ameliorate
the conditions of the working class. Owen's ideas had
enlarged during the ten years which had intervened,
and he was in 1839 keen upon education, the disuse
of arms, the alteration of ecclesiastical law, &c.
Wishing to present a petition to Her Majesty, he
approached Melbourne, who told him that the right
method of procedure was to attend a levee. This the
reformer did, in regulation white silk stockings, buckle
shoes, bag-wig, and sword. He presented his petition,
no one noticed his presence or gave a thought to it
until, some time later, some speaker holding Socialistic
DISLOYAL SUBJECTS 249
views won notoriety. This caused the Bishop of
Exeter to present to the House of Lords in January,
1840, a petition of his own, demanding that legal pro-
ceedings should be taken against any person who
spread Socialistic views, and attacking Melbourne for
having allowed such a man as Owen to approach the
Queen. There was a certain bitterness about this,
which was later intensified by Victoria's attitude upon
education.
The Government had, by a majority of two only,
voted a sum of money for the support of National
Education, and the Lords, under the plea of defending
the National Religion, prayed the Queen that she
should give directions that no steps should be taken
with respect to the establishment of any plan of general
education without giving them an opportunity of con-
sidering such a measure.
From time immemorial, education, that is to say
knowledge, has been regarded as the sworn enemy of
religion ; the Catholics were afraid of the influence of
the Bible ; the Protestants were, and are, equally afraid
of the influence of thought; both believe that religion
can be killed by knowledge. One of the greatest of
olden philosophers affirmed practically that the
ignorant person could not be good, that goodness,
which should be synonymous with religion, could not
exist without knowledge. This really seems to be the
more sensible view; the ignorant child eats poisoned
berries, the child who knows avoids them ; the ignorant
man debases his body and his mind without realising
what he is doing ; the man who knows enough to fore-
250 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
cast events has at least that safeguard against destruc-
tion. It is not too much to say that those who believe
that ignorance is the best preserver of religion do no
honour to real religion, which is an attitude of mind
and not an outward conformity to this or that view or
creed.
However, this is a digression. The act of the Lords
was an encroachment upon the function of the Com-
mons to deal with money Bills, and thus was, as the
historian says, " an attempt to overstep the limits which
the Constitution laid down." The Queen, in her
answer, expressed regret that the Lords should have
taken such a step, adding that it was with a deep sense
of duty that she thought it right to appoint a Com-
mittee of her Privy Council to superintend the dis-
tribution of the grant voted by the House of Commoas.
Two sermons preached about this time before Her
Majesty, which made something of a stir, were a sign
of the independent way in which she was regarded
by dignitaries of the Church. In one, her chaplain,
Mr. Percival, dealt with recent history, for he made his
discourse take the form of an attack upon Peel, or
someone believed to be Peel, who, he said, had sacri-
ficed his conscience to political objects in consenting
to Catholic Emancipation. The other was more per-
sonal to Queen Victoria, for Hook — nephew of
Theodore Hook, and afterwards Dean of Chester —
announced that the Church would endure, " let what
might happen to the Throne." On Victoria's return
to Buckingham Palace Lord Normanby politely in-
DISLOYAL SUBJECTS 251
quired whether Her Majesty had not found it very
hot in church.
" Yes," she replied, " and the sermon was very hoi
too."
The disaffection among the Tories was the result
entirely of their exclusion from office, and it spread
all over the country. At a dinner at Shrewsbury the
company refused to drink the health of the new Lord
Lieutenant (the Duke of Sutherland) because Lady
Sutherland was at the head of the Queen's ladies.
Greville said that the leaders of the party were too
wise and too decorous to approve of such conduct, and
that it was caused by the animus of the tail and the
body. James Bradshaw, the Tory M.P. for Canter-
bury, made a speech at that town remarkable for being
a personal attack of the most violent and indecent kind
on the Queen, "a tissue of folly and impertinence,"
which was received with shouts of applause at a Con-
servative dinner, and reported with many compliments
and some gentle reprehension by the Tory Press.
Others followed, and indeed the party which thought
itself injured did its very best to prejudice Her
Majesty against itself. Upon this, Edward Horsman,
the Whig Member for Cockermouth, made a speech
in his constituency, in which, alluding to Bradshaw's
Victori-p picks, he said that Bradshaw had the tongue
of a traitor and the heart of a coward. Six weeks
later Bradshaw, who had probably been made in
various ways to feel his position keenly, sent a chal-
lenge to Horsman. George Anson, Melbourne's pri-
252 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
vate secretary, and brother of Lord Lichfield, acted
as Horsman's second, and Colonel Gurwood, the editor
of Wellington's Despatches and his confidential friend,
seconded Bradshaw. There was much indignation
over this, not only among the Whigs, but among the
respectable Tories, for Gurwood had just been
appointed to the Governorship of the Tower, being
thus given both a pension and a place. His excuse
for going out with Bradshaw was that he had never
read the offending speech, upon which Greville re-
marks : " As Gurwood is a man of honour and veracity,
this must be true; but it is passing strange that he
alone should not have read what everybody else has
been talking about for the last two months, and that
he should go out with a man as his second on account
of words spoken, and not inquire what they were."
When George Anson offered to show him the speech
he declined to read it.
The two men met, shots were exchanged, and no
harm 'done, and then Gurwood asked if Horsman
would retract. " Not until Bradshaw does, or apolo-
gises," was Anson's answer.
Bradshaw seemed miserable and upset, and saying
that he could not live without honour, expressed him-
self ready to say anything that the two seconds agreed
upon. So George Anson drew him up an apology.
Horsman took back his words, and the matter ended.
At Ascot, in 1839, as the Queen's cortege drove up
the racecourse it was greeted with silence, only broken
by occasional hisses. Poor little Queen ! to have come
to this in two years ! This reception led to silly
DISLOYAL SUBJECTS 253
reports with — if they were true — sillier action behind
them. The papers all got hold of some version of
the same affair, and the substance of the article that
appeared in The Morning Post was that Lady Lich-
field had told the Queen that two of the most prominent
among those who had thus annoyed Her Majesty were
the Duchess of Montrose and Lady Sarah Ingestre;
and, further, that those two ladies were informed —
whether officially or not is not said — that the Queen
knew of their action. The Duchess and Lady Sarah
immediately saw Lady Lichfield, who denied that she
had said anything about them, and on pressure gave
an explicit denial in writing. When a Ball at Bucking-
ham Palace followed 'the Ascot festivities, the two
suspected of hissing discovered that they were out of
favour; so the Duchess went to the Palace and re-
quested an audience of Her Majesty. After being
kept waiting for two hours, the Earl of Uxbridge told
her she could not be admitted to an audience, as only
Peeresses in their 'own right could demand such a
privilege. Upon this, her Grace insisted that the Earl
should take down in writing what she had to say and
lay her communication immediately before the Queen.
So the matter rested, until the Duke of Montrose
thought it needful to open a correspondence with
Melbourne on the subject. Then on July 5th The
Times published a denial of part of the report, one
which by no means exonerated the two accused ladies.
"We are authorised to give the most positive denial
to a report which has been inserted in most of the
public papers, that the Countess of Lichfield informed
254 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
the Queen that the Duchess of Montrose and Lady
Sarah Ingestre hissed Her Majesty on the racecourse
at Ascot, and there could have been no foundation for
so unjust an accusation." Thus Lady Lichfield was
practically cleared, but the other two suspects were
" where they were " ; and the Queen ? She remained
under the unspoken imputation of being pettish and
injudicious. But in those days she had not learnt the
wisdom which came to her later, and when her dignity
was wounded she was often too angry to use any tact,
and would let the wound fester until it caused much
ill-will.
CHAPTER XI
QUEEN VICTORIA'S TRAGIC MISTAKE
"It is really horrible that any family should be reduced to
thank God for the blessing of depriving them of one of its
dearest members." — Lady Sophia Hastings.
" I think everyone should own their fault in a kind way to
anyone, be he or she the lowest — if one has been rude to or
injured them by word or deed, especially those below you.
People will readily forget an insult or an injury when others
own their fault, and express sorrow or regret at what they
have done." — Queen Victoria.
IT was in 1839 that the most sad and regrettable
event in the personal story of Queen Victoria's reign
took place, the affair known as the Lady Flora
Hastings Scandal. Lady Flora, who was the eldest
daughter of the Marquis of Hastings and of Lady
Hastings — Countess of Loudoun in her own right — had
been Lady in Waiting to the Duchess of Kent since
1834. Her name occurs as attending the Duchess at
all Royal functions, and there was a feeling of real
affection between her mistress and herself. In 1839
she was thirty-three years of age, a woman who had
proved her uprightness and sincerity, yet, because of
dissension at Court, because of the curious friction
255
256 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
between the Queen and her mother, she was subjected
to the bitterest calumnies.
Ever since her accession the gulf between the Queen
and the Duchess had been widening, and there can
be little doubt that Lehzen on the one hand and
Conroy on the other were the people who, willingly
or otherwise, were the cause of this. Victoria seems
to have put the Baroness so high in her regard as to
give her the place which the Duchess, with every
justice and right, should have held. This was shown
publicly as well as privately, for I have seen a para-
graph in one paper of the day, that is to say of January,
1839, commenting upon the fact that the Queen had
been three times to the theatre, accompanied on each
occasion by the Baroness Lehzen, but not at all by
the Duchess. The two Royal ladies lived, it is true,
in the same house, and the Queen's mother attended
the Royal dinner table, and sat in the drawing-room
afterwards with her daughter's guests ; but beyond that
they were drifting towards a real and painful separa-
tion. The stories of Lehzen's rudeness to the Duchess
were not without foundation, and her spite against the
Conroy family had in no way abated; thus, as Lady
Flora was friendly with the Conroys and was regarded
as one of the " set " around the Duchess she also was
not much in favour.
In all quarrels there is some exaggeration, and some
imagination as well as some truth; there is also
generally great difficulty in justly deciding who is to
blame; therefore it was only natural at the time that
there should have been many who believed the
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 25?
calumnies against Lady Flora in spite of all the evi-
dence in her favour. But to-day it is quite certain
that she is fully exculpated, that she alone comes out
of the trouble with honour.
Lady Flora returned from Scotland early in the year
to her duties about the Duchess, feeling very unwell ;
so much so that she consulted Sir James Clark,
physician both to the Duchess and to Her Majesty.
The medical treatment and the exercise prescribed did
her good, the swelling in her body subsided, and she
thought she would soon be quite well. But this
enlargement of her figure had given rise to a certain
suspicion in the mind of the physician, which he was
not man enough to mention delicately or professionally
to his patient. He thought about it first, and then
went to Lady Portman, one of the Queen's ladies in
waiting, and told her what he believed. Hearing such
a thing from the doctor who had been in attendance
upon Lady Flora made the suggestion a fact to Lady
Portman.
The story goes that she confided in Lady Tavistock,
who thought it her duty to repeat the information to
Lord Melbourne, and eventually some or all of them
laid the matter before the Queen. What share
Baroness Lehzen bore in this little plot — for the way
in which it was guarded from the persons really
interested gave it the semblance of a plot — it is not
easy to say, but later she was accused of being the
centre of offence. It is probable that advice was all
she tendered, but if that is so it was very bad advice,
and it led the young Queen, who should have been
s
258 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
above all meannesses, to do that which should and did
cost her passionate regret and many tears. In the first
instance, she was impulsively harsh and suspicious;
when it was proved that there was no cause for either
harshness or suspicion, she was just as repentant and
eager to make amends. But when in the bitterly dis-
turbed state of society the scandal grew out of hand
and some signal mark was needed from her to clear
Lady Flora's honour, all her kindliness froze. She
would neither take the blame nor allot it, but treated
the whole affair with a stony silence. This was a
terrible mistake ! If only she could have put into
practice the bravery of her own words, quoted at the
head of this chapter, how much better it would have
been !
Once the idea of Lady Flora's indiscretion was in
Her Majesty's mind, her only, absolutely her only,
honourable course would have been either to see Lady
Flora herself, or, if that seemed too difficult, to consult
her mother, the Duchess of Kent. But the Queen
wras so blinded by her advisers or by her prejudices
that she took the whole matter into her own hands,
and sent Sir James Clark to interview Lady Flora.
The following is part of a letter written about Lady
Flora on March 7th by the Marchioness of Hastings
to her son-in-law, Captain Charles Henry.
" Sir James Clark, shocking to tell, accused her of
being privately married, and you can imagine her
indignation and horror. She flatly denied it, and then
this ambassador said that nothing but a medical
examination by himself and another would ' clear her
LADY FLORA HASTINGS.
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 259
character and satisfy the ladies of the Court.' From
her he went to the Duchess (of Kent), who resented
the insult instantly. He was followed by Lady Port-
man, who was deputed by the Queen to desire she
would not appear before her till 'her character was
cleared' by this most revolting proposal. The dear,
dear Duchess could not make up her mind to this;
Flora desired it. Two persons have been named as
those suspected of her shame, Sir John Conroy, who
has been like a father in his care of her, and Lord
Headfort, evidently as a cloak to the attempt which
was to separate Flora and the Duchess's old and
attached servant from her. Flora persisted, and the
Speaker (?) and Sir John Conroy both said she was
right, and the Duchess at last gave a reluctant consent.
Flora named Sir Charles Clarke in addition, and the
strongest medical opinion he and Sir James Clark
could sign was given, to the confoundation of those
wicked persons who could so act. Flora wrote to
Hastings (her brother), who went up alone, and has
behaved with a judgment and spirit which is a cheer
to me in so much misery. He went to Lord Mel-
bourne, and insisted on his thorough disavowal of
having anything to do with it ; and asked an audience
of the Queen. Lord Melbourne at first refused, but
Hastings insisted, and Hastings very respectfully
but very decidedly pointed out to Her Majesty the
fallacy of such advisers, ' be they who they may,' who
could recommend such a course to her. Sorry am I
to say Lady Tavistock does not stand clear of wicked-
ness and vile gossip at least, but Lady Portman took
? 2
260 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
the messages, after a man was sent to make the base
attack on my poor child. The Duchess kept by her,
and refused till ample reparation was made to go either
to dinner or in the evening. To-morrow I will send
you part of her dear letter about my darling Flo. I
dare add no more. The Queen sent for Flora, the
tears were in her eyes (I am glad they were so), and
expressed her sorrow. She (Flora) took it rightly, but
added, ' I must respectfully observe, Madam, I am
the first, and I trust I shall be the last, Hastings ever
so treated by their Sovereign. I was treated as if
guilty without a trial/ She took it very well, and has
been markedly kind to her since. Sir James Clark
has been dismissed by the Duchess."
This letter from the Duchess of Kent was sent to
the Countess of Loudoun : —
"Buckingham Palace, $ih March, 1839."
" MY DEAR LADY HASTINGS,
"Our beloved Lady Flora will tell you all
the dreadful things that have occurred here; I will
only say that no mother could have defended a
daughter more than I have done her. She is of all her
sex that being that most deserves it, and she stands on
the highest ground. This attack, my dear Lady
Hastings, was levelled at me through your innocent
child. But God spared us !
" Believe me, the hour will come when the Queen
will see and feel what she has been betrayed into.
When your first feeling of indignation subsides, for
mine knew no bounds, you will in your nobleness of
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 261
soul view with scorn all these proceedings. I cannot
say more. I have stood by your child and your house
as if all was my own. Believe me, with the truest
affection and esteem,
"Your devoted friend,
"VICTORIA."
Lady Flora's first letter on this matter, written to
her sister and brother-in-law, runs as follows : —
" MY DEAR CHARLES AND SELINA,
" Though I know neither of you would ever
believe (were the Angel Gabriel to reveal it to you)
anything evil of old Flo, I must not let you hear from
others the horrible conspiracy from which it has pleased
God to preserve me. It is evidently got up by
Lehzen, who has found willing tools in Ladies
Tavistock and Portman and Sir James Clark; evi-
dently ultimately directed against the Duchess (of
Kent), though primarily against me. The means em-
ployed were to blacken my character, and represent me
to be — I can scarce write the words ! — with child ! I
have no time for particulars to-day, but will write you
fully to-morrow. I have come out gloriously. I
underwent as they demanded, and the Queen urged
by them did also, the most rigid medical examination,
and have the fullest certificate of my innocence, signed
by Sir James Clark and Sir Charles Clarke. My
Duchess could not have been kinder had she been my
mother; she is one of the noblest of human beings —
Hastings came to town instantly and behaved like an
angel, with such judgment and affection ! All my real
friends have been very true to me and very kind to
262 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
me. I would not write thus hurriedly, but I hear it
has reached the Clubs, and I fear your learning it
from another source, and being anxious about me. It
made me very ill for two or three days, I was so
shocked and shattered. The poor Queen was sadly
misled in the business ; she did not know what she did
and sanctioned; she is very sorry. I hear at the Clubs
they have named two or three names with mine; one
is poor Sir John Conroy's. How infamous. No one,
thank God, however, is disposed to think ill of our
father and mother's child, nor has my conduct been
such as to encourage evil thoughts of me, and I am
told people are vehement at the insult I have received."
Lady Flora complained of the way in which this
examination was conducted, and her maid, who was
present, spoke of the roughness and indecency shown.
Later, when she was delirious, she accused the doctors
who attended her of saying she was like a married
woman. During the preliminaries Sir Charles Clarke,
a specialist in midwifery, said kindly, " Lady Flora's
answers are so satisfactory that we need pro-
ceed no further," to which "that brute, Sir James
Clark " (to quote from Lady Sophia) answered, " If
Lady Flora is so sure of her innocence, she can have
no objection to what is proposed."
There was little chance of keeping such an affair
quiet. From club to newspaper was but a step, and
by the loth of March Lady Adelaide Hastings, a
sister of Lady Flora, wrote : " It is known all over
London, and The Morning Post, though without the
names, spoke so distinctly of the whole occurrence
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 263
that there is no hiding it, even were there any advan-
tage in so doing. In the whole truth there is nothing
that is not honourable to all but the Queen, her Ladies,
and Sir James Clark. The Duchess (of Kent), whose
conduct has been most kind and like a mother to our
dear sister, and who bitterly feels the insult, dismissed
him from her household immediately. He is a wretch
to have allowed himself to be put forward as the tool
of those base women, and as a man and a physician
has acted infamously. The Queen has not yet dis-
missed him, but I think she must, at least if she has
any regard to public opinion, which loudly calls at
least for his disgrace. The Queen has been misled
and duped, I think. I cannot believe that she knew
all that was said in her name, or that the message
Lady Portman brought us, as from her, had her real
sanction. One would think nineteen was too young
for a woman so to forget what was due to a mother,
and to have so little regard for the feelings of one
she had lived in intimacy with. You will be grieved
to hear that Lord Harewood's daughter (Lady Port-
man) could have acted as Lady Portman has done,
but she acted very ill. After giving the Queen's mes-
sage to Flora (and, observe, it was not till after Sir
James Clark's insulting charge), she went * by com-
mand ' to communicate it to the Duchess, on whose
saying, ' She knew Flora and her family too well to
listen to such an imputation of that kind on her,' Lady
Portman insisted on asserting it, as Flora says in her
letter, 'with a degree of pertinacity amounting to
violence.' The Duchess refused to see her again.
264 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
The Duchess wrote Mamma a letter full of affection for
Flora, and praise of her conduct, and evidently bitterly
feeling the Queen's conduct. She came and sat with
Flora in her room that evening to try and comfort her,
and has indeed all along been most affectionate, but
it is a sad thing to feel that because they are so faithful
to her, her friend and servant must be exposed to
indignity from her daughter. It was the i6th of last
month this took place. The Duchess and Flora stayed
in her own apartments for a week, as she said she
would not associate with the rest of the inhabitants of
the Palace, till proper apologies had been made. She
was then induced to receive their ample apologies, as
the Minister (the Duke of Wellington,5* who Flora says
has behaved kindly and like a good soldier) repre-
sented that it would injure the Queen if she held out
any longer.''
So far as this the matter was a most unhappy mis-
take, caused by gossip and uncharitableness on the
part of some, and by ignorance and an unnatural pre-
judice on the part of the Queen. Had Victoria taken
some means, in addition to that of expressing her
sorrow, of showing that the blame was on her side,
things would have smoothed down, and we might never
have heard of the affair. But she did nothing. The
watching public began to grow curious; if neither the
doctor nor the two ladies were sufficiently to blame to
warrant dismissal, had there been some truth in the
charge after all? it not unnaturally asked. The two
following extracts from letters written by Lady Sophia
* The Duke of Wellington had no official post at the time.
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 265
Hastings show the next stage of the scandal. They
are hard and revengeful, and give an impression of
being the reflex of the prevailing bitter political agita-
tion as much as the result of the injury to the family.
" have given up Sir James Clark as their
physician, and many medical men have refused to meet
him in consultation, as they, and Sir Henry Halford
among them, say he has cast an odium on the profes-
sion. I hear they cried out, either in the Park or in the
Theatre, to the Queen, ' Dismiss Lady Portman/ and
on Saturday she was hissed in the Park. I hope this
may bring her to her senses, and make her give up
the unfit people who are about her. The Royal Family
have felt very properly about this. Princess Sophia
sent Mamma a message through Dr. Doyle, who had
seen her, expressive of her sympathy, and the Duchess
of Gloucester spoke in the same way, both reprobating
the conduct of the Queen. Even Lord Melbourne's
friends say, ' It was a great oversight not to dismiss
Sir James Clark.' The report is, he says, ' they dare
not dismiss him for fear of his telling things.' '
Again : "I am so angry with the whole pack. As
long as they thought they could keep matters quiet, and
hide their own disgrace, they were all so amiable, and
the Queen so gracious to Flora. Since her family
have resented the affront, Her Majesty takes no notice,
pays her not the slightest attention for weeks, till after
she was so ill she had two medical men attending her
for days, Her Majesty sends to inquire for her. The
child's notice is worth nothing, but it shows the dis-
gusting meanness of the clique. Lady Tavistock
266 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
keeps rubbing against Flora at parties, following her,
and trying to force herself on her acquaintance. None
of them appear in the least sensible of the generous
forbearance which has spared their public disgrace and
conviction for the sake of their families. They go on
as if they were injured. Oh, how I hate them ! "
This attitude of the Queen, who was evidently deter-
mined that she would dismiss no one, and do nothing
that would satisfy the public that Lady Flora was
innocent, and who resented the demand upon her that
she should do so as much as the Hastings resented
the charge made against a member of their family, led
to very bad results. Before the end of March gossip
had but one theme, and that was the probable guilt
of Lady Flora Hastings. The talk was not confined
to London; Paris, Brussels, and Vienna were discuss-
ing the matter with interest; so much so that Captain
Hamilton FitzGerald, who had married Lady Charlotte
Rawdon, sister of the late Marquis of Hastings, wrote
a letter to The Examiner, which was copied into all the
other papers. It was a temperate, fair, and clear
account of what had taken place, throwing no imputa-
tion upon anyone ; and it included the following para-
graph about Victoria : " Lady Flora is convinced that
the Queen was surprised into the order which was
given, and that Her Majesty did not understand what
she was betrayed into ; for, ever since the horrid event,
Her Majesty has shown her regret by the most gracious
kindness to Lady Flora, and expressed it warmly,
with ' tears in her eyes.' '
Captain FitzGerald was considerably blamed by
THE QUEEN S TEAGIC MISTAKE 267
various people for this letter, so much so that two
months later — an evidence of the continuance of the
scandal, which had by that time assumed very serious
proportions — he wrote a second and a third letter,
which he sent to the Marchioness of Hastings, as well
as copies to Flora Hastings' brother, begging that they
should be shown to everyone interested. They ran
as follows : —
"Brussels, May soth, 1839.
" I have been blamed by so many people for having
made (as they say) an unnecessary exposure of the
outrage inflicted on Lady Flora Hastings at Bucking-
ham Palace that I think it necessary to explain why
I published a narrative of the principal facts attending
it. I was living at Brussels when it occurred ; every-
one there knew of it before I did. On the I3th of
March I received a letter from England giving me a
minute detail of what had happened, from which I
thought there could not be a doubt of her innocence,
and that her brother had fully done his duty. I was
soon undeceived. Letters poured in upon me from all
quarters containing the same injurious reports. I
found that Lord Hastings' proceedings were unknown,
except in his own circle, and at Buckingham Palace;
that he was abused in the London Clubs for not having
acted with sufficient spirit, and that infamous stories
were circulated about his sister, under the old plea of
propagating lies with strictest injunctions to secrecy.
Everyone except her own family are acquainted with
them. Whenever I tried to trace them to their source,
268 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
I was met by the same answer : ' I cannot give up my
authority, and I must beg of you not to quote me, but
I assure you the report is very generally believed/ It
was said that the present was at least the second error,
as when she left Buckingham Palace last year she was
certainly pregnant. Bets were laid on the time when
her situation would force her to { bolt ' from the Palace !
At Vienna it was believed on the 15th of March that
she had remained an hour on her knees begging mercy
of the Queen, and that Lord Hastings having, as a
Peer, forced his way into the Royal presence, had
upbraided Her Majesty, who made him no answer, but
curtsied and retired when his tirade was over ! I imme-
diately went to England; when I arrived in London
I found all these reports in circulation. Lady Flora's
family were not in town, and the generality of in-
different people were inclined to believe them. The
known fact that no one of the Queen's household had
been punished for the insult she had received seemed
to say that the Government did not think her assailants
deserved punishment, or, in other words, that she had
not been ill-treated by them. The inference from
which was, that she had been favoured and spared
from motives of humanity. Nothing seemed to me to
prevent the complete establishment of this opinion, but
the prompt punishment which the Duchess of Kent
had inflicted on Sir James Clark by dismissing him
from Her Royal Highness's household. I landed in
the City, and remained there many days to ascertain
what judgment the respectable and unprejudiced citi-
zens had passed on the case. I consulted with many
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 269
persons, and by their assistance was present at many
discussions held by people who did not know me, at
those respectable houses where men of business pass
their evenings, and discuss the news and speculations.
I found public opinion was universally against Lady
Flora. The general idea was that 'she had been
treated with unnecessary harshness/ that she ' should
have been got quietly out of the way/ that ' such things
occurred every day in palaces, people who place their
daughters in them must take the consequences of doing
so.5 It was often said 'her brother would not have
been so quiet if he had not known that more than he
liked would have come out if the thing had not been
hushed up/ I concluded that the opinion of the
people at large was the same as that of the people of
London, as they were both acted on by the same falla-
cious evidence, anonymous statements in newspapers;
and I was confirmed in my original opinion that it was
the duty of Lady Flora's family to extinguish all false
reports by publishing a full statement of the case, and
openly challenging contradiction. I felt that Lord
Hastings could not do himself justice in publishing
his own acts, and that delicacy, brotherly love, and
family pride might prevent him from being sufficiently
accurate and minute in stating his sister's wrongs. I
therefore determined to publish it myself.
" HAMILTON FITZGERALD/'
To the Marchioness of Hastings (Countess of
Loudoun) Captain FitzGerald wrote : —
" DEAR LADY HASTINGS, — The manner in which I
270 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
find myself avoided by ' serviles ' for having exposed
their infamy made it necessary for me to write my
reasons for publishing. I sent Hastings a copy of it,
and I now send you one. 1 have no idea of publishing
it, unless unforeseen circumstances do not make it
useful to do, but I beg of you either to show it, or
give a copy of it to anyone you choose. My first was
a statement of the facts, this is one of the lies of the
infamous; the actors knew that Flora's established
character would show off their filth, so they tried to
sap it. I have both Lady Portman's and Lady
Tavistock's statement of their conduct. By the former
it appears the doctor went of his own accord to tell his
suspicions to Lady Portman, and asked her opinion.
This proves breach of trust, plotting, and malignity.
Why, if he had suspicions, did he not go to the Duchess
of Kent? No ! that would have stopped his agitation.
Why did Lady Portman reduce an unanswerable
examination into a doubtful consultation of physicians
on the state of Flora's health? Because she knew it
would have answered all the lies in circulation about
former misconduct. But, bad as all this is, it is not
as bad as Lady Tavistock's conduct. She says when
she heard the reports in February she wished to have
spoken of them to Flora, but was prevented by circum-
stances, and it became her duty to tell the Prime
Minister of them. What, I should like to know, pre-
vented her speaking to Flora? It could be nothing
but a combination having decided that neither Flora
nor her Royal Mistress should be informed of what
was going on. Lord Melbourne, having been informed
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 271
of it, should either have stopped it, or informed the
Duchess of it, if he believed the report. I think Lady
Tavistock's short note would convict her and Lord
Melbourne before any court in London."
Of course, these letters present the case from one
side; the pity is that nothing remains in the way of
evidence upon the other. The Queen seems to have
thought that the private expression of her sorrow was
sufficient. She did not realise, or she chose to ignore,
that her very position made the matter a public one,
and that the whole country was talking about and
discussing the probability of Lady Flora's guilt.
Either she herself had taken too great a part in the
humiliation of Lady Flora to allow herself to show
displeasure to anyone without being unjust, or she was
obstinately determined to do and say no more to clear
her mother's friend and servant, or she was screening
one of her own people. Lady Flora's reputation
would probably have suffered all through a long life
had she lived, because of the Queen's silence and dis-
regard, but the illness which had afflicted her early in
the year returned, and she died in July.
Of this the Tories, who were, as has been said, in
an excited, disaffected state, made great capital. Their
papers announced the illness of Lady Flora, but
ignored the mention of any specific disease; she was
raised to the position of a martyr that the Queen might
be the more effectually denounced. " Poor girl ! the
wound has not been healed, and the calumniated lady
is sinking under a blow inflicted by the yet unpunished
slanderers, who still seek the favour of the Sovereign
272 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
in the very Palace where the victim of their fiendish
and indelicate malignity is lying with breaking heart
and bowed down spirit. She has borne up nobly
against the flood of demonised falsehood which nab
been let loose upon her; now Nature can no longer
sustain the contest, and the body is prostrated by the
agony of the mind. We dare not trust ourselves to
speak as we feel, but this we will say, that if Lady
Flora Hastings die, her death will fling a blight upon
the Palace, which Royal banquetings will never over-
come, and regal smiles never make to pass away."
This is but a sample of many articles and para-
graphs. The Baroness Lehzen, though her name had
not publicly appeared in the trouble, was regarded
generally as the most obnoxious person about the
Court, probably because she was never known to give
counsel, and yet was believed to be always whispering
in the ear of the Queen.
Lord Tavistock and Lord Portman both wrote to
the papers in defence of their wives, the former deny-
ing that Lady Tavistock had taken any part in the
Flora Hastings trouble; the latter asserting that Lady
Portman did, on that painful occasion, neither more
nor less than her duty towards the Court, towards Lady
Flora Hastings herself, and towards the people of
England, to whom, while in waiting upon her
Sovereign, she was constitutionally responsible. Lord
Portman, however, went further than this, if news-
paper correspondents are to be believed. On the 3rd
of April he took the chair when the Guardians of the
Blandford district dined together; and on his wife's
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 273
health being drunk he in his reply alluded to Lady
Flora Hastings, saying that the conduct of Lady Port-
man required no vindication, as a few months would
testify.
With such hardness as this around her, one under-
stands that the Queen may also have grown somewhat
hard; yet even if Lady Portman did not credit the
doctors' certificate, the Queen could not have ignored
it. It is only possible to think that she did not under-
stand what the results of her own inaction must be ; yet
from the beginning there were many who would have
echoed Greville's biting comment on the affair had
they heard it : —
" It is certain that the Court is plunged in shame
and mortification at the exposure, that the Palace is full
of bickerings and heart-burning, while the whole pro-
ceeding is looked upon by society at large as to the
last degree disgusting and disgraceful. It is really
an exemplification of the saying that kings and valets
are made of the refuse clay of creation; for though
such things sometimes happen in the servants' hall,
and housekeepers charge stillroom and kitchen maids
with frailty, they are unprecedented and unheard-of in
good society, and among people in high or even in
respectable stations. It is inconceivable how Mel-
bourne can have permitted this disgraceful and mis-
chievous scandal, which cannot fail to lower the
character of the Court in the eyes of the world. There
may be objections to Melbourne's extraordinary
domiciliation in the Palace, but the compensation
ought to be found in his good sense and experience
T
274 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
preventing the possibility of such tricasseries as
these."
In June, Lady Flora suffered from what was
regarded as a bilious fever, from which she seemed to
be recovering; but it returned, and the vomiting
weakened her so much that her physician — Dr.
Chambers — suggested that some relatives should
come to stay with her at the Palace. So her sister,
Lady Sophia, went, and was there until all was over;
and so filled with bitterness was she at the treatment
given to Lady Flora that she would not have a bed
prepared for her, but rested when necessary on the
sofa.
Lady Portman was said to be in great distress of
mind during the last illness of her victim, but it was
not sufficient to prevent her from amusing herself in
the gay world, and she seems to have made some
remarks which aggravated the injury which she had
done. Lady Selina Henry, another sister, wrote while
Flora was ill : — " In a letter from Sophia to me there
is a speech of Lady Portman's repeated so gross that
she must be a beast; Flora says, ' As for Ladies
Tavistock and Portman, I can never open my lips to
them again/ I think she knows this horror that Lady
Portman has said."
Lady Tavistock seems to have felt some compunc-
tion in having interfered, for the day before Flora died
her doctor received the following clumsy and ineffec-
tive note from Lord Tavistock : —
"Spring Gardens, July ^fh, 1839.
" DEAR DR. CHAMBERS. — If you see a favourable
LADY PORTMAN.
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 275
opportunity, Lady Tavistock wishes much you would
say a kind word for her to Lady F. Hastings, towards
whom she has not only never harboured an unkindly
thought, but has been deeply interested in her well-
being. She has been greatly distressed by the cruel
and unfounded attacks that have so long been made
upon her in some newspapers, and it would afford her
pleasure to be able to convey a message of kindness to
your patient, if you think it could be done without dis-
turbing her ; but you will, of course, exercise your own
judgment and discretion about naming the subject to
her. — Yours truly, TAVISTOCK."
Dr. Chambers took this letter to Lady Sophia
Hastings, who returned the following answer : —
" If I would have given the message, it is now
beyond her comprehension, but you may say — if it
would be any consolation to Lady Tavistock — I refer
her to the Bishop of London." In telling her mother
of this reply, Sophia adds, " I hear Princess Sophia
was enchanted when Lady Cornwallis told her this
yesterday. She is very anxious to know if anything
of regret had been expressed."
As to this matter of regret, though it was expressed
for the death of Flora Hastings, it was, as far as I can
find out, only once connected with any allusion to the
scandal. The Queen sent for Dr. Chambers and saw
him alone, though the Baroness was in the next room.
Her Majesty seemed much subdued, and after thank-
ing him for the report he had sent, expressed her sorrow
that suffering had been added to bodily illness. Lady
Sophia commented upon this : —
T 2
276 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
"I told him I was very glad Her Majesty should
have appeared to feel, and that she had done me the
honour to enquire for me this morning. The Duchess
of Gloucester was very much displeased she had not
done it before, tho' I believe she sent down that sad
Friday morning, when I was collecting poor Flora's
things, and I have an indistinct idea of sending some
answer, or Reichenbach (Lady Flora's maid) did for
me.J)
A State ball arranged for Friday, June 28th, was
postponed because of " the melancholy state of Lady
Flora Hastings,'5 and a Royal banquet arranged for
July 4th, the day on which Lady Flora died, was also
countermanded. The Countess of Loudoun wrote
some impassioned letters to the Queen, which eventu-
ally drew from Lord Melbourne the response that the
Queen had acknowledged the unhappy error to Lady
Flora, and it was not intended that any other step
should be taken. This decision was, most unfor-
tunately, adhered to. It may be that Melbourne,
always praised for his generosity of mind, may have
urged a different course upon his Royal mistress, and
that she, swayed by less wise counsels or by her own
pride, would not heed him. But it seems never to
have been acknowledged by the Court that the terrible
publicity given to the affair, which had been eagerly
seized upon in the interest of party by the Press, had
altered the whole matter, and that action of some sort
was imperatively demanded. Lord Melbourne, who
hated rows, who was inclined to concede too much
rather than too little to obtain peace, and who was one
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 277
of the justest and kindest of men, must have suffered
torment through this period.
If only Her Majesty had been royal enough and
wise enough to have made public the affair from her
point of view, and, if she shrank from ruining a man
like Clark by dismissing him, have boldly said that
she could not do it, this matter would not have re-
mained to burden her thoughts with shame; but she
wrapped herself in an inadequate covering of dignity,
trying to believe the antiquated saying that a Queen
can do no wrong. As a matter of fact, Dr. Clark
entirely lost his reputation with the public over
this matter, and there is something pathetic in the
request Victoria made to Albert before their marriage :
" I have a request to make too, viz., that you will
appoint poor Clark your physician; you need not
consult him unless you wish it. It is only an honorary
title, and would make him very happy." Whether the
Prince did this I do not know. To the end of the
Queen's life this tragic affair must have pained Her
Majesty; and she certainly wished it to be forgotten by
everyone, for never anywhere is there given any men-
tion of it. It is ignored in most of the " lives " of
Her Majesty, and every scrap of allusion to it is with-
drawn from her own letters and writings; she herself
later wrote of destroying most of the letters which
belonged to that, " the most unsatisfactory " period of
her life. It must not be forgotten that the deepest
injury of all was inflicted by those who were the first
to make this matter public, that is to say, by those who
first reported it, for unworthy reasons, in the public
278 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Press. Many mistakes as bad as this have been made
and atoned for — in private, and the sense of injury
has disappeared; but when all the world knows of a
shameful thing, then the atonement should be public.
When Lord Hastings paid the doctors and nurses,
his money was returned with the information that hand-
some fees had been received. Lady Flora's maid
showed him a brooch and a banknote for £50, which
she offered to put in the fire ; this he advised her not
to do, so she banked it. Though it is not asserted in
so many words, it is implied that the Queen had taken
this way of showing her compunction. The presents to
the maid had been conveyed to her through Viscountess
Forbes. Lady Sophia, anxious as she was all through
to show the keenness of her resentment, secured
another note of the same amount, put it in an envelope,
and returned it through the same channel. Of Lady
Forbes, Sophia writes bitterly in the following letter,
in which she also emphasises the painful position of
the Duchess of Kent : —
" I found Dr. Chambers knew nothing accurately
of Sir James Clark's conduct, so I told him the real
state of the case; and as at Harewood and at Lord
Tavistock's they had not told him the facts, I did.
I parted from him with more feeling of regret than I
did from anyone else. I saw the poor Duchess of
Kent, who is f floored/ I think. She was very kind to
me, and about all of us ; but she is beat down, she can
fight no longer, and she will soon be completely under
orders. I saw Fanny Forbes (Viscountess Forbes) and
cleared my mind to her of her conduct. I cannot say
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 279
that there was much good feeling in her going to the
Opera every night, tho' the Queen told her she
need not; and tho' she came in when she came back,
her flighty, flirty, lively manner, just out of the world,
jarred horribly with one's feelings. When one night
she came in with a jaunty step, we had just kept Flora
from a fainting fit, and had sent off for Mr. Merriman,
as he had told us such an attack might at any time
prove fatal. When Mr. M came I said, ' Thank
God it is only a fainting fit,5 and he said in such a
melancholy way, ' Only a fainting fit, Lady Sophia,
and who could tell how that might end ? ' And Lady
Forbes says she loved Flora like a sister, and anxiety
and watching has afflicted her health ! She offered to
give back the hair Reichenbach gave her [after Lady
Flora was dead], but will not take out that given her
by the Queen. I told her that hair was probably
false, as I could not trace how the Queen got it, but
that she did not care for. The Duchess of Kent did
not give it, for I asked her."
To remove entirely any lingering feeling of doubt,
Lady Sophia caused a post-mortem examination to be
made, that a definite name might be given to the illness
which brought about her sister's death, and she writes
thus of it to her mother :
" I have to hope, my beloved mother, that I shall
not be so unhappy as to incur your displeasure, or to
have added to your agony, but if it be, on me be the
blame, for no one suggested it to me. I proposed it to
Hastings, and indeed it was due to the medical men
who have been so very attentive, and that was an
280 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
' examination.' It took place at 6 o'clock yesterday
evening, as late as it was possible. One was proposed,
but Chambers would put it off to a later hour. I left
her at once when he came, having wished her good-
bye, and put round her neck the locket with your and
Papa's hair, and I said that I trusted to him that it
remained there. He burst into tears, and promised
me. John remained the whole time out of respect
while the surgeons were there, and it was only a slight
operation, no uncovering, nothing to wound the feel-
ings, not so bad as Sir James Clark. She was merely
uncovered over her stomach, as if it were a wound in
her side. John put the locket on her the last thing with
his own hands, and he, Charles, and Hastings are at
the Palace every night and day, and Reichenbach and
the nurse sit up. Every respect is shown. God bless
you. I am late."
There were five doctors present at the examination,
Drs. Chambers, Holland, and Merriman, Sir A.
Cooper and Sir B. Brodie. The last officiated, and
it was found that Flora Hastings died from enlarge-
ment of the liver, which, pressing downwards, produced
enlargement of the abdomen and inflammation.
It was curious that The Times, then devoted to
Tory influence, should have struck a different note
from the other Tory papers, and have asked, somewhat
pertinently, though much to the anger of the Hastings
family, " Did the Ladies of the Bedchamber cause the
liver complaint of which Lady Flora Hastings died?"
The death of the maligned lady brought public
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 281
indignation up to fever-heat, and the Queen wisely
remained in her Palace, for to be hissed in the street
is worse than to be forced to sit silently under a parson
who has licence to outrage all one's cherished ideas.
At the Opera one night someone asked the box-keeper
if Her Majesty would be present, and the man replied :
" Oh, no ; she dare not come ! "
As for the Ministry, it was deeply depressed at the
whole occurrence, and Lady Cowper told someone that
her brother, Lord Melbourne, felt that its tragic ending
was the worst blow the Government had so far
received.
Lady Flora was buried at Loudoun by her own wish,
for she had said, " I do not think I shall ever look
upon Loudoun again, and I wish to be taken there.
Under other circumstances I should have said, ' let the
tree lie where it falls/ but as it is I wish to lie there."
At four o'clock in the morning of Wednesday, July
1 2th, the coffin was removed from Buckingham Palace.
The Guards and Life Guards were under arms all
Tuesday night and Wednesday morning to show
respect to the dead woman, but there was also a tre-
mendous body of police, who accompanied the sad
procession as far as Temple Bar, where they gave place
to the City police. This was done, Sophia Hastings
was told, to prevent the Queen's carriage from being
pulled to pieces, of which she says, "which I never
expected." The fact that the Royal carriage was to
follow was kept so secret that the rest of the Royal
family did not know what to do. The whole matter
282 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
had been so turned to party uses that they did not
like to show this public mark of respect if the Queen
did not set the example. The Duchess of Gloucester
found out in time, and she vexed the Duke of Cam-
bridge very much by not letting him know. Princess
Sophia was the only one who followed her own wishes
irrespective of the actions of her niece, saying con-
temptuously of the others that they were but time-
servers to care what the Queen did.
Though the hour of the start had been given as six,
there was a great and silent crowd collected to watch
the carriages pass at four o'clock, hats being lifted all
along the route. Many comments of a strong nature
were uttered; thus one respectable-looking man
pointed with his stick to Her Majesty's carriage,
saying, " What is the use of her gilded trumpery after
she has killed her?" A policeman hearing this, went
up and looked the man in the face, probably hoping
to recognise or to remember him. Another man was
heard to say, " Ah, there's the victim, but where's the
murderer?" Sophia Hastings, who retailed these
incidents with relish, said of the drive through London :
" Not one thing pained me ; the feeling was respect to
her, and compassionate respect to myself, and total
absence of bustle, noise, or any confusion. Even at
the wharf you might have felt in a chapel, and I am
told many were disappointed " (probably that there was
no disturbance).
The following letter was sent by the Duchess of
Kent, three weeks after the calamity, to Lady Selina
Henry : —
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 283
"Buckingham Palace, July 2jth, 1839.
"Mv DEAR LADY SELINA, — My servant returned
only the day before yesterday, or I would have written
to you sooner to enquire how your excellent mother
was after that most sad ceremony. I feel quite sure
it is not necessary I should tell you how sincerely I
felt for her, for you, and your sisters on that melan-
choly day. Also your poor sister Sophia; I fear she
was very unwell on that day. Your and my severe
loss appears to me still a dream ! Alas ! a very pain-
ful dream. I shall be very much obliged to you and
your sister Adelaide to let me know how you are all.
I heard from your dear sister Sophia to-day that your
mother is still at Loudoun. I hope she will soon be
able to go near the sea. Be so good as to give her
my most affectionate regards, also to remember me
most kindly to your sister, and to give my compliments
to Captain Henry, who I am sorry I did not see before
I left town. I was really not in a state to see him.
Your dear sister Sophia was not very well when she
left town, but I hope the change of air and scene will
be very beneficial to her. I hope, my dear Lady Selina,
you will not quite forget the friend of our beloved
Flora, and believe me always to remain,
" Your very sincere friend, VICTORIA."
Lady Hastings died six months after her daughter.
Sir James Clark did his best to prove himself innocent
of all harshness and indiscretion, but the attempt was
not very satisfactory. He retained the Queen's favour
until he died, in 1870. Lady Portman also held Her
284 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Majesty's friendship until 1865, when her death
occurred. As for Victoria, she never, as has been
said, broke her silence, and something like general
hatred was felt for Baroness Lehzen, who was believed
to have been her adviser all through. As Sir Sidney
Lee says in his Biography of the Queen, however
cogently Victoria's attitude might be explained, the
affair " came near proving a national calamity through
the widespread hostility which it provoked against the
Court."
Urged by some members of his family, the Marquis
of Hastings sent a full account of all that had occurred
to the Morning Post, his letter occupying eleven
columns, and in this Melbourne was entirely excul-
pated, also Baroness Lehzen, but it did not elucidate
the name of the person with whom the first suggestion
arose ; many believed the Queen's youthfully autocratic
ways were at the root of the offence, while others did
their best to distribute the blame.
Lady Flora was the author of many pretty verses,
and her collected poems were published after her
death. The following, " Lady Flora Hastings' Be-
quest," which was found among her papers, was not,
however, included in the collection : —
" Oh, let the kindred circle,
Far in our Northern land,
From heart to heart draw closer
Affection's strength 'ning band;
To fill my place long- vacant,
Soon may our loved ones learn ;
For to our pleasant dwelling
I never shall return.
THE QUEEN'S TRAGIC MISTAKE 285
Peace to each heart that troubled
My course of happy years ;
Peace to each angry spirit
That quenched my life in tears !
Let not the thought of vengeance
Be mingled with regret;
Forgive my wrongs, dear Mother !
Seek even to forget.
Give to the friend, the stranger,
Whatever once was mine,
Nor keep the smallest token
To wake fresh tears of thine,
Save one, one loved memorial,
With thee I fain would leave ;
'Tis one that will not teach thee
Yet more for me to grieve.
'Twas mine when early childhood
Turn'd to its sacred page
The gay, the thoughtless glances
Of almost infant age;
'Twas mine through days yet brighter,
The joyous years of youth,
When never had affliction
Bow'd down mine ear to truth.
'Twas mine when deep devotion
Hung breathless on each line
Of pardon, peace, and promise
Till I could call them mine ;
Till o'er my soul's awakening
The gift of Heavenly love,
The spirit of adoption
Descended from above.
Unmarked, unhelped, unheeded,
In heart I've walked alone;
Unknown the prayers I've uttered,
The hopes I held unknown.
286 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Till in the hour of trial,
Upon the mighty train,
With strength and succour laden,
To bear the weight of pain.
Then, Oh ! I fain would leave thee,
For now my hours are few,
The hidden mine of treasure,
Whence all my strength I drew,
Take, then, the gift, my mother;
And, till thy path is trod,
Thy child's last token cherish,
It is the Book of God."
It is interesting to know that Sir James Clark was
a Navy doctor, who by the friendship of King Leopold
was placed in the household of the Duchess of Kent
in 1834, and as Navy doctors have no practice among
women, he could have known very little about the
matter when he so rashly judged Lady Flora
Hastings. For the last ten years of his life he lived
at Birk Hall, Bagshot Park, which was lent him by
the Queen. By those who knew him he was regarded
as an estimable, upright man.
CHAPTER XII.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE.
"The noble Duke knows he is a Protestant; all England
knows he is a Protestant ; the whole world knows he is a
Protestant. " — Melbourne.
" There is no prohibition as to marriage with a Catholic. It
is only attended with a penalty, and that penalty is merely
the forfeiture of the Crown." — Brougham.
WHEREVER the blame of the Flora Hastings affair
lay, it must be admitted that with it and the Bed-
chamber squabble the Queen had had a nerve-breaking
time. If the people had shown in a vague way before
that they were passing judgment upon her, they now
did not fail to announce that the judgment was a thing
assured. Her Drawing Rooms and Levees were
almost deserted; there were whispers that she was
running heavily into debt. " It is probable that before
1841 the help of a now powerful house will be
required."
" She's not in debt — tho' some have said it, or
If, why then I'm not a creditor."
was a couplet that it was pretended was the work of
Sir John Conroy.
In addition to this there were rumours that the split
288 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
between the Queen and her mother was complete, that
disputes constantly took place, and that the Duchess
was feeling anew the slights put upon Sir John Conroy :
' There are insinuations that the Duchess of Kent is
malignantly enraged at the removal of Sir John
Conroy, and that there are deep dissensions between
mother and daughter," is one paragraph of many.
When we remember that the animus against Sir John
was believed to be one of the reasons for showing so
much indelicate harshness to Lady Flora Hastings, it
is easy to understand that the Duchess would have
liked to bring the matter of Conroy to a head once
for all.
Melbourne had been gravely troubled by Victoria's
display of temper and self-will over the Bedchamber
question, and reports were now current everywhere of
scenes of bad temper at the Palace ; " even noble
dames can brook no longer the rebuffs and contumely
to which they are exposed." " Tudor tempest bursts,"
was the expression used by one journal.
At the end of August Leopold and his Queen came
to England, staying at Ramsgate, and it was asserted
that the visit had the express purpose of an attempt to
reconcile the Queen and the Duchess of Kent, though
before the King of the Belgians went away it was said
that both he and Lord Melbourne were suffering from
the Queen's unevenness of temper ; to which was added
the news that the Duchess intended to go abroad for
a time.
Poor little Queen ! When we private people have
gone through a period of shock and trouble, so that
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 289
our nerves are all a-j angle, we indulge our little tem-
pest-bursts, are rude to those about us and let the
trouble wear itself away, without more than half-a-
dozen people knowing or caring about it. But this
imperious and wilful girl could utter no word that was
not reported outside; in spite of her youth she was
expected to be perfect, and when she proved entirely
human and sometimes wrong-headed, the whole nation
talked of it as a crime.
Only a year and a bit had passed since she had said
that she would not marry for two or three years, yet
now she was wondering where to look for sympathy
and support. Of course, it was not the helpful hand
of a husband that she needed, she was quite sure of
that, and yet subconsciously this solution must have
presented itself to her mind; so much so that a little
earlier she had felt it necessary to impress once more
upon her uncle that she did not mean yet to take the
important step. It was in the midst of the indignation
which followed Lady Flora Hastings's death that she
wrote again to Leopold on this subject, probably in
answer to a letter from him urging the marriage. She
said that she was anxious that the family should under-
stand that even if she should like Albert she would
make no final promise during that year and would not
marry for two or three years. She spoke of her youth,
her great repugnance to change her position, and the
fact that no anxiety was shown in the country for her
marriage. The following paragraph is natural in one
who had been practically disposed of in her childhood
and who for two years had had a husband urged on
u
290 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
her with a faint but unremitting pressure by her
uncle :
" Though all the reports of Albert are most favour-
able, and though I have little doubt I shall like him,
still one can never answer beforehand for feelings,
and I may not have the feeling for him which is
requisite to insure happiness. I may like him as a
friend, as a cousin, and as a brother, but not more ; and
should this be the case (which is not likely), I am very
anxious that it should be understood .that I am not
guilty of any breach of promise, for I never gave any.
I am sure you will understand my anxiety, for I should
otherwise, were this not completely understood, be in
a very painful position. As it is, I am rather nervous
about the visit (a suggestion that the young Princes
should come to England), for the subject I allude to
is not an agreeable one to me.53
Leopold was wise enough to put no further pressure
upon her, but to leave circumstances to do their work.
There can be no doubt but that the Queen was very
lonely and ill at ease just then. She had lost the
confidence of the nation, and her pride stood in the
way of her setting herself right with it. By her own
acts she had alienated her mother, with whom, as a
matter of fact, she showed no signs of renewing the lost
intimacy; she had clung to the people accused of
wrong behaviour in the Hastings affair, yet the sight
of them constantly reminded her of her humiliation;
and through prejudice she had turned her back upon
a vast number of delightful people, whose only sin
was to hold different political views from herself;
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 291
in truth, there seemed to be no real comfort
anywhere.
When the King and Queen of the Belgians went to
Windsor after their stay at Ramsgate, and Leopold
saw how matters stood, he came to the conclusion that
it was time for him to act ; thus on his return home he
instructed his two nephews to go and pay the promised
visit to England.
Gossip about Victoria's marriage was always ready
when other excitements failed, and it was now said that
Prince Albert had refused to accept the position of
husband to his cousin, and that the Camarilla had
failed in its object, and was now bending its energies
to the keeping of the Queen unmarried, its method
being to harp on the fate of Princess Charlotte, in the
hope that that would deter her from making any matri-
monial arrangement. Which, of course, was all non-
sense. The Prince was preparing for his visit, and
Victoria was preparing a way for herself which should
at least halve all her troubles, even though it meant
also submitting her own autocratic will.
In the summer of 1839 Stockmar gave an interesting
criticism of the character of Prince Albert, which I
reproduce, for it is by no means the judgment of one
who flatters : —
" The Prince bears a striking resemblance to his
mother, and, differences apart, is in many respects both
in body and mind cast in her mould. He has the same
intellectual quickness and adroitness, the same clever-
ness, the same desire to appear good-natured and
amiable to others, and the same talent for fulfilling this
U 2
292 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
desire, the same love of espiegleries and of treating
things and men from the comical side, the same way
of not occupying himself long with the same subject.
" His constitution cannot be said to be a strong one,
though I believe by careful attention to diet he could
easily strengthen it and give it stamina. After exert-
ing himself, he often for a short time appears pale and
exhausted. He dislikes violent exertion, and both
morally and physically tries to save himself. Full of
the best intentions and noblest designs, he often fails
in carrying them into practice.
" His judgment is in many subjects beyond his years,
but, up to the present time, he has not shown the least
possible interest in political matters. Even the most
important events of this kind never, even at trie time
of their taking place, induce him to read a newspaper.
He has, as it is, a perfect horror of all foreign news-
papers, and says that the only readable and necessary
paper is the Augsburger Allgemeine, and even this he
does not read through. In the matter of les belles
manieres there is much to desire. This deficiency must
be principally laid to the account of his having in his
earliest years been deprived of the intercourse and
supervision of a mother and of any cultivated woman.
He will always have more success with men than with
women. He is too little empresse with the latter, too
indifferent, and too reserved."
As a matter of fact, Prince Albert was too reserved
with men as well as with women, and to this must be
attributed the fact that he was never really popular in
England.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 293
The Morning Post of August 22nd made a prema-
ture announcement of the marriage :— •" A matrimonial
alliance is about to take place between Her Britannic
Majesty and His Serene Highness Prince Albert
Francis/' &c. Even in those days it seems that the
newspapers were so eager to be first with their news
that they sometimes went a long way ahead of events.
It was not until October loth that Albert and his
brother arrived at Windsor, the Prince presumably not
knowing what his fate was likely to be, but resolved
to tell the Queen that if she did not then make up her
mind he would no longer be able to await her decision.
This pronouncement must have been caused by the
intelligent tutorial instructions of Leopold, for Albert
had only then just attained his twentieth birthday, and
could scarcely have feared a life of obscurity if his
cousin declined to take him as her husband.
On the 1 4th of the month Victoria gave a ball, and
at that she openly showed him a sign of her preference
by taking some flowers from her bouquet and offering
them to him. There being no buttonhole in which to
place them, Albert took out a penknife, cut a hole in
his uniform, and fixed the flowers over his heart. The
next day the Queen sent for her cousin to come to her
private room, and there — to quote Albert's words when
writing to his grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha — she declared, " in a genuine out-
burst of love and affection, that I had gained her whole
heart, and would make her intensely happy if I would
make the sacrifice of sharing her life with her ; for she
said she looked on it as a sacrifice; the only thing
294 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
that troubled her was that she did not think she was
worthy of me. The joyous openness of manner in
which she told me this quite enchanted me, and I was
quite carried away by it."
Both the young people poured out their hopes to
Stockmar, who was in Germany at the time. " Albert
has completely won my heart," wrote the Queen, " and
all was settled between us this morning. ... I feel
certain he will make me very happy. I wish I could
say I felt as certain of my making him happy, but I
shall do my best." Albert enthused : " Victoria is so
good and kind to me that I am often puzzled to believe
that I should be the object of so much affection. . . .
More, or more seriously, I cannot write. I am at this
moment too bewildered to do so."
But even in this matter of the heart Victoria's sense
of her exalted position never left her. When talking
to the Duchess of Gloucester about making the declara-
tion before Parliament, the old lady asked her if it
was not a very nervous thing to do, upon which she
answered, " I did a much more nervous thing a while
ago. I had to propose to Albert." Then she went on
to explain that of course it would not have been pos-
sible for him to have proposed to the Queen of Eng-
land; "he would never have presumed to have taken
such a liberty."
This is almost too good to be true, but as it is given
in the Peel papers it may be regarded as reliable. To
have loved a man and to have spoken of him in this
way seems incredible ; only a very young and inexperi-
enced person could have done it, for the lover does not
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 295
weigh etiquette against an honest expression of love.
However, Her Majesty was truly young in her love and
in her love-making, and had much to learn concerning
the inner sentiments of life. That she learned it all
through we believe, for we are told that her love for
the man whom her uncle chose for her deepened and
widened, so that her marriage was as happy as the most
kind-hearted could have wished.
It is not to be wondered at that a girl brought up in
such a guarded, reticent atmosphere as the Queen had
been should be unduly reticent all through her days.
The curious thing is that the impression she made upon
all whom she met was that of absolute frankness ; yet
she had for eighteen years been accustomed to hide
her thoughts and her emotions, to suppress all ten-
dency to confidences, and it can scarcely be wondered
at that in a matter which was very personal her secre-
tiveness should reassert itself. It is impossible not to
feel sorry that Melbourne should have been the person
against whom she armed her mind in this case. The
Queen did not speak to him of her marriage, neither
by consulting him nor telling him of her intentions.
He knew nothing but the report given in the Morning
Post, and the talk of the clubs and the streets. At last
he spoke to her, telling her that he could not pretend
to be ignorant of the reports going about, nor could
she ; that though he would not presume to ask her what
she intended to do, it was his duty to tell her that if
she had any intentions it was necessary that the
Ministers should know them. She replied that she
had nothing to tell him. A somewhat doubtful state-
296 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
ment, for she had already written to Leopold, asking
him to keep her cousins from arriving before the 3rd of
October, as she would have a number of Ministers at
Windsor on that day, who, if they saw the Coburgs
arrive, might say the Princes had come "to settle
matters"
A fortnight after Melbourne spoke and a day before
her proposal to the Prince she told him that the matter
was settled. These little evidences of haughty inde-
pendence raised many apprehensions in the minds of
those who served her, for they asked, "If she will deal
thus with a Minister whom she likes, what will she do
when those are in power whom she does not like ? "
It is, of course, quite arguable that Victoria wished
to have the opportunity, like other girls, of making up
her mind in quiet and of having her little romance to
herself. But she was not like other girls ; and she did
not forget what she considered the duties of her posi-
tion when proposing to Albert, yet when those duties
clashed with her inclination she allowed sentimentality
to prevent her performing them.
The reports that Melbourne feared the loss of his
power if Victoria married, and therefore was doing his
best to induce her to keep single, were not confined to
the gossip of London and Paris. There were many
who wondered how Melbourne would behave if he saw
before him the probability of the loss of his influence,
as an introduction to the loss of his position. One of
these was the Duke of Wellington, his great rival in
personal weight at Court. Wellington felt that the
genuineness of Melbourne's devotion would be tested
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 297
by such an event, for the old general knew that if, from
personal or party motives, Melbourne wished to put off
the Queen's marriage, he could easily find specious,
in fact almost unanswerable, reasons for such a course.
Then if Victoria really made her choice, pretexts would
be easy for causing delays. Thus our Prime Minister
was watched with curiosity or malice from all sides.
What will he do ? Will he think of himself ? Will he
act the good father's part? Will he feel disappointed
that he is not the chosen man ? Such were the questions
prompted by those who knew much, little, or nothing,
and these questions were asked everywhere, while the
wags of the Press announced that the Devil's Tower at
Windsor had been assigned to him as a residence.
But Melbourne had watched the Queen with some-
thing more than affectionate criticism ; he saw that she
had grave faults which, if not trained into virtues,
would lead her into evil, and he knew that outside
influence would never be strong enough to counteract
them. Gravely and anxiously he talked over all the
possibilities of the matter with King Leopold. He
felt that Albert, a young, untried man, .who knew
nothing of public business, and had practically no
knowledge of the world, might be a great danger in
himself, yet on the other hand he thought it very pos-
sible that the union might be all the more successful
because of the youth of the two, and that Victoria's
influence would probably complete and strengthen the
character of the young Prince. Melbourne had been
assailed on every side for his residence in the Palace,
for .his untiring devotion to the Queen,, yet it was his
298 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
pride to be recognised as being the faithful and affec-
tionate friend of Her Majesty. He knew well enough
that he would be giving his own power into the hands
of another, yet his sole desire was to do the best he
could for his Queen and his country. It was natural
in these circumstances that he should wish to know
the Queen's intentions in the matter, and when he re-
ceived the news on the i4th of October, the day before
Victoria's momentous interview with Albert, his natural
sweetness of disposition showed itself ; for he said :
" I think your news will be very well received every-
where ; for I hear that there is an anxiety now that it
should be, and I am very glad of it. You will be
much more comfortable; for a woman cannot stand
alone for any time, in whatever position she may be."
Of Melbourne in this instance Leopold said to the
Queen, he " has shown himself the amiable and excel-
lent man I always took him for. Another man in his
position, instead of your happiness, might have merely
looked to his own personal views and imaginary in-
terests. Not so our good friend; he saw what was
best for you ; and I feel it deeply to his praise."
The Queen wrote to all her Royal relatives to impart
her great news, and in writing to the Dowager Queen
there was a curious mistake made by her secretary in
addressing the envelope. Lord Howe, at his private
residence, received a letter addressed to Lord How,
the envelope being whitey-brown inscribed " per rail-
road." He supposed it to be one of many letters he
was in the habit of receiving from people who wanted
money or subscriptions, or permission to dedicate some-
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 299
thing to him, or something equally unimportant, and
very nearly threw it into the fire. However, he thought
better of it, and opened the curious missive — to dis-
cover a letter from Queen Victoria announcing to
Queen Adelaide her approaching marriage; it was
written by her own hand, was instinct with kindness and
affection, and " as full of love as Juliet ! " Said Sir
Robert Peel, in commenting on this, " I suppose some
footboy at Windsor Castle had enclosed and directed it
to Lord How. If it had been disregarded, and had thus
remained unanswered, what an outcry there would have
been of neglect, insult, and so forth — and not unjustly."
When Daniel O'Connell heard the news he made
an extravagant speech at Bandon — before the engage-
ment, as a matter of fact — in which he said : " We
must be — we are — loyal to our young and lovely
Queen — God bless her ! We must be — we are —
attached to the Throne, and to the lovely being by
whom it is filled. She is going to be married ! I
wish she may have as many children as my grand-
mother had — two-and-twenty ! God bless the Queen !
I am a father and a grandfather; and in the face of
heaven I pray with as much honesty and fervency for
Queen Victoria as I do for any one of my own progeny.
The moment I heard of the daring and audacious
menaces of the Tories towards the Sovereign l I
promulgated, through the press, my feelings of de-
testation and my determination on the matter ! Oh !
if I be not greatly mistaken, Pd get in one day 500,000
brave Irishmen to defend the life, the honour, and
1 The Bradshaw incident and others.
300 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
the person of the beloved young lady by whom
England's Throne is now filled ! Let every man in
this vast and multitudinous assembly stretched out
before me, who is loyal to the Queen and would
defend her to the last, lift up his right hand ! (The
entire assembly responded to the appeal.") There are
hearts in those hands. I tell you that, if necessity
required, there would be swords in them ! (Awful
cheering)" Thus reported the Annual Register of
that date.
This sounds absurd and high falutin', but it must
have warmed the heart of the young lady. However,
if some people welcomed the marriage, there were
others who foretold from it national calamity. I have
shown how keenly the ultra-Tories hated the idea of
another Coburg alliance, and as soon as the matter
was assured the whole Papist scare recommenced.
Society people were filled with disdain for the Prince's
birth and position — " a younger son of a petty and un-
distinguished German Duke " ! Albert was also
accused of want of knowledge, want of manners, want
of morals, and, in fact, a general poverty in all that
made a good man ; besides this — greatest crime of all-
he was said to be a Whig ! Thus the Queen had by
no means regained her popularity with the disaffected
of her people, and all the bitterness of feeling against
her came out when the necessary arrangements were
being made for Albert's reception into English life.
It is not difficult to see that with her sense of Royal
infallibility the Queen was likely to show little tact,
and indeed she made such extravagant demands for
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 301
her prospective husband that dismay was felt even by
her warmest supporters.
However, the first thing for her to do was to announce
to her Privy Council, which was summoned to Bucking-
ham Palace for the 23rd of November, her decision
to accept Prince Albert as her husband. There were
eighty-three Councillors present, among them being the
Duke of Wellington, who had just alarmed the country
by having a serious attack — supposed to be paralytic —
on the previous Monday, and the results of which were
visible in a slight twist of the right corner of his mouth,
and some constraint in using the left arm. When all
the Privy Councillors were assembled, the doors were
thrown open, and the Queen, dressed in a plain morn-
ing gown, wearing a bracelet in which the Prince's
portrait was set, was handed in by the Lord Chamber-
lain. She bowed to her Councillors, sat down and
said, " Your Lordships will be seated." Then she un-
folded a paper and read, with " a mixture of self-
possession and feminine delicacy," her declaration,
which ran : —
" It is my intention to ally myself in marriage with
the Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Deeply
impressed with the solemnity of the engagement which
I am about to contract, I have not come to this decision
without mature consideration, nor without feeling a
strong assurance that, with the blessing of Almighty
God, it will at once secure my domestic felicity, and
serve the interests of my country."
She read, we are told, in a clear, sonorous, sweet-
toned voice, but her hands trembled excessively,
302 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
though her eyes were bright and calm, neither bold nor
downcast, but firm and soft. Several times she looked
towards the Duke of Wellington, for he was still ill,
and she had been anxious about him ; and when it was
all over she wrote in her journal : " Lord Melbourne I
saw, looking at me with tears in his eyes, but he was
not near me. ... I felt that my hands shook, but I
did not make one mistake. I felt more happy and
thankful when it was over." In a letter to Prince
Albert she wrote : " 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 ! "
For three months Victoria's emotions alternated
between happiness and annoyance, for she could by no
means get all she desired for her beloved Albert. The
political animus against herself made the Opposition
captious, and they and the Lords behaved like naughty
children, finding fault with everything. From the very
first, from the day that it was known that Albert of
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was coming to England as the
Queen's husband, the Prince's character was calum-
niated and his prospects treated with contempt. Our
enmity to the German race, begun when we were
obliged to see our Throne filled with Germans — for
even the later Georges were more German than
English — and continued with something of the rancour
of a conquered nation, as one German alliance after
another took place ; which has been fed of late years
by commercial jealousy, and by a latent fear of what
our cousin the Kaiser might do ; this enmity was gain-
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 303
ing strength seventy years ago, and found its whole
expression in diatribes against the young man who,
being one of the most amiable people in existence, had
been forced into his position as surely as a Japanese
tree is forced into its pigmy development. This may
sound exaggerated, but it is true nevertheless. From
his boyhood Albert was educated, moulded, pruned,
into the shape — morally and mentally — that seemed
most suitable for the Consort of the Queen. There
was no escape for him, and so carefully had he been
prepared that he did not even think of escape. It has
always been held that England did very well for the
poor, undistinguished Prince who was allowed the
supreme honour of marrying England's Queen; and
to make him feel how magnanimous they had been,
the English people and the newspapers comported
themselves as the street boy now bears himself when
he feels that a foreigner is pressed upon his notice. I
once had two French servants, who often together took
my children out, but they never appeared in the street
without the youth of the neighbourhood pelting them
with ribald remarks and sometimes with stones. In
this way did the vulgar among the well-bred treat
Albert, and some of them did it even to the time of his
death.
The first stone thrown was one picked from the
Declaration which Her Majesty made before Parlia-
ment, in which no mention had been made of the
Prince's religion. At once the most lying and libellous
articles were written, asserting that Albert was a
Catholic, and, if not, that he belonged to a sect which
304 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
made it impossible that he could ever take the Com-
munion in the English Church; and if he could bring
himself to do that his religious beliefs were of that light
type that he could be a Catholic to Catholics, but for
the sake of his advancement he could also be a Pro-
testant to Protestants. To this was added that at
heart he was an infidel and a radical — evidently inter-
changeable terms with these violent supporters of a
man who stood for the most prejudiced and retrograde
views, Ernest, King of Hanover. There seems to
have been little doubt that he was at the bottom of the
reports about Albert; he still hoped to be King of
England, or at least to know that his son would wear
its crown; and it was at the time an open secret that
he was doing his best to upset the marriage.
The angry and younger Tories needed little goad-
ing, and they acted as a spur to their leaders. One feels
really sorry that such a man as the Duke of Wellington
should have led the attack in the House of Lords.
The Duke knew as everyone knew that Albert was a
Protestant, yet he and Peel, chafed by the events of
the past year, felt that some stratagem must be em-
ployed to discredit the Ministry. " It proceeds from
the boiling impatience of the party, indoors and out.
The Tory masses complain that nothing is done ; and
so, to gratify them, an immediate assault is resolved
upon." Peel suggested to Wellington that some hos-
tile movement must be made against the Government,
adding, "It might be ungracious to cause conflict in
an address congratulating a Queen Regnant on her
marriage." The Duke agreed with this, yet took the
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 305
first opportunity which came along of sinking his
loyalty to the Crown in party politics and personal
feelings. After some acrid speeches and many
columns in the papers, this quarrel, which was entirely
one of bluff, was soothed by Baron Stockmar's affirma-
tion that the Prince was a Protestant who could take
Communion in the English Church as though he were
in his own Lutheran Church. Greville, a good Tory,
says of this : " The Duke moved an amendment, and
foisted in the word Protestant — a sop to the silly. I
was grieved to see him descend to such miserable
humbug, and was in hopes that he was superior to it."
As the Queen said in a letter to her uncle, " There was
no need to affirm such a fact, as by law it was impossible
that I could marry any but a Protestant."
This made a certain amount of stir, but not sufficient
to satisfy the rank and file of the Tory party and the
men who desired office ; so it was unfortunate that the
next Bill before the House should be one concerning
the allowance to be given to the Prince. Here a new
element came in, our delightful English snobbery.
Had Albert come to us as a millionaire, his life would
have been one of roses in our midst, but his total
income then was about £2,500, and he had only a small
estate in Germany. Was not this enough justification
for putting him in his place? Tories and Radicals
alike thought so, and when it came to considerng the
income suitable for a Prince Consort they practically
said so. The sum asked for as an allowance was
£50,000 a year. This had been given to the husband
of Queen Anne, to the Queens Consort of George III.
x
306 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
and William IV., and to Prince Leopold when he
married the Princess Charlotte, but as soon as it was
suggested in Parliament that Queen Victoria's husband
should have the same amount an outcry was raised.
So far as can be judged from all the arguments put
forward, this was simply an indication that at that
moment a feminine Sovereign could be treated with
less consideration than a King. Had it been a Queen
Consort for whom provision was needed, it is certain,
to judge by the Parliamentary speeches, that the sum
asked for would have been granted, and it is also
certain that had the Queen chosen George of Cam-
bridge, neither the Duke of Wellington nor any other
leader of the Opposition would have opposed the
proposal. Even the frivolous Prince of Orange would
have been accorded more favour. However, fortu-
nately for England, Victoria was not intending to make
her simple-minded cousin King, and the Prince of
Orange had found no favour with her, also fortunately
for England — and for her.
An amendment was proposed by Joseph Hume, the
Radical, allowing the Prince the magnificent income
of ,£21,000 a year, whereupon Colonel Sibthorp, who
was, as Sir Sidney Lee says, " a Tory of a very pro-
nounced kind, who warmly championed every insular
prejudice/' moved another amendment to make the
sum stand at ^30,000.
This was carried by a junction of extremes, the
Tories and the Radicals ; a year earlier the former had
been as insistent in their demands that the Coronation
expenses should be increased by a tremendous amount
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 307
that Royal dignity should be sustained. Now so bitter
was their feeling against the Government that they
were ready to strike the Queen over Melbourne's head.
Victoria wrote of this : " It is a curious sight to see
those who, as Tories, used to pique themselves upon
their excessive loyalty, doing everything to degrade
their young Sovereign in the eyes of the people. Of
course, there are exceptions."
Stockmar says that after the division he met Mel-
bourne on the staircase of the House, and that the
Prime Minister said to him, " The Prince will be very
annoyed with the Tories, but it is not only the Tories
who have lessened his income; there were beside
Radicals and some of our own people who voted
against him." It was said that the less honest Whigs
did this because they thought that as the whole blame
of the proceedings would fall upon the Tories, the
reduction of the Prince's income would widen the
breach between the Queen and the Opposition. Both
the Whigs and Tories of the baser sort were ready
to go to any dishonourable length in their desire to
secure or to hold power, only those who had for long
been out of office went a little further than their oppo-
nents and cried their sentiments in a very much louder
voice, and thus we hear more about them. Melbourne
at least proved himself an honest man, and he was
guilty of that stupidity which is much the same thing
as wickedness; he knew the spirit of the politicians,
yet he did not take necessary precautions, while he
seemed always ready to take unnecessary risks :
" There is no doubt that all will go through easily,"
x 2
308 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
was his feeling, and so he allowed matters to slip into
public discussion and recrimination.
Leopold was enraged. " The whole mode and way
in which those who have opposed the grant treated the
question was so extremely vulgar and disrespectful,
that I cannot comprehend the Tories. The men who
uphold the dignity of the Crown to treat their
Sovereign in such a manner, on such an occasion ! "
Prince Albert may well have been irritated on his part,
and of him his uncle said, "he does not care about
the money, but he is much shocked and exasperated
by the disrespect of the thing, as he well may."
The third trouble was the Naturalisation Bill, which
included the question of Precedency.
All through her life Victoria was a sentimentalist,
and no sooner did she really feel herself in love with
Albert than her impulse was to kiss his feet. This
young man had spent years travelling from one town
to another in Europe, seeking the education which
would best enable him to fill his position as Prince
Consort; he had, in fact, rarely been at home, to judge
by Leopold's accounts of his doings. Yet as soon as
he offered to settle down in England, Victoria began
to see in him a martyr, one who was sacrificing his
family and his country to live with her in an alien land,
and she regarded it as her real duty to compensate
him for the terrible expatriation from which he would
suffer. Leopold wanted Albert to be made a peer;
Victoria went a good step further, she desired that he
should be made a King-Consort. The Ministers
listened and hesitated, but Melbourne pointed out that
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 309
for the Legislature to make a King would be to infer
that the Legislature could unmake a King. Precedent,
he said, was the only thing to accept as guidance, and
Prince Albert must take the same position as Prince
George of Denmark, and he ended emphatically with :
" For God's sake, Ma'am, let's hear no more of it ! "
This was one of the times when the Queen was angry
with Melbourne; how could he compare the stupid and
insignificant husband of Queen Anne with her Prince ?
Failing the highest dignity, she was against Albert's
being made a peer, writing to him on that subject :
" The English are very jealous of any foreigner inter-
fering in the government of this country, and have
already in some of the papers (which are friendly to
me and to you) expressed a hope that you will not
interfere. Now, though I know you never would, still
if you were a Peer they would all say, the Prince meant
to play a political part."
It is doubtful whether, in spite of her ambition for
him, Victoria had any desire that the Prince should
take part in any way in the important art of govern-
ing. She intended to marry, but she was really quite
innocent of a wish to receive a partner in her legisla-
tive duties as well as a partner in her home.
When the Naturalisation Bill was introduced, Lynd-
hurst watched the case, as it were, for the King of
Hanover, and he objected very much to the Bill as
framed, for it gave Albert the precedence next the
Queen for life. Thus, had he survived Victoria, he
would still have taken precedence of the Heir-Pre-
sumptive. The Royal Dukes and their party wanted
310 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
to give Albert precedence only over Archbishops and
Dukes, excepting Dukes of Royal blood and other
peers of the realm as the Queen should deem fit and
proper. This had the difficulty of giving precedence,
not only to the Royal Dukes, but to Prince George
of Cambridge and Prince George of Cumberland when
their fathers died. In this dispute Lord Lyndhurst
and Lord Ellenborough were bracketted together as
the impossibles. Greville saw the latter at his door
one day, and asked what he was going to do about the
precedence.
" Oh, give him the same which Prince George of
Denmark had : place him next before the Archbishop
of Canterbury."
" That will by no means satisfy Her Majesty ! "
replied Greville, at which Ellenborough tossed up his
head, saying,
" What does that signify ? "
It would have been a curious thing to see the Queen
enter a room, followed first by all the Guelphs, and
at a distance by the humble and devoted husband.
This was naturally not acceptable, so the whole idea of
precedency was dropped, and the Bill became one of
naturalisation only. The Dukes of Cambridge and
Sussex, " who both wanted an increase in their in-
comes," would have given way, but Ernest of Hanover
affirmed contemptuously that he would not stand below
any " paper royal highness." Charles Greville studied
up the law on this matter, and wrote a pamphlet proving
that the Queen could grant her husband by Royal
Warrant what precedence she chose without appeal to
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LOVE 31 1
Parliament. This unfortunately only applied to his
position in her own dominions, and as long as he lived
foreign Courts would only recognise the Prince accord-
ing to his birth, thus making a tremendous difference
between his rank and that of his wife. This explains
such incidents as that when he once went to Boulogne,
the Kings of Portugal and Belgium, who were there,
both took their departure before Prince Albert arrived,
that he might be the greatest man in the place. Before
the Queen and Prince had been married a month we
find the old Duke of Cambridge agitated like any
society woman as to whether he could accept an invita-
tion to meet the Prince ?nd the Queen at the Queen
Dowager's, because what were they to do about pre-
cedence if he went? As the law — an old Act of the
time of Henry VIII. — stood, Lyndhurst and the Duke
of Wellington told him he had no choice but to give
precedence to the Prince. So the knotty point being
settled, the Duke felt himself able to accept the
invitation.
CHAPTER XIII
QUEEN VICTORIA'S EARLY MARRIED LIFE
" Her Court was pure ; her life serene ;
God gave her peace ; her land reposed ;
A thousand claims to reverence closed
In her as Mother, Wife, and Queen."
— Tennyson.
PRINCE ALBERT was firmly convinced that Queen
Victoria was injudicious in her partisanship of the
Whigs, and he desired to begin his career in England
on an independent basis as far as the political parties
were concerned; therefore he desired to choose for
himself his secretary and other officials likely to be
near him. His engagement was a short one, but it
was full of troubles, as, indeed, most engagements are,
for that is, I think, the least satisfactory part of the
whole marriage arrangement. Thus he seems to have
been really and thoroughly annoyed when he found
that George Anson, who was Melbourne's secretary, and
who was described as " a tried, discreet, and sensible
man, high-bred in feeling as in bearing, capable with-
out prompting of giving good advice when asked, and
incapable of the folly of making a suggestion when it
was not wanted," had been selected by Victoria to fill
thye post of private secretary to himself. There was
312
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 313
considerable correspondence between the Royal lovers
on this subject, part of which is given in the Letters
of Queen Victoria. The Prince's letters are not in-
cluded, but the Queen's tell the story. Here is a
paragraph from one : —
" It is, as you rightly suppose, my greatest, my most
anxious wish to do everything most agreeable to you,
but I must differ with you respecting Mr. Anson. . . .
What I said about Anson giving you advice, means
that if you like to ask him, he can and will be of the
greatest use to you, as he is a very well-informed
person. He will leave Lord Melbourne as soon as he
is appointed about you. With regard to your last
objection that it would make you a party man if you
took the secretary of the Prime Minister as your
Treasurer, I do not agree in it; for, though I am very
anxious you should not appear to belong to a party, still
it is necessary that your Household should not form a
too strong contrast to mine, else they will say, c Oh, we
know the Prince says he belongs to no party, but we
are sure he is a Tory ! ' Therefore it is also necessary
that it should appear you went with me in having some
of your people who are staunch Whigs ; but Anson is
not in Parliament, and never was, and therefore he is
not a violent politician. Do not think, because I urge
this, Lord M. prefers it; on the contrary, he never
urged it, and I only do it as I know it is for your good.
v • . I am distressed to tell you what I fear you do not
like, but it is necessary, my dearest, most excellent
Albert. Once more I tell you that you can perfectly
rely on me in these matters."
In a later letter, the Queen pointed out that it was
314 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
absolutely essential that Albert should have an
Englishman at the head of his affairs.
However, the two months rolled away, and the
marriage morning dawned with the loth of February,
Albert arriving in London on the 8th. He, poor
thing, had hoped for a real honeymoon, and was
gently chided for desiring so much : " You forget, my
dearest love, that I am the Sovereign, and that busi-
ness can stop and wait for nothing. Parliament is
sitting, and something occurs almost every day, for
which I may be required, and it is quite impossible
for me to be absent from London, therefore two or
three days is already a long time to be absent.5'
The morning of Monday, February loth, was
stormy : " What weather ! I believe, however, the
rain will cease," scribbled Victoria to her bridegroom
before they met that day; and, in spite of the torrents
of rain and gusts of wind, a countless multitude
thronged the streets and the Park to see the bride
go from Buckingham Palace to the chapel in St.
James's Palace and back, and then, after the break-
fast, to Paddington on the way to Windsor, where the
Royal pair were to spend four days.
Said the Sage of Chelsea concerning this event :
"Yesterday the idle portion of the Town was in a
sort of flurry owing to the marriage of little Queen
Victory. I had to go out to breakfast with an ancient
Notable of this place, one named Rogers, the Poet
and Banker; my way lay past little Victory's Palace,
and a perceptible crowd was gathering there even
then, which went on increasing till I returned (about
one o'clock); streams of idle gomerils flowing from
Photo]
H.R.H. PRINCE ALBERT.
From the Painting by Winterhalter in the National Portrait Gallery.
(Emery Walker.
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 315
all quarters, to see one knows not what — perhaps
Victory's gilt coach and other gilt coaches drive out,
for that would be all ! It was a wet day, too, of bitter
heavy showers and abundant mud. . . . Poor little
thing, I wish her marriage all prosperity too. ... As
for him (Prince Albert) they say he is a sensible lad;
which circumstance may be of much service to him;
he burst into tears on leaving his little native Coburg,
a small, quiet town, like Annan, for example; poor
fellow, he thought, I suppose, how he was bidding
adieu to quiet there, and would probably never know
it more, whatever else he might know."
Carlyle and Rogers seem to have discussed the
Queen and all that had happened, for the former adds
in amused fashion : " He (Rogers) defended the poor
little Queen, and her fooleries and piques and pettings
in this little wedding of hers."
It is said that of all the Tories the Queen only sent
a personal invitation to one to be present at the cere-
mony, and that was her old friend, Lord Liverpool.
The Royal pair returned to Buckingham Palace on
the 1 4th, and the Queen held a Levee on the i9th,
when Albert stood by her side to receive the guests.
The marriage of the Queen made it necessary to
rearrange the apartments in Buckingham Palace, and
those which had been devoted to the Duchess of Kent
were done up in splendid style for the Prince.
The King of Hanover had retained some apart-
ments in St. James's Palace for his own use, but had
never returned to them since he left England ; and it
was considered, not without reason, that he might be
willing to give up the rooms to the Duchess of Kent.
316 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
However, Ernest had not yet lost hope; he could not
prevent the marriage, it was true, but the Queen might
die, there might be no children, something might still
happen to give him his heart's desire and set him on
the Throne of England. Therefore, he felt it ad-
visable to retain the rooms for his possible use in an
emergency, and he wrote a curious letter about pro-
ceedings in England, implying that such terrible things
were happening here that it would probably be
necessary for him to return and save the situation.
So the Queen rented Ingestre House, Belgrave
Square, at a cost of two thousand a year for a short
time. When somewhat later Princess Augusta died
the Duchess was transferred to Clarence House, St.
James's Palace, and was given Frogmore at Windsor
as a residence. Thus ended for her any influence in
great matters which she may have hoped to exercise
upon her daughter, and thus also ended the deplorable
friction which had made her so very unhappy. It was
very possible that some of the Queen's disregard for
her mother — a disregard which was never shown in
social matters or in outward filial conduct — existed
really only in the mind of the Duchess, for it is usual
for the person who feels slighted to exaggerate the
offence. From this time forward, however, we hear
of no further friction; indeed, Prince Albert seems
to have acted as mediator, and to have championed
the cause of his mother-in-law. Sir John Conroy
lived in Berkshire, and one day in May, 1840, there
appeared in a Berkshire paper an allusion to Royal
affairs. If Conroy caused this to be inserted it only
goes to prove the truth of the report : " Prince Albert,
EARL\ MARRIED LIFE 317
having unravelled the mysterious web with which
certain intriguantes had contrived to embarrass and
annoy the Duchess of Kent, has expressed his detesta-
tion of their acts, and at the same time has avowed
his determination to restore that amiable and ill-used
lady to her proper station, influence, and suitable
residence.35
It is interesting to note that Victoria was quite well
aware of the matrimonial project so long nursed by her
uncle, the Duke of Cambridge, for in November, 1839,
when writing to Melbourne to give an account of a visit
which the Cambridges paid her, she said, in a some-
what mixed style : " They were all very kind and civil,
George grown but not embellished, and much less
reserved with the Queen, and evidently happy to be
clear of me."
At the end of December, in writing to Albert she
said : " I saw to-day the Duke of Cambridge, who has
shown me your letter, with which he is quite delighted
— and, indeed, it is a very nice one. The Duke told
Lord Melbourne he had always greatly desired our
marriage, and never thought of George ; but that / do
not believe."
At that time three of the sons of George III. were
alive, and three daughters. The Queen had an
affection for all but the King of Hanover, and did
her best to make her uncle Sussex's life easy,
though he was just at this period in a fractious
mood, being jealous of the rights of "the family/'
He had made two illegal marriages, the second being,
as has been said, with Cecilia Underwood — Lady
Buggin — a daughter of the Earl of Arran, and widow
318 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
of an attorney-knight, though disliking the plebeian
name which marriage had bestowed upon her, she had
taken that of her mother as soon as she was widowed.
She attracted the Duke of Sussex and lived with him as
his wife for years, then in 1840 he came to the deter-
mination of going through the ceremony of marriage.
Whether it was an access of virtue or prudence which
caused this long-delayed decision it is difficult to say,
but he put it forward as a plea for an increase in his
allowance. This naturally caused criticism of an
adverse kind, it being generally thought and said that
these two had lived long enough together to know the
amount of their joint expenses, and that marriage
should not increase them. One paper advocated com-
pliance with the Duke's demand on the ground that
Cecilia would "not add a flock of locusts to increase
the epidemic of the German pest."
Victoria made Cecilia Duchess of Inverness, that she
might be near her husband's rank, and sometimes
invited her to her own table, but she was never placed
on the footing of a relative. It was in April, 1843,
that the Duke died of erysipelas, and desired in his
will that he should be buried at Kensal Green. This,
after some hesitation, was done with military honours.
Sussex seems to have won more affection and good-
will than any of his brothers.
The Duke of Cambridge, who took little part in
public life after his return from Hanover, lived until
1850. In W. H. Brookfield's Diary is to be found the
following description of him in 1841 : " The Duke of
Cambridge was there to hear the Bishop (preach), and
sate in the pew before me. Such a noise as he made
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 319
in responses, Psalm reading, and singing, a sort of
old Walpole with eyes. I had not caught what Psalm
the clerk had given out, and turning to look on my
neighbour's book for the page — fidgety, restless, Royal
Highness turns round and bawls loud enough to drown
the organ, c It begins at the third verse — the third
verse ! ' All eyes turned on Royalty speaking to
inferior clergy. I turned red as a radish. Royalty
went on singing like a bull ! "
It was with the Duchess of Cambridge that Lady
Cardigan says she once drove to London, and the
former took from her pocket a German sausage, and,
cutting off slices with a silver knife, conveyed the pieces
to her mouth with the help of the blade ! Young
George of Cambridge married, not a Queen, but an
actress, Louisa Fairbrother, with whom he lived
very happily until she died in 1890 — and it is said
that he never recovered the blow caused by her death.
Of the three daughters of George III., one was
Princess Sophia, who went blind after being operated
on for cataract, and who, whatever the scandal asso-
ciated with her name, always kept the affectionate
respect of her niece Victoria. She was one of the
sponsors to the Queen's eldest son, and also to the
Princess Alice. She died in 1848, six months before
Lord Melbourne. Princess Augusta died in Septem-
ber of 1840, and " the dear old Duchess of Gloucester,"
the last of the generation, who was looked upon by
Victoria and her family as " a sort of grandmother,"
lived until 1857. She had always been very energetic,
and there is an account of her calling upon the Queen,
and reporting upon a round of gaieties indulged in
320 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
within a day or two, parties at the Duchess of Suther-
land's, the Duke of Wellington's, and at Cambridge
House, and luncheon with the Duke of Sussex, fol-
lowed with the call upon Her Majesty.
The young Queen was naturally affectionate, and
felt much grief at the deaths of these relatives, who
had surrounded her all her life, yet a fuller, richer, if
not less troubled, existence was forming about her.
Her troubles were not of the kind which devastate,
but of the recurring, irritating sort which neither rest
nor sleep. Albert never did quite please the English
people, and in her endeavour to make him acceptable
she sometimes wounded him, and sometimes did in-
judicious things. Her naturally quick temper induced
Leopold to write her a grave warning before the mar-
riage, telling her not to let a single day pass over with
a misunderstanding between them, and pointing out
that if such arose she would find Albert gentle and
open to reason, so that things could be easily ex-
plained; begging her to remember that he was not
sulky but inclined to be melancholy if he thought he
was not justly treated, and adding "But as you will
always be together, there can never arise, I hope, any
occasion for any disagreements even on the most
trifling subjects."
It is open to wonder whether such disagreements did
at first arise. If so, they were so slight as not to affect
the abiding love between the two. The satiric papers
recorded a constant succession of them, but who is to
believe such ? One report ran that the Prince annoyed
his wife by contradicting her over the tea table, " and
whether by accident or design, the Queen sprinkled
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 321
the contents of her cup over his face, which led to an
Estrangement for the whole evening." On another
occasion we are told that Albert was admiring a
bouquet which Miss Pitt, a Maid of Honour, carried,
and while he was holding it the Queen entered, and,
having praised the flowers, asked him whence they
came. Then " the presence of Miss Pitt was dispensed
with, Victoria seized the bouquet, and scattered its
fragments over the room." Whether such incidents
were true or not, Victoria never forgot that she was
Queen, and to the end she sometimes unduly pressed
that fact upon the mind of her husband. Melbourne
said that the Queen was very proud of the Prince's
utter indifference to the attractions of ladies, and
when he suggested that they were early days
to boast, she was indignant. The Prime Minister,
watching her with his shrewd, fatherly air, saw
with amusement, however, that she was really
somewhat jealous if the Prince talked much even with
any man. .What would she have said if he had fol-
lowed George the Fourth's plan of kissing all ladies
who pleased him on their presentation ?
But there was one thing which gradually weighed
more and more upon the Prince's spirits and really hurt
him. He found himself shut out as had been the
Duchess of Kent. The Queen did not discuss affairs
of State with him; she carried her reticence so far as
to cause him to make serious complaints and to need
the help both of Melbourne and Stockmar. In this
again is to be traced the insidious influence of Baroness
Lehzen, who was still always in the background, but
whose name never passed the Queen's lips in her con-
y
322 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
ferences with Melbourne. When that good friend
reasoned with her about the want of confidence both
in trivial and great matters that she showed in her
husband, she replied that it was caused, by indolence,
that when she was with the Prince she preferred talking
of other and pleasanter things. Upon which Mel-
bourne told her to try to alter that, for there was no
objection to her telling the Prince all things. Mel-
bourne's private opinion was that she feared difference
of opinion. But really the Queen was the counterpart
of the mid- Victorian husband, who thought it his duty
to save his wife from any knowledge of his business,
whether it worried or pleased him — a rather foolish
position for her to take up, even though she had been
Queen for three years.
Stockmar, in a conversation with George Anson,
made the memorable remark, seeing how the Prince
had fought against Anson's appointment : " The
Prince leans more on you than on anyone else and
gives you his entire confidence; you are honest, moral,
and religious, and will not belie that trust. The Queen
has not started upon a right principle." The Baron
thought that Victoria was influenced more than she
knew by Lehzen, and that in consequence of that
influence she was not so ingenuous as she had been
two years earlier.
However, a new aspect of life had opened up for
Her Majesty at that time, and it is doubtful whether
she was as engrossed in State matters as she seemed
to be, whether while she was listening to disquisitions
upon foreign affairs, she was not dreaming of more
personal things. She trusted her Ministers without
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 323
question, and may well be excused if for a time she
relied entirely upon their judgment, and had not the
power even to explain to her young husband the argu-
ments to which she listened. These things changed
slowly, but for two years Albert's only share in his
wife's work was that after many months he was allowed
to go through official papers with her. He felt the
position to be one of humiliation, and wrote to his
friend, Prince William of Lowenstein, that in his house
he was the husband and not the master. What Leopold
had said of his nature was true, and this trouble filled
him with melancholy. This difference between the
Queen and the Prince, however, got abroad, and was
commented on in light and airy fashion. It was said
that Victoria sometimes drove her husband out in her
pony carriage, and this was applied somewhat spite-
fully in the following verse : —
" ' Thus to be driven ! ' exclaim some folks,
' Prince Albert's a mere nincom. '
But spite of all their passing jokes
The boy enjoys his income.
Then why Vic drives the Prince is plain
To any common view —
The Sovereign who holds the rei(g)n
Should have the whip hand too. ' '
Yet privileges were yielded and concessions were
made from time to time. Melbourne gave up his work
to the Prince as private secretary ; in August, when the
Queen prorogued Parliament, Albert sat in an armchair
next the throne, waiting doubtless for the protest from
the Duke of Sussex, which had been threatened, but
which did not get uttered. When the Queen had to
look forward to illness, the Prince was appointed
regent, much to the disgust of the once genial and
y 2
324 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
fatherly Sussex, who considered that " the family " was
being slighted by such a course, and who, in these the
last years of his life, was not so kind to his niece as
he had hitherto been. The next, but by no means the
least, of the Prince's small triumphs was that he gently
but firmly returned the Baroness Lehzen to her native
country.
Life had not been quite so smooth with the Baroness
since the Queen's marriage, and there were occasions
when she was subjected to hitherto unknown criticisms.
The Duchess of Northumberland once sent by her
some communication to Victoria, which was never
transmitted, and this caused the Duchess to make a
personal explanation to the Queen, and ask why her
message had received no notice. This little matter,
only one of many, being sifted, necessitated an ample
apology from the lady behind the Throne.
Then again the Baroness was not liked by some of
the people who now surrounded the Queen, and in
spite of the strict reserve which Victoria always prac-
tised in regard to this mentor and friend of her youth,
vague indications of this appear here and there. In
June of 1841 the Queen and the Prince went on a
visit to Nuneham, near Oxford, the home of the Arch-
bishop of York, and did not take Lehzen with them,
excusing the omission on the plea that it would be
wiser if she remained with the baby Princess. The
next month the Queen went to Woburn Abbey, which
caused George Anson to note with satisfaction that this
was the second expedition on which the Baroness had
not been required to accompany them ; and this remark
he followed by a review of the Prince's progress since
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 325
his marriage, in which he mentions that the schemes of
those who wished to prevent His Royal Highness from
being useful to Her Majesty for fear that he might
touch upon the Queen's prerogatives, had been com-
pletely foiled. " They thought they had prevented
Her Majesty from yielding anything of importance to
him by creating distrust through imaginary alarm. The
Queen's good sense, however, has seen that the Prince
has no other object in all he seeks but a means to Her
Majesty's good."
By August of that year Prince Albert had been so
harassed by the Baroness Lehzen that when a dissolu-
tion was threatened he spoke of the matter to Mel-
bourne, describing how her interference kept him in a
constant state of annoyance, and begging Lord Mel-
bourne to help him to get rid of her, saying, " It will
be far more difficult to remove her after the change of
Government than now, because, if pressed to do it by
a Tory Minister, the Queen's prejudice would be imme-
diately aroused." Melbourne's knowledge of the
Queen, and his own temperament also, led him to
deprecate any definite measures. Victoria was already
expecting the birth of a second child, and with fatherly
care the Prime Minister did his best to save her from
what he knew would be a painful event, which could
not be accomplished without an exciting scene. He
advised the Prince to be on his guard, and patiently
abide the result, assuring him that people were begin-
ning to understand that lady's character much better,
and time must surely work its own ends. So Albert
continued loyally to bear this burden, and it was not
until the beginning of October, 1842, that the Baroness
326 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
was induced to go on a visit to her family and friends,
a visit from which she never returned.
It must not be supposed that Baroness Lehzen was
generally disliked or was an unpleasant woman. The
Maids of Honour always found her kind and friendly;
if a new Maid arrived, the Baroness would go to her
room to welcome her and to give her her badge of
office, a picture of the Queen surrounded with brilliants
fastened to a red bow. Greville, no great friend to
the Prince, says that she was much beloved by the
women and much esteemed by all who frequented the
Court, that she was very intelligent and had been a
faithful friend to the Queen from the time of her birth,
and that she was sent away simply because she was
obnoxious to the Prince. This is written with consider-
able partiality. Lehzen may have been as faithful a
friend as she knew how, but her views were limited.
She fostered pride and an overweening sense of impor-
tance in her charge, and in an eager desire to be the
most confidential person about the Queen, she set her
against any who might rival her influence. She tried
her strength against the Duchess of Kent, and won;
she did what she could against Melbourne, but she
was incapable against his position and his knowledge.
Then she hoped to keep the Prince at a respectful
distance from Victoria as the Queen, however near he
might be to her as his wife, and fortunately, though
after a long struggle, she failed, and was packed off
to Germany. The Queen thought she was coming
back, but in her heart even she, infatuated as she was,
could not but have known that the position was impos-
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 327
sible for the man — her " dearest Angel " — upon whom
she lavished such warm words of love. Thus we hear
no more of Lehzen, except that she settled with a sister
in a comfortable, small house at Biickeburg, covering
the inner walls of her home with prints and pictures of
the Queen whom she had served more lovingly than
wisely.
Victoria's popularity was enhanced by her marriage,
but decreased again owing to the popular fear of
foreigners. She was sometimes greeted with silence,
sometimes with cries of " no foreigners ! " when she
went to the theatres. It was a time of great hardship,
yet the Queen gave dances and banquets, the accounts
of which were exaggerated a hundred times as they
percolated through the newspapers to the poor, many
of whom were starving. We get many allusions to
these gaieties. On January 29th, 1842, there was a
little dance at Windsor to amuse the young Prince
Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, with just enough ladies to
make up a quadrille. It finished with a country dance,
including every sort of strange figure. ' The Queen
must have been studying some old books and concen-
trated the figures of several centuries into this one
country dance."
Her Majesty was very fond of dancing, and of
organising country dances for the evening home party ;
and sometimes after dinner would take one of her
ladies round the waist to polka with her. The polka,
originally a Bohemian peasant dance and very different
from the present-day polka, had just been introduced,
so that it was the rage among dancers.
328 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
"Oh! sure the world is all run mad,
The lean, the fat, the gay, the sad —
All swear such pleasure they never had,
Till they did learn the Polka."
She was young, happy, and light-hearted, and her
Court was particularly free from extravagant amuse-
ments, yet these little frolics brought grumbles and
troubles in their train, and in the curiously short-sighted
ideas of economy which then obtained, her State balls
were regarded as nothing short of criminal. For
Victoria was accused of flinging away money while
many of her people were starving, and her popularity
went down to zero. Some papers printed parallel
columns describing the fancy dresses at the Queen's
balls, the banquets, Royal purchases, &c., in one, and
in the other cases of death from want, of suicides, and
of failures. When this was at its worst the Royal
pair were making magnificent preparations for christen-
ing the Prince of Wales, and Sir Robert Peel is said
to have advised them to make haste and practise
economy, advice which was good when the general
standard of ignorance was considered, but all wrong
from the point of trade and work. It was the Queen's
custom when she gave a ball to tell her Equerry in
waiting in the morning with whom she desired to dance,
so that everything should run smoothly. She loved
the brightness and the youthfulness which such func-
tions brought around her, and would on occasions
permit children to sit quietly and watch her dress.
Thus Lady Cardigan speaks of getting introduced by
General Cavendish sometimes to Buckingham Palace
when Her Majesty was giving a State ball, which meant
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 329
no less a privilege than being allowed to sit in the
Royal dressing-room and look at the pretty young
Queen being attired in her ball dress. " We were too
awestruck as a rule even to whisper, but I think the
Queen found more honest admiration in our childish
eyes than in all the honied flatteries of a Court." Miss
Cavendish afterwards became a Maid of Honour.
In 1840 Victoria marked her sense of Mrs. Norton's
innocence by allowing her to be presented at Court
by her sister, Lady Seymour, who was the Queen of
Beauty at the Eglinton Tournament. Mrs. Norton
was so nervous that the Queen herself remarked upon
it to King Leopold, who said he could well believe
that she was much frightened having so many eyes
upon her, some of which, perhaps, not with the most
amiable expression.
Mrs. Norton had many things to endure from
her husband, the loss of her children for one, for
though the woman was innocent, the law allowed a
man at that time, no matter how bad he might be, the
sole control and power over the little ones. Later on,
when things were easier for her in this respect, scandal
once again arose in a most unwarrantable manner,
accusing her of selling to The Times the secret of
Peel's intended change of attitude on the Corn Laws.
As a matter of fact, Lord Aberdeen, influenced by
Colonial policy, and in view of the departure of the
mails, had imparted this bit of hidden news to Delane
the editor, with the result that it appeared the next day
in the columns of the paper. Speculation was rife as
to how The Times knew, and then it was whispered by
jealousy, for Mrs. Norton was a very beautiful and a
330 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
very popular woman, that Delane had paid Mrs.
Norton a large price for the knowledge which she had
learned from one of her admirers. Later, of course,
came the story of "Diana of the Crossways," which
was regarded as an absolute confirmation of the scan-
dal. George Meredith himself has emphatically
denied that his romance was based upon anything in
the life of Mrs. Norton, as the facts themselves, when
known, disposed of it, but scandal dies hard.
Fanny Kemble, too, attended a Drawing Room in
1842 in consequence of an inquiry by the Queen as to
why she did not come, and wrote of the event : " If Her
Majesty has seen me, I have not seen her; and should
be quite excusable in cutting her whenever I met her.
•' A cat may look at a king,' it is said, but how about
looking at the Queen? In great uncertainty of mind
on this point, I did not look at my sovereign lady. I
kissed a soft white hand which I believe was hers; I
saw a pair of very handsome legs, in very fine silk
stockings, which I am convinced were not hers, but am
inclined to attribute to Prince Albert; and this is all
I perceived of the whole Royal Family of England."
Prince Albert was something of a dandy in his dress,
and the remark that " there was not a tailor in England
who could make a coat" was attributed to him. In
1843 ne invented, or was godfather to, a new hat for
infantry, something like the Hessian cap introduced
into the German service. Punch gave a picture of
this hat, which is said not to be exaggerated, and
devoted a column to a description of it, saying that
" the Prince proposed to encase the heads of the British
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 331
soldiery in a machine which seemed a decided cross
between a muff, a coal-scuttle, and a slop-pail, making
it necessary for the honour of the English Army that
Punch should interfere. The result has been that the
headgear has been summarily withdrawn by an order
from the War Office, and the manufacture of the Albert
hat has been absolutely prohibited."
The Prince was credited with designing other gar-
ments as well, on which Punch remarked that " Han-
nibal was a great cutter-out, for he cut a passage
through the Alps; but Prince Albert cuts out Han-
nibal, inasmuch as His Royal Highness devotes his
talents to the cutting out of coats, waistcoats, and
1 things inexpressible/ '
A dramatic incident in 1841 made the Queen for
the moment a popular heroine, and that was the action
of a publican's boy named Oxford, who shot at her
as she was driving up Constitution Hill. She and
Prince Albert went on with their drive, altering their
route so that they might pass the Duchess of Kent's
house and relieve her mind of anxiety in case she heard
any rumours of what had just happened. On return-
ing home they were received at the Palace by a great
crowd cheering vociferously. The next day the shouts
of thousands met them in the Park, and the Houses
of the Lords and the Commons tendered their con-
gratulations in state. The State carriage of the
Speaker was followed by one hundred and nine other
members' carriages to Buckingham Palace, and as
they rolled away eighty carriages of the Lords
began to enter, Barons first, rising in rank to
332 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Royal Dukes, all wearing their Orders, Stars, and
Garters.
There were those who said that this attempt upon
the Queen's life had been instigated by the King of
Hanover, but then — give a dog a bad name and you
may as well hang him.
Her Majesty was acclaimed at Ascot that year,
which greatly pleased her, part of the enthusiasm being
probably caused by the suggestion that November
might bring an heir to the Throne. The approaching
birth of a Royal child was the subject of talk all over
the country, and the not very delicate taste of the day
allowed free speculation and comment in the daily and
weekly papers. One devoted the top of a column to
the subject every week, heading it : —
THE LADIES.
Pray remember
The tenth of November.
It then proceeded to give news of various Court ladies
who were emulating, or hoping to emulate, the example
of the Queen, running something as below : — " The
Hon. Mrs. Leicester Stanhope intends to go to Brigh-
ton in the autumn, and has retained the services of the
celebrated Dr. Bradwell for early in November. The
Duchess of Somerset has accepted invitations, for she
feels sure that there are no family reasons to interfere.
Lady Cork thinks she might as well stay in London."
"Yes," replies the grim Lord Allen, "the London
fogs will shelter you from observation," &c.
Lord Melbourne was facetiously reported as giving
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 333
a dinner-party on Her Majesty's birthday, and pro-
posing a toast in the following terms : —
" Fill up to the brim, a bright Burgundy bumper,
With the drain of the goblet resound the loud cheer,
Here's luck in November, and may a braw thumper
In the shape of a Prince glad the close of the year."
In June the Queen seemed to have come to a rather
uncomfortable, not to say morbid, decision; for
Admiral Knox tells us that she felt sure that she
should die in her confinement, and she also made up
her mind to let the event happen at Claremont, where
she had everything replaced just as it had been in
Princess Charlotte's time, even to the furniture in the
bedroom in which she died. These little plans ab-
sorbed her thoughts, and she was constantly running
down to Claremont. Of course, her frame of mind
and her curious intention were the subjects of gossip
in the streets, and gruesome caricatures were published,
one representing Victoria lying dead in bed with a dead
child in her arms, and November printed beneath. We
do not hear quite so much talk about " the good old
times" as we did in my childhood, but I really think
we should, in the good present times, have no social
brutality to offer which would vie with this.
Fortunately there were many considerations which
would necessarily defeat the Claremont House scheme,
and the little Princess — who was born just after the
trouble in the East, making her mother laughingly sug-
gest that Turko-Egypto should be added to her names
— first saw the light in Buckingham Palace. After the
birth, as the Duke of Wellington was leaving the
334 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Palace he met Lord Hill, who made the usual inquiries
about Her Majesty and the "little stranger," to which
the old Duke answered :
:t Very fine child, and very red, very red ; nearly as
red as you, Hill ! " — an allusion to Lord Hill's claret-
coloured complexion.
The Queen made a rapid recovery, and really be-
haved in such a healthy, normal way that the King of
Hanover must at last have given up all hope of the
English Throne. In the light of after events it is
interesting to note that Victoria wrote to Leopold : —
" I think, dearest uncle, you cannot really wish me to
be the ' mamma of a numerous family,5 for I think you
will see with me the great inconvenience a large family
would be to all of us, and particularly to the country,
independent of the hardship and inconvenience to
myself ; men never think, at least seldom think, what
a hard task it is for us women to go through this very
often."
The married life of the Queen was as methodical as
her life had been from 1837 to 1840, but the Prince
found the round of the Court too fatiguing and full
of change, desiring to reduce Victoria's programme to
greater simplicity. He thought the late hours very
trying, and though he was a lover of music would fall
asleep before the evening ended. Lady Normanby
gave a concert at which — wrote a Court lady to a friend
— all " sang divinely, the Queen was charmed, and
Cousin Albert looked beautiful and slept as quietly as
usual, sitting by Lady Normanby." I have also come
across such comments as these : " We hear a great deal
of the beauty and pleasing qualities of Prince Albert,
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 335
who seems to be admired by all." Stockmar recorded
about this time, " The Prince improves morally and
politically. I can say with truth that I love him like
my son, and that he deserves it."
It is not generally realised that when he came to
England the Prince's knowledge of English was not
very good, and this, added to his generally reticent
character, helped to make social life difficult for him,
especially with men. He used to be very glad when
Miss Spring-Rice was in waiting, as she spoke German
fluently, so that he could talk with her of his home.
Yet he slowly gained good will among the nobility, for
he was known to be a good man, though he was never
really popular with a large number. Our aristocrats
were but just emerging from the bondage of the hard
drinking, high gaming, loud swearing, and promiscuous
love-making which had debased the Courts of the
Georges and the last family of Princes, and they could
not like a man who lived cleanly, did not swear, drink,
bet or gamble, knew nothing of sport, and actually dis-
liked horse-racing. The Prince was neither rash nor
docile; he went his own way largely, and did not
trouble enough to make friends with men, though he
gradually attracted a few staunch loyalists of sober
life. Between him and others there grew a barrier of
frigid reserve, which in only rare cases was ever
broken. The papers did all they could to accentuate
this difference ; his inability to ride well was made the
subject of constant comment, and his musical and
literary tastes amused the scoffer. He tried, however,
to please when he could, and he determined to show
that he could ride as well as most men; but in April
336 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
he had what might have been a very bad accident. He
rode to a staghound meeting at Ascot, on a horse which
was a vicious thoroughbred, and it bolted as soon as
the Prince mounted. He kept his seat and turned
the animal round several times in the hope of stopping
it, but at last he was knocked off against a tree, fortun-
ately not sustaining much injury. Later he followed
the hunt and drove four-in-hand; but it is almost
pathetic to realise how the Queen must have scanned
the papers and grieved at every sneer levelled at her
husband, while she constantly urged him to remedy
anything which to English eyes seemed a defect.
Indeed, the tendency all round was to press him
into a mould, to treat him as the Mrs. Gamps of old
thought it right to treat the heads of new-born babes :
to press here and massage there, in an endeavour to
present a good round even surface ; and the Queen
was just as busy as the Press in her endeavour to work
on the skull of Albert's habits and leanings. He had
really no use for society in the ordinary sense ; he had
no small talk, he could not expand or be confidential.
But he had very definite tastes of his own ; he would
have liked to surround himself with literary and
scientific people, artists, and musicians ; for recreation
he loved a game of double chess, in which he was pro-
ficient, but even double chess every night began to pall.
As for the rest, it had to be given up, not because the
critics of society disapproved, but because his little
wife had no fancy for the invasion of their home by
intellectual people. She felt that she could not sus-
tain conversation on abstruse subjects, and she always
liked to be in the centre of the picture; any other
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 337
place she would have looked upon as an insult. It is
curious that we have had imposed upon us such ful-
some laudations of Victoria's education, for she showed
little evidence of superiority in that respect. She
could speak French, play the piano, sing prettily, and
paint a little, but none of these things really touch the
mind, and her mind had been as neglected as were the
minds of most of the women of her time. Thus the
society around her knew of nothing better than small
talk and twiddling the keynotes of a piano; and to
this the Prince had to succumb, even at last giving
up his chess to join the Queen's circle in a round game
of cards !
They played vingt-et-un for money, everyone being
desired to have new coins with which to play, and Vic-
toria loved some curious game called nainjaune. They
spun counters and rings ; Georgiana Liddell, when she
became a Maid of Honour, wrote of this : —
" The Prince began spinning counters, so I took to
spinning rings, and the Queen was delighted. It
always entertains me to see the little things that amuse
Her Majesty and the Prince, instead of their looking
bored as people so often do in English society."
It is wonderful that people never seemed to realise
that there might be something more for grown-up
people than a choice between spinning rings or round
games and boredom. But there is something very
attractive in the picture of this healthy young pair
playing their childish games, wandering in the Home
Park at Windsor, with pigeons alighting on their
shoulders, feeding the animals and rare aquatic birds
imported by the Prince, and showing kindness to all
z
338 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
their great household; the married lovers sometimes
having tete-a-tete dinners without watchful or ob-
sequious eyes upon them, and just beginning to take
politics seriously. For Melbourne, the beloved tutor
and friend, was gone, and the Queen was beginning to
think and decide for herself, with her husband's help.
Once a riddle, purporting to be from the Bishop of
Salisbury, who was said to offer a reward to anyone
who solved it, was sent to the Queen. She and her
husband spent four days over it, and then called in
the assistance of Charles Murray, Comptroller of the
Household, who found out for them that the Bishop
knew nothing of the matter, had not sent the riddle,
and believed the whole thing to be a hoax.
Queen Victoria seems to have been thoroughly liked
by her Maids of Honour, of whom there were eight —
two waiting at a time for a period of three months—
and who were generally expected to be good pianists.
Often they would be called upon to play duets with
the Queen and Prince Consort, and one of them made
the remark, after playing a difficult Beethoven piece,
" It was quite a relief to find that we all played the
last bar at the same time"; adding, " I enjoy nothing
so much as seeing the Queen in this quiet way, and I
often wish that those who don't know Her Majesty
could see how kind and gracious she is when she is
perfectly at her ease, and able to throw off the restraint
and form which must and ought to be observed when
she is in public."
Victoria would say politely to one of these girls, "If
it is convenient, come down any evening and try some
music." " But I might come down at the wrong
QUEEN VICTORIA.
From a Drawing by Drummond, 1842.
EARLY MARRIED LIFE 339
moment," answered Miss Liddell on one occasion.
' Then I will send for you, and if you are at home you
can come," replied the Queen. " I did laugh in my
sleeve," commented Georgiana, in recording this, " for
except when I go to St. George's, by no chance do I
go anywhere."
It was this young lady who said, on coming back to
her duty, " Everything else changes, but the life here
never does, and is always exactly the same from day
to day, and year to year." She also tells us that the
Maid of Honour's chief duty seemed to be to offer the
Queen her bouquet before dinner each night. The
Maids of Honour were each given a good sitting-room,
with a piano in it, which they occupied when not on
duty, and there was a special room downstairs in which
they could receive guests, for such were not allowed
in their private rooms.
But despite the distressing sameness and stability
at Court, these girls saw everyone who came. It was
also one of their duties to receive any important lady,
such as the Duchess of Kent, on her arrival, and to
take her to her room, and the Maid in Waiting always
sat to the left of the Queen, being generally taken in to
dinner by Melbourne. When the King of Prussia
came over to the christening of the Prince of Wales in
January, 1842, he brought various Germans with him,
among them being Colonel von Brauhitch, a young-
looking man and a great flirt. He paid much atten-
tion to Georgiana Liddell, and asked when he might
be allowed to pay his respects to her. The girl
laughed, and told him no visitors were allowed into
her sitting-room, not even her brother. The Colonel
Z 2
340 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
could not believe this ; surely, surely she had mistaken
her instructions ! Oh, but he must ask the Baroness.
So he went off to Baroness Lehzen, who confirmed
what Miss Liddell had said, much to his sorrow and
disgust at the " tyranny " exercised. He went on
paying her such marked attention that one day old
General Neumann came up to them, saying, " But, my
dear friend, do you forget that you are a grandfather ? J>
Which made the flirtatious Colonel extremely indig-
nant, as it happened to be true.
Queen Victoria revived the old practice, so popular
with George III., of walking on the terrace at Windsor
on Sunday afternoons, and of allowing her loyal sub-
jects free ingress thereto. c You never saw anything
like the crowds of people. It was rather unpleasant
when Her Majesty walked among them, for, though
the gentlemen tried to give way, the people pressed up
so, it was difficult to keep them back. I suppose it
is right that the Queen should show herself to her
subjects sometimes, but I am always glad when these
walks are over." So said Miss Liddell after she
became Lady Bloomfield.
CHAPTER XIV
QUEEN VICTORIA'S TORY MINISTRY
" And statesmen at her council met
Who knew the seasons when to take
Occasion by the hand, and make
The bounds of freedom wider yet
By shaping some august decree,
Which kept her throne unshaken still,
Broad-based upon her people's will,
And compass'd by the inviolate sea."
— Tennyson.
IN September, 1841, the Queen found herself face
to face with another political crisis, and Melbourne
tendered his resignation once more. He went to Wind-
sor to accomplish this dread deed, and it is said that
he showed no appearance of depression, but seemed
to consider the change only as it might affect the
Queen.
" For four years I have seen you every day," he said,
"but it is so different now from what it would have
been in 1839; the Prince understands everything so
well." Indeed, he warmed the Queen's affectionate
heart by the way he both spoke and wrote of Albert.
" I have formed the highest opinion of His Royal
Highness' s judgment, temper, and discretion, and can-
341
342 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
not but feel a great consolation and security in the
reflection that your Majesty has the inestimable advan-
tage of such advice and assistance. I feel certain that
your Majesty cannot do better than have recourse to
it whenever it is needed, and rely upon it with con-
fidence." This made the Queen very pleased and
proud, coming as it did from a man who was, as she
herself said, no flatterer.
Thenceforth Melbourne had to endure not only loss
of occupation, but of the society of one whom he had
grown to love as a daughter, and in whose company
he had for years passed several hours each day. " He
consorted constantly with the Queen on the most easy
and delightful footing, and he is continually banished
from her presence."
However, he fell naturally into those habits which
were his before his long spell of power, and ere a year
had passed he had a slight stroke of paralysis, which
kept him a prisoner for months.
The resignation of the Whig Government naturally
brought once more to the front the vexed question of
the Bedchamber Ladies. Extraordinary care was
taken that the Queen's susceptibilities should not be
hurt; Melbourne, on the one hand, conferring with the
Royal pair and with Anson and Peel, and being
approached by the last-named with pacific suggestions.
Peel was terribly nervous, and desirous to do nothing
that would give pain to Her Majesty, saying, " I would
•waive every 'pretension to office, 7 declare to God,
sooner than that my acceptance of it should be attended
with any personal humiliation to the Queen"
TORY MINISTRY 343
The Mistress of the R.obes, the sweet-natured
Duchess of Sutherland, sent in her resignation, she
being the only person who for the future would be
required to be of the same party as the Government,
and she was replaced by the Duchess of Buccleuch.
The exclusively Whig character of the Household had
been broken soon after the crisis in 1839 by the Queen's
invitation to Lady Sandwich, the wife of a Tory peer,
to fill a vacant post. The Duchess of Bedford (i.e.,
Lady Tavistock) and Lady Normanby also resigned,
and with these changes Peel was content. Thus the
principle that the ladies about the Queen should
belong to the governing party, and be changed when
the party changed, was never established, and after that
time the Queen's ladies were chosen irrespective of
political considerations, excepting the Mistress of the
Robes.
Victoria was desolate at the loss of Melbourne.
Writing to King Leopold, she said : " You don't say
that you sympathise with me in my present heavy trial,
the heaviest I have ever had to endure, and which will
be a sad heart-breaking to me"— and Melbourne did
his utmost to cheer her and to insist upon her showing
friendly feelings towards the new Government. But
she spent the last evening on which the old Household
remained in a sorrowful silence. " Scarcely a word
was spoken at dinner, but later on tears and regrets
broke forth with little restraint."
In considering the ways of Queen Victoria during
her early career, I am forced to recognise the fact that
when once she really accepted an impression she could
344 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
not let it fade. This is curiously exemplified in several
ways, small as well as large. Thus when at the end
of August most of the arrangements had been made for
the formation of a Tory Administration, she somewhat
frightened her husband by telling him that, seeing how
the Tories had treated him nearly two years earlier in
the matter of the annuity, he ought now to keep them
at a distance. They would be sure to come and see
him and to flatter him, and his part was to resist them
and refuse to see them, at least for some time. A
most extraordinary piece of advice ! The curious fact
about it is that Prince Albert did not laugh at it; he
was really troubled, and told his secretary to repeat
this to Melbourne, and ask him to influence Her
Majesty to different thoughts.
Victoria's treatment of her mother and her uncle
Leopold arose, I feel convinced, from the same limita-
tion, aided, perhaps, by a strong dislike to appear in
leading-strings to anyone. The articles in The Times
could hardly have had influence enough to cause this
dislike, which was probably the outcome of her char-
acter, but those articles may have indicated a certain
policy to her which she followed too rigidly. This led
her to slight her mother and to exclude her uncle, as
he reminded her, from the ceremonies attending her
accession, her coronation, and her marriage. In his
letter written in January, 1841, a slight bitterness of
spirit and a wounded heart is shown when he says : —
" I should not have bored you by my presence, but
the act of christening is, in my eyes, a sort of closing
of the first cyclus of your dear life." He then reminds
TORY MINISTRY 345
her of his actions at her father's death, how he went
down to Sidmouth two days before that happened, and
how so great was the Duchess's need that she could
not have left Sidmouth had he not been there to settle
everything for her; and how, when the little party
arrived in London, they were treated very unkindly by
George IV. The copy of this letter, which is to be
found in " The Letters of Queen Victoria," recently
published by command of His late Majesty, ends with :
" I wished to assist at the christening of the little
Princess, an event which is of great importance. . . ."
It is something of a relief to know that he was one of
the sponsors to the Princess Royal.
When about a year later the Prince of Wales was
christened, a great debate arose as to who should be
the chief godfather, and Stockmar advised the ex-
clusion of Leopold on the ground that both he and
the King of Hanover could not be invited, and if the
Belgian King were sponsor the Hanoverian King would
be very angry; so to avoid this a mutually friendly
Sovereign was asked to stand, and the King of Prussia
accepted the invitation, Ernest of Hanover being
furiously angry and considering himself slighted.
This led to an attempt at pacification when Princess
Alice was christened, and he was then invited to be
sponsor. He promised to fill the post, and arrived in
London two or three days after that fixed for the cere-
mony, "everyone asking why the King did not arrive
or why the christening was not put off." He stayed
some weeks, showing that he resented the fact that
Victoria occupied the throne of his fathers, and trying
346 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
to belittle Prince Albert. During his visit Princess
Augusta, daughter of the Duke of Cambridge, was
married to the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg- Strelitz.
All the Royalties were at the wedding, and
there was a little amusing byplay in the vestry when
names were appended to the register. While Victoria
was signing the King of Hanover slipped to her side,
intending to take the pen from her and add his name
in front of Prince Albert ; but the Queen saw his design
and moved quickly round the table to where the Prince
stood, had the book passed to her there, made her
signature, and then gave the pen to the Prince, so by
the time Ernest had also got round the table the deed
was done. Once while in London the King asked the
Prince to go for a walk with him, but the latter
objected that they might be troubled with crowds.
" Oh, never mind that," replied the King ; " I was
still more unpopular than you are now, and used to
walk about with perfect impunity."
Altogether he seems to have annoyed his niece very
much, for she refused to go to Ascot that year, and it
was currently reported that the reason was that she
would have been obliged to have a house-party at
Windsor, which would have necessitated the inclusion
of the King of Hanover among her guests.
While writing of christenings, I might tell the story
of how the escort for the King of Prussia went to fetch
him from Ostend. The squadron was under the com-
mand of Lord Hardwick, and it had a series of adven-
tures which ought to justify the theory of ill-luck. His
ship was the Firebrand, and it, with several other
TORY MINISTRY 347
steamers and frigates, prepared to start on the Tues-
day. Just as steam got up the Firebrand upheld its
name by bursting its boiler. This was repaired during
the day, and they started at night, promptly going
aground in the darkness without getting damaged ; but
in the fog, which was very thick, one of the companion
steamers ran into the Firebrand and broke off its figure-
head. The third steamer ran ashore and could not be
moved. In defiance of the advice of the pilots, Lord
Hardwick insisted upon pushing on to the Nore. There
it was found that the two frigates would, though the
reason was not given, be unable to cross the Channel,
and the second steamer broke her paddles, so the Fire-
brand steamed alone into Ostend Harbour at about the
time that the King arrived there. The King decided
to remain with the King of the Belgians that night, and
Lord Hardwick remained on his ship. Just as he got
to bed his cook walked over the ship's side into the
water, and one of the sailors slipped down the ladder
and got hold of him. Lord Hardwick rushed on deck
in his shirt, and, shouting for a boat, threw out a rope to
the sailor and asked if he had got the cook safe.
" Yes," said the man, who was so deep in the water
that it was up to his neck, " yes, I've got his head tight
between my knees."
Fortunately at that moment a boat took them both
in, the cook apparently dead. However, hot blankets,
rubbing, and the pump restored animation, and Lord
Hardwick was the longest sufferer, as he caught a very
severe cold.
The economic conditions were so bad at this time
348 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
that scarcely anything could raise the mob to en-
thusiasm. Why should a man with an empty stomach
throw his hat in the air and shout for joy because his
Queen passes him in the street? It is far more likely
that he will scowl and say, " She has every luxury ; I have
nothing," as he would say it of any rich person. Fanny
Kemble discoursed upon the attitude of the people
during the visit of the King of Prussia, saying that
the concourse was immense, but that she was much
surprised at the entire want of excitement and en-
thusiasm in the vast multitude who thronged and all
but choked up the Queen's way. All hats were lifted,
but there was not a hatful of cheers, and the whole
thing produced a disagreeable effect of coldness, in-
difference, and constraint. She went on to say that
one person believed that it was nineteenth-century
breeding which was too exquisite to allow of the mob
shouting; and another person, who was a very warm
Whig, thought the silence was to be accounted for by
Paisley starvation and Windsor banquets. She con-
cluded that when Horace Wilson was crossing the Park
at the time that the Queen was driving through it, there
was some, but not much, decided hissing.
When Queen Victoria found herself compelled to
accept Peel as her chief Minister, she did not attempt
to break off all intercourse with Lord Melbourne,
though great pressure was put upon her from all sides,
and especially by Stockmar, to make her refrain from
either seeing him or writing to him. Both she abso-
lutely refused to do, and for a time letters passed
constantly between them. The German Baron grew
TORY MINISTRY 349
almost hysterical over these letters, and did not hesi-
tate to convey to Lord Melbourne his conviction that
he was acting dishonourably and jeopardising the
Queen's honour, for nothing would convince him that
Melbourne was not basely discussing politics with Her
Majesty, doing all in his power to undermine Peel's
work, and nursing the prospect of a return to the head-
ship of affairs himself. Stockmar acted always upon
the supposition that men were evil, and Melbourne's
honour and magnanimity had no weight with him.
Peel, however, was more just. Before he went to
the Queen, Melbourne sent him a message, advising
him of the things that the Queen liked or disliked, and
doing his utmost to help his rival to obtain the Queen's
favour. On the receipt of this message Peel said how
kind it was of Lord Melbourne, and, on the subject of
the Queen's friendship for her old Minister being men-
tioned, added that it was ridiculous to suppose that he
could feel any jealousy, that he had full reliance on
the Queen's fairness, and that implicit confidence was
the wisest course.
It is worthy of note that at the first dinner-party
given to her new Ministers the programme of the
evening was changed. The Queen was very gracious
and good-humoured with Aberdeen, Peel, the Duke,
and others. But when they went into the drawing-
room Melbourne's chair was gone, and, instead of show-
ing herself interested in her guests, all the Ministers
were set down to whist, so that there was no possibility
of conversation. Victoria herself sat at her round
table with Lady de la Warr and Lady Portman, and
350 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
there was practically silence. That an exchange of
ideas, not on political matters, might have been pleasant
to the gentlemen, did not enter the little lady's head.
Melbourne behaved with great courtesy to Stock-
mar, but he did not promise not to write to the Queen
nor to answer her letters. Of all the people he knew,
he loved her best; for four years he had been her con-
stant companion and adviser; he had watched her with
fatherly care through her trials, her mistakes, and her
good fortune, and he took a pride in the development
of character which he detected. He was ambitious
for her, and believed that she was capable of greatness,
and he did not in the least share Stockmar's Teutonic
hope that the Queen would be gradually absorbed in
the nursery and leave affairs of State to other minds.
The letters that passed between them had little or no
reference to State affairs, and could have in no way
been objected to by Peel if he had seen them.
From this time until his death there was an element
of tragedy in the life of the ex-Premier. He was
given by Stockmar — who first instructed the Prince as
to his decisions and what he should say, and then acted
as the mouthpiece for the Prince's borrowed sentiments
— the alternative either of obliterating himself as a
politician, or of banishing himself entirely from the
Queen's friendship. A short time after the change of
Government Victoria asked him to come and stay a
few days at Windsor, and not knowing how this would
be regarded, yet wishing to accept, Melbourne wrote
to Prince Albert to know if such a visit would be
feasible. Albert was afraid to accept the responsibility,
TORY MINISTRY 351
and consulted Stockmar, who wrote a memorandum
charging the late Prime Minister with committing an
essential injustice to Sir Robert Peel by continuing to
correspond with the Queen, and also by asking the
Prince to give an opinion upon this suggested visit.
He sent Anson, who admired and loved his old
master, to deliver this condemnation. Melbourne read
the memorandum twice attentively with compressed
lips. Then Anson repeated the lesson Stockmar had
taught him in addition, saying that he had better meet
the Queen first in general society in London, that the
Prince thought that Melbourne's own sense of right
should have enabled him to decide about his visit, and
that his recent speech in the House of Lords, which
identified him with the Opposition, added another
impediment to his seeing Her Majesty.
Melbourne had been sitting on a sofa, and at this
he jumped up, striding up and down the room exclaim-
ing " in a violent frenzy," I quote from Baron Stock-
mar, " God eternally damn it ! — &c., &c. Flesh and
blood cannot stand this. I only spoke upon the defen-
sive, which Ripon's speech at the beginning of the
session rendered quite necessary. I cannot be expected
to give up my position in the country, neither do I think
that it is to the Queen's interest that I should."
Melbourne continued to lead the Opposition, and
when affairs were more settled he occasionally went to
see the Queen, but after he had a slight stroke he
seemed a broken man, never recovering his strength.
In December, 1843, Georgiana Liddell wrote of him :
" Lord Melbourne goes away to-day. He was not well
352 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
yesterday, and had a slight touch of gout ; it always
makes me sad to see him, he is so changed." When
the Queen visited Chatsworth Melbourne was invited
to make one of the guests, which gave him great
pleasure, though it was doubtful whether the excite-
ment was good for him, for a dreadful depression
seized upon him afterwards, for he knew that his day
was over, and chafed and fretted under the knowledge.
Another man who was beginning to show many signs
of age was the Duke of Wellington, of whom Greville
said, I think erroneously, that " he was a great man in
little things, but a little man in great matters." All
through the years from about 1834 Society seems to
have been watching for the Duke's collapse. In June,
1838, one diarist remarked : " It is a sad thing to see
how the Duke is altered in appearance, and what a
stride old age has made upon him. He is much deafer
than he was, he is whiter, his head is bent, his shoulders
are raised, and there are muscular twitches in his face,
not altogether new, but of a more marked character."
Prince Albert had the good sense to make a personal
friend of this the most remarkable man in the kingdom.
Someone gives an account of the two pacing the garden
together in earnest conversation, and on passing them
being amused to find that the Duke was giving a long
discourse about larders, " it might have been a French
cook instead of the great hero of Waterloo." When
the changes of administration occurred in 1841, it was
the Duke who gave expression to Albert's desire that
those who came into office should be of "spotless
character." However strongly Wellington at one time
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.
TORY MINISTRY 353
opposed the repeal of the Corn Laws, he lived to be
proud of the deed, for his death did not take place
until 1852.
As to the "spotless character " upon which the
Prince insisted from the men forming the new Tory
Administration, it naturally caused terrible mortifica-
tion and anger among those able men who could not
show a clean bill morally; and in spite of the excellent
principle it contained it was likely to be a public danger,
as it is by no means proved that the most moral man
is also the best statesman. However, the Prince
adhered to this all his life, thus doing much to purify
English society, and after his death the Queen became
much more strict than he had been on this point;
indeed, it is doubtful whether Mrs. Norton would have
been as kindly received in 1870 as she was in 1840.
Lady Cardigan remarks that in 1857 "the Court was
as narrow-minded as when poor Flora Hastings had
been the victim of its lying slander." But there was a
difference; in 1839 the persecution of Flora Hastings
had nothing to do with principle, it was caused by im-
pulse and prejudice ; in later years it became a principle
that no woman, innocent or guilty, against whom
slander had breathed, should set foot within the
Palace. It was not so much a horror of sin itself as a
conventional idea that the Court must set a good
example, and according to the lax standard of Victorian
times it was enough that the woman should suffer, the
man was only banished if he were extremely and
publicly bad. Even now our standard has risen, and
we are beginning to think a light man as odious as a
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354 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
light woman, and are certainly not in favour of punish-
ing one and letting the other off.
One curious prejudice that the Queen developed
was her strong sentiment against a second marriage,
she herself being the child of a happy second marriage,
and feeling a great affection for her half-sister. This
must have arisen from the sentimental side of her love
for her husband, making her feel that so intimate a
union as that of marriage could only be possible with
one person, only she translated "possible" into "moral."
I do not think it was caused by any excess of religious
convictions, for the Queen was not a slave to religious
form, though she was devout. In 1844 she held a
Drawing Room on the 2 5th of March, which was not
only in Lent, but on the day of the Annunciation.
" The Calverts are so shocked, and seem to think/that
Her Majesty will come to a sense of the enormity she
is committing as Head of the Church and put off the
Drawing Room. However, that remains to be seen ! "
writes a chronicler of small events.
Victoria gradually became absorbed in her new
Government and new Prime Minister, and by 1844 had
forgotten the old party almost as though it did not
exist; indeed, in spite of the desire for aloofness from
party politics expressed by Albert, she now seemed to
regard the Whigs much as she once had regarded the
Tories. Thus when the Russian Emperor came to
England, and she gave parties in his honour, she
invited all the Tories to meet him, and made a sparing
choice among her old friends. So Lord John Russell,
the then most noted leader among the Whigs, was
TORY MINISTRY 355
left out of everything, and was never presented to the
Emperor at all. Melbourne was, however, included,
and the Emperor thanked him for coming to the break-
fast and affording him the opportunity of meeting
him.
But as the years went, Her Majesty saw less and
less of the man without whom at one time she seemed
unable to exist; the letters between them became
restricted to the briefest notes at long intervals, and
four years after their official parting a contemporary
noted that Melbourne could not speak of the Queen
without tears in his eyes, and another remarked, " She
never cared a farthing for any of the late Cabinet but
Melbourne, and has apparently ceased to care for
him."
This was not really according to fact; the Queen
always felt an affection for her old Prime Minister,
but as she grew more experienced she realised that his
advice, though the best he could give, had not always
been perfect, and that she in her girlish enthusiasm had
not always seen things in their right proportion ; thus,
too late, she grew critical, and that somewhat altered
her estimation of him. She also became more and
more confident of Peel's power to help her, and had
little time to spend in writing to the man who was no
longer of importance. " She never forgot to write him
on his birthday," one biographer announces triumph-
antly, but she did more than that, though the poor
lonely Melbourne brooded sometimes until he felt him-
self neglected. It was unfortunate that he allowed
his mind to dwell so much on his few years of Royal
A A 2
356 THE COURT OP QUEEN VICTORIA
companionship and favour, that he found the know-
ledge of his failing powers so painful, and that he ever
dreamed of taking the leadership of the House again.
When the O'Connell trial was nearing its close, he
remarked :
" There is not much chance of the House of Com-
mons coming to a vote against Government; but still
such a thing is possible, and I was kept awake half
the night thinking, suppose such a thing did occur,
and I was sent for to Windsor, what advice I should
give the Queen." . . . " It kept me awake," he re-
peated, " and I determined that I would advise her not
to let Mr. O'Connell be brought up for judgment."
Once the Queen's prejudice against Peel had dis-
appeared, she felt more comfortable under his Govern-
ment and its large majorities than she had done with
the Whigs; and when Peel resigned at the end of 1845
in consequence of the publication by Delane of his
new Corn Law policy, she felt as upset, they say, as
when Melbourne resigned in 1839. She could do
nothing, however, but send for Lord John Russell, and
knowing how Melbourne would feel about being left
out she wrote to him, saying that she knew that his
health would preclude his taking office, but she hoped
he would come and give her his counsel. She was at
Cowes at the time, and he replied that he could not
face the little crossing, it would be as bad for him as
a voyage over the ocean. However, in spite of
Russell's gallant attempts, the somewhat overbearing
Palmerston stood in the way of a Whig Cabinet. The
Queen feared his foreign policy, and many of his col-
TORY MINISTRY 357
leagues disliked him. " Lord Palmerston is redeemed
from the last extremity of political degradation by his
cook," was the spiteful saying of one of his opponents.
So Peel carne to the Queen's assistance, and she re-
ceived him back as joyfully almost as she had received
Melbourne in 1839. It was not the Queen's ladies
this time, but the Queen's Foreign Minister, who
reinstated the old Government.
In 1842 the Queen and the Prince went on a visit
to Scotland by boat. They were from all accounts
charming on the journey, which was a slow one, taking
three days ; they took great interest in the ship, dining
on deck in the midst of the sailors, making them dance,
talking to the boatswain, &c. But Victoria got tired
and impatiently wanted to land ; as it was useless to do
that before she arrived at Grantham Pier she became
annoyed; as Greville says, her fault was impatience,
inability to bear contradiction, and a desire always to
go ahead. Thus as soon as she got into her carriage
at Edinburgh, orders were given that the coachman
should drive as fast as possible. At first they could
scarcely move, for in its enthusiasm the crowd broke
all bounds, pressed the soldiers out of the procession,
and crushed close up to the carriage. When at last it
was disengaged, the coachman went at a gallop through
the city, the Queen being seen by no one. People had
then, as now, been foolish enough to give great sums
for windows and seats, the crowds which lined the
streets had been waiting for hours, great labour had
been spent to decorate the place, and all that a
carriage might dash along bearing a Queen who did not
358 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
see her subjects through a multitude of people who
did not believe that she would have treated them so
badly.
Honestly I think the explanation of her motive given
by Greville and others is wrong, and that the dash
through Edinburgh was caused by nervousness. Pais-
ley was looked upon as one of the centres of disaffec-
tion, and Peel was in a state of fear about the whole
expedition, acknowledging at the end of one day that
"we have just completed the very nervous operation
of taking the Queen in a low open carriage from
Dalkeith to Dalway, sixteen miles through Canongate
and High Street, and back by Leith in the evening."
Thus when the street crowd hustled the soldiers and
pressed so unceremoniously upon the Royal cortege,
I think the whole party was inspired with fear for the
Queen's safety, and got out of the town as quickly
as possible. This very nearly brought about the result
dreaded, for the Edinburgh people were very angry;
they talked of abandoning the illuminations, and a
public riot nearly took place. This was prevented,
however, by the immediate arrangement being made
for a great procession on another day.
In 1843 the Royal pair went to visit the French King
at Eu, Victoria's first visit to the Continent. Every-
thing was done to please the visitors, but Lady Bloom-
field gives an amusing account of the details. She
says that there were curious contradictions in the
stateliness of the arrangements made by the King for
their comfort. The carriages sent to fetch the Royal
party from the shore were char-a-bancs, and though
TORY MINISTRY 359
the first was drawn by twelve caparisoned horses they
were large and clumsy animals. There was but one
driver in front, and three footmen in State livery
behind, with many outriders in all kinds of liveries on
all sorts of horses, some of them wretched beasts. The
chief amusement each day was to go for a picnic,
driving for several hours to a wood or a ruin over
unmade roads with deep ruts and huge stones, the
folk in the char-a-bancs being bumped and shaken to
pieces. One night the Corps de 1'Opera came from
Paris to play before the visitors, and brought with them
two pieces for selection, one ridiculing the English,
and the other too improper to be acted before the
Queen.
It was on the 29th of May in 1842 that a second
mad attempt was made on Her Majesty's life, and it
needed but one instance of this sort to prove how
courageous were both the Queen and her husband.
She was returning from church on the Sunday, and
the ladies in the second carriage noticed that the Royal
carriage stopped in Birdcage Walk. On reaching the
Palace they also noticed that the Prince looked very
annoyed and went away with the equerries ; the Queen,
who was quite calm and collected, going as usual up
the grand staircase to her apartments, talking to her
ladies, discussing the sermon and dismissing them as
was her custom. The next day Matilda Paget and
Georgiana Liddell remained all the afternoon expect-
ing a summons to drive with the Queen, but none came,
and at about six o'clock Her Majesty departed with
Prince Albert in an open carriage. Georgiana went
360 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
for a walk in the Palace gardens, grumbling that she
had been kept in for nothing, but when she got back she
was horrified to learn that the Queen had been shot
at by a lad named Francis. In the evening Victoria
broke off a conversation with Sir Robert Peel to say :
"I -dare say, Georgy, you were surprised at not
driving with me this afternoon, but as we returned
from church yesterday a man presented a pistol at
the carriage window, which flashed in the pan ; we were
so taken by surprise that he had time to escape, so I
knew what was hanging over me, and was determined
to expose no life but my own." She added that when
the young man had fired again that afternoon the
report had been less loud than it was when Oxford
fired at her, and that she should not have noticed it
had she not been expecting it the whole time she was
driving.
This youth of twenty was transported, but six weeks
later a hunchback named Bean was seen to present
a pistol at Her Majesty, and was taken into custody,
but there was a difficulty in that the police would not
at first believe in the charge, and let the man go. Thus,
when convinced that the matter was serious, they col-
lected all the hunchbacks they could find until they
had about sixty at the police station. Admiral Knox
says of this in one of his letters :
" Did you see in the papers the account of the
attempt on the life of the Queen? You know it was
by a hunchback boy, and I heard that when the police
set out in pursuit of him, all the hunchbacks in the
neighbourhood were arrested. There were no less
than fifty or sixty assembled at the station house, and
TORY MINISTRY 361
they were all quarrelling and fighting, each saying to
the other, c Now confess that you did it, and let us
off.' I think it must have been a most absurd
scene."
Bean, however, was recognised, and as his attempt
had been only of a half-hearted sort, he was sentenced
to eighteen months' imprisonment. These foolish
actions were really induced by a desire for notoriety,
and they bring to mind the boy Jones who on several
occasions was found secreted in the palace, his inquisi-
tiveness leading to definite results and much needed
reform.
This boy, when about fifteen, first appeared in
December of 1838, in the dress of a sweep, being found
in the marble hall of Buckingham Palace at five o'clock
in the morning. He made a dart for the door, but
was captured in the Palace gardens. He had either
come down a chimney or tried to get up one, for marks
of soot were found in many bedrooms. A sword and
some linen had been taken from one room, in another
he had well larded himself with bear's-grease, in another
he had broken a valuable picture of Queen Victoria
and abstracted two letters. He told various tales,
saying that he had lived in the Palace for months and
had been behind a chair when Cabinet meetings had
been held, also that he came from Hertfordshire.
However, he was proved to be the son of a tailor named
Jones, who lived in York Street, Westminster, and it
was also proved that he had always stated a determina-
tion to see the inside of the Palace. When he was
tried the matter was regarded as an escapade, and he
went free.
362 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
This youth had been entirely forgotten when, eleven
days after the birth of the Princess Royal in 1841, a
young man was discovered lying under the sofa in the
Queen's dressing-room, which adjoined the chamber
in which she lay. He was short, dirty, repulsive-
looking, and about seventeen. It was Jones again,
who said he had entered the Palace twice by scaling
the wall and getting in at a window, and had been
there from Tuesday night to one o'clock on Thursday
morning, secreting himself under different beds. He
said he had sat on the throne and heard the baby cry.
His punishment was three months in the House of
Correction. Of him Samuel Rogers said he must be
a descendant of In-i-go Jones, and The Satirist and
other papers treated him to a few remarks, among
them being : —
" Now he in chains and in the prison garb is
Mourning the crime that couples Jones with darbies."
Jones left prison on March 2nd, and on the 15th of
that month one of the extra sergeants of police put
on in the Palace in consequence of these incursions,
saw someone peeping (through a glass door in the
Marble Hall. It was Jones again, who had raided the
pantries and carried a selection of food to a Royal
apartment, where he had been feasting. He had
another three months in the House of Correction with
the addition of hard labour, and when that was over
he was persuaded — persuaded sounds better than com-
pelled, though it sometimes means the same thing — to
go to sea. Punch gave an amusing account of his
exploits, which ended with the following lines : —
TORY MINISTRY 363
One night, returnin' home to bed,
I walked through Pim-li-co,
And twig-gin' of the Palass, sed,
' I'm Jones, and In-i-go. '
But afore I could get out, my boys,
Polliseman 2oA,
He caught me by the corderoys,
And lugged me right away.
My cuss upon Lord Melbun, and
On Johnny Russ-al-so,
That forced me from my native land
Across the vaves to go-o-oh.
But all their spiteful arts is vain
My spirits down to keep ;
I hope I'll soon git back again,
To take another peep."
CHAPTER XV
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME
" I am born to this position; I must take it, and neither
you nor I can help or hinder me. Surely, then, I need not fret
myself to guard my own dignity. ' ' — Emerson.
THIS incident of an ordinary street boy getting three
times into Buckingham Palace without being seen,
spending hours there each time and wandering at will
about the building, was naturally the talk of London.
It was found that there was a space between the Marble
Arch — which then formed the entrance in front of the
Palace — and its gates which a boy could easily get
through, but this was no excuse for the opportunity
he seems to have had of entering the building itself.
Extra police and watchmen were put on at night, but
Stockmar considered the matter serious enough to
warrant study, and he discovered a most curious state
of things in the arrangement of the Royal Household,
a discovery which led to a general and much needed
domestic revolution; and in consequence, through the
executive ability of Stockmar and the alleged economic
spirit of Prince Albert, to years of dissension and
discontent among the servants, great and little ; from
which at last arose a system of domestic comfort which
364
BARON STOCKMAR.
.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 365
allowed the Queen to be mistress in her own house.
In actual fact, the conditions under which the House-
hold had been run would have made a splendid subject
for a Gilbertian opera.
The chief officers of the Household were in the same
position and doing the same tasks as they had filled and
done for centuries, and though all the details of their
work had changed gradually no new rules had been
made for their guidance. These chief officers were the
Lord High Steward, the Lord Chamberlain, and the
Master of the Horse. These three were also great
officers of State, were changed with every Ministry —
between 1830 and 1844 one was changed five and
another six times — they could not reside at the Palace,
and often could not be in the same place as the Court.
They were chosen by the Ministers for their political
strength and opinions, without any reference to their
powers as good housekeepers, good organisers, or good
masters. This led to the curious situation that the
Masters of the Queen's Household could rarely attend
to their duties, which had to be deputed to people who
were perhaps incapable, or also not on the spot, and
that in many trivial ways Victoria had no authority hi'
her own home. There was no domestic to whom she
could give orders, because the servants were under
absentee masters, and neither she nor the Prince could
ensure having a well-warmed room to live in. She
was, in fact, so great a personage that it was arranged
that every order to the servants should pass through
other lips than hers, and as those other lips were
generally miles away from the Royal domestic scene,
366 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
the orders, if they were of a serious nature and outside
the sphere of ordinary servants, were not given at all.
So the Queen sat and shivered in her drawing-room,
paid enormously for candles to light a room which
would be in darkness when needed, and could not from
inside tell the state of the weather because of the dirt
on the windows.
There was also a lack of co-operation or agreement
among these three high officials, so that there was never
any unity of action. This was the more absurd, as
the labour had to be delegated or re-delegated to
actual servants who dwelt on the spot, and who did
not seem to have the wit to do their work in conjunc-
tion. In no part of the Royal Household was there
any real discipline, order, or dignity about the domestic
work. The servants themselves often did not know
who was responsible for certain duties, and, servant-
like, were always careful never to do anyone's work
but their own. The great officials themselves were said
not to know which parts of tEe Castle or Palace were
under the charge of the Lord Steward or the Lord
Chamberlain. When George III. was King the Lord
Steward had charge of the whole Palace except the
Royal apartments ; in the next two reigns he was also
held accountable for the ground floor, including the
hall and the dining-rooms. But when Victoria came
to the throne he gave over the grand hall and other
lower rooms to the Lord Chamberlain, which seems to
have left the mastership of the kitchen, sculleries, and
pantries vague.
The authority over a room conferred responsibility
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 367
over the most trivial matters, such as the laying of the
fire, the cleaning of the windows, the brushing of the
carpet. This authority had no place outside the room,
nor outside the house ; thus the Lord Chamberlain or
his deputy might order the windows of the Queen's
boudoir to be cleaned inside, yet it remained for the
Master of the Horse, who had authority over the woods
and forests, to arrange when the outside should be
cleaned. This sort of thing was complicated by the
fact that the housekeepers, pages, housemaids, &c.,
were required to give obedience to the Lord Chamber-
lain, while the footmen, livery porters, and under
butlers, being clothed and paid by the Master of the
Horse, owned allegiance to him; and the rest of the
servants, cooks, porters, &c., obeyed the Lord Steward.
In contemporary writings one frequently comes
across hints of the discomfort of the Royal palaces, the
draughts, the cold, the bad lighting, and it is scarcely
to be wondered at, seeing the curious arrangements
made by Her Majesty's Ministers for her comfort.
Victoria, feeling the cold especially one day, sent a
messenger to Sir Frederick Watson, then Master of
the Household, complaining that the dining-room was
always cold. That perplexed gentleman, who either
had no initiative or who knew that interference would
be useless, replied gravely to the messenger :
" You see, properly speaking, it is not our fault, for
the Lord Steward lays the fire and the Lord Chamber-
lain lights it.33
As to the lighting of the Palace, it was the duty of
the Lord Chamberlain to buy the lamps, and see that
368 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
there were sufficient both of them and of candles ; but
the Lord Steward was responsible for filling, cleaning,
cutting, and lighting them.
Supposing a pane of glass was broken, so involved
were the conditions for getting it repaired that it might
be weeks before the necessary authority could be
obtained. If the kitchen window happened to be
smashed, the following process would have to be gone
through. The chief cook would write and sign a
request for the replacing of the glass, definitely de-
scribing where it was needed; this was countersigned
by the Clerk of the Kitchen, then it had to be signed
by the Master of the Household; from him it was taken
to the Lord Chamberlain's office, where it awaited his
presence and pleasure. Having received his invalu-
able signature, it was then laid before the Clerk of the
Works under the Woods and Forest Department. By
the time the workman was ordered to put in the window
it was not improbable that months had elapsed, and
one really wonders whether the Queen's cook did not
resort to the time-honoured use of brown paper.
It is true that while these anomalies were going on
there was a Master of the Household, but then his
authority, which was of an attenuated character, was
confined to the Lord Steward's Department, and was
there quite undefined; while the servants under the
Lord Chamberlain, comprising the housemaids, house-
keepers, and pages, were entirely outside his juris-
diction.
This naturally had its bad effect upon the servants,
who were left without any real master. They went off
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 369
duty when they chose, remained absent for hours on
the day when they were especially expected to be in
attendance, and committed any irregularity without
anyone to reprimand them. The footmen, who slept
ten or twelve in a dormitory, might smoke or drink
there, but if anyone were the wiser, certainly there was
no one who was in a position to remonstrate.
It is almost impossible to imagine a worse regulated
establishment than that of the little lady who was the
First Person in the Kingdom, yet who had not power
to ensure decent attendance from her servants. I
wonder if she was quite conscious of the inconvenience
and indignity of it all, whether she knew the straits
to which her visitors were sometimes reduced, and
whether she felt a pang of shame at her enforced
position of inaction. Guests might arrive at Windsor,
and find no one to welcome them or to show them, their
rooms. Proper communication was not established
among the innumerable servants; for the housemaids
who obeyed the Lord Chamberlain, and who prepared
the rooms, did not come into communication with the
guests; and the footmen, who were under the Lord
Steward, were not authorised to see to this matter;
indeed, it was quite possible that most of the footmen
were, in light and irresponsible fashion, seeing to their
own business when the guests appeared. It all seems
to have depended upon the right housekeeper being
more or less accidentally in the right spot at the right
moment, and she was not in the department of the
Master of the Household. The usual course in such
a case was to send a servant, if one could be found,
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370 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
to the porter's lodge, where a list of rooms, &c., was
kept. It was also no unusual thing for a visitor to
be at a loss to find the drawing-room at night. He
or she would start from the bedroom with more or less
confidence, perhaps take a wrong turn, and wander
about helpless and alone, one account says for an hour,
finding no servants to give assistance to them, and
coming across no one of whom the way could be asked.
When "The Boy Jones" — as Punch delighted to
name him — made his surreptitious visits, the public
blamed those on whom depended the regulations for
protecting the Queen. But there was no responsible
person in the Palace at the time. The Lord Chamber-
lain was in Staffordshire, and the porters were not in
his department; the Lord Steward was not in the
Palace, and had nothing to do with the pages and
other people nearest to the Royal person; nor could
the responsibility be fixed on the Master of the House-
hold, who was only a subordinate officer in the Lord
Steward's department. It did not occur to any of these
good people, nor to the Government, that something
more was needed than the adding of an iron bar to the
front gate or placing an extra policeman in the front
hall ; and it was left to Stockmar to cause the whole
arrangements of the Palace to be reconstructed. He
advised that the three great officers of the Court, with
their respective departments, should retain their con-
nection with the political system of the country, but
that each should in his own sphere be induced to dele-
gate as much of his authority as was necessary to the
maintenance of the order, security, and discipline of
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 371
the Palace to one official, who should always live at
Court, and be responsible to the three departmental
chiefs, but at the same time be able to secure unity
of action in the use of the powers delegated to him.
As the abuses had been going on for many years,
Stockmar's suggestions and interference gave rise to
violent feeling and much bitterness, and it was some
years before the storm subsided into calm. I have
come across an account of King William's going to
Ascot in 1833, when the Royal Household seems to
have been absolutely disreputable, for all the King's
grooms got drunk every day, excepting (seemingly)
one man, and he was killed going home from the races.
What an argument for the virtue of drunkenness ! The
person who described the event added that no one
exercised any authority over these servants, and the
household ran riot. Favourite abuses of this kind were
not easily abolished, but the Prince Consort accepted
Stockmar's advice and carried his suggestions into
effect, firmly resisting all attempts to evade them, and
appointing the Master of the Household as the dele-
gate of the three departmental chiefs.
One interference in the Household led to another,
and soon remarkable changes were made. Stockmar
was doubtless at the back of them all, but upon the
Prince Consort fell the odium. He had been brought
up too economically not to know the value of money,
and, like any other sensible person, he abhorred waste.
There was one little matter which was particularly
fastened upon him by his detractors. I remember an
old lady speaking of him to me years ago with energetic
B B 2
372 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
scorn, and on my asking why, she replied : " Oh, I
remember him ! He was one of the meanest of people,
for he actually saved the candle-ends." " Well, why
not, if he had the chance of doing it?" I asked. On
looking up this matter I found that the great rooms
were lit by hundreds of candles, and that some upper
servant had acquired the perquisite of every day
emptying all the receptacles and replacing the pieces
by fresh candles ; further, if a room had not been used,
the candles were changed just the same, and the
licensed looter carried off a rich booty. Prince Albert
enforced a rule that this should no longer be done, and
that the candles should remain to be burnt within a
reasonable limit. Being an economist myself, I quite
sympathise with him.
The lowering of salaries, however, created a tre-
mendous furore. Thus there were about forty house-
maids at Windsor, and the same number at Bucking-
ham Palace, whose wages had been for many years
^45 per annum. In the general revision this was
reduced to £12 a year on commencing duties, with a
gradual rise to ;£i8, beyond which a housemaid could
not go. A little book, " Sketches of Her Majesty's
Household," published anonymously in 1848, shows
that some of the economies were peculiarly unfair,
as in the case of the sixteen gentlemen of
the Chapel Royal who chanted the services, and
who were given £73 a year each. They were re-
quired to attend on Sundays every other month and
on saints' days, &c. From each salary four shillings
in the pound was deducted as land tax, which, added
to further deduction for income tax, reduced the salary
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 373
to £56- The same course was pursued with the
organist, composers — all getting a nominal £73 — and
other people connected with the Chapel who received
less. Think of the violinist who had to regard himself
as " passing rich on forty pounds a year/' minus eight
pounds deducted as land tax ! It is a little difficult
to realise this, for what could the land tax have to do
with the chapel music?
From the same source we learn the regulations im-
posed upon the members of the Queen's Private Band,
who were paid from the Privy Purse. Their salaries
were reduced from £130, with supper and wine, to £So
and fyo, with no supper, in lieu of which a small sum
was given at each nightly attendance. Sometimes a
vacancy occurred in the State Band, which was paid
by the State, and then a piece of very sharp practice
was indulged in. The vacancy would be filled by a
member of the Private Band, and as a consequence of
this promotion the man had to play in both bands, for
which he should have received an extra £40 for his
services in the State Band. He duly received that
£40, but when his salary was paid him as a member of
the Private Band he would find that the sum of £40
had been carefully deducted before it was handed to
him — on the assumption that he had already received
it!
In this description of the anomalies in the Royal
Household I have mostly given Stockmar's view of
the case. There was, of course, another aspect, and
the English officially gave voice to it. In 1846 the
Earl de la Warr, who was then Lord Chamberlain,
374 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
said that he experienced such an " extraordinary inter-
ference in the performance of his official duties from
parties at Court," that he determined to resign, so he
made " Free Trade in Corn " the excuse, and the day
after Her Majesty's accouchement the announcement
took place. Several noblemen refused the post, and
at last it was semi-officially announced that Sir Robert
Peel, in consequence of the uncertainty as to the life
of the Government, would not at present fill up the
appointment. So Lord de la Warr was virtually
bribed to hold office for a time — that is to say, until
Lord John Russell and the Whigs came in in July.
One of De la Warr's sons, Mortimer West, was given
a commission in the Grenadier Guards; another,
Charles, was made military secretary to the Com-
mander-in-Chief in India; and a third, Reginald, was
gazetted Chaplain-in-Ordinary to Her Majesty.
When Russell formed his Administration it was even
then very difficult to fill the Lord Chamberlain's office,
everyone shrinking from the unofficial interference of
Stockmar and the Prince. The Duke of Bedford, the
Duke of Devonshire, and the Earl of Uxbridge all
declined, but Earl Spencer was at last prevailed upon
to take the responsibility.
The Inspector of the Palace was named Henry
Saunders, and he gave in his resignation in March,
1844, because of "extraordinary interference with him
in the performance of his duties by members of the
Household unconnected with the Lord Chamberlain's
department " ; but Lord de la Warr persuaded him to
remain until the Prince Consort, who was visiting his
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 375
home, returned from Germany. Saunders was believed
by Anson to have given information of Palace doings
to the Press, as many things had been made public,
particularly about the wholesale discharge of servants
in Saunders's department, as well as other matters
which had formed subjects of private inquiry. He was
pensioned at the end of 1845 on £5°° a year. After
that different Inspectors were appointed for each
Palace, to superintend the care of the furniture and
to make arrangements for the reception of the Court
and of Her Majesty's visitors.
There was naturally a tremendous jealousy of the
many German servants introduced by the Prince, and
in 1848 it was pointed out by a newspaper that Richard
the Second's Chamberlain was impeached for intro-
ducing aliens into the King's Household; the writer
advocated a similar proceeding, though he added a
belief that the Lord Chamberlain was not really re-
sponsible for the numerous appointments of foreigners.
Among these foreigners was a man named Heller,
who came to England with the Prince as courier, and
who was appointed by the Prince in 1842 to be Page
of the Chambers, the impression being that among his
other duties he was to be the "overlooker" of the
other pages. These others, being English, bitterly
resented this, and there were frequent rows between
Heller and the other men. Once a page named
Kinnaird was so enraged that, in spite of Albert's
presence, he threatened to throw Heller over the
banisters, telling the Prince that he "would not be
insulted by a foreigner."
376 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Another change made, and a very sensible one, was
the abolition of fees for seeing the interior of Windsor
Castle. Lady Mary Fox, a daughter of William IV.
and wife of Major- General Fox, Surveyor-General of
the Ordnance, was the State Housekeeper, receiving a
residence in the Norman Tower, a salary of £320 a
year, and all the fees from the visitors, amounting from
£1,200 to £1,500 a year. This post she held until the
end of 1845, when she was duly compensated for
relinquishing it.
Various matters relating to the Household becoming
public made the Prince very angry, and he complained
to the Duke of Bedford of the way in which the pro-
ceedings at Court were publicly known and discussed.
He said that on the Continent it was the Government
which knewr by its secret agents what its people were
doing; while in England it was the people who knew
what the Court was about — the Court knowing nothing
about other people's affairs. He did not seem to
realise that this was the tax great people had to pay
for their position, and that as the public was curious
about them the newspapers could and did secure all the
information there was to be had. All his life in Eng-
land Albert hated the " fierce light that beats upon the
throne," and his exclusiveness tended to make the
Court unpopular with the multitude. It also led to
trouble and annoyance among those who immediately
surrounded the Throne, for the Prince and Queen would
arrange very important matters in utter secrecy, news
of which would leak into the daily papers, while the
Queen's advisers were in entire ignorance. Thus
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 377
when they went to visit Louise Philippe at the Chateau
d'Eu, the Duke of Wellington and others constantly
about the Court knew nothing of it until two or three
days beforehand. Yet this visit must have been a
long-laid plan, for lawyers had to be consulted as to
the necessity of forming a Regency during Her
Majesty's absence. Greville noted of this, " the Queen
is to embark on Monday. . . . On Thursday I men-
tioned it to Arbuthnot, who said it could not be true.
He asked the Duke the same day, who told him he
had never heard a word of any such thing."
In this case it was not difficult to keep the matter
quiet, as the yacht Victoria and Albert had just been
finished and fitted up most gorgeously — gorgeously is
really just the right word — and was in readiness for use.
Concerning this yacht, by the way, there was very sore
feeling among the officers, who found that their comfort
had been sacrificed that the Royal flunkeys might travel
in serenity. Thus two officers had to sleep in a little
berth measuring seven HFeet by five, while the pages,
who were really footmen, were given a large room with
their berths ranged round it. The officers protested
respectfully, and, willing to concede their dignity, im-
plored to be allowed half the berths in the pages' room,
the displaced men sleeping on one of the attendant
steamers, but their prayer was not granted, as it was
thought inconvenience might arise if all the servants
were not together.
* * * * ^ *
I could write a book double this size if I included
all the stories in which Queen Victoria figured, but I
378 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
have come to the end of the space allotted me. Yet
some of these stories are very tempting, among them
being one told by Sir Robert Peel about the Lord
Mayor, when the Royal pair went to a banquet at the
Guildhall in 1844. It was of this event that Barham
wrote : —
" Doctor Darling! think how grand is
Such a sight! The great Lord May'r
Heading all the City dandies
There on horseback takes the air.
Chains and maces all attend, he
Rides all glorious to be seen ;
' Lad o' wax ! ' great heaven forfend he
Don't get spilt before the Queen."
He did not get spilt as did one of the Aldermen
seven years earlier, but he had a curious mishap. It
was muddy weather, and he put on enormous jack-boots
over his dandy shoes and stockings to keep them
clean. Waiting at Temple Bar, he tried to take off
the boots when Her Majesty was near, but they were
too tight, and would not move. One of the spurs
caught an Alderman's robe and tore it, so his friends
came to his aid, the Lord Mayor standing on one leg
while they tugged. One boot came off, and they
started on the other, but it remained firm, the crowd
watching in uproarious glee. When at last the Queen
was but a few paces away, the agonised City King
roared, " For God's sake, put my boot on again ! "
So, backed by half a dozen friends and tugged at by
another half dozen, he recovered the displaced boot,
and had to wear both of them until after the banquet,
when a less frantic effort removed them.
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 379
When the Whigs came back to power in 1846, for
Peel's return to office was of short duration, the Prime
Minister, Lord John Russell, found that he had to deal
with a two-in-one Monarch. He was never received
alone by the Queen. She and the Prince were always
together, and both of them always said, We. This
was far better than the early exclusion of the Prince,
though it naturally led at once to the assertion on the
part of the men that while the Queen bore the title,
the Prince discharged the function of the Sovereign.
The Prince had devoted himself to her and to her
country with marvellous assiduity and rectitude;
indeed, if he had taken the work more lightly and
interfered less in the detail of matters, he might not
have succumbed as he practically did to hard work.
In 1862 the Duke of Gotha said that his brother,
Prince Albert, had killed himself with hard work, and
that from the time he came to England he did not
know what it was to have "a joyous day." Stock-
mar's influence in this respect was to be deplored.
He was like a Dutch art student with whom I once
worked : " You paint the trees and get their character,"
she said, "but I — I see all the little leafs, and must
paint them."
After the Prince's death Lord Clarendon wrote : —
" There is a vague belief that his influence was great
and useful ; but there is a very dim perception of the
modus operandi. . . . Peel certainly took the Prince
into council much more than Melbourne, who had his
own established position with the Queen before the
Prince came to this country; but I cannot tell you
380 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
whether it was Peel who first gave him a Cabinet key.
My impression is that Lord Duncannon, during the
short time he was Home Secretary, sent the Prince a
key when the Queen was confined, and the contents
of the boxes had to be read and signed by her."
Among those who helped to form Lord John
Russell's Government was the historian Macaulay, who
became Paymaster-General ; under Melbourne he had
been Secretary at War. He could talk for hours with-
out stopping, and Fanny Kemble said of him, " He is
like nothing in the world but Bayle's Dictionary, con-
tinued down to the present time, and purified from all
objectionable matter. Such a Niagara of information
did surely never pour from the lips of mortal man ! "
Someone else remarked that, "Macaulay is laying
waste society with his waterspouts of talk; people in
his company burst for want of an opportunity of drop-
ping in a word;" and Sydney Smith also once said
of him to Melbourne that he was a book in breeches.
This, of course, Melbourne repeated to the Queen, so
for a long time after whenever she saw her Secretary at
War she went into fits of laughter. She once at Wind-
sor offered him a horse to ride, drawing from him the
remark, " If I ride anything, it must be an elephant " —
thus alluding to his inability to remain on a horse if
he once mounted. After dining at the Palace in
March, 1850, he wrote : " The Queen was most gracious
to me. She talked much about my book, and owned
that she had nothing to say for her poor ancestor James
the Second. ' Not your Majesty's ancestor,' said I;
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 381
1 your Majesty's predecessor.' I hope this was not an
uncourtly correction. I meant it as a compliment, and
she seemed to take it so."
When Peel resigned office in 1846 he begged the
Queen to grant him one favour, and that was never to
ask him to take service again; however, his political
ardour was too great a habit to be repressed, and he
was speedily leading the Opposition. He fell from his
horse in 1850, and died four days after the accident.
As for Brougham, when office was suggested again
to him, he shook his head, saying that now he was
getting old, and he had nothing left for which to live ;
but he showed great activity still in the cause of law
reform, and took great interest in the Social Science
Association. He died at Cannes in 1868, at the age
of ninety.
Lord Melbourne died twenty years earlier. He had
refused all honours several times, begging the Queen
not to press her intention of bestowing the Garter upon
him. It was enough that he had lived honourably and
done his duty, he said. His character was once
summed up in the following couplet : —
" For a patriot too cool, for a drudge disobedient,
And too fond of the right to pursue the expedient/'
But as in his youth he had never sought favour, so
in his age no one sought favour from him. The
stirring world in which he had always lived had some-
thing more to do than to trouble about an old and
ailing man, and he laboured under a sense of neglect,
chafing daily at the indifference which was shown him
382 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
by those who for years had pressed their friendship
upon him. In real fact he was suffering from his lonely
state; neither wife nor child was there to give him
company, and his only two relatives seem to have been
his sister, Lady Palmerston, and his brother. In
happier domestic circumstances his end would have
been happier and his sorrows non-existent. In Novem-
ber, 1848, he had another attack of illness, and died in
unconsciousness at the age of seventy. He was a very
remarkable man, more perhaps from his extreme
honesty in a difficult position than for his great attain-
ments, though those were sufficiently noteworthy. He
was the most lovable man who had moved in the
Queen's circle, one who would never wittingly commit
an injustice to anybody. When he was dead a letter
from him was handed to his brother, in which he left
a command that a certain sum of money should be
given to Mrs. Norton, to help to some extent to show
his sorrow for the trouble which his thoughtless friend-
ship had brought her ; and in this he solemnly declared
that she and he were innocent of all evil in that friend-
ship.
Queen Victoria was now, in a sense, in calm waters ;
she was happy domestically, she adored her husband,
and in spite of her protest had a large family of
children ; the terrible leakage in her income, which had
at one time threatened her with disastrous debt, had
been stopped, and she was growing rich, though she
was never so rich as the malcontents would have liked
to believe, and did in many cases believe. George
Anson told Greville in 1847 tnat tne Queen's affairs
QUEEN VICTORIA'S HOME 383
were so well managed that she would be able to pro-
vide for the expenses of Osborne out of her income,
and those expenses would be £200,000. He also said
that the Prince of Wales would not have less than
£70,000 a year from his Duchy of Cornwall, and
£100,000 had already been saved from it.
Though the Queen retained for a long time her
Whiggish sympathies, she was now well on the road to
strict Toryism, to the end of her life showing especial
favour to her Conservative leaders, and more or less
ignoring their rivals. This was caused more by the
difference in their views upon foreign affairs than by
her sentiments on home politics, and also by her keen
sense of the dignity of the Crown. Though when dis-
pleased the Tories had shown themselves capable of
dragging that dignity through the mire, yet when they
were pleased they paid it all lip-service and outward
homage. The Whigs, on the other hand, though in-
clined to take Royal disfavour with more equanimity,
were also inclined to question the doings of Royalty in
a calmer and, therefore from her point of view, more
deadly way. When the party in power changed from
time to time, she parted from Russell in anger, from
Gladstone in coldness, from Aberdeen — whom she had
detested on her accession — with a pang, and from
Disraeli in deep dejection. It is the whirligig of time
exemplified in the mind of a woman.
She had great Ministers to advise her in her work,
but she was also a great Queen, for though she was no
genius and had no surpassing intellect, she never
shirked, she worked step by step through every diffi-
384 THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
culty, she was essentially a climber, and when more
talented people might have given up she went bravely
on, so that, to use the slang phrase, she always got
there. Yes, Queen Victoria was absolutely admirable
in her conscientiousness and in her determination to do
well. It angered her ever to be likened to Queen
Elizabeth, who was an historical bete noire to her, yet
she had something of Elizabeth's greatness as well as
more than a touch of her arrogance, added to a more
intimately personal greatness of her own, that which
comes from recognising the importance of little things.
This did not come to its strength until after the death
of Prince Albert, but it began in the days when, as a
girl of eighteen, she sat surrounded by despatch-boxes
while her maid was doing her hair.
THE END.
RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LTD., BRUNSWICK ST., STAMFORD ST., S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
INDEX
Abercromby, Lord, 139
Aberdeen, Lord, 329, 349, 383
Adelaide, Queen, i, 8 et seq., 13,
16, 18, 24, 30, 32, 36, 39, 56,
59 et seq., 68, 78, 94, 96, 107,
no, 130, 160, 166, 168
Adelbert, Prince of Prussia, 223
Albemarle, Lord, 125
Albert, Prince Consort, 72, 84,
89, 92, 104, 139, 203, 229 et
seq., 235, 277, 289, 291, 297,
300 et seq., 312, 314, 316, 320
et seq., 330, 331, 334 et seq.,
341. 344. 346> 352> 357. 359'
364* 371* 374> 375. 376, 379,
Allen, Lord, 332
Althorp, Lord (see Spencer, 3rd
Earl)
Alvanley, Lord, 65, 158
Anglesey, Marquis of, 48, 244
Anne, Queen, 127, 214, 305, 309
Anson, George, 251, 312, 322,
324> 342» 35J> 375» 382
Arran, Earl of, 21
Ashley, Lord, 71
Augusta, Princess, 226, 235, 316,
3J9
Augusta, Princess, of Cambridge,
226, 346
Aylmer, Lord, 70
Bean, the Hunchback, 360
Bedford, Duchess of (see Tavi-
stock, Lady)
Bedford, Duke of, 374, 376
Bedingfield, Lady, 57, 64, 226
Berry, Mademoiselle de, 105
Blessington, Lady, 174, 195
Bloomfield, Lady (see Liddell,
Georgiana)
Bosanquet, Sir Bernard, 121
Bradshaw, James, M.P., 251
Brad well, Dr., 332
Brandon, Lord, 149
Brauhitch, Colonel, 339
Breadalbane, Marchioness of, 217
Brodie, Sir B., 280
Brookfield, Mrs., 73
Brookfield, W. H., 75, 318
Brougham, Lord, 37, 41, 43, 68,
148, 156, 165, 170 et seq., 208,
220, 248, 287, 381
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, 107
Brunswick, Duke of, 89
Buccleuch, Duchess of, 343
Buckingham, Duke of, 195
Buckingham Palace, 126, 201,
237, 238, 268, 301, 315, 328,
361, 364
Buggin, Lady Cecilia (see Under-
wood, Lady Cecilia)
Billow, Count von, 184, 224, 238
Burlington, Countess of, 217
B
Bagot, Emily, 66
Barham, R. H., " Ingoldsby," 27,
199
Calvert, the Hon. Mrs., i
Cambridge, Duchess of, 226, 319
Cambridge, Duke of, u, 147,
175, 282, 310, 311, 317, 318
C C
386
INDEX
Cambridge, Prince George of, 73,
91, 225, 306, 310, 317, 319
Campbell, Lord, 130, 240
Canterbury, Archbishop of, 77,
117
Cardigan, Lady, 66, 177, 244, 319,
328, 353
Carlyle, Thomas, 7, 123, 201, 315
Carolath, Prince Edward of, 91
Caroline, Queen, 205, 236
Castlereagh, Lord, 128
Cavendish, General, 187, 328
Chambers, Dr., 274, 275, 278,
280
Charlemont, Countess of, 217
Charlotte, Princess, 8, 22, 23, 90,
91, 291, 306, 333
Charlotte, Queen, 31
Churchill, Sarah, 214
Claremont, residence of Prince
Leopold, 7, 22, 26, 72, 333
Clarence, Duchess of (see Ade-
laide, Queen)
Clarence, Duke of (see William
IV.)
Clarendon, Lord, 379
Clark, Sir James, 146, 203, 234,
240, 257, 258 et seq., 283
Clarke, Sir Charles, 259, 261, 262
Coke, Mr., 52
Conroy, Sir John, 37, 41, 45, 48,
S2, 54. 55» 72, 87, 103, in, 113,
I25» J37> MO, !43> J44> l69>
184, 188, 202, 259, 262, 287,
288, 316
Conyngham, Lady, 2
Conyngham, Lord, in, 117, 125,
187
Cooper, Sir A., 280
Cork, Lady, 332
Cornwallis, Lady, 275
Coutts, Messrs., 189
Cowan, Alderman, Lord Mayor,
180
Cowper, Lady, 186, 244, 281
Creevy, Thomas, M.P., 21, 24,
28, 39, 41, 120, 126, 142, 175,
186
Croker, John Wilson, 73, 136,
219
Cumberland, Duchess of, 31, 39,
99, 108
Cumberland, Duke of, n et seq.,
21, 28, 31, 99, 114, 119, 120,
129, 131, 147, 154, 222, 227,
304. 309> 3Jo, 3J5> 3J7> 332,
334. 345
Cumberland, Prince George of,
20, 73, 91, 99, 310
D
Dalhousie, Lord, 201
Davys, Dr., 45
Davys, Miss, 47, 135
Delane, John T., Editor of The
Times, 330, 356
D'Este, Augustus, u, 21
D'Este, Ellen, n, 21
Devonshire, Duke of, 374
Diestrau, Baron de, 234
Disraeli, Benjamin, 383
Dorset, Duke of, 69
Douro, Earl of, 225
Doyle, Dr., 265
Duncannon, Lord, 380
Dunmore, Earl of, 21
Durham, Lady, 43, 135, 184, 242
Durham, Lord, 40, 41 et seq.t 71,
103, 113, 184, 240, 241
E
Edward VII., King, 84
Edward, Prince of Wales, 83
Egremont, Lord, 10
Ellenborough, Lord, n, 12, 20,
310
Elphinstone, Lord, 76, 86, 226
et seq.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 364
Errol, Lady Elizabeth (Fitz-
clarence), 9
Errol, Lord, 9
Esterhazy, Prince, 197, 225
Exeter, Marquis of, 52
Fairbrother, Louisa, 319
Fairburn, Lieut. -Colonel, 13
Falkland, Lady (Fitzclarence), 9
Fane, Lady Georgina, 66
Feodore of Leiningen, Princess,
5, 6, 45, 46, 204
INDEX
387
Fitzclarence, Lord Adolphus, 10,
96, 98
Fitzclarence, Lord Augustus, 10
Fitzclarence, Lord Frederick, 10
Fitzgerald, Captain Hamilton,
266, 269
Follett, Sir William, 152
Forbes, Viscountess, 278
Fox, Colonel, 9
Fox, Lady Mary (Fitzclarence), 9,
376
Garth, Captain, 19
Garth, General, 19
George III., King, 12, 20, 123,
> 3°5> 34°> 366
e IV.,
George IV., King, i, 2, 11-14, 19,
22, 25, 27-8, 32, 45, 80, 108,
138, 236, 321, 345
George of Denmark, Prince, 234,
3°9
Gladstone, W. E., 383
Glenelg, Lord, 199, 240
Gloucester, Duchess of, 226, 265,
276, 282, 294, 319
Gloucester, Duke of, 175
Graham, Sir James, 55
Grant-Duff, Lady, 157
Grantley, Lord, 150, 154
Greville, Charles, 38, 55, 63, 70,
96, 154, 192, 209, 225, 252, 273,
305, 3io, 326, 377
Grey, Countess, 185
Grey, Lady Georgiana, 142
Grey, Lord, 20, 39, 42, 55, 60,
134, I79> 2M
Gurwood, Colonel, 252
H
Halford, Sir Henry, 265
Hanover, King of (see Cumber-
land, Duke of)
Hardwicke, Lord, 194, 346
Hastings, Lady Adelaide, 262
Hastings, Lady Flora, 125, 222,
234, 257 et seq., 287-9, 353
Hastings, Lady Sophia, 255, 262,
264, 274-5, 278« 281-2
Hastings, Marchioness of (see
Loudoun, Countess of)
Hastings, Marquis of, 255, 259,
267-8, 270, 278, 280, 284
Hayter, Sir George, 179
Headfort, Marquis of, 244, 259
Heller, royal courtier, 375
Henry, Captain Charles, 261,
280, 283
Henry, Lady Selina, 261, 274,
282
Hertford, Lady, 2
Hesse-Philippthal, Prince Ernest
of, 91
Hill, Lord, 55, 334
Holland, Dr., 280
Holland, Lord, 174, 240
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 40
Holmes, William, D.C.L., 17
Holstein - Sonderburg - Beck -
Gliicksburg, Prince of, 224
Hook, Dean James, 250
Hook, Theodore, 175
Horsman, Edward, M.P., 251
Howe, Lady, 63-4
Howe, Lord, 60, 61 et seq., 214,
298
Hume, Joseph, 15, 306
Hunnings, mad suitor of the
Princess, 100
I
Ingestre, Lady Sarah, 253
Inverness, Duchess of (see
Underwood)
J
enkinson, Lady Catherine, 48
ersey, Earl of, 125, 225
ersey, Lady, 43, 134
ones, The " Boy," 361, 370
ordan, Mrs., 8
K
Kemble, Frances Anne, 122, 182,
33°> 348, 380
Kennedy, Lady Augusta (Fitz-
clarence), 9
Kensington Palace, 25, 86, 91, 95,
100, 102, 104, no, 118, 125-6,
236
888
INDEX
Kent, Duchess of, i et seq., 20,
24-6, 28, 30 et seq.f 72 et seq.,
82-3, 87, 91, 94 et seq., 108,
in, 115-6, 125, 133-4, 137*
140-1, 143-5, 151* l64> l68, 171,
178, 186, 188, 192-3, 202 et seq.,
223, 236-7, 241, 255, 258 et seq.,
271, 282, 288, 315, 321, 326,
33L 339. 345
Kent, Duke of, 24-5, 29, 37, 41,
109, 248
Kinnaird, royal page, 375
Knox, Admiral, 333, 360
Lade, Sir John, 166
Lamb, William (see Melbourne,
Lord)
Lambton, John George (see Dur-
ham, Earl of)
Lansdowne, Marchioness of, 135,
137
Leader, M.P. for Westminster,
174
Lee, Sir Sidney, 284, 306
Lehzen, Baroness, 4-5, 45-7, 140,
142-3, 164, 199, 203 et seq.,
218-20, 232, 234, 240, 256-7,
261, 272, 275, 284, 321, 324 et
seq., 340
Leibnitz, 117
Leiningen, Prince of, 91
Leopold, King of the Belgians, 22
et seq., 31, 42, 72, 89-90, 93,
103, 113, 138, 140, 161, 165,
170, 179, 203, 229 et seq., 240-1,
288-90, 296-8, 306, 308, 320,
329» 334» 343 > 344-5
Leslie, C. R., 180, 201
Leuchtenberg, Duke of, 80
Lichfield, Lady, 253
Lichfield, Lord, 252
Liddell, Georgiana, 238, 337, 339,
351. 359,. 360
Lieven, Princess de, 20, 168, 185,
242, 244
Lisle, Lady de (Fitzclarence), 109
Lisle, Lord de, 91
Liverpool, Earl of, 48, 160, 315
Loudoun, Countess of, 255, 258
et seq., 267, 269, 276, 283
Louis, Mrs., 46
Louis Philippe, King, 80, 206,
358, 377
Lyndhurst, Lady, 129
Lyndhurst, Lord, 37, 127 et seq.,
200, 309-11
Lyttelton, Lady, 135, 217
M
Macaulay, Lord, 76, 220, 380
Maria da Gloria, Queen of Portu-
gal, 57, 80
Martineau, Harriet, 246
Mary, Queen, 84
McCarthy, Justin, 220
McMahon, Colonel, 138
Mecklenburg - Strelitz, Grand
Duke of, 346
Melbourne, Lord, 37; dismissed
by William, 67, 113, 115; The
Times upon, 117; at the Privy
Council, 118; commencement
of his friendship with the
Queen, 125, 130; Queen's chief
adviser, 134, 138; as private
secretary, 140; returned to
power, 148 et seq. ; and the
Tories, 162, 163, 165; and the
Queen's favours, 167, 170; rid-
ing with the Queen, 178, 179,
183, 184, 188; and the Civil
List, 189; association with the
eueen, 191 et seq. ; blamed for
ueen's affection for Lehzen,
206; and Bedchamber crisis,
213 et seq. ; lines upon, 221, 227;
and the Queen's marriage, 231,
235,^ 238, 240, 242; spite
against, 243 ; as scapegoat, 246
et seq., 253 ; and the Lady
Flora Hastings scandal, 257 et
seq., 287; the Queen's reti-
cence with, 295, 302 ; and the
Tories, 307; and the Prince's
Treasurer, 313, 317, 319, 321 ;
and the Prince, 325 ; his dinner
party, 332, 338, 339; his resig-
nation, 341; the Queen's grief,
343 ; the Prince desires his
help, 344; continued inter-
course with the Queen, 348 ;
and Baron Stockmar, 350 ;
tenderness for the Queen, 355,
3/9» 380; his death, 381
INDEX
389
Meredith, George, 330
Merriman, Dr., 279, 280
Minto, Lord, 70
Montgomery, Alfred, 174
Montrose, Duchess of, 253
Montrose, Duke of, 253
Moore, Tom, 177
Morpeth, Lord, 217, 240
Munster, Lord (George Fitzclar-
ence), 9, 167
Murray, Charles, Comptroller of
the Household, 338
Murray, Lady Augusta, 21
N
Nemours, Due de, 224
Nevill, Lady Dorothy, 241
Neumann, General, 340
Norfolk, Duke of, 127
Normanby, Lady, 203, 218, 220,
238, 239, 343
Normanby, Lord, 250
Northumberland, Duchess of, 4,
44, 47, 74, 137, 324
Norton, Fletcher (see Lord
Grantley)
Norton, George, 150 et seq.
Norton, the Hon. Mrs., 150 et
seq., 157, 329, 382
O'Connell, Daniel, 4, 126, 237,
2Q9> 356
Orange, Prince of, 89, 91
Orange, Prince Alexander of, 89,
228
Orange, Prince William of, 89,
91, 225
Owen, Robert, 248
Palmerston, Lord, 68, 70, 178,
179, 229, 239, 244, 246, 356
Parris, Edmund T., 179
Peel, Sir Robert, 69, 134, 157,
176, 207, 210 et seq., 299, 304,
328, 329, 342, 343, 348, 350,
355, 356, 358, 360, 374, 378,
379, 381-
Percival, Rev. H. P., 250
Pitt, Miss, 321
Portman, Lady, 135, 217, 257,
259, 261, 263, 265, 270, 274,
283, 349
Portman, Lord, 272
Princess Royal, 345, 362
Prussia, King of, 339, 345, 346
Prussia, William, Prince of, 223
Raikes, Thomas, 62
Rawdon, Lady Charlotte, 266
Reeve, Henry, 157, 175, 176
Reichenbach, maid to Lady Flora
Hastings, 276, 278, 279, 280
Ribblesdale, Lord, 175
Rodwell, George Herbert, 74,
108
Rogers, Samuel, 314, 362
Rolle, Lord, 198
Ros, Lord de, 35
Rosebery, Countess of, 137
Russell, Lady, 242
Russell, Lord John, 67, 128, 162,
175, 209, 210, 214 et seq., 220,
242, 354, 356, 374> 379, 380,
383-
Russell, Lord William, 223
Russia, Emperor of, 354
Russia, Tsarevitch of, 224
Paget, Lord Alfred, 235
Paget, Sir Athur, 175
Paget, Matilda, 359
Palmerston, Lady (see Lady
Cowper)
St. James's Palace, 33, 73, 126
Sandwich, Lady, 343
Saunders, Henry, Inspector of
the Palace, 374
Saxe - Coburg - Gotha, Albert,
Prince of (see Albert)
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Augustus,
Prince of, 81, 85, 88
390
INDEX
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Dowager
Duchess of, 72, 293
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Duke of, 89,
233
Saxe - Coburg - Gotha, Ernest,
Prince of, 89
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Ferdinand,
Prince of, 85, 91, 224, 233
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Ferdinand,
Prince of, the younger, 80, 85,
_ 233
Saxe - Coburg - Gotha, Leopold,
Prince of, 327
Schwartzenberg, Prince Paul von,
197
Sefton, Lord, 167
Seton, Sir Henry, 203, 234
Seymour, Lady, 329
Shafto, Robert, 174
Sheil, Richard L., 174
Sheridan, R. B., 150
Shrewsbury, Earl of, 48
Sibthorp, Colonel, 306
Smith, Sydney, 380
Somerset, Duchess of, 332
Sophia, Princess, 19, 45, 265,
275' 282, 3*9
Sophia, Princess of Brunswick,
166
Soult, Marshall, 196
Spath, Baroness, 45, 46
Spencer, 2nd Earl, 67, 68
Spencer, 3rd Earl, 374
Spring-Rice, Miss, 335
Spring-Rice, Rt. Hon. Thomas,
67, 189
Stanhope, Hon. Mrs. Leicester,
332
Stockledge, Mr., 236
Stockmar, Baron, 138, 142, 164,
203, 229, 230, 291, 294, 305,
307» 321, 322, 335» 345» 348,
35°> 364> 3?o, 373
Strogonoff, Count von, 197, 199
Sturge, Joseph, 132
Surrey, Lord, 201
Sussex, Duke of, u, 20, 30, 39,
113, 119, 120, 135, 178, 197,
220, 310, 317, 320, 323
Sutherland, Duchess of, 135, 142,
176, 216, 240, 251, 320, 343
Sutherland, Duke of, 251
Sydney, Lady Sophia (Fitzclar-
ence), 9
Tavistock, Lady, 135, 177, 217,
219, 257, 259, 261, 265, 270,
274. 343
Tavistock, Lord, 272, 274
Taylor, Sir Herbert, 19, 137, 138,
140
Tennyson, Alfred, Lord, 341
Thackeray, W. M., 75
Thalberg, musician, 239
Thynne, John, 198
Tindal, Justice, 152
U
Underwood, Lady Cecilia, 21,
317
Uxbridge, Earl of, 225, 253, 374
Van Praet, Herr, 234
Venables, George, 75
Victoria, Princess, and Lady
Conyngham, 2 ; her character
and upbringing, 3 ; surveil-
lance over, 5 ; first request
as Queen to her mother, 6;
loneliness, 7; Queen Adelaide's
affection for, 9 ; secret enemies
of, 15, 20, 21, 23, 25; and
Claremont, 26; and George
IV., 32 ; absence from Corona-
tion of William IV., 34; at the
opera, 39 and 40 ; at Norris
Castle, 42, 43; at church, 44;
governess and tutor, 44;
Baroness Spath 's affection for,
46 ; autumn progresses, 47 et
seq. ; Heir-Presumptive, 48 ;
educating for Queenship, 53 ;
at a junvenile ball, 57, 64 ; bred
a Whig, 71; her attainments,
71 ; her love for Claremont, 72 ;
appearance, 73 ; her cousins,
73 ; love for music, 73 ; Lord
Elphinstone's acrostic, 76; at
Ascot, 77; confirmed, 77, 79,
81, 82 ; and Ferdinand of Saxe-
Coburg, 86; and Lord Elphin-
stone, 86; rumours of suitors,
INDEX
391
88 ; arrival of many young Ger-
man princes, 88; and Prince
Albert, 92 ; withdrawn from
Court, 94, 95 ; a terrible birth-
day banquet, 96, 99 ; and the
mad Mr. Runnings, 100;
eighteenth birthday, 102 ;
rumours about the first Vic-
torian Cabinet, 103 ; her
majority and the State ball,
107 ; deputations to, 108 ; the
King offers an independent
household, in; offers income
of ;£io,ooo, in ; and the quar-
rels between the King and the
Duchess of Kent, 112; public
ignorance of character, 113;
The Times advises her, 115
Victoria, Queen, announcement
of her accession, 117; her first
Council, 118; Carlyle on, 123;
a royal proclamation, 123; the
proclaiming of, 125 ; first Levee
and Drawing Room, 126; dis-
like for Lyndhurst, 127; re-
ceives deputations and pro-
rogues Parliament, 132 ; forma-
tion of royal household, 135 ;
private secretary, 137 ; and
Baron Stockmar, 139; her
reading and education, 141 ;
and Baroness Lehzen, 143; and
Sir John Conroy, 144; emanci-
pated, 146; and Lord Mel-
bourne, 154 ; military review
abandoned, 159; name used in
elections, 161 ; method with her
advisers, 164 ; thoughtfulness
for others, 166 ; and Princess
de Lieven, 168; and her
mother, 169; and Brougham,
173 ; quick temper, 177 ; recrea-
tions, 178; Guildhall banquet,
180 ; opening Parliament, 181 ;
political leaning, 183 ; rumours
to marry Melbourne, 185 ; at
dinner, 186; her laugh, 188 ;
need of money, 189 ; Civil List,
190; and Melbourne, 191; her
evenings, 193 ; Coronation,
197; and Baroness Lehzen,
205; Government crisis, 210;
unpopular, suggestions of mar-
riage, 222 ; State balls, 225 ;
and Lord Elphinstone, 226 ;
and Prince Albert, 229 ; mad
suitors, 235 ; amusements, 238 ;
simplicity in dress, 240; love
of children, 242 ; and Mel-
bourne, 244; public disloyalty,
245 ; and national education,
249 ; sermons before, 250 ; Tory
disloyal speeches, 251 ; the Brad-
shaw-Horsman duel about, 251 ;
hissed at Ascot, 252 ; quoted,
255; mother and Lehzen, 256;
Lady Flora Hastings, 257 et
seq. ; and Sir James Clark, 277 ;
popular condemnation of, 280 ;
in debt, 287 ; unevenness of
temper, 288; loneliness, 290;
proposes to Albert, 293 ; reti-
cence with Melbourne, 295 ;
Melbourne's care for, 297, 305 ;
how regarded by her Parlia-
ment, 306 ; wishes Albert to be
King-Consort, 308; and the
precedence of Albert, 309 ; and
Albert's secretary, 313; mar-
riage, 314, 320; reticence with
her husband, 321 ; Lehzen 's in-
fluence, 322 ; Melbourne's pro-
tective care, 325 ; love of danc-
ing* 327 ; accused of extrava-
gance, 328 ; receives Mrs. Nor-
ton, 329; shot at by Oxford,
331 ; expects an heir, 332 ; birth
of Princess Royal, 333 ; sensi-
tiveness about Prince Albert,
336; love of round games and
music, 337 ; walks on terrace at
Windsor, 340 ; loses Melbourne,
341 ; tenacity of impression,
343 ; at wedding of Augusta of
Cambridge, 346 ; retains friend-
ship for Melbourne, 348 ; dinner
party to new Ministers, 349,
351; goes to Chatsworth, 352;
prejudice against second mar-
riages, 354; and Melbourne,
355 ; the Peel Government, 356 ;
visits Scotland, 357; visits
Louis Philippe at Eu, 358 ;
second attempt on life, 359;
household arrangements, 365 ;
desire for privacy, 366 ; use of
royal we, 379 ; and Macaulay,
380 ; prosperity of, 382 ; char-
acter, 383
Villiers, George, 155
392
INDEX
w
Wakefield, Mr., 16
Wangenheim, Baron, 24
Warr, Lady de la, 349
Warr, Lord de la, 373
Watson, Sir Frederick, 367
Wellington, Duke of, 2, 12, 30,
33, 36, 62, 68, 75, 114, 115,
120, 129, 135, 148, 155, 157,
160, 165, 208, 209, 210 et seq.t
220, 264, 296, 302, 304, 306,
311, 320, 333, 349, 352, 377
West, Charles, 374
West, Mortimer, 374
West, Reginald, 374
Westmacott, Mr., 19
Wetherall, General, 37
Wetherell, Sir Charles, 17
Wilkie, Sir David, 179
Wilks, Mr., M.P., 241
William IV., i, 2, 4, 6, 8 et seq.,
ii et. seq., 21, 22, 30, 32
et seq., 60, 62, 67 et seq.,
73> 75. 76, 78, 80, 82, 83, 87,
88, 89, 91, 94 et seq., 102, 105,
107, no, 113, 115, 116, 117,
I23> !34, !38» J43> 147. J53»
166, 185, 192, 196, 214, 306,
37i
William, Prince of Lowenstein,
323
Willis, N. P., 77, 82
Wilson, Horace, 348
Wharncliff, Lord, 69
Winchilsea, Lord, 69
Windsor, 69, 95, 161, 174, 236,
238, 376
Wood, Captain John, 236
Wynford, Lord, 153
Wynn, Miss, 118
Wurtemberg, Prince Alexander
of, 73
Wurtemberg, Prince Ernest of,
73
York, Duke of, 23
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