1 ■'H.'.-il . ■' , ■'i*' *■■<'■ Mt '■'IV-'v.^' :'!''''- ; ■'■',,' '> '■> ^ Class.U f\ 5S >(b cozaaGist Dspo&m THE END OF A GLORIOUS REIGN. THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE AND ILLUSTRIOUS REIGN OF Queen Victoria By REV. JOHN RUSK, Ph.D. ^ MBMO'RIAL VOL\/MB An accurate and authentic account of the late Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India, relating the incidents and events of her public and private life, together with a summary of the splendid achievements of her reign, sketches of Royalty, and of the leading statesmen of her time. Also a concise History of England and her Colonies during the Victorian Era. ^^^^^^^^^ PROFUSELY AND SUPERBLY ILLl/STTiA. TE7} "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." -TEafNTSON. "T^-> r\ ^ 5 OON''5HK5S, :I.AftR CC/XXO No. Copyright, 1901, BY K. T. BOLAND. PREFACE. FOR anyone who recognizes the womanly virtues and the royal graces of Queen Victoria, the authorship, compilation and edit- ing of such a work as this must needs be a labor of love. Few undertakings could be more attractive than this to one born a subject of the Queen and now a citizen of the great Republic which has shared the grief of the British Empire in its loss, to a degree that proves how strong are the ties that bind the two countries. The purpose of this work is to furnish the reader an ample yet con- venient biography of Queen Victoria, the greatest of all the English monarchs for several centuries, if not for all time, and to accompany the biography with such historical matter as will serve to indicate the won- derful progress of the British Empire during the reign which has given to the nineteenth century the recognized name of "The Victorian Era." The life of the Queen and the history of her realm were so inextricably mingled that no volume would serve fully which failed to take cogni- zance of her reign as a monarch as truly as of her personality as a woman. In brief, then, this work may be accepted as an account of the personal life of Victoria of the House of Guelph, her domestic relations as child, maiden, wife, mother and widow, her tastes and abilities, her characteristics and her friendships, and at the same time as a history of the British Empire during the period of her long occupancy of the throne. Her influence upon domestic legislation, her stand for peace with other powers when wars threatened, her friendship for the United States which served us well in the days of the war between North and South, the loyalty of the colonies throughout the world, which bound the British Empire into a unity stronger than laws could do, all these facts are emphasized in due proportion to their importance. In the preparation of this work, access has been sought to all the more satisfactory sources of information. Long and sympa- thetic attention to the history of the British Empire and the life and work of the Queen has been supplemented by the mass of published contributions to the same subject. Biographies, char- 8 PREFACE. acterizations and studies of Queen Victoria by her private librarian and by Jefferson, Barnett Smith, Grace Greenwood, Tooley, Humphrey and others have been scrutinized; histories of England which gave due consideration to the reign of Victoria have been at hand; lives, reminis- cences and memoirs of men and women whose position brought them into contact with either the political or the personal life of court and kingdom have furnished much of an anecdotal character; biographies of Gladstone, Palmerston, Melbourne, Peel, Disraeli, Eosebery and the other great prime ministers of the Queen have contributed to the his- torical side of the work; finally the "Life of the Prince Consort," super- vised and in large degree written by the Queen herself, and her own two volumes of "Leaves from Our Journal in the Highlands" have been sources of interesting material. To all the authors thus laid under tribute as well as to the writers of the press who necessarily furnish the later details of the last days of the Queen's life, full appreciation and gratitude is tendered for their courteous services. It is impossible that new things should be said about the life of a monarch whose doings were w^atched and reported in detail for more than sixty years. Yet to gather into convenient compass the salient features of such a career may be thought not an unimportant task. It is in this spirit that the work is offered to the public by THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. The Father and Mother of Victoria — Birth of the Princess — A Welcome Child — Stories of Babyhood — Death of the Duke of Kent — Life in Kensington Palace — Beginning an Education — On the Sands at Ramsgate — In Royal Society — Opin- ions from the Chroniclers of the Day — Anecdotes of Childhood — Nearing the Throne 41 CHAPTER II. THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. Princess Victoria Learns That She is Heiress to the Throne — Her First Reception — She Attends the Theater — Not Present at the Coronation of William IV. — Her Amusements — Journeys with Her Mother — Enthusiastically Received by the People — A Narrow Escape From Death — Her Confirmation — The Duke of Coburg and His Sons, Ernest and Albert, Visit Kensington Palace — The Ill-Feeling Between the King and the Princess' Mother — She Attains her Majority — 'i'j Nation Celebrates the Event — Death of King William IV 67 CHAPTER III. THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. Victoria is Informed That She is Queen — How She Received the Tidings — Her First Council — Her Address to the Dignitaries — Condition of the Empire at the Time of Her Accession — Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister — The Queen Removes to Buckingham Palace — Amelioration of the Criminal Laws — Daily Life of Her Majesty — Insurrection in the Two Canadas — Reform of the Canadian Constitu- tion — The Coronation — "Vyar in China — Difficulties of the Young Sovereign 88 CHAPTER IV. THE QUEEN A BRIDE. Prince Albert's Birthplace — His Early Life — His Engaging Qualities — Princess Vic- toria's Attachment for Him — The Queen Proposes Marriage to Him — His Visits 9 10 CONTENTS. to England — The Queen Informs the Council of Her Intended Marriage — Parlia- ment Votes the Prince an Annuity of £30,000 — The Wedding Ceremony at the Chapel Royal St. James — A Nation Rejoices 122 CHAPTER V. THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. The Postal System of the United Kingdom — Need of Improvements — Sir Rowland Hill and the Penny Post — Opposition to His Plans — Measures for the Protection of Child Chimney Sweeps — Attempt of Edward Oxford to Shoot the Queen — The Prince Consort Attains His Majority — Birth of the Princess Royal — Acci- dent to Prince Albert — Sir Robert Peel Becomes Prime Minister — Birth and Christening of the Prince of Wales 153 CHAPTER VI. FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. Terrible News from Afghanistan — ^A Great Tragedy — Attemps of Francis and Bean to Shoot Her Majesty — The Queen's First "Visit to Scotland — Birth of the Princess Alice — Tom Thumb a Visitor at Windsor Castle — The Emperor of Russia Visits the Court — Famine in Ireland — Chartist Meetings — London in Terror — Trials of Irish Agitators — Death of Lord Melbourne — The Queen Visits Ireland 175 CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. Work of the Prince Consort — He Plans a Great World's Fair — Appointment of a Royal Commission — Hyde Park Chosen for the Site — Strong Opposition Encoun- tered — Building of the Beautiful Crystal Palace — Opening of the Exhibition — The Queen's Account of the Ceremony — Great Multitudes Present — Close of the Exhibition — Death of the Duke of Wellington — Fire in Windsor Castle — Birth of Another Son to the Queen 201 CHAPTER VIII. CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY. War Between Russia and Turkey — England and France Protest at the Plans of the Czar — Popular Feeling Against the Prince Consort — The Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava — Mismanagement in the Crimea — The Emperor and Empress of the French Visit England — End of the War in the East — Treaty of Peace — Indian Mutinies — Marriage of the Princess Royal — Death of Her Majesty's Mother 219 M 5 H -a ^* o > fe o •^ o in "5 LV^'-tv Her Majesty the Queen— 1853 (From Painting at Windsor Castle.) CONTENTS. 13 CHAPTER IX. * THE QUEEN AND THE UNITED STATES. niness of the Prince Consort — Civil War in the United States — The Trent Affair, and the Complications which Grew Out of It— How the Queen and the Prince Consort Averted Probable War — A Widowed Queen — Funeral of the Prince Con- sort — Eastern Tour of the Prince of Wales — The International Exhibition — Marriage of the Prince of Wales — The Queen Visits Netley Hospital — She Unveils a Statue of the Prince Consort — Visit to Germany — She Opens the Ses- sion of Her Seventh Parliament — ^War in Germany 232 CHAPTER X. YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. Extension of the Elective Franchise — Federation of Canada — Fenian Troubles in Ireland — Mr. Gladstone's Irish Church Resolutions — The Queen Visits Switzer- land — War Between France and Germany — Marriage of the Princess Louise to the Marquis of Lome — Illness of the Prince of Wales— Fatal Accident to a Grandson of the Queen — The Prince of Wales Visits India 256 CHAPTER XI, QUEEN VICTORIA BECOMES AN EMPRESS. Queen Victoria Becomes the Empress of India — Impressivie Ceremonies at Delhi — The Queen's Interest in Her Indian Empire — The Marquis of Lome Appointed Governor General of Canada— Death of President Garfield— Another Attempt on the Life of the Queen — Death of the Duke of Albany — Marriage of the Prin- cess Beatrice — The Colonial and Indian Exhibition — The Queen Visits Liverpool 276 CHAPTER XII. VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. Fifty Years on the Throne — A People's Love and Loyalty — The Cavalcade Passes Through the Streets of London — Envoys of Nations in the Parade — Thanks- giving Services in Westminster Abbey — The Night Illumination — The Children's Festival — Jubilee Honors — Pardons to Military Deserters — Women's Jubilee Offering Fund — Review of the Troops at Aldershot — Naval Review at Spithead — Jubilee Gift to the Pope 299 14 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIII. THE DIAMOND JUBILEE— SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN. Thanksgivings of a Nation — The Royal Family at St. George's Chapel — Services in the Churches of all Creeds — The Queen Leaves Windsor for the Jubilee Cere- monies — Her Reception at Paddington — Proceedings in Parliament — The Pro- cession — Beautiful Decorations Along the Route — The Colonial Troops — Members of the Royal Families in the Parade — At St. Paul's Cathedral — The Night Illuminations — Dinners to the Poor — The Naval Review at Spithead 321 CHAPTER XIV. AFRICAN EVENTS TO THE FORE. War with the Boers — Dr. Jameson's Raid — Trouble with the Ashantis — Prince Henry of Battenberg Volunteers His Services — He is Taken 111 in Africa — His Death — The Queen's Grief — The Remains Brought to England — Imposing Funeral Ceremonies — Marriage of the Princess Maud — The Queen Attains the Longest Reign of English Sovereigns 339 CHAPTER XV. LAST YEARS OF VICTORIA'S REIGN. Troubles in India — Victories in the Soudan — The Battle at Omdurmau — The Spanish-American War — The Asiatic Problem — Affairs in South Africa — The Queen's Eightieth Birthday — The Boers Declare War — Progress of Hostilities — The Relief of Ladysmith — President Kruger Leaves the Transvaal — The Queen's Visit to Ireland — The Close of Victoria's Reign 354 CHAPTER XVI. THE DEATH OF THE QUEEN. News of the Queen's Illness Startles the Civilized World — The Royal Family Called to Osborne House — Arrival of the Emperor of Germany — Death of the Queen — Eulogies of the Press — Panegyrics of the Public — President McKinley Cables Condolences to the King — Deep Grief in Canada — Speeches in Parliament — Loyalty Pledged the King — Lord Salisbury's Tribute 371 ; • CONTENTS. 15 CHAPTER XVII. THE IMPRESSIVE FUNERAL CEREMONIES. The Journey from Cowes to Portsmouth — Royalty follows the Bier — Order of the Proceseion — Arrival of the Train at Victoria Station — The Services at Windsor — Foreign Diplomats in Attendance — Exercises in all Parts of the World — Mrs. Garfield's Tribute — The Final Ceremonies — Eulogies From Great Men of all Lands 401 CHAPTER XVIII. THE PERSONALITY OF THE QUEEN. Characteristics of the Queen — Her Love for Animals — Her Domestic Habits — Fond- ness for Outdoor Life — She Possessed a Remarkable Memory — Her Homes — Royalty Learns Gardening — England's Royal Household — Much of the Queen's Time Spent in Reading — Her Favorite Books — Wealth of the Queen — Her Many Descendants 448 CHAPTER XIX. A CHAPTER OF ANECDOTES. Incidents at Court — Mr. Story's Reminiscences — Amusements of the Royal Children — Trained to be Musicians — The Queen's Double — The Dawn of a Great Future — A Child Reproves the Queen — Carlyle's Brusque Manners — The Shah of Persia — "Expediency not in the Dictionary" — A Royal Punster — An Acrobatic Inter- lude — The Queen and the Empress Eugenie 470 CHAPTER XX. EDWARD VII., KING AND EMPEROR. Sketch of the Career of the New King — ^Different Estimates of His Character — His Education—Visit to Canada and the United States — Travels on the Continent and in the Holy Land — His Marriage — Grand Master of the Free Masons— The Ruler of English Society — His Succession to the Throne — Ancient Ceremonies Repeated — Parliament Renews Allegiance — London Given a Glimpse of Medieval Times — Gorgeous Processions , 485 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAQB Frontispiece . 11 12 . 21 22 . 29 30 . 49 50 . 51 52 . 61 62 . 79 The End of a Glorious Keign . Queen Victoria and Family . . Queen Victoria — 1853 .... Victoria Alexandrina .... Osborne House, Where Queen Victoria Died Queen Victoria — Taking the Oath Queen Victoria — 1870 .... Prince Albert — Husband of Queen Victoria Edward VIL, King and Emperor The Late Queen Victoria and Edward VII. Queen Victoria in Coronation Eobes Alexandra, Queen and Empress . Queen Victoria — 1839 .... Queen Victoria — In 60th Year of Her Keign . Group Showing Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Consort and four Children in Windsor Forest . . . . .80 Four Generations op English Royal Family . . 89 Victoria in Wedding Dress . . . . . . 90 Queen's Favorite Dog, Sharp . . . . • • 91 Queen Victoria in Her Garden Chaise . . . . .91 Queen Victoria . . . . . • .92 The Queen Visiting Highland Tenants .... 101 St. George's Chapel ....... 102 Sarcophagus of Albert the Prince Consort .... 119 Monuments of Beaconsfield and Malcolm .... 120 Eager for News of the British-Boer War .... 129 Princess Victoria in 1830— From a Painting Made From Life . 130 Lord Roberts .......•• 131 The Marquis of Salisbury, Premier of England . . . 132 Sir John A. Macdonald . . . • • . . 141 Alfred Tennyson . . . • • • • 142 Victoria's Wedding Procession . . . . . . 159 Kensington Palace, London — Birthplace of Queen Victoria . 160 Balmoral Castle, Scotland ...... 160 Albert Memorial — Marble Group ..... 169 18 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Royal Mausoleum .... OoEONATioJT Chair, Westminster Abbey Queen's Private Chapel Grand Vestibule, Windsor Castle German Emperor, William II., and Family Duke of York .... David Livingstone .... Rev. Chas. H. Spurgeon Windsor Castle — Main Gate Windsor Castle — Queen's Sitting Room St. James' Palace . Albert Memorial, London Excelsior Hotel, Regina, Nice House of Parliament and Westminster Abbey Windsor Castle — Favorite Home of Queen Victoria in England Throne Room, Windsor Castle Windsor Castle — Henry VIII. Gate One of the Corridors at Windsor Castle Buckingham Palace Marlborough House Lord Mayor Green of London Where Lies Oliver Goldsmith Tower of London Rt. Hon. .William Ewart Gladstone Wellington .... Benjamin Disraeli Daniel O'Connell St. Paul's Church Empress Frederick . Robert Peel House of Lords Windsor Castle, Side View Christ Church College, Oxford . Queen Victoria at Various Ages, Plate I. Queen Victoria at Various Ages, Plate II. Last Moments of Queen Victoria, Scene at Osborne House Queen Victoria Lying in State at Osborne House Tenants of Osborne Paying Tribute to the Dead Queen Arrival of the Crown Prince — Greeting the Kaiser Voyage of the "Alberta" Bearing all That was Mortal of the Late Queen from Cowes to Portsmouth . . . , 39J LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 19 FeOM OSBORJfE TO WINDSOR— The OoFFIK LEAVIifG THE POBCH OF Osborne House ....... 392 Funeral of Queen Victoria Passing Through Hyde Park . 409 Memorial Service in St. George's Chapel, Windsor . . . 4io Royal Mourners at Funeral Services in St. George's Chapel . 427 The Funeral Procbssion Leaving Windsor for Frogmore . . 428 King Edward VII. 's First Act of Government . . . 445 THE LIVING DESCENDANTS OF QUEEN VICTORIA. Plate I 1 King Edward VII. 2 Empress Fbedebigk. 3 Princess Christian of Sghleswig-Hol- BTEIN. 4 Duchess of Argyll. 5 dcke of connaught. 6 Princess Henry of Battenbbbg. 7 German Emperor. 8 DiiKH OF York. 9 Prince Henry of Prussia. 16 Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstbin. 11 Grand Duke of Hesse. 13 Prince Arthur of Cohnaught. Plate II , . . , 1 Crown Princess of Roumania. 3 Gband Duchess of Hesse. 3 Hereditary Princess of Hohenlohe>Lan genburg. 4 Princess Beatrice op Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. 5 Princess Margaret op Oonnaught. 6 Princess Patricia of Connauqht. 7 German Crown Prince. 8 Prince Eitel Fritz of Prussia. Prince Oscar op Prussia. 10 Prince Edward op York. 11 Prince George op York. 13 Prince Henry of York. . 446 13 Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. H Prince Alexander of Battenberg. 15 Prince Maurice of Battenberg. 16 Prince Leopold op Battenberg. 17 Duchess op Fife. 18 Princess Victoria of Wales. 19 Princess Charles op Denmark. 20 Princess Aribert op Anhalt. 31 Princess Victoria op Schleswig-Hol- STEIN. S3 Princess Alice op Albany. 23 Princess Louis of Battenberg. 24 Princess Henry of Prussia. . 463 13 Prince Carol op Roumania. 14 Prince Alexander op Greece. 15 Prince Gottfried op Hohenlohe-Lanqen- burg. 16 Prince Frederick William of Hesse. 17 Prince Maximilian op Hesse. 18 Prince Wolfgang Maurice op Hesse. 19 Prince Philip of Hesse. 20 Princess Henry XXX., op Reuss. 31 Princess Victoria Louise op Prussia. S3 Princess Victoria op York. 23 Lady Alexandra Dup?. 24 Lady Maud Duff. Plate III . 1 Grand Duchess Serge op Russia, 2 Empress op Russia. 'i Hereditary Princess Charlotte of Saxe- Meiningen. 4 Duchess of Sparta. 5 Princess Frederick Charles of Hesse. 3 Princess Adolphus of Schaumburg-Lippe. ? Princess Victoria Eugenie oi" Baisbs- BEBQ. 464 8 Grand Duchess Olga op Russia. 9 Grand Duchess Tatiana of Russia. 10 Grand Duchess Marie op Russia. 11 Princess Elizabeth of Hessb. 13 Princess Elizabeth of Roumania. 13 Princess Marie of Roumania. 14 Princess Helena of Gbbecb. Victoria alexandrima LATE QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND AND EMPRESS OP INDIA. Victoria, the sixth ruler of the House of Hanover and only child of Edward, Duke of Kent, succeeded her uncle, William IV, when eighteen years of age. For over sixty-three years she enjoyed a reign unexampled in the history of England and is held in reverence by millions of subjects and people all over the ■world. o H ^g O M . "O > a o r. W ^^ w ii« p -u t^ ■2 '33 5^ Mm W ^ ■^ ^ "S^^ ^ ■^Fi w <«? iVJ 't,'" o 2fl CJ CD U >s H a'^ ;^ ^•^ M Of O pq (/J Is INTRODUCTION. WHEN the great bell of St. Paul's proclaimed to London the passing of Queen Victoria, and later when the sad news was transmitted over continents and under seas to all quarters of the globe, there was only one feeling in all hearts — that of love and admiration and tenderest regret and sorrow for one whose life and name stood not alone for the sceptered majesty of a great kingdom and empire, but also for one of the noblest and purest ideals of womanhood. Not only in Great Britain and its de- pendencies, but throughout the civilized world, the news was received with a keen sense of the greatness with which she had played her part both as woman and as queen. It was the especial merit of the Queen so to fill the functions of rulership as to exercise a positive influence. By precept and example, by her eminent qualities of good sense and kindliness, by her strength of character and her love of peace, she did much to make the nation great and to secure the advancement of the world at large. Kindred in race and blood, speaking the same tongue and claiming part of the same glorious heritage of ancient renown, America stood side by side with Britannia at Victoria's bier. For the Queen who lay dead at Osborne ruled with such a gentle and gracious sway as to extend her dominion beyond the borders of her great empire and exact the tribute of respect, admiration and love from all. Americans have warm hearts, and recognize their friends, whoever they may be. And in Queen Victoria, throughout her long life, this country always had a firm friend. In the dark days of civil strife and war, when some of her statesmen faltered and declared the Union w^as about to be dissolved, Queen Victoria was steadfast and never ceased to uphold the side and cause she believed to be for the right and whose triumph would mean most for advancing humanity. It is a matter of history that but for her influence England probably would have gone to war with the United States over the Slidell and Mason affair, and in the early days of the Spanish- American trouble it is now known that Queen Victoria 23 24 INTRODUCTION. also expressed to the President of the United States her belief in tlie righteousness of America's cause and assured him of England's friend- ship and sympathy. In Europe, also, her name was a bulwark of peace. Connected by ties of relationship with most of the crowned heads of Europe, all European rulers were ready to strain a point, if need be, to keep on terms of amity with the empire over which Victoria ruled. Like Alexander III. of Russia, "the peacemaker of Europe," Queen Vic- toria's counsel and influence always were cast on the side of peace. That events which were too strong for her to overrule led to the South African war and its many disasters, was the greatest sorrow of the closing days of her life. This tragic finale to her reign adds a pathos to her death, which was probably hastened by worry and sorrow over the South African tragedy and events she felt herself powerless to control. And it is significant of the place Victoria held in the world's heart that no one, not even the embattled Boers of South Africa, held her responsible for the mistakes which precipitated England's most disastrous war of the century. It is a noteworthy fact that while the changing conditions since she was crowned in 1837 have tended to reduce greatly the specific powers of sovereignty, she accepted the natural trend of events with equa- nimity, steadily gaining in esteem and afi'ection as the years passed. Never was she more sincerely revered and loved than during the decade just closed; never was the quiet force of her influence more gen- erally recognized. The whole period embraced in the Victorian era has been the period of Great Britain's greatest imperial development. The statesmen who were her advisers when she came to the throne, a girl of eighteen, seem now to have belonged to an entirely different epoch, so great has been the change in the political world and in the currents and tendencies of intellectual life. In all this process of growth Victoria exercised a wholesome, if passive, influence. She met new burdens and honors with dignity; she kept before the British public high ideals of principle and conduct; and if the political growth and material prosperity of England are not directly traceable to her, her essential goodness and her well-poised character have at least done much to maintain the sentiments of confidence and patriotism which tend most to make for a nation's happiness. From the very beginning of the Queen's reign her desires and her INTRODUCTION. «5 views made themselves felt. It is even credited in large degree to her that the Ministry of Lord Melbourne, to which she was friendly, re- mained in power for four years after her accession before succumbing to a hostile majority in the House of Commons. Important legislation of great consequence to the national policies and the liberties of the people filled the early years of Victorians reign, and the kingdom was long disturbed by domestic puzzles. Eeforms of the poor laws, the es- tablishment of the policy of free trade with the abolishment of the corn laws, educational and religious controversy over the Church in Ireland and Scotland, the potato famine in Ireland and the widespread distress resulting, reforms in the electoral laws, extension of the fran- chise, destruction of the "pocket boroughs," abolishment of the pur- chase of commissions in the army, Irish land legislation and its asso- ciated problems, labor acts in reference to the unions and the removal of disabilities of various sorts from Roman Catholics and Jews — these have been among the noteworthy questions in the domestic affairs of Great Britain seeking solution during the nation's longest reign. The outlook in domestic affairs before King Edward VII. is by no means as puzzling as that which faced his mother at the beginning of her reign. The relations of man to man and man to government in Great Britain have been thrashed out in the last sixty years with as- tonishing fullness. The country has its liberties, the people have the ballot, the government is responsible and responsive to the popular will, and many a lesson has been learned in the sixty years. In international affairs, too, it is a very different world from that which Victoria entered as a monarch. Invention and discovery have brought countries into closer knowledge of each other, knowledge has solved puzzles and allayed antagonisms. The Queen was young in the days of revolution, the days of Kossuth, Mazzini, Garibaldi, and the struggles of France. In her time Europe has changed much and the relations of the nations have changed more. The great powers have become greater, in Europe and in their foreign possessions, and the smaller ones are vanishing factors. International problems to be faced may be greater to-day than they were when the Queen came to the throne, but they surely are much more clearly defined and by con- solidation are reduced in number from what they were then. Victoria was a powerful influence in retaining for England the loyalty of the British colonies. She saw Canada and Australia 26 INTRODUCTION. complete schemes of federation which make them nations in all but name. She saw India become her empire from the doubtful status of company government out of which the great country has issued. She saw South Africa rise to wealth and strength, only to furnish the war which saddened her life in its last year. To what extent the new monarch and his successors may be able to inspire such loyalty as the colonists felt for the Queen is one of the most important questions which imperial Great Britain may need to answer. Victoria renewed the vitality and replenished the stock of the royal family, so that the empire need no longer fear a failure in the succes- sion. When she came to the throne the royal line was virtually at an end. Mother of nine children, her descendants have multiplied into the most numerous of all royal families of to-day. More than that, by intermarriage Victoria has been mother, mother-in-law or grand- mother to royalty in virtually the whole of Protestant Europe, thus making for peaceful relations and unity of action in many times of crisis. Queen Victoria rehabilitated royalty in the mind of the English people. A few years ago there were those who prophesied that she would be the last British monarch, so definite were the republican tendencies of the country and so uncertain were the people as to what sort of a king Albert Edward of Wales would make. But her life as woman and queen conquered the hearts of her people, and to-day no voice is heard to suggest that the house of Guelph is nearing the end of its reign. The change of rulers comes at a time when the empire is beset with dangers and difficulties. After an era which is destined to be as dis- tinctive in British history as the era of Elizabeth, it was Victoria's fate to see the British empire embarrassed by war and apparently los- ing its primacy among the nations of the earth. Whether it has not actually passed the climax of its greatness and is now on the point of a retrograde movement is a question yet to be determined. The cir- cumstances under which Albert Edward has assumed the sovereign power, as King Edward VII., are therefore peculiarly trying, but thoughtful observers will be slow to conclude that as king he will fail to satisfy the needs and expectations of the British people. The oldest son of the great Queen has an enormous personal popularity both in England and among Englishmen who have migrated to British depen- INTRODUCTION. dencies and he is endowed with tact to a remarkable degree. How^- ever England may have looked upon its heir-apparent twenty years ago, in the recent years during which he has been called upon to per- form most of the public and ceremonial functions of the monarch, act- ing as Victoria's representative, he has shown dignity and discretion. His reign in all probability will be comparatively brief, but there is good reason to believe that he will be guided by safe and sober con- servatism and will be a highly popular monarch. If the present threat- ened change in Great Britain's political and commercial status is going to make new plans and policies necessary, moreover, be will have an advantage in the fact that he is not too old to become recon- ciled to changes or to help in putting them into effect. At the outset of his reign he will find on every hand impressive illustrations of the power and usefulness of the British sovereign who rules as Victoria ruled — with honesty of purpose, largeness of heart and an unwavering love of her subjects. As to her epitaph, that is characteristic and was written by her- self against the time, now at hand, when she should be laid in the marble sarcophagus at Frogmore beside that of Prince Albert: "Victoria- Albert, Here at last I shall Rest with thee; With thee in Christ Shall rise again." Queen Victoria Taking Oath (From a Painting ma-de from Life.) Queen Victoria, 1870 THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE AND ILLUSTRIOUS REIGN OF QUEEN VICTORIA. CHAPTER I. IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. The Father and Mother of Victoria— Birth of the Princess— A Welcome Cliild— Stories of Babyhood— Death of the Dulie of Kent— Life in Kensington Palace— Beginning an Ed- ucation—On the Sands at Ramsgate — In Boyal Society — Opinions from the Chroniclers of the Day— Anecdotes^of Childhood— Nearing the Throne. IT IS the life history of a queenly woman and a womanly queen which is recorded here. Had Victoria been less worthy as a woman she could not have been so great as a Queen. Every event in her younger days, therefore, which throws light upon her char- acter, her surroundings and her training is worth recording here in order that the source of her goodness and her greatness may be traced. Let us, therefore, see into what manner of life the future Sovereign of the British Empire was born. The laws of heredity and of environment make no distinction between King and peasant; and it is to the parent- age and early training of the Queen that we must look to see how her character, so distinguished by womanly virtues and domestic graces, has been molded. We find that her father, Edward, Duke of Kent, fourth son of George III., was deservedly known as the "Popular Duke." He was a tall, stately man of soldierly bearing, characterized by courteous and engaging manners, and was generous to a fault. He was connected with no less than sixty-five charitable organizations at the time of his death. Fit complement to the soldier-Duke was the Queen's mother, who, without being a beauty, was a charming and attractive woman, elegant 41 43 IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. in figure, with fine brown eyes and luxuriant brown hair. She was warmly affectionate, free and gracious in her manner, but withal a duchess of duchesses to her finger-tips, as after events showed. Above everything else, she was distinguished for motherly devotion and the domestic virtues. It was these characteristics which caused the Duke of Kent to fall in love with her. He was entrusted in 1818, by Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, afterward King of Belgium, then in retire- ment at Claremont mourning his young wife, the beloved Princess Charlotte, with letters to his sister, the Princess of Leiningen, Victoria Mary Louisa, who was a young widow living a retired life in her castle at Amorbach, Bavaria, superintending the education of her two chil- dren. The Duke of Kent, a bachelor of fifty, was entirely charmed by the picture of domestic felicity which he found when he arrived at Castle Amorbach, and in due time became the affianced husband of the widowed Princess. They were married at Coburg on the 29th of May, 1818, according to the rites of the Lutheran Church, and remarried in England shortly afterwards at a private ceremony at Kew Palace, after which they returned to Bavaria. The prospect of the bii-th of a child, however, made the Duke of Kent anxious to bring his wife to England, so that his coming heir might be "Briton-born." He thought at first of taking a house in Lanarkshire, in which case the Queen would have been bora a Scotchwoman; but he finally decided on a suite of rooms at Kensing- ton Palace. Brave indeed was the Duchess of Kent to quit her native land and her kindred to undertake a tedious journey by land and sea within a short time of her confinement. So solicitous was the Duke for her safety that throughout the whole of the journey by land he suffered no one to drive her but himself. The Duchess reached Kensington Pal- ace in safety, and at four o'clock on the morning of the 24th of May, 1819, a pretty little Princess was born, who, according to Baron Stock- mar, was as "plump as a partridge." The birth took place at about four a. m., and it was immediately notified to the Ministers and Privy Councillors, who had assembled in an adjoining room, and amongst whom were the Duke of Sussex, the Duke of Wellington, the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, Lord Lansdowne, the Bishop of London, and George Canning. Although several lives stood between the infant Princess and the throne, her father had a prophetic instinct that she was destined to be IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY, 4S Queen of England. "Take care of her," he would say; "she may yet be Queen of England." No disappointment was ever expressed that the child was a girl. The grief which had filled the country when the Prin- cess Charlotte died showed that the people were eager for a Queen, a sentiment referred to by the Dowager Duchess of Coburg when writing congratulations to her daughter, the Duchess of Kent. "Again a Char- lotte," she writes, "destined perhaps to play a great part one day, if a brother is not born to take it out of her hands. The English like Queens, and the niece of the ever-lamented, beloved Princess Charlotte will be most dear to them." It was Grandmamma of Coburg who named the new-comer the blossom of May. "How pretty the little May- flower will be," she writes, "when I see it in a year's time! Siebold [the nurse] cannot suflficiently describe what a dear little love it is." Siebold was a lady doctor from Berlin, popularly known as "Dr. Char- lotte," who attended the Duchess of Kent at her confinement, she hav- ing declined the services of the male physicians in attendance at the Palace. Three months later Dr. Charlotte returned to Germany to officiate at th^ birth of a little Prince, one day to be the husband of his pretty cousin the "Mayflower," who was merrily crowing in the old Palace of Kensington. When the children were in their cradles, that charming and vivacious old lady. Grandmamma of Coburg, with match- making propensity, wrote of little Prince Albert, "What a charming pendant he would be to the pretty cousin!" Unfortunately she was not spared to see the day when her fondest wish was realized by the mar- riage of her grandson with her granddaughter, the "Mayflower," who had blossomed into a sweet young Queen. Nothing could have been more propitious than the birth of the Queen. She was a thrice-welcome child, born of a happy union between parents distinguished for goodness and piety, and from the hour of her birth she basked in the sunshine of love. She came when the world of nature was fresh and jubilant — ^the sweet spring-time, when birds were singing, trees budding, and the air fragrant with the odor of flowers. Small wonder that she was a lovely baby. She had flaxen hair, blue eyes, a fair skin, and was the picture of health — chubby, rosy, beauti- fully formed, and of a happy, lively disposition. The Duchess of Kent nursed her at her own breast, and in the absence of the Princess^ spe- cial nurse, Mrs. Brock, dressed and. undressed the little one herself. Robert Owen, the Socialist, is said to have been the first man who held 44 IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. the Princess in his arms, he having called to see the Duke of Kent on business shortly after her arrival. The christening of the infant Princess took place in the Grand Saloon of Kensington Palace, the gold font from the Tower being brought for the occasion. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London officiated. The sponsors were the Prince Regent in person, the Emperor Alexander of Russia, represented by the Duke of York, the Queen-Dowager of Wurtemberg, represented by the Princess Augusta, and the Dowager Duchess of Coburg, represented by the Dowager Duchess of Gloucester. The Duke of Kent was anxious that his "little Queen" should be named Elizabeth, but the Prince Regent gave the name Alexandrina, after the Emperor of Russia, upon which the Duke asked that another name might be associated with it; then the Prince Regent, who according to Greville was annoyed that the infant was not to be named Georgiana, after himself, said, "Give her her mother's name also." Accordingly the Princess was named Alex- andrina Victoria. For a while she was called Princess Alexandrina or "little Drina;" but gradually her mother's name prevailed, and she was known only as the Princess Victoria. This choice was confirmed by the Queen herself when she signed her first State document simply Vic- toria. Shortly after the christening the Duchess of Kent was publicly "churched" at St. Mary Abbott's^ Kensington, the Duke himself con- ducting her with much ceremony to the communion table. The first eight months of the Queen's life were passed at Kensington Palace, where glimpses of her, laughing and crowing at her nursery window, were often caught by strollers through the Gardens. The Duke was always pleased to have her shown to the people, and when she was only four months old took her in the carriage with him to a review on Hounslow Heath. The Prince Regent, annoyed at the atten- tion which she created, sharply remonstrated, saying, "That infant is too young to be brought into public." At three months old the Princess was vaccinated, and was the first royal baby to be inoculated after the method of Jenner. In order to escape the rigor of the winter, the Duke and Duchess removed, at the end of the year, with their dai'ling child, into Devon- shire, staying at Woolbrook Glen, Sidmouth, a lovely retreat lying back from the sea, and surrounded by picturesque grounds. There is no more charming glimpse of this period of the Queen'i IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. 45 infancy than is recorded by Mrsw Marshall in her "Recollections of Althea Allingham." The Allinghams were living at Sidmouth at the time of the royal visit, and we get this graphic picture of the local interest it elicited. "I have just heard a piece of news," Oliffe said. "The Duke of Kent has taken the 'Glen' at the farther end of the village, and the servants are expected to-morrow to put the place in order for the Duke and Duchess of Kent and the little Princess Victoria." Sidmouth was elated at the prospect of receiving the royal party, and Mrs. Ailing- ham's little daughters were full of anxiety to see the baby Princess. Their expectations were soon realized, and they frequently saw her being taken out for her daily airing. Mrs. Allingham thus describes her: "She was a very fair and lovely baby, and there was, even in her infant days, a charm about her which has never left our gracious Queen. The clear, frank glance of her large blue eyes, and the sweet but firm expression of her mouth, were really remarkable, even when a baby of eight months old." One bright January morning the Allinghams were returning from an excursion, when they met the Duke and Duchess of Kent, "linked arm in arm," the nurse carrying the little Princess, who looked lovely in a white swansdown hood and pelisse, and was holding out her hand to her father. He took her in his arms as the party drew up in line, respectfully waiting, uncovered and curtseying. "Stella exclaimed: 'What a beautiful baby!' "The Duchess hearing, smiled and said, 'Would you like to kiss the baby?' "Stella colored with delight, and looked at me [Mrs. Allingham] for permission. "The Duke kindly held the little Princess down towards Stella, and said: " 'I am glad my little May blossom finds favor in your eyes.' "Then a shout was heard from the donkey where Stephen sat. " 'Me, too, please, Duke.' "Instead of being in the least shocked with my boy's freedom, the Duke laughed, saying: " 'Dismount, then.' "Stephen scrambled down, and coming up received the longed-for kiflft. 4« IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. " ^Father calls Stella and Benvennta his May blossoms^' Stephen volunteered. " 'And you may be proud of them/ the Duke said, as he gave the Princess back into her nurse's arms; and the Duchess, with repeated bows and smiles, passed on." The same month, January, 1820, the baby Princess had a narrow escape from death. A youth, who had obtained a gun, fired at some small birds so near to the residence of their Eoyal Highnesses that the charge broke the nursery windows and some of the shot passed quite close to the head of the infant Princess, then in the arms of her nurse. The offender was brought before the Duke, but, owing to the kindliness of disposition of His Eoyal Highness, he escaped with a reprimand on promising not to i)ursue his pleasures so recklessly. There seemed little probability that the baby Princess would ever become Queen of England. The Duke of Kent, her father, was but the fourth son of George III., but a series of unexpected events soon brought his daughter nearer the throne. Upon the death of the deeply- lamented Princess Charlotte, only child of George IV., the Duke of York, his next younger brother, had become heir presumptive to the crown. His Eoyal Highness had no children, however, so the Duke of Clarence, third son of George III., came next in succession. He had married, and his wife, the Princess Adelaide, bore him a daughter, who, if she had lived, would in the natural order of things have become Queen. But this child died in infancy, leaving the Princess Victoria the only scion of the next generation of the royal stock. The stay at Sidmouth was destined to have a sad and fatal termina- tion. The Duke of Kent was seized with a severe indisposition, occa- sioned by delaying to change his wet boots after a, walk through the snow. Affection for his child had drawn him to the nursery imme- diately on reaching home. To a severe chill succeeded inflammation of the chest, with high fever, which resulted fatally. The Duke was per- haps more highly esteemed than any other son of George III. His public conduct was judicious and self-sacrificing. In the army he initiated many healthful reforms; after he ceased from active service in It, he interested himself in humanitarian movements of all kinds, especially devoting himself to the cause of the widow and the orphan. The result was, that he became known as the "Popular Duke," and no royal personage ever better deserved the title. He was of regular and IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. 4:lf temperate habits, kind to all, and the firm friend of those who put their trust in him. His generosity was such that it frequently outran discre- tion, causing embarrassment to himself; but the poor had the benefit of it. The Duke was officially connected with sixty-two societies, every one of which was devoted to some noble religious or charitable object. The personal virtues of the Duke, the love he bore his country, and the untiring exertions he displayed in the cause of philanthropy and reli- gion, Justly gave him a high place in the affections of his fellow- countrymen. It was auspicious that the Queen should have had such a father, for many of his traits, with the gentleness and uprightness which distinguished the mother, descended in large measure upon the child. Two days after the death of the Duke, the Duchess of Kent, accom- panied by her babe and her brother. Prince Leopold, se;t out for Lon- don. Where all was sad and mournful there was one gleam of sun- shine; for the infant, "being held up at the carriage window to bid the assembled population of Sidmouth farewell, sported and laughed joy- ously, and patted the glasses with her pretty dimpled hands, in happy unconsciousness of her melancholy bereavement." The likeness of the Duke of York to her lost father deceived the little Princess Victoria, and when the former came on his visit of condolence, and also subse- quently, she stretched out her hands to him in the belief that he was her father. The Duke was deeply touched by the appeal, and clasping the child to his bosom, he promised to be indeed a father to her. Many addresses of condolence were received by the Duchess, and as she gen- erally received them with her infant in her arms, there was frequently a painful contrast witnessed between the tear-stained face of the mother and the happy countenance, wreathed with smiles, of the daughter. In his "Keminiscences" Prince Leopold says: "The Duchess, who had lost a most amiable and devoted husband, was in a state of the greatest distress. The poor Duke had left his family deprived of all means of subsistence. The journey to Kensington was very painful, and the weather very severe." From this time forward we find Prince Leopold acting as a father and guardian to his little niece, Victoria. It was he who generously supplemented the jointure of £6,000 which the Duchess of Kent received from the country, and enabled her to rear our future Queen in a manner befitting her position. By her 48 IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. second marriage the Duchess had sacrificed her dowry, and she con- scientiously yielded the Duke of Kent's estate to his creditors, so that all that remained to her was her jointure. On January 29, the same day on which the Duchess and her infant returned to Kensington, George III. died, and was succeeded by the Prince Regent. This event, coupled with her father's death, placed the Princess two lives nearer to the throne. The Duchess, doubtless actuated by these circumstances, determined to rear her child in the land over which she might eventually rule, and gave up her own nat- ural desire to return to Bavaria. Speaking of herself and infant at this time, she says: "We stood alone — almost friendless and alone in this country; I could not even speak the language of it. I did not hesitate how to act; I gave up my home, my kindred, my duties [the regency of Leiningen] to devote myself to that duty which was to be the whole object of my future life." Thus nobly did the Duchess of Kent start Uj^jon her important work — no light task — the training of a queen. From that day forward she lived at Kensington in stately seclusion, watching over the young "Hope of England," who was never allowed to be an hour out of her sight. From the day of her father's death until she ascended the throne, the Queen had never passed a night outside her mother's bed- chamber. She had never been seen in public or even heard of except in conjunction with her mother. Poor and almost friendless, for she was ill regarded by her royal brothers-in-law, the widowed Duchess of Kent and her tiny baby suf- fered much until Prince Leopold, brother of the Duchess and little Victoria's uncle, assumed a voluntary guardianship over them both. The child's paternal uncles, George IV. and William IV., were never complaisant to the unhappy Duchess. King George often threatened to take the little Princess from her mother, and the succession of Clar- ence who became the fourth King William did not mend their family affairs. The Princess Victoria did not attend his coronation and all the relations of the Duchess of Kent with her English brother-in-law were harsh and unhappy. The apartments occupied by the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria were in the southeast portions of the Palace, beneath the King's gallery. They are now unused; but a visitor will find in one of the rooms on the principal floor, having three windows looking east- Pbince Axbebt— Husband of Queen Victoria The above is a portrait of Prince Albert, painted about the time of his marriage to Queen Victons. Because of the British feeling toward the Germans, he was not especially favored by the British Government at the time of the marriage, but he proved so able a man, and helped guide the Ship of State with such wisdom, that the whole world today pays reverence to his memory and his identity tea entered British history as Albert the Good. Edwaku VII— King of Great Britain and Ireland, AND Emperor of India Was born at Buckingham Palace, November 9, 1841; Created Prince of Wales, De- cember 4, 1841; Visited United States and Canada, 1860; General of British Army, 1862, and Field Marshal, 1875; Married Princess Alexandra of Denmark, March 10, 1863; Grand Master of British Masons, 1874; Visited Egypt and India, 1875; Visited Ireland, 1885: Attended wedding of Czar's daughter at St. Petersburg, April, 1894; Grand Master of the Bath, 1897; Represented the Queen at Naval Review of Jubilee, 1897; Proclaimed King January 23, 1901. The Late Queei^ op Great BRiTAm Aim Ireland, Victoria, ani> King Edward VII Qtjeex Victobia in Coronation Robes "Tremendous events have marked the 19th century; magnificent men have been participants, but in the white light of them all, none have shown fairer than the maiden Queen, the wifely Queen, the widowed Queen, and everywhere the people's Queen." IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. 53 ward over Kensington Gardens, a gilt plate upon the wall, with this inscription : IN THIS ROOM QUEEN VICTORIA WAS BORN, MAY 24, 1819. A room on the top floor served as the Princess' nursery, and in one corner still stands a doll's house, a headless horse, and the model of a ship, remnants of the toys which delighted her rather monotonous childhood. Here, in the old Palace which in days gone by had been the stately abode of kings and queens and the scene of gay court revels, the Prin- cess was nurtured in all that was simple, loving and pure. She had a natural home life free from the formalities of a court. The one mis- fortune was that she had no companions of her own age: " For her there was no mate, A royal child of power and state." Her step-sister, the Princess Feodore (daughter of the Duchess of Kent by her first marriage), was eleven years her senior, and though the little Princess was devotedly attached to her as an elder sister, she was no playmate for her. Interesting stories are told of the times when Princess Victoria appeared, at fifteen months old, in a child's phaeton, tied safely to the vehicle with a broad ribbon round her waist. Her step-sister, Princess Feodore, would draw the child in this carriage. The baby liked to be noticed, and answered all who spoke to her : she would say "lady" and "good morning," and, when told, would hold out her soft dimpled hand to be kissed, with an arch expression on her face. "Her large blue eyes, beautiful bloom, and fair complexion, made her a model of infantile beautj^" On one occasion she was nearly killed by the upsetting of the pony carriage. A private soldier, named Maloney, claimed the honor of having saved England's future sovereign on this occasion. He was walking through Kensington Gardens, when he saw a very small pony 54 IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. carriage, in which was seated a child. The pony was led by a page, a lady walked on one side, and a young woman beside the chaise. A large water dog having got between the pony's legs, the startled pony made a sudden plunge on one side, and brought the wheels of the car- riage on to the pathway. The child was thrown out head downwards, and woul^ in a moment have been crushed beneath the weight of the carriage, then toppling over, had not Maloney grasped her dress before she came to the ground, and swung her into his arms. He restored her to the lady, and was praised by a number of persons, who speedily col- lected, for rescuing "the little Drina," as the child was called. He was told to follow the carriage to the Palace, where he received a guinea, and the thanks of the Duchess of Kent, for "saving the life of her dear child, the Princess Alexandrina." Such was the statement of Maloney, made late in life, and published in the daily journals. William Wilberforce had a very early introduction to the Princess Victoria, and the way in which he records it testifies to the childlike simplicity of his own nature. Writing to Hannah More on the 21st of July, 1820, he says: "In consequence of a very civil message from the Duchess of Kent I waited on her this morning. She received me, with her fine animated child on the floor by her side, with its playthings, of which I soon became one." The Princess was brought up in the most simple and regular style of living, her whole surroundings being utterly devoid of the pomp and show of royalty. In this early training we find the foundations of that love of simplicity and frugality which always distinguished the gracious Queen. The little Princess' day was passed in the following manner. She rose early, and breakfasted at eight o'clock in the pretty morning-room of the Palace, sitting beside her mother in a little rosewood chair, a table to match in front of her on which was placed her bread and milk and fruit, her nurse standing beside her. After breakfast her half- sister, the Princess Feodore, retired with her governess, Friiulein Lehzen, to study, and the little Victoria mounted her donkey, a present from her uncle, the Duke of York, and rode round Kensington Gardens. From ten to twelve she received instruction from her mother, assisted by Fraulein Lehzen; then came a good romp through the long suite of rooms with her nurse, Mrs. Brock, whom she affectionately called her "dear, dear Boppy." At two o'clock she dined plainly at her mother's IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. 55 luncheon table, afterwards came lessons again until four o'clock, then she went with her mother for a drive, or, if the weather was hot, spent the afternoon in the Gardens under the trees, coming out early in the evening for a turn in her little pony-chaisc; The Duchess dined at seven o'clock, at which time the Princess supped at the same table on bread and milk; she then retired for a little play in a farther part of the room along with "dear Boppy," joining her mother again at des- sert. At nine o'clock she went to her little French bed with its pretty chintz hangings, placed beside that of her mother. An occasional visit to Windsor to see her "Uncle King," as she called His Majesty George IV., a sojourn at Claremont with her adored Uncle Leopold, and a few weeks at the sea in autumn, w^ere the only breaks in her little life. On her fourth birthday she had a great excitement, no less than being bidden by "Uncle King" to attend a State dinner party with her mother at Carlton House. She was dressed for the occasion in a simple white frock looped up on the left sleeve by a miniature of the King, set in diamonds, His Majesty's birthday present to his little niece, whose vivacious manners seemed to have delighted him vastly. The education of the Princess Victoria was conducted at first by her mother with the help of Fraulein Lehzen, who at a later date was formally appointed her governess, and remained with the Queen as confidential secretary for a number of years after her accession. The Princess learned her letters at her mother's knee, but not very will- ingly, and we find Grandmamma of Coburg taking sides with the little truant. She writes to her daughter, "Do not tease your little puss with learning. She is so young still," adding that her grandson, Prince x\lbert, was making eyes at a picture-book. When it was made clear to the Princess that until the ABC was mastered she could not read books like her mother, she replied with alacrity, "Me learn too, very quick;" and she did, for there was no lack of ability. Her regular edu- cation began in her fifth year. In response to a message from His Majesty, Parliament voted an annual grant of £6,000 to the Duchess of Kent for the education of the young Princess. A suitable preceptor was now sought for, and the choice of the Duchess fell upon the Rev. George Davys, afterw'ards Bishop of Peterborough. She made it a rule that the Bible should be daily read to the young Princess. The Duchess confided fully in Dr. Davys; and when it was suggested to her, after her daughter became direct heir to the throne, that some distinguished 66 IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. prelate should be appointed instructor, she expressed her perfect approval of Dr. Davys, and declined any change; but hinted that if a clergyman of superior dignity were indispensable to fill the important oflace of tutor, there would be no objection to Dr. Davys receiving the preferment he had always merited. Earl Grey acted upon the hint, and made Dr. Davys Dean of Chester not long afterwards. The Bar- oness Lehzen was also retained through the whole term of the Princess' education, and proved an excellent instructress. After six years spent under the care of her tutors, the Princess could lay claim to cohsider- able accomplishments. Owing to the exercise of unusual natural abilities, she could speak French and German with fluency, and was acquainted with Italian; she had made some progress in Latin, being able to read Virgil and Horace with ease; she had commenced Greek, and studied mathematics, in which difficult science she evinced much proficiency; and she had likewise made considerable progress in music and drawing. Occasionally the child longed for companions of her own age, and a delightful anecdote is related in illustration of this. As the youthful Princess took great delight in music, her mother sent for a noted child performer of the day, called Lyra, to amuse her with her remarkable performances on the harp. On one occasion, while the young musician was playing one of her favorite airs, the Duchess of Kent, perceiving how deeply her daughter's attention was engrossed with the music, left the room for a few minutes. When she returned she found the harp deserted. The heiress of England had beguiled the juvenile minstrel from her instrument by the display of some of her costly toys, and the children were discovered, "seated side by side on the hearthrug in a state of high enjoyment, surrounded by the Princess' playthings, from which she was making the most liberal selections for the acceptance of poor little Lyra." The chronicler of this incident states that among the flowery bowers of Claremont the Queen's education was informally yet delightfully promoted by the conversation of her accomplished uncle. Prince Leopold, who, taking advantage of the passionate love his young niece and adopted daughter manifested for flowers, gave her familiar lessons in botany, a science in which he greatly excelled. A daily journal of the studies of the Princess Victoria, of her progi'ess and mode of conduct, was kept by the Baroness Lehzen, and submitted once a month to the inspection of Prince Leopold, whose affectionate IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. ST solicitude for his niece's welfare was not without its beneficial results. Lord Albermarle, Leigh Hunt, and others, have testified in almost identical terms to the many charms of the Queen as a young girl, and the natural artlessness and attractiveness of her disposition. From an account written by one of those who saw her in childhood I must quote the following paragraph; "Passing accidentally through Kensington Gardens a few days since, I observed at some distance a party consist- ing of several ladies, a young child, and two men-servants, having in charge a donkey gaily caparisoned with blue ribbons, and accoutered for the use of the infant. The appearance of the party, and the general attention they attracted, led me to suspect they might be the royal inhabitants of the Palace. I soon learned that my conjectures were well founded, and that her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent was in maternal attendance, as is her daily custom, upon her august and interesting daughter in the enjoyment of her healthful exercise. On approaching the royal party, the infant Princess, observing my respect- ful recognition, nodded, and wished me a 'good morning' with much liveliness, as she skipped along between her mother and her sister, the Princess Feodore, holding a hand of each. Having passed on some paces, I stood a moment to observe the actions of the child, and was pleased to see that the notice with which she honored me was extended in a greater or less degree to almost every person she met. Her Royal Highness is remarkably beautiful, and her gay and animated counte- nance bespgaks perfect health and good temper. Her complexion is excessively fair, her eyes large and expressive, and her cheeks bloom- ing. She bears a very striking resemblance to her late royal father, and indeed to every member of our reigning family." Charles Knight, in his Passages of a Working Life, furnishes a glimpse of the Princess as he saw her in 1827. "I delighted to walk in Kensington Gardens," he observes. "As I passed along the broad central w^alk I saw a group on the lawn before the Palace, which to my mind was a vision of exquisite loveliness. The Duchess of Kent and her daughter were breakfasting in the open air — a single page attending upon them at a respectful distance; the matron looked on with eyes of love, whilst the fair, soft English face was bright with smiles. What a beautiful characteristic it seemed to me of the training of this royal girl, that she should not have been taught to shrink from the public eye; that she should not have been burdened with a pre- 58 IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY, mature conception of her probable high destiny; that she should enjoy the freedom and simplicity of a child's nature; that she should not be restrained when she starts up from the breakfast table and runs to gather a flower in the adjoining parterre; that her merry laugh should be as fearless as the notes of the thrush in the groves around her. I passed on, and blessed her; and I thank God that I have lived to see the golden fruits of such training." Several stories are told of the quick repartee which "Uncle King" received from his amusing little niece of Kent. During one of her visits to Windsor, the King said, "Now, Victoria, the band is waiting to play; Avhat tune would you like to hear best?" " 'God Save the King,' if you please, uncle," she promptly replied. And again, when asked what part of her visit had been the greatest treat, she discreetly said, "Oh, the ride in the carriage with you, uncle." On this occasion the King had driven her himself, which was doubtless a great event. We get a further glimpse into these little trips to Windsor in one of Grandmamma Coburg's charming letters. Writing in 1826 to the Duchess of Kent, she saj'-s: "I see by the English news- papers that 'His Majesty George IV. and H. E. H. the Duchess of Kent went on Virginia Water.' The little monkey [Princess Victoria] must have pleased and amused him. She is such a pretty, clever child." A few years later "Uncle King" gave a child's ball in honor of the visit of Donna Maria, the little Queen of Portugal, to this country. This was the first Court ceremonial at which the Princess Victoria was present. A lady of the Court, however, gave great offense to the King by saying how "pretty it would be to see the two little Queens dancing together," His Majesty had no mind as yet to hear his niece of Kent dubbed a queen. By all accounts the juvenile ball was a pretty and brilliant affair. The children of the highest nobility were there, and paid mimic court to the little Queen of Portugal, who sat by the side of the King, dressed in a red velvet frock and literally blazing with jewels from head to foot. This was the first occasion upon which that spicy Court chronicler, Mr. Greville, saw the Princess Victoria; but he appears to have been carried off his head by the dark-eyed Donna of Portugal's brilliant appearance. "Our little Princess," he writes, "is a short, plain-looking child, and not near so good-looking as the Portu- guese." Another chronicler of the scene, however, remarks that little Victoria was dazzled by so much magnificence; but, "the elegant sim- JN THE DAYS OF INFANCY, 69 plicity of the attire and manners of the British heiress formed a strong contrast to the glare and glitter around the precocious queen. These royal young ladies danced in the same quadrille, and though the per- formance of Donna Maria was greatly admired, all persons of refined taste gave the preference to the modest graces of the English-bred Princess." The Princess Victoria had for partners at her first ball Lord Fitzalan, heir to the Dukedom of Norfolk, Prince William of Saxe- Weimar, the young Prince Esterhazy, and the sons of Lords De-la- Warr and Jersey. Visits to Uncle King were very rare events, as the Duchess of Kent did not wish her little daughter to see much of Court life; but she took her frequently to see her Uncle Leopold at Claremont, and these visits were the most delightful holidays of all. Writing in after years from Claremont to her uncle, then King of the Belgians, the Queen says: "This place brings back recollections of the happiest days of my other- wise dull childhood — days in which I experienced such kindness from you, dearest uncle. Victoria [the Princess Koyal] plays with my old bricks, and I see her running and jumping in the flower garden, as old (though I still feel little) Victoria of former days used to do." * In the autumn of 1824, Grandmamma of Coburg was a visitor at Claremont, along with the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria; and it has often been said that she brought her little grandson Prince Albert of Coburg with her, but that fact is not clearly established. One finds a charming account of the royal party in the letters of Miss Jane Porter, author of "The Scottish Chiefs." She dwelt with her mother and sister in a cottage close to the grounds of Claremont, and had frequent opportunities for seeing the Princess, who, she was delighted to find, resembled her lamented aunt, the Princess Charlotte. Miss Porter describes her as "a beautiful child, with a cherubic form of features, clustered round by glossy fair ringlets. Her complexion was remarkably transparent, with a soft and often heightening tinge of the sweet blush-rose upon her cheeks, that imparted a peculiar brilliancy to her clear blue eyes. Whenever she met any strangers in her usual paths, she always seemed, by the quickness of her glance, to inquire who and what they were." At home the Princess was not allowed to attend public worship at Kensington Church for fear of attracting too much attention, service being conducted in the Palace by the Duchess herself during her 60 IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY, daughter's earliest years, and afterwards by the Eev. George Davys, her tutor. But while at Claremont she was taken to the little village church at Esher. Fortunate Miss Porter had a seat facing the Clare- mont pew, and it is to be feared that her devotions were somewhat dis- turbed by the attention which she gave to the movements of the royal visitors, although she is able, at least on one occasion, to give a very good reason for her attentive scrutiny. "I should not voluntarily have so employed myself in church," she piously writes, "but I had seen a wasp skimming backwards and forwards over the head and before the unveiled summer bonnet of the little Princess; and I could not forbear watching the dangerous insect, fearing it might sting her face. She, totally unobserving it, had meanwhile fixed her eyes on the clergy- man, who had taken his seat in the pulpit to preach the sermon, and she never withdrew them thence for a moment during his whole discourse." Next day, from a lady personally intimate at Claremont, Miss Porter learned the reason why the Princess riveted her eyes upon the clergy- man, who, according to her account, was not an attractive person, so that she saw not the "dangerous insect"^ — she was required to give her mother not only the text, but the leading heads of the discourse. Poor little Princess! those were the days of long and formal sermons. It was in the autumn succeeding this visit to Claremont that the Princess paid the first of her many visits to Ramsgate. Three years before she had taken her first sight of the sea at Brighton. During her seaside visits she was allowed to play with other children on the sands, have donkey rides ad libitum, and to run out to meet the on-coming waves. If they chanced to ripple over her little feet, she was in a high state of glee. Then at Ramsgate she used frequently to go to a delight- ful old dairy-woman's cottage to have a glass of milk before breakfast. We find a graphic sketch of the Princess at this time by a writer in Fraser's Magazine, who in somewhat florid style thus relates his obser- vations : "When first I saw the pale and pretty daughter of the Duke of Kent, she was fatherless. Her fair, light form was sporting in all the redolence of youth and health on the noble sands of old Ramsgate. She wore a plain straw bonnet with a white ribbon round it, and as pretty a pair of shoes on as pretty a pair of feet as I ever remember to have seen from China to Kamschatka. I defy you all to find me a pret- tier pair of feet than those of the belle Victoria, when she played with the pebbles and the tides on Ramsgate sands." The Princess on this Alexandra— QuEETST or Great Britain and Ireland AND Empress oe India Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, is the mother of six children, four of whom are living. The surviving son is the present Duke of York. Queen Alexandra is the eldest daughter of King Christian of Denmark. Her brothers and sisters are Prince Frederick, heir-apparent to the Danish throne. King George of Greece, Princess Dagmar, who married the Emperor Alexan- der III of Russia, Princess Thyra, who married the Duke of Cumberland, and Prince Waldemar. Her Majesty the Queest— 1839 (From a Painting by Edwin Landseer. presented to the Prince Consort by the Queen before tb rriage.) IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. 63 occasion was accompamed by her mother and by William Wilberforce; the latter is said to have beguiled the adventurous Victoria from sport- ing too freely with the waves by telling her stories of the slave children whom he was laboring to emancipate. As he did so, he stood on the shore, an impressive figure, clasping in his own the tiny hands of the five-year-old Princess, into whose heart his words were sinking deep and were destined to bear glorious fruit in after years. When they turned homeward from the shore down the High Street, the Princess espied an old Irishwoman sitting pale and dejected by the wayside, and literally "teased" a silver coin from her mother to give to this lonely wayfarer. The Duchess and her daughter frequently returned to visit Rams- gate, staying principally at Townley House, close to the picturesque grounds of East Cliff, the residence of Mr. Moses Monteflore, who cour- teously provided them with a special key to his private gate in order that they might use his grounds at their pleasure. On the occasion of the Queen's visit to the City of London soon after her accession, Mr. Montefiore received her in his capacity of Sheriff, and one can imagine that Her Majesty was not unmindful of those pleasant days at Rams- gate when she bade him rise up Sir Moses Montefiore. He was the first Jew to receive the honor of knighthood. But a truce to the little Princess' holiday jaunts; we must continue the thread of her life at Kensington. "An old lady friend has often described to me," writes Mrs. Tooley, "how she used to watch the Princess taking her walks and rides in Kensington Gardens. She never wore smart things, but was plainly and prettily dressed in a straw hat with a ribbon round it — sometimes the hat was lined with blue^ — and her summer dresses were of simple white cotton, relieved by a colored silk fichu. She was often to be encountered in the Gardens skipping along between her mother and the Princess Feodore, each of whom held one of her hands. The little one would bow and smile at the passers-by, and say lady' and 'good morning' in a pretty, silvery voice, sometimes holding out her dimpled little hand to be kissed. The wise mother taught her to approach strangers fearlessly, and to return their salutations graciously. Everybody in the neighborhood grew to love the winsome little Princess. But the prettiest sight of all was to see her mounted on her white donkey, gaily caparisoned with blue ribbons, an old soldier, a former retainer of her father's, leading her bridle rein, 64 IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. while some of the ladies of the household walked by her side. She was then at the height of enjoyment, and, once mounted, 'not all the king's horses nor all the king's men' could persuade her to come down again. Her mother had made a little rule that she should ride and walk alter- nately; but there were not a few scenes, and we fear some screams, in Kensington Gardens when nurse or governess tried to force the little lady to dismount, for she was as wilful as she was engaging. It was only when the old soldier, who was a special favorite, held out his arms for her that she was persuaded to quit her dear donkey's back." Miss Kortright, an old inhabitant of Kensington, tells of some pretty little incidents relating to this period of the Queen's life. The Princess was known to go with her mother and her step-sister, Feodore, to a milliner's shop in Kensington, buy a new hat, stay while it was trimmed, and carry it home in her hand quite proudly — but surely it was the old one she carried in her hand ! Meeting the Princess in her pony-chaise one day, an "unknown little girl" asked to be allowed to kiss her. The Princess Feodore stopped the tiny carriage and indulged the child's wish. The "unknown little girl" who secured a kiss from her future Queen was Miss Kortright's elder sister. The Princess had a ready wit. On one occasion her teacher had been reading in her classical history the story of Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi — how she had proudly presented her sons to the first of Roman ladies with the words, "These are my jewels." "She should have said my Cornelians," immediately remarked the Princess. Of course, "the divinity that doth hedge a king" extends in popular eyes in some degree to a Princess, and people are apt only to look on the roseate side. But none knows better than the Queen herself that human nature is a complex thing, and that, however a child may desire perfection, there is a good deal of the old leaven of imperfection in every one. So the Princess Victoria, noble in character as she was, exhibited some of those imperfections which no child is without, unless it be those precocious creatures in whom supernatural goodness is developed from the first at the expense of a healthy organization. The Princess was impulsive, sometimes not a little wilful and imperious; but the affections being strong and the head well trained, these mat- tGrs always righted themselves, and the young offender was herself quick to acknowledge the wrong. She had an ingrained sense of justice which Gowld always redress the balance. IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. 65 Tlie first grief which the Princess was able to appreciate to the full arose from the death of the Duke of York. The Princess was at this time in her eighth year, and as she had ever experienced great kindness and aJBfection at the hands of her uncle, his loss affected her keenly. The Duke of York and the Duchess of Clarence were the two members of the royal family towards whom her youthful heart was most strongly drawn out. At the time of the Duke's death she was unconscious that his demise brought her one step nearer the throne. The marriage of her sister, the Princess Feodore, to Prince Hohenlohe-Langenbourg, was another wrench to the child, and one which seriously narrowed her restricted home circle. Sketching was a favorite occupation with the Princess, her love of form and of the beauties of nature having been observable at a very early age. When taking walks about Esher with her Uncle Leopold, she often pointed out beautiful bits of landscape, and it was at Clare- mont that she first began sketching from nature. She was fond, too, of looking at pictures and of imagining what the people in them might be saying to each other, a dramatic element in her character which found further expression in the mock ceremonies which she enacted with her retinue of dolls. Upon a long board full of pegs, into which the dolls' feet fitted, she rehearsed court receptions, presentations, and held mimic drawing-rooms and levees. Her dolls numbered one hun- dred and thirty-two; a large number of them were dressed entirely by herself in artistic costumes to represent historic characters or people she knew. A list of them, with their names and history, was kept in a copybook. She was passionately fond of animals and of seeing natural history collections; her first visit to the British Museum was an un- bounded joy, and she begged to be taken there often. Botany, too, delighted her, and she began the study, under the tuition of her Uncle Leopold, among the bowery gToves of Olaremont. Lord Albemarle remembers seeing her watering her flowers at Kensington Palace, and tells that it was amusing to see how impartially she divided the con- tents of her watering-pot between the flowers and her own little feet. And so the childhood of the Queen passed under the watchful eye of that wisest of mothers, and year by year saw her fine natural abili- ties developing, and her character ripening into thoughtful maiden- hood. In closing this period of the Queen's life, we can but echo the words of Grandmamma of Coburg, who, writing to the Duchess of GQ IN THE DAYS OF INFANCY. Keut upon the Princess' eleventh birthday, says: "My blessings and good wishes for the day which gave you the sweet blossom of May! May God preserve and protect the valuable life of that lovely flower from all the dangers that will beset her mind and heart! The rays of the sun are scorching at the height to which she may one day attain. It is only by the blessing of God that all the fine qualities He has put into that young soul can be kept pure and untarnished." CHAPTER II. THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. Princess Tictoria Learns That She is Heiress to the Throne— Her First Reception—She Attends the Theatre— Not Present at the Coronation of William IV.— Her Amusements— Journeys with Her Mother— Enthusiastically Eeceiyed by the People— A Narrow EscajKs From Death— Her Confirmation — The Duke of Coburg and His Sons, Ernest and Albert, Visit Kensington Palace— The Ill-Feeliug Between the King and the Princess' Mother- She Attains Her Majority— The Nation Celebrates the Event— Death of King William IV. rHE day on which the Princess Victoria first learned that she would in all probability succeed to the throne of Great Britain may be regarded as one of the important epochs of her life. She was but twelve years of age at the time of her enlightenment on this momentous matter, yet she fully realized the grandeur of the position to which she was moving, and because she felt the difficulty of ruling wisely she was less elated by the splendor than she was impressed by the responsibility of the regal greatness that would in the course of time be hers. Two years prior to the time when she received this definite informa- tion. Sir Walter Scott, after dining with the Princess' mother, the Duchess of Kent, wrote in his diary, "Little Victoria is educated with much care, and watched so closely that no busy maid has a moment to whisper, *You are heir of England.'" Historians differ regarding the manner in which the young Princess first learned the important fact, and there are several stories on this point. It was current gossip of the time that Prince George of Cumberland, a cousin of the Princess, who was very fond of teasing her, twitted her one day with the un- pleasant prospect of having to be a Queen, enlarging on the discom- forts of the position, and throwing out dark hints regarding the un- timely end of Mary, Queen of Scots. If the Princess failed in her lessons, or merited reproof for any cause. Prince George took occasion to say, "A pretty sort of Queen you will make." All such references were received by the Princess with passionate tears. Another version is given by Caroline Fox. Writing in her journal, she details a gossipy visit from her friend Mrs, Corgie, the "rightful ©7 68 THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. Lady George Murray," who told her that the Princess Victoria was first informed of the high position which awaited her by her mother. The Duchess of Kent desired that her daughter should read aloud that portion of English history which related to the death of the Princess Charlotte. In reading, the Princess made a dead halt, and asked if it were possible that she should ever be Queen. Her mother replied: "As this is a yqvj possible circumstance, I am anxious to bring you up as a good woman, when you will be a good Queen also." It appears also that the Princess' governess, the Baroness Lehzen, and her tutor, the Rev. George Davys, both claim to have informed their pupil of her place in the succession to the throne. In a letter written in her eighty-fourth year by the Baroness to her former pupil, she says: "I ask your Majesty's leave to cite some remarkable words of your Majesty when only twelve years old, while the Regency Bill was in progress. I then said to the Duchess of Kent that now for the first time your Majesty ought to know your place in the succession. Her Royal Highness agreed with me, and I put the genealogical table into the historical book." The Baroness continues her story to the effect that when the Princess opened the book and noticed the addi- tional paper, she said, "I never saw that before." "It was not thought necessary you should, Princess," the governess replied. "I see," continued the Princess, "I am nearer the throne than I thought." "So it is, madam," replied the Baroness. After some moments, the Princess answered: "Now, many a child would boast, but they don't know the diflaculty. There is much splen- dor, but there is more responsibility;" and laying her hand in that of her governess, she said, "I will be good. I understand now why you urged me so much to learn even Latin." The Baroness then explained to the Princess that her aunt, Queen Adelaide, might yet have children, in which case she would not suc- ceed to the throne. "And if it were so," replied the Princess, "I should never feel dis- appointed, for I know by the love Aunt Adelaide bears me how fond she is of children." Yet another account of how the momentous tidings were conveyed to the Princess Victoria is as follows: THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. §9 "The story of the Princess discoyering that she would be Queen," writes Canon Davys, "has not generally been correctly told. My father had set her to make a chart of the kings and queens. She got as far as 'Uncle William.' Next day my father said to the Princess, 'But you have not put down the next heir to the throne.' She rather hesitated, and said, 'I hardly like to put down myself.' My father mentioned the matter to the Duchess of Kent, who said she was so glad that the truth had come upon her daughter in this way, as it was time she became aware what responsibility was awaiting her." The three accounts agree in showing that the Princess' mother, together with her governess and her tutor, all felt, after the accession of William IV., that the time had arrived for the Princess to be in- formed of her position, and that each of them made a lesson in history the means by which to tell her. As to whether Prince George of Cum- berland had previously let the proverbial "cat out of the bag" remains a moot point. The Princess Victoria was now regarded by the people as the heiress-apparent; but the King himself never ceased hoping that a child of his own might yet be born to succeed- and at times he dis- played jealousy of his niece of Kent and ill-will towards the mother who had borne her. In beautiful contrast was the attitude of the good Queen Adelaide. When her second child died, soon after the birth of the Princess Victoria, she wrote to the Duchess of Kent, "My children are dead, but yours lives, and she is mine too." A Court lady recalls a pleasing little incident which she witnessed when Queen Adelaide was still Duchess of Clarence. The lady was sit- ting with Her Royal Highness, when the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria were announced, whereupon she rose to withdraw. "Do not go yet," said the Duchess of Clarence. "I want you to see little Victoria; she is such a sweet child." After drawing the Princess towards her with affectionate greeting, the Duchess of Clarence produced a child's tea-service of the prettiest china imaginable, which, in her sweet, kind way, she had provided as a surprise for her little niece. Trivial as the incident is, nothing could better illustrate the love of the childless Queen for the heiress to the throne. The Princess Victoria attended her first drawing-room on the 24th of February, 1831, on the occasion of Queen Adelaide's birthday. It I'D THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. was a reception of unusual splendor; nothing had been seen like it since the drawing-room at which the Princess Charlotte had been pre- sented on the occasion of her marriage. There were three things to make it of special import : it was the first drawing-room held after the accession of William IV., it was Queen Adelaide's birthday, and the first formal appearance at Court of the heiress of Great Britain. The Princess set out from Kensington Palace with her mother, at- tended by a suite of ladies and gentlemen in state carriages, and es- corted by a detachment of Life Guards. Some of the people, as they watched her, cheered, and others wept, for there was something both joyous and pathetic in the sight of this young girl upon whose head the weight of a crown might fall all too soon. At the drawing-room she was the centre of observation. She stood on Queen Adelaide's left hand, dressed in a frock of English blonde draped over white satin. Her fair hair was arranged Madonna-like, according to the fashion of the times, and the braids were fastened at the back of her head with a diamond clasp. Around her throat she wore a single row of lovely pearls. It was no small ordeal for a young girl of twelve, reared in the strictest seclusion, to pass through ; but she bore herself with modest dignity, and took evident delight in watching the presentations. The gay scene was as novel to her as to the simplest girl in the land. Two months later another opportunity was taken by Queen Adelaide of giving prominence to the Princess. The Queen and the royal ladies were standing on the balcony watching the pageant which attended William IV. on the prorogation of his first Parliament. As the people cheered. Queen Adelaide took the young Princess Victoria by the hand, and, leading her to the front of the balcony, presented her to the assembled crowds. It would be diflflcult to decide whether the deafening shouts which rent the air were given more in honor of the future Queen or in recognition of the good Queen Adelaide's atti- tude towards the young girl. In the same year the Princess made her first appearance- at the theatre, attending a children's entertainment at Covent Garden. The Princess Victoria having been brought so far into prominence, there was much comment regarding her absence from the coronation of King William IV. and Queen Adelaide in Westminster Abbey, Sep- tember, 1831. Many reasons were assigned for this omission. Some said that the King, jealous of the attention which the Princess had THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. 71 excited, during the last few months, would not assign her the place in the procession due to her rank as the heiress-presumptive. On the other hand, it was affirmed that the Duchess of Kent pleaded the deli- cate state of her young daughter's health as an excuse for keeping her awaj from the ceremonial. It is a matter of history that there was always friction between the Duchess of Kent and the King regarding the comparative seclusion in which the Princess was kept. The Duch- ess was determined to preserve the girlish innocence and purity of her daughter by withholding her as much as possible from the Court. The King was well known for a coarse wit. When he was in a good humor "he swore like an admiral," and when he was in bad humor "he swore like our armies in Flanders." His facetious extravagances at the din- ner table were the gossip of the time. Still, his sailor-like bluntness and cheery jocosity made him, in spite of his easy morals, a favorite with the populace, and there were many who blamed the Duchess of Kent for persistently opposing him. We find a morning journal re- proving her in plain terms for her "impertinence" in keeping her daughter away from the coronation. The confidence and esteem with which the Duchess of Kent was regarded, however, by the nation was amply testified by the action of Parliament in appointing her to be Regent in the event of the Princess Victoria succeeding to the throne before she came of age. The Regency Bill was passed immediately after the accession of William IV., and during its discussion Cabinet ministers vied with each other in prais- ing the admirable training given by the Duchess of Kent to her daughter. An extract from the speech of Lord Lyndhurst will illus- trate the general feeling: "The first question which your lordships will naturally ask is, whom do we propose as the guardian of Her Royal Highness under the circumstances inferred? I am sure, how- ever, that the answer will at once suggest itself to every mind. It would be quite impossible that we should recommend any other indi- vidual for that high office than the illustrious Princess, the mother of Her Royal Highness the Princess Victoria. The manner in which Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent has hitherto discharged her duty in the education of her illustrious offspring — and I speak upon the sub- ject not from vague report, but from accurate information — gives us the best ground to hope most favorably of Her Royal Highness' future r£ THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. conduct. Looking at the past, it is eAddent that we cannot find a better guardian for the time to come." After the passing of the Regency Bill, we find another of those charming letters from Grandmamma of Coburg to her daughter. "It is only a just return," she writes to the Duchess of Kent, "for your constant devotion and care to your child. May God bless and protect our little darling. If I could but once see her again! The print you sent me of her is not like the dear picture I have. The quantity of curls hide the well-shaped head, and make it look too large for the lovely little figure." The tender family circle of the Princess seemed to be narrowing sadly at this period of her early girlhood. Her favorite paternal uncle, the Duke of York, had died; her half-sister, the Princess Feodore, had married the Prince of Hohenlohe and had left E'ngland; and in 1831 her beloved Grandmamma of Coburg died. About the same time her Uncle Leopold succeeded to the throne of Belgium. This was perhaps the greatest grief of all, bringing to an end as it did her delightful visits to Claremont. The Queen has herself told us that she "adored" her Uncle Leopold, and his departure from the country filled her with despair. From the hour of her father's death he had been her watch- ful guardian, advising her mother in all points regarding her training, and even providing additional income. The Princess was a warm- hearted girl, passionate in her attachments, as she has remained throughout her life, and one can understand that the break up of so many family ties oppressed her spirits at this time. She had few of th«^ outlets of ordinary girls for throwing dull care aside, the circumstance of her high estate keeping her life monotonous and lonely. Her amusements were all of a quiet kind — chiefly walking in Kensington Gardens, driving her ponies, and playing with her favorite dog Dash, a black-and-tan spaniel. In order to vary this rather too quiet exist- ence, the Duchess of Kent took her daughter on a series of visits to places of interest in her native land. In these days of varied travel, one maiwels to find that Her Majesty never set foot off English soil, if we except Wales, until she had been several years upon the throne, and was both wife and mother. The royal visitors could not enjoy Brighton by reason of the crowds which dogged their footsteps; but at Broadstairs they spent some pleasant times, residing at Pier^wnt House; and Ramsgate was always THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. 73 a favorite watering-place. In 1830 the Princess spent a long holiday at Malvern, where she led a free outdoor life, and displayed agility in climbing walls and trees. Unfortunately she did not descend with equal ease, and on one occasion had to be rescued from the bough of an apple tree by the gardener. At Tunbridge Wells the old people recall her fearless donkey-riding, and her fondness for coming to drink the water from the widow who kept the well. There comes a story, too, that her mother would not allow her to outrun her exchequer by the purchase of a half-crown box until she had the money to pay for it, her rather reckless purchase of presents for her friends having reduced the Princess to a temporary state of insolvency. When her next al- lowance of pocket-money became due, she set forth on her donkey at seven o'clock in the morning to claim the box, which the shopkeeper had retained for her. She was also taken on visits to country seats; and the story is told that during a visit to Wentworth House the Princess was a little too adventurous in racing about the glades and unfrequented parts of the grounds, heedless of the warning which the gardener had given her that they were "slape." "What is 'slape'?" asked the Princess, receiv- ing when she had scarcely uttered the words a practical demonstra- tion as her feet slid from under her on the slippery path. "That is slape, miss," replied the old gardener, with a sense of humor, as he assisted her to her feet. A note from the diary of Thomas Moore gives a peep behind the scenes when the royal travelers were expected at Watson Taylor's place, near Devizes. "Have been invited," he writes, "to meet the Duchess of Kent and young Victoria . . . rather amused with being behind the scenes to see the fuss of preparation for a royal re- ception." He then proceeds to describe a musical evening, the Duchess and the Princess singing duets together. "No attempts at bravura and graces," is his criticism, "but all simplicity and expression. Her Royal Highness evidently is very fond of music, and would have gone on singing much longer if there had not been rather premature prepara- tions for bed." To have pleased the ear of so fastidious a judge as Thomas Moore proves that the Princess had a sweet and well-trained voice. Even during these early jaunts the Princess took part in public functions. We find her opening the Victoria Park at Bath, and dis- 74 THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS, tributing colors to a regiment of foot at Plymouth, and later on, when she visited V/ales^ she gave the prizes to the successful competitors at the Eisteddfod. In 1832 the Princess was taken on a further tour, which, being at- tended with some ceremonious arrangement, caused the old King to speak with amused cynicism of his niece's jaunts as "royal progresses." The Duchess of Kent and the Princess, attended by a modest retinue, set forth in carriages from Kensington Palace, traveling by way of Shrewsbury and Coventry into Wales. They crossed the Menai Strait, enjoying the lovely scenery at their leisure, and passing over the water to Anglesey made a prolonged stay in the island, returning home by way of the Midland counties. An opportunity was taken in passing- through the manufacturing towns to show the Princess the interiors of some of the factories. It is amusing to find, in records of the period, that the interest which she took in what was shown her is gravely interpreted as evidence of her desire to promote British industries. The fact that she was delighted with a working model illustrating cotton-spinning is commented upon as though she had been a second Arkwright come to judgment, instead of a bright, clever girl full of curiosity. During this tour the Duchess of Kent and her daughter paid visits to several historic country seats, among them Eaton Hall, Chatsworth, Alton Towers, and Powis Castle. Wherever they ap- peared the people came out in great crowds to see them, testifying their loyalty to the young heiress of Britain. The King indeed was not far wrong when he testily spoke of these visits as "royal progresses," for, however desirous the Duchess of Kent might have been to make the Princess' journeys private, the people insisted upon openly displaying their loyalty. In 1833 the Duchess and her daughter resided for some months at Norris Castle in the Isle of Wight, where the Princess was frequently seen enjoying country rambles, or listening to the stories of the sailors and the coastguardsmen as she lingered about the shore. A pretty incident is told by an American writer who was visiting the island. While in Arreton churchyard, near Brading, he noticed a lady and a little girl seated near the grave of the "Dairyman's Daughter." The lady was reading aloud the story of the humble heroine, and as the visitor regarded the pair he could see that the large blue eyes of the young girl were suffused with tears. He subsequently learned that THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. 75 the ladies were the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria. It was doubtless during this visit of her girlhood that the Queen formed an affection for the Isle of Wight, which induced her, in later years, to select Osborne as a marine residence. After a period of rest at Norris Castle, the Duchess of Kent and her daughter went on board their yacht, the Emerald, for a cruise in the Channel, visiting Southampton, Plymouth and Torquay. At each place they were welcomed by loyal addresses from the local authorities. The enthusiasm of the people was great ; and if the old King had been an- noyed at the homage paid to the mother and daughter during their tour by land, he was more chagrined than ever by the popular demon- strations of loyalty which attended their progress by water. He sent forth a royal decree that an end should be put to the continual "pop- pings" of the ships in the Channel in the way of salutes to the Duchess of Kent's yacht. The naval authorities were of opinion that the royal ladies were legally entitled to the salutes, whereupon the irate King endeavored to coerce the Duchess into waiving her right to them; but Her Eoyal Highness replied with becoming dignity: "If the King would offer me a slight in the face of his people, he can offer it so easily that he should not ask me to make the task easier." We fear there were young midshipmen irreverent enough to cry, "That's 'one' for the King," as they tossed their caps in the air and gave three cheers for the pretty, blue-eyed Princess, who was so merrily sailing the waters of the Channel under the care of her dignified mamma. The King finally ended the miserable contention by summoning the Privy Council to pass an order that henceforth no salute should be offered to any vessel flying the royal flag unless the King or the Queen were on board. The Court chronicler very fittingly describes this as a "council for a foolish business." It was during her cruise on the Emerald that the Princess met with her third narrow escape from death. She was sitting on deck when the yacht came into collision with another vessel so violently that the top-mast of the Emerald fell close to the Princess, and would have struck her but for the timely intervention of the pilot, Mr. Saunders, who snatched her up in his arms and carried her to a place of safety. The Queen never forgot her gallant preserver. She promoted him to the rank of Master when she ascended the throne, and cared for his widow and children after his death. 76 THE LIFE OF 4 YOUNG PRINCESS. While the Princess was thus expanding her mind by travel, her general education was being pursued with strictest care. After the passing of the Regency Bill, and the public recognition of the Princess as heiress-presumptive, Parliament granted an extra £10,000 a year for her education. Her resident governess from childhood was Fraulein Lehzen, the daughter of a Hanoverian clergyman, who came first to Kensington Palace as the instructress of the Princess Feodore. She was made a Baroness by George IV. in recognition of her services to the Princess Victoria. The Queen has related that she regarded her with the warmest affection, although she stood much in awe of her. It has already been told how the Baroness acquainted her pupil with her nearness to the throne, and it would appear from the Baroness' letters of this period that she had been absent for a time from Kensing- ton Palace, and returned there from Paris in May, 1831. "My Prin- cess," she writes, " will be twelve years old to-morrow. She is not tall, but very pretty, has dark blue eyes, and a mouth which, though not tiny, is very good-tempered and pleasant, very fine teeth, a small but graceful figure, and a very small foot. She was dressed (to receive me) in white muslin with a coral necklet. Her whole bearing is so childish and engaging that one could not desire a more amiable child." Again she writes, shortly afterwards, that her Princess "flourishes in good- ness and beauty." It was now thought, however, desirable by the King that an Eng- lish governess should be appointed for the Princess in conjunction with the Baroness, and His Majesty selected for this important post Char- lotte Florentia (Clive), third Duchess of Northumberland and second daughter of the first Earl of Powis. It was the duty of the Duchess to instruct her pupil in matters of court etiquette and ceremonial, to train her in deportment, and to generally instruct her in the lighter graces. How apt was the pupil and how well the instructress succeeded in her delicate task was evinced by the almost startling ease and grace of manner which distinguished the girl Queen when she first ascended the throne. It was the universal testimony of all who were about the Queen that she was unsurpassed for graciousness and queenly bearing. Madame Bourdin instructed her in dancing, and the famous vocalist, Luigi Lablache, in singing. The Princess must surely have derived some entertainment from her singing-master, for he is reported to have been of such huge dimensions that one of bis boots would have made a THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. 77 small portmanteau, and a child might have been clad in one of his gloves. His portentous voice rang through the house like a great bell. His wife is said to have been aroused by a sound in the middle of the night which she took for the tocsin announcing a fire; but it was only Lablache producing in his sleep these bell-like sounds. Mr. Bernard Sale continued to instruct the Princess in music, and Mr. Richard Westall, R. A., in drawing and painting, in which she grew so proficient that, had she been "Miss" instead of the Princess Victoria, her tutor was of opinion that she would have been the first woman artist of the day. She once told her tutor that her pencil was a source of great delight to her, and that it was a study in which she would willingly spend more of her time than in any other. This talent has been inherited by all the Queen's daughters, but more especially by the Princess Louise, who is both artist and sculptor. Mr. Stewart, the writing and arithmetic master at Westminster school, instructed the Princess in those branches of education. From the well-known riding-master of the day, Mr. Fozard, the Princess w^as rapidly acquiring that grace in the saddle of which old people never tire of speaking, as they recall the days when they saw the girl Queen cantering down the Row. Her mother was her chief instructress in languages; Mr. Amos trained her in the difficult paths of constitutional history; while her chief preceptor in Greek, Latin, mathematics, theology, and literature continued to be her childhood's tutor, the Rev. George Davys, who had been made Dean of Chester, and was eventually to be Bishop of Peterborough. The Queen con- stantly spoke of him as "my kind, good master." The Duchess of Kent thought very highly of her daughter's tutor, who also served as domestic chaplain at Kensington Palace. An amusing story used to be told by him. "I like your sermons so much, Mr. Dean," said the Duch- ess one day, adding, as he bowed low, "because they are so short." His son, Canon Davys, gives a corrected version of the story. What the Duchess really said was that she liked the Dean's sermons because they were so good and so short. Bishop Davys' modesty or his sense of humor led him to omit the word "good" when he told the story. The Teverend tutor had a quiet humor, and enjoyed his pupil's clever repartees. The Dean had been preaching from his favorite text, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." The Princess asked, *T)o not men reap anything but what they sow?" "Yes," replied 78 THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. the Dean, "if they allow some one to come and sow tares amongst their wheat." "Ah, I know who that some one is," said the Princess, "and I must keep him at arm's length." "At arm's length only, your Royal Highness?" rejoined the Dean. "Well, if I keep him there, he won't do much harm," was the quick reply. Bishop Davys was fond of telling another story as illustrating his young pupil's fearless truthfulness. The Princess had been giving trouble to her tutor over her lessons one morning, and the Baroness Lehzen had occasion to reprove her. When the Duchess of Kent came into the room, she inquired after - her daughter's behavior. The Baroness reported that the Princess had been naughty once. But the little culprit interrupted her with, "Twice, Lehzen; don't you remem- ber?" A less partial judge than Bishop Davys might have discovered a little sauciness in this very truthful statement. The Bishop was an exceedingly good elocutionist, and it is to his careful training that the Princess owed her clear and expressive intonation. She was very fond of good literature, and read principally in the English classics; Pope, Dryden, and Shakespeare being special favorites. The "Spectator" was the class book chiefly used by the Princess, and she also read the Latin authors under her tutor's direc- tion. To him also she looked for religious guidance in the solemn ceremony of confirmation, for which she was now preparing. There is every evidence to show that her feelings at this period were of a serious and devout kind. On the 30th of August, 1835, the Princess stood in her simple white confirmation dress in the Chapel Royal of St. James's. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London officiated at the ceremony, which was entirely private. There were present the King and Queen, the Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Saxe- Weimar, and several other members of the royal family. The address of the Archbishop was tender and solemn, and as he dwelt upon the obligations of her high estate, and impressively commended her to the guidance of the Almighty Ruler of the Universe, the Princess turned to her mother, and laying her head upon her bosom, sobbed with emotion; a sight which brought tears to the eyes of most w^ho were present. During the past year the Princess had been in a delicate state of health; in fact, at the close of her fifteenth year her condition caused general concern. When, after her recovery, she was again seen driv Queen Victoria In the 60th year of her reign. Gbotjp Showing Her Majesty the Queen, Prince Consort, AND Four Children in Windsor Forest What a contrast is this picture to those of Victoria in later life. The little roiks have since died or grown up, with homes and children of their own, while the husband has long since passed away. The Miss at Victoria's right is the present Empress Dowager Frederick, of Germany, and the boy with the sash and ribbons is now Edward VII, of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. 81 lug with her mother in Hyde Park, the demonstration of joy shown by the people amounted to an ovation. We find her now emerging from the unformed period of girlhood into maidenly maturity and comeliness. She was seen more frequently at public places of amusement, and her fresh, fair face, peeping from under the huge bonnet of the period, was the delight of the London crowds. The extreme simplicity of attire which had distinguished her as a child was exchanged for rich and tasteful costumes. In the sum- mer of 1835, she accompanied Queen Adelaide to the Ascot races, and as she drove in the royal procession to the racecourse her pretty appearance was much talked of. She wore a large pink bonnet and a rose-colored satin frock, which matched the roses on her cheeks and contrasted nicely with her fair hair and blue eyes. Nathaniel Parker Willis, the American writer, then visiting London, recorded his impres- sions of the Princess as he saw her at Ascot. He came to the conclu- sion that she was quite "unnecessarily pretty and interesting" for a royal princess. "She will be sold, poor thing!" continued this youth of eighteen, "bartered away by those great dealers in royal hearts, whose calculations will not be of much consolation to her if she happens to have a taste of her own." Not so fast, Mr. Willis ; the Prince Charming will shortly appear to woo and win the fair Princess in the pink bonnet and the rose-colored dress, and she has "a taste of her own, and will show it." In the autumn of this year the Princess and her mother made another "royal progress," this time through East Anglia. Loyal demonstrations met them everywhere, and at King's Lynn the railway navvies took the horses from the carriage and drew it for some dis- tance. At Burghley great preparations were made for their reception. Mr. Greville records that all passed off well at the official dinner, except that a pail of ice was "landed" by a nervous waiter in the Duchess of Kent's lap, which made a great bustle. The Court chron- icler does not say so, but it is probable that the Princess laughed at the contretemps. A balL followed, which was opened by Lord Exeter and the Princess, who after dancing one dance went to bed; the Duchess never allowing any festivity to interfere with the simple routine of her daughter's life. Next day the royal ladies set off to Holkham, where they were the guests of the Lady Anne Coke. Sep- arate bedrooms had been prepared for the Princess and her mother; 83 THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. but the Duchess desired that a bed should be provided for her daughter in her own room, as they never slept apart. The Earl of Albemarle, who came to assist his sister. Lady Anne Coke, to entertain the royal visitors, records in his autobiography that the Princess "had most sweet and winning manners." In May, 1836, when the Princess was seventeen, there came to Ken- sington Palace some very interesting visitors — the Duke of Coburg and his two sons, Ernest and Albert. It was the first meeting of the Princess Victoria and her cousin Prince Albert. Fond relatives had destined the two for each other from their cradles; but the happiness of the Princess was too dear both to her mother and to her uncle. King Leopold, for any coercion to be used. It was arranged for the young people to meet without reference being made to any tenderer tie than that of cousinship. They passed several weeks in each other's society, playing duets on the piano, sketching, walking and riding in Kensing- ton Gardens, and attending some functions in town. Prince Albert, writing home regarding this visit, said: "Dear aunt is very kind to us, and does everything she can to please us, and our cousin also is very amiable." The Queen, in after years, gave the following description of her husband at this period: "The Prince was at this time very handsome, but very stout, which he entirely grew out of afterwards. He was most amiable, natural, unaffected, and merry — full of interest in everything." Baron Stockmar, that judicious person whose busi- ness it was to attentively scrutinize the Prince Albert, had already reported to "Uncle Leopold" that he was endowed with the personal characteristics "likely to please the sex," and that his mental qualities were also of a high order. At the end of a month the Duke of Coburg and his sons left Ken- sington and returned to Germany. The Princess parted from each of her cousins with equal affectionateness, but we find that Prince Albert is mentioned with special tenderness in a letter to her Uncle Leopold. Prince Albert, too, during his Continental travels, which followed the visit to Kensington, collected views of the places which he visited, and sent them in an album to the Princess, together with a rose gathered from the top of the Rigi. Now a rose is a rose the whole world over when passed between man and maid, even though it be a dried one from the top of the Rigi. Still we are told that there was nothing between Princess Victoria THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. 83 and her handsome cousin at this time. It was well known that the King did not favor such an alliance for his niece, and was disposed to give his help to one of the other suitors, for, like "Portia," the young Princess was bewildered by the number of Princes who came wooing. There were five suitors at this time besides Prince Albert. We find a letter of the period in which an application is made on behalf of Prince Adalbert of Prussia that he might be permitted "to place himself on the list of those who pretend to the hand of the Princess Victoria." The Duchess of Kent replied that such an application must be referred to the King, adding, "But if I know my duty to the King, I know also my maternal ones, and I am of opinion that the Princess should not marry till she is much older." So in the meantime Prince Albert was traveling and studying in order to be a fit consort, if fortune favored him, for the Queen of Great Britain; the other five suitors were kept at a distance, and the Princess continued to live her happy, quiet life at Kensington Palace. On Sunday, August 21, 1836, the Princess appeared at a grand dinner given by William IV. at Windsor Castle, in celebration of the seventy-first anniversary of his birth. On former occasions the Sailor King had given the Duchess of Kent a piece of his mind, — ^just that piece of it which a proper concern for his own dignity would have made him careful to keep for himself. But in his several outbreaks of ill- humor to the Duchess he does not seem to have ever exceeded the boorish extravagance of his last assault on her feelings. The private dinner in celebration of the monarch's seventy-first birthday was a banquet of a hundred covers. Comprising the most important members of the Koyal family, the company numbered other personages of high quality, belonging to the court of the neighbor- hood. It was at a Sunday and birthday dinner of this impressive kind that the King's health was drunk, at Queen Adelaide's desire, with fit enthusiasm. In the speech with which he acknowledged this display of loyal and affectionate regard, it pleased King William to utter these remarkable words: "I trust in God that my life may be spared nine months longer, after which period, in event of my death, no regency will take place. I shall then have the satisfaction of leaving the Royal authority to the personal exercise of that young lady (here the speaker indicated Princess Victoria, who sat on the opposite side of the table), the heiress-presumptive of the crown, not in the hands of 84 THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. a person now near me" (here tlie orator turned quarter-way about, and glanced angrily at the Duchess of Kent, who sat by his side), who is surrounded by evil advisers, and who is herself incompetent to act with propriety in the station in which she would be placed [if she became Regent]. I have no hesitation in saying that I have been insulted — grossly and continually insulted — by that person; but I am determined to endure no longer a course of misbehavior so disrespect- ful to me. Amongst many other things, I have particularly to com- plain of the manner in which that young lady has been kept away from my court; she has been kept away 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 w^ould 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 occa- sions appear at my court, as it is her duty to do." Spoken in loud and angry tones, these words extinguished what- ever social enjoyment had previously animated the party. Readers may be left to imagine how Queen Adelaide glanced alternately at the King and the Duchess of Kent, throwing looks of entreaty towards the Sovereign, and looks of sympathy to the Duchess, who displayed her emotion neither by word nor gesture, though her changing color showed she was acutely sensible of the indignity put upon her. Whilst the orator took his course, heedless of the Queen's imploring counte- nance, the Princess Victoria was moved to tears. It may be suggested that this account of the affair, which is accepted as historically accurate, may be sensationally exaggerated. But the critical reader fails to discover any reason for this claim. It accords with what is known as the King's irritability, his "sailorlike" bluntness, and his antipathy to the Duchess. Moreover, the original reporter of the unseemly business was Lord Adolphus Fitz Clarence, who would have been more disposed to modify than to accentuate the particulars of his father's misdemeanor. On withdrawing from the outrageous scene, at which she had borne herself with characteristic dignity, the Duchess of Kent ordered her carriage, and would have returned at once to Kensington, had she not been induced by Queen Adelaide (ever a peace-maker) to remain at Windsor till Tuesday. A partial reconciliation was effected, which on His Majesty's part was a mere engagement to be fairly civil to the THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. 85 Duchess whilst she should remain under his roof, if she would forbear to "irritate him past all endurance." If the King kept his promise he barely kept it; for though he may have been formally polite to Her Royal Highness in her presence, he did not hesitate to speak offen- sively about her when she was absent. On the day following the out- break, he declared privately to his son. Lord Adolphus Fitz-Clarence, that he had been insulted by her in a measure that was past all endur- ance, and he would not endure it any longer; and at a later moment of the same day he spoke of her even more offensively, in the hearing of a numerous company. King William had his prayer, and survived the day (May 24, 1837), on which the Princess Victoria completed her eighteenth birthday and passed from her nonage. The event was celebrated in London and throughout the country with an enthusiasm that cannot have failed to gratify the Princess and her mother. From early morning, when the Princess was serenaded by a band of vocal and instrumental per- formers, till night, when the town was illuminated, Londoners sur- rendered themselves to gladness. From noon till evening the great world moved towards Kensington Palace, in order to pay due respect to the heiress-apparent. The birthday gifts were countless; and if they were as costly as successive writers have declared them. King William's sufficient offer- ing of a grand piano, appraised at £210, can scarcely have been the richest of all the rich gifts. At the west end of the town the event of the closing hours of the festival was the State ball at St. James' Palace. It was remarked by the guests at this brilliant gathering that the Princess took precedence of her mother, and in the intervals between the dances occupied the principal chair of state, sitting between the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Augusta. The festivities of the birthday were followed by the reception of successive bevies of municipal authorities, appointed to carry addresses of congratulation to Kensington Palace. With respect to the addresses to the Princess and the Duchess of Kent from the city of London, there had been some difference in the common council, where a minority of the councilors, more desirous of humoring the King's sensibility than thoughtful for their fellow-citizens, asked indiscreet questions and made foolish speeches about an alleged absence of suffi- cient precedents for the proposed address to the heiress-presumptive. 86 THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. The weak opposition, however, was overborne by the good sense of the municipal chamber; and the addresses to the Princess Victoria and the Duchess having been duly presented, similar addresses fol- lowed to Their Highnesses at Kensington from all parts of the country. Shortly before the eighteenth anniversary of the Princess Victoria's birthday, William IV. offered to arrange that she should have a separate allowance of £10,000 a year, which should be put at her own disposal, and wholly beyond her mother's control. The King made this offer in a letter, which he sent to his niece by the hands of Lord Conyngham, whom he commanded to deliver the epistle to the Princess herself, — an order which the Lord Chamberlain, on coming to Ken- sington Palace, could not execute without first declining to give the missive to the Duchess. More has been written than is known of this offer and its consequences. The Princess is said to have written to the King accepting the offer and thanking him for it, although it was accompanied with a stipulation that he should appoint the officers of her establishment. The Princess is also said to have declined the offer on account of this significant stipulation. It has been said that, while deeming £10,000 a year no excessive allowance for the heiress-pre- sumptive to the throne of Great Britain, the Duchess of Kent was of the opinion that £6,000 of the annuity should be put under the control of the heiress' mother, and only £4,000 be put at the absolute disposal of so youthful a Princess. It is certain that the Duchess and the King differed about the arrangement which he was ready to make for his niece's advantage and for his own authority over her. It is certain, also, that their difference of opinion on this delicate subject was fruit- ful of contention, that endured even to King William's death. At the present time the points in dispute are chiefly interesting because they brought about a conference which disposed the Princess Victoria to think highly of the statesman who soon became her favorite companion and most confidential friend. Though she took no part in the discussion of the several questions, the Princess was present at the conferences that took place between her mother and Lord Melbourne at Kensington about the proposed allowance. Listen- ing attentively to all that passed between the Duchess and the states- man, the Princess observed how strongly the Prime Minister spoke in the King^s behalf on the points in respect to which he thought His Majesty was in the right. It does not appear that the Princess con- THE LIFE OF A YOUNG PRINCESS. 87 curred in Lord Melbourne's Tiews and arguments; but she thought the iwaj in which he took the part of the King, whom he knew to be failing, was an evidence "of his honesty and determination to do what he thought right." Appearing for the last time as Princess Victoria at court on May 29, 1837, when she attended the drawing-room held in celebration of her majority, the heiress-presumptive, somewhat later in the season, made her last public appearance in the same character when she came to the ball that was held at the Opera house for the relief of the Spital* fields weavers. While the Princess Victoria was playing her bright and youthful part so as to be daily growing in the favor of the people. King William was sinking to his last hour. Instead of yielding to the treatment of the physicians, his illness was taking its course towards an event about which the ladies and gentlemen of the royal household were silent. It being a rule of court etiquette that death is not to be recog- nized until its work is almost accomplished, the King's intimates assured one another that he was recovering, while they saw clearly that in reality he was growing worse. Early in the morning of June 20, 1837, William IV. yielded his last breath. Lord Archbishop Howley and the Chamberlain, Lord Oonyng- ham, left Windsor immediately, taking a coach to London for the pur- pose of announcing to the Princess Victoria her accession to the throne of the British Empire. The aged King of seventy-six was succeeded by the maiden of eighteen. CHAPTER ni. THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. Victoria is Informed That She is Queen— How She Received the Tidings— Her First Coun- cil — Her Address to the Dignitaries — Condition of the Empire at the Time of Her Ac- cession — Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister — The Queen Removes to Buckingham Palace — ^Amelioration of the Criminal Laws — Daily Life of Her Majesty — ^Insurrection in the Two Canadas — Reform of the Canadian Constitution — The Coronation — War in China— Difficulties of the Young Sovereign. ORD ARCHBISHOP HOWLEY and Lord Conyngham reached Kensington Palace about five o'clock in the mornino;, and knocked, rang, and beat at the doors several times before they could gain admission. When at length the porter was aroused, the visitors were shown into one of the lower rooms, where a long time passed without any attention being paid to them. Grow- ing impatient, they rang the bell, and desired that the attendant on the Princess Victoria might be sent to inform her Royal Highness that they requested an audience on business of imj)ortance. Another long delay ensued, and again the bell was rung, that some explanation might be given of the difficulty which appeared to exist. On the Prin- cess' attendant making her appearance, she declared that Her Royal Highness was in so sweet a sleep that she could not venture to disturb her. It was now evident that stronger measures must be taken, and one of the visitors said, "We have come on business of state to the Queen, and even her sleep must give way to that." The attendant dis- appeared, and a few minutes afterwards the young Sovereign came into the room in a loose white nightgown and shawl, her nightcap thrown off, and her hair falling upon her shoulders, her feet in slip- pers, tears in her eyes, but perfectly collected and dignified. This piquant bit of description, regarding the young Queen's appearance, is from Miss Wynn's "Diaries of a Lady of Quality"; and although it is repeated by most biographers of Her Majesty, and has been given the dignity of historic record by Mr. Justin McCarthy in his "History of Our Own Times," it must not be overlooked that Mr. Greville, Clerk of the Council, who arrived at the Palace a few hours later, and received his information from the Lord Chamberlain, relates 88 Four Generations of English Boyal Family late Queen Victoria, King Edward VII., Duke of York and the latter's son, Edward Victoria in Wedding Dress Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert took place in St. James' Palace on Feb. 10, 1840. On her head Her Majesty wore a simple wreath of orange blossoms, and her magnificent veil did not cover her face, but hung down on each shoulder. Her ornaments were a pair of large diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, and the collar of the Order of the Garter. Queen Victoria's Favorite Dog, Sharp Queen Victoria in her Garden Chaise (Photograph from Life.) QT7EEN Victoria The late Ruler of Great Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India, was born May 24, 1819; crowned, June 28, 1837; Opened her first Parliament, Novem- ber 20, 1837; Married to Prince Albert, February 10, 1840; Birth of Victoria Adelaide, November 21, 1840; Albert Edward born, November 9, 1841; First visit to Scotland September 1, 1842; Corn law repealed June 26, 1846; Declaration of war against Russia, February 28, 1854; Thanksgiving for suppression of Indian mutiny, May 1, 1859; Prince Consort died, December 14, 1861; Proclaimed Empress of India, May 1, 1875; Celebration of Golden Jubilee, June 24, 1887; Duke of Clarence died, January 2, 1892; Inaugurated Manchester Ship Canal, May 21, 1894; Celebration of Diamond Jubilee, June 24, 1897; War decl^ired in South Africa, October 12, 1899; Pretoria capitulated. May 30, 1900; Died, Jafnuary 22, 1901. THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGNS 93 that, "On the morning of the King's death the Archbishop of Canter- bury and Lord Conyngham arrived at Kensington at five o'clock, and immediately desired to see 'the Queen.' They were ushered into an apartment, and in a few minutes the door opened, and she came in wrapped in a dressing-gown, and with slippers on her naked feet." It is probable that the Queen would and did put on her dressing-gown before giving audience to the Primate and Chamberlain, although in the excitement of the occasion some one may have mistaken it for her nightdress. In 1863, when Dean Stanley was on a visit to Osborne, he asked Her Majesty if she would give him an account of how the news of her accession was conveyed to her, which she did in the following words: "It was about 6 a. m. that mamma came and called me, and said I must go to see Lord Conyngham directly — alone. I got up, put on my dress- ing-gown, and went into a room where I found Lord Conyngham, who knelt and kissed my hand, and gave me the certificate of the King's death. In an hour from that time Baron Stockmar came. He had been sent over by King Leopold on hearing of the King's dangerous illness. At 2 p. m. that same day I went to the Council led by my two uncles, the King of Hanover and the Duke of Cambridge." All accounts agree that, immediately the momentous tidings of her acces- sion were conveyed to the Queen, she turned to the Primate, and said, "I ask your Grace to pray for me." And so was begun, with the tears and prayers of a pure young girl, the glorious reign of Victoria. Queen Victoria seated herself on a throne which had been placed in the council chamber, and Lord Chancellor Cottenham administered the customary oath taken by the Sovereigns of England on their acces- sion. The Princes, Peers, Privy Councillors and Cabinet Ministers, next took the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, kneeling before the throne. The Queen caused these distinguished persons to be sworn in as members of the Council, and the Cabinet Ministers, having sur- rendered their seals of office, immediately received them back from Her Majesty, and kissed her hand on their reappointment. Having ordered the necessary alterations in the official stamps and form of prayer, the Council drew up and signed the proclamation of the Queen's accession, which was publicly read on the following day. One of the principal incidents of that memorable council was the reading by the Queen of an address which ran as follows: 94 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. "The severe and afflicting loss which the nation has sustained by the death of His Majesty, my beloved uncle, has developed upon me the duty of administering the government of this Empire. This awful responsibility is imposed upon me so suddenly, and at so early a period, that I should feel myself utterly oppressed by the burden, were I not sustained hj the hope that Divine Providence, which has called me to this work, will give me strength for the performance of it, and that I shall find, in the purity of my intentions, and in my zeal for the public welfare, that support and those resources which usually belong to a more mature age and longer experience. I place my firm reliance upon the wisdom of Parliament, and upon the loyalty and affection of my people. I esteem it also a peculiar advantage that I succeed to a Sovereign whose constant regard for the rights and liberty of his subjects, and whose desire to promote the amelioration of the laws and institutions of the country, have rendered his name the object of general attachment and veneration. Educated in England, under the tender and affectionate care of a most affectionate mother, I have learned from my infancy to respect and love the constitution of my native country. It will be my unceasing study to maintain the reformed religion as by law established, securing at the same time, to all, the full enjoyment of religious liberty; and I shall steadily protect the rights, and promote to the utmost of my power the happiness and welfare, of all classes of my subjects." The demeanor of the Queen on this difficult and agitating occasion is described as composed and dignified. She received the homage of the nobility without any undue excitement, and her delivery of the address was an admirable specimen of the clear and impressive read- ing to which the public afterwards became accustomed. Occasionally she glanced towards Lord Melbourne for guidance; but this occurred very seldom, and for the most part her self-possession was remarkable. The quietude of manner was now and then broken by touches of natural feeling which moved the hearts of all present. Her Majesty was particularly considerate to the Royal Dukes, her uncles; and when the Duke of Sussex, who was infirm, presented himself to take the oath of allegiance, and was about to kneel, she anticipated his action, kissed his cheek, and said, with great tenderness of tone and gesture, "Do not kneel, my uncle, for I am still Victoria, your niece." The new Sovereign was proclaimed under the title of "Alexandrina THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 95 Victoria;" but the first name was not officially used after that day. In some respects, the accession of Queen Victoria took place at a fortu- nate time. England was at peace with all foreign powers; her colonies were undisturbed, with the exception of Canada, where some long- seated discontents were on the eve of breaking out into a rebellion which for a while proved formidable; and, about three years before, slavery had ceased in all British possessions. At home, several of the more difficult questions of politics and statecraft had been settled, either permanently or for a time, in the two preceding reigns; so that large sections of the people, formerly disloyal, or at least unfriendly to the existing order, were well disposed towards a form of govern- ment which no longer appeared in the light of an oppression. Lord Melbourne, who held the office of Prime Minister at the time of the Queen's accession, was an easy-tempered man of the world, well versed in political affairs, but possessed of little power as a speaker, and distinguished rather for tact than high statesmanship. It was from this not very profound statesman that Her Majesty received her first j)racticar instructions in the theory and working of the British constitution. That Lord Melbourne discharged his office with ability, devotion, and conscientiousness, is generally admitted; but it may be questioned whether he did not, however unintentionally, give some- thing of a party bias to Her Majesty's conceptions of policy, and whether his teachings did not considerably depress the regal power in England. At this first Council of the new reign it was arranged that on the next day (June 21), Her Majesty should be publicly proclaimed at St. -James' Palace at ten a. m., and that the proclamation should be fol- lowed by another meeting of the Council. These arrangements hav- ing been made, the Queen sent for Ix)rd Albemarle, the Master of the Horse, who, hastening to her presence before she had retired from the Oouncil chamber, begged that he might be honored with Her Majesty's orders. "I have no order to give," was the gracious reply; "You know all this so much better than I do, that I leave it all to you. I am to be at St. James' at ten to-morrow, and must beg you to find me a convey- ance fit for the occasion." Lord Albemarle was mindful of the command given him by his mistress, and the more desirous to do her bidding in grand style, because the details of the affair had been committed to his discretion. 96 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. Leaving Kensington Palace, the Queen drove with the Duchess of Kent in state to St. James', where her accession and dignity were pub- licly proclaimed. On the 13th of July the Queen, accompanied by her mother, quitted Kensington, and took up her abode at Buckingham Palace. It must have been a period of sad good-byes, for the young Queen was quitting the home of her birth and the haunts of her childhood, as well as leav- ing many loyal hearts around whom her own had entwined. No one was forgotten in her leave-takings; even a poor sick girl, the daughter of Hillman, an old servant of her father's, was made happy by the present of a book of Psalms marked with the dates of the days on which the Queen had been accustomed to read them, and in the book was a marker with a peacock worked on it by her own hands. On the ITtli of July, scarcely a month after her accession, the Queen prorogued Parliament in person. It was said that the Duchess of Kent and Her Majesty's physician endeavored to persuade her not to under- take such an exciting ordeal. In fact, the "old folks" about the young Queen undoubtedly showed a disposition to keep her away from great public ceremonials, thinking it not "quite nice" for a young maiden to be exhibited to a thronging populace. They had counted without their host. Victoria had made up her mind to be a Queen in fact, and not a mere figure-head, and she quickly proved that she could perform the duties of her high estate without losing anything of her delicacy and modesty as a woman. As for the excitement affecting her health, she laughed merrily at the idea, and bade her physician remember that after her very quiet life she found pageants and ceremonials most diverting. So a splendid new throne was set up in the House of Lords, and around it was blazoned in gold letters "Victoria Regina." The Queen was dressed for the ceremony in a white satin kirtle embroid- ered in gold, over which was a crimson robe of velvet, trimmed with ermine. The robe was confined at the waist and shoulders with a gold cord and tassels. Her stomacher was a mass of flashing jewels, and she wore diamond bracelets and the armlet of the Garter. On her arrival at the House the upper part of her dress was exchanged for the parliamentary robes of crimson and ermine. She laughed and chatted gaily with her ladies as they robed her, and, preceded by the heralds and lords-in-waiting and attended by all the great officers of State, entered the House, wearing for the first time a diadem upon he'^ brow. THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 97 She ascended the throne with a firm step, and remained standing and smiling as the lords-in-waiting completed her attire with the mantle of purple velvet. Then in musical accents came the words, "My Lords, be seated," and the time-honored ceremonial began. The reading of the Queen's speech was the event of the day. "I never heard anything better read in my life than her speech," wrote Charles Sumner, who was present; and the Duke of Sussex, when she had finished, wiped his eyes as he exclaimed, "Beautiful! beautiful!" As soon as the Queen was settled at Windsor Castle she received a visit from her Uncle Leopold, King of the Belgians, and his consort Louise, daughter of Louis Philippe. One can imagine that the royal hostess spared no pains to fittingly entertain the uncle to whose kind- ness she owed so much in childhood. The Queen was her own house- keeper, so far as circumstances permitted, and she managed things right royally, but never contracted a debt. She arranged dinner-par- ties, had delightful impromptu dances, picnics on Virginia Water, organized riding and driving-parties, and got up little evening con- certs, at the Castle, at which she frequently sang herself. She was in the saddle most days for two or three hours, attended by a gay caval- cade of ladies and gentlemen. The Queen's passion for riding infected all the women of the country. Usually the Queen wore a green cloth riding-habit and a black beaver hat; but when, in the autumn, she reviewed the troops in the Home Park, she made quite a martial figure mounted on a splendid grey charger and dressed in a blue cloth coat and skirt and a military cap with a deep gold border. From Windsor she proceeded to Brighton, took possession of the Pavilion, and had a gay time as she took the sea air. She was back again in London in November, and on Lord Mayor's Day made a State entrance into the City, knighted the Mayor and the two Sheriffs (one of whom was Sir Moses Montefiore), and dined at the Guildhall. Never had Gog and Magog looked down upon a fairer guest than the young Queen in her pink and silver brocaded silk gown. A little contretemps happened at the dinner. Her Majesty's lace ruffles, having accidentally become entangled with her bouquet and fan, which, with her smelling-bottle, she had laid on the table beside her plate, were the occasion of break- ing the wine-glass from which she had just drunk the toast of the Lord Mayor and the City of London — an accident which caused her some little annoyance. On the 20th of November the Queen opened her first 98 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. Parliament, and was greeted during her progress to the House by the most loyal demonstrations. The question of the Civil List was settled during the session, and the sum of £385,000 was voted as the annual income for the young Sovereign. One of the first things which Her Majesty did with her income was to pay her father's debts, contracted before she was born. It was also said that the Duchess of Kent met with a pleasant surprise one morning when she found on her breakfast table receipts for all outstanding debts. It must be remembered that the Duke of Kent owed his monetary difficulties to his generosity, and that his income was inadequate for a royal duke. But to turn to the more arduous side of the Queen's life. Upon her accession she made her choice in favor of being a working Queen rather than a show monarch, and it became the duty of her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, to instruct her in statecraft. She proved a very apt pupil, and a somewhat trying one, too, for she would know the why and w^herefore of every document laid before her, and signed nothing until she had read it. When the Prime Minister apologized for bring- ing so many business dispatches, the Queen replied: "My Lord, the attention required from me is only a change of occupation. I have not hitherto led a life of leisure, for I have not long left my lessons." There are many well-known stories about the business exactitude of the young Sovereign and of her conscientious scruples; and it is said that Lord Melbourne declared that he "would rather manage ten Kings than one Queen," notwithstanding that the courtly Melbourne liked his position of chief adviser to a lovely young Queen vastly. He was close upon sixty years of age, cultured, polished, every inch a courtier, a man of the world, and a man of honor. There is no doubt that he was an old beau and devoted to the sex. He had no family of his own, no one to love, and he devoted himself to the young Queen with the affection of a father. He was the leader of the Whig party, then in power; but even the Tory leaders acknowledged his aptitude for the delicate post of adviser to the Maiden Monarch. The Duke of Wellington said, "I have no small talk, and Peel has no manners, and so the Queen must be left to Melbourne." The Prime Minister's atti- tude to Her Majesty was far from obsequious, but it conveyed respect- ful deference, and was winning and sincere. He lived at the Castle, and for the Queen's sake accustomed himself to a mode of life which in other circumstances would have been an intolerable "bore." In the THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN, 99 Queen's presence he usually took care only to speak the Queen's Eng- lish, and pruned his speech of all needless expletives; but on one occa- sion he forgot himself. He was sitting in his accustomed place at the Queen's left hand at dinner, when the conversation turned upon the recent conversion of Sir Kobert Peel and the Tories to Free Trade and the Corn Laws. "Ma'am," said Melbourne excitedly, "it is a dis- honest act." The ladies-in-waiting were in a state of consternation; but the Queen, with the admirable tact and good sense which always distinguished her, laughingly told her minister that he might discuss the Corn Laws with her in private. The persons who exercised the chief influence upon the Queen at this time were Baron Stockmar, the trusted friend of her uncle. King Leopold, who had been dispatched by him to the British Court to watch over his niece's welfare; the Baroness Lehzen, her former gover- ness, and now her private secretary; the beautiful Duchess of Suther- land, her favorite lady-in-waiting; and, of course, her mother, the Duchess of Kent, who was always her daughter's loved companion, though she took no part in affairs of State. Still, it was to Lord Mel- bourne that the young Queen always turned for advice. The oracular Stockmar, who became such an important figure in Court circles after Her Majesty's marriage, remained for the time in the background. His chief function was to watch "how the wind blew" with regard to Prince Albert of Coburg, the devoted lover whom the coy young Queen was keeping at a distance. In homely phrase, she meant "to enjoy herself for a few years before she got married." The Queen's life at Windsor was regulated with due regard for her many duties. She rose at eight, breakfasted with her mother — who was so strict in her observance of etiquette that she never came to her Queen-daughter's presence until she was summoned — then, dressed in her white silk robe de chambre, the Queen received Lord Melbourne in her boudoir, read the dispatches, and transacted State business. Later in the morning she gave audience, when necessary, to Cabinet Ministers. At two o'clock she rode out, generally at full gallop, attended by her numerous suite, and with Lord Melbourne on her left hand. After riding she amused herself with music and singing and playing with the children, if there were any staying in the Castle. At eight o'clock she entered the room where the guests were assembled for dinner, spoke to each lady, bowed to the men, and, taking the arm 100 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. of the most distinguislied man present, walked into the dining-room. The Queen had one little rule which one notes with interest. She would not allow the gentlemen to remain over their after-dinner wine more than a quarter of an hour, and always remained standing in the drawing-room until they made their appearance. The evening was spent in music and conversation, varied by quadrille parties; the Duchess of Kent always having her rubber of whist. At half-past eleven the Queen retired. Her life at Windsor was varied by sojourns at Buckingham Palace and at the Pavilion at Brighton. Wherever she was, each hour of the day was mapped out, and she spent no idle moments, having the happy faculty for working when she worked and playing when she played. If the Queen had led a quiet, uneventful girlhood, she certainly made up for lost time now, and there was no one in Her Majesty's dominions who enjoyed life with its pleasures and gaieties more thoroughly. The first great historical event in the reign of Queen Victoria was the insurrection in Canada. This proved to be of very serious import, and undoubtedly showed the existence of much disaffection on the part of the French-speaking colonists. It is probable that the latter had never outgrown the mortification of being snatched from their old association with the mother-country, and subjected to a Protestant kingdom. For several years after the treaty of 1763, which made over Canada to Great Britain as a consequence of the brilliant victories gained by Wolfe and Amherst, the colony was despotically ruled; but in 1791 a more representative form of government was established, by which the whole possession was divided into an Upper and a Lower Province. Each of the provinces was furnished with a Constitution, comprising a Governor, an Executive Council nominated by the Crown, a Legislative Council appointed for life in the same way, and a Eepre- sentative Assembly elected for four years. This Constitution (which had been sanctioned by an act of the British Parliament) worked very badly, and in 1837 the assemblies of both Provinces were at issue with their Governors, and with the Councils appointed by the Monarch. But by far the most serious state of affairs was that which prevailed in Lower (or Eastern) Canada, where the population was mainly of French origin, and where, consequently, the antagonism of race and religion was chiefly to be expected. Towards the latter end of the reign of William IV., commissioners were appointed to inquire into The Queei^^ Tisiting Highlaiv^d Te^takts. One of the Greatest Monuments to Queen Victoria is in the fact that in all the relation- of 7if<^ as wife mother, friend, neighbor, and stranger even, she was, if we may accept the concurrent testN mony of those who knew her best, conscientious, honest, sincere, kinfl, ind true /-""^-^rrent testi- after all. her grandest monument. This record will be. ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL, The last public rites over the late Queen took place here. THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 103 the alleged grievances, and the report of these gentlemen was pre- sented to Parliament early in the session of 1837. On March 6, Lord John Russell, then Home Secretary, brought the subject to the atten- tion of the House of Commons, and, after many prolonged debates, a series of resolutions was passed, affirming the necessity of certain reforms in the political state of Canada. These reforms, however, did not go nearly far enough to satisfy the requirements of the disaffected, and by the close of 1837 the Canadians were in full revolt. When the Queen opened her first Parliament, on November 20, the state of Lower Canada was recommended, in the Royal speech, to the "serious consideration" of the Legislature. Before any measures could be taken, intelligence of the outbreak reached England, and, on December 22, Lord John Russell informed the House of Commons that the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada had been adjourned, on its refusal to entertain the supplies, or to proceed to business, in con- sequence of what were deemed the insufficient proposals of the Imperial Government. The colonists undoubtedly had some griev- ances of old standing, and their Constitution required amendment in a popular sense. But a position had been assumed which the advisers of the Crown could not possibly tolerate, and the malcontents were now in arms against the just and legal authority of the sovereign. As early as March Lord John Russell had said that, since October, 1832, no pro- vision had been made by the legislators of Lower Canada for defraying the charges of the administration of justice, or for the support of civil government in the Province. The arrears amounted to a very large sum, which the House of Assembly refused to vote, while at the same time demanding an elected legislative council and entire control over all branches of the Government. The insurgents of Canada had numerous sympathizers in the United States, where many people began to hope that existing complications might effect the annexation of the two Provinces to the great Republic. Those who were the most earnest in their views soon passed from sym- pathy into action. In the latter days of 1837 a party of Americans seized on Navy Island a small piece of territory, situated on Niagara River a little above the Falls, and belonging to Canada. Numbering as many as seven hundred and having with them twenty pieces of can- non, these unauthorized volunteers seemed likely to prove formidable; but their means of defense was soon diminished by an energetic, though 104 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN, somewliat irregular, proceeding on the part of the Canadian authorities, acting, as was afterwards well known, under the orders of Sir Francis Head, the Governor of Upper Canada. A small steamboat owned by the American invaders, with which they kept up communication with their own side of the river, and which was laden with arms and ammunition for the insurgents, was cut adrift from her moorings on the night of December 29, set on fire and left to sweep over the cataract. The affair led to a great deal of diplomatic correspondence between the British and American Governments; but the preceding violation of Canadian soil by a body of adventurers precluded the Cabinet at Washington from making any serious demands on that of London. Ultimately, in the course of 1838, President Van Buren issued a proclamation calling on all persons engaged in schemes for invading Canada to desist from the same, on pain of such punish- ments as the law attached to the offense. This put an end to the diflft- culty so far as the two countries were concerned; but the insurrection was not yet entirely suppressed. Although the worst disaffection was in Lower Canada, both Prov- inces were disturbed by movements of a disloyal nature. In the autumn of 1837 a small party of English troops was beaten at St. Denis; but another detachment was successful against the rebels, and the garrisons of the various cities, though extremely small, held their own against the rising tide of insurrection. Aided by the Royalists, the Govern- ment force under Sir John Colborne inflicted some severe blows on the enemy; yet the movement continued throughout the greater part of 1838. On the 16th of January in that year, however, the Earl of Durham was appointed Governor-General of the five British colonies of North America, and Lord High Commissioner for the Adjustment of Affairs in Canada. A liberal policy was inaugurated, which brought the revolt to an end before the close of the year, and the colony soon after entered upon a future of prosperity. But we must now pass on to the Coronation, the great event of 1838, and one of the greatest spectacles of Her Majesty's reign. Long before the day fixed for the ceremony the deepest interest was manifested in it. Amongst the proclamations issued was one declaring it to be the Queen's royal will and pleasure to dispense with, at her approaching Coro- nation, all the ceremonies usually performed in Westminster Hall on such an occasion. These ceremonies included the entry of the Cham- THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 105 pion of England on horseback, whose right it was to throw down his gauntlet in defense of the sovereign, challenging any one to take it up. Another proclamatioii stated that the peers were to be relieved from doing homage in the usual fashion by kissing the left cheek of the sov- ereign. One can imagine the girl-Queen's dismay if this ancient custom had been maintained in her case. For her royal uncles to kiss her cheek was only a natural proceeding, but that some six hundred spirit- ual and temporal peers should follow each other in kissing the sov- ereign's left cheek would have been an appalling prospect. The old custom was for each peer, according to his rank and profession, singly to ascend the throne, to touch with his hand the crown on the sovereign's head, and then to kiss her on her cheek. Though all the peers would no doubt have taken care to be present on such an interesting occasion, it cannot be matter of surprise that they were relieved from this and other onerous duties. The first issue of sovereigns bearing the impress of Queen Victoria took place on June 14, but the bankers were only supplied with limited numbers, and could not gratify the whole of their clamorous customers at once. The crown in which the Queen was to appear at the Coronation was made, and exhibited for public inspection, by Messrs. Rundell & Bridge. It was more tasteful than that worn by George IV. and William IV., which had been broken up. The old crown weighed more than, seven pounds, and the new, which was smaller, only about three pounds. It was composed of hoops of silver, enclosing a cap of deep blue velvet; the hoops were completely covered with precious stones, surmounted by a ball covered with small diamonds, and having a Maltese cross of brilliants on the top of it. The cross had in its center a splendid sap- phire; the rim of the crown was clustered with brilliants, and orna- mented with fleur-de-lis and Maltese crosses, equally rich. In the front of the large Maltese cross was the enormous heart-shaped ruby which had been worn by Edward, the Black Prince, and which afterwards figured in the helmet of Henry V. at the battle of Agincourt. Beneath this, in the circular rim, was a large oblong sapphire. There were many other precious gems, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, and several small clusters of drop pearls. The lower part of the crown was surrounded with ermine. The value of the jewels on the crown was estimated at £112,760. The following is a summary of the precious stones comprised 106 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. in the crown: 1 large ruby, irregularly golished; 1 large bjcoadspread eapphirie; 16 sapphires; 11 emeralds; 4 rubles; 1,S63 briUiant diamonds; 1,273 rose diamonds; 147 table diamonds; 4 drop-shgped pearls; 273 other pearls. Amid great pomp and ceremony the coronation of Her Majesty took place in Westminster Abbey, on Thursday, the 28th of June. London was awake very early on that day, and by 6 o'clock strings of vehicles poured into the West End. Crowds of foot-passengers also were on the move, all converging towards one point. From Hyde Park Corner to the Abbey there was scarcely a house without a scaffolding, soon to be filled with sightseers. Seats were sold at a very high rate, while tickets for the interior of the Abbey were bought on the eve of the ceremony at more than twenty guineas each; and the Earl Marshal had to apprise the public that forged tickets were in circulation, the holders of which would not only be stopped but given into custody. Notwithstanding the immense number of persons in the Green Park and St. James' Park, and in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace, the police and military pre- served admirable order. At 10 o'clock a salute of twenty-one guns, and the hoisting of the imperial standard in front of the palace, intimated that Her Majesty had entered the state carriage. The procession then set forth, pre- ceded by trumpeters and a detachment of Life Guards. Then came the foreign Ministers and Ambassadors, followed by the carriages of the royal family, containing the Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Glou- cester, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex; next Her Majesty's carriages, containing the members of the household and others; and then, after officers and guards of various kinds, came the state coach, drawn by eight cream-colored horses, conveying the Queen and the Mistress of the Kobes and Master of the Horse. All the royal personages were loudly cheered, but when the state carriage bearing the young sovereign came in view the enthusiasm was some- thing tremendous. Her Majesty appeared in excellent spirits, and highly delighted with the imposing scene. The troops saluted in succes- sion as she passed, and remained with presented arms until the royal carriage had passed the front of each battalion, the bands continuing to play the National Anthem. To the credit of the crowd, a hearty cheer was raised for Marshal Soult, which the French veteran acknowledged with great satisfaction, not unmingled with surprise. It is said that THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 107 every window along the route was a bouquet, every balcony a parterre of living loveliness and beauty; and as the Queen passed, scarfs, hand- kerchiefs and flowers were waved with the most boisterous enthusiasm. Her Majesty was more than once visibly affected by tliese exhilarating demonstrations, and occasionally turned to the Duchess of Sutherland to conceal or express her emotion. Westminster Abbey was reached at half-past eleven. On each side the nave, galleries were erected for the spectators, with accommodation for a thousand persons. Under the central tower of the Abbey, in the interior of the choir, a platform was raised, covered with a carpet of cloth of gold, and upon it the chair of homage, superb in gilt, was placed, facing the altar. Further on, within the chancel, and near the altar, was Edward the Confessor's chair. The altar was covered with massive gold plate. Galleries were provided for members of the House of Com- mons, foreign Ambassadors and other persons of distinction, the Judges, Masters in Chancery, Knights of the Bath, the Lord Mayor and the members of the Corporation, etc. Shortly before noon the grand procession began to enter the choir. It was headed by the prebendaries and Dean of Westminster, followed by the great officers of Her Majesty's household. Then came the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord President of the Council, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, the Archbishop of Armagh, the Archbishop of York, the Lord Chancellor of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Prin- cesses of the blood royal succeeded: the Duchess of Cambridge, in a robe of estate and purple velvet and wearing a circlet of gold, her train borne by Lady Caroline Campbell, and her coronet by Viscount Villiers; the Duchess of Kent, in a robe of estate of purple velvet and wearing a circlet of gold, her train borne by the hapless Lady Flora Hastings, and her coronet by Viscount Emlyn. Next came one of the most interest- ing parts of the procession — the Regalia. St. Edward's staff was borne by the Duke of Roxburgh e; the golden spurs by Lord Byron; the scepter with- the cross by the Duke of Cleveland; the curtana, or sword of mercy, by the Duke of Devonshire; the second sword by the Duke of Sutherland, and the third sword by the Marquis of Westminster. Black Rod and Deputy Garter were succeeded by Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, Lord Great Chamberlain of England. The Princes of the blood royal now appeared: the Duke of Cambridge, in his robes and carrying his baton as Field Marshal; and the Duke of Sussex, also in his robes of 108 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. estate. Then in order were tlie High Constable of Ireland, the Duke of Leinster; the High Constable of Scotland, the Earl of Erroll; the Earl Marshal of England, the Duke of Norfolk; Viscount Melbourne, bearing the sword of State; the Lord High Constable of England, the Duke of Wellington; the Bishop of Bangor, bearing the patina; the Bishop of Winchester, bearing the Bible; and the Bishop of London, bearing the chalice. After these came the Queen, in her royal robe of crimson vel- vet, furred with ermine and bordered with gold lace, wearing the collars of her orders, with a circlet of gold upon her head. On one side of her was the Bishop of Bath and Wells, with ten gentlemen-at-arms ; and on the other the Bishop of Durham, also with ten gentlemen-at-arms. Her Majesty's train was borne by the following eight young ladies, the daughters of well-known noblemen of high rank in the peerage : Lady Adelaide Paget, Lady Frances Elizabeth Cowper, Lady Ann Wentworth Fitzwilliam, Lady Mary Augusta Frederica Grimston, Lady Caroline Amelia Gordon Lennox, Lady Mary Alethea Beatrix Talbot, Lady Cath- erine Lucy Wilhelmina Stanhope and Lady Louisa Harriet Jenkinson. The last distinguished personages in the procession were the Lord Chamberlain of the Household ; the Duchess of Sutherland, Mistress of the Robes; the Marchioness of Lansdowne, First Lady of the Bed- chamber; six other ladies of the bedchamber; eight maids of honor; eight women of the bedchamber; Gold Stick of the Life Guards; the Master of the Horse; the Captain of the Guard, and other high officials. The scene which followed Her Majesty's entry into the Abbey was one of the most impressive which could possibly be conceived. From a variety of sources we have gathered our description of its most interest- ing features. The Queen looked extremely well, and had a very ani- mated expression of countenance. Some of the foreign Ambassadors had numerous and splendid suites, and were magnificently attired; but by far the most gorgeous was Prince Bsterhazy, whose dress, down to his very boot-heels, sparkled with diamonds. The scene within the choir which presented itself to the Queen on her entrance was very gorgeous, and indeed almost overwhelming. The Turkish Ambassador, it is reported, was absolutely bewildered; he stopped in astonishment, and for some time would not move up to his allotted place. The Queen was received with hearty plaudits as she advanced slowly towards the center of the choir; the anthem, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord," being meanwhile sung THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 109 by the musicians. Then, with thrilling effect and full trumpet accom- paniment, "God Save the Queen" was rendered. The booming of the guns outside was deadened by the tumultuous acclamations of those within the Abbey, which did not close till the beloved object of this enthusiastic homage reached the recognition-chair, on the southeast of the altar. Here the Queen knelt at the faldstool, engaging in silent prayer. Her mind must have been agitated with deep and conflicting emotions at this awful moment, when the vast weight of her responsi- bilities pressed in upon her. There were many who shed tears as the simple maiden, the center of so much splendor and the cynosure of a whole Empire, implored the Divine strength in the fulfilment of her sovereign duties. When she rose from her devotions the pealing notes of the anthem rang through the arches of the Abbey. Scarcely had the music ceased when, in pursuance of their prescriptive right, the Westminster scholars rose up with one accord and acclaimed their sovereign. They shouted in almost deafening chorus, "Victoria, Victoria! Vivat Victoria Eegina!" This was the first actual incident in the proceedings of the Coronation. The Archbishop of Canterbury now advanced from his station at the great southeast pillar to the east side of the theater or platform, accompanied by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Great Chamberlain, the High Constable and the Earl Marshal, preceded by Garter King-at-Arms; and presenting the youthful monarch to her people, made the recognition in these words: "Sirs, I here present unto you Queen Victoria, the undoubted Queen of this realm; wherefore, all you who are come this day to do your homage, are you willing to do the same?" In response there was a rapturous and general shout of "God save Queen Victoria!" The Archbishop and the great officers of state made the same recognition to the people on the other three sides of the Abbey, south, west and north; the Queen remaining standing, and turning her- self about to face her loyal lieges on each side as the recognition was made, which was answered with long and repeated acclamations. The last recognition over, the drums beat, the trumpets sounded and the band struck up the National Anthem. This part of the ceremonial has been described as one of the most striking and picturesque. The Bishops who bore the patina, Bible and chalice in the procession no THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. now placed the same on the altar. The Queen, attended by the Bishops of Durham and Bath and Wells and the Dean of Westminster, with the great officers of state and noblemen bearing the regalia, advanced to the altar, and, kneeling upon the crimson-velvet cushion, made her first offering, being a pall or altar-cloth of gold, which she delivered to the Archbishop of Canterbury, by whom it was placed on the altar. Her Majesty next placed an ingot of gold, of one pound weight, in the hands of the Archbishop, by whom it was put into the oblation basin. The bearers of the regalia, except those who carried the swords, then pro- ceeded in order to the altar, where they delivered St. Edward's crown, the scepter, dove, orb, spurs and all the other insignia of royalty, to the Archbishop, who delivered them to the Dean of Westminster, by whom they were placed on the altar. The religious ceremony now began with the reading of the Litany by the Bishops of Worcester and St. David's. Then followed the Communion Service, read by the Archbishop of Can- terbury and the Bishops of Rochester and Carlisle. The Bishop of Lon- don preached the sermon from the following text, in the Second Book of Chronicles, chap, xxxiv, verse 31st : "And the King stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and statutes, and with all his heart and all his soul to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book." Her Majesty paid profound attention to the words of the sermon, in the course of which the Bishop praised the late King for his unfeigned religion, and exhorted his youthful successor to follow in his footsteps. The earnest manner in which she listened, and the motion with which, at the mention of her dead uncle, she bowed her head on her hand to conceal a falling tear, were highly touching. On the conclusion of the service the Archbishop advanced towards the Queen, addressing her thus: "Madam, is Your Majesty willing to take the oath?" The Queen replied, "I am willing." "Will you solemnly promise and swear," continued the Archbishop, "to govern the people of this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire- land, and the dominions thereto belonging, according to the statutes in Parliament agreed on, and the respective laws and customs of the same?" THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. Ill In an audible voice the Queen answered, "I solemnly promise so to do." "Will you, to your power, cause law and justice, in mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?" "I will." Then said the Archbishop: "Will you, to the utmost of your power, maintain the laws of God, the true profession of the Gospel, and the Protestant reformed religion established by law? And will you main- tain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the united Church of England and Ireland, and the doctrine, worship, discipline and govern- ment thereof, as by law established within England and Ireland and the territories thereunto belonging? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and clergy of England and Ireland, and to the churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?" Clearly and firmly the Queen replied: "All this I promise to do." Her Majesty, with the Lord Chamberlain and other officers, the sword of state being carried before her, then went to the altar and took the Coronation oath. Laying her right hand upon the Gospels in the Bible carried in the procession, and now brought to her by the Arch- bishop, she said, kneeling: "The things which I have herebefore promised I will perform and keep. So help me, God!" Then the Queen kissed the book, and to a transcript of the oath set her royal sign manual. The Duchess of Kent was observed to be deeply affected during the whole of this office. After signing, Her Majesty knelt upon her faldstool while the choir sang Veni^ Creator^ Spiritiis. The next part of the ceremony, the anointing, was extremely inter- esting. The Queen sat in King Edward's chair; four Knights of the Garter — the Dukes of Buccleuch and Butland, and the Marquises of Anglesey and Exeter — held a rich cloth of gold over her head; the Dean of Westminster took the ampulla from the altar and poured some of the oil it contained into the gold anointing-spoon; then the Archbishop anointed the head and hands of the Queen, marking them in the form of a cross, and pronouncing these words : "Be thou anointed with holy oil, as Kings, priests and prophets were anointed. And as Solomon was anointed King by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet, so be you anointed, blessed and consecrated Queen 112 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. over this people, whom the Lord your God hath given you to rule and govern. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." The Archbishop then pronounced a prayer or blessing over the sov- ereign. The spurs were presented by the Lord Chamberlain to the Queen, who returned them to the altar. The sword of state was presented by Lord Melbourne to the Archbishop, who in delivering it into the Queen's right hand said: "Keceive this kingly sword, brought now from the altar of God and delivered to you by the hands of us, the servants and Bishops of God, though unworthy. With this sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the holy Church of God, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order; that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue, and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life that you may reign forever with Him in the life which is to come. Amen." Lord Melbourne, according to custom, redeemed the sword "with a hundred shillings," and carried it unsheathed before Her Majesty during the remainder of the ceremony. Then followed the investing with the royal robe and the delivery of the orb. At this point there was some little confusion, and when the orb was put into the Queen's hand she turned to Lord John Thynne and said: "What am I to do with it?" "Your Majesty is to hold it, if you please, in your hand." "Am I?" she said: "it is very heavy." As each article of the regalia was given to the Queen the Archbishop accompanied it with a suitable exordium. When the investiture per annulum et haculum — the ring and sceptre — was performed, it was found that the ruby ring had been made for Her Majesty's little finger instead of the fourth, on which the rubric pre- scribes that it should be put. When the Archbishop was to put it on, she extended the former, but he said it must be on the latter. She replied that it was too small, and that she could not get it on. The Archbishop said it was right to put it there, and as he insisted, she yielded, but had first to take off her other rings, and then this was forced on, but it hurt her very much, and as soon as the ceremony was over she was obliged to bathe her finger in iced water in order to get it off. THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 113 One curious custom was observed by the Duke of Norfolk, who, as lord of the manor of Worksop, holds an estate by the service of present- ing to the sovereign a right-hand glove during the ceremonial of the Coronation. The Duke left his seat, and approaching the Queen, kneel- ing, presented to her a glove for her right hand, embroidered with the arms of Howard, which Her Majesty put on. His Grace afterwards occasionally performed his high feudal office of supporting the sov- ereign's right arm, or holding the scepter by her side. The Archbishop, in delivering the scepter with the cross into the Queen's right hand, said: "Receive the royal scepter, the ensign of kingly power and justice." Next he delivered the rod with the dove into the Queen's left hand, this being "the rod of equity and mercy." The Archbishop then took the crown into his hands, and laying it upon the alter, offered up a prayer. Turning from the altar with the other Bishops, he now received the crown from the Dean of Westminster and placed it on Her Majesty's head; whereupon the people, with loud and repeated shouts, cried, "God save the Queen!" At the moment the crown was placed on the head of the sovereign the act was made known by signal to the semaphore at the Admiralty, from whence it was trans- mitted to the outports and other places. A double royal salute of forty- one guns was fired, and the Tower, Windsor, Woolwich and other guns gave a similar greeting to the crowned monarch of the British realms. On the assumption of the crown, the peers and peeresses put on their coronets, the bishops their caps, and the kings-of-arms their crowns; while the trumpets sounded, the drums beat, and the Tower and park guns fired their volleys. Then the full burst of the orchestra broke forth, and the scene was one of such grandeur as to defy description. The Queen was visibly agitated during the long-reiterated acclama- tions. Her bosom heaved with suppressed emotion, and she turned her expressive eyes involuntarily, as if for maternal support, on her sympa- thizing mother, who, with infinitely less command of her feelings, was drowned in tears, and occasionally sobbed most audibly. By a strong effort Her Majesty regained her composure, and the august ceremonial proceeded. After an anthem had been sung, the Archbishop presented the Bible to the Queen, who gave it to the Dean of Westminster to be placed on the altar. The benediction was then delivered by the Archbishop, all the bishops, with the rest of the peers, responding to every part of the 114 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. blessing with a loud and hearty "Amen!" The choir then began to sing the "Te Deum," and the Queen proceeded to the chair which she first occupied, supported by two bishops. She was then "enthroned," or "lifted," as the formulary states, into the chair of homage, by the arch- bishops, bishops, and peers surrounding her. Then began the cere- mony of homage. The Archbishop of Canterbury knelt and did homage for himself and other lords spiritual, who all kissed the Queen's hand. The royal dukes, with the temporal peers, followed according to their precedence, class by class. Ascending the steps leading to the throne, and taking off their coronets, they repeated the oath of homage in the following quaint and homely Saxon form: "I do become your liegeman of life and limb, and of earthly worship ; and faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks. So help me God !" Each peer then in his turn touched the cross on Her Majesty's crown, in token of his readiness to support it against all adversaries. He then kissed the sovereign's hand and retired. A pretty and touching scene took place when the royal dukes, who alone kissed Her Majesty's cheek, came forward to do homage. The Duke of Sussex, who was suffering from indisposition, was feebly and with great difficulty ascending the steps of the throne, when the Queen, yielding to the impulse of natural affection, flung her fair arms about his neck and tenderly embraced him. The Duke was so overcome by this genuine display of feeling that he was supported from the theatre by some of the peers, being unable to repress his emotion. The Duke of Wellington, Earl Grey, and Lord Melbourne were loudly cheered as they severally ascended the steps of the throne. Another incident which went to the heart of the people — for it showed that the Queen's kindness of heart had not forsaken her even in the midst of so great a ceremony — occurred when old Lord Rolle, who was between eighty and ninety years of age, went up to do homage. Har- riet Martineau, who was in the Abbey and witnessed the scene, thus describes it: "The homage was as pretty a sight as any: trains of peers touching her crown and then kissing her hand. It was in the midst of that process that poor Lord Eolle's disaster sent a shock through the whole assemblage. It turned me very sick. The large infirm old man was held up by two peers, and had nearly reached the royal footstool, when he slipped through the hands of his supporters, and rolled over THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 115 and oyer down the steps, lying at the bottom coiled up in his robes. He was instantly lifted np^ and he tried again and again, amidst shouts of admiration of his yalor. The Queen at length spoke to Lord Melbourne, who stood at her shoulder, and he bowed approval; on which she rose, leaned forward, and held out her hand to the old man, dispensing with his touching the crown. He was not hurt, and his self-quizzing on his misadventure was as brave as his behavior at the time. A foreigner in London gravely reported to his own countrymen, what he entirely believed on the word of a wag, that the Lords Rolle held their title on the condition of performing the feat at every coronation!" Another account observes that the Queen's "first impulse was to rise, and when afterwards Lord Rolle came again to do homage she said, *May I not get up and meet him?' and then rose from the throne and advanced down one or two of the steps to prevent his coming up— an act of graciousness and kindness which made a great sensation. It is in fact the remarkable union of naivete, kindness, and native good nature, with propriety and dignity, which makes her so admirable and so endearing to those about her, as she certainly is. I have been repeatedly told that they are all warmly attached to her, but that all feel the impossibility of for a moment losing sight of the respect which they owe her. She never ceases to be a queen, but is always the most charm- ing, cheerful, obliging, unaffected queen in the world." While the lords were doing homage, the Earl of Surrey, Treasurer of the Household, threw coronation medals in silver about the choir and lower galleries, which were scrambled for with great eagerness. A London alderman was thrown on the ground and rolled over in the struggle for one of these medals. It was feared that a battle-royal would ensue between some of the competitors. One of the sons of the Duke of Richmond secured thirteen of the medals, which he placed on his page's sash, in Oriental fashion. High-born ladies entered into the struggle as well as the sterner sex. At the conclusion of the homage the choir sang the anthem, "This is the day which the Lord hath made." The Queen received the two sceptres from the Dukes of Norfolk and Richmond; the drums beat, the trumpets sounded, and the Abbey rang with exultant shouts of "Grod save Queen Victoria! Long live Queen Victoria! May the Queen live forever !" The members of the House of Commons raised the first acclamation with nine cheers. Of the House of Commons as then con- 116 THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN, stituted there survive only two members who are members of the Lower House at the present time— Mr. Villiers, and Mr. Christopher M. Talbot. The solemn ceremony of the coronation being now ended, the Arch- bishop of Canterbury went to the altar. The Queen followed him, and having divested herself of the symbols of sovereignty, she knelt down before the altar. The Gospel and Epistle of the Communion Service having been read by two bishops, Her Majesty made her offering of bread and wine for the communion, in the paten and chalice. A second oblation was a purse of gold, which was placed on the altar. The Queen received the sacrament kneeling on the faldstool by the chair. Afterwards she put on her crown, and with her sceptres in her hands, took her seat again upon the throne. The Archbishop then pro- ceeded with the Communion Service, and pronounced the final blessing. The choir sang the noble anthem, "Hallelujah! for the Lord God omni- potent reigneth." The Queen then left the throne, and attended by two bishops and noblemen bearing the regalia and swords of state, passed into King Edward's Chapel, the organ playing. The Queen delivered the sceptre with the dove to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who laid it on the altar. She was then disrobed of her imperial robe of State, and arrayed in her royal robe of purple velvet by the Lord Chamberlain. The Arch- bishop placed the orb in her left hand. The gold spurs and St. Edward's staff were delivered by the noblemen who bore them to the Dean of Westminster, who placed them on the altar. The Queen then went to the west door of the Abbey wearing her crown, the sceptre with the cross being in her right, and the orb in her left hand. The swords and regalia were delivered to gentlemen who attended to receive them from the Jewel Office. It was nearly four o'clock when the royal procession passed through the nave at the conclusion of the ceremony. As the Queen emerged from the western entrance of the Abbey, there came from the thousands and tens of thousands of her subjects assembled in the vicinity thunders of acclamation and applause. Similar greetings awaited her on the whole of the homeward route; and the scene was even more impressive than in the morning, as Her Majesty now wore her crown, and the peers and peeresses their robes and their jeweled coronets. To the coronation succeeded the festivities. The Queen gave a grand THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 117 banquet to one hundred guests, and the Duke of Wellington a ball at Apsley House which was attended by 2,000 persons. On the next day, and for three succeeding days (omitting Sunday), a fair was held in Hyde Park, this popular festive entertainment being visited by Her Majesty on the Friday. All the theatres in the metropolis, and nearly all other places of public amusement, were by the Queen's command opened gratuitously on the evening of the coronation. The peaceable and orderly behavior of hundreds of thousands of persons belonging to the middle and lower classes during the festivities extorted the admira- tion of foreign residents in London, and was much commented upon. The accidents and offenses reported were extraordinarily few. Enthusi- astic demonstrations took place throughout the country, and public dinners, feasts to the poor, processions and illuminations were the order of the day. Every town in England had its rejoicings; while in the chief continental cities British subjects assembled to celebrate the auspicious event. A parliamentary return showed that the entire expenses of the coro- nation amounted to £69,421 Is. lOd., of which sum nearly half was incurred by the fitting up of Westminster Abbey. The coronation expenses of George IV., which the Chancellor of the Exchequer esti- mated would not exceed £100,000, amounted to £238,000. There was quite a shower of honors and dignities in connection with the Queen's coronation; but the peers need not detain us, and out of the twenty-nine baronets created, only two will enjoy a permanent fame — namely, Edward Bulwer Lytton, as representing literature, and John Frederick William Herschel, as representing science. A Sovereign is exposed to annoyances from which private individ- uals are free. Mary, Queen of Scots, Marie Antoinette, and other female monarchs, attracted by their loveliness and other qualities an admira- tion which frequently proved embarrassing. We have already seen that this was the case with the Princess Victoria, and after she became queen she had both her admirers and assailants. She was subjected to many annoyances during the year succeeding her coronation. A Scotch youth traveled from the far North to Windsor that he might become personally acquainted with Her Majesty, whom he announced he was destined to espouse. His mental malady having become only too appar- ent, he was placed under restraint. Another individual succeeded in obtaining admission to the Chapel Royal, and planted himself opposite lis THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. to tlie royal closet. After greatly disturbing the Queen by his rude and e^g'er gaze, he began to bow and kiss his hand to her, till he was remoTed by the proper authorities. Incoherent letters, the result of similar aberrations of reason, were addressed to the Queen in great numbers, and some of them found their way into the public journals. In the spring of 1839 Her Majesty was passing in her carriage through the triumphal arch facing the Duke of Wellington's mansion in Piccadilly, when a man rushed from the crowd and threw a letter into the coach with such violence that it struck the Queen upon the face. She remained quite calm, and indicated the offender, who was seized and conveyed to the police station, when it was found that he was the victim of a hallucination. Amongst other cases were those of Thomas Flowers, who was found in the Queen's apartments at Buckingham Palace; and Charles Willets, traveler to a commercial house in Basing- hall street. The conduct of the latter was especially offensive. As the Queen was taking an airing in Hyde Park in July, 1839, he followed her on horseback, and endeavored to get by the side of Her Majesty. Foiled in this, he kept crossing and recrossing in front of the Queen, and endeavored to attract her attention by placing his hand on his left breast, waving his hand, and otherwise acting in a most ridiculous manner. As nothing could be done with him, Colonel Cavendish gave him into custody. Being brought up at Bow Street, he was fined £5 for assaulting the Queen's outrider, and ordered to find bail, himself in £200, and two respectable householders in £100 each, to keep the peace for six months. When Queen Victoria announced to her Prime Minister that she had resolved to marry, Lord Melbourne replied, with paternal solici- tude: "Your Majesty will be much more comfortable, for a woman can- not stand alone for any time, in whatever position she may be." This was in the autumn of 1839, and the previous six months had probably been to the young Queen the most unhappy which she had ever experienced, owing to the strifes and jealousies of the two great political parties in the country. The atmosphere of reserve in which Her Majesty was compelled to live was very unnatural for a young girl, and oppressive to one of her open, candid disposition. Often she must have longed for the companionship of one with whom she could be her- self, unrestricted by regal considerations. There were many suitors for the hand of the fair occupant of the s lit a " in pi In mmm Monuments of Beaconsfield and Malcolm Westminster Abbey contains tiie aslies of many great men and women. Among these are Disraeli, Lord Beaconsfleld, wlio was twice Prime Minister of England, Sir John Malcolm, Lord Chatham, Sit Robert Peel and many others. THE YOUNG QUEEN'S REIGN. 121 greatest throne in the world, among them the Prince of Orange; and it is a curious coincidence that a former Prince of Orange came a-wooing to the Princess Charlotte. After a period of indecision, that royal lady dismissed her suitor peremptorily, not, however, without going to the window to take a last look at him as he mounted his horse, which caused the ladies-in-waiting to think that the Princess was about to relent; but when, after gazing intently at his retreating figure, clad in a scarlet uniform surmounted by a hat with nodding green plumes, she exclaimed, "How like a radish he looks!" it was felt that his fate was finally settled. There are not any stories about Queen Victoria either receiving or dismissing suitors, the proposals for her hand being made officially and rejected in the same manner. The one love episode of her life was with her cousin. Prince Albert, second son of the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and all the world knows of its happy fulfilment. CHAPTER IV. THE QUEEN A BRIDE. Prince Albert's Birthplace— His Earlj Life— His Engaging Qnalities— Princess Victoria's Attachment for Him— The Queen Proposes Marriage to Him — His Visits to England — The Qneen Informs the Council of Her Intended Marriage — Parliament Votes the Prince an Annuity of j^30,000— The Wedding Ceremony at the Chapel Royal St. James — ^A Ifation Rejoices. PKINCE ALBERT was born at the Rosenau, a summer residence of his father, situated about four miles from Coburg, on August 26, 1819. The future husband of the Queen was therefore about a quarter of a year younger than herself. From his childhood he had given proof of an excellent disposition, and as he gained in years he became extremely intelligent and studious. It is easy to flatter a Prince^ and many tongues are always ready to perform the task. But it seems to be the absolute truth to say of Prince Albert that his nature was manly, sincere and affectionate ; that his life was blameless and dis- creet, and that his intellect and acquirements were remarkable, even at an early age. Added to this he was graced with physical beauty and pleasing manners; so that in more ways than one he attracted the atten- tion of many observers. In fact, some of his admirers seemed to think that he was almost too much of a seraph for this mundane sphere; but by the time he was six years old he showed that he was pretty much like other boys, and in a naive little diary which he kept there occur these two somewhat startling items : "9th April. I got up well and happy ; afterwards I had a fight with my brother." "10th April. I had another fight with my brother: that was not right." The young Princes were active and courageous, but they were also very studious. Albert's grandmamma Coburg led him to take an interest in his cousin, the Princess Victoria, and to corre- spond with her at an early date. The Duchess was the mother of Prince Leopold and the Duchess of Kent. She died when Prince Albert was twelve years old. The young Prince's training was very thorough, embracing tuition in various branches of science, languages, music, litera- tttre, ethics and politics. He had also a fine moral and physical training, go that as he advanced towards manhood he was upright both in mind 132 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 123 and body. A programme of studies which he drew up for himself when in his fourteenth year is of a most comprehensive and useful character. His mind was further enlarged by travel, and after tours in Germany, Austria and Holland, he visited England, spending some time with the Duchess of Kent and his cousin at Kensington Palace. At the close of his university career at Bonn, Prince Albert traveled with Baron Stock- mar in Switzerland and Italy. The King of the Belgians had always favored a marriage between the cousins Victoria and Albert, but King William IV. had strongly discouraged it. However, the Princess Victoria repeatedly declared that she would marry nobody else (though five suitors were found for her), and when she became Quieen she of course had her right to choose without let or hindrance. In his home at Erenburg, in the spring of 1839, Prince Albert was agreeably surprised, on entering his apartments after a long journey, to receive a smiling welcome from the features of his fair cousin, the young Queen of England. It appears that she had sent her portrait, executed by Chalon, for his acceptance, and it was privately placed, by her desire, so that it should be the first object to meet his view on his return. The two brothers, Ernest and Albert, again visited England in the ensuing October, this being the third occasion on which they had done so. They reached Buckingham Palace on the 10th, and were conveyed thence in the royal carriages to Windsor Castle. The Queen appears to have been still more impressed than before with her younger cousin, and in writing to her uncle Leopold she remarked : "Albert's beauty is most striking, and he is most amiable and unaffected; in short, very fascinat- ing." Then, with maidenly reserve, as though she had been too com- municative, she hastened to add : "The young men are hotJi amiable, and delightful companions, and I am glad to have them here." The manner of life at Windsor during the stay of the Princes is thus described : "The Queen breakfasted at this time in her own room ; they afterwards paid her a visit there; and at two o'clock had luncheon with her and the Duchess of Kent. In the afternoon they all rode — the Queen and the Duchess and the two Princes, with Lord Melbourne and most of the ladies and gentlemen in attendance, forming a large cavalcade. There was a great dinner in the evening, with a dance after it three times a week." The Queen now put off the monarch, and was the woman alone. She danced with Prince Albert, and showed him many attentions which 124 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. she could never show to others. "At one of the Castle balls, just before the Queen declared her engagement with her loyal cousin to her Coundl, she presented Ills Serene Highness with her bouquet. This flattering in- - dication of her favor might have involved a less quick-witt«d lover in an awkward dilemma, foa? his uniform jacket was fastened up to the chin, after the Prussian fashion, and offered no button-hole wherein to place the precious gift. But the Prince, in the very spirit of Sir Walter Ral - eigh, seized a pen knife, and immediately slit an aperture in his dress next his heart, and there triumphantly deposited the royal flowers." Koyal courtships naturally excite curiosity, for those undistin- guished in position are eager to learn whether love is after all the "level- ler" he is represented. Her Majesty's experience proved that he is. One report says that the Queen endeavored to encourage her lover by asking him how he liked England, to which he responded "Very much." ¥ext day the query was repeated, and the same answer was returned. But on the third occasion, when the maiden-monarch, with downcast eyes and tell-tale blushes, asked "If he would like to live in England?" he rose to the occasion. Emboldened by the Queen's demeanor, it is stated that "on this hint he spoke" of feelings that he had treasured up in strictest secrecy since his first visit to England ; having, with that sensitive deli- cacy which is the inseparable companion of true love, waited for some en- couraging token before he ventured to offer his homage to the "bright particular star" of his devotions. Another account says that Her Majesty inquired of His Serene High- ness whether his visit to this country had been agreeable to him? — whether he liked England? And on the answer being given, "Exceeding- ly," "Then," added the Queen, "it depends on you to make it your home." All this is very pretty and very pleasant, but as a matter of fact the Queen actually proposed to the Prince, and was necessitated to do so from the circumstances of her position. We have it on her own admis- sion that she directly made the proposal. Some days after she had done so she saw the Duchess of Gloucester in London, and told her that she was to make her declaration the next day. The Duchess asked her if it was not a nervous thing to do. She said, "Yes ; but I did a much more nervous thing a little while ago." "What was that?" "I proposed to Prince Albert." The engagement was made on the 15th of October. Prince Albert had been out hnntins^ with his brother, and returned to the Castle about noon. THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 125 Half an hour afterwards he received a summons from the Queen, and went to her room, finding her alone. After a few minutes' convei^satiou O'U other subjects, the Queen told him why she had sent for him, and the whole story of mutual love was once more quickly told. "Though as Queen," observes one writer, "she offered the Prince her coveted hand- that hand which had held the sceptre of sceptres, and which princes and peers and representatives of the highest powers on earth had kissed in homage— it was only as a poor little woman's weak hand, which needed to be upheld and guided in good works by a stronger, firmer hand; and her head, when she laid it on her chosen husband's shoulder, had not the feel of the crown on it. Indeed, she seems to have felt that his love was her real coronation, his faith her consecration." She was not long in communicating the joyful news to her dear friend, Baron Stockmar. It came with some little surprise upon him, for, shortly before, the Queen had assured him that she did not intend to change her unmarried state for a long period. And now she wrote : "I do feel so guilty I know not how to begin my letter; but I think the news it will contain will be sufficient to ensure your forgiveness. Albert has com- pletely won my heart, and all was settled between us this morning. I feel certain he will make me happy. I wish I could feel as certain of my making him happy." The Prince himself, writing to his affectionate grandmother of Gotha, said : "The Queen sent for me alone to her room the other day, and de- clared to me, in a genuine outburst of affection, that I had gained her whole heart, and would make her intensely happy if I would make her the sacrifice of sharing her life with her, for she said she looked on it as a sacrifice; the only thing which troubled her was that she did not think she was worthy of me. The joyous openness with which she told me this enchanted me, and I was quite carried away by it." Efer Majesty appears to have repeatedly dwelt on the Prince's sac- rifices. In one of the typical entries in her Journal we read : "How I will strive to make Albert feel as little as possible the great sacrifice he has made! I told him it ivas a great sacrifice on his part, but he would not allow it." Although many would have regarded the Prince as only to be envied, in one sense the Queen was quite right. She was not called upon to surrender anything, while she received the love and devoted care of a good husband. He, on the other hand, left his native home to dwell amongst strangers, with whom he had yet to make his way. He expatri- 126 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. ated himself from Germany and from his much-loved brother, and took upon himself a portion of the burdens of the English Sovereign, without taking equal rank with her in the rights and privileges of sovereignty. But the young couple were very happy. They had many tastes and sympathies in common. The Prince had considerable facility as an art- ist, and still more as a composer. The music he composed to the songs written by his brother was beyond the average in sweetness of melody, and some of his sacred compositions, notably the tune "Gotha," were of a high order, and found their way into the psalmodies. He also sang well and played with skill. During his stay at Windsor Castle Her Majesty frequently accompanied him on the pianoforte, and at a later period they often sang together the admired productions of Rossini, Auber, Balfe, and Moore. Before he left the Castle, his engagement being then known, the Prince drew a pencil portrait of himself, which he presented to the Duchess of Kent. Both he and his brother were exceedingly fond of outdoor and field sports of all kinds. Of course Greville has something to say about tlie royal engagement, and, as is frequently the case, his remarks are not of the pleasantest character. According to his account, Her Majesty treated the Prime Minister rather slightingly. "The Queen," he says, "settled everything about her marriage herself, and without consulting Melbourne at all on the subject — not even communicating to him her intentions. The re- ports were already rife^ while he was in ignorance; and at last he spoke to her : told her that he could not be ignorant of the reports, nor could she; that he did not presume to inquire what her intentions were; but that it was his duty to tell her that if she had any, it wasi necessary her Ministers should be apprised of them. She said she had nothing to tell him; and about a fortnight afterwards she informed him that the whole thing was settled : a curious exhibition of her independence, and explains the apprehensions which Lady Cowper has recently expressed to me of the serious consequences which her determined character is likely to pro- duce. If she has already shaken off her dependence on ^lelbourne, and begins to fly with her own wings, what will she not do when she is older, and has to deal with Ministers whom she does not care for, or whom she dislikes?" Now, this does not quite accurately represent what really occurred. There was no soreness felt by Melbourne, who was as kind as ever when the Queen, feeling that the time had come when she could confide in him, THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 127 told him of lier intentions. This she did on the 14th of October, the day before the engagement was made. She said she had made her choice, whereupon Melbourne expressed his great satisfaction, and added (as it is stated in the Queen's Journal) ; "I think it will be very well received, for I hear that there is an anxiety now that it should be, and I am very glad of it." Then he said, in a paternal tone : "You will be much more comfortable, for a woman cannot stand alone for any time in Avhatever position she may be." The King of the Belgians took a special interest in the engagement. Before he was aware of its conclusion he had written to the Queen as fol- lows concerning his nephews : "I am sure you will like them the more the longer you see them. They are young men of merit, and without that puppy-like affectation w^hich is so often found with young gentlemen of rank; and though remarkably well-informed, they are very free from pedantry. Albert is a very agreeable companion. His manners are so quiet and harmonious that one likes to have him near one's self. I al- ways found him so when I had him with me, and I think his travels have still further improved him. He is full of talent and fun, and draws cleverly." Then comes a very direct hint in the King's letter : "I trust they will enliven your sejour in the old castle, and may Albert be able to strew roses without thorns in the pathway of life of our good Victoria. He is well qualified to do so." A letter from the Queen to the King crossed this one. "My dearest uncle," she wrote, "this letter will I am sure give you pleasure, for you have always shown and taken so warm an interest in all that concerns me. My mind is quite made up, acd I told Albert this morning of it. The warm affection he showed me at learning this gave me great pleasure. He seems perfection, and I think I have the prospect of very great happi- ness before me. I love him more than I can say, and shall do everything in my power to render this sacrifice (for such in my opinion it is) as small as I can. It is absolutely necessary that this determination of mine should be known to no one but yourself and uncle Ernest, until after the meeting of Parliament, as it would be considered otherwise neglect- ful on my part not to have assembled Parliament at once to inform them of it." The writer added : "Lord Melbourne has acted in this business, as he has always done towards me, with the greatest kindness and affec- tion. We also think it better — and Albert quite approves of it — ^that we 138 , THE QUEEN A BRIDE. >■ ' " should be married very soon after Parliament meets, about the begin- ning of February." King Leopold sent a very affectionate reply from Wiesbaden:; "My dearest Victoria, nothing could have given me greater pleasure than your dear letter. I had, when I learnt your decision, almost the feeling of old Simeon — 'Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.' Your choice has been for these last years my conviction of what might and would be best for your happiness; and just because I was convinced of it, and knew how strangely fate often changes what one tries to bring about as being the best plan one could fix upon — the maximum of a good arrangement — I feared that it would not happen." We have glimpses of the royal lovers in their correspondence with each other and with their friends and relatives. Thus, Prince Albert, writing to Baron Stockmar, remarks: "An individuality, a character which shall win the respect, the love, and the confidence of the Queen and of the nation, must be the gToundwork of my position. If, therefore, 1 prove a 'noble' Prince in the true sense of the word, as you call upon me to be, wise and prudent conduct will become easier to me, and its results more rich in blessings." But his new position brought anxieties with it. "With the exception of my relation to her (the Queen)," he wrote to his stepmother, "my future position will have its dark sides, and the sky will not always be blue and unclouded. But life has its thorns in every posi- tion, and the consciousness of having used one's powers and endeavors for an object so great as that of promoting the good of so many, will surely be sufficient to support me." The Princes Ernest and Albert remained for a month at Windsor, and we hear of a beautiful emerald serpent ring which the latter presented to his ladylove. In the bracing November weather the engaged couple were present at a review, in the Home Park, of the battalion of the Rifle Brigade quartered at Windsor. Her Majesty has thus described this interesting scene : "At ten minutes to twelve I set off in my Windsor uniform and cap, on my old charger Leopold, with my beloved Albert, looking so handsome in his uniform, on my right, and Sir John Macdon- ald, the xldjutant-General, on my left, Colonel Grey and Colonel We- myss preceding me, a guard of honor, my other gentlemen, my cousin's gentlemen, Lady Caroline Barrington, &c., for the gTound. A horrid day : cold, dreadfully blowy, and, in addition, raining hard when we had been out a few minutes. It, however, ceased when we came to the ground. Eager for News op the British-Boer War Every defeat, every unsuccessful skirmish, the loss or wounding of any brave soldier was personal to Queen Victoria. Princess Victoria in 1830 (From " '^'mting made from Life.) JLiOBD KOBEBTS One of the Greatest Generals of the Victorian Age, born in Cawnpore, India, September 30, 1832; Commissioned Second Lieutenant Bengal Ar- tillery December 12, 1851; Made Lieutenant June 3, 1857; Married Nora Henrietta Bews May 17, 1859; Made Captain November 12, 1860; Brevet Major November 13, 1860; Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, Bengal, August 15, 1868; Brevet Colonel at Kuram Jan. 30, 1875; Major Gen. Cabul field force, December 31, 1878; Baronet, 1881; Lieutenant General Commander in India July 26, 1883; General Commander in Ireland November 28, 1890; Created Baron, 1892; Made Field Marshal May 25, 1895; Command in Africa December 15, 1899; Commander-in-Chief September 30, 1900; Made Earl January 2, 1901. The Makquis of Salisburx— Lord Cecil. Premier of England. THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 133 I rode alone down the ranks, and then took my place as usual, with dear- est Albert on my right, and Sir John Macdonald on my left, and saw the troops march past. They afterwards manoeuvered. The Kifles looked beautiful. It was piercingly cold, and I had my cape on, which dearest Albert settled comfortably for me. He was so cold, being en grande ten- tie^ with high boots. We cantered home again, and went in to show our- selves to poor Ernest, who had seen all from a window." The Princes returned to the Continent on the 14th of November. Af- ter so many happy weeks the Queen felt her loneliness very much, and she spent a good deal of her time in playing over the musical compositions which she and her lover had enjoyed together. She had also another re- minder of him in the shape of a beautiful miniature, which she wore in a bracelet on her arm when she subsequently announced her intended marriage to the Privy Council. Writing to his aunt, the Duchess of Kent, the Prince observed : "What you say about my poor little bride sitting all alone in her room, silent and sad, has touched me to the heart. Oh, that I might fly to her side to cheer her !" The Queen herself after- wards wrote : "For the ^poor little bride' there was no lack of those sweet words, touched with the grateful humility of a manly love, to receive which was a precious foretaste to her of the happiness of the years to come." The Prince wrote to his bride: "That I am the object of so much love and devotion often comes over me as something I can hardly realize. My prevailing feeling is, what am I that such happiness should be mine? For excess of happiness it is for me to know that I am so dear to you." And again, alluding to his grandmother's regret at the im- pending separation from her: "Still she hopes, what I am convinced will be the case, that I may find in you, my dear Victoria, all the happi- ness I could possibly desire. And so I shall, I can truly tell her for her comfort." Yet once more, writing from "dear old Coburg," he says: "How often are my thoughts with you ! The hours I was privileged to pass with you in your dear little room are the radiant points of my life, and I cannot even yet clearly picture to myself that I am indeed to be so happy as to be always aear you, always your protector." Telling the Queen that in an hour he was to take the sacrament in the church at Co- burg, he added, with mingled affection and solemnity: "God will not take it amiss if in that serious act, even at the altar, I think of you, for I will pray to Him for you and for your soul's health, and He will not re- fuse us His blessing." 134 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. The Queen had more than one trying ordeal before her. She left Windsor with the Duchess of Kent on the 20tli of November for Buck- ingham Palace, and immediately summoned a Council for the 23d. It was held in the bow-room of the palace, on the ground floor. Amongst those assembled was the venerable Duke of Wellington, respecting whom and the Sovereign an amusing anecdote had just been current. It was gravely reported that in an interview with Her Majesty Lord Melbourne had represented to the Sovereign the advisability of her marriage, and had begged her to say whether there was any person for whom she enter- tained a preference. Her Majesty deigned to acknowledge that there was one man for whom she could conceive a regard, and that was Arthur, Duke of Wellington ! If this anecdote were as true as it is good, it bore testimony to the sly humor of the Queen. Her task before the Council was an embarrassing one, but her cour- age, as she tells us, was inspired by the sight of the Prince's picture in her bracelet. "Precisely at two I went in," writes the Queen in her Journal. "The room was full, but I hardly knew who was there. Lord Melbourne I saw looking kindly at me with tears in his eyes, but he was not near me. I then read my short declaration. I felt my hands shook, but I did not make one mistake. I felt most happy and thankful when it was over. Lord Lansdowne then rose, and in the name of the Privy Council asked that this most gracious and most welcome communication might be print- ed. I then left the room, the whole thing not lasting above two or three minutes. The Duke of Cambridge came into the small library where I was standing and wished me joy." The Queen's declaration to her Council was as follows: "I have caused you to be summoned at the present time in order that I may ac- quaint you with my resolution in a matter which deeply concerns the welfare of my people and the happiness of my future life. It is my inten- tion to ally myself in marriage with the Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and 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. I have thought fit to make known this resolution to you at the earliest period, in order that you may be apprised of a matter so highly important to me and to my kingdom, and THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 135 which I persuade myself, will be most acceptable to all my loving sub- jects." In her new found bliss as an affianced bride, and while receiving and exchanging daily warm assurances of mutual affection, the Queen did not forget her subjects, and especially those who were the most unfortu- nate of her own sex. Only on the day before she opened Parliament she sent a donation of £50 to the Manor Hall Refuge for Destitute Females released from prison, signifying at the same time, in a gracious communi* cation to Mrs. Fry— that noble friend of the outcast and the degraded— her intention of always supporting the above-mentioned benevolent and truly serviceable institution. Parliament was opened by the Queen in person on the 16th of Janu- ary, 1840. It had been rumored that the recent death of Her Majesty's aunt, the Landgravine of Hesse Homburg, would prevent the Queen from attending the House of Lords, but this proved not to be the case. The Queen had consulted her royal aunts, the Princess Augusta and the Duchess of Gloucester, on the subject, and they both advised her to pur- sue the course of performing her duty to the Senate. "You are, my dear, the highest public functionary," said the Princess Augnista, "and must not permit your private respect to your family to interfere with the proper discharge of your duties to your empire." In her course to the Houses of Parliament the Queen was received with fervent demonstrations of loyalty, and the knowledge of the happy errand she was upon lent addi- tional interest to her progress on this occasion. The marriage that was soon to be solemnized touched the people deeply for they knew it was one of affection, and not one "arranged" merely for purposes of State. The first part of Her Majesty's speech, which was delivered with some amount of trepidation, was as follovfs: "Since you were last assem- bled I have declared my intention of allying myself in marriage with the Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. I humbly implore that the Divine blessing may prosper this union, and render it conducive to the interests of my people, as well as to my own domestic happiness ; and it will be to me a source of the most lively satisfaction to find the resolution I have taken approved by my Parliament. The constant proofs which I have received of your attachment to my person and family, persuade me that you will enable me to provide for such an establishment as may appear suitable to the rank of the Prince and the dignity of the Crown." A bill for the naturalization of Prince Albert was at once passed 136 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. through, both Houses, and the Queen subsequently conferred, upon her future husband the title of "His Royal Highness/' as well as the rank of a Field Marshal in the British army. The question of the Prince's annuity created a good deal of discussion in the House of Commons on the 27th of January. Lord John Russell proposed an annual sum of £50,000, but this was opposed by Mr. Joseph Hume on the ground of economy. He sought to reduce the amount to £21,000, and caused much laughter by a remark to the effect that "the noble lord must know the danger of setting a young man down in London with so much money in his pocket." The amendment was negatived by 305 to thirty-eight; but another amendment, proposed by Colonel Sibthorp, reducing the sum to £30,000, was carried by 262 to 158. A curious rumor had got afloat that Her Majesty had incurred debts beyond the amount of her allowance; and the Government was asked if such were the fact, and also whether Parliament was to be called upon to contribute towards the expenses of the approaching royal nuptials. Lord John Russell stated that both reports were entirely unfounded. With regard to the pecuniary position of Prince Albert, it may be stated, on a Coburg au- thority, that when he attained his majority he was put in possession of the property bequeathed to him by his mother, which produced a reve- nue of 28,000 florins (about £2,400) per annum. When it was decided that he should leave the country to marry Queen Victoria, the Prince granted certain pensions to persons attached to his household, and then transferred the estate to his elder brother. The royal marriage was fixed for the 10th of February, and on the afternoon of the 8th Prince Albert arrived at Buckingham, Palace, ac- companied by his father and elder brother. The Prince brought as a wedding gift to his bride a beautiful sapphire and diamond brooch; and Her Majesty in return presented the Prince with the Star and Badge of the Garter, and the Garter itself, set in diamonds. The Queen had been exceedingly gratified by the high tributes paid to the personal char- acter of Prince Albert by men of all parties. Sir Robert Peel, the leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons, bad especially spoken in generous terms, and felicitated the Sovereign and the country upon the forthcoming auspicious union. The question of the precedence of Prinea Albert, liowevej!, caused a great deal of difficulty, and much annoyance to the Queen. Greville has told the inner and secret history of the struggle. Writing in his diary THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 137 under the date of February 4th, he says : "On Friday the Cabinet agreed to give up the precedence over the Prince of Wales ; but to a question of Bpougham^s, the Lord Chancellor said he had no other concession to offer. It was then agreed that the discussion should be taken on IVionday. On Saturday, Clarendon spoke to Melbourne himself, and urged him to consider seriously the inconvenience of a battle on this point, and pre- vailed upon him to go to the Duke of Wellington and talk it over with him. He wrote to the Duke, who immediately agreed to receive him. Then he went to x\psley House, and they had an hour's conversation. Melbourne found him with one of his very stiffest crotchets in his head, determined only to give the Prince precedence after the royal family, and all he could get from him was that it would be unjust to do more. All argument was unavailing, and he left him on Saturday evening with- out having been able to make any impression on him, or to move him by a representation of the Queen's feelings to make concessions to meet those the Government were prepared to make ; for the Queen would have been content to accept precedence for her life, and saving the rights of the Prince of Wales. This, however, they would not consent to ; and so determined were they to carry their point, that they made a grand whip up, and brought Lord Clarendon all the way from Grimsthorpe to vote upon it. Under these circumstances the Government resolved to with- draw the clause, and they did so, thus leaving the Prince without any specific place assigned by Parliament, and it remains with the Queen to do what she can for him, or for courtesy, tacit consent, and deference for her Consort, to give him the precedence virtually which the House of Lords refuses to bestow formally. "I think the Duke of Wellington has acted strangely in this matter, and the Conservatives generally very unwisely. Volentihus non fit in- juria^ and the Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge, who alone w^ere con- cerned, had consented to the Prince's precedence. The King of Hanover, it seems, was never applied to, because they knew he w^ould have refused ; and they did not deem his consent necessary. There is no great sympathy for the lucky Coburgs in this country, but there is still less for King Ernest, and it will have all the effect of being a slight to the Queen out of a desire to gratify him. There certainly was not room for much more dislike in her mind of the Tories; but it was useless to give the Prince so ungracious and uncordial a reception, and to render him as inimical to them as she already is. As an abstract question, I think his prece- 138 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. dence unnecessary; but under all the circumstances it would have been expedient and not unjust to grant it." The precedence controversy became so warm that Greville looked up the authorities and the ancient practice on the subject. He came to the conclusion that the Queen had power to grant the Prince precedence everywhere but in Parliament and in Council, and on the whole he con- sidered that her husband ought to have precedence. He accordingly wrote a pamphlet on the subject, which was very favorably regarded by the Queen. In the end the Queen settled the precedence problem, so far as England was concerned, by declaring it to be her royal will and pleas- ure, under her sign-manual, that her husband should enjoy place, pre-emi- nence, and precedence next to Her Majesty. Sunday, the 9th of February, Prince Albert spent in paying visits to the various members of the Koyal Family, remaining for some time with the Queen Dowager and the Princess Augusta. His frank and manly bearing impressed all the Queen's relatives in his favor. So deeply did his religion enter into everything, tingeing all with seriousness, though not with gloom, that only a very short time before the wedding ceremony he wrote to the venerable Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg, who had enacted the part of a second mother to him, as follows : "In less than three hours I shall stand at the altar with my dear bride. In these sol- emn moments I must once more ask your blessing, which I am well as- sured I shall receive, and which will be my safeguard and future joy. I must end. God help me, or rather God be my stay !" He could not, even in the prospect of so much happiness with his wife, lose sight of the fact that as a stranger in the land he would have much to live down, and would have as it were to make a position for himself in the affections of the English people. An anecdote of a different but interesting kind is told of the Queen and her approaching wedding. It is said that the Archbishop of Canter- bury waited upon Her Majesty, and inquired if it were her wish that any alteration should be made in that portion of the Service appointed in the Liturgy for the solemnization of matrimony which included the promise of "obedience" — a curious promise for the Sovereign of Great Britain to make to her newly naturalized subject Prince Albert, who had just taken the oath to her as his liege lady. The Queen, according to the report, replied that "it was her wish to be marrted in all respects like any other woman, according to the revered usages of the Church of THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 139 England, and that, though, not as a queeUf as a woman she was ready to promise all things contained in that portion of the Liturgy." Many were the ejaculations of "God bless her!" which went up from the citizens of London on the morning of the 10th of February as they thought of the royal bride. The wedding ceremony was one of unusual interest, for more than a century had elapsed since the nuptials of a reigning Queen of E'ngland had been celebrated, besides which the youth and grace of Victoria had touched all loyal hearts. At an early hour a dense throng of persons assembled in front of Buckingham Palace, from whence the procession was to set out for St. James', where the mar- riage was to be solemnized. At a quarter before twelve the bridegroom's procession issued forth, consisting of Prince Albert, his father, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, his brother Prince Ernest, and their suites. At ten minutes past twelve the signal was given for the departure of the Queen. Accompanied by the Duchess of Kent, and attended by the Duchess of Sutherland, Her Majesty seated herself in her full-dress car- riage. For the benefit of lady readers it may be stated that the Queen wore on her head a wreath of orange blossoms and a veil of Honiton lace, with a necklace and earrings of diamonds. Her dress was of white satin, with a very deep trimming of Honiton lace, in design similar to that of the veil. The body and sleeves were richly trimmed with the same ma- terial, to correspond. The train, which was of white satin, was trimmed with orange blossoms. The cost of the lace alone on the Queen's dress was £1,000. The satin was manufactured in Spitalflelds, and the lace at a village near Honiton. More than two hundred persons were em- ployed upon the latter for a period of eight months, and as the lace trade of Honiton had seriously declined, all these persons would have been destitute during the winter had it not been for the Queen's express order that the lace should be manufactured by them. As Her Majesty entered her carriage she was extremely pale and agitated, but the cheers of the people quickened her spirits, and brought the blush to her cheeks and the smiles to her eyes. She bowed repeatedly in response to the joyous acclamations which greeted her on every side as the carriage moved off. All the way to St. James' Palace nothing was to be heard but enthusiastic cheering, and nothing to be seen but the waving of brides' favors and snow-white handkerchiefs. At St. James', the colonnade through which the procession passed to the chapel was excellently arranged and fitted up, rows of specta- 140 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. tors being accommodated on each side. A host of celebrities, and of young and fashionable women, assembled there as early as ten o^clock. Smiles were exchanged as the band marched into the court, playing the appropriate air, "Haste to the wedding." Many of the grand function- aries of State, and favored persons invited to view the nuptial ceremony, passed through the colonnade to the Chapel Koyal. The first arrival of interest was the Duke of Sutherland, escorting his two beautiful daugh- ters, the Ladies Elizabeth and Evelyn Leveson Gower, to their seats in the chapel. They were said to be the prettiest girls there, and were elegantly dressed in trains of the palest pink, trimmed all round with blush roses. The Bishop of London and the Archbishop of Canterbury next gravely passed by, followed by the Duke of Somerset and his handsome Duchess. Then came the Duke of Devonshire, the Earl of Carlisle and one of his many beautiful daughters; the Duke of Wellington in his uniform as a Field Marshal, and with his truncheon; and the Marquis of Anglesey in }ns splendid uniform as colonel of the 7th Hussars, covered with Orders, and wearing conspicuous bridal favors. The hero of Waterloo, who looked infirm, and did not move with his usual alacrity, was the only individual the spectators stood up to honor and to cheer. He bowed with great dignity in return, but appeared to be sinking under the weight of his years and his honors. The ]Baroness Lehzen, the Queen's governess and friend, attracted considerable attention. She was a lady with dark eyes and hair, and a complexion white as marble, which appeared all the whiter by contrast with her black velvet Spanish hat, which was surmounted by a white plume. Her countenance exhibited great energy and talent. At twenty minutes past twelve a flourish of trumpets and drums gave notice of the approach of the royal bridegroom, and shortly afterwards the band played the triumphant sitrains of "See the conquering hero comes !" The prince wore a Field Marshal's uniform with the star and ribbon of the Garter, and the bridal favors on his shoulders heightened his picturesque appearance. One who stood near him thus made notes of his person : "Prince Albert is most prepossessing. His features are regular; his hair pale auburn, of silken glossy quality; eyebrows well defined and thickly set; eyes blue and lively; nosewell proportioned, hand- some mouth, teeth perfectly beautiful, small mustachios, and downy complexion. He greatly resembles the Queen, save that he is of a lighter complexion; still, he looks as though neither care nor sorrow had ever Sir John A. Macdonald The Great Canadian Statesman of the Victorian Era, Alfred Tenistyson— The Victoriajst Poet THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 143 ruffled or cast a cloud over his placid and reflective brow. There is an unmistakable air of refinement and rectitude about him, and every year will add intellectual and manly beauty to his very interesting face and form." Contemporary accounts state that as the Prince moved along he was greeted with loud clapping of hands from the men, and enthusiastic waving of handkerchiefs from the assembled ladies. In his hand he carried a Bible bound in green velvet. Over his shoulders was hung the collar of the Garter surmounted by two white rosettes. On his left knee was the Garter itself, which was of the most costly workmanghip, and literally covered with diamonds. He had suffered much from sea- sickness in coming over from Germany, but the effects of this had passed away, and his graceful and engaging manners and pensive looks won golden opinions from the fair spectators. The Prince's father and brother also received a cordial welcome, with which they were apparently much pleased. When the bridegroom's procession reached the chapel, the drums and trumpets filed off without the door, and the procession advancing, His Royal Highness was conducted to the seat provided for him on the left hand of the altar. Here he was engaged for some time in conversation with the Queen Dowager. At half-past twelve the drums and trumpets sounded the National Anthem as a prelude to the arrival of the bride. Every person rose as the doors were again opened, and the royal procession came in with sol- emn steps and slow. The coup d'oeil was now magnificent, as floods of sunshine streamed through the windows upon the many gorgeous cos- tumes in which the royal and distinguished persons who appeared in the procession were attired. The Princesses attracted much attention. First came the Princess Sophia Matilda of Gloucester, still very beauti- ful, and dressed in lily-white satin; then the Princess Augusta of Cam- bridge, in pale blue, with blush roses round her train; next the Duchess of Cambridge, in white velvet, leading by the hand the lovely little Princess Mary, whO' was dressed in white satin and swansdown, the mother all animation and smiles at the applause which greeted her child ; and lastly the Duchess of Kent, regal in stature and dignity, and dressed in white and silver with blue velvet train. The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex succeeded, the latter "looking blithe and full of merry conceits." One account says that the Duchess of Kent appeared somewhat 144 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. disconsolate and distressed, and tliat there were traces of tears upon her coiintenance. Immediately after Lord Melbourne, who carried the sword of State, came the Queen herself, the central figure, and one of universal interest. She wore a chaplet of orange-blossoms on her head, and her bridal veil was fastened to the back of her head with a small brilliant pin. She had round her neck the collar of the Garter, but wore no other ornaments or jewels. She looked anxious and excited, and with difflculty restrained her agitated feelings. Her Majesty's train was borne by twelve unmar- ried ladies, the daughters of well-known peers. These noble demoiselles were the Ladies Adelaide Paget, Sarah Frederica Caroline Villiers, Frances Elizabeth Cowper, Elizabeth West, Mary Augusta Frederica Grimston, Eleanora Caroline Paget, Caroline Amelia Gordon Lennox, Elizabeth Anne Georgiana Dorothea Howard, Ida Hay, Catherine Lucy Wilhelmina Stanhope, Jane Harriet Bouverie and Mary Charlotte How- ard. The bridesmaids, like their royal mistress, were attired in white. Their dresses were composed of delicate net, trimmed with festoons of white roses over slips of rich gros de Naples, with garlands of white roses over the head. The Duchess of Sutherland walked next to the Queen, and the ladies of the bedchamber and the maids of honor closed the bride's procession. The Chapel Koyal was specially prepared and decorated for the cere- mony. The altar and liaut pas had a splendid appearance, the whole being lined with crimson velvet. The wall above the communion-table was hung with rich festoons of crimson velvet edged with gold lace. The Gothic pillars supporting the galleries were gilt, as were the moldings of the oaken panels, and the Gothic railing round the communion- table. The communion-table itself was covered with a rich pro- fusion of gold plate. On one side was a stool for the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, and on the other one for the Bishop of London. On the left-hand side of the altar, and on the haut pas, were four stools, with footstools to match, for the Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge, the Princess Augusta and the Duchess of Gloucester; while on the opposite side were six stools of a like description for the Duchess of Cambridge, the two Princesses of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince Ernest and the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha, the brother and father of the bridegroom. To the left side of the altar, and in front of the four stools, first described, were two State THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 145 chairs — that next the railing of the altar for Her Majesty, and that nearer to the aisle for the Duchess of Kent. On the opposite side were also two State chairs — that next the railing for Prince Albert, and that nearer the aisle for the Dowager Queen Adelaide. Close to the railing of the altar were two faldstools for Her Majesty and Prince Albert, to be used during the ceremony. The entire floor was covered with a blue-and-gold pattern carpet, with the Norman rose. The whole of the remaining part of the interior was decorated ; and the ceiling, which is adorned with the arms of Great Britain in various colored devices and compartments, pre- sented a very tasteful appearance, having been completely renewed. The royal and illustrious personages having all taken their places in the chapel, after the lapse of a few minutes Her Majesty rose, and with the Prince advanced to the steps of the altar. The Archbishop of Can- terbury then began the service with impressive solemnity, the Bishop of London making the responses. All eyes were now fixed upon the Queen. Preparatory to the commencement of the holy rite. Her Maj- esty bowed her head upon her hand, and remained for some moments in silent prayer. When she had concluded her devotions, the Archbishop began the exhortation in the usual words. The entire service was pre- cisely that of the Church liturgy, the simple names of "Albert" and "Vic- toria" being used. To the usual questions Prince Albert answered firmly "I will." The corresponding inquiries were then addressed to Her Majesty, "Victoria, wilt thou have Albert to be thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou obey him and serve him, love, honor, and keep him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?" The Queen — in accents which, though full of softness and music, were audible at the most extreme corner of the chapel — replied,"! will ;" and in so responding, she "accompanied the expression with a glance at His Boyal Highness, which convinced all who beheld it that the heart was with her words." When the Archbishop inquired, "Who giveth this woman to be mar- ried to this man?" the Duke of Sussex advanced, and holding the Queen's hand, said, "I do." The Archbishop then took Her Majesty's hand, and plaeed it in that of Prince Albert, whereupon the usual forms of trothing faith were gone through. Both bride and bridegroom spoke 146 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. in a tone of voice and with a clearness of enundation whiisli are steldftai witnessed on similar ocx^asions in tke hnmbler walks of life. One wlio was present at tlie ceremony lias observed that Her Majesty's expression of the words "love, cherish and obey," and the confiding look with Which they were accompanied were inimitably chaste and beautiful. Prince Albert then took the wedding-ring, which was quite plain, off his own finger and gave it to the Archbishop. His Grace handed it back to the Prince, who then placed it, as directed, on his wife's finger. At this moment the Earl of Uxbridge gave the signal, and the cannon fired the royal salute, which was answered by the Tower artillery firing alter- nately with the Park guns, while all the bells in London and Westmins- ter rang out a joyous peal of congratulation. Every citizen in the metropolis knew at the same moment that his beloved sovereign had become a wedded wife. Returning to the scene of the chapel ; the remaining portions of the ceremony were impressively read by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Up- on the conclusion of the service, the Queen shook hands cordially with the various members of the royal family, who now took up their positions in the procession as arranged for the return. The Duke of Sussex, after shaking the royal bride by the hand with great warmth, affectionately kissed her cheek. Her Majesty then crossed over to the other side of the altar, where the Queen Dowager was standing, and the two illustrious ladies embraced with evident and unaffected cordiality. Prince Albert next kissed the hand of Queen Adelaide, and acknowledged her congratu- lations. The procession, being formed, left the chapel much in the same order as it had entered. But Her Majesty and her newly wedded Consort now walked together hand-in-hand, ungloved — Prince Albert with sparkling eyes and a heightened color smiling down upon the Queen, and she appearing very bright and animated. When the Queen and her husband passed through the corridor, after leaving the chapel, the clapping of hands and waving of handkerchiefs were renewed again and again, until they had vanished out of sight. Whether by accident or design, Prince Albert enclosed Her Majesty's hand in his own in such a way as to display the wedding-ring, which appeared more solid than is usual in ordinary weddings. The various royal ladies in the procession were warmly cheered, but an ovation more prolonged and enthusiastic than any other given during the whole day. THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 147 was reserved for the Duke of Wellington as he left the chapel. The Duke was not part of the royal procession, and it had passed to some distance before he made his appearance. But no sooner had the veteran savior of his country arrived in the center of the colonnade, than the whole company rose spontaneously, and, without signal of any kind, gave him three hearty cheers. The Duke was visibly touched by this greeting. The procession passed on to the State apartments, but the Queen and Prince Albert, with their royal relatives and the principal Ministers of State and members of the Privy Council proceeded to the throne-room, where they were joined by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the Bishop of London. The attestation of the marriage now took place upon a splendid table prepared for the purpose. Her Majesty and Prince Albert signed the marriage register, and it may here be mentioned that the name of the Queen is Alexandrina Victoria Guelph, while that of the Prince Consort was Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emanuel Busici. The marriage was attested by the Duke of Sussex and twenty-nine other persons. The attestation book, which is bound in rich purple velvet, is a speaking memento of royal nuptial ceremonies for many generations past. It is in the custody of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Amongst the witnesses who signed at the Queen's marriage was the Duke of Wel- lington, and it is an interesting fact that his signature also appeared at the attestation of her birth. When all was concluded within St. James*, the procession for Buck- ingham Palace was reformed in almost the same order as when it set out in the morning. Prince Albert now took his place in the same carriage with Her Majesty, while the Duchess of Sutherland took her place in another carriage with the Earl of Albemarle, who on this occasion alone waived his official right to be in the same carriage with Her Majesty. In the royal carriage the Queen occupied the place of honor, and Prince Albert and the Duchess of Kent sat opposite. Her Majesty's faithful subjects were so desirous of seeing her, and were so eager in their demon- strations of loyalty, that she put down the closed windows of the car- riage, and bowed, with much sweetness upon her smiling features, on the right hand and on the left. The wedding-breakfast was given at Buckingham Palace, the guests including the various members of the royal family, the officers of the household, the ministers of state, and the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London. The wedding-cake, which was admirably 148 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. designed, was a great object of attraction. It was. more than nine feet in circumference by sixteen inches deep. Its weight was three hundred pounds, and the materials of which it was composed cost one hundred guineas. On the top of the cake was the figure of Britannia in the act of blessing the illustrious bride and bridegroom. The figures were nearly a foot in height, and by the feet of the Prince was the effigy of a dog, intended to represent fidelity, while at the feet of the Queen were two tur- tle-doves, denoting the felicities of the marriage state. A Cupid, beauti- fully modeled, was writing in a volume expanded on his knees the date of the day of the marriage, and various other Cupids were disporting them- selves after the manner of Cupids. There were numerous bouquets of white flowers, tied with true-lovers' knots of white satin ribbon, on the top of the cake; and these were intended for presents to the gTiests at the nuptial breakfast. There were large medallions upon shields bearing the letters "V." and "A.," and supported by Cupids on pedestals, while all round and over the cake were wreaths and festoons of orange-blossom and myrtle, entwined with roses. Another matter of interest to the fair sex is that each of the royal bridesmaids received a, magnificent brooch, the gift of Her Majesty. This brooch was in the shape of a bird, the body being formed entirely of tur- quoises; the eyes were rubies and the beak a diamond; the claws were of pure gold, and rested on pearls of great size and value. The whole work- manship was very exquisite, and the design was furnished by the QUeen. Shortly before four o'clock the royal party left Buckingham Palace for Windsor amid the acclamations of a vast multitude. The first car- riage contained the Queen and Prince Albert, the second Prince Ernest of Saxe-Coburg and three others the members of the royal suite. Just as the procession left the palace the sun shone forth brilliantly upon the newly married pair, an emblem, it was universally hoped, of their future happiness. Prince Albert was very simply attired in a plain dark travel- ing dress, and the Queen appeared in a white satin pelisse, trimmed with swansdown, with a white satin bonnet and feather. On the road to Windsor the principal houses in the villages were illuminated, and crowds came forth to testify their loyal delight on the happy occasion. Eton College presented one of the finest spectacles on the route. Opposite to the college was a representation of the Parthenon at Athens, which was brilliantly illuminated by several thousand varie- gated lamps; it was surmounted by flags and banners, and under the THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 149 royal arms was displayed the following motto : "Gratulatus Etona Vic- toriae et Alberto/^ Beneath the clock-tower of the college there was a blaze of light, and a number of appropriate (devices were displayed in various colored lamps. A triumphal arch, composed of evergreens and lamps tastefully displayed, extended across the road. The Etonians, wearing white favors, were marshaled in front of the college. They received the Queen with loud acclamations, and escorted her to the Castle gates. By the time Windsor was reached the shades of evening had gathered. The whole town could be perceived therefore brilliantly illuminated before the royal carriage entered it. A splendid effect was created by the dazzling lights as they played upon the faces of the multitude. The crowd on the Castle-hill was so dense at half-past six that it was with the utmost difficulty a line was kept clear for the royal carriages. The whole street was one living mass, whilst the walls of the houses glowed with crowns, stars and all the brilliant devices which gas and oil could supply. At this moment a flight of rockets was visible in the air, and it was imme- diately concluded that the Queen had entered Eton. The bells now rang merrily, and the shouts of the spectators were heard as the royal cortege approached the Castle. At twenty minutes before seven the royal carriage arrived in the High street, Windsor, preceded by the advanced guard of the traveling escort. The shouts were now most loud and continuous, and from the windows and balconies of the houses handkerchiefs were waved by the ladies, whilst the gentlemen huzzaed and waved their hats. The carriage, owing to the crowd, proceeded slowly, the Queen and her royal Consf)rt bowing to the people. Her Majesty looked remarkably well, and Prince Albert seemed in the highest spirits at the cordiality with which he was greeted. When the carriage drew up at the grand entrance the Queen was handed from it by the Prince; she immediately took his arm and entered the Castle. To the royal dinner party which followed onl}^ Lady Sandwich, the Lady-in- Waiting, the maids of honor, the Hon. Misses Cocks and Cavendish, Lord Torrington, Major Keppel and Mr. Seymour, the groom and equerry in waiting, had the honor of being invited. A splendid state banquet in celebration of the royal wedding was given at St. James' Palace in the grand bauqueting-room. The Duchess of Kent, who was the only royal personage present, did the honors of the occasion J being supported on her right by the Earl of ErroU, and on 150 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. her left by tKe Earl of Albemarle. TJf»wards of a hundred distinguished persons received invitations, and all attended in court dresses, the mem- bers of the orders of knighthood wearing their respective insignia. The Queen Dowager gave a banquet at Marlborough House, at which several members of the royal family were present; and dinners were given by Viscount Melbourne, Lord John Eussell, Lord Palmerston and other members of the Cabinet. The theaters were thrown open free, and at every house the National Anthem was sung with rapturous enthusiasm. The gaieties in London and several of the provincial towns were kept up for some days. The Dowager Lady Lyttelton, who was an eye-witness of the marriage, and who was thrown much into the company of the Sovereign as a lady of the bedchamber, and subsequently as governess to the royal children, wrote at a later date respecting the wedding : "The Queen's look and manner were very pleasing, her eyes much swollen with tears, but great happiness in her countenance, and her look of confidence and comfort at the Prince when they walked away as man and wife was very pleasing to see. I understand she is in extremely high spirits since; such a new thing to her to dare to be unguarded in conversation with anybody, and, with her frank and fearless nature, the restraints she had hitherto been under from one reason or another with everybody must have been most painful." For one day only, the 11th of February, were the Queen and Prince alone together at Windsor, and on that day Her Majesty wrote to Baron Stockmar, "There cannot exist a dearer, purer, nobler being in the world than the Prince." On the 12th the Duchess of Kent, the Duke of Coburg, the hereditary Prince, and the whole court joined the happy couple, who would doubtless have been glad if the exigencies of state could have been relaxed a little more. After two more brief days the court returned to London, for royalty was not able to indulge in a honeymoon as ordinary folk. On the 18th the Queen held a court at Buckingham Palaee for the reception of congratulatory addresses from the Houses of Parlia- ment. Subsequently she received addresses from the London clergy, the Corporation of London, the University of Cambridge, the So<;iety of Friends and the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The Duke of Wellington also headed a deputation from Oxford, and read a complimentary address to Her Majesty; and several hundred students of the University were present in academic costume. On the 26th of THE QUEEN A BRIDE. 151 February the Queen and Prince Albert visited Drury Lane Theater in state, receiving a most enthusiastic welcome, and we read afterwards of visits to the hunting-field, to the Royal Academy and other sources of outdoor and intellectual enjoyment. Further honors were conferred upon the Prince. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath and appointed Colonel of the Eleventh Regiment of Light Dragoons, which was now armed, clothed and equipped as Hussars, and called "Prince Albert's Own Hussars." The Duke of Cobiirg left England on the 28th of February on his return to Germany. Prince Albert's sorrow at parting with his father was very great, for it now meant permanent separation. The Queen, writing in her Journal, remarks concerning Prince Albert's feelings at this time : "He said to me that I had never known a father, and could not therefore feel what he did. His childhood had been very happy. Ernest, he said, was now the only one remaining here of all his earliest ties and recollections ; but if I continued to love him as I did now, I could make up for all. * * * Oh ! how I did feel for my dearest, precious husband at this moment! Father, brother, friends, country, all has he left, and all for me. God grant that I may be the happy person, the mo!^t happy person to make this dearest, blessed being happy and contented. What is in my power to make him happy I will do." Another severe trial for the Prince occurred some weeks later, when he said adieu to his brother Ernest. "They bade farewell, German student fashion, singing together the parting song, ^AhschiedJ " The brothers embraced each other affectionately, "poor Albert being pale as a sheet, and his eyes full of tears." The Queen was absolutely obliged for her own comfort, as well as to establish the rights of her husband, to issue letters patent conferring on him precedence next to herself. All kinds of objections and disputes would have arisen but for this step, and some indeed did so before the issue of the patent. As to the general conduct of the Prince, it was most wise and unexceptionable. He sank himself in order to smooth the course of the Queen, but was always ready with his counsel and advice, x-ls the Prince himself subsequently expressed it, he resolved "to sink his own individual existence in that of his wife, to aim at no power, by himself or for himself, to shun all ostentation, to assume no separate responsibility before the public ; continually and anxiously to watch every part of the public business in order to be able to advise and assist her at any moment, 152 THE QUEEN A BRIDE. in any of the multifarious and dijBflcult questions brought before her — sometimes political or social or personal — as the natural head of the family, superintendent of her household, manager of her private affairs, her sole confidential adviser in politics and only assistant in her com- munications with the affairs of the Government." Again, writing to his father he said, "I endeavor quietly to be of as much use to Victoria in her position as I can." How well and judiciously on the whole the Prince fulfilled his func- tions as the Queen's adviser, history has already borne testimony. If he sometimes made mistakes, he certainly made fewer than might have been expected from one in his difficult position. But his unquestioned integrity, his sincerity, honesty and high principle stood him in good stead; and they were a sheet-anchor upon which the Queen could always rely. Neither Her Majesty nor her husband expected to find life easy in their exalted station ; but as both were in deep sympathy with each other, and as love, trustful and unfeigned, was the moving spring of both, difficulties were overcome instead of becoming themselves insurmountable. If ever it could be said of any marriage the Queen's was a marriage of profound happiness and mutual trust, for it was a real union of souls. CHAPTER V. THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. The Postal System of the United Kingdom— Need of Improvements— Sir Rowland Hill and the Penny Post — Opposition to His Plans — Measures for the Protection of Child Chim- ney Sweeps — Attempt of Edward Oxford to Shoot the Queen — The Prince Consort At- tains His Majority— Birth of the Princess Boyal — Accident to Prince Albert— Sir Robert Peel Becomes Prime Minister — Birth and Christening of the Prince of Wales, A FEW weeks before the royal marriage took place, a. social and administrative reform was begun in Great Britain which pos- sessed a deep interest for both the Queen and Prince Albert. For many years the postage system of the country had been in a state wholly inadequate to the requirements of modern civilization. When a regular postoffice was established in the reign of Charles I. (all communication until then being occasional and precarious), the number of persons who could read and write was small, and the needs of the public were proportionately trivial. But in the middle of the nineteenth century it was imperative that the transmission of letters should be cheap, rapid aud facile. Facile and cheap it certainly was not, and before the full elaboration of the railway system there could be no rapidity in the modern sense of the term. Education was spreading ; yet, to relatives and friends divided by a few miles, the expense of a letter was so great that, in many instances, people forbore from writing altogether, or resorted to a number of curious and dishonest tricks for sending and obtaining some sort of intelligence without paying for it. The objections to the postal system were many and glaring. It was needlessly onerous; it encouraged fraud; it hindered the natural inter- communication of the poor; it was uncertain in its operations, and it included a gTeat deal of offensive spying. Still, owing to the force of habit, it survived years of obloquy, until a genius arose capable of organ- izing a better method. Mr. Eowland Hill (subsequently Sir Eowland), Secretary to the South Australian Commission, published early in 1837 a pamphlet on "Postoffice Reform : Its Importance and Practicability." He had observed that the number of letters passing through the post bore a ridiculously small proportion to the number of the population, Hi«? mathematical 1S3 154 THE LABORS OF "A MONARCH. mind induced him to make calculations as to the cost of conveyance, and he found that the expense of transit on each individual letter between London and Edinburgh a distance of four hundred miles — ^was not more than the thirty-sixth part of a penny. Indeed, the cost was but little enhanced by the distance; and Mr. Hill therefore came to the conclusion that if the rates of postage were reduced to the lowest, if the dispatch of letters wer© made more frequent, and the speed of conveyance were increased, the revenue would gain instead of lose, to say nothing of the social boon. Starting from his well-ascertained datum that thirty-six letters could be carried from London to Edinburg at a cost of a penny, Mr. Hill strongly urged the desirability of adopting a uniform rate of postage within the limits of the United Kingdom. That this rate should not be more than a penny followed naturally from the proved facts of the case and from the obvious justice of giving the public the advantage of a cheapness which would actually benefit instead of injuring the revenue. Nevertheless, the opposition encountered proved very serious and harass- ing. All the persons engaged in the old system were pledged to resist the new; and it appears to have been really thought that a penny post would entail such difficulties in its organization as to be practically impossible. The Postmaster General, Lord Litchfield, declared in the House of Lords that the proposed scheme was the wildest and most extrav- agant he had ever known. In the opinion of this official and several others the necessary expenses would be absolutely overwhelming, while, owing to the immeasurable increase of correspondence, no building would be large enough to receive the clerks and the letters. This very argument, however, clearly implied that there was a public want which the existing system did not supply. Some persons, from whom a greater liberality might have been expected, were as antagonistic to the scheme as if they had been postoffice officials. The Rev. Sydney Smith, who had been a reformer in his earlier days, but who was now getting old, spoke of the plan as "nonsensical," and as needlessly entailing a loss of a million to the revenue. Rowland Hill, however, was not a man to be deterred by any amount of difficulty. He had convinced himself, and ultimately he convinced others, that let- ters might be sent to any part of Great Britain and Ireland for the sum of one penny, and that yet there would be a profit of 200 per cent. The uniformity of charge would in itself save a large amount of time and THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. 155 tripubie,; and \l t\w poBtage could be paid in advance there would be a still furtlier gain in general convenience. The idea of a penny letter- stamp was suggested to Mr. Hill by a proposal put forth some years before by Mr. Charles Knight, the eminent author and publisher, who thought that the best way of collecting a penny postage on newspapers would be by the use of stamped covers. This plan was ultimately adopted for letters, and people of the present day, if they think at all upon the subject, are astonished how the preceding generation could have gone on from year to year without a. method at once so cheap, so simple and so admirably adapted to the necessities of the case. Franking was abolished with the introduction of the new method, and although the Queen was still entitled to this privilege she immediately relinquished it, with that good feeling which always distinguished Her Majesty's relations towards her people. Another social reform in which Her Majesty and Prince Albert took the deepest interest was in some degree associated with the year 1840. On August 7 an act of Parliament was passed with reference to the employment of children in the sweeping of chimneys. By the terms of this act it was made unlawful for master-sweeps to take apprentices under sixteen years of age, and no individual under twenty-one was to ascend a chimney after July 1, 1842. The law w^as made more stringent in 1864 ; but in the meanwhile it did an immense amount of good. The bar- barity of the system it supplanted was great indeed. Boys of tender years, whose ordinary treatment by their einployers was of the roughest kind, were compelled, often by acts of extreme violence, to ascend chim- neys for the purpose of brushing down the soot. Cases were known in which these poor little creatures were lost and stifled in the dark, cav- ernous and winding passages which they had to thread. At the best the suffering was great and entailed diseases of the joints, of the eyes and of the respiratory organs. The system was wholly inexcusable, for a brush was in use which answered every purpose; but it required an act of Par- liament to enforce the protection of unfortunte children. Between the introduction of the new postal system and the passing of the bill for the protection of youthful sweeps.. Her Majesty was exposed to a danger and an affront which she probably never anticipated, though it was afterwards repeated several times. On June 10, 1840, the Queen was driving up Constitution Hill, in company with Prince Albert, when she was twice fired at by a pot-boy, seventeen years of age, named Edward 156 THE LABORS OF 'A MONARCH. Oxford. Her Majesty turned very pale, and, between the firing of the first and second shots, rose up in her carriage ; but Prince Albert immediately pulled her down by his side. "The report of the pistol," said a witness of the occurrence, "attracted my attention, and I heard a distinct whizzing or buzzing before my eyes, between my face and the carriage. The moment he fired the pistol he turned himself round, as if to' see whether any one was behind him. He then set himself back again, drew a second pistol with his left hand from his right breast, presented it across the one he had already fired, which he had in his right hand, and fired again, taking very deliberate aim." Several persons rushed upon the miscreant. The fellow was quite calm and collected, admitted having fired the pistols, and went quietly with two of the police to the Queen Square Station. He was dis- covered to be one Edward Oxford, seventeen years of age, and recently employed as barman at a public house in Oxford street. The Queen, as might naturally be supposed, was seriously alarmed at the occurrence, but besides being extremely pale did not betray any out- ward agitation. Kising to show that she was unhurt, she ordered the postilions to drive to Ingestre House, her first thought being for her mother. The Duchess of Kent received her daughter safely before there had been time for her to be shocked by the news of the attempted assas- sination. The Queen and the Prince remained with the Duchess for a short time and then returned by way of Hyde Park. The royal pair were received with every symptom of deep satisfaction by a large gathering of ladies and gentlemen in the park, and escorted to Buckingham Palace. Large numbers of the nobility called in the evening to offer their con- gratulations. For many days after the dastardly affair there was an exhibition of almost unbounded loyalty. The journals of the day report that thou- sands of people continued to assemble before the palace, and hundreds of noblemen, members of the Government and private ladies and gentle- men, called to congratulate or inquire, and to present their grateful addresses on such a happy and providential deliverance. Whenever Her Majesty and the Prince drove out they were escorted by hundreds of ladies and gentlemen on horseback, who accompanied them like a body- guard; whilst the immense sympathizing crowds cheered most enthu- siastically. At first there was a surmise as to a widespread conspiracy THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. 157 being on foot, but this report was discovered to be unfounded, thougk there had been some slight countenance for it. At different theaters, and at places where public dinners were held, as soon as the news transpired on the Wednesday evening, the day of the attempt, "God Save the Queen" was sung, with loyal fervor. A grand concert was being held at the Opera House for the benefit of the New Musical Fund. It was to have terminated with Mozart's overture to Idomeneo, but Sir George Smart, the conductor, stepped forward, and having informed the audience of the attempt on Her Majesty's life, }!roposed to substitute the National Anthem. His suggestion was received with great enthusiasm. On the 12th a remarkable scene of loyalty was witnessed at Bucking- ham palace. The sheriffs of London, the Cabinet Ministers and others attended early to present addresses of congratulation; but the great event of the day was the presentation of addresses from the two Houses of Parliament. At two o'clock the state*carriage of the Speaker of the House of Commons entered the court, followed by 109 carriages filled entirely with members of Parliament. Never before, it is said, was the Speaker followed by so numerous a cortege on the occasion of presenting an address. As soon as the carriages of the Commons had left the court the procession of the Lords began to enter — the Barons first, and then the other peers, rising in rank to the royal Dukes of Sussex and Cam- bridge; the Lord Chancellor bringing up the rear. There were eighty- one carriages in the peers' procession, which was brilliant and imposing to an extraordinary degree. Many of the Lords wore splendid uniforms and decorations of various orders; the Duke of Wellington especially was attired with much magnificence. The procession of the Commons passed with little notice from the crowd; but on the Duke's appearance the cheering was enthusiastic and universal. The Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge also were cheered. Whilst the Lords were alighting from their carriages the grand terrace in front of the palace was crowded with distinguished persons in splendid costumes. "The Queen received the address on the throne. The Lord Chancellor and the Speaker of the House of Commons advanced side by side. The Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge walked in a line with the Lord Chan- cellor, the peers and commoners following. Prince Albert stood on the left of the throne; the great officers of state and of the household on the 168 THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. right. The Lord Chancellor read the address^ and the Queen was gra- ciouslj pleased to receive ft." Similar enthusiasm was manifested all over the country. On the 16th and 18th the Queen and Prince Albert went to Ascot races, receiving a remarkable ovation. Two days later the Queen visited the opera for the first time after the atrocious attempt on her life, and the appearance of the Sovereign here was likewise the signal for a loyal demonstration of a very striking character. The vast audience rose, the National Anthem was sung with great enthusiasm, the assembly loudly cheering at the end of each verse; Her Majesty standing all the time, and graciously acknowl- edging the congratulations of the audience. As soon as the singing of the anthem was concluded Prince Albert was called and received three hearty cheers. Her Majesty and the Prince paid a visit to Greenwich Hospital on the 27th, going down from Whitehall in the Admiralty barges. They had lunch with the Governor, Vice-Admiral Fleming, and then walked through the different halls, and inspected the dinners prepared for the veteran tars. Grace having been said, the Queen partook of the soup, bread and meat provided for the gallant inmates of the Hospital, and handed a piece of the bread to one of the ladies of her suite. The veterans were highly delighted with the affable manners of the Queen, and the kind manner in which she inquired after their welfare. Eound the grand square 1,000 iDensioners of all classes were drawn up, while 800 school- boys and the nurses and girls in the establishment took up various posi- tions assigned to them. The day was a memorable one, and the royal visitors were much struck with the excellence of the arrangements. Oxford was brought to trial at the Central Criminal Court on the 8th of July. There had been found at his lodgings, after he was searched, a (juantity of powder and shot, and the rules of a secret society styled "Young England," prescribing, among other things, that every member should, when ordered to meet, be armed with pistols and a sword, and a black crape cap to cover his face. The charge against Oxford was high treason in its most exaggerated form — that is, a direct attempt on the life of the Queen. The Attorney-General prosecuted, and a considerable number of witnesses were examined. There was a curious nonchalance on the part of the prisoner all through, which pointed to insanity. When Lord Uxbridge visited him in his cell, Oxford coolly and impudently asked, "Is the Queen well?" to which his Lordship responded, en M § Ke>si>gton Palace, London— Birthplace of Queen Victobla. Here, with large gardens and limited means, Victoria learned in childhood the lesson of thrift an4 economy. v»»*ii.i, «uv Balmoral Castle, Scotland queen victoria's favorite residence in the highlands. THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. 161 "How dare you ask sucli a question?" The prisoner frankly owned hav- ing fired the pistols, which he stated were well loaded. Mr. Fox Maule put in the following deposition, which the misguided youth had volun- tarily made and signed at the Home Office: "A great many witnesses against me. Some say that I shot with my left, others with my right hand. They vary as to the distance. After I fired the first pistol. Prince Albert got up as if he would jump out of the carriage, and sat down again, as if he thought better of it. Then I fired the second pistol. This is all I shall say at present. — Edward Oxford.^^ Witnesses were called for the defense to show that a predisposition to insanity existed in the prisoner's mind, and that it was hereditary in his family, his grandfather having died in a lunatic asylum. The prisoner himself, it was shown, had before behaved in an alarming manner. There seemed to be no doubt that Oxford was suffering from insanity, which manifested itself in a morbid desire for notoriety; and the jury found him guilty, at the same time declaring him to be insane. The prisoner, who had remained unmoved during the whole of the proceedings, was ordered to be confined during Her Majesty's pleasure. It seems, i^erhaps, to have been a great hubbub created over one mis- erable, crazy youth — addresses, rejoicings, grand processions and a great state trial; but then even a small pistol and a crazy youth might have been the means of causing a great disaster, and plunging a whole nation into mourning. Little wonder, then, that it should have been plunged into universal rejoicing instead. With regard to the future of Oxford, he was confined first in Bedlam, and then in Dartmoor. He always explained his act as having been prompted by sheer vanity and desire for notoriety. After about thirty-five years' imprisonment he was released on condition that he would gO' to the Antipodes. Not many years ago he was earning his living as a house-painter in Australia. Towards the close of the parliamentary session of 1840 a Regency Bill was introduced. Tlie prospect of an heir to the throne rendered it necessary to make provision for Her Majesty's possible death or length- ened disqualification for reigning. Both political parties were consulted in the matter, and a bill was brought forward, providing that Prince Albert should be Eegent in the event of the death of Queen Victoria before her next lineal descendant and successor should have attained the full age of eighteen years. The measure was well received, and, with the exception of a speech made by the Duke of Sussex in the House of Lords, 163 THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. it passed both Houses unanimously and without objection, and became law. The Prince made his way with all classes, even with those ToTies who had at first looked rather askance at him. He was conciliator^ and judi- cious; and to show the way he had advanced in the public esteem, the remark which Melbourne made to the Queen on the Regency Bill may be quoted : "Three months ago they would not have done it for him ; it is entirely his own character." The Duke of Wellington was so completely won over that he remarked: "Let the Queen put the Prince where she Iikes> and settle it herself; that is the best way." His Grace also made short work of questions of state etiquette, and when Lord Albemarle, Master of the Horse, held out about his right to sit in the Sovereign's coach on state occasions, he said, on being asked for his opinion : "The Queen can make Lord Albemarle sit at the top of the coach, under the coach, behind the coach, or wherever else Her Majesty pleases." The Queen prorogued Parliament on the 11th of August, Prince Albert accompanying her for the first time. Next day the court left for Windsor. On the 26th His Royal Highness attained his majority, and the event was celebrated by a breakfast at Adelaide Lodge. The Prince went to London on the 28th for the purpose of receiving the freedom of the city. At this ceremony the names of six Aldermen and Common Councilmen, who undertook to vouch for the eligibility of the Prince, were read, together with the declaration upon oath. The oath was as follows : "We declare, upon the oath we took at the time of our admis- sion to the freedom of the city, that Prince Albert is of good name and fame; that he does not desire the freedom of this city whereby to defraud the Queen or this city of any of their rights, customs or advantages; but that he will pay his scot and bear his lot : aud so we all say." The Chamberlain then proposed the freeman's oath to the Prince, and it was remarked that he was evidently moved at that part where he swore to keep the peace towards Her Majesty. Husbands do not always voluntarily swear to keep the peace towards their wives. The Cham- berlain having next addressed His Royal Highness, the Prince delivered the following answer very distinctly and audibly : "It is with the greatest pleasure that I meet you upon this occasion, and offer you my warmest thanks for the honor which has been conferred upon me by the presenta- tion of the freedom of the City of London. The wealth and intelligence of this vast city have raised it to the hjtghest eminence amongst the cities THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. 163 of the world; and it must therefore ever be esteemed a great distinctiou to be numbered amongst the members of jowv ancient Corporation. I shall always remember with pride and satisfaction the day on which I became your fellow-citizen ; and it is especially gratifying to me, as mark- ing your loyalty and affection to the Queen." Prince Albert was sworn a member of the Privy Council on the 11th of September, and it is stated that so anxious was he to discharge con- scientiously every duty which might devolve upon him, that in his retire- ment at Windsor he set to work to master Hallam's Constitutional His- tory with the Queen, and also began the study of English law with a barrister. Early in November preparations were made at Buckingham Palace for the approaching accouchement of the Queen. The Court removed from Windsor to London on the 13th, and on the 21st the Princess Royal was born at Buckingham Palace at 1 :40 p. m. In the Queen's chamber were the Duchess of Kent, Prince Albert and the medical men, with Mrs. Lilly, the nurse, and some of the ladies of the bedchamber. In an adjoining apartment the door of which was open were the Duke of Sussex, the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Melbourne, Lord Palmerston, Lord ErroU, Lord Albemarle, Lord John Russell and other Privy Councillors, whose constitutional duty it was to be present at the birth of an heir to the throne. At ten minutes before two Mrs. Lilly entered the ante-chamber where the Privy Council- lors were assembled, with the "young stranger" — a beautiful, plump and healthy princess-— wrapped in flannel, in her arms. Sir James Clark followed the nurse. The babe was for a moment laid upon the table, but the loud tones in which she indicated her displeasure at thus being made "the observed of all observers," while they proved the soundness of her lungs and the maturity of her frame, rendered it advisable that she should be returned to her chamber tO' receive her first attire. Prince Albert received the congratulations of all present, and then the officials retired to spread the happy news throughout the metropolis. The Tower guns were fired in honor of the event. According tO' the gossip of the time. Prince Albert expressed a fear that the people might be disap- pointed, whereupon the Queen reassured him by saying, "Never mind; the next shall be a boy," adding that she hoped she might have as many children as her grandmother. Queen Charlotte. The Queen has recorded the traits of tenderness shown by her husband during her seclusion. "He 1G4 THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. was content to sit by her in a darkened room, toi read to her, and write for her. No one but himself ever lifted her from her bed to her sofa, and he always helped to wheel her on her bed or sofa into the next room. For this purpose he would come instantly when sent for, from any part of the house. His care for her was like that of a mother, nor could there be a kinder, wiser, more judicious nurse/' On the very day after the birth of the Princess Koyal, '^the boy Jones'' — who seems to have had a mania for surreptitiously entering Bucking- ham Palace — was found concealed under a sofa in a room next to the Queen's. It was not the first time he had entered the palace, and when he was questioned as to how he had come there, he impudently replied, "The same way as before," adding that he could find his way into the palace at any time he pleased. It was believed that he scaled the garden wall about half way up Constitution Hill, and effected an entrance through one of the windows of the palace. On the last occasion on which he was caught, he was found about 1 a. m. crouched in a recess, with his shoes off, by the police-sergeant on duty in the interior of the palace. The rascally youth boasted that, screened by some article of furniture, he had coolly listened for some time to the conversation of the Queen and lier Koyal Consort. Jones was taken to the Home Office, but the authori- ties scarcely knew what to do with him. Being deemed too young for serious punishment, he was committed to the House of Correction, Tothill Fields, as a rogue and vagabond for three months. He behaved remark- ably well while in prison. Some time after his release he was induced to become an apprentice for five years on board a vessel bound for Aus- tralia, where he learned discipline and became a steady seaman. The Queen speedily recovered from her accouchement, and opened Parliament in person on the 26th of January, 1841. Prince Albert, in the uniform of a Field Marshal, entered the House of Lords with the royal procession, and took his seat on the chair of state appropriated for him on the left of the throne. The Queen's speech was not an exciting document. Happily, affairs were peaceful at home at this time, though abroad there were wars and rumors of wars. England was then passing through one of her many difficulties with China ; serious differences had arisen between Spain and Portugal on the navigation of the Douro; and affairs in the Levant were in a serious condition. England had con- cluded with Russia, Prussia, Austria and Turkey a convention intended to effect a pacification of the Levant, to maintain the integrity and inde- THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. 165 pendence of the Ottoman Empire, and thereby to afford additional secur- ity for the peace of Europe. She had also just concluded treaties with the Argentine Eepublic and the Republic of Hayti for the suppression of the slave trade. An accident happened to Prince Albert on the 9th of February, whicb, but for the Queen's presence of mind, might have had serious conse- quences. His Royal Highness was skating in Buckingham Palace Gar- dens when the ice suddenly gave way, and he was immersed in deep water. He had to swim for several minutes before he got out. The Queen was close by the Prince when the accident occurred, and was the only person who had suflQcient presence of mind to render him any material assist- ance. The christening of the Princess Royal took place on the 10th, in the throne-room at Buckingham Palace. The font, new for the occasion, was very elegant in form and exquisitely finished. It was of silver gilt, elab- orately carved with the royal arms, etc. The water used for the ceremony was brought from the river Jordan. The Archbishop of Canterbury offi- ciated, with the assistance of the Bishops of London and Norwich, and the Dean of Carlisle. The Duke of Wellington appeared as sponsor on behalf of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the other sponsors present were the Queen Dowager, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Kent, the King of the Belgians and the Duke of Sussex. Queen Adelaide named the royal infant "Victoria Ade- laide Mary Louisa." Prince Albert wrote to the Dowager Duch- ess of Gotha: "The christening went off very well; your little great-granddaughter behaved with great propriety and like a Chris- tian. She was awake, but did not cry at all, and seemed to crow with immense satisfaction at the lights and brilliant uniforms, for she is very intelligent and observing. The ceremony took place at half -past six p. m. After it there was a dinner, and then we had some instrumental music. The health of the little one was drunk with great enthusiasm." The ensuing summer saw the Queen and her husband entering into the pleasures of the people and sharing them with much zest. They lis- tened to the moving declamation of the great French actress, Rachel, and welcomed Adelaide Kemble, who made her fii'st appearance in opera this season. The Queen's influence upon the stage was a healthful and restraining one. As Mrs. Oliphant has observed, she was "in the fore- ground of the national life, affecting it always for good, and setting an 166 THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. example of purity and virtue. The theaters to which she went, and which both she and her husband enjoyed, were purified by her presence; evils which had been the growth of years disappearing before the face of the young Queen." The Whig Ministry, having been defeated in the House of Commons by a majority of one, on a vote of want of confidence proposed by Sir Kobert Peel, determined to appeal to the country. Parliament was dis- solved accordingly, and the elections were held in July. The Conserva- tives gained a great majority, and when the new Parliament assembled in August, Ministers were placed in a minority of ninety-one in a House of 629 members. Lord Melbourne and his colleagues consequently resigned office. The Queen's parting with the Premier was a very trying one on both sides. In taking his leave of his Sovereign, Melbourne congratu- lated her on the great advantage she possessed in the presence and coun- sel of the Prince, which would have the effect of softening to her the trial of the first change of Ministers in her reign. "For four years," added Melbourne, "I have seen you every day; but it is so different from what it would have been in 1839. The Prince understands everything so well, and has a clever, able head." This tribute to her husband greatly touched the Queen, who has recorded her regret at parting with "a faithful and attached friend, as Avell as Minister." It was with great pleasure and pride that she listened to Melbourne's praise of her royal husband. Sir Robert Peel came into power as Prime Minister, and his bearing appears to have been everything that was admirable and judicious. Care had been taken to avoid any such esclandre as the "Bedchamber Plot," for when it was becoming apparent that a change of Ministry must take I)lace, it was arranged that those of the Queen's ladies whose removal the Tories considered essential, on account of their close relationship to leading Whig Ministers, should voluntarily retire. As the result of this understanding, the Duchess of Bedford, the Duchess of Sutherland and Lady Normanby resigned their positions as ladies of the bedchamber. A passage in the Life of the Prince Consort, referring to the bearing of the new Premier, says: "Lord Melbourne told Baron Stockmar, who had just returned from Coburg, that Sir Robert Peel had behaved most handsomely, and that the conduct of the Prince throughout had been most moderate and judicious." All the friction caused by that little matter of Peel's attitude towards the Royal Annuity Bill had entirely passed away from the Prince's mind. THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. 16r One of the earliest acts of the new Minister was to propose a Fine Arts Commissionj with Prince Albert as chairman. Its more immediate object was the superintendence of the artistic work at the new Houses of Parliament. Nothing could have been suggested which would have afforded greater pleasure to the Queen and the Prince than this com- mission, and the latter spoke of it as his real initiation into public life. It gave him an opportunity to display his taste, and to advance the liberal arts in the country. As to social reforms, it should be stated to the Prince's credit that it was owing to his influence, and that of the Duke of Wellington, that the practice of dueling disappeared from the British army. There was great rejoicing at Buckingham Palace on the 9th of Novem- ber, 1841, when the Queen gave birth to her first-born son, and conse- quently the heir to the throne. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Premier and all the great officers of state were summoned to the palace as early as seven o'clock in the morning, and the Duchess of Kent arrived at nine. The Queen w^as then very ill, and had been so at intervals dur- ing the two preceding hours. Prince Albert manifested the greatest anxiety and interest, as he remained in attendance with the medical men, Sir James Clark, Dr. Locock and Mr. Blagden. Shortly before eleven o'clock the Prince was born. He was conveyed by the nurse to the Privy Councillors and others in the adjoining apartment, who thereupon signed a declaration as to the birth of an heir to the British Crown. Intelli- gence of the happy event was immediately communicated to all the mem- bers of the royal family, including the Queen Dowager, who was at Sud- bury Hall; the Duchess of Cambridge, v/ho was at Kew; the Princess Sophia, who was at Blackheath, and the Duchesses of Gloucester and Cambridge, and the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George, who w^ere in London. Official etiquette, usually as strong as the law of the Medes and Per- sians, was for once set aside in the great joy over the birth of a Prince. It appears that almost every influential individual in the household of Her Majesty stej)ped out of his proper sphere, and gave directions which belonged to the departments of others. There was a complete confusion of places for at least half an hour after the event, and court officials rushed hither and thither with the gratifying intelligence of the birth of a Prince; three messengers arrived at Marlborough House within two minutes, all desirous of being the first to convey the news to the Queen 168 THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. Dowager. An act of royal clemency marked the happy occasion of the birth of an heir to the throne. Her Majesty was pleased to notify to the Home Secretary that those convicts who had behaved well should have their punishment commuted; and that those deserving this clemency on board the various hulks should have their liberty at once granted to them. On the 11th of November the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, and the Sheriffs, were received at Buckingham Palace. After having had caudle served, the party were conducted by the Lord Chamberlain to the apartments of Prince Albert, tO' pay a visit of congratulation to His Eoyal Highness. The infant Prince was brought into the room in which the company were assembled, and was carried round to all the distin- guished visitors present. The Archbishop of Canterbury issued a special prayer to be offered up in all churches on behalf of the Queen and the infant Prince. For the post of nurse to the royal child there had been many appli- cations, some being from ladies of wealth and position. The choice of the Queen fell upon Mrs. Brough, an under-servant at Claremont, who was herself, before her marriage, a housemaid in the establishment. At the birth of the Princess Royal the previous wet-nurse received £500 ; but on the birth of the Prince of Wales all the gratuities were doubled. There was great happiness within the palace. At Christmas the Queen wrote in her Journal : "To think that we have two children now, and one who enjoys the sight already (the Christmas-tree) ; it is like a dream." Prince Albert, writing to his father, said: "This is the dear Christmas eve on which I have so often listened with impatience for your step, which was to convey us into the gift-room. To-day I have two chil- dren of my own to make gifts to, who, they know not why, are full of happy wonder at the German Christmas-tree and its ra,diant candles." Her Majesty gives us another sketch of a peaceful "interior:" "Albert brought in dearest little Pussy (Princess Victoria), in such a smart, white merino dress, trimmed with blue, which mamma had given her, and a pretty cap, and placed her on my bed, seating himself next to her, and she was very dear and good ; and as my precious, invaluable Albert sat there, and our little love betw^een us, I felt quite moved with happi- ness and gratitude to God." Writing some weeks later to King Leopold, she said : "I wonder very much whom our little boy will be like. You will understand how fervent are my prayers, and I am sure everybody's must be, to see him resemble his father in every respect, both in mind and Albert Memorial, The above beautiful group, made of marble and entitled "Africa," is a monument erected in London, to the memory of Prince Albert, for encouraging work in Northern Africa and carrying light and intelligence to the African race. BoYAL. Mausoleum The mausoleum in which Victoria was interred is situated in Frogmore Park, within Sight of Windsor Castle. It was finished a year after the death of the Prince Consort and received his remains in December, 1862. The mausoleum is said to have cost $1,000,000 and is one of the most sumptuous buildings of its kind in the world. Coronation Chair— Westminster Abbey This picture is a reproduction of a photograph of the chair in which the sovereigns of England have been crowned since the time of Edward III. It is made of marble and very handsomely carved. Queen's Private Chapel (Windsor Castle.) Gkaistd Vestibule— "Windsor Castmb THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. lU body." And in another letter she remarked : "We all have our ti'ials. and vexations; but if one's home is happy, then the rest is comparatively nothing." When the baby Prince was a month old the Queen issued a patent cre- ating "our most dear son" Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester. He Avas already Duke of Saxony, Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Great Steward of Scot- land. With regard to his new Welsh dignity the patent ran : "As has been accustomed, we do ennoble and invest him with the said principality and earldom, by girting him with a sword, by putting a coronet on his head and a gold ring on his finger, and also by delivering a gold rod into his hand, at he may preside there, and may direct and defend those parts." The christening of the Prince of Wales, which was made a very impos- ing ceremony, took place on the 25th of January, 1842, in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The King of Prussia had arrived at the Castle three days before, on a visit to the Queen, and to stand as chief sponsor at the christening. He was accompanied by the famous savant, Baron Alexander von Humboldt. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the Bishops of London, Winchester, Oxford and Norwich, officiated at the baptismal ceremony. The sponsors were the King of Prussia, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cambridge (proxy for the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg), and the Princess Augusta of Cambridge (proxy for the Princess Sophia). When the infant Prince was brought in and given into the hands of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the sponsors named him "Albert Edward," by which names he was accordingly christened by His Grace. On the conclusion of the ceremony the Hallelujah Chorus was sung by the full choir, by request of Prince Albert, and the overture to Handel's oratorio of Esther was performed. The name of Albert was given to the young Prince, after his father, and that of Edward, after his maternal grandfather, the Duke of Kent. After the christening the Queen held a chapter of the Order of the Garter, when the King of Prussia, as "a lineal descendant of King George I,," was elected a Knight Companion, the Queen buckling the garter round his knee. Then followed luncheon in the White Breakfast Room, and in the evening there was a gTand banquet in St. George's Hall. The display of plate was amazing, and there was one immense gold vessel, described as more like a bath than anything else, capable of containing lU THE LABORS OF A MONARCH. thirty dozens of wine. To the great surprise of the Prussian visitors, it" was filled with mulled claret. Four toasts were drank, which were given by the Lord Steward, the Earl of Liverpool, in the following order : 'THis Royal Highness the Prince of Wales," "The King of Prussia," "The Queen," and "His Royal Highness Prince Albert." An immense royal christening cake was placed in the Waterloo Chamber after the banquet. The expenses incurred in connection with the christening ceremony and the subsequent festivities amounted to about £200,000. The Queen paid special honor and deference to her august guest, the King of Prussia. When she first met him, on his arrival at Windsor, she kissed him twice, and made him two low curtseys. In her Journal she writes of the King: "He was in common morning costume, and com- plained much of appearing so before me. He is entertaining, agreeable, and witty; tells a thing so pleasantly, and is full of amusing anecdotes.'" The King was magnificently entertained during the whole of his stay by the Queen, and also by many of the leading members of the aristocracy. He manifested great interest in the historic buildings and other sights of London, and was indefatigable in visiting the chief points of attrac- tion. There never was a period in Her Majesty's life when she was more jubilant in spirits, or more profoundly happy, than this which imme- diately succeeded upon the birth of the Prince of Wales. Supremely blessed in the choice she had made of a husband, she rejoiced to see her Royal Consort daily making his way in the affections of the people, and now that there was an heir to the crown, the Sovereign and the people were drawn closely together by a new and auspicious bond. The weight of state cares no longer pressed heavily upon her, and her cup of happi- ness was full even to overflowing. CHAPTER VI. FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. Terrible News from Afghanistan— A. Great Tragedy—Attempts of Francis and Bean to Shoot Her Majesty— The Queen's First Visit to Scotland— Birth of the Princess Alice— Tom Thamb a Visitor at Windsor Castle— The Emperor of Rnssia Visits the Court— Famine in Ireland — Chartist Meetings — ^London in Terror — Trials of Irish Agitators— Death of Lord Melbourne— The Queen Visits Ireland. , OR some years there had in the East a series of been proceeding events which, in the early part of 1842, eventuated in one of the most tragic catastrophies of modern history. Terrible news came from Afghanistan, where "the fatal policy of English interference with the fiery tribes of Northern India in support of an unpopular ruler had ended in the murder of Sir Alexander Burnes and Sir William Macnaghten, and the evacuation of Cabul by the English." Other disasters succeeded, chief amongst which was the destruction of Uer Majesty's Forty-fourth Eegiment. The soldiers were cut down almost to a man, and only one individual of the whole British force was able to reach Jellalabad. This was Dr. Brydon, who arrived there, faint and wounded, on the 13th of January. The story of his sufferings, as well as a graphic narrative of the whole campaign, is to be read in the journals of the period. The British army marched through the Khyber Pass, defeated Akbar Khan in the Tezeen Valley, and eventually reached Cabul, when the prisoners, long pent up within that city, were released. Cabul was subsequently evacuated, and Jellalabad was destroyed. The British arms ultimately triumphed, but only after a fearful and bloody campaign, in which many of the finest of their troops were cut off by a harassing guerrilla warfare. As the year opened England was also at war with China. Fortunate- ly, the uniform success which had attended previous hostile operations against that Power once more smiled upon her arms and brought the Celestials to reason. After the taking of Chinkeang-foo by the British, and the appearance of her squadron before Nankin, hostilities were sus- pended and negotiations for peace were entered into and concluded between the Chinese Commissioners and Sir Henry Pottinger. But the condition of things in England was very serious. Not only 175 176 FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. was there a continuous fall in the revenue, but an ever-growing agita- tion throughout the country on the subject of the Corn Laws. Loud and general complaints were heard of depression in all the printapal branches of trade, accompanied by distress among the poorer classes; and after all allowance had been made for exaggeration there still remained a real and lamentable amount of misery and destitution. Though the people bore their sufferings Avith exemplary patience and fortitude, there could be no doubt that they were passing through a period of deep trial and privation. It was not, therefore, without a shadow over her happiness that the Queen opened Parliament in person on the 3d of February. The cere- mony was attended by more than usual pomp and splendor in conse- quence of the presence of the King of Prussia. Madame Bunsen, who was a spectator of the scene in the House of Lords, wrote : '"The opening of Parliament was the thing from which I expected most, and I was not disappointed. The throngs in the streets, in the windows, in every place people could stand upon, all looking so pleased; the splendid Horse Guards, the Grenadiers of the Guard, of whom might be said as the King said on another occasion, 'An appearance so fine, you know not how to believe it true,' the Yeomen of the Bodyguard ; then in the House of Lords, the peers in their robes, the beautifully-dressed ladies with very many beautiful faces; lastly, the procession of the Queen's entry, and herself, looking worthy and fit to be the converging point of so many rays of grandeur." Two daring attempts to assassinate the Queen were made during the year of 1842, within a few M^eeks of each other. The first was by a man named John Francis. Towards seven o'clock on the evening of May 30, Her Majesty and party were proceeding down Constitution Hill. When about half way down the would-be assassin was ^een to take a pistol from his side and to fire it in the direction of the royal carriage, from which he was distant not more than seven feet. The Queen manifested her usual courageous demeanor under the outrage. Francis was immediately seized by Private Allen, of the Fusilier Guards and Police Constable Turner, who was attempting to dash the pistol out of his hand Avhen the shot was fired. The culprit was taken to the lodge adjoining the palace, where he was searched, and a ball, with a little powder, and the still warai pistol, were taken from his person. The man maintained a dogged silence as to his motive, and refused to give any explanation about his FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 177 antecedents; but it was subsequently ascertained that he was the son of a machinist in Drury Lane Theater, and had for some months been out of employment When the news of the outrage reached the Houses of Par- liament, both Lords and Commons adjourned in confusion, as it was found impossible to carry on the public business amidst the excitement which the attempt occasioned. All concurrent accounts speak of the admirable bravery and presence of mind of the Queen. It appears that on the previous Sunday, while the Queen and Prince were driving along the Mall, having been to service at the Chapel Eoyal, St. James'j Prince Albert saw a man step out of the crowd of cheering spectators and present a pistol at him. Happily, the pistol did not go off, and the Queen, who was bowing to the people on the other side, neither heard nor saw anything. As the Prince's own knowledge of the attempt was corroborated by an independent witness, Her Majesty was apprised of the occurrence. The Prince, in afterwards writing to his father, said that both he and the Queen were naturally much agitated, and that his wife had become nervous and unwell. Her Majesty's doctor desired her to continue going out, however. The Queen herself was strongly in favor of this. She "never could have existed," she herself said afterwards, "under the uncertainty of a concealed attack. She would much rather run the immediate risk at any time than have the presentiment of danger constantly hovering over her." But with that generous consideration which has always distinguished her, she would not permit her female attendants to accompany her, in accordance with the usual practice, on her dangerous drive. Lady Bloomfleld, who was then Miss Liddell, one of the maids-of-honor in waiting, has described how Her Majesty's attendants waited at home all the afternoon, expect- ing a summons, which never came, to go the usual drive. The Queen went out with the Prince alone, and when they came back the news of the dastardly attempt spread through the palace. To Miss Liddell her royal mistress said: "I dare say, Georgy, you were surprised at not driving with me this afternoon, but the fact was, that 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 I was determined to expose no life but my own." The Queen and her husband had driven out by Hampstead, being warmly cheered along the route, and had nearly accomplished the return journey, when between the Green Park and the 178 FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. garden wall, and just opposite to where Oxford had made his attempt two years before, the miscreant Francis, who was lying in wait, fix^d his pistol, being then about five or seven paces off. The Prince at once recognized the man as the same "little swarthy ill-looking rascal" who had made the abortive attempt on the preceding day Her Majesty attended the Royal Italian opera on the evening of the attempt, desirous of showing herself as early as possible to her subjects. There was a scene of extraordinary enthusiasm, and the national anthem was performed to the accompaniment of repeated bursts of cheering. On the following day congratulatory addresses were voted by both Houses of Parliament to the Queen on her escape from assassination; and numerous similar addresses were subsequently forwarded by corporate bodies throughout the Kingdom. The trial of John Francis for shooting at the Queen took place on June 17, when the prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to death. On the conclusion of Chief Justice Tindall's address, Francis fell insen- sible into the arms of one of the turnkeys, and in that state was carried out of the court. The Queen directed a reprieve of the sentence, although she was "fully conscious of the encouragement to similar attempts which might follow from such leniency." The death sentence on Francis was commuted to transportation for life, and he was sent out to Tasmania. On the very day following this noble exercise of the royal clemency ■ — that is Sunday, the 3rd of July — another daring attempt was made to shoot the Queen. It occurred while she was driving to the Chapel Royal, St. James', accompanied by her uncle the King of the Belgians. A deformed youth, named John William Bean, leveled a pistol at the Queen and attempted to fire it. The pistol was loaded, but very fortunately did not go off. The hunchback was seized by a youth named Dassett, but the police at first treated the thing as a joke. But when Dassett was in danger of being arrested as the actual culprit, witnesses came forward who proved the real state of the case. The pistol was found to contain only powder, paper, and some bits of a tobacco-pipe, rammed together. It was also discovered that Bean, who was a chemist's assist- ant, had written a letter to his father stating that he "would never see him again, as he intended doing something which was not dishonest, but desperate." The Queen had no knowledge of Bean's attempt until her return to the palace, and when apprised of it she betrayed no alarm, but said, "she FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 179 had expected a rei3etition of tlie attempts on her life so long as the law remained unaltered by which, they could be dealt with only as acts oi high treason." In the Life of the Prince Consort we read : "Sir Robert Peel hurried up from Cambridge, on hearing what had occurred, to con- sult with the Prince as to the steps to be taken. During this interview Her Majesty entered the room, when the Minister, in public so cold and self-controlled, in reality so full of genuine feeling, out of his very man- liness, was unable to control his emotion, and burst into tears." Although a harebrained love of notoriety had quite as much to do with these attempts as any desire to kill, it had now become absolutely necessary to pass some law to meet such alarming offenses against the person of the Sovereign. Accordingly, on the 12th of July the Premier introduced a Bill into Parliament making attempts on the Queen's life punishable as high misdemeanors by transportation for seven yeears, or imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for a period not exceeding three years. Further the culprit was to be publicly or privately whipped as often and in such manner and form as the court should direct, not exceeding thrice. This measure became law on the 16th. Bean was brought to trial on the 25th of August following, at the Central Criminal Court. The i^istol having missed fire, the capital charge was aban- doned, and the hunchback was tried for misdemeanor. He was convicted upon this charge, and Lord Abinger sentenced him to eighteen months' imprisonment in Newgate. To the anxiety caused by these dastardly attempts upon the life of the Sovereign succeeded a sad incident which caused deep grief to the Queen and her husband. On the 13th of July intelligence was received in Lon- don to the effect that the Duke of Orleans, while riding in his carriage, was suddenly thrown from it and killed on the spot. Her Majesty was much affected on receiving this deplorable news, and wrote an autograph letter of condolence to the royal family of France. In the autumn of 1842 the Queen paid her first visit to Scotland, accompanied by the Prince. She traveled by water, and was received at Granton pier by the Duke of Buccleuch, driving through Edinburgh to Dalkeith Palace. The new experiences of the first visit paid outside her native land delighted the Queen, and found very graphic expression in her Highland Journal. Nothing escaped her quick eyes: the many- storied houses of the Old Town, the aged crones standing at the doors in their white mutches, the bare-footed lads and lassies, the fishwives in 180 FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. their short petticoats, with the "caller herrin', fresh drawn frae the Forth" in kreels upon their backs, and all the sights of the historic town were quickly noted down. Her Majesty took oatmeal porridge at her break- fast, tried the "Finnan baddies," and pronounced the homely Scottish fure excellent. She held a reception at Holyrood Palace, and a levee at Dalkeith House, visited Lord Rosebery (grandfather of the present Earl) at Dalmeny, and journeyed farther north to the Highlands, visit- ing all the places of interest en route. Scott was constantly in her hand, and she delighted to- verify the places and scenes of which he wrote. Never probably had the Queen so enjoyed a holiday. She roamed about the lochs and glens, made friends with the old women in the cottages, and enjoyed a freedom which was absolutely new to her. Great was her amusement to see the astonishment of one old woman, when told that the young lady to whom she had given floAvers from her garden was the Queen. The ancient dame rubbed up her best English, and endeav- ored to make Her Majesty understand that she was "richt" welcome to Scotland. There were torchlight dances, and reels and strathspeys for the entertainment of the royal visitors, with all of which the Queen was greatly pleased, and at the close of the tour she confessed to having become quite fond of hearing the bagpipes. Everywhere she was received with enthusiasm, and many are the stories told of the criticisms, full of pawky humor, offered by the crowd. A gentleman in Edinburgh said to his farm-servant, "Well, John, did you see the Queen?" "Troth did I that, sir. I was terrible 'feared afore she came forrit — my heart was maist in my mouth, but when she did come forrit, I was na feared at a' ; I just lookit at her, and she lookit at me, an' she bowed her held at me, an' I bowed my held at her. She's a raal fine leddie, wi'oot a bit o' pride aboot her at a'." The Queen quitted Scotland on the 15th of September, after staying a fortnight. "As the fair shores of Scotland receded more and more from our view," she writes in her journal, "we felt quite sad that this very pleasant and interesting tour was over ; but we shall never forget it." After their return home, the Queen and the Prince took their two little children on a visit to the Duke of Wellington at Walmer Castle, to get the sea air. While here, the Queen received the important and grati- fying intelligence of the re-conquest of Afghanistan by British troops, as well as the news of the conclusion of peace with China. When Parliament assembled on the 1st of February, 1843, the Queen German Emperor William II. and Family The above picture is one of the best ever taken of this charming family. Emperor William is a son of the Empress Dowager Frederick and a grandson of Queen Victoria. He ascended the throne June 15. 1888. The boy whom the mother has her arm around is the Crown Prince Frederick William. Duke of York George, the Duke of York and Duke of Cornwall, is the second and only surviving son of King Edward VII. He married Princess May of Teck, July 6, 1893, and has now two sons, Edward and Albert, and a daughter. Princess Victoria. FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 188 was unable, for the first time since her accession, to open it in person. Another daughter was born to Her Majesty at Bilckingham Palace on the 25th of April. The Prince Consort was present; but, with the exception of the Earl of Liverpool, Lord Steward of the Household, all the official personages arrived too late. They came just in time to see the first bulletin, and then left again, the Queen and infant being reported as progressing most favorably. The infant Princess was christened on the 2nd of June, and received the names of Alice Maud Mary. The sponsors were the King of Hanover, Prince Ernest, the Princess Sophia Matilda, and Princess Feodore. The child grew up to be an especial favorite with the English people, who sympathized deeply with her in the many sorrows which marked her married life. An accident occurred to Her Majesty on the 5th of January, 1844, but happily it was not attended with serious results. The Queen, attended by the Marchioness of Douro, left Windsor in an open pony- phaeton and pair, driven by a postilion, in order to be present at the meeting of Prince Albert's harriers at the Manor House at Horton. The driver took too short a turn in entering the road near the Five Bells, and the near wheel of the carriage, from the rottenness of the side of the road — occasioned by a rapid thaw — sank into the ditch. The carriage was thrown against the hedge; the horse upon which the postilion was riding sinking in from the same cause. Her Majesty and the Marchioness of Douro were rescued from their perilous position by Colonel Arbuth- not, who was in attendance on horseback. The Queen accepted the offer of a pony-carriage belonging to Mr. Holderness, of Horton, and was driven back to Windsor, while a messenger was despatched for the Prince Consort. Some laborers who assisted in getting the carriage out of the ditch were liberally rewarded by command of the Queen. The first public statue of Her Majesty which had been erected in any part of her dominions was unveiled at Edinburgh on the 24th of Janu- ary, in this year. It was a colossal statue by Mr. (afterwards Sir John) Steell, and it was placed in position on the colonnade of the Royal Insti- tution, fronting Prince's Street. From the high elevation of the pedestal, the gigantic figure, which was nearly four times life size, assumed to the spectators almost natural proportions, and harmonized with the massive building on which it was placed. The whole composition was modeled on the severest principles of Grecian art, and it still remains a classic conception of much grandeur. Her Majesty is represented seated on a 184 FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. throne, with the diadem on her brow, while her right hand grasps the scepter, and her left leans on the orb, emblematic of her extended sway. On the 1st of February the Queen opened Parliament in person. The Irish Eepeal agitation was at this time causing much concern, and state trials were proceeding in^ Dublin. Daniel and John O'Oonnell and six other prisoners were charged with conspiracy in endeavoring to obtain a repeal of the union between Great Britain and Ireland. Her Majesty, in receiving an address on the 2nd of February from the Corporation of Dublin, said : "I receive with satisfaction the assurance that sentiments of loyalty and attachment to my person continue to be cherished by you. The legal proceedings to which you refer are now in progress before a competent tribunal, and I am unwilling to interrupt the administration of justice according to law." O'Connell and his fellow-agitators were convicted and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment; but an appeal being made to the House of Lords, the judgment was reversed. The Repeal agitation, however, did not flourish after the trial. A curious but important domestic reform was inaugurated in the royal household at Windsor early this year. At the suggestion of Her Majesty, all the unused bread of the various, departments, which amounted to an enormous quantity in the course of the year, and which had hitherto been disposed of in an unsatisfactory manner, was directed to be given in the future to the inmates of the several almshouses within the burgh of Windsor. A visitor at the Castle has referred to the enor- mous preparation and expense which were going forward every day, and' to the strange sight which the royal kitchen almost daily presented. "The fire was more like Nebuchadnezzar's 'burning fiery furnace' than any- thing else I can think of; and though there is now no company at Wind- sor, there were at least fifteen or twenty large joints of meat roasting. Charles Murray told me that last year they fed at dinner 113,000 people. It sounds perfectly incredible ; but every day a correct list is kept of the number of mouths fed; and this does not include the ball suppers, etc., etc., but merely dinners." A distinguished visitor arrived at Windsor in March, in the person of General Tom Thumb. He was under the charge of his guardian, the enterprising Barnum, and the General afforded much entertainment to Her Majesty, Prince Albert, the Duchess of Kent and the members of the royal household by his extraordinary intellectual display. It was stated that his smart replies to the various questions put to him by the FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 185 Queen caused great astonishment. Mr. Barnum subsequently wrote that "surprise and pleasure were depicted on the countenances of the royal circle at beholding this remarkable specimen of humanity so much smaller than tbey had eyidently expected to find him." The General advanced with a firm step, and as he came within hailing distance, made a very graceful bow, and exclaimed : "Good evening^ ladies and gentle- men !" A burst of laughter followed this salutation. The Queen then took him by the hand, led him about the gallery, and asked him many questions, the answers to which kept the party in an uninterrupted state of merriment. The General familiarly informed the Queen that her picture gallery was "first rate," and told her he should like to see the Prince of Wales. The Queen replied that the Prince had retired to rest, but that he should see him on some future occasion. The General gave them his songs, dances and recitations; and after a con- versation with Prince Albert and all present, which lasted for more than an hour, he was permitted to depart. As he retired, the General was startled by the barking of the Queen's favorite poodle, and he at once began an attack upon that animal with his little cane. A funny fight ensued, greatly to the merriment of the royal party. A lord-in-w^aiting expressed a hope that the General had sustained no damage in the encounter, adding playfully that in case of injury to so renowned a personage he should fear a declaration of war by the United States. In April General Tom Thumb paid a second and a third visit to Buck- ingham Palace by command of the Queen. The second visit was espe- cially interesting and amusing, and it has thus been described by Mr, Barnum in his volume entitled Struggles and Triumphs : "We were received in what is called the 'Yellow Drawing-room,' a magnificent apartment, surpassing in splendor and gorgeousness any- thing of the kind I had ever seen. It is on the north side of the gallery, and is entered from that apartment. It was hung with drapery of rich yellow satin damask, the couches, sofas and chairs being covered witli the same material. The vases, urns and ornaments were all of modern patterns and the most exquisite workmanship. The room was paneled in gold, and the hea^-y cornices beautifully carved and gilt. The tables, pianos, etc., were mounted with gold inlaid with pearl of various hues^, and of the most elegant designs. "We were ushered into this gorgeous drawing-room before the Queen and royal circle had left the dining-room; and as they approached the 186 FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. Greneral bowed respectfully, aud remarked to Her Majesty that ^lie had" seen her before;' adding: 1 think this is a prettier room than the picture gallery; that chandelier is very fine.' "The Queen took him by the hand, and said she hoped he was very well. " 'Yes, madam,' he replied ; 'I am first-rate.' " 'General,' continued the Queen, 'this is the Prince of Wales.' " 'How are you. Prince?' said the General, shaking him by the hand; and then, standing beside the Prince, he remarked : 'The Prince is taller than I am; but I feel as big as anybody;' upon which he strutted up and down the room as proud as a peacock, amidst shouts of laughter from all present. "The Queen then introduced the Princess Royal, and the General immediately led her to his elegant little sofa, which we took with us, and with much politeness sat himself down beside her. Then, rising from his seat, he went through his various performances, and the Queen handed him an elegant and costly souvenir, which had been expressly made for him by her order, for which he told her 'he was very much obliged, and would keep it as long as he lived.' The Queen of the Belgians (daughter of King Louis Philippe) was present on this occasion." On the third visit, King Leopold was present, and he put a multitude of questions to Tom Thumb. The General was dressed in a full Court suit. Queen Victoria desired him to sing a song, and asked him what song he preferred to sing. "Yankee Doodle," was the prompt reply. This answer was as unexpected by Mr. Barnum as it was by the royal party. When the merriment which it occasioned had subsided, the Queen good-humoredly remarked: "That is a very pretty song, General; sing it, if you please." The General complied, and shortly afterwards took leave of his delighted and distinguished audience. The souvenir which Her Majesty gave to Tom Thumb was very superb, being of mother-of- pearl set with rubies, and bearing a crown and the royal initials, "V. E." After each visit also a handsome sum was presented to Mr. Barnum. The great Court event of the year w^as the visit of the Emperor of Russia — the hard, cold, cruel, handsome and imposing Nicholas. He was just in the prime of life, and struck every one by the grandeur of his bearing, though he must have thrown the officials of the royal house- hold into a flutter, seeing that he slept upon straw, and always took with Uim a leathern case, which, at every stage of his journey, was filled with FAMILY LIFE 'AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 187 fresh straw from the stables. This strange potentate won upon the woman's heart of the Queen by his unstinted praise of heT husband. ^'Nowhere/' he said, "will you find a handsomer young man ; he has such an air of nobility and goodness." There must really have been little in common, however, between the Kussian Bear and the gentle-natured Prince Albert. The Emperor came in the Russian warship Cyclops, and landed at AVoolwich on the 1st of June. He drove straight to the Eussian Embassy. The King of Saxony also arrived on the same day at Buckingliam Palace on a visit to Her Majesty. On the 2nd, Prince Albert went to call upon the Emperor at the Russian Embassy, and the two illustrious personages met on the grand staircase. Their greeting was of the most affectionate and cordial kind. The Czar threw his arms around the neck of the Prince and embraced him fervently, Prince Albert returning the salute. Very scant notice had been given of the Emperor's visit, but Her Majesty expressed a strong hope that he would take up his abode at Buckingham Palace, and this he did after some days spent at Windsor. The Emperor paid visits to the various members of the royal family, and also to the Uuke of Wellington, evincing the deepest interest in the veteran soldier. On the 4th, the Emperor, the King of Saxony and Prince Albert wit- nessed the races at Ascot, and on the following day there was a grand military review in the Great Park at Windsor. The greatest enthusiasm was manifested for the Iron Duke, who really attracted more attention that the Czar; but Wellington took off his hat, and, waving it in the air, said to the people very earnestly : "No, no ! not me — the Emperor ! the Emperor!" The people then warmly cheered the Czar. During the inspection of troops, the Emperor was most keenly interested in the Seventeenth Lancers and Forty-seventh Foot. He surveyed them minutely, saying that he wished to see the regiments which had fought and gained England's battles in India. On the approach of the Life Guards, the Duke of Wellington put himself at the head of his regiment, and advanced with it before Her Majesty; the spectacle calling forth an exhibition of unusual enthusiasm. The Queen gave birth to a son on the 6th of August at Windsor Castle. The event was scarcely expected so soon, and only three hours before. Her Majesty had signed the Commission for giving the royal assent to various bills. The Queen's happy delivery was announced in the Times in i)recisely forty minutes after it had taken place at Windsor 188 FAMILY LIFE 'AND NATIONAL DUTIES. Castle; and as that was the first occasion on which the electric telegraph had been so used, the rapid publication of the news was considered very surpi'ising. The young Prince was christened on the 6th of September in the names of Alfred Ernest Albert, being afterwards created Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen had inteided visiting Ireland in the summer of 1844, but the unsettled condition of the country rendered this inadvisable, and a second visit to Scotland took the place of the projected Irish tour. This journey to the North was most delightful and refreshing to the royal travelers, the Queen leaving behind her the cares of her position. Louis Philippe, King of the French, arrived at Windsor Castle on the 8th of October, on a visit to Her Majesty. It was an event of gi-eat national interest and importance, for that distinguished yet unfortunate Sovereign was the first and only French monarch who had ever landed in the British Islands on a visit of peace and amity. The British nation hailed him with the heartiest demonstrations of welcome. London saw^ a splendid show on the 28th of October, when .he Queen opened the new Royal Exchange. The procession was magnificent and very similar to the one at the Coronation. From Buckingham Palace to the Exchange every place, hole or cranny Avhich commanded the small- est view of the route was crammed to suffocation. The Lord Mayor and Aldermen met the Queen at Temple Bar at twelve and escorted her to her destination. On alighting at the Exchange, she walked round the colonnade, and through the inner court. She then went upstairs, and walked through the second banqueting-hall to show herself, subsequently receiving an address in a small room prepared for the purpose. After the address she created the Lord Mayor (Sir William Magnay) a baro- net, A few hours before His Lordship had been in the most pitiable distress, for in going to receive Her Majesty he had put on an enormout; pair of jack-boots to protect himself from the mud; and as the Queen approached he was unable to get them off — or at least one of them. He had one on and one off just as the Sovereign was about to draw up at Temple Bar, and in an agony of fright he ordered the attendants, who Avere tugging at the immovable boot, to let it alone and to replace the other one, which they did. These boots he was compelled to wear until after the ceremony. At Windsor Castle, on the 30th of October, the Queen received Sir IJobert and Lady Sale; and Her Majesty heard from the lips of the heroic FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 189 lady a narrative of the privations to which she and other captives had been exposed in Afghanistan. Lady Sale went through fearful hardships during the disastrous retreat from Cahul. She was severely wounded on the second day of the march, and for nine days she was compelled to wear a habit that was like a sheet of solid ice, for, having been wet through, it had afterwards frozen. She was in captivity ten months, with her daughter, Mrs. Sturt, and the latter was confined of a child during the time in a tiny room without light or air. The baby lived, however, not- withstanding that its mother and Lady Sale were frequently twenty-four liours without food. Akhbar Khan treated them cruelly while pretend- ing to be their friend. He said he would sooner part with all his prison- ers than Lady Sale, for "she was the only hold he had upon her devil of a husband." After the opening of Parliament in February, 1845, the Queen and the Prince Consort went down to Brighton to make a short stay at the Pavilion. From thence they visited Arundel Castle and Buxted Park. During her stay at Brighton the Queen was exposed to gTcat annoyance in consequence of the rude behavior of the crowd, which lay in wait to follow her in her walk from the Pavilion to the pier. She was very glad when the time came for taking possession of Osborne, which she and the Prince did on the 29th of March following. The park and grounds attached to this marine residence comprised upwards of 300 acres, chiefly sloping to the east, and well stocked with noble timber. The views from Osborne are very extensive, commanding Portsmouth, Spithead, etc. A new mansion was subsequently built for the Queen in lieu of the old house. The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the Lords of the Admiralty, inspected the Experimental Squadron at Spithead on the 21st of June. It was a splendid spectacle to see the noble vessels as they got under way. The warships off Spithead at this time had a total of 926 guns, 26,208 tons; being 6,412 tons more than the fleet amounted to with which England won the battle of the Nile. After the evolutions, the Queen passed through the squadron on her return to Cowes, much grati- fied by the ^h play she had witnessed. Her Majesty prorogued Parliament on the 9th of August, and on the evening of the same day set out with the Prince Consort on her first visit to Germany. Such a tour must have had special interest for her, seeing that Germany was not only her husband's country, but that of her mother 190 FAMILY LIFE, AND NATIONAL DUTIES. ' also. The royal party left Woolwich in the Fairy, the Queen's new yacht. On Septemher 10, Her Majesty and the Prince returned to English shores, and went immediately to Osborne, where a joyous welcome awaited them ; "for there, looking like roses, so well and so fat, stood the four children." The Queen has left it on record that this visit to Ger- many was one of the most exquisite periods of enjoyment in her whole life. The ensuing winter of 1845-6 was a disastrous one in some respects in England's domestic history. There the railway mania had hurried many into ruin, while in Ireland there was fearful destitution through the failure of the potato crop. The settlement of the great corn-law ques- tion was seen to be imperative towards the close of 1845, and Sir Robert Peel resigned oflQce in order that Lord John Russell and the Whigs might come in and grapple with this long-vexed question. Lord John was unable to form a Ministry, however, and on the 5th of December Sir Robert Peel returned to power. He courageously resolved to abolish the corn-laws, and although by doing so he incurred great odium with his party, the country generally acknowledged with gratitude his great and disinterested services. The obnoxious corn-laws were swept away, and Peel's action was more than justified by subsequent events. During the thick of the political conflict the Queen gave birth, at Buckingham Palace, on the 25th of May, to her third daughter. Princess Helena, afterwards Princess Christian. In the closing days of June the Government was defeated on its Irish Coercion Bill, a measure to check assassination in Ireland, and on the 6th of July the Prime Minister resigned office. The Queen felt the part- ing with Peel and Lord Aberdeen most keenly. Writing to King Leopold on the 7th she said : "Yesterday wasi a very hard day for me. I had to part from Sir Robert Peel and Lord Aberdeen, who are irreparable losses to us and to the country. They were both so much overcome that it quite upset me. We have in them two devoted friends : we felt so safe with them. Never during the five years that they were with me did they ever recommend a person or a thing that was not for my or the country's best; and never for the party's advantage only. * * * I cannot tell you how sad I am to lose Aberdeen ; you cannot think what a delightful companion he was. The breaking-up of all this intercourse during our journeys is deplorable." But the Queen had still one person on whose counsel she coiild rely, and one far dearer to her than her Ministers. FAMILY. LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 191 "Albert's use to me, and I may say to the country, by his firmness ami isagacity in these moments of trial, is beyond all belief." The year 1847 opened very gloomily. The commercial depression from which the country had been suffering had been further aggravated, while the ravages of the potato disease had reduced the people of Ireland to a terrible condition of starvation and disease. Consequently when Her Majesty opened Parliament in person on the 19th of January, the royal speech was not a cheerful document. Fortunately, foreign affairs were in a satisfactory condition, and as to domestic difficulties, the Government of Lord John Russell took prompt measures for relieving the distress in Ireland. They also brought in a new Irish Poor Law measure, which was quickly passed, together with other remedial legisla- tion. But the season in London, always inexorable, was not without its gayeties. The theater saw the reappearance of Fanny Kemble, whilst at the Italian Opera a new prima donna appeared, concerning whom the Queen thus wrote : "Her acting alone is worth going to see, and the piano way she has of singing, Lablache says, is unlike anything he ever heard. He is quite enchanted. There is a purity in her singing and acting whicii is quite indescribable." The new operatic star which thus suddenly came upon the horizon was that popular favorite, Jenny Lind. Prince Albert was elected Chancellor of the University of Cambridge on the 28th of February, receiving 953 votes as against 837 given to his opponent, the Earl of Powis. The installation of the Prince took place on the 6th of July, amid circumstances of great pomp and splendor. Her Majesty being present at the investiture. The ceremony was performed in the hall of Trinity College. The journals reported that the Queen, being seated on a chair of state on the dais, the new Chancellor (in his gorgeous robes of office), supported by the Duke of Wellington (Chancel- lor of the sister University of Oxford), the Bishop of Oxford, the Vice- Chancellor of Cambridge and heads of houses approached, when the Chancellor read an address to Her Majesty, congratulatory on her arrival. The Queen made a gracious reply, and the Prince retired with the usual profound obeisances — a proceeding which caused Her Majesty some amusement. The year 1848 was one of great upheaval amongst the States of Europe. Prance was the first to feel the force of the revolutionary move- ment. The policy of Louis Philippe, and especially his intrigues with a view to Bourbon aggrandizement, had long rendered the King very 193 FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. unpopular. The public discontent now found vent in revolution, and the dynasty was swept away, and a Republic proclaimed. The proud monarch and his family fled from Paris, and became fugi- tives and wanderers. The King succeeded in escaping to England, and landed at Newhaven in the name of "John Smith." Before his arrival the Queen had written to King Leopold : "About the King and Queen (Louis Philippe and Queeu Am^lie) we still know nothing. We do every- thing we can for the poor family, who are indeed sorely to be pitied ; but you will naturally understand that we cannot make common cause with them, and cannot take a hostile position to the new state of things ia France. We leave them alone ; but if a government which has the appro- bation of the country be formed, we shall feel it neces>sary to recognize it, in order to pin them down to maintain peace and the existing treaties, which is of the greatest importance. It will not be pleasant to do this, but the public good and the peace of Europe go before one's personal feelings." After Louis Philippe arrived at Claremont, he paid a private visit to the Queen, by whom he was received in the most affectionate and hospit- able manner ; and this was her attitude towards the whole of the members of the Orleans family. "You know my love for the family," wrote Her jMajesty to Baron Stockmar ; "you know how I longed to get on terms with them again, and you said, ^Time alone will, but certainly, bring it about.' Little did I dream that this would be the way we should meet again and see each other, all in the most friendly way. That the Duchess de Montpensier, about whom we have been quarreling for the last year and a half, should be here as a fugitive, and dressed in the clothes I sent her, and should come to thank me for my kindness, is a reverse of for- twne which no novelist would devise, and upon which one could moralize forever." Some regret must surely have passed through the mind of Louis Philippe himself, that he had not striven to govern like the Sov- ereign of England, upon strict constitutional principles. The effects of the revolutionary spirit were felt in other countries — Italy, Spain, Prussia and Austria; but in Belgium the attempts to incite the people against the monarchy proved abortive, and the throne of Her Majesty's uncle remained secure. This, however, was not the case with her brother and brother-in-law, the Princes of Leiningen and Hohenlohe, who were compelled to abdicate their seignorial rights. In the midst of the general solicitude for the peace of England during FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 19S this time of convulsion the Queen was delivered of her fourth daughter, the Princess Louise. The royal infant was christened at Buckingham Palace on the 13th of May following, receiving the names of Louise Caro- line Alberta, the first being the name of the child's grandmother on the father's side, and the last being the feminine form of her father's name. Chartist disturbances were expected at this time, and there was con- siderable discontent over the income tax and the increased grants for the army and navy. On March 13 a Chartist meeting was held on Ken- sington Common, but it did not prove itself so formidable as had been anticipated. Great preparations were made, however, in view of pos- sible outbreaks, and disturbances occurred in the north of England, and also in London. But the military and other authorities acted witli promptitude, and the leaders of the movement having been arrested, the agitation subsided. The excitement in London, nevertheless, was at one time so great that nearly 200,000 special constables were sworn in, amongst them being Prince Louis Napoleon (afterwards Emperor of the French) and the Earl of Derby. When the danger was all over the Queen wrote to King Leopold: "The Chartist meeting and procession have turned out a complete failure. The loyalty of the people at large has been very striking, and their indignation at their peace being interfered Vvith by such wanton and worthless men, immense." Irish agitation gave a good deal of trouble at this time, and eventually the three most promi- nent leaders, Mitchell, Meagher and Smith O'Brien, were brought to trial for sedition. No conviction was obtained in the cases of Meagher and O'Brien, but Mitchell was found guilty and transported for fourteen years. By way of showing the immense labor which devolved upon the Queen and Prince Albert, as well as the Foreign Secretary, during this year of trial and anxiety, it is stated that "no less than twenty-eight thousand dispatches were received by or se»t out from the Foreign Office." The Queen prorogued Parliament in person on the 5th of September and on the afternoon of the same day Her Majesty and the Prince Con- sort, accompanied by the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal and Prince Alfred, embarked in the royal yacht at Woolwich for Scotlaud. Their destination on this occasion was Balmoral Castle, which on the recom- mendation of Sir James Clark, Prince Albert had leased from the Earl of Aberdeen. The royal squadron entered Aberdeen Harbor on the 7th and on the following day Her Majesty proceeded, amidst the most loyal 194 FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. demonstrations, to Balmoral. The place seems to have created a favor- able impression upon the royal visitors from the first. "It is a pretty little castle, in the old Scottish style," remarked the Queen, in her Jour- nal. "There is a picturesque tower and garden in the front, with a high wooded hill ; at the back there is a wood down to the Dee, and the hills rise all around." Sport and riding were the order of the day, and on the 16th the Queen ascended Loch-na-Garr on a pony led by Mr. Farquharson's head-keeper, Macdonald. Prince Albert endeavored to stalk a deer, but in vain, and then he would occasionally make a detour after ptarmigan. When Her ^lajesty had nearly reached the top of the mountain, the mist drifted in thick clouds, so as to hide everything not within a hundred yards or so. The ascent was determinedly finished, however; but when the visitors descended, the wind blew a hurricane, and they were almost blinded with the mist. Another day was devoted to a "drive" in the picturesque wood of Balloch Buie, where Prince Albert shot a magnificent stag. The sport was successful, and every one was delighted, Macdonald and the keepers in particular; the former saying that "it was Her Majesty's com- ing out that had brought the good luck." The Queen was supposed t"o have "a lucky foot," of which the Highlanders think a great deal. During Her Majesty's stay in Scotland important events were trans- piring abroad. England was comparatively quiet, though the sudden death of the Conservative leader. Lord George Bentinck, caused great sensation. In France, Prince Louis Napoleon had been elected by no fewer than five departments to the new French Chamber, while news came from Frankfort of a terrible riot in which two members of the German States Union were assassinated. The royal party at Balmoral attended a "gathering of the clans" at Invercauld, and were much interested in the wild and manly sports of the Highlanders. On the 28th, the Court left Balmoral for the south. Only a stay of a day was made in London, however, and then the Queen and her family proceeded to Osborne. In returning from their marine residence on the 9th of October, the royal party witnessed a sad accident in the Channel. The Queen's yacht passed the frigate Grampus, which had just returned from her station in the Pacific. The day was misty and stormy, but five women, relatives of the men on board the Grampus, had gone out in a small boat to meet them, being rowed by two watermen. A sudden squall swamped the boat, without the knowledge of any one on FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 195 boaid the two vessels. The men on board a Custom-house boat, however, perceived a man elinging to the capsized boat, and immediately came to render assistance. Prince Albert was the first person on board the Fairy to realize what had occurred. The Queen was quite overcome. The royal yacht was stopped, and one of its boats lowered, which picked up three women, two of whom were unfortunately dead. The storm was very vio- lent, and Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, the commander of the Queen's yacht, having decided that nothing further could be done, held on his course, affirming that it would be very unsafe to delay. The Queen and Prince Albert were strongly in favor of staying, and Her Majesty felt the sad incident very much, for she wrote afterguards : "It was a dread- ful moment ; too horrid to describe. It is a consolation to think we were of some use, and also that, even if the yacht had remained, they could not have done more. Still, we all keep feeling we might, though I think we could not. It is a terrible thing, and haunts me continually." In the ensuing month of November, Lord Melbourne, the Queen's first Minister — and a man to whom she had become much attached, in consequence of his almost paternal devotion to her in her early youth — passed away, having been for some time in seclusion. Her Majesty wrote concerning him : "Truly and sincerely do I deplore the loss of one who was a most disinterested friend of mine, and most sincerely attached to me. He was, indeed, for the first two years and a half of my reign almost the only friend I had, except Stockmar and Lehzen, and I used to see him constantly — daily. I thought much and talked much of him all day." The Queen also wrote in her Journal a day or two subsequently: "I received a pretty and touching letter from Lady Palmerston, saying that my last letter to poor Lord Melbourne had been a great comfort and relief to him, and that during the last melancholy years of his life we had often been the chief means of cheering him up. This is a great satisfac- tion to me to hear." Parliament was opened by the Queen in person, on the 2nd of Feb- ruary, and, in addition to its reference to the continued Irish distress at home, the royal speech lamented that a formidable rebellion had broken out in the Punjab. The war proceeded with disastrous conse- quences, and although the fiercely contested battle of Chillianwallah left the British masters of the field, the Sikhs infiicted terrible losses upon England's troops. Sir Charles Napier was sent out, but before he arrived in India Lord Cough had encountered the combined forces of the enemy 196 FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. at Goojerat, and had totally defeated them. The rebellipu was sup- pressed, and the Punjab was annexed to the British possessions in India. On the 19th of May another dastardly attack was made upon Her Majesty. After holding a drawing room at Buckingham Palace, she went out in an open carriage, with three of her children, to take a drive round the parks. Shortly before six o'clock the royal carriage had arrived about midway down Constitution Hill on its return, when a man who stood within the railings of the Green Park discharged a pistol in the direction of the Queen. He was immediately seized by the bystand- ers, and would probably have been the victim of lynch law had not a park-keeper and a constable interfered and arrested him. The carriage stopped for a moment, but Her Majesty, with great coolness and decision, stood up, and motioned the driver to go forward. The prisoner was brought up and identified as one William Hamilton, of Adare, in the county Limerick. He was a bricklayer's laborer, who for five years past had led a roving life in France and England. His last place of abode was in Pimlico, in the house of a fellow-Irishman, w^hose wife had lent him an old rusty pistol, ostensibly to make "a sight in the air among the trees." He was afterwards found in the Green Park under the circumstances narrated. Hamilton was put on his trial at the Cen- tral Criminal Court, when witnesses proved the presenting of the pistol at the carriage and its explosion. The prisoner was sentenced to seven years' transportation. The Queen's long-expected visit to Ireland was paid in August, 1849. Her Majesty and Prince Albert, with their four children, embarked at C'owes on the 1st, in the royal yacht, and steered to the westward, con- voyed by a squadron of four steamers. They arrived at the Cove of Cork at ten p. m. on the following day, and came to anchor amidst the boom- ing of artillery and the blaze of a universal illumination on sea and land. Next morning the most deafening cheers hailed Her Majesty's first land ing on Irish ground. The Queen received a number of addresses, and communicated her royal pleasure that the town of Cove should, in com- memoration of its being the spot chosen for her landing, henceforth bear the name of Queenstown. The royal party re-embarked, and proceeded to Cork amid the enthusiastic shouts of thousands of Irish Celts. A royal progress was made through the city, the Queen being much struck by the noisy but good-natured crowd, and by the beauty of the women. The royal squadron next sailed to Waterford, and from there went on FAMILY LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. 197 to Dublin. As the vessels came into Kingstown Harbor, and the Queen appeared on deck, there was a burst of cheering, renewed again and again, from some 40,000 spectators. Early on the following day. Lord Clarendon, the Lord Lieutenant, and Lady Clarendon, with Prince George of Cambridge, the Archbishop of Dublin, and various officers of state, went on board to be in attendance on Her Majesty. A deputation from the county of Dublin, headed by the Earl of Charlemont, presented an address. At ten o'clock the Queen and Prince Albert prepared to land, with their children. As the Queen's foot touched the shore, the royal standard swept aloft, the populace shouted, and the booming of the heavy guns veritably shook the earth. An eye-witness thus describes Her Majesty's passage from the boat to the railway : "It was a sight never to be forgotten, a sound to be recol- lected forever. Ladies threw aside the old formula, of waving a white pocket-handkerchief, and cheered for their lives, while the men waved whatever came first to hand — hat, stick, wand or coat (for the day was very hot) — and rent the air with shouts of joy, which never decreased in energy till their beloved Sovereign was far out of sight. The Queen, turning from side to side, bowed repeatedly. Prince Albert shared in and acknowledged the plaudits of the people, while the royal children were objects of universal attention and admiration. Her Majesty seemed to feel deeply the warmth of her reception. She paused at the end of the platform for a moment, and again making her acknowledgments, was hailed with one universal and tremendous cheer as she entered the ter- minus. The royal party then went by rail to the capital." The royal carriages were in waiting at the terminus, and Her Majesty now made her progress through Dublin, having first received the keys of the city from the Lord Mayor, and graciously returned them to him. There was a triumphal arch of great size and beauty at the entrance to the city, but it was the human element all along the route which most deeply interested the Queen. "It was a wonderful and stirring scene," she wrote; "such masses of human beings, so enthusiastic, so excited, yet such perfect order maintained. Then the number of troops, the different bands stationed at certain distances, the waving of hats and handkerchiefs, the bursts of welcome that rent the air, all made it a never-to-be-forgotten scene when we reflected how lately the country had been under martial law." Dublin, with its magnificent Sackville street, was greatly admired by the royal visitors. In the midst of ail the shout- 198 FAMILY. LIFE AND NATIONAL DUTIES. ing and excitement, at the last triumphal arch, a tame dove, with an olive-branch round its neck, was let down into the Queen's lap — an inci- dent which deserves recording to the honor of some poetic Celt. The Dowager Queen Adelaide died on the 2nd of December, at her country seat of Bentley Priory, at the age of fifty-seven years. Towards the close of November, Queen Victoria had paid her last visit to her, afterwards writing to King Leopold : "There was death written in that dear face. It was such a picture of misery, of complete prostration, and yet she talked of everything. I could hardly command my feelings when I came in, and when I kissed twice that poor dear thin hand. I love her so dearly; she has ever been so maternal in her affection to me. She will find peace and a reward for her many sufferings." Her Majesty's third son and seventh child was born May 1, 1850, and as this was the birthday of the Duke of Wellington, it was determined to give him the same name — Arthur. The child was christened "Arthur William Patrick Albert." The second name was given after Prince William of Prussia, Patrick was in remembrance of the Queen's visit to Ireland and Albert was chosen after the Prince Consort. Only a few weeks after the birth of her child, a most cowardly attack was made upon the Queen by one Lieutenant Pate, a man of good family. As Her Majesty was leaving Cambridge House, where she had called to inquire after the Duke of Cambridge, who was seriously ill. Pate darted forward and struck a blow with a cane at Her Majesty's face. The force of the blow was broken by the bonnet, tut a severe bruise was inflicted on the Queen's forehead. No motive was ever assigned for this attack. At Pate's trial the usual plea of insanity was put forward, but the jury declined to recognize it, and the prisoner was sentenced to seven years' transportation. David Livingstone The Greatest English Explorer and Missionary of the Victorian Age Rev. Chas. H. Spurgeo>i Greatest Preacher of the Victorian Age CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. Work of the Prince Consort— He Plans a Great World's Fair— Appointment of a Royal Commission— Hyde Park Chosen for the Site— Strong Opposition Enconntered— Build- ing of the Beautiful Crystal Palace— Opening of the Exhibition— The Queen's Account of the Ceremony— Great Multitudes Present— Close of the Exhibition— Death of the Duke of Wellington— Fire in Windsor Castle— Birth of Another Son to the Queen. AT THE beginning of 1850 the Queen became grievously alarmed about the health of the Prince Consort. The toil and anxieties of politics had sadly worn his nervous system; and in addition to his work as confidential private secretary to the Queen, his own occupations had grown more numerous and varied each year. Sir Theodore Martin said of him: "Ministers and diplomatists found him at every interview possessed of an encyclopaedic range of information, extending even to the minutest details." The Court at this time was a rich treasure-store of information regarding the inner history of courts and embassies on the Continent, on which the English diplomats were grateful to draw for aid and suggestions, when appointed to diffi* cult and delicate missions. "But to the claims of politics," writes Sir Theodore Martin, "had to be added those which science, art, and ques- tions of social improvement were constantly forcing upon the Prince'sr attention." The business of organizing the Great Exhibition of 1851 was almost entirely assumed by Prince Albert, not only because the idea originated with him, but because he was found to be the only man in England who thoroughly understood the scheme. As Lord Granville, in a letter to Prince Albert's secretary, remarked, his Royal Highness seemed to be almost the only person who had considered the subject as a whole and in details. "The whole thing," said Lord Granville, "would fall to pieces if he left it to itself." On February 21, 1850, a brilliant meeting in support of the under- taking was held at Willis' Eooms, which was attended by the diplomatic representatives of the leading nations. This was followed up by a grand banquet at the Mansion House, which was attended by the great digni- 201 20« THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. taries of State, the Foreign Ambassadors, the Royal Commissioners for the Exhibition, and the heads of the county and municipal magistracy. After the Royal Commission had been appointed, the question of site, space, and finance were those which pressed for settlement, and without doubt the last gave the Queen the most anxiety. The public, she saw, must be induced to support the scheme, and meetings be organized for the purpose of making its advantages known. Prince Albert's speech at this banquet, however, struck the key-note of all the subsequent advocacy which the Exhibition received. The age, said he^ was advancing towards the realization of a unity of mankind, to be attained as the result and product, and not by the destruction, of national characteristics. Science, by abridging distance, was increasing the communicability of ideas. The principle of the division of labor was gradually being applied everywhere, giving ' rise to specialism, but specialism practiced in publicity, and under the stimulus of competition and capital. Thus was man winning new powers in fulfilling his mis- sion in the world — the discovery of natural laws and the conquest of nature by compliance with them. The central idea of this Exhibition of 1851 was to give a true test, and a living picture of the point at which civilized man had arrived in carrying out his mission, and to serve as a basis of operations for further efforts which might carry humanity upwards and onwards to a larger and loftier stage. Such, in a brief paraphrase, were the views of Prince Albert, and they ran through the country amidst a chorus of approval. The whole nation responded to the appeal of His Royal Highness, and the delight of the Queen was correspondingly great. On February 23, a meeting of ladies was held at Stafford House, under the presidency of the Duchess of Sutherland, with the object of inviting the women of England to assist in promoting the success of the Exhibition, and a very influential committee was formed for this pur- pose. The Exhibition commissioners chose Hyde Park for the site of the buildings, and this led to a bitter attack upon Prince Albert by the English press. It was regarded as an invasion of the pleasure-grounds of "the people," and bitterly resented on that score. The truth is, how- ever, that a rich and selfish clique of families dwelling in the neighbor- hood objected to a great public show, likely to attract multitudes of slght-seers, coming between the wind and their nobility, and they repre- THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. 203 sented "the people" for the occasion. An attack was organized on the Exhibition commissioners in Parliament, and the Queen, well knowing that if it were successful, the project must be abandoned, was sorely grieved at the folly and prejudice which inspired the opposition. The Times was very bitter. Even Mr. Punch, famed for his sentimental devotion to the Queen, proved himself a sad recreant on this occasion, and Leach ridiculed the Prince, because the public was a little niggardly with its subscriptions, which fell far short of £100,000, which was the lowest estimate tendered for the building. But the attempt of "a little knot of selfish persons," as the Queen called them in a letter in which she implored Baron Stockmar to come and comfort her and her husband in their troubles, to drive the Exhibi- tion out of Hyde Park failed, and their attacks on Parliament collapsed. A way out of the difficulties was finally opened up. It was proposed to establish a guarantee fund to meet any deficit that might be incurred, and on June 12 it was started by a subscription of £50,000 from Messrs. Peto, the contractors. In a few days the subscriptions sufficed to solve the financial problem. Ultimately, to the surprise of those who had scoffed at the Prince's sanguine anticipations, not only were the guar- antors freed from all responsibility, but when the Exhibition accounts were closed, the commissioners found themselves with a balance of a quarter of a million in hand. The work was accordingly begun without further delay. On the last day of December, 1850, the Queen was gratified to know that one of her husband's most cherished designs had been carried out. The building for the International Exhibition had risen from the ground in Hyde Park with the magic rapidity of a fairy palace. The design which had been chosen was that of a French artist, and Londoners had looked on with amazement at the erection of the great central dome of crystal, which dwarfed even that of St. Paul's into insignificance. The plan for carrying out the design was suggested by Mr. Paxton, chief superintendent of the Duke of Devonshire's gardens, and it was but an expansion of the grand conservatory which he had built for His Grace at Chatsworth. Iron and glass were the materials used for its construction. The cast-iron columns and girders were all alike — four columns and four girders being placed in relative positions forming a square of twenty- four feet, which could be raised to any height, or expanded laterally in 204 THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. any required direction, merely by joining other columns and girders to them. The building, therefore, grew up in multiples of twenty-four, and it could be taken to pieces just as readily as if it had been a doll's house, and put up on any other site in exactly the same form. As a matter of fact, after the Exhibition was held in 1851, this won- derful palace of crystal was removed to Sydenham, where it has long been one of the sights of London. The building covered eighteen acres of ground, and gave an exhibiting surface of twenty-one acres. The contractors accepted the order for the work on July 26, and though there was not a single bar of iron or pane of glass prepared at that date, they handed the completed building over to the commissioners, ready for painting and fitting, on the last day of the year. The Exhibition year of 1851 marked an epoch in the history of the English nation. The interest of the country in this great World's fair was strong, but it was feeble compared to that which the Queen and Prince Albert took in it. All through March and April the Prince worked night and day arranging for the opening, undaunted by the carping criticisms of those who predicted that the direst calamities would spring from the Exhibition. Those foolish persons asserted that to attract to the capital dense crowds of foreigners would lead to riot, to the spread of revolutionary doctrines, to the introduction of pes- tilence, and to the ruin of British trade, the secrets of which would be revealed to competitors in the markets of the world. Colonel Sibthorp, in the debate on the address, actually implored Heaven to destroy the Crystal Palace by hail or lightning, and others declared that the Queen would most surely be assassinated by some foreign conspirators on the opening day of the great show. The diplomatic body in London also behaved churlishly to the pro- moters of the scheme, arguing that foreigners, by coming in contact with the democratic institutions of England, would lose their taste for absolutism. When Prince Albert proposed that the ambassadors should have an opportunity of taking part in the proceedings by presenting an address to the Queen, M. Van de Weyer, as senior member of the diplo- matic body in London, privately asked the opinion of his colleagues on the subject. They all gave their assent with one exception. Baron Brun- now, who was "not at home" when M. Van de Weyer called on him. But at a meeting of the diplomatic body it was decided by a majotity of them not to present any address to Her Majesty. This decision was THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. 205 arrived at mainly by the influence of Brunnow, who said he could not permit the Kussian nation or people to be mentioned in an address of this kind. He was also jealous of allowing M. Van de Weyer or any other ambassador to speak for the Russian government. The Queen was chagrined at this incivility, and instructed M. Van de Weyer to tell his colleagues that of course she could not compel them "to accept a courtesy which anywhere else would be looked on as a favor." Brunnow, however, held out. In the end it was agreed that the ambassadors should present no address, but merely be formally pre- sented to the Queen at the opening function, and, having bowed, that they should file away to the side of the platform, where they certainly did not cut an imposing figure during the ceremony of inauguration. On April 29 the Queen made a private visit to the Exhibition, and returned from it saying that her eyes were positively dazzled with "the myriads of beautiful things" which met her view. Though some of the royal family, like the Duke of Cambridge, were afraid that there might be a riot on the opening day, the Queen was not affected in the least by their warnings, asserting that she had the completest faith in the good sense, good humor, and chivalrous loyalty of her people. Nor was this confidence misplaced. The inaugural ceremony took place on the 1st of May, and it is almost superfluous to say that it was a most imposing sight. The Queen and Prince Albert and all the royal children, as well as the Duchess of Kent and the young Count Gleichen, were present. The Park presented a wonderful spectacle, and the scene in the streets recalled that of the Coronation Day. The Queen wrote a graphic account of the ceremony in her diary, which takes us below the surface, and exhibits the inner emotions of Her Majesty, as well as the main features of the ceremonial on this great day. The following are the chief passages in the Sover- eign's description: "At half-past eleven the whole procession in State carriages was in motion. The Green Park and Hyde Park were one densely crowded mass of human beings, in the highest good humor and most enthusiastic. I never saw Hyde Park look as it did, as far as the eye could reach. A little rain fell just as we started, but before we came near the Crystal Palace, the sun shone and gleamed upon the gigantic edifice, upon w^hich the flags of all the nations were floating. We drove up Rotten Row, and got out at the entrance on that side. 206 THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. "The glimpse of the transept through the iron gates, the waving palms, flowers, statues, myriads of people filling the galleries and seats around, with the flourish of trumpets as we entered, gave us a sensation which I can never forget, and I felt much moved. We went for a moment to a little side room where we left our shawls, and where we found mamma and Mary (now Princess of Teck), and outside which were standing the other Princes. In a very few seconds we proceeded, Albert leading me, having Vicky at his hand, and Bertie holding mine. The sight as we came to the middle where the steps and chair (which I did not sit on) were placed, with the beautiful crystal fountain just in front of it, was magical, so vast, so glorious, so touching. One felt— as so many did whom I have since spoken to — filled with devotion more so than by any service I have ever heard. The tremendous cheers, the joy expressed in every face, the immensity of the building, the mixture of palms, flowers, trees, statues, fountains — the organ (with 200 instru- ments and 600 voices, which sounded like nothing), and my beloved husband, the author of this 'Peace Festival,' which united the industry of all nations of the earth — all this was moving indeed, and it was and is a day to live forever. God bless my dearest Albert ! God bless my dear- est country, which has shown itself so great to-day! One felt so grateful to the great God who seemed to pervade all and to bless all! The only event it in the slightest degree reminded me of was the Coronation, but this day's festival was a thousand times superior. In fact, it is unique, and can bear no comparison, from its peculiarity, beauty, and combina- tion of such different and striking objects. I mean the slight resem- blance only as to its solemnity; the enthusiasm and cheering too were much more touching, for in a church naturally all is silent. "Albert left my side after ^God Save the Queen' had been sung, and at the head of the Commissioners — a curious assemblage of political and distinguished men — read me the report, which is a long one, and to which I read a short answer. After this the Archbishop of Canterbury offered up a short and appropriate prayer, followed by the 'Hallelujah Chorus,' during which a Chinese mandarin came forward and made his obeisance. This incident was not provided for in the official programme. It was purely spontaneous on the part of the mandarin, who was appar- ently overcome by the solemnity of the scene. This concluded, the pro- cession began. It was beautifully arranged, and of great length — the prescribed order being exactly adhered to. The nave was full, which THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. 207 bad not been intended; but still there was no difficulty, and the whole long walk from one end to the other was made in the midst of continued and deafening cheers and waving of handkerchiefs. Every one's face was bright and smiling, many with tears in their eyes. Many French- men called out *Vive la Reine!' One could of course see nothing but what was here in the nave, and nothing in the courts. The organs were but little heard, but the military band at one end had a very fine effect as we passed along. They played the march from Athalie. The beautiful Amazon in bronze, by Kiss, looked very magnificent. The old Duke and Lord Anglesey walked arm-in-arm, which was a touching sight. I saw many acquaintances amongst those present. "We returned to our own place, and Albert told Lord Breadalbane to declare that the Exhibition was opened, which he did in a loud voice: 'Her Majesty commands me to declare this Exhibition open,' which was followed by a flourish of trumpets and immense cheering. All the Com- missioners, the Executive Committee, etc., who worked so hard, and to whom such immense praise is due, seemed truly happy, and no one more so than Paxton, who may be justly proud; he rose from being a common gardener's boy. Everybody was astonished and delighted; Sir George Grey (Home Secretary) in tears. "The return was equally satisfactory; the crowd most enthusiastic, the order perfect. We reached the Palace at twenty minutes past one, and went out on the balcony and were loudly cheered. The Prince and Princess (of Prussia) quite delighted and impressed. That we felt happy — thankful — I need not say; proud of all that had passed, of my darling husband's success, and of the behavior of my good people. I was more impressed than I can say by the scene. It was one that can never be effaced from my memory, and never will be from that of any one who witnessed it. Albert's name is immortalized, and the wicked and absurd reports of dangers of every kind which a set of people — viz., the soi-disant fashionables and the most violent Protectionists spread — are silenced. It is therefore doubly satisfactory that all should have gone off so well, and without the slightest accident or mishap. » * * Albert's emphatic words last year, when he said that the feeling would be *that of deep thankfulness to the Almighty for the blessings which He has bestowed upon us here below,' have been this day realized. "I must not omit to mention an interesting episode of this day — ^viz., the visit of the good old Duke on this his eighty-second birthday to his 208 THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. little godson, our dear little boy. He came to us both at five, and gave him a golden cup and some toys, which he had himself chosen, and Arthur gave him a nosegay. "We dined en famille, and then went to the Covent Garden Opera, where we saw the two finest acts of the Huguenots given as beautifully as last year. I was rather tired; but we were both so happy, so full of thankfulness! God is indeed our kind and merciful Father!" Lord John Russell congratulated the Queen upon the triumphant success of the day's proceedings. All the arrangements had been most perfectly carried out. In addition to 25,000 people within the building, it was calculated that nearly 700,000 people were assembled on the route between it and Buckingham Palace; yet the Home Secretary was able to report to Her Majesty next day that there had not been one accident or one police case due to this assemblage. Such a circumstance was probably unexampled in the history of great popular celebrations. Well might the Queen assert that this Exhibition of 1851 would contribute to give imperishable fame to Prince Albert, while the day of its opening, the 1st of May, would ever remain "the proudest and happiest of her happy life!" The Queen and the Prince Consort entered into other enjoyments at this time. They heard Rachel in the Andromaque, were present when Macready took leave of the stage, and attended a performance at Devon- shire House on behalf of the newly formed Guild of Literature and Art, when Charles Dickens, Douglas Jerrold, John Forster, and others, appeared in "Not so Bad as We Seem." The Prince was also very promi- nent in charitable and scientific enterprises, and manifested a deep interest in the British Association. A grand fancy ball was given by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on the 13th of June. All the characters and costumes were drawn from the Restoration period. Her Majesty and the Prince were superbly dressed. Four national quadrilles — English, Scotch, French and Span- ish — were danced; and subsequently there was a "Rose" quadrille. In opening the general ball, which followed, the Queen danced the Polo- naise with Prince Albert, the Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar. Prince Albert next danced with the Duchess of Nor- folk, the premier peeress, and after supper the Queen danced with the Prince of Leiningen. Lady Ashburton appeared as Madame de S^vigne, and the Countess of Tankerville as the Duchesse de Grammont, whom Main Entrance to Windsor Castle Queen Victoria's Favorite Home. The Queen's Private Sitting-koom, AVindsor Castle Albert Memorial,— Loxdon This beautiful monument, erected by Queen Victoria and her people in memory of the Prince Consort is located in Kensington Gardens, the birth-place of Queen Victoria. It is of granite bronze and marble' The groups of figures at the four corners of the base are especially fine. THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. 213 she personated in right of her mother-in-law, Corisande de Grammont, granddaughter of Marie Antoinette's friend, Gabrielle de Polignac. Mr. Bancroft Davies, Secretary of the United States Legation, appeared as William Penn: and there were many other assumptions of distinguished characters. Miss Burdett Coutts and Lady Londonderry surprised every one by their dazzling display of jewels. The Duke of Wellington was in the scarlet and gold uniform of the period; Lord Gal way was in a plain cuirass and gorget; while Mr. Gladstone appeared as a judge of the High Court of Admiralty in Charles' reign, "in a velvet coat turned up with blue satin, ruffles and collar of old point, black breeches and stock- ings, and shoes with spreading bows." The City also gave a grand ball at the Guildhall on the 9th of July, to celebrate the opening of the Exhibition. The Queen and Prince Alber-t, and large numbers of the aristocracy, were present. The great hall in which the ball took place was splendidly fitted up. There was a striking array of banners emblazoned with the arms of the nations and cities represented at the Palace in Hyde Park, while the compartments beneath the balconies were filled with pictorial representations of the finest and most striking contributions in the Exhibition. After the dancing, supper was served in the crypt, which was made to represent an old baronial hall. On leaving, her Majesty thanked Lord Mayor Mus- grove for his hospitality, and announced her intention of creating him a baronet. Prince Albert told Baron Stockmar that this City ball passed off most brilliantly, and that a million of people remained till three in the morning in the streets, and cheered Her Majesty on her return with great enthusiasm. On the 27th of August the Queen, Prince Albert and several of the royal children, left London for Balmoral, traveling for the first time by the Great Northern Railway. A halt was made at Peterborouo-h, where Her Majesty had a kindly interview with the venerable Bishop, Dr. Davys, who had been the tutor of her childhood. Boston, Lincoln and Doncaster were next visited, the royal party stopping for a night at the last-named town, selecting the Angel Inn for their resting-place. Going on next day to Edinburgh, Her Majesty and the Prince drove through the city, and remained for the night in the State apartments of Holyrood Palace. The honor of knighthood was conferred on the Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Balmoral was reached on the evening of the 29th. The castle and 314 THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION, domain had now become royal property. The estate extended to upwards of seven miles in length and four in breadth. The stay this year was not marked by any special incidents, though several features of interest attended the return journey. Leaving her Highland residence on the 7th of October, the Queen journeyed with her family to the south. Between Forfar and Glasgow the axle of a carriage truck became ignited, and the carriage had to be disengaged; while between Glasgow and Edinburgh one of the feeder-pipes from the tender to the engine burst with a loud explosion. No evil results occurred from these misadventures. At Lancaster the royal party alighted to view John of Gaunt's ancient castle. The Queen and the Prince then proceeded to Croxteth Park, the seat of the Earl of Sefton. From thence, on the fol- lowing day, a royal progress was made through Liverpool, in accordance with previous arrangements. Great preparations had been made for Her Majesty's reception, but the weather was disastrously unfavorable. The rain poured down in torrents, and all objects were concealed in a deep mist. The Queen and the Prince, nevertheless, courageously went through the whole of the programme; and the streets were crowded with persons whose loyalty defied the elements. The royal party vis- ited the Docks, and sailed round the mouth of the Mersey. They then visited the Town Hall and St. George's Hall. At the Town Hall addresses were presented, and Her Majesty knighted the Mayor, Mr. John Bent. From Liverpool the royal party went by barges on the Bridgewater Canal to Worsley Hall, the seat of the Earl of Ellesmere. Next day was a grand gala day at Manchester. There was a royal progress through the town, the Queen being received everywhere with the utmost enthusiasm; and in Peel Park nearly 80,000 children, belong- ing to all religious denominations, were arranged in fourteen tiers of galleries. It was during this royal visit that Sir John Potter received his knighthood. Her Majesty returned to Worsley Hall, and next day the royal travelers journeyed to Watford, where they took carriages to Windsor. The Queen paid a farewell visit to the Exhibition on the 14th of Octo- ber, and shortly afterwards it was dismantled. During the five and a half months it had remained open, the visitors had been 6,200,000, and the total receipts £500,000. Several events of moment occurred before the close of the year. In November the King of Hanover died. He was the fifth and last surviv- THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. 215 ing son of George III. and Queen Charlotte, and as Duke of Cumberland he had been anything but popular. Louis Kossuth came over to England in the autumn of 1851, and created intense interest and excitement. But the most startling incident of all this year occurred on the 2nd of December, that fatal day which witnessed the coup d'etat of Louis Napoleon. By the aid of the army, the ambitious Bonaparte ruthlessly violated the rights of the people, laying the foundation of his power in bloodshed and despotism. A good deal of ill-feeling resulted between England and France, but all fears of French aggression ultimately died out. Lord Palmerston was compelled to resign in consequence of his too-ready acceptance of the coup d'etat and his acquiescence in the measures of Louis Napoleon; but he had his revenge early in the fol- lowing year, when he was mainly instrumental in overthrowing the Liberal Government on its Militia Bill. The year 1852 was one of appalling disasters. Early in January the splendid mail steamship Amazon was destroyed by fire as she was enter- ing the Bay of Biscay. Out of a total of 161 persons on board no fewer than 140 perished. Amongst those who met a terrible fate on this occasion was that admirable writer, Mr. Elot Warburton. Another fearful catastrophe occurred in April, when Her Majesty's steam troop- ship Birkenhead went down near the Cape of Good Hope. Heart-rend- ing accounts were published of the disaster from survivors. Out of 630 persons on board, chiefly military passengers and their wives and chil- dren, only 194 were saved. A third catastrophe, which occurred at home, was the bursting of the Bilberry reservoir, near Holmfirth, on the borders of Yorkshire and Lancashire. An immense destruction of life and property ensued. Nearly one hundred persons perished; and, as an example of the w^reck and ruin involved, it may be stated that one family who the night before were worth £10,000, were reduced to ask for clothes to cover them. More than 7,000 persons were instantly rendered destitute, and the total damage was estimated at £600,000. Her Majesty was greatly moved on learning of these dire calamities. When the London season commenced this year, an interesting cor- respondence took place between the King of the Belgians and the Queen. The former was afraid lest the wear and tear of London life should have an injurious effect upon Her Majesty. The Queen's reply set her uncle's mind at rest: "The London season for us consists of two State balls and two concerts. We are hardly ever later than twelve 216 THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. o'clock at night, and our only dissipation is going three or four times a week to the play or opera, which is a great amusement and relaxation to us both. As for going out as people do here every night to balls and parties, and to breakfasts and teas all day long besides, I am sure no one would stand it worse than I should; so you see, dearest uncle, that in fact the London season is nothing to us." While Her Majesty was staying at Osborne in the summer, she received news of the death of Count Mensdorff, who had married the sister of the Duchess of Kent, and was consequently uncle by marriage both to the Queen and Prince Albert. Princess Hohenlohe came over on a visit at this time; she was in great distress and anguish, having just lost her eldest daughter from consumption. In July the Queen and Prince Albert made a marine excursion along the Devonshire coast, and in the ensuing month they went over to Brussels on a brief visit to King Leopold. Shortly after their return. Her Majesty received intimation that a large legacy had beeni bequeathed to her absolutely by an eccentric barrister of Lincoln's Inn, named John Camden Nield. The testator had inherited a large fortune from his father, which he had greatly increased by his penurious habits. Mr. Meld's personalty was sworn under £250,000. The Court proceeded to Balmoral in August, and on the 16th of the following month, while on an excursion to the Glassalt Shiel, the Queen received intelligence of the death of the greatest of her subjects. The illustrious Wellington, "the great Duke," had passed away at Walmer, after a few hours' illness, and with no suffering, at the patriarchal age of eighty-three. Keenly did Her Majesty feel this great loss, for the Duke had in a measure held towards her the triple capacity of father, hero, and friend. In the plenitude of her grief, and with an exaggeration of language which will be understood in consequence, she spoke of him as "England's, or rather Britain's, pride, her glory, her hero, the greatest man she had ever produced." Thousands of British hearts, however, echoed the Queen's sentiment when she wrote that "one cannot think of this country without 'the Duke,' our immortal hero!" Full justice was done by the Queen in the following passage to the great soldier's character: "In him centered almost every earthly honor a subject could possess. His position was the highest a subject ever had — above party — looked up to by all — revered by the whole nation — the friend of the Sovereign — and how sim- THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION, 217 ply he carried these honors! With what singleness of purpose, what straightforwardness, what courage, were all the motives of his actions guided. "The Crown never possessed — and I fear never will — so devoted, loyal, and faithful a subject, so stanch a supporter! To us (who, alas! have lost now so many of our valued and experienced friends) his loss is irreparable, for his readiness to aid and advise, if it could be of use to us, to overcome any and every difficulty, was unequaled. To Albert he showed the greatest kindness and the utmost confidence. His experi- ence and knowledge of the past were so great too; he was a link which connected us with bygone times, with the last century. Not an eye will be dry in the whole country." While the pessimism of grief pervaded this tribute, it indicated very clearly the characteristics of the man whom all Britain mourned as with one heart. The body of the Duke was brought up to London, and con- veyed to Chelsea Hospital, where it lay in state for four days, and was viewed privately on the first day by the Queen and Prince Albert and their children. On the 18th the great Duke was laid to rest in St. Paul's Cathedral, the funeral being such as had never before been celebrated for any Englishman. At the close of the funeral rites in the Cathedral, the body was lowered into the vault amid the solemn strains of the "Dead March." A sense of depression, of personal loss, then came over the vast assembly. Prince Albert, it is stated, was deeply moved, and the aged Marquis of Anglesey, the octogenarian companion in arms of the deceased, by an irresistible impulse stepped forward, placed his hand on the sinking coffin that contained the remains of his chief in many battles, and burst into tears. Verily, a Prince and a great man had fallen in Israel! In December, 1852, the Derby-Disraeli Government fell upon its Budget, which was attacked with great force by Mr. Gladstone. Lord Aberdeen became Prime Minister, and his ministry included many of the leading Whigs and Peelites, Mr. Gladstone being Chancellor of the Exchequer for the first time. Across the Channel, the French Empir<^ had just been declared, and Louis Napoleon had made his public entry' into Paris as Emperor. On the 19th of March, 1853, a disastrous fire broke out in Windsor Castle, w^hich at one time placed that magnificent structure and the whole of its contents in jeopardy. Fortunately, the flames were sub* 218 THE FIRST GREAT WORLD'S EXPOSITION. dued and the injury was confined to the ceilings of the dining-room in the Prince of Wales' Tower, and two floors of bedrooms immediately over it, which were practically destroyed. The fire was supposed to have originated from the heating of the flues. The Court was at Wind- sor at the time, and the Queen, in writing upon the fire to the King of the Belgians, said: "Though I was not alarmed it was a serious affair, and an acquaintance with what a fire is and with its necessary accom- paniments, does not pass from one's mind without leaving a deep impression. For some time it was very obstinate, and no one could tell whether it would spread or not. Thank God, no lives were lost." The principal treasures in the State rooms were removed in safety on the announcement of the outbreak. The eighth child of Her Majesty, and her fourth son, v/as born at Buckingham Palace on the 7th of April. He was named Leopold George Duncan Albert, the first name being after King Leopold, the second after the King of Hanover, and the fourth after Prince Albert. The third name was a compliment to Scotland. With regard to the name of Leopold, the Queen said to her uncle, "Stockmar will have told you that Leopold is to be the name of our fourth young gentleman. It is a mark of love and affection which I hope you will not disapprove. It is a name which is the dearest to me after Albert, one which recalls the almost only happy days of my sad childhood." When the young Prince arrived at manhood it was arranged to retain this popular name of Leopold by styling His Royal Highness "Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany." CHAPTER Vm. CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY. War Between Russia and Turkey— England and France Protest at the Plans of the Czar —Popular Feeling Against the Prince Consort— The Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklaya— Mismanagement in the Crimea — The Emperor and Empress of the French Tisit England— End of the War in the East— Treaty of Peace— Indian Mutinies— Marriage of the Princess Royal— Death of Her Majesty's Mother. VHEN Parliament was prorogued on August 20tli, 1853, the following passage was inserted in the Queen's speech: "It is with deep interest and concern that Her Majesty has viewed the serious misunderstanding which has recently risen between Russia and the Ottoman Porte. The Emperor of the French has united with Her Majesty in earnest endeavors to reconcile differences, the continuance of which might involve Europe in war." Affairs in the East at this time were in a critical condition. Russia had moved troops across the Danube, and the Turkish government had declared war in consequence. The English and French governments at once notified the Czar that if any further steps of a warlike nature were taken against Turkey, the allied fleets would enter the Black Sea, and take up the cause of the Porte. Meanwhile, there were dissensions in the English Cabinet, and when Lord Palmerston, who represented the strong British war feeling, withdrew from the government, great popu- lar excitement ensued. There was loud talk about Court intrigue and prejudice, and it was openly said that Prince Albert was acting as a hostile influence "behind the throne" against Lord Palmerston and the wishes of the people. The feeling was now as strong against the Prince as it had been in his favor a few years before. Tories and Liberals were alike embit- tered against him. Writing to Baron Stockmar, the Prince said: "One word more about the credulity of the public. You will scarcely credit that my being committed to the Tower was believed all over the coun- try — nay, even *that the Queen had been arrested.' People surrounded the Tower in thousands to see us brought to it. * * ♦ It was anything but pleasant to me that so many people could look upon me *as a rogue 319 220 CRIMEAN WAR AND INDIAN MUTINY. and traitor,' and I shall not be at ease until I see the debate in Parlia- ment well over; for it is not enough that these rumors should be dis- pelled for the time — they must be knocked on the head, and the disease radically cured. Then, what has occurred may be of the greatest service for the future." The Queen wrote to Lord Aberdeen: "In attacking the Prince, who is one and the same with the Queen herself, the Throne is assailed, and she must say she little expected that any portion of her subjects would thus requite the unceasing labors of the Prince." In January, 1854, when Parliament met, the calumnies against the Prince were completely refuted by Lord Aberdeen in the House of Lords, and Lord John Kussell in the House of Commons. Lord Campbell, Lord Derby, and Mr. Walpole, all high constitutional authorities, vindicated the right of the Prince to support the Sovereign by his advice in all mat- ters of State. Her Majesty heartily rejoiced when the clouds lifted, and a letter she wrote to Baron Stockmar, on the anniversary of her marriage, showed the strength of her womanly feelings. "This blessed day," she observed, "is full of joyful, tender emotions. Fourteen happy and blessed years have passed, and I confidently trust many more will, and find us in old age as we are now — happy and devotedly united. Trials we must have; but what are they if we are together?" A family masque was performed on this occasion, in which all the royal children took part. At one point in the proceedings the Princess Helena appeared as Britannia, and pronounced a blessing on the Queen and Prince, in the name of all the seasons, which had been represented respectively by the Princess Alice, the Princess Royal, Prince Alfred, and the Prince of Wales. Not long after this peaceful scene, war was declared against Russia, and on a cold March morning a painfully interesting incident was wit- nessed in front of Buckingham Palace, when the Fusiliers marched past, cheering the Queen heartily. Her Majesty was much touched over the farewell to her gallant troops, now setting out for the East. There were many sorrowing friends to bid good-bye to the soldiers. High and low felt the grief of parting, and amongst the former was the Duchess of Cambridge, who bade farewell to her son. Some days later the Queen went to Spithead, to view the magnificent fleet under Sir Charles Napier, before it sailed for the Baltic. Her Majesty's birthday was this year spent at Osborne, and to com- N ^ o M ■5*^ ^ «ss 1 >. M .25 -S 0) w >n M a a I-; a> ^ aoi ^ u o >>" W M "o w O a> ctf M

oor of London, Mr. Peabody wrote: "Next to the approval of my own con- science, I shall always prize the assurance which Your Majesty's letter conveys to me of the approbation of the Queen of England, whose whole life has attested that her exalted station has in no degree diminished her sympathy with the humblest of her subjects. The portrait which Your Majesty is graciously pleased to bestow on me I shall value as the most precious heirloom that I can leave in the land of my birth, where, together with the letter which Your Majesty has addressed to me, it will ever be regarded as an evidence of the kindly feeling of the Queen of the United Kingdom towards a citizen of the United States." Two marriages were celebrated in the royal circle in 1866. The first was that of the Princess Mary of Cambridge to Prince Teck, which took place at the village church of Kew on the 12th of June. The Queen was present, and looked remarkably well, but it was noticed that she was attired in mourning so deep that not even a speck of white relieved the somberness. On the 5th of July Her Majesty's third daughter, the Princess Helena, was married in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, to Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, the bride being in her twenty- first and the bridegroom in his thirty-sixth year. The Princess was accompanied to the altar by her mother and the Prince of Wales, and the Queen gave her daughter away. The war in Germany this year saw the husbands of two of the Queen's daughters ranged on opposite sides. During the progress of the war in the immediate vicinity of Darmstadt the third daughter of Prin- cess Alice was born. The mother was deeply concerned for her husband 354 THE QUEEN AND THE UNITED STATES. in the field, but eventually he was restored to her in safety. Austria was utterly worsted in the conflict, and Prussia ultimately annexed Hanover, Hesse-Cassel, etc., as the spoils of victory. In October the Queen evinced her interest in the sanitary concerns of the people by opening the fine new waterworks at Aberdeen. In 1806 the daily water supply of Aberdeen was only 60,000 gallons, but the new waterworks would furnish a supply of 6,000,000 gallons of pure water from the Dee. An address was presented to the Queen by the Commis- sioners, and Her Majesty, speaking for the first time in public since her great loss, said: "I have felt that at a time when the attention of the country has been so anxiously directed to the state of the public health it was right that I should make an exertion to testify my sense of tbe importance of a 'work so well calculated as this to promote the health and comfort of your ancient city." At the close of this year the growing discontent of the people that Her Majesty showed no disposition to resume her old place in Court functions was made the occasion of public demonstration at a meeting at St. James' Hall, in support of the enfranchisement of the working classes, w^hen Mr. Ayrton, M. P., condemned the Queen's retirement in strong terms. This brought John Bright to his feet, who warmly vindi- cated Her Majesty from Mr. Ayrton's charge that she had neglected her duty to society. "I am not accustomed," said Mr. Bright, "to stand up in defense of those who are the possessors of crowns, but I feel that there has been a great injustice done to the Queen, and I venture to say this, that a woman — be she the queen of a great realm or the wife of one of your laboring men — who can keep alive in her heart a great sorrow for the lost object of her life and affection, is not at all likely to be wanting in a great and generous sympathy with you." As the great orator ceased, a remarkable ovation took place, the entire audience rising and singing "God Save the Queen" with every demonstration of love and loyalty. When two years later the name of John Bright was submitted to Her Majesty for a seat in Mr. Gladstone's Cabinet, she expressed her pleasure, saying that she was under the greatest obligation to him for the many kind words he had spoken of her, and despatched a special messenger to tell Mr. Bright that if it was more agreeable to his feelings as a Quaker to omit the ceremony of kneeling and kissing hands, he was at liberty to do so, of which permission Mr. Bright availed himself. The THE QUEEN AND THE UNITED STATES. »55 Princess Royal was present during his reception at Windsor, and told him that both herself and all the members of the royal family were greatly indebted to him for the way in which he had spoken of their mother. Mr. Bright has recorded his estimate of the Queen's character to the effect that she was the "most absolutely straightforward and truthful person" he had ever known. CHAPTER X. YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. Extension of the Elective Franchise— Federation of Canada— Fenian Troubles in Ireland — Mr. Gladstone's Irish Church Resolutions— The Queen Tisits Switzerland— War Between France and Germany— Marriage of the Princess Louise to the Marquis of Lome — Illness of the Prince of Wales— Fatal Accident to a Grandson of the Queen— The Prince of Wales Visits India. IN FEBEUARY, 1867, the Queen opened Parliament for the session that gave the country a measure of electoral reform even more momentous than the great reform bill of William the Fourth's time, for the working classes were by this legislation given a very important share in the government of the country. The Queen was heartily in favor of these measures, and it was largely due to her influence that they became part of the laws of the land. This year also saw Canada federated. The Imperial act, known as "the British North American Act, 1867," provided for the voluntary union of the whole of British North America into one general confeder- ation, under the name of the Dominion of Canada. The Dominion thus constituted consists at present of the old provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, now designated respectively Ontario and Quebec, along with Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Provision is also made in the Imperial act for the admission of Newfoundland into the confederacy. It is further provided that the constitution of the Dominion shall be "similar in principle to that of the United Kingdom;" that the executive authority shall be vested in the Sovereign of Great Britain and Ireland, and carried on in his name by a governor-general and privy council; and that the legislative power shall be exercised by a parliament consisting of an Upper House, or "Senate," the members of which are nominated for life, by summons under the great seal of Canada, and a "House of Commons," duly elected by the several constituencies of the various provinces in proportion to the relative population of each. During the year 1867 the feeling of discontent in Ireland again maui- 866 YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. ^5t tested itself, and the leaders planned a general uprising against the government. The promptitude of the authorities perhaps prevented a general insurrection, but there was a partial outbreak in February and March, chiefly in Kerry, Limerick, and Tipperary. There was an affray, if it deserves the name, at Tallaght, near Dublin, and a plot to seize Chester Castle was discovered and frustrated. The police, who behaved extremely well, were often attacked, but the Fenians abstained from plunder or from any acts which might estrange the rural population. The peasants, however, though for the most part nationalists, did not care to risk their lives in such wild enterprise, and the young men of the towns furnished the only real force. Weather of extraordinary severity, which will long be remembered as the "Fenian winter," completed their discomfiture, and they suffered fearful hardships. There was enough sympathy with the movement to procure the election of O'Donovan Rossa for Tipperary in 1867, when he was actually undergoing penal servitude. In the course of the year there appeared the interesting work entitled "The Early Years of H. R. H., the Prince Consort," compiled under the direction of Her Majesty by Lieut.-General the Hon. C. Grey. In this book the Queen pays an affectionate tribute to the vir-tue and character of her deceased husband, and the biography contains much material furnished directly by the Sovereign herself. "No homage which the Queen has paid to her husband's memory is more expressive than the humility and simple confidence with which she has in these pages trusted to the world particulars relating to herself. The candor with which she has published the events that led to their engagement, and their feelings and impressions, is not more striking than the assiduous self-denial which causes the interest always to center in the Prince. The Queen is kept out of sight whenever her presence is not required to illustrate his life." What the book gives is "not merely the privilege of overhearing the tale of love and grief, whispered by a mother to her children, but a great argument of history, a resolute attempt to make the nation understand the most illustrious character the royal family has possessed since the accession of the dynasty. To accomplish this high purpose, the Queen has not shrunk from the sacrifices which men seldom make, and monarchs never." On the 20th of May Her Majesty in person laid the first stone of the Hall of Arts and Science at Kensington Gore. This important edifice, g68 YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. which is now known as the Royal Albert Hall, was to be available for the following objects: Congresses, both national and international, for purposes of science and art; performances of music, distributions of prizes by public bodies, conversations for the promotion of science and art, agricultural, horticultural, and industrial exhibitions, and displays of pictures and sculpture. The ceremony at the laying of the foundation- stone was of an imposing character. The Queen was accompanied by the Princesses Louise and Beatrice, Prince Leopold and Prince Chris- tian; and she was received by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edin- burgh, the Lord Steward, and the Lord Chamberlain; Her Majesty wore deep mourning, a plain widow's cap and a dark crape mantle. The< Princesses wore dresses of green and white, and Prince Leopold a High- land dress. The Prince of Wales, bowing to his mother, handed her-a beautiful bouquet. The Queen, as she took it, kissed both her elder sons, and went forward into the building, being received by the whole company with hearty cheers, waving of handkerchiefs, and clapping of hands. The Queen advanced to the edge of the raised dais, and curtsied three times, first to the right, next to the left, and then to those in front of her. The Prince of Whales read an address to the Queen, who replied, contrary to custom with her, in a scarcely audible tone of voice. She referred to the struggle with which she had nerved herself to take part in the day's ceremony, but said she had been sustained by the thought that she was assisting to promote the accomplishment of the Prince's great designs. To his memory, the Queen continued, "the gratitude and affection of the country are now rearing a noble monument, which I trust may yet look down on such a center of institutions for the promo- tion of art and science as it was his fond hope to establish here." In June the Queen of Prussia arrived at Windsor Castle on a visit to the Queen; and in the following month the Sultan was also hos- pitably housed for a time at the Castle. His Majesty was made the center of a round of gayeties and celebrations at the Crystal Palace and elsewhere; but a grand naval review, at which he was present, off Spit- head, was spoilt by tempestuous weather. The Sultan left England much impressed by his visit. On the day before his departure from Buckingham Palace the Queen received at Osborne another illustrious visitor in the person of the Empress of the French. On the 20th of August the Queen left Windsor for Balmoral, paying a visit on the way to the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe at Floors YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. Castle. The procession from Kelso to the castle was quite a triumphal oDe, and at one point a beautiful scene was witnessed, when fifty young ladies and girls dressed in white, and wearing chaplets of ivy, strewed the road with exquisite bouquets of flowers. At night, beacon-fires. were lit on the hill-tops over a wide extent of country, there being no fewer than thirteen bonfires on the Duke of Roxburghe's estate, so that the fires may be said to have ranged from the Eildons to the Cheviots. The Queen visited Melrose Abbey and Abbotsford on the 22nd, and Jedburgh on the succeeding day. At Abbotsford she inspected the memorials of Sir Walter Scott, and acceded to a request to write her name in the Great Wizard's journal; though she afterwards wrote in her own Jour- nal that she felt it to be presumption on her part to do so. On the 24th she proceeded to Balmoral. During her stay in the North she paid a visit to Glenfiddich, the shooting-lodge of the Duke" of Richmond. The luggage having failed to arrive on the same day as the travelers the Queen and her ladies were compelled to dine in their riding-skirts, and Her Majesty put on a black lace veil belonging to one of her attend- ants, which was arranged as a coiffure. On the 15th of October, the engagement day of the Queen and Prince Consort, a statue of the Prince was unveiled at Balmoral. In February, 1868, Her Majesty received an address of loyalty and affection from the Irish residents in London, a demonstration evoked by the Fenian conspiracy and the Clerkenwell outrage. The address was signed by 22,603 persons. An exciting debate took place in the House of Commons early in May, arising out of Mr. Disraeli's interview with the Queen after the defeat of the Government on Mr. Gladstone's Irish Church Resolutions, The Premier stated that he had recommended a dissolution of Parlia- ment to Her Majesty, but that he had afterwards placed his resignation at her disposal if she should be of opinion that it would conduce to a more satisfactory settlement of the Irish Church question. Mr. Glad- stone and other members strongly censured the use that had been made of the Queen's name, as well as the policy of the Premier, which con- demned the House of Commons by anticipation if any of its votes should be displeasing to the Government. Great indignation was caused in England by the news that the Duke of Edinburgh, while accepting the hospitality of the friends of the Sailors' Home at Clontarf, near Port Jackson, New South Wales, had ggO YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. been shot in the back by one O'Farrell. The wound, happily, was not fatal; the ball was extracted, and in eight days the Duke was suffi- ciently recovered to go on board his ship. On the 13th of May the Queen laid the foundation-stone of the new buildings for St. Thomas' Hospital, and in her reply to the address pre- sented to her she referred to the founding of the hospital by her royal predecessor Edward VI., and to the interest which her late husband always took in it. She also alluded to the fortunate preservation of her son, the Duke of Edinburgh, from the hand of an assassin. In Windsor Park, on the 20th of June, there was a review of 27,000 Volunteers by the Queen, the day being observed as a holiday by most of the public offices and large business establishments of London. Her Majesty left England on a visit to Switzerland on the 5th of August, traveling incognito as the Countess of Kent; en route she stayed for a day at the English Embassy, Paris, where she received the Empress Eugenie. She proceeded next day by rail to Lucerne. During their sojourn at this place, the Queen and her children — Prince Leopold and the Princesses Louise and Beatrice — occupied a beautifully situated residence called the Villa (Pension) Wallace. It stands on a hill overlooking the town, with the Righi on the left, and Mount Pilatus, distinguished by its serrated ridge, upon the right, and the lake and snowy St. Gothard range of Alps immediately in front. After enjoying for a month the delightful scenery of Switzerland, Her Majesty left Lucerne on the 9th of September, reached Windsor Castle on the 11th, and proceeded to Balmoral on the 14th. During her stay in her Scottish home she interested herself, as usual, in all the doings of the humble occupants of the cottages on the estate. One of the typical visits she was accustomed to pay to the cottagers has thus been described by the Rev. Dr. Guthrie, who had himself visited this particular cottar's home: "Within these walls the Queen had stood, with her kind hands smooth- ing the thorns of a dying man's pillow. There, left alone with him at her own request, she had sat by the bed of death — ^a Queen ministering to the comfort of a saint — preparing one of her humblest subjects to meet the Sovereign of us all. The scene, as our fancy pictured it, seemed like the breaking of the day when old prophecies shall be fulfilled: kings become nursing fathers, and queens nursing mothers to the Church." Whether at the Scotch communion service, or at a deathbed liOKD Mayor Gbeen of IjOndon (From the Most Recent Photograph.) Where IjIes Oliver Goldsmith— Temple Court, London Tower of London This ancient castle, used so many years as a prison for persons accused of crime against the King or government, is now used principally as an arsenal and barracks for soldiers. YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. 363 or the graveside, the Queen testified by her presence and sympathy to the oneness of humanity. Before the close of the year there appeared the Queen's volume, "Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands, from 1841 to 1861," etc., etc. While the work laid no claim to the dignity of history or the gravity of literature, it had qualities of its own which ensured a ready acceptance amongst all readers. These records were not origi- nally intended for publication, but, as her husband had passed away, the Queen decided to give them to the world, in order that it might learn how great was the loss which she and England had sustained by the death of so good and able a man as the Prince Consort. Her Majesty sent a copy of this volume to Charles Dickens, as a gift from "one of the humblest of writers to one of the greatest." The Queen visited the City of London on the 6th of November, 1869, for the purpose of opening the new bridge over the Thames at Black- friars, and the new viaduct over the Fleet Valley from Holborn Hill to Newgate street. The citizens of London gave a warm welcome to their Sovereign after her prolonged absence from their midst. The journey from Paddington to Blackfriars Bridge — the Queen was accompanied by the Princesses Louise and Beatrice and Prince Leopold — was a con- tinued ovation. After the ceremony at the bridge Her Majesty pro- ceeded to the new Holborn Viaduct, where there was an immense assemblage of people, who greeted her with the liveliest acclamations. Having declared the Viaduct open, the Queen drove by way of Holborn to Paddington. The Lord Mayor gave a banquet at the Mansion House in the evening, when the Queen's reply to the address presented was read, expressive of the pleasure it had afforded her to visit the city, to open new works in which she recognized "the spirit of enterprise and improvement which has ev.er characterized the citizens of London." Another very interesting ceremony was witnessed in May, 1870, when the Queen, accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales, formally opened the new buildings erected for the University of London in Burlington Gardens. The address presented made reference to the fact that it was in the year of Her Majesty's accession to the throne that the University began its labors "for the encouragement of a regular and liberal course of education among all denominations of the subjects of the Crown;" and it further offered dutiful thanks to the Queen for consenting to open a building granted by Parliament and fully satisfy- mk YMAR£ FULL OF HISTORY. ing all the requirements of the University. Lord Granville, as Chan- cellor of the University, read the address, to which Her Majesty replied, and then said in firm and clear tones, "I declare this building open." Many distinguished visitors were present, who were all cordially received, but the warmest greetings were extended to Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Disraeli, and the Indian religious reformer, Baboo Keshub Chunder Sen. The year 1870 was an eventful one upon the Continent. The war between France and Germany — in which the Queen's sons-in-law, the Crown Prince of Prussia and Prince Louis of Hesse were engaged — ^led to the re-making of the map of Europe so far as France and Germany were concerned; and as one result of the deadly struggle the Emperor and Empress of the French were driven into exile. Under changed and melancholy conditions Queen Victoria visited the Empress Eugenie at Chislehurst towards the close of the year. Her Majesty's stay at Balmoral in 1869 had been diversified by a most enjoyable visit of ten days to Invertrossachs, from which point the royal party explored some of the most beautiful lake scenery in Scot- land. The visit to Balmoral in the autumn of 1870 was marked by a happy incident of another description. On the 3rd of October the Prin- cess Louise became engaged to the Marquis of Lome, eldest son of the Duke of Argyll. The engagement took place during a walk from the Glassalt Shiel to the Dhu Loch. The Queen writes in her Journal : "We got home by seven. Louise, who returned some time after we did, told me that Lome had spoken of his devotion to her, and proposed to her, and that she had accepted him, knowing that I would approve. Though I was not unprepared for this result, I felt painfully the thought of losing her. But I naturally gave my consent, and could only pray that she might be happy." Dr. Macleod, who had long known Lord Lorne, told the Queen that he had a very high opinion of him, and that "he had fine, noble, elevated feelings." The year 1871 was a very anxious one for the Queen, as during its course another daughter left the parental roof on her marriage, while before it closed the life of the Prince of Wales was in imminent danger. Her Majesty opened Parliament in person on the 9th of February, ^e royal ispeech, however, was read by the Lord Chancellor, and as he gs<)C«eded the Queen sat with eyes cast down and perfectly still, a slight HfirfMaoat of her fan being all that was at any time perceptible. The YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. 365 chief lic^me topics of interest were the approaching marriage of the Princess Louise and the agitation for army reform, which ultimately ended in the abolition of purchase. The marriage of the Princess Louise to the Marquis of Lome was solemnized at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on the 21st of March. The ceremony was distinguished by much pomp. The Duke of Argyll attracted special attention when he appeared in "the garb of old Gaul," with kilt, philibeg, sporran and claymore complete. The bridegroom, who was supported by Earl Percy and Lord Ronald Gower, looked pale and nervous. All the members of the royal family were present. The bride was supported on the right by the Queen, and on the other side by the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The bridesmaids were dressed in white satin decorated with red camellias, with long and drooping leaves; the bride wore a white satin robe, with a tunic of Honiton lace of ingenious and graceful design. In this tunic were bouquets composed of the rose, the shamrock and the thistle, linked together by a floral chain, from which hung bouquets of various flowers. The veil, which was of Honiton lace, was worked from a sketch made by the Princess Louise herself. When the Bishop of London put the usual question as to the giving away of the bride, the Queen replied by a gesture, and then the bishop joined the hands of the young people. At the close of the ceremony the Queen lovingly embraced her daughter. The bride and bridegroom left Windsor for Claremont, to spend the honeymoon. For their London residence, rooms were allotted to them in Kensington Palace. Her Majesty opened the Royal Albert Hall on the 29th of March, in the presence of the naembers of the royal family, the chief ofiicers of State, and a large and distinguished assembly, consisting of some 8,000 persons. On the entrance of the Queen the whole audience rose to receive her, and remained standing while the National Anthem was performed. At its conclusion the Prince of Wales read an address to Her Majesty. The Queen handed to the Prince a written answer, and said in a clear voice: "I wish to express my great admiration of this beautiful hall, and my earnest wishes for its complete success." A prayer was offered by the Bishop of London, and then the Prince exclaimed: "The Queen declares this hall to be now opened." The announcement was followed by a burst of cheering, the National Anthem, and the discharge of the park gums. The opening was cele* 266 YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. brated by a concert, under the direction of Sir Micliael Costa, who com- posed a cantata expressly for the occasion. The cost of the hall was estimated at £200,000, and — what is probably unique in the history of public buildings — this cost was not exceeded. Early in April the Queen, accompanied by Prince Leopold, i)aid a visit to the Emperor Napoleon and the Empress Eugenie at Chislehurst. The Emperor was suffering greatly both in mind and body, but he was much touched by this manifestation of friendship. On the 21si of June Her Majesty opened the new St. Thomas' Hos- pital, and knighted the treasurer, Mr. Francis Hicks. The Queen did not return from her usual visit to Balmoral until a late period this autumn, and when she reached Windsor, on the 25th of November, she was met by the disturbing news that a feverish attack from which the Prince of Wales had for some time been suffering had assumed a grave aspect. A bulletin, issued by Drs. Jenner, Gull, Clay- ton and Lowe, stated that the Prince's illness was typhoid fever. Her Majesty proceeded to Sandringham on the 29th. The Princess Louise of Hesse and her children were staying at Sandringham, and the Queen at once despatched the Prince of Wales' three elder children and those of the Princess Louise to Windsor. Princess Alice remained at Sand- ringham to share the vigils of the Princess of Wales. The news of the Prince's illness created profound sorrow and solicitude throughout the United Kingdom. As the fever continued to run its course for some days without any alarming symptoms. Her Majesty returned to Wind- sor; but on the 8th of December a very serious relapse occurred. The life of His Royal Highness was in imminent danger, and the Queen and all the members of the royal family hurried to Sandringham. For some days the whole nation was plunged in gloom, and the excitement respecting the daily bulletins was intense. By the Queen's desire, special prayers were used on and after the 10th in all churches and chapels of the establishment. Prayers also went up from the Jewish synagogues and from Catholic and Dissenting churches. The national anxiety and suspense were continued until the night of Wednesday, the 14th — the anniversary of the Prince Consort's death — when there was a slight amelioration of the worst symptoms, and the invalid obtained long-needed and refreshing sleep. From that day forward the Prince continued gradually to recover. The Queen returned to Windsor on the 10th of December, and on the 26th she wrote the following letter to her YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. 267 people: "The Queen is very anxious to express her deep sense of the touching sympathy of the whole nation on the occasion of the alarming' illness of her dear son, the Prince of Wales. The universal feeling shown by her people during those painful, terrible days, and the sym- pathy evinced by them with herself and her beloved daughter, the Princess of Wales, as well as the general joy at the improvement of the Prince of Wales' state, have made a deep and lasting impression on her heart, which can never be effaced. It was indeed nothing new to her, for the Queen had met with the same sympathy when, just ten years ago, a similar illness removed from her side the mainstay of her life, the best, wisest and kindest of husbands. The Queen wishes to express at the same time, on the part of the Princess of Wales, her feelings of heartfelt gratitude, for she has been as deeply touched as the Queen by the great and universal manifestation of loyalty and sympathy. The Queen cannot conclude without expressing her hope that her faithful subjects will continue their prayers to God for the complete recovery of her dear son to health and strength." The 27th of February, 1872, was observed as a day of national thanksgiving for the Prince's recovery. A more joyous and successful celebration was never witnessed in London. The progress of Her Maj- esty and the Prince and Princess of Wales and Princess Beatrice to St. Paul's was one continuous ovation. Amid the incessant cheering cries were heard of "God save the Queen!" and "God bless the Prince of Wales!" His Koyal Highness insisted upon continually removing his hat in response to the congratulations. At Temple Bar the City sword was presented and returned, after which the Lord Mayor remounted his horse and rode before the Queen to St. Paul's. The sight in the cathedral, where 13,000 persons were gathered, was very imposing. The Queen, who had the Prince of Wales on her right and the Princess of Wales on her left hand, took the Prince's arm, and walked up the nave to the pew specially prepared for the royal party. The service began with the Te Deum, and then there was a special form of thanksgivino-, which opened as follows: "O Father of mercies, O God of all comfort, we thank Thee that Thou hast heard the prayers of this nation in the day of our trial; we praise and magnify Thy glorious name for that Thou hast raised Thy servant Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, from the bed of sickness." The sermon was preached by the Archbishop of Canterbury, his text being taken from the Epistle to the Romans: 3G8 YEARS PULL Of HISTORY. ''Members one of another." When Her Majesty left the Cathedral, the Lord Mayor and aldermen led the procession to the bonnds of the oit.y. After reaching Buckingham Palace the Queen and the Prince of Wales appeared for a short time on the central balcony. In the evening Lon- don was brilliantly illuminated. Her Majesty on the following day issued a letter to the people, stating how deeply touched and gratified she had been by the immense enthusiasm and affection exhibited towards her son and herself on their progress through the capital. Only two days afiter this happy event, the Queen was returning from a drive in the park, her carriage having just entered the courtyard, when a lad suddenly rushed forward to the left-hand side of the carriage, and held out a pistol in his right hand and a paper in his left. He next rushed to the other side and held the pistol and the paper at the full stretch of his arms towai"ds the Queen, who was then seated to his right, appearing quite calm and unmoved. The lad was speedily seized by Her Majesty's personal attendant, John Brown. The pistol proved to be unloaded. On the offender's person a knife was found, and also a petition, written on parchment, for the release of the Fenian prisonei's. He had managed to scale some iron railings about ten feet high, and thus gained access to the courtyard. He proved to be an Irish youth named Arthur O'Connor, seventeen years of age, and a clerk to an oil and color firm in the Borough. Great popular indignation was aroused in consequence of the outrage, and coming so close after the thanks- giving service, it accentuated the loyalty of the people towards the Queen. O'Connor was subsequently brought to trial, and sentenced to one year's imprisonment with hard labor, and a whipping with a birch rod. The Queen had for some time past contemplated instituting a medal as a reward for long or faithful service among her domestic servants, and she now inaugurated the institution by conferring on John Brown, her faithful attendant, a medal in gold, with an annuity of £25, as a mark of her appreciation of his presence of mind and of his devotion on the occasion of the attack made upon Her Majesty. While the Queen was at Balmoral in the ensuing June she received tidings of the death of her valued friend and spiritual adviser, Dr. Nor- man Macleod. The Queen and all her household were much affected by the loss. The deceased had on many occasions cheered and comforted the Sovereign in times of trouble. "No one ever raised and strengthened one's faith more than Dr. Macleod," wrote Her Majesty. "His own faith YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. »«f was so strong, liis heart so large, that alJ, high and 1<9W, weak smd strong, the erring and the good, could alilie find symijathy, help and consolation from him. 11 ow I loved to talk to him, to ask his advice, to speak to him of my sorrows, my anxieties! But, alas! how impossible I feel it to be to give any adequate idea of the character of this good and distinguished man." On the 1st of July, the Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edin- burgh, the Princesses Louise and Beatrice, and Prince Leopold, visited the national memorial erected in Hyde Park to the memory of the Prince Consort. This magnificent and costly monument was then complete, save for the statue of the Prince, which was to be executed by Mr. Foley, and to foi-m the central and principal figure. The structure, which i^t very elaborate in all its parts, reaches to a height of 180 feet, and termi- nates in a graceful cross. Her Majesty visited Dunrobin in September, and laid the memorial stone of a monument to the memory of her dear friend the Duchess of Sutherland in the grounds of Dunrobin Castle. The stone bore a bras>4 plate, with a suitable inscription, closing thus: "This foundation-stone was laid by Queen Victoria of England, in testimony of her love and friendship, 9th of September, 1872." Before the month closed Her Majesty received intelligence of the death of her beloved sister, the Dowager Princess of Hohenlohe Langen- burg, who expired at Baden-Baden. There was ever a warm attachment between the two illustrious ladies,and the Princess was deeply mourned, not only by the Queen, but by a wide circle. The Duke of Edinburgh and I'rince Arthur went over to Germany to the funeral, at which also weti* present the Emperor of Germany and the Prince and Princess Louise of Hesse. A strange and checkered career came to a close in January, 1873, when the Emperor Napoleon died after much physical suffering at Chis^ lehurst. Messages of sympathy with the Empress Eugenie and the Prince Imperial were sent by the Queen and various Eurojjean Sover- eigns. On the 2nd of April the Queen paid a visit to Victoria Park, and he» appearance in the East End was welcomed with great enthusiasm bj large crowds of her poorer subjects, who lined both sides of the thor- oughfares. It seemed as though every court and alley of this densely populated portion of the metropolis had poured forth all it* occupant* 370 YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. of both sexes, who vied with each other in their demonstrations of loy- alty. A sad and fatal accident befell one of the Queen's grandsons, Prince Frederick William of Hesse, at Darmstadt, on the 28th of May. Shortly before eight o'clock in the morning, the nurses had as usual brought the royal children into Princess Alice's bedroom. "On this occasion there were but three — viz.. Prince Ernest, Prince Frederick William, and the baby, Princess Victoria. Out of the bedroom opened a bathroom, into which Prince Ernest ran. The Princess, knowing the window to be open, as was also the one in her bedroom, hastily got up and followed the child, leaving Prince Frederick William and the baby on the bed. Dur- ing her short absence, Prince Frederick William let a toy with which he was playing fall out of the window, and while trying to recover it he fell a height of twenty feet to the ground. The Princess, hearing a noise, rushed back, but only in time to see the unhappy child in the air. Her shrieks soon brought assistance, but all efforts were useless, and the poor little fellow died about eleven o'clock. He had been weakly from; his birth, but he was of a gay and lively disposition, and his death caused profound sorrow to his parents, with whom much sympathy was felt." As an illustration of the rigidity of Court etiquette it may be mentioned that, while Court mourning was ordered in England for the little Prince, there was none ordered in Darmstadt, as the deceased child was not twelve years old. During their stay in Scotland, in September, the Queen and Prin- cess Beatrice spent a week at Inverlochy, near Ben Nevis, Lord Abinger having placed his seat there at Her Majesty's disposal. The Queen after- wards went through the Caledonian Canal, greatly enjoying its beautiful scenery. From Inverness the royal travelers went on to Balmoral. On the 23rd of January, 1874, the Duke of Edinburgh was married to the Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, the ceremony taking place in the Winter Palace at St. Petersburg. In the succeeding March the royal couple made a public entry into London. A heavy snowstorm somewhat marred the proceedings, but the Queen, with the Duchess and the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice, drove through the streets of the metropolis in an open carriage. On arriving at Buckingham Palace the newly wedded couple met with an ovation from a large crowd of persons jvho had assembled in front of the Palace, In April Her Majesty visited Gosport, and inspected the sailors and YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. 271 marines of tke Royal Navy who had gallantly borne their part, with three regiments of the army, in the successful campaign against the Ashantees. At a later period she personally conferred the medals awarded for conspicuous gallantry during the Ashantee war upon nine seamen and marines. In connection with this war Sir Garnet Wolse- ley received the. Order of St. Michael and St. George, and Lord Gifford that of the Victoria Cross. On the occasion of the jubilee meeting of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Ci^uelty to Animals, held on the 22nd of June, the Queen, through Sir Thomas Biddulph, addressed a letter to the President, Lord Harrowby. Her Majesty desired to give expression to her warm interest in "the success of the efforts which are being made at home and abroad for the purpose of diminishing the cruelties practiced on dumb animals. The Queen hears and reads with horror of the sufferings which the brute creation often undergo from the thoughtlessness of the ignorant, and she fears also sometimes from experiments in the pursuit of science. For the removal of the former the Queen trusts much to the progress of education, and in regard to the pursuit of science she hopes that the entire advantage of those anaesthetic discoveries from which man has derived so much benefit himself in the alleviation of suffering may be fully extended to the lower animals." The interesting festival of Hallowe'en was celebrated on a great scale at Balmoral on the 4th of November. As soon as darkness set in, Her Majesty and the Princess Beatrice, each bearing a large torch, drove out in an open phaeton. A procession, consisting of the tenants and sen^ants on the estates, followed, all carrying huge lighted torches. They walked through the grounds and round the Castle, and the scene was very weird and striking. There was an immense bonfire in front of the Castle, and when the flames were at the highest a figure dressed as a hobgoblin appeared on the scene, drawing a car surrounded by a num- ber of fairies carrying long spears, the car containing the effigy of a witch. A circle having been formed by the torch-bearers, the presiding* elf tossed the figure of the witch into the fire, where it was speedily consumed. Reels were then begun, which were danced with great vigor to the stirring bagpipe strains of Willie Ross, the Queen's piper. The Queen and Princess Beatrice, who remained as spectators of the show, were highly entertained. A pleasing international incident occurred on the 3rd of December, 273 YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. when Her Majesty received at Windsor an address of thanks from the French nation for the services rendered by the English people to the sick and wounded in the w^ar of 1870-71. The address was contained in four large volumes, which were beautiful as works of art; and by command of the Queen these volumes were placed in the British Museum, in order that the public might have an opportunity of inspecting them. There appeared this year the first volume of Sir Theodore Martin's Life of the Prince Consort — a work valuable for giving a complete pict- ure of the man; and amongst other tributes to the Prince was the erec- tion of the statue to his memory at the termination of the Holborn Viaduct. This statue was presented to the Corporation by a wealthy gentleman of the city. Many distinguished men who had been personally honored by the Queen passed away in this and the following year. The mournful death- list included Bishop Wilberforce, Sir E. Landseer, Charles Kingsley, W. C. Macready, and Her Majesty's literary adviser and clerk of the Council, Sir Arthur Helps. It had been announced that the Queen would open Parliament in person in February, 1875, but the alarming illness of her youngest son, Prince Leopold, prevented her from carrying out her design. The Prince had been seized with typhoid fever during the Christmas vacation at Osborne (though the disease had been contracted at Oxford University), and for a long time a fatal termination was feared to his illness. Hap- pily, however, he eventually recovered. As the Princess Alice said, he had already been given back three times to his family from the brink of the grave. Her Majesty w^as an involuntary witness of a lamentable accident which occurred as she was crossing over from Osborne to Gosport in the royal yacht on the 18th of August. A yacht called the Mistletoe, belong- ing to Mr. Hey wood, of Manchester, ran across the bows of the Alberta, and a collision took place. The Mistletoe turned over and sank, and the sister-in-law of the owner was drowned. The master, who had been struck by a spar, also died afterwards, but the rest of the crew were saved. The Queen was greatly distressed by the occurrence, and per- sonally aided in restoring one of the sufferers to consciousness. Col- onel Ponsonby some time afterwards addressed a letter to the Com- modore of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, deprecating the constant practice of private yachts in approaching the royal yacht from motives YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. 3t3 of loyalty or curiosity. As the Solent is generally crowded with vessels in summer, this was a very dangerous custom, which might lead to lamentable results, and the Queen hoped it would be discontinued. This letter gave rise to much controversy; and as it appeared immediately after the verdict of the Gosport jury, which attributed the disaster partly to error on the part of the officers of the royal yacht, it was inter- preted as an expression of the Queen's opinion that the master of the Mistletoe was to blame. Her Majesty hastened to remove this impres- sion, and an explanation was published from Colonel Ponsonby to the effect that his letter was written three weeks before the verdict had been pronounced, and was not in any way intended to anticipate that verdict by laying the blame on either party. The Queen paid a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Argyll at Inver- aray in September, and from thence proceeded to Balmoral. At Cpathie, on the 21st of October, Her Majesty and Princess Beatrice attended the funeral of Mr. John Brown, father of the Queen's attendant. The weather was wet and bleak, but the Queen and her youngest daughter followed on foot from the house to the hearse, which from the nature of the roads, could not be got near the door. After the hearse had moved off, Her Majesty returned to the house, and stayed some time, endeavor- ing to comfort the widow. Most of the members of the Court attended the old man's funeral. In October the Prince of Wales left England for his lengthened tour through Her Majesty's Indian dominions. He met with a grand recep- tion in Bombay, and his birthday was kept in India. The Prince visited the chief wonders of India, including the caves of Elephanta. There wasi an elephant hunt in Ceylon, and an illumination of the surf. Colombo, Bombay, Baroda, Calcutta, and Madras were all visited. The tour was in ever}^ respect a perfect success, and created a most favorable impres- sion amongst the Queen's Indian subjects. In the following year the Royal Titles Bill was passed, and Her Majesty was proclaimed Empress of India. The Queen made many public appearances in 1876. Early in Febru- ary she opened Parliament in person, and on the 25th of the same month attended a State concert given at the Albert Hall, when she was accom- panied by the Princess of Wales, Princess Beatrice, and Prince Leopold, and received by the Duke of Edinburgh. Another of Her Majesty's per- sonal friends, Lady Augusta Stanley, passed away on the 1st of March, 2.^4 YEARS FULL OR HISTORY^. aud the Queen erected a memorial cross to her memory in the grounds at Frogmore. On the 7th of March Her Majesty opened a new wing o£ the London Hospital, which had been built by the Grocers' Company at a cost of £20,000. Altogether the sum of £90,000 was contributed by public subscription for the enlargement of the hospital. The statue of the Prince Consort in the Albert Memorial was unveiled on the 9th, without any ceremony. This splendid recognition of a Queen's affection and a nation's gratitude was now complete. Towards the close of March the Queen proceeded to Germany for a visit of some weeks— durin}^ which she visited her sister's grave— traveling under the name of the Countess of Kent. On the homeward journey, on the 20th of April, Herj Majesty rested at Paris, and had an interview with Marshal MacMahon, the French President. On the 2nd of May she reviewed the troops at Aldershot; the march past took place in the midst of a violent hail- storm. On the 13th the Queen opened a loan collection of scientific instruments at South Kensington Museum; and on the 27th her birth- day was kept in London with more than customary public rejoicings in honor of the Prince of Wales' return from India. The Albert Memorial at Edinburgh was unveiled by the Queen with great ceremony on the 17th of August. The memorial, which is in Char- lotte Square, consists of a colossal equestrian statue of the Prince Con- sort, in field-marshal's uniform and bare-headed, standing on a pedestal, at the four corners of which are groups of figures looking up to the central figure. The sculptor of the whole composition was Mr. John Steell, upon whom and Professor Oakley, the composer of the chorale which was sung on the occasion. Her Majesty conferred the honor of knighthood. The Queen took up her quarters at Holyrood Palace for two days, and. in her diary she records the coincidence that the last pub- lic appearances of both her husband and her mother were made in Edinburgh. The ceremony of unveiling the statue passed off very suc- cessfully. The Queen was well seen by her subjects, for she insisted upon standing throughout the whole ceremony, although chairs of State had been prepared for her and Princess Beatrice and Prince Leopold. As the memorial was uncovered the band played the "Coburg March," which much touched Her Majesty. She walked round the statue, and expressed her complete satisfaction with the work. On the 26th of September the Queen presented new colors to the 79th Eegiment, "Royal Scots," at Ballater. The rain came down in torrents. YEARS FULL OF HISTORY. 375 After the piling of the drums, Her Majesty handed the new colors to the two sub-lieutenants, who were kneeling, and addressed them in these words: "In entrusting these colors to your charge, it gives me much pleasure to remind you that I have been associated with your regiment from my earliest infancy, as my dear father was your colonel. He was proud of his profession, and I was always told to consider myself a sol- dier's child. I rejoice in having a son who has devoted his life to the army, and who, I am confident, will ever prove worthy of the name of a British soldier. I now present these colors to you, convinced that you will always uphold the glory and reputation of my first Regilnent of Foot — the Royal Scots." CHAPTER XI. QUEEN VICTORIA BECOMES AN EMPRESS. (jueen Yictoria Becomes the Empress of India— Impressive Ceremonies at Delhi— Tlie Queen's Interest in Her Indian Empire— The Marquis of Lome Appointed Governor General of Canada— Death of President Oarfleld— Another Attempt on the Life of the Queen- Death of the Duke of Albany— Marriage of the Princess Beatrice— The Colonial and Indian Exhibition— The Queen Visits Liverpool. 2X2 O O 1* cu ^ ° 3 .S c BJ flfj a 3-- tr p o 1^ o O K oj-^C a § 1=1 ®*!I cd 3 "■' w 3 t.'O ^a,§ - .. . a K m 03 mi3 p^ 0) Ol-l °5 0) e a B o ft.5 w g g M o5.M h chTCO O r~.a 0) *" -1 y-.t* > VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. 303 formed a magnificent group, blazing in rose diamonds. There were the Thakur Sahibs of Gomdal, of Lieuri and of Moroi, the Maharajah of Kuch Behar, and the Kao of Kutch. Above all was the Maharajah Holkar of Indore^ who seemed to be a mass of emeralds and brilliants. Almost at the same time the Sultaneh of Persia, Prince Komatsu of Japan, and other Eastern princes were conducted to their places in the sacrarium, where also the Queen of Hawaii was allowed to have a place. She wore a large number of Hawaiian orders. Then there was a lull until about twelve, when Dr. Bridge struck up Lemmens' ^Marchei Pontificale,' to welcome the foreign royalties. The Queen herself had selected this piece. It was a splendid procession. The King of Saxony, who is blind, was led up the aisle by the Grown Prince of Austria and the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. "The kings and princes who passed to the sacrarium did so by side passages; not one of them ascended the steps to the dais where Queen ^Victoria and her family alone were to tread. Half an hour more of waiting, and then Sir Albert Woods, Garter King, who was watching at the western door, gave a signal. A voice as of many waters was heard outside, and the State trumpeters, perched aloft on the rood- screen, performed a fanfare on their instruments. The vast crowd of all that is great and illustrious in England rose to their feet. Dr. Bridge played the National Anthem, and afterwards, as the Queen^g procession passed up the nave, a march from the ^Occasional Oratorio.^ The clergy of the Abbey came first, and behind them were the Bishop of London, the Archbishop of York, the Dean of Westminster, and the Archbishop of Canterbury. After them came the Queen, attended by the princes and princesses of her family. The procession having reached the dais, the Queen took her seat on the coronation chair, and Lord Lathom and Lord Mount-Edgcumbe placed the robes of State on her* shoulders. She bowed low to the altar just before they did so, and then sat down. At that moment, when the scene was complete, the mise-en- scene was a very striking one. "The Archbishop of Canterbury began the service with some ver- sicles. Then came the Prince Consort's 'Te Deum,' performed by a choir of three hundred voices. The Archbishop then read three special collects, after which Psalm xx., 'Exaudiat Te Dominus,' was rendered. It had been set to music by Dr. Bridge, the chant being on the fifth Gregorian tone, second ending. The lesson, I Peter ii., 6-18, was read 304 VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. by the Dean of Westminster, and then came Dr. Bridge's Jubilee anthem, ^Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighted in thee, to set thee on His Throne to be king for the Lord thy God; because thy God loved Israel, therefore made He thee king to do judgment and justice/ It opened with a chorus allegretto. Then followed a slow movement as chorale, and finally a chorus, which was a kind of second edition of the first. A unison, *To set thee on His throne,' served as an introduction to the National Anthem, which was rendered with full band and chorus assisting the organ. The slow movement was the chorale 'Gotha,' com- posed by the late Prince Consort and written in five flats. The final chorus was given with immense effect, and when its echoes died away the Archbishop read three more collects, and pronounced the Benedic- tion. "It was exactly half-past one when the Queen rose and gave her hand to Lord Lathom, who assisted her from the coronation chair. The prettiest scene of all followed. The Queen held out her hand to the German Crown Prince, who reverently kissed it. The Prince of Wales came next. To each of the Princes she offered, according to custom, her cheek to be kissed, but every one of them, equally according to custom, kissed her hand. The Princesses curtsied low before the Queen, who kissed each of them, and there was quite a touching scene when three times over the Queen and the German Crown Princess saluted one another. The procession was re-formed. As the Queen passed down the choir she bowed very graciously to every Indian prince present. She then retired for a quarter of an hour, when, amid an immense outburst of enthusiasm, she passed up Parliament street on her homeward route." London, west and east, was gaily illuminated on the night of the Jubilee. Most of the houses in the principal thoroughfares exhibited appropriate devices, some of which were very striking and very costly. Displays of a similar kind were almost general throughout the country. From the north of Scotland to the extreme south of England, beacons flamed from most of the hills, and bonfires were lighted and kept blaz- ing until daybreak. At ten o'clock p. m., a signal rocket, as arranged, was discharged from Malvern Beacon, and immediately afterwards beacon fires were blazing on all the principal promontories and inland heights from Shetland and Orkney to the Land's End. One of the most touching as well as one of the most thoughtful of the Jubilee celebrations, was a children's festival in Hyde Park, held VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. on the 22nd, through the generous initiative of the proprietor of the Daily Telegraph. About 30,000 children marched to the park in perfect order, and were there allowed to enjoy themselves with complete freedom, games and amusements of all kinds having been arranged in the space set apart for them. Each child was provided with a meat pie, a piece of cake, a bun, and an orange, besides being presented with a mug specially made for the occasion by Messrs. Doulton. The Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and some of the Queen's royal visitors, at- tended the childTen's fete, and witnessed the supreme enjoyment which it afforded to the throngs of little ones for whom it was organized. One of the children was brought to Her Majesty's carriage and presented to her. The Queen then drove to Paddington, and thence traveled to Slough, whence she again drove to Eton, where she was received with great enthusiasm by the college boys. In the London Gazette a long list of Jubilee honors was announced. Earl Strathmore and Viscount Galway were made peers of the realm, and peerages were also granted to Sir J. St. Aubyn, M. P., Sir William Armstrong, Sir J. M. Garel-Hogg, Mr. Sclater-Booth, M. P., Mr. E. Fellowes, and Mr. H. Eaton, M. P. Thirteen baronetcies were created, and the dignity of knighthood was conferred upon thirty -three gentle- men, including the mayors of some of the large cities and towns. Numerous appointments and promotions in the Order of the Bath, of the Indian Empire, and in other orders were also announced. A royal proclamation was issued, granting a free pardon to all deserters from military service who should report themselves to their respective com- manding officers. At Windsor, on the 22nd of June, Her Majesty received the officers and general committee of the Women's Jubilee Offering Fund. This was a fund raised by subscriptions varying in amount from a penny to a pound, contributed by 3,000,000 women of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as a present to the Queen on her Jubilee. The offering, which amounted to £75,000, was presented, together with a loyal address, which Her Majesty graciously acknowledged. On the same occasion, a handsome casket, carved out of Irish bog-oak, with a repre- sentation of the Irish harp on the cover, was presented to the Queen on behalf of Irishwomen by the Marchioness of Londonderry. In acknowledgment of the many tokens of sympathy on the part of 306 VICTORIA'S GOLDEN lUBILEE. her people, the Queen addressed to the Home Secretary the following letter, which was published in the London Gazette: Windsor Castle^ June 24 "I am anxious to express to my people my warm thanks for the kind, and more than kind, reception I met with on going to, and returning from, Westminster Abbey, with all my children and grandchildren. "The enthusiastic reception I met with there, as well as on all these eventful days, in London as well as in Windsor, on the occasion of my Jubilee, has touched me most deeply. It has shown that the labor and anxiety of fifty long years — twenty-two of which I spent in unclouded happiness, shared and cheered by my beloved husband, while an equal number were full of sorrows and trials, borne without his sheltering arm and wise help — have been appreciated by my people. "This feeling, and the sense of duty towards my dear country and subjects, who are so inseparably bound up with my life, will encourage me in my task — often a very difficult and arduous one — during the remainder of my life. "The wonderful order preserved on this occasion, and the good behavior of the enormous multitudes assembled, merits my highest admiration. "That God may protect and abundantly bless my country is my fervent prayer. VICTORIA, R. and I." No fewer than four Jubilee functions, in which the Queen bore a part, took place during the month of July. The first was a review of Volunteer Corps at Buckingham Palace, on July 2, when the metropoli- tan and suburban volunteers, to the number of 24,000, divided into six brigades, marched past the Queen. The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Connaught, and Prince Albert Victor appeared with their respective regiments, and the imposing spectacle excited great enthusiasm among thousands of assembled spectators. On the 4th of July the Queen visited London in order to lay the foun- dation stone of the Imperial Institute at South Kensington. This under- taking was one in which Her Majesty's eldest son, the heir-apparent, took a special interest. The Queen was received by the Prince of Wales, the President of the Institute, and by a magnificent assemblage of rep- resentatives from all parts of her dominions. An ode, written by Mr. (now Sir) Lewis Morris, and set to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan, was performed by the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society. Then followed the ceremony of laying the first stone, a block of colonial granite upwards VICTORIA'S GOLDEN lUBILEE. 307 of three tons in weight. Subsequently the Prince of Wales read an address to Her Majesty from the Organizing Committee of the Institute. In her reply the Queen said: "It is with infinite satisfaction that I receive the address in which you give expression to your loyal attach- ment to my throne and person, and develop the views that have led to the creation of the Imperial Institute. I concur with you in thinking that the counsels and exertions of my beloved husband initiated a move- ment which gave increased vigor to commercial activity and produced marked and lasting improvements in industrial efforts. One indirect result of that movement has been to bring more before the minds of men the vast and varied resources of the Empire over which Providence has willed that I should reign during fifty prosperous years. I believe and hope that the Imperial Institute will play a useful part in combining those resources for the common advantage of all my subjects, and in conducing towards the welding of the colonies, India, and the mother country into one harmonious and united community. In laying the foundation stone of the building devoted to your labors, I heartily wish you God-speed in your undertaking." After leaving the site of the new Institute, the Queen went to the Royal Albert Hall, where she witnessed the distribution ©f the prizes given by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for essays on the subject of "Kindness to Animals." The total number of essays sent in was 26,525, for which more than 800 ordinary awards were made and distributed by Lady Burdett-Coutts. The principal prize-winners, 35 in number, were represented by Miss Edith Merrifleld, who was called to the dais and presented with her prize by the Queen, The third public function was a grand review of troops at Aldershot on the 9th of July. The Queen had gone to Aldershot the night before, and slept in the camp. She was attended by a brilliant staff to the review ground, and 60,000 troops of all arms paraded before her. Before the march past, the Duke of Cambridge tendered to Her Majesty the congratulations of the Army upon her Jubilee, and in response the Queen expressed her sense of the love and devotion of the Army. The Duke returned to his position, and at a given signal the air was rent by the cheers of the whole mass of troops, the infantry hoisting their hel- mets into the air on the muzzles of their rifles. The troops then marched past, moving with admirable precision. The ceremony, which was per- formed by about 60^000 men and 102 guos, occupied two hours and three 808 VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. quarters. Then the cavalry and horse artillery, who had formed upon the ridge to the east of the Long Valley, advanced towards the Queen in one magnificent line about a mile in length, the flanks being- lost in clouds of dust. Gradually increasing the pace till it became a gallop, they were halted after having made a splendid advance, and the Queen with her escort and suite withdrew, passing through an avenue formed by the infantry. The last, and perhaps the most important event of all, was a grand naval review at Spithead, on the 23rd of July. The fleet was moored so as to form a double line of great ships, the centre of which was nearly opposite Gilkicker Point on the north and Ryde pier on the south. Between it and Portsmouth was a double line of coast-defense ships, gunboats and torpedo-boats. The vessels comprising the squadrons were anchored about a quarter of a mile apart, the space between the two col- umns being about half as much again. South of these were troopships with visitors, a large number of other steamers, and yachts. The total fleet numbered 135 vessels, including 26 armored and9unarmored ships, 8 torpedo-cruisers, 1 torpedo-gunboat, 1 gun and torpedo-vessel, 38 first- class torpedo-boats, 38 gunboats, 12 troopships, 1 paddle frigate, and 6 training brigs. The total complement of officers and men was 20,000, and of guns about 500. The Queen embarked on board the Victoria and Albert, soon after three in the afternoon, the royal yacht being followed by the Osborne, and by a procession of boats forming a royal flotilla. The entire fleet saluted, each ship firing twenty-one guns, and, as the procession passed by, the ships were drawn up in line facing to the west, the yards of the masted vessels and the turrets, breastworks, and decks of the unmasted vessels were manned by the crews, the marines stood at attention upon the poop of each ship, the officers, in their blue uniforms, occupied conspicuous positions, and the men cheered with a will, the total effect being unsurpassably grand. The end of the line having been reached, a wide sweep was made to the east before the royal flotilla returned. After a little delay, doubtless due to a desire on the part of Her Majesty for time to imprint the whole scene upon her memory, the yachts continued their course. Having arrived at the very centre of the fleet. Her Majesty ordered the ships in the procession to anchor, and directed signals to be hoisted commanding the captains of all her ves- sels to attend on board her yacht. When the commanders had collected iu'i-espanse to the order, they had the- honor of being presented to Her VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. 309 Majesty, who expressed the great satisfaction which the display had given her, and her appreciation of the hearty reception of the crews. The Queen and the other members of the royal family remained with the fleet until a quarter-past seven, when the anchors of the yachts were w^eighed, and directions given for the return to Osborne. As the Queen left the fleet a second salute of twenty-one guns was fired. At night the whole fleet was illuminated. The Queen held a court at Windsor on the 6th of July, to receive deputations from various public bodies presenting addresses of con- gratulation. On the 13th Her Majesty, with other members of the royal family, went from Windsor to Hatfield, to be present at a garden party given by the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury. This was her second visit to Hatfield House in the course of her reign. Space would fail us even to enumerate the celebrations in London and the provinces in connection with the Royal Jubilee. Mention, how- ever, must be made of two specially interesting events. The first was the grand ball given by the benchers of the Inner Temple on the 1st of July. Numerous covered walks were made in the rambling courts and buildings of the Inn, the whole of which was brilliantly illuminated. The second noteworthy incident occurred on the 6th, when the benchers of Gray's Inn revived the "Masque of Flowers," which had been got up by Sir Francis Bacon, and was originally played in their hall in 1613, in honor of the marriage of the Earl of Somerset. The performance, which was an accurate reproduction of the original masque, with the addition of some songs, was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales and many members of the royal family. , On the 15th of July the Queen laid, on Smith's I^awn, Windsor Park, ttie foundation stone for the equestrian statue of the Prince. Consort pre- sented by the women and girls of the United Kingdom. A few days later Her Majesty publicly announced her decision that the surplus of the Women's Jubilee offering should be devoted to the benefit of nurses or nursing establishments, and she requested a committee to advise her as to the best mode of giving effect to this intention In December a special mission was dispatched by the Queen to the pope. Its object was to present to his holiness, as a Jubilee gift from Her Majesty, a massive basin and ewer of gold repouss^ work, copied from originals at Windsor, The basin bore on the central bossi^'^Tb'His Holiness, Pope Leo XIIL, from Victoria, R I,, 1888." A report, issued 310, VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. by the Deputy Master of the Mint, with regard to the Jubilee coinage, showed that the number of five-pound gold pieces coined was 53,000, and of two-pound pieces, 90,000; but none of these appeared in general circulation. The Jubilee celebrations were a tribute at once to the loyalty of the British people and the popularity of the soYereign. The enthusiasm evoked web heartfelt and sincere^ and the whole aation was movedj as by one genuine and spontaneous impulse, to show its gratitude for the many blessings which had attended Her Majesty's beneficent rule. An incident which occurred in March, 1888, showed that the Queen never forgot those distinguished Englishmen who had served humanity and herself in foreign lands. Letters sent by Her Majesty to Miss Gor- don on the occasion of the lamented death of General Gordon at Khar- toum in 1885 were now published, together with a number of other letters^ sent by the deceased officer to his sister. The Queen declared that it gave her inexpressible grief to think that the promises of sup- port — which she herself had constantly pressed upon those who had sent out General Gordon — were not fulfilled. She keenly felt the stain left upon England by General Gordon's cruel though heroic fate. It should be stated, however, that in the light of Gordon's own statements, much may be urged in favor of Earl Granville and Lord Hartington, who were respectively Foreign and War Secretaries at the period of Gordon's brave but unfortunate death. The fiftieth anniversary of the Queen's coronation fell on the 28th of June, but in consequence of the death of the Emperor Frederick of Ger- many — who was extremely popular in England, both on his own account and because of the noble way in which he had borne his sufferings — the Court went into mourning, and the projected fetes were either aban- doned or postponed. Early in 1889, a most interesting meeting of the Privy Council was held at Windsor Castle, when the Queen received two Zambesi chiefs, the bearers of a special message from the African King Lobengula. It appears that Lobengula — who was the King of Matabeleland — in order to satisfy himself with regard to the existence of the "Great White Queen," determined to despatch two trusty envoys. They duly arrived in England, and were received by Her Majesty at Windsor on the 2nd of March; they were highly delighted with their reception, aind wished VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. 311 to return home as soon as possible to tell the King and his people of what they had seen as to the power and friendship of the English. The Koyal Agricultural Society determined to hold its Jubilee show this year in Windsor Great Park. Some days before its inauguration, the Lord Mayor entertained the Council of the society at dinner. The show was opened on the 24th of June. The Queen, who only came from Scotland on the 26th, visited the show on the 27th and also on the two foiiowing days. After being visited by great numbers of persons, the show closed on the 29th. Her Majesty presented the medals given by the Royal Society and the Eoyal Agricultural Society to the respective winners. The German Emperor, William II., with his naval squadron, arrived at Spithead on the 2nd of August. He was received by the Prince of Wales, and proceeded on a visit to the Queen at Osborne. It was under- stood that the Aisit was a semi-private one, and the Kaiser did not go to London. On the 5th the Emperor inspected the British fleet off Ports- mouth. This event was to have taken place on the 3rd, but it was postponed on account of the gale and the severe weather which pre- vailed. The fleet assembled was composed of 20 armor-clads, 35 cruisers, 18 gun-vessels and 38 torpedo-boats, having a total displacement of 243,- 522 tons, and carrying 596 guns and 20,000 blue-jackets. At a banquet given by the members of the Eoyal Yacht Squadron on the 6th, His Majesty expressed his gratification at having witnessed a review of the finest fleet in the world. He remarked also that Germany had an army equal to her requirements, and if the British nation had a fleet equal to its own wants, it would be regarded by Europe generally as a most important factor for the maintenance of peace. On the 7th the Emperor, with Prince Henry of Prussia, visited Aldershot, where a review of about 27,000 men of all arms, volunteers included, was held in his honor. Previous to the departure of His Majesty from Osborne on the 9th, the Queen reviewed the seamen and marines of the German fleet lying in Osborne Bay. Shortly before sunset the Emperor took an affection- ate farewell of the Queen and embarked on his return to Germany. The hearty reception given to the Kaiser during his visit, and the compli- ment paid to him by Queen Victoria in appointing him an honorary admiral of the British fleet, greatly pleased the German people, and the German press spoke in enthusiastic language of the efficiency of the mHitary and naval fbrcieg of Bnglaaid^ and her value as an ally. 312 VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. The Prussian army also expressed much gratification at the Queen hav- ing been appointed honorary Colonel of the Prussian regiment of the First Dragoon Guards, of which the Duke of Wellington had been honorary colonel, and which regiment was henceforward to be known as "The Queen of England's Own." The Queen, with the Princess Beatrice, left Osborne on the 22nd of August on a visit to Wales. Her Majesty's destination was Pal^ Hall, near Lake Bala, which had been placed at her disposal by Mr. Robertson. She was received with the greatest enthusiasm whenever she appeared in public. During her stay, Bala, Ruabon, Wrexham and Llangollen were each visited in turn. At the last-named place a descent into a coal- mine was made by Princess Beatrice and some other members of the royal party. The Queen left Pal^ for Balmoral on the 27th, after Prin- cess Beatrice had laid the foundation-stone of a new church at Bar- mouth. In the spring of 1890 the Queen again visited the Continent. She left Windsor for Cherbourg on the 24th of March, but in consequence of the rough weather was compelled to pass the night on board her yacht in the Solent. On the 26th, however, she arrived at Aix-les-Bains, where she was warmly received by the townspeople and visitors. She remained at Aix until the 23rd of April, when she passed through Geneva and Lausanne en route to Darmstadt Here she spent a few days, and then returned to Windsor. When General Booth published his remarkable book, "In Darkest England," and initiated a fund for rescuing "the submerged tenth" of the population, who were steeped in vice and poverty, the Queen sent him a letter wishing him success in h'is undertaking. . The fund grew in the course of two months to £80,000, but this was not, quite a "tenth of the amount which would be required, according to the General's estimate. The German Emperor and Empress, who had been visiting Heligo- land, Holland, and other places, arrived in England on the 4th of July, 1891, on a visit to Her Majesty. Accompanied by a large suite, they landed at Port Victoria, where they were received by the Prince of Wales, and conveyed to Windsor, where their arrival. was heartily greeted by a large assemblage. The Imperial stay lasted for ten days, and throughout the whole jperiod the Emperor was actively employe^. Oh 'the '6th the marriage "of Prince 'Ariberf, of AnTialf, and Pi'fncess VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. 313 Louise, youngest daughter of the Prince and Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, took place at Windsor. The latter couple at the same time celebrated their silver wedding, the Queen and the Emperor and Empress of Germany attending the ceremony. On the 8th the Emperor and Empress attended a gala representation at the Royal Italian Opera, where they had a magnificent reception. Two days later the Emperor paid a State visit to the City of London, of which he was presented with the freedom, and in reply to the Lord Mayor he expressed himself strongly in favor of peace in Europe. On the 11th the Emperor was present at a review of volunteers at Wimble- don, followed by a fete at the Crystal Palace, where a general review of the National Fire Brigade was held under the command of Captain Shaw. The Emperor and Empress paid a visit of two days to the Mar- quis of Salisbury at Hatfield, and on the 13th they took formal leave of the Queen at Windsor. They went north to Edinburgh and Leith, and at the latter place the Emperor embarked on board his yacht. In August the French squadron, consisting of six vessels, under the command of Admiral Gervais, arrived at Spithead from Cronstadt and was warmly welcomed by the English fleet. A grand review of the fleet was held by the Queen on the 19th, and the stay of the French fleet was marked by numerous festivities. On the conclusion of the review, the Queen sent a friendly and congratulatory telegram to President Carnot, who immediately responded in cordial terms. The year 1892 had scarcely opened before a heavy calamity befell the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the nation, by the death of the Duke of Clarence and Avondale, the second heir to the Crown. While on a visit to Sandringham, the Duke was attacked on the 9th of January by influenza and pneumonia in a severe form. He had caught cold at the funeral of Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langen- berg, another of the numerous victims of the insidious malady which then hung like a pall over the country. In the case of the Duke of Clarence, inflammation of the lungs supervened at an early stage. All efforts to arrest the complication of disorders proved unavailing, and on the morning of the sixth day after he had been taken ill he suc- cumbed, never having rallied under the skilful treatment and unremit- ting care of which he was the object His death, which occurred on the 14th of January, was only within a few weeks of the date fixed for his "marriage with his cousin, the Princess May of Teck. 314 VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. The universal sympathy for the royal family evoked by the Prince's death called forth an expression of gratitude which showed that the bond between the Queen and her people was recognized as much by one as by the other. On the day of the Duke's funeral the following message, composed by the Prince and Princess of Wales, was published: *'The Prince and Princess of Wales are anxious to express to Her Majesty's subjects, whether in the United Kingdom, in the Colonies or in India, the sense of their deep gratitude for the universal feeling of sympathy manifested towards them at a time when they are ovei*powered by the terrible calamity which they have sustained in the loss of their beloved eldest son. *'If sympathy at such a moment is of any avail, the remembrance that their grief has been shared by all classes will be a lasting consola- tion to their sorrowing hearts, and, if possible, will make them more than ever attached to their dear countiw. — Windsor Castle, January- 20th, 1892." A few days later there appeared in a special edition of the London Gazette (January 37) the following letter addressed to the Home Sec- retary: "Osborne, January 26, 1892. "I must once again give expression to my deep sense of the loyalty and affectionate sympathy evinced by my subjects in every part of my Empire on an occasion more sad and tragical than any but one Avhicli has befallen me and mine, as well as the nation. The overwhelming misfortune of my dearly loved grandson having been thus suddenly cut off in the flower of his age, full of promise for the future, amiable and gentle, and endearing himself to all, renders it hard for his sorely stricken parents, his dear young bride, and his fond grandmother, to bow in submission to the inscrutable decrees of Providence. "The sympathy of millions, which has been so touchingly and visibly expressed, is deeply gratifying at guch a time, and I wish, both in my own name and that of my children, to express, from my heart, my warm gratitude to all. ''These testimonies of sympathy with us and appreciation of my dear grandson, whom I loved as a son, and whose devotion to me was as great as that of a son, will be a help and consolation to me and mine in our affliction. "My bereavements during the last thirty years of my reign have indeed been heavy. Though the labors, anxieties and responsibilities inseparable from my position have been great, yet it is my earnest prayer that God may continue to give me health and strength to wovk VICTORIA'S GOLDEN JUBILEE. 315 for the good and happiness of my dear conntrv and Empire while life lasts, ' ' VICTORIA, R L" A memorial service for the Duke was held priTately at Sandringham on the 17th. The coffin contaiDing the body having been remored from Sandringham House to the Chorch, the service was performed in the presence only of the members of the family and the household. On the 20th the body of the Duke was conveyed to Windsor, where a military serrice was held, attended by the representatiTes of Tarions foreign countries and chief dignitaries of State. Memorial services were sim- ultaneously held in St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and at nearly all parish churches, Nonconformist chai>els and Jewish syna- gogues throughout the country. Services were also held in yarious places on the Continent and at most towns in In«iia and the Colonies. A general mourning was obseiTed throughout Great Britain. The Queen, who was much distressed by this melancholy event, left England in March for Costebelle, near Hyeres, a beautiful place on the French Riviera. During her stay here she received three Crimean sail- ors, and the grandson of Cartigny the Trafalgar veteran, who had