The Letters of Queen Victoria
Chapter 346 : [Pageheading: THE HIGHLANDS]_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._ BALMORAL, _1

[Pageheading: THE HIGHLANDS]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BALMORAL, _10th September 1860._

MY BELOVED UNCLE,--I have no letter from you, but trust you are quite well. Here we have had a week of very fine weather, but since Sat.u.r.day it has been extremely cold. We made a most delightful incognito expedition on Tuesday last, 4th, returning on Wednesday, 5th. We drove off from here quite early at eight, for twenty-one miles up to the _Geldie_, a small river--_rode_ from here on ponies across the hills to Glen Fis.h.i.+e, a beautiful spot, where the old d.u.c.h.ess of Bedford used to live in a sort of encampment of wooden huts--on to Loch Inch, a beautiful but not wild lake (another twenty miles), crossed the Spey in a ferry, and posted in very rough vehicles to Grantown, again twenty miles, coming in there at nine. We pa.s.sed close by Kinrara where you used to be, but, unfortunately, not by the house. _No_ one knew us--anywhere or at the little inn. We went under the names of Lord and Lady Churchill, and Lady Churchill and General Grey who went with us, under the names of Miss Spencer and Dr Grey! Two maids _only_ went with us (whom we had sent round with our things), and _no_ servants but our two excellent Highlanders, viz. Albert's first stalker or head keeper, and _my own Highland servant_ and factotum--_both_ excellent, intelligent, devoted people. _Only_ when we had _left_ was it found out. We posted to Tomantoul, a wretched village--fourteen miles, _in four hours!!_ with a pair of wretched tired horses--over a big hilly road. At Tomantoul we again took our ponies and rode by Avon Side and Glen Avon, also very fine; back to Loch Bulig--eight miles from here--whence we returned home in our carriage. It was a _most delightful_ and enjoyable, as well as _beautiful_, expedition. I have been besides on many other ones for the day.

In Italy I fear the state of affairs is very distressing--but really the miserable, weak, and foolish conduct of the King of Naples[36] and the squabbles of the whole family takes away all one's sympathy! We leave here alas! on Sat.u.r.day, stop till Monday evening at Edinburgh to see Mamma, and go on that night straight to Osborne, where we expect to arrive on Tuesday for breakfast. With Albert's affectionate love, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 36: King Francis had just fled from Naples to Gaeta, and Garibaldi shortly afterwards arrived in Naples.]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

BROADLANDS, _18th September 1860._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and will have the honour of waiting upon your Majesty at Osborne to-morrow.

Your Majesty must naturally feel regret at shortening so much your Majesty's agreeable holiday in the Highlands, though the happiness of meeting the Princess Royal must amply make amends for it; but the fact is that of all the gifts which good fairies were in the habit of bestowing on their favourites, that which would have been the most desirable would have been the power which the Irishman ascribed to a bird, of being in two places at one and the same time.

[Pageheading: AUSTRIAN PROPOSAL]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

OSBORNE, _20th September 1860._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and submits the accompanying letters which he has received from Lord John Russell, together with Lord John's letter to him; and he certainly agrees with Lord John in thinking that a meeting at present between your Majesty and the Emperor of Austria, though in many respects likely to be useful, would on the whole be so liable to misconstruction, and would prove such a fertile source of misrepresentation, that it would be better to avoid it. Such a meeting would undoubtedly be useful to the Emperor of Austria, by reason of the good advice which he would receive from your Majesty, and from His Royal Highness the Prince Consort; but your Majesty will probably be able to find some other way of conveying to the Emperor counsel calculated to save him from some of the dangers by which he appears to be beset.

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

_21st September 1860._

The Queen received these letters from Lord Palmerston, who likewise communicated to her Lord John Russell's letter, respecting the hint thrown out by Count Rechberg[37] of a meeting with the Emperor of Austria. The Queen agrees with Lord Palmerston, that while such an interview might for many reasons have been desirable, under present circ.u.mstances it might lead to much talk and to many rumours which might do harm, or at any rate give rise to useless conjectures. It would therefore be better to "nip this project in the bud" as Lord John suggests, but care should be taken to do this in such a manner as not to let it appear that there was any disinclination on the Queen's part to meet the Emperor of Austria.

[Footnote 37: In a letter to Mr Julian Fane, Count Rechberg, the Austrian Foreign Minister, had said that he had desired to bring about an interview between the Queen and the Emperor of Austria, but that there would have been difficulties in the way. Lord John Russell was of opinion that the idea should be nipped in the bud, and in this Lord Palmerston fully concurred.]

[Pageheading: APPEAL FROM KING OF NAPLES]

_The King of Naples to Queen Victoria._

GAeTA, _le 6 Octobre 1860._

MADAME MA S[OE]UR,--Le memorandum qu'a la date d'aujourd'hui mon Gouvernement adresse a celui de votre Majeste, les protestations que dans ces derniers temps je lui ai fait parvenir donneront a votre Majeste une idee claire des conflits par lesquels j'ai pa.s.se, et de la situation ou je me trouve.

A la sagacite de votre Majeste ne peut echapper la transcendance des evenements qui se pa.s.sent dans le Royaume des Deux Siciles, et dans les etats Pontificaux. J'etais, et je suis seul a lutter contre toutes les forces de la revolution Europeenne. Cette revolution s'est presentee avec un pouvoir que jamais on ne lui avait connu, armes, parcs d'artillerie, munitions, vaisseaux, rien ne lui a manque, pas meme les ports d'une puissance pour se recruter, et son drapeau pour la couvrir.

Ces evenements etablissent un nouveau droit public, fonde sur la destruction des anciens traites et des principes reconnus du droit des gens. La cause que je defends seul a Naples n'est pas seulement ma propre cause; elle est la cause de tous les Souverains et de tous les etats independants.

La question qui se debat dans le Royaume des Deux Siciles, est une question de vie ou de mort pour d'autres etats d'Europe.

C'est a ce t.i.tre, et non par un interet personnel que j'ose m'adresser a la haute raison de votre Majeste, a Sa prevoyance et a Sa justice.

La grande position qu'occupe votre Majeste dans le monde, Sa sagesse, les relations amicales qui ont toujours existe entre nos deux familles, et la bienveillance particuliere dont votre Majeste a daigne toujours m'honorer, me font esperer, que votre Majeste verra dans cet appel que je fais avec confiance a Sa politique et a Sa justice, une nouvelle preuve du respect que j'ai eu toujours pour Elle, de l'affection sincere, et des sentiments de haute consideration avec lesquels j'ai l'honneur d'etre, Madame ma S[oe]ur, de votre Majeste, le bon Frere,

FRANCOIS.

[Pageheading: TOUR OF PRINCE ALFRED]

[Pageheading: SARDINIA AND NAPLES]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _2nd November 1860._

MY BELOVED VICTORIA,--... Bertie's visit seems to have gone off most splendidly; its effects will be useful. The enemies of England always flatter themselves that mischief may come from that part of the world.

To see, therefore, friendly feelings arise, instead of war, will disappoint them much. Alfred's appearance at the Cape[38] has also been a most wise measure. South Africa has a great future to expect, it is a pity it is so far and I too old to go there; the plants alone are already a great temptation. I should like very much to hear what came to your knowledge of the Warsaw meeting.[39] Prince Gortschakoff tried hard to make it believe that it would bring _Russia nearer to France_. If this was to be the result of the meeting it would be a very sad one indeed....

The way in which the English Press misunderstands all these things is quite lamentable. The meeting of the Sovereigns had this time a better object than the oppression of the liberties of Nations; that this should not be seen by people who would be the first sufferers of the supremacy of a certain power is very lamentable, but they see everything only according to the colour of _their_ spectacles. _Le Flibustive_ movement at Naples is very shameful, but that poor King has been so calumniated that Garibaldi is the rage of the present moment; Colonel Walker[40] has been shot, and Garibaldi, who comes out of that self-same school, is divinised. But it is time I should end.

With my best love to dear Albert, I remain ever, my beloved Victoria, your devoted old Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 38: Prince Alfred, who, some time before, had been appointed to the _Euryalus_, in the course of the summer visited South Africa. After making a tour through Kaffraria, Natal, and the Orange Free State, he returned to Cape Town, where, in September, he laid the foundation stone of the breakwater in Table Bay. In a letter written by the Prince Consort a few weeks earlier to Baron Stockmar, he remarks upon the noteworthy coincidence that almost in the same week in which the elder brother would open the great bridge across the St Lawrence, the younger would lay the foundation stone of the breakwater for the Cape Town Harbour. "What a cheering picture is here," he wrote, "of the progress and expansion of the British race, and of the useful co-operation of the Royal Family in the civilisation which England has developed and advanced" (_Life of the Prince Consort_, vol. v. p. 88).]

[Footnote 39: The Emperors of Russia and Austria, and the Prince Regent of Prussia met at Warsaw on 20th October, and held a conference which extended over several days.]