The Letters of Queen Victoria
Chapter 299 : _The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._ LAEKEN, _10th October 1856_.MY DEAREST V

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _10th October 1856_.

MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--Since your kind letter of the 2nd I have not had any communications from you. I can well understand that it grieves you to leave the Highlands. It is not a great proof of the happiness of human kind, that all love to be elsewhere than at the place where their real residence is, notwithstanding all songs of home sweet home, etc. I plead quite guilty to this, though I used to be much attached to my old home at Coburg and to Claremont. That the weather should have been unfavourable is a great pity; here we have had a most beautiful and mild weather till the 8th, when a severe thunderstorm put an end to it.

Poor Lord Hardinge! I believe after all, though all these people pretend _not_ to mind it, that the Press killed him. I once told Lady Maryborough and the late d.u.c.h.ess of Wellington that it was fortunate the Duke cared so little for the Press. "Care little," they said; "why, nothing annoys and irritates him more." I find it natural; doing one's best, working with all one's nerves, and to be abused for it, is not pleasant.

To explain the real state of dear Charlotte's affair I enclose the only copy of my letter which exists, and pray you kindly to send it me back. My object is and was that Charlotte should decide as _she_ likes it, and uninfluenced by what I might prefer. _I_ should _prefer_ Pedro, that I confess, but the Archduke[53] has made a favourable impression on Charlotte; I saw that long before any question of engagement had taken place. The Archduke is out at sea, and nothing can well be heard before the 25th of this month. If the thing takes place the Emperor ought to put him at the head of Venice; he is well calculated for it.

I am going on the 15th to Ardenne for a week. I have been since that revolution of 1848 kept away from it almost entirely, compared to former days. And now, with my best love to Albert, I must end, remaining ever, my dearest Victoria, your truly devoted and only Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 53: The Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph of Austria, afterwards Emperor of Mexico.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BALMORAL, _13th October 1856_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I am truly thankful for your kind letter and the very confidential enclosure which I return, and which has interested us both very much, and is truly kind and paternal. I _still hope_ by your letter that Charlotte has not finally made up her mind--as we both feel so strongly convinced of the immense superiority of Pedro over any other young Prince even _dans les relations journalistes_, besides which the position is so infinitely preferable. The Austrian society is _medisante_ and profligate and worthless--and the Italian possessions very shaky. Pedro is full of resource--fond of music, fond of drawing, of languages, of natural history, and literature, in all of which Charlotte would suit him, and would be a _real_ benefit to the country. If Charlotte asked _me_, I should not hesitate a moment, as I would give any of my own daughters to him were he not a Catholic; and if Charlotte consulted her friend Vicky I know what _her_ answer would be as she is so very fond of Pedro.

_14th._--I could not finish last night, and so continue to-day. I shall be most anxious to hear from you about Charlotte, when a _final_ decision has been taken.

Since the 6th we have the _most beautiful weather_--with the country in the _most_ brilliant beauty--but _not_ the bracing weather which did one so much good; yesterday and to-day it is _quite_ warm and relaxing. Albert has continued to have wonderful sport; not only has he killed seven more stags since I wrote, but the finest, largest stags in the whole neighbourhood--or indeed killed in almost any forest!...

Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: MILITARY EFFICIENCY]

_Queen Victoria to Lord Panmure._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _9th November 1856_.

The Queen has received Lord Panmure's two boxes of the 4th. She is glad to hear that the Military and the Defence Committees of the Cabinet are to be rea.s.sembled. The absence of all plans for our defences is a great evil, and hardly credible. There should exist a well-considered general scheme for each place supported by a detailed argument; this when approved by the Government, should be sanctioned and signed by the Sovereign, and not deviated from except upon resubmission and full explanation of the causes which render such deviation necessary; no special work should be undertaken which does not realise part of this general scheme. The Queen trusts that Lord Panmure will succeed in effecting this.

It is very much to be regretted that so few of the soldiers of the German Legion should have accepted the liberal terms of the Government. Those should, however, be made to sail soon.

The returns of the different Departments for the last quarter show a lamentable deficiency in small arms. Fifty-two thousand three hundred and twenty-two for the whole of the United Kingdom is a sadly small reserve to have in store; we should never be short of 500,000. The Queen was struck also with the little work done at Enfield. It appears that during the whole quarter this new and extensive establishment has completed only three muskets!

With regard to some of the barracks, the tenders have not even yet been accepted, although the year is nearly drawing to a close.

The Queen hopes soon to receive the returns for the Fortification Department, which is fully two months in arrear....

With respect to the list for the Bath, the Queen is somewhat startled by the large number. Before sanctioning it, she thinks it right to ask for an explanation of the services of the officers, and the reasons for which they are selected for the honour. She returns the list for that purpose to Lord Panmure, who will perhaps cause the statement to be attached to each name. This, of course, does not apply to the foreigners. Amongst the Sardinians, however, the Queen observes the absence of the names of the Military Commissioners attached first to Lord Raglan and afterwards to General Simpson. The first was a Count Revel, who has frequently applied for the honour, and the Queen thinks ought to have it.

[Pageheading: FRANCE AND RUSSIA]

_The Earl of Clarendon to Queen Victoria._

FOREIGN OFFICE, _10th November 1856_.

Lord Clarendon presents his humble duty, and humbly begs to transmit a letter from the Empress which was left here this afternoon by M. de Persigny, who also left a despatch from Count Walewski, of which Lord Clarendon begs to transmit a copy.[54] It is a most unsatisfactory result of all the tripotage that has been going on, as it is an invitation _pur et simple_ to rea.s.semble the conference with Prussia, and to abide by the decision of the majority.

Lord Clarendon is to see M. de Persigny to-morrow morning.

[Footnote 54: Count Walewski had written to Count Persigny: "The communications which I have received give us cause to fear that Her Majesty's Government may persist in declining the proposal to rea.s.semble the Conference.... We only know of five Powers which have had an opportunity to express an opinion on the point at issue.... It appears that Sardinia has not yet formed her decision. We cannot therefore foresee in what sense the majority will p.r.o.nounce, and it is evident to us that the reunion will realise the object desired, that of bringing on a decision which cannot be questioned by any one, seeing that it will have been obtained by the concurrence of the Representatives of all the Powers."]

[Pageheading: NEUCHaTEL]

_The Empress of the French to Queen Victoria._

COMPIeGNE, _le 7 Novembre 1856_.

MADAME ET TReS CHeRE S[OE]UR,--Je viens apres plus de deux mois m'excuser pres de votre Majeste d'une faute bien involontaire; par quelques mots que Persigny m'a dit j'ai cru comprendre que votre Majeste s'etonnait que je ne lui eusse pas ecrit en reponse a sa lettre. La seule crainte d'ennuyer votre Majeste m'a empeche de le faire, je croyais d'ailleurs que vous n'aviez pas besoin d'a.s.surances sur la bonne foi et surtout sur la bonne volonte de l'Empereur.

J'espere que grace a Dieu tous les pet.i.ts differens qui ont surgi dans ces derniers temps s'aplaniront, car c'est l'interet des deux pays, et le v[oe]u le plus cher que nous puissions former.[55]

L'Empereur a ete bien peine d'apprendre les fausses suppositions auxquelles out donne lieu un desaccord momentaire; il n'aurait jamais suppose que le desir de maintenir un engagement pris peut-etre meme trop a la hate, mais dont un honnete homme ne peut se departir ait pu faire croire que l'alliance avec votre Majeste ne lui etait pas tout aussi chere et tout aussi precieuse qu'auparavant; il est heureux de penser que la reunion de la conference sera un moyen de tout arranger, puisque l'opinion de la Sardaigne n'etait pas encore connue; elle creera par sa voix une majorite, et le Gouvernement francais ne faisant rien pour influencer l'opinion du Piemont, le cabinet de votre Majeste peut sans concession accepter cette combinaison. Je ne saurais a.s.sez dire combien pour ma part je suis tourmentee, car je voudrais partout et en tout voir nos deux pays marcher d'accord et surtout quand ils ont le meme but. Nous sommes a Compiegne depuis trois semaines, l'Empereur cha.s.se souvent, ce qui l'amuse beaucoup et lui fait beaucoup de bien...

L'Empereur me charge de le mettre aux pieds de votre Majeste. Je la prie en meme temps de ne point nous...o...b..ier aupres du Prince Albert, et vous, Madame, croyez au tendre attachement que [je] vous ai voue et avec lequel je suis, Madame et tres chere S[oe]ur, de votre Majeste la toute devouee S[oe]ur,

EUGeNIE.

[Footnote 55: Besides the complications arising out of the procrastination of Russia, in carrying out the Treaty of Paris, an international difficulty had lately arisen in Switzerland. A rising, professedly in defence of the hereditary interests of the King of Prussia, took place in the Canton of Neuchatel, but was suppressed, and some of the insurgents taken prisoners by the Republican Government.

The King of Prussia virtually expressed his approval of the movement by claiming the liberation of the prisoners, and his action was, to some extent, countenanced by the French Emperor. The matter was finally adjusted in 1857.]

[Pageheading: M. DE PERSIGNY]