The Letters of Queen Victoria
Chapter 59 : _Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._ _13th October 1840._ MY DEAREST UNCLE,--

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

_13th October 1840._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,-- ... I have three kind letters of yours unanswered before me, of the 1st, 2nd, and 6th, for which many thanks. My time is very short indeed to-day, but Albert has, I know, written to you about the favourable turn which the Oriental affairs have taken, and of the proposition of France, which is very amicably received here; Austria and Prussia are quite ready to agree, but Brunnow has been making already difficulties (this is in confidence to you). I hope and trust that this will at length settle the affair, and that peace, the blessings of which are innumerable, will be preserved. I feel we owe _much_ of the change of the conduct of France to the peaceable disposition of the dear King, for which I feel grateful.[48] Pray, dear Uncle, when an opportunity offers, do offer the King my best, sincerest wishes for his health and happiness in _every_ way, on the occasion of his birthday; may he live many years, for the benefit of all Europe!...

[Footnote 48: The King of the French was alarmed at the warlike language of his Ministers. He checked the preparations for war which Thiers was making; he went further, and on the 24th of October he dismissed the Thiers Ministry, and entrusted the management of affairs to Soult and Guizot, who were pacifically inclined and anxious to preserve the Anglo-French _entente_.]

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN'S INFLUENCE]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _16th October 1840._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I received your kind but anxious letter of the 10th, the day before yesterday, and hasten to reply to it by the courier who goes to-day. Indeed, dearest Uncle, I have worked hard this last week to bring about something conciliatory, and I hope and trust I have succeeded. Lord Melbourne, who left Claremont on the same day as we did, was confined to the house till yesterday, when he arrived here, by a lumbago and bilious attack; but I had a constant correspondence with him on this unfortunate and alarming question, and he is, I can a.s.sure you, fully aware of the danger, and as anxious as we are to set matters right; and so is Lord John, and Palmerston, I hope, is getting more reasonable. They have settled in consequence of Thiers' two despatches that Palmerston should write to Lord Ponsonby to urge the Porte _not_ to dispossess Mehemet Ali finally of Egypt, and I believe the other foreign Ministers at Constantinople will receive similar instructions; this despatch Palmerston will send to Granville (to-night, I believe) to be communicated to Thiers, and _I_ have made Palmerston _promise_ to put into the despatch to Granville "that it would be a source of great satisfaction to England, if this would be the cause of bringing back France to that alliance (with the other Four Powers) from which we had seen her depart with so much regret." I hope this will have a good effect. Now, in _my_ humble opinion (but this I say of myself and without anybody's knowledge), if France, upon this, were to make some sort of advance, and were to _cease arming_, I think all would do; for you see, if France goes on arming, we shall hardly be justified in not doing the same, and that would be very bad. Couldn't you suggest this to the King and Thiers, as of yourself? My anxiety is great for the return of amity and concord, I can a.s.sure you. I think our child ought to have besides its other names those of _Turco Egypto_, as we think of nothing else!

I had a long talk with Palmerston on Wednesday, and also with J.

Russell.

I hope I have done good. The Dutch don't like the abdication. I'm so sorry for poor little Paris![49]

Pray excuse this dreadful scrawl, but I am so hurried. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 49: The Comte de Paris, born 24th August 1838, eldest son of Ferdinand, Duke of Orleans, who was Louis Philippe's eldest son.]

[Pageheading: ATTEMPT ON LOUIS PHILIPPE]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _17th October 1840._

MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--You will, I am sure, have been very much shocked on hearing that on the 15th there was a new attempt made to kill the poor good King at Paris.[50] The place was cleverly chosen, as the King generally puts his head out of the carriage window to bow to the guard. I join the letter which he had the goodness to forward us through an _estafette_.[51] May this melancholy _attentat_ impress on your Ministers the necessity of aiding the King in his arduous task.... You will have the goodness to show this letter to Albert.

Louise was much alarmed when it arrived at such an unusual hour; it was ten o'clock. At first we thought it might be something about poor little Paris, who is not yet so well as one could wish.

We have gloomy miserable weather, and I feel much disgusted with this part of the world. Ever, my beloved Victoria, your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 50: The King was fired at as he was leaving the Tuileries, by Darmes, a Ma.r.s.eillais. As Croker wrote to Lord Brougham on the 31st of October 1840:--"Poor Louis Philippe lives the life of a mad dog, and will soon, I fear, suffer the death of that general object of every man's shot."]

[Footnote 51: Express messenger.]

[Pageheading: FRANCE AND EGYPT]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _20th October 1840._

MY MOST BELOVED VICTORIA,--I must write to you a few lines by M.

Drouet, who returns to-morrow morning to England. _G.o.d bless you_ for the _great zeal_ you have _mis en action_ for our great work, the maintenance of peace; it is one of the greatest importance for everything worth caring for in Europe. You know well that no personal interest guides me in my exertions; I am in fact bored with being here, and shall ever regret to have remained in these regions, when I might so easily have gone myself to the Orient, the great object of my predilection.

I never shall advise anything which would be against the interests and honour of yourself, your Government, or your country, in which I have so great a stake myself. The great thing now is _not to refuse to negotiate_ with France, even if it should end in nothing. Still for the King Louis Philippe there is an _immense strength_ and facility in that word "_nous negocions_"; with this he may get over the opening of the session, and this once done, one may hope to come to a conclusion.

Since I wrote to Lord Melbourne to-day, I have received a letter from the King, of the 19th, _i.e._ yesterday, in which he tells me, "_Pourvu qu'il y ait, pour commencer, des negociations, cela me donne une grande force._"

I have written yesterday to him most fully a letter he may show Thiers also concerning the armaments. I think that my arguments will make some impression on Thiers. The King writes me word that by dint of great exertion he had brought Thiers to be more moderate. If it was possible to bring France and Mehemet Ali to agree to the greatest part of the Treaty, it will be worth while for everybody to consent. The way to bring France to join in some arrangement, and to take the engagement to compel Mehemet to accept it, would be the best practical way to come to a conclusion. It is probable, though I know nothing about it in any positive way, that the efforts of getting possession of Syria will fail, if the country itself does not take up arms on a large scale, which seems not to be believed.

To conclude then my somewhat hurried argumentation, the greatest thing is to negotiate. The negotiation cannot now have the effect of weakening the execution as that goes on, and it may have the advantage of covering the non-success if that should take place, which is at all events possible if not probable. May I beg you to read these few confused words to Lord Melbourne as a supplement of my letter to him.

Darmes says that if Chartres had been with the King, he would not have fired, but that his reason for wis.h.i.+ng to kill the King was his conviction that one could not hope for war till he was dead.

It is really melancholy to see the poor King taking this _acharnement_ very much to heart, and upon my word, the other Powers of Europe owe it to themselves and to him to do everything to ease and strengthen his awful task.

What do you say to poor Christina's departure?[52] I am sorry for it, and for the poor children. She is believed to be very rich.

Now I must conclude, but not without thanking you once more for your _great and most laudable exertions_, and wis.h.i.+ng you every happiness, which you so _much deserve_. Ever, my most beloved Victoria, your devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

[Footnote 52: Queen Christina abdicated the Regency of Spain, and went to Paris. In the following May General Espartero, Duke of Vittoria, was appointed sole Regent.]

[Pageheading: DEATH OF LORD HOLLAND]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _23rd October 1840._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Many thanks for your two kind letters of the 17th and 20th. I have very little time to-day, and it being besides _not_ my regular day, I must beg you to excuse this letter being very short.

I return you the King's letters with _bien des remerciments_. It is a horrid business. We have had accounts of successes on the Syrian coast. Guizot is here since Wednesday, and goes this morning. Albert (who desires me to thank you for your kind letter) has been talking to him, and so have I, and he promised in return for my expressions of sincere anxiety to see matters _raccommodees_, to do all in his power to do so. "_Je ne vais que pour cela_," he said.

We were much shocked yesterday at the sudden death of poor good, old Lord Holland.[53] I send you Dr Holland's letter to Lord Melbourne about it. He is a great loss, and to _Society_ an irreparable one. I'm sure you will be sorry for it.