The Letters of Queen Victoria
Chapter 17 : [Pageheading: DELIBERATION ADVISED]_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._ LAEKEN

[Pageheading: DELIBERATION ADVISED]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _27th June 1837._

MY DEAR CHILD,--... Now I must touch on another subject which is of vital importance for you and your comfort, viz. the habits of business which you will contract now. The best plan is to devote certain hours to it; if you do that, you will get through it with great ease. I think you would do well to tell your Ministers that for the present you would be ready to receive those who should wish to see you between the hours of eleven and half-past one. This will not plague you much, and will be sufficient in most cases for the usual business that is to be transacted.

I shall add to this a piece of advice. Whenever a question is of some importance, it should not be decided on the day when it is submitted to you. Whenever it is not an urgent one, I make it a rule not to let any question be forced upon my _immediate_ decision; it is really not doing oneself justice _de decider des questions sur le pouce_. And even when in my mind I am disposed to accede, still I always keep the papers with me some little time before I return them. The best mode for you will be, that each Minister should bring his box with him, and when he submits to you the papers, _explain them to you_. Then you will keep the papers, either to think yourself upon it or to consult somebody, and either return them the next time you see the Minister to whom they belong, or send them to him. Good habits formed _now_ may for ever afterwards be kept up, and will become so natural to you that you will not find them at all fatiguing.

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._

KENSINGTON PALACE, _29th June 1837._

The Queen has received Lord Melbourne's communication, and thinks, as Prince Ernest of Hesse goes to the funeral, it would be proper the Prince of Leiningen should do just the same. The Queen requests that Lord Melbourne will be so good as to take care that the Prince of Leiningen is informed as to the proper dress he ought to wear on the occasion.

Lord Albemarle mentioned yesterday to the Queen, that all the ladies'

saddle-horses, including the Queen-Dowager's own favourite horses, belonged to the Queen; but it strikes her that it would be well if the Queen was to give the Queen-Dowager the choice of two or three of her own horses, and that she might keep them. The Queen would wish Lord Melbourne to give her his opinion on this subject....

[Pageheading: STOCKMAR]

[Pageheading: SUBJECTS FOR STUDY]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _30th June 1837._

MY DEAREST CHILD,--... I am glad to see that you are so much pleased with Lord Melbourne. I believe him to be as you think him. His character is a guarantee which is valuable, and remember that _cleverness_ and _talent_, _without an honest heart and character_, _will never do for your Minister_. I shall name n.o.body, but what I said just now applies to some people you have recently seen.

I am so happy that you enter into the important affairs which Providence has entrusted to you with so much interest and spirit; if you continue you will be _sure of success_, and your own conscience will give you the most delightful and satisfactory feelings. To be _National_ is the _great thing_, and I was sure you would agree with what I said repeatedly to you on this _vital subject_, and you will be certain in this way of the _love_ of the nation you govern.

I recommend to your kind attention what Stockmar will think it his duty to tell you; he will never press anything, never plague you with anything, without the thorough conviction that it is indispensable for your welfare. I can guarantee his independence of mind and disinterestedness; nothing makes an impression upon him but what his experience makes him feel to be of importance for you. I am delighted with your plan. You will recollect that I pressed upon you repeatedly how necessary it was for you to continue your studies on a more _extended_ scale, more appropriate to the station you were destined once to fill. No one is better qualified to direct those studies for the next few years than Stockmar, few people possess more general information, and very, very few have been like him educated, as it were, by fate itself since 1816. There is no branch of information in which he may not prove useful--

(1) History, considered in a practical and philosophical way; (2) International Law and everything connected with it; (3) Political Economy, an important branch nowadays; (4) Cla.s.sic studies; (5) _belles lettres_ in general; (6) Physical Science in all its branches, etc., etc.--the list would be very long if I were to enumerate it all.

The _sooner_ you do this the better; in all countries and at all times men like Stockmar have filled similar situations, even in the most bigoted and jealous countries, such as Spain, Austria, etc. You will have him in this case _constantly near you without_ anybody having the right of finding fault with it, and to be useful to you he should be near you. Stockmar would have the _immense_ advantage, for so young a Queen, to be a _living_ dictionary of all matters scientific and politic that happened these thirty years, which to you is of the greatest importance, because you _must study_ the political history of at least the last thirty-seven years _more particularly_. I had begun something of the sort with you, even so far back as George II.; you will do well to go through the reign of George III., and to follow the various circ.u.mstances which brought on finally the present state of affairs....

My letter grows too long, and you will not have time to read it; I will therefore come to an end, remaining ever, my beloved Victoria, your faithfully attached Uncle and Friend,

LEOPOLD R.

[Pageheading: SPANISH AFFAIRS]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

_3rd July 1837._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I had the happiness of receiving your kind letter of 30th June yesterday, and hasten to thank you for it. Your dear and kind letters, full of kind and excellent advice, will always be of the greatest use to me, and will always be my delight. You may depend upon it that I shall profit by your advice, as I have already so often done.

I was sure you would be of my opinion relative to Lord Melbourne.

Indeed, dearest Uncle, nothing is to be done without a good heart and an honest mind; I have, alas! seen so much of bad hearts and dishonest and _double_ minds, that I know how to value and appreciate _real worth_.

All is going on well at present, and the elections promise to be favourable. G.o.d grant they may be so! I had a very long and highly interesting conversation with Palmerston on Sat.u.r.day, about Turkey, Russia, etc., etc. I trust something may be done for my sister Queens.

They have got a Const.i.tution in Spain at length, and the Cortes have done very well. We hope also to conclude a treaty of commerce with the Spaniards shortly, which would be an immense thing.

If you could get my kind and dear friend Louis Philippe, whom I do so respect, and for whom I have a great affection, to do something for poor Spain, it would be of great use.

I am quite _penetrated_ by the King's kindness in sending good old General Baudrand[58] and the Duc d'Elchingen[59] over to compliment me; Baudrand did it very well, and with much good feeling. In Portugal, affairs look very black, I grieve to say. They have no money, and the _Chartists_ want to bring about another counter-revolution, which would be fatal to the poor Queen's interests, I fear.

That you approve my plan about Stockmar I am delighted to hear.

I hope to go into Buckingham Palace very shortly after the funeral.

Now, dearest Uncle, I must invite you _en forme_. I should be most _delighted_ if you, dearest Aunt Louise, and Leopold (_j'insiste_) could come about the _middle_ or _end_ of _August_. Then I should beg you would stay a little longer than usual, a fortnight at _least_. You could bring as many gentlemen, ladies, _bonnes_, etc., etc., as you pleased, and I should be _too_ happy and proud to have you under _my own_ roof....

[Footnote 58: General Comte Baudrand (1774-1848).]

[Footnote 59: Son of Marshal Ney.]

_The Earl of Liverpool to Baron Stockmar._

_5th July 1837._

Went about half-past ten o'clock to Apsley House, and told the Duke of Wellington the whole of my communication with the Queen, d.u.c.h.ess of Kent, and Sir John Conroy on 15th June, also of my communication subsequently with Lord Melbourne, all of which he very much approved of. He said that he was quite sure that the Queen would find Lord Melbourne an honourable man, and one in whom Her Majesty might put confidence; that he was a man apt to treat matters too lightly, or, as he expressed it, a _poco curante_, but in the main an honest and an honourable man. Upon my speaking to him of the kind and paternal conduct of King Leopold towards his Niece, he said that he was fully persuaded of this, and should at all and any time be ready to uphold it by his approbation, but that he had no immediate connection with the Press, whose attacks indeed he held very cheap, though they were frequently very offensive. He then asked me whether it was not true that the Queen had thought of some reviews at which she would appear on horseback. I said there had been some talk of it. He desired me to say that he thought this would be very dangerous, that she had much better do this in an open carriage, as no one except such as himself knew how difficult it was to get steady riding horses, and besides that, she could not be attended by any female, and that this would appear indelicate.

[Pageheading: QUEEN ADELAIDE]

_Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _7th July 1837._