Queen Victoria: E. Gordon Browne
_Contents_
CHAPTER
I. A LOOK BACK
II. CHILDHOOD DAYS
III. EARLY YEARS
IV. HUSBAND AND WIFE
V. FAMILY LIFE
VI. STRIFE
VII. THE CHILDREN OF ENGLAND
VIII. MINISTERING WOMEN
IX. BALMORAL
X. THE GREAT EXHIBITION
XI. ALBERT THE GOOD
XII. FRIENDS AND ADVISERS
XIII. QUEEN AND EMPIRE
XIV. STRESS AND STRAIN
XV. VICTORIA THE GREAT
_Illustrations_
QUEEN VICTORIA
THE QUEEN'S FIRST COUNCIL AT KENSINGTON PALACE
KENSINGTON PALACE
THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF KENT
THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE QUEEN'S ACCESSION
PRINCE ALBERT
BUCKINGHAM PALACE
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
QUEEN VICTORIA IN THE HIGHLANDS
THE ALBERT MEMORIAL
SIR ROBERT PEEL, LORD MELBOURNE, AND BENJAMIN DISRAELI
THE SECRET OF ENGLAND'S GREATNESS
THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM
CHAPTER I: _A Look Back_
In the old legend of Rip Van Winkle with which the American writer
Washington Irving has made us so familiar, the ne'er-do-weel Rip
wanders off into the Kaatskill Mountains with his dog and gun in order
to escape from his wife's scolding tongue. Here he meets the spectre
crew of Captain Hudson, and, after partaking of their hospitality,
falls into a deep sleep which lasts for twenty years. The latter part
of the story describes the changes which he finds on his return to
his native village: nearly all the old, familiar faces are gone;
manners, dress, and speech are all changed. He feels like a stranger
in a strange land.
Now, it is a good thing sometimes to take a look back, to try to count
over the changes for good or for evil which have taken place in this
country of ours; to try to understand clearly why the reign of a great
Queen should have left its mark upon our history in such a way that
men speak of the Victorian Age as one of the greatest ages that have
ever been.
If an Elizabethan had been asked whether he considered the Queen of
England a great woman or not, he would undoubtedly have answered
"Yes," and given very good reasons for his answer. It was not for
nothing that the English almost worshipped their Queen in "those
spacious times of great Elizabeth." Edmund Spenser, one of the
world's great poets, hymned her as "fayre Elisa" and "the flowre of
Virgins":
Helpe me to blaze
Her worthy praise;
Which, in her sexe doth all excell!
Throughout her long reign, courtiers, statesmen, soldiers, and
people all united in serving her gladly and to the best of their
powers.
Yet she could at times prove herself to be hard, cruel, and
vindictive; she was mean, even miserly, when money was wanted for
men or ships; she was excessively vain, loved dress and finery, and
was often proud almost beyond bearing.
Notwithstanding all her faults, she was the best beloved of all
English monarchs because of her never-failing courage and strength
of mind, and she made the Crown respected, feared, and loved as no
other ruler had done before her, and none other, save Queen Victoria,
has reigned as she did in her people's hearts.
She lived for her country, and her country's love and admiration were
her reward. During her reign the seas were swept clear of foreign
foes, and her country took its place in the front rank of Great Powers.
Hers was the Golden Age of Literature, of Adventure and Learning,
an age of great men and women, a New England.
If an Elizabethan Rip Van Winkle had fallen asleep and awakened again
at the opening of Victoria's reign, more than 200 years later, what
would he have found? England still a mighty Power, it is true,
scarcely yet recovered from the long war against Napoleon, with
Nelson and Wellington enthroned as the national heroes. But the times
were bad in many ways, for it was "a time of ugliness: ugly religion,
ugly law, ugly relations between rich and poor, ugly clothes, ugly
furniture."
The England of that day, it must be remembered, was the England
described so faithfully in Charles Dickens' early works. It was far
from being the England we know now. In 1836 appeared the first number
of Mr Pickwick's travels. _The Pickwick Papers_ is not a great work
of humour merely, for in its pages we see England and the early
Victorians--a strange country to us--in which they lived.
It is an England of old inns and stagecoaches, where "manners and
roads were very rough"; where men were still cast into prison for
debt and lived and died there; where the execution of a criminal still
took place in public; where little children of tender years were
condemned to work in the depths of coal-pits, and amid the clang and
roar of machinery. It was a hard, cruel age. No longer did the people
look up to and reverence their monarch as their leader. England had
yet to pass through a long and bitter period of 'strife and stress,'
of war between rich and poor, of many and bewildering changes. The
introduction of coal, steam, and mechanism was rapidly changing the
character of the whole country. The revenue had grown from about
19,000,000 pounds in 1792 to 105,000,000 pounds in 1815, and there
seemed to be no limit to the national wealth and resources.
But these very changes which enriched some few were the cause of
misery and poverty to struggling thousands. Machinery had ruined the
spinning-wheel industry and reduced the price of cloth; the price
of corn had risen, and, after the close of the great war, other
nations were free once again to compete against our country in the
markets where we so long had possessed the monopoly of trade.
[Illustration: The Queen's first Council at Kensington Palace
Photo W.A. Mansell & Co.]
The period which followed the year 1815 was one of incessant struggle
for reform, and chiefly the reform of a Parliament which no
longer represented the people's wishes. Considerably more than half
the members were not elected at all, but were recommended by patrons.
The average price of a seat in Parliament was 5000 pounds for a
so-called 'rotten borough.' Scotland returned forty-five members
and Cornwall forty-four members to Parliament! The reformers also
demanded the abolition of the 'taxes on knowledge,' by which was
meant the stamp duty of fourpence on every copy of a newspaper, a
duty of threepence on every pound of paper, and a heavy tax upon
advertisements. The new Poor Laws aroused bitter discontent. Instead
of receiving payment of money for relief of poverty, as had formerly
been the case, the poor and needy were now sent to the 'Union'
workhouse.
A series of bad harvests was the cause of great migrations to the
factory towns, and the already large ranks of the unemployed grew
greater day by day. The poverty and wretchedness of the working class
is painted vividly for us by Carlyle when he speaks of "half a million
handloom weavers, working 15 hours a day, in perpetual inability to
procure thereby enough of the coarsest food; Scotch farm-labourers,
who 'in districts the half of whose husbandry is that of cows, taste
no milk, can procure no milk' . . . the working-classes can no longer
go on without government, without being _actually_ guided and
governed."
Such was Victoria's England when she ascended the throne, a young
girl, nineteen years of age.
CHAPTER II: _Childhood Days
On the western side of Kensington Gardens stands the old Palace,
built originally in the solid Dutch style for King William and Mary.
The great architect, Sir Christopher Wren, made notable additions
to it, and it was still further extended in 1721 for George the First.
Within its walls passed away both William and his Queen, Queen Anne
and her husband, and George the Second. After this time it ceased
to be a royal residence.
The charm of Kensington Gardens, with its beautiful walks and
secluded sylvan nooks--the happy hunting-ground of London children
and the home of 'Peter Pan'--has inspired many writers to sing its
praises:
In this lone, open glade I lie,
Screen'd by deep boughs on either hand;
And at its end, to stay the eye,
Those black-crown'd, red-boled pine trees stand!
Birds here make song, each bird has his,
Across the girding city's hum.
How green under the boughs it is!
How thick the tremulous sheep cries come!
Here at my feet what wonders pass,
What endless, active life is here!
What blowing daisies, fragrant grass!
An air-stirred forest, fresh and clear.
MATTHEW ARNOLD
Beaconsfield spoke of its "sublime sylvan solitude superior to the
cedars of Lebanon, and inferior only in extent to the chestnut
forests of Anatolia."
Kensington Palace was the birthplace of Queen Victoria, and in the
garden walks she used to play, little knowing that she would one day
be Queen of England. Her doll's house and toys are still preserved
in the rooms which she inhabited as a little girl.
[Illustration: KENSINGTON PALACE]
Four years had passed since the battle of Waterloo when the Princess
Victoria was born, and England was settling down to a time of peace
after long years of warfare.
In 1830 George the Fourth died, and was succeeded by his brother,
the Duke of Clarence, as William the Fourth, the 'sailor king.'
Though not in any respect a great monarch, he proved himself to be
a good king and one who was always wishful to do the best that lay
in his power for the country's good.
He was exceedingly hospitable, and gave dinners to thousands of his
friends and acquaintances during the year, particularly inviting all
his old messmates of the Navy. He had two daughters by his marriage,
and as these both died young it was evident that the Princess Victoria
might some day succeed to the throne.
Her father, the Duke of Kent, married the Dowager Princess of
Leiningen, who was the sister of Prince Leopold, afterward King of
the Belgians. As a young man the Duke had seen much service, for when
he was only seventeen years of age he entered the Hanoverian army,
where the discipline was severe and rigid. He afterward served in
the West Indies and Canada, and on his return to England he was made
a peer with the title of Duke of Kent. He was afterward General and
Commander-in-Chief in Canada and Governor of Gibraltar.
At the latter place his love of order and discipline naturally made
him unpopular, and, owing to strong feeling on the part of the troops,
it was considered wise to recall the Duke in 1803.
In 1816 he settled in Brussels, and soon afterward met his future
wife in Germany. Princess Victoire Marie Louise was the youngest
daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and widow of Prince Charles of
Leiningen, who on his death had left her as the regent of his
principality.
They were married at Coburg in May 1818. Some months afterward they
came over to England, and on May 24, 1819, their daughter Alexandrina
Victoria was born.
[Illustration: The Duke of Kent
Sir Wm. Beechey
Photo W.A. Mansell & Co.]
[Illustration: The Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria
Sir Wm. Beechey
Photo W.A. Mansell & Co.]
The Duke still kept up his simple, soldierly habits, for throughout
his life he had always believed in regularly ordering one's day. He
rose betimes and took a cup of coffee at six o'clock. Each servant
of the household was allotted his or her regular duties, and was
obliged at least once a day to appear before the Duke. There was a
separate bell for each servant, and punctuality in attendance was
insisted upon.
The christening was attended by members of the Royal Family, and a
dinner was held to celebrate the happy event. The Duke and Duchess
removed soon afterward to Devonshire, and they were both much pleased
with the beautiful surroundings of their new home. The Duke wrote
at this time of his daughter: "My little girl thrives under the
influence of a Devonshire climate, and is, I am delighted to say,
strong and healthy; too healthy, I fear, in the opinion of some
members of my family, by whom she is regarded as an intruder. How
largely she contributes to my happiness at this moment it is needless
for me to say to you."
The Duke had been determined from the first that his child should
be born in England, for he wished her to be English both in upbringing
and in feeling. His wife, who is described by those who knew her as
being a singularly attractive woman, full of deep feeling and
sympathy, fully shared his views on this point.
In January 1820, when only fifty-three years of age, the Duke died
quite suddenly from inflammation of the lungs, following upon a
neglected cold. He was a man of deep religious feeling, and once in
talking to a friend about his little daughter's future career he said
earnestly: "Don't pray simply that hers may be a brilliant career,
and exempt from those trials and struggles which have pursued her
father, but pray that God's blessing may rest on her, that it may
overshadow her, and that in all her coming years she may be guided
and guarded by God."
The widowed mother now returned to London, where the Duchess of
Clarence, afterward Queen Adelaide, interested herself greatly in
little Victoria. The Duchess now devoted herself entirely to the care
of her child, and never did any little girl have a more loving and
devoted mother.
As much time as possible was spent in the open air, and Victoria went
for rides about Kensington on a donkey, which was led by an old
soldier, a great friend and favourite. She always had her breakfast
and supper with her mother, and at nine o'clock retired to her bed,
which was placed close to her mother's. Until the time of her
accession she led as simple and regular a life as thousands of other
little girls.
Many stories are told of her early years to illustrate the
thoroughness of her home training. Even as a small child she was
absolutely truthful, and her chief fault--that of wilfulness--was
due to some extent to her high spirits and abundant energy. She was
especially fond of dolls, and possessed a very large number, most
of which were dressed as historical personages. She had practically
no playmates of her own age, and in later life she often spoke of
these early years as being rather dull.
A description of her at this period runs: "She was a beautiful child,
with the 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."
There was, as was natural, much correspondence between England and
Saxe-Coburg, the home of the Duchess, for the second son of the Duke
of Coburg, Charles Albert Augustus Emmanuel, was already spoken of
as being destined to be Victoria's husband in the future.
Prince Albert had been born at Rosenau on August 19, 1819, and was
thus slightly younger than his cousin. He is spoken of as being a
very handsome boy, "like a little angel with his fair curls," and
was for a time much spoilt until his father interfered and
superintended the children's education himself.
Ernest, the elder son, gives us a charming picture of his father:
"We children beheld in him, and justly, our ideal of courtesy, and
although he never said a harsh word to us, we bore towards him,
through all our love and confidence, a reverence bordering on fear.
He never lectured, seldom blamed; praised unwillingly; and yet the
effect of his individuality was so powerful that we accomplished more
than if we had been praised or blamed. When he was once asked by a
relative whether we were industrious and well behaved, he answered:
'My children cannot be naughty, and as they know well that they must
learn in order to be worthy men, so I do not trouble myself about
it.'"
The Duke liked both his sons to listen to the conversation of their
elders and to take an interest in art and literature. Outdoor
exercise, riding, fishing, hunting, and driving formed part of their
education; they were taught from the first to endure cold and
discomfort without complaint or murmur. The religious teaching they
received had a deep and lasting influence upon the two boys, both
at that time and in later years. But they had a thoroughly happy
boyhood and did not suffer from a lack of companions. After their
confirmation their father took them on a visit to several Courts in
Germany, and also to Vienna--a journey which was intended to open
their minds to the great world of which they had learnt so much and
seen so little; and it was about this time that King Leopold, the
brother of the Duke of Coburg, thought it wise to make a careful
inquiry into the life and character of the young Prince.
CHAPTER III: _Early Years_
God save thee, weeping Queen!
Thou shalt be well beloved!
The tyrant's sceptre cannot move,
As those pure tears have moved!
E.B. BROWNING
When she was five years old the Princess Victoria began to have
lessons, chiefly with a governess, Miss von Lehzen--"my dearly
beloved angelic Lehzen," as she called her. These two remained
devotedly attached to one another until the latter's death in 1870.
The young Princess was especially fond of music and drawing, and it
was clear that if she had been able to devote more time to study she
would in later years have excelled in both subjects.
Her education was such as to fit her for her future position of Queen
of England. The Princess did not, however, know that she was likely
at any future time to be Queen. She read much, chiefly books dealing
with history, and these were often chosen for her by her uncle, the
King of the Belgians.
The family life was regular and simple. Lessons, a walk or drive,
very few and simple pleasures made up her day. Breakfast was at
half-past eight, luncheon at half-past one, and dinner at seven. Tea
was allowed only in later years as a great treat.
The Queen herself said: "I was brought up very simply--never had a
room to myself till I was nearly grown up--always slept in my mother's
room till I came to the throne."
Sir Walter Scott wrote of her at this period of her life: "This little
lady is educated with much care, and watched so closely that no busy
maid has a moment to whisper, 'You are heir of England.' I suspect
if we could dissect the little heart, we should find some pigeon or
other bird of the air had carried the matter."
In 1830 her uncle, George the Fourth, died, and his brother, William
the Fourth, came to the throne. The young Princess was now the next
in succession. Her governess thought that her pupil should be told
of this fact, and as the Duchess of Kent agreed, the table of
genealogy was placed inside Victoria's history book, where by and
by she found it.
The story goes that she then said, "I see, I am nearer the throne
than I thought," and giving her hand to her governess added: "I will
be good. I understand now, why you urged me so much to learn, even
Latin. My cousins Augusta and Mary never did, but you told me that
Latin was the foundation of English grammar, and of all the elegant
expressions, and I learned it as you wished. But I understand it all
better now." In later years the Queen recollected crying very much
when she heard of it, but could not recall exactly what had happened.
It is interesting to note what those who knew little Victoria at this
time say about her. She was, we are told, exceedingly affectionate,
very full of high spirits, fond of life in the open air, and already
possessed a strong sense of duty and religion.
She had been taught by her devoted uncle Leopold, with whom she
corresponded regularly, how necessary it was for her to understand
thoroughly the duties which fall to the share of a ruler. During the
years which followed she went more into society and paid visits to
the most interesting places in the kingdom. Everywhere she went she
was received with the greatest enthusiasm.
In 1830 the Duke of Coburg, with his two sons, Ernest and Albert,
arrived at Kensington Palace on a visit, and thus the Princess met
for the first time her future husband. Her uncle Leopold had long
desired to carry out the cherished wish of his mother, the Dowager
Duchess of Coburg, that the two cousins should be united in marriage.
During William the Fourth's lifetime all mention of such a marriage
had to be kept secret, as the King much disliked the Coburg family,
and had more than once been very rude to the Duchess of Kent.
Victoria wrote to her uncle saying how much she liked Albert in every
way, and that he possessed every quality that could be desired to
render her perfectly happy. She was very anxious that her uncle
should take her cousin under his special protection.
On May 24, 1837, Victoria attained her majority. She received numbers
of magnificent presents, congratulations from public bodies, and in
the evening a State Ball was given at St James's Palace.
On Tuesday, June 20 of that year, at twelve minutes past two, King
William the Fourth died. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord
Chamberlain set out at once for Kensington to convey the sad news.
They arrived at five in the morning, and were told that the Princess
was asleep. They replied that they were on important business of
State to the Queen, and even her sleep must give way to that. Our
illustration depicts the scene which then ensued.
[Illustration: The Announcement of the Queen's Accession by the
Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chancellor
H.T. Wells, R.A.
Photo W.A. Mansell & Co.]
Even during the first days of her reign, the Queen's dignity, calm,
and knowledge of State affairs astonished her ministers, and were
complete proof of the careful training she had received during her
girlhood days. Greville, Clerk to the Council, wrote: "She presided
with as much ease as if she had been doing nothing else all her
life. . . . The gracefulness of her manner and the good expression
of her countenance give her on the whole a very agreeable appearance,
and with her youth inspire an excessive interest in all who approach
her, and which I can't help feeling myself."
In July the Queen and her mother left their home to take up their
residence in Buckingham Palace, formerly known as the Queen's House.
The present palace occupies the site of Buckingham House, which was
erected by John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, in 1703. It was bought
by George the Third for his wife in 1761, remodelled by George the
Fourth, and completed by William the Fourth, who, however, had never
lived there.
Four days later the Queen went in State to dissolve Parliament, and
soon afterward removed to Windsor Castle, where she was joined for
a time by her uncle and his wife.
Prince Albert wrote her a warm letter of congratulation. "You are
now," he said, "Queen of the mightiest land in Europe. In your hands
lie the happiness of millions. May Heaven assist and strengthen you
with its strength in that high but difficult task! I hope that your
reign may be long, happy, and glorious, and that your efforts may
be rewarded by the thankfulness and love of your subjects."
On Thursday, June 28, 1838, the coronation ceremony took place in
Westminster Abbey. Afterward the Queen made a royal progress and was
greeted by immense crowds of her people with the utmost loyalty and
enthusiasm. In her journal she described it as the proudest day of
her life. Mrs Jamieson, an onlooker, wrote of her as follows:
"When she returned, looking pale and tremulous, crowned and holding
her sceptre in a manner and attitude which said, 'I have it, and none
shall wrest it from me,' even Carlyle, who was standing near me,
uttered with emotion, 'A blessing on her head!'"
As a small instance of the Queen's consideration for others, one of
her first thoughts after the ceremony was for the school-children.
She wrote to her minister, Lord Melbourne, asking if it was not usual
to give a week's additional holiday to the schools on such an occasion
as this.
Lord Melbourne was from the moment of her accession the Queen's chief
adviser, and from the many letters which passed between them it is
extremely interesting to see with what affection the young and
inexperienced girl regarded him. "He is not only a clever statesman
and an honest man," she wrote to her uncle, Leopold, "but a good and
a kind-hearted man, whose aim is to do his duty for his country and
not for a _party_."
Lord Melbourne was almost a second father to her, and there is no
doubt that it was largely due to his excellent and homely advice that
the Queen was able during the early years of her reign to develop
in such an astonishing manner and yet at the same time to retain such
a sweet and womanly character. Of her regularity of life and careful
attention to detail we learn from Greville's diary. She rose soon
after eight o'clock, and after breakfast was occupied with business
the whole morning. During this time Lord Melbourne visited her
regularly. At two o'clock she rode out, attended by her suite, and
amused herself afterward for the rest of the afternoon with music,
singing, or romps with children. Dinner was served at eight o'clock
to the whole household, and the Queen usually retired soon after
eleven. "She orders and regulates every detail herself; she knows
where everybody is lodged in the Castle, settles about the riding
or driving, and enters into every particular with minute attention."
She never signed a single document of any importance until she had
thoroughly mastered its contents.
In October, 1839, her cousins Ernest and Albert paid her a visit,
bringing with them a letter from their uncle Leopold, in which he
recommended them to her care. They were at once upon intimate terms,
and the Queen confided to her uncle that "Albert was very
fascinating." Four days after their arrival she informed Lord
Melbourne that she had made up her mind as to the question of marriage.
He received the news in a very kindly manner and said: "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. You will be much more
comfortable, for a woman cannot stand alone for any time, in whatever
position she may be."
The Queen described her betrothal as follows: "At half-past twelve
I sent for Albert. He came to the closet, where I was alone, and after
a few minutes I said to him that I thought he would be aware why I
wished him to come, and that it would make me happy if he would consent
to what I wished, namely, to marry me. There was no hesitation on
his part, but the offer was received with the greatest demonstrations
of kindness and affection. . . . I told him I was quite unworthy of
him. . . . He said he would be very happy to spend his life with me."
She wrote to her uncle: "I _love_ him _more_ than I can say, and I
shall do everything in my power to render the sacrifice he has made
(for a sacrifice in my opinion it is) as small as I can."
In the following November the news was made public, but it was not
received with any great enthusiasm, as a German alliance was
unpopular. There were other suitors for the Queen's hand, and the
majority would have preferred one of her English cousins to have been
chosen.
On February 10, 1840, the marriage was solemnized at the Chapel Royal,
St James's. The Queen was described by those who saw her as looking
extremely happy, and to her uncle she wrote of her delight at seeing
the huge crowds which lined the streets to see the procession pass.
"God grant that I may be the happy person, the _most_ happy person,
to make this dearest, blessed being happy and contented! What is in
my power to make him happy, I will do."
CHAPTER IV: _Husband and Wife_
After four short days the Queen and her husband returned to London,
and from this time onward the Prince acted as his wife's secretary,
attending to every little detail of the mass of correspondence and
State documents which grew larger with every succeeding year.
All the letters received by the Queen during the course of a long
and busy life-time were carefully preserved, and at her death they
amounted to no fewer than five or six hundred large bound volumes.
They include letters from crowned heads of Europe, from her ministers
of State, from her children, and from her friends and relations.
All these the Queen read and answered. She was thus at all times fully
aware of everything that was happening both at home and abroad, and
in her great Empire, an Empire which was destined to grow greater
and greater in power and extent during her reign. Day by day, year
in, year out, without a single break, this immense correspondence
arrived. Ministers resigned and ministers were appointed, but there
was neither halt nor rest. Truly 'the burden of Empire' is heavy for
those who bear it.
The young Prince determined from the first to master both national
and European politics, for it must always be remembered that as he
was a foreigner everything in this country was for some time strange
to him. In addition to being his wife's right hand he took a leading
part in all movements which might help to improve the education and
conditions of life of the people. His fine training and sympathetic
nature enabled him, little by little, to be the means of helping on
important reforms. In addition to this, both he and his wife found
time to work at drawing and music, which they studied together under
the best masters. Throughout the Queen's correspondence one reads
of his devotion to her both as husband and helpmate.
The times were hard; discontent with poverty and bad trade kept the
nation ill at ease, and, as is always the case, there were many who
did their best to stir up riot. As a consequence, possibly, of this
unrest, attempts were made on the Queen's life, once in 1840 and twice
in 1841.
The relief and joy felt by the whole nation at their young Queen's
lucky escapes from death by an assassin's hand are expressed in the
following lines by an anonymous author:--
God saved the Queen--all thoughts apart
This crowning joy fills every mind!
She sits within the nation's heart,
An angel shrined.
The assassin's hand the steel enclosed,
He poised his ruthless hand on high--
But God in mercy interposed
His shadow for her panoply.
Then let ten thousand lyres be swept,
Let paeans ring o'er sea and land--
The Almighty hath our Sovereign kept
Within the hollow of His hand!
In July 1840, it was considered necessary to appoint a Regent in case
of the Queen's death. A Bill for this purpose was brought in and
passed, naming the Prince as Regent. This pleased the Queen, for it
was a clear proof of the golden opinions the Prince had won everywhere
since his marriage, and it was passed, as she herself said, entirely
on account of his noble character. At an earlier period it is certain,
as Lord Melbourne assured her, that Parliament would not have passed
such a Bill.
The Queen was soon to lose her chief adviser and friend, for in June
1841 Parliament dissolved and the Whigs were not returned to power.
Lord Melbourne could, however, resign with an easy mind, for he
himself recognized how valuable a counsellor the Queen now possessed
in her husband. After handing his resignation to the Queen, he wrote
to her: "Lord Melbourne has formed the highest opinion of His Royal
Highness's judgment, temper, and discretion, and he cannot but feel
a great consolation and security in the reflection that he leaves
Your Majesty in a situation in which Your Majesty has the inestimable
advantage of such advice and assistance." The Queen was exceedingly
proud of these words of praise, coming as they did unasked from a
minister of such long experience.
It was in the same year that the Prince was appointed Head of the
Royal Commission which had been formed to encourage the study of the
Fine Arts throughout the kingdom. This was work of a kind which he
especially loved, and he was now in a position to influence the
movement which led to the Great Exhibition of 1851.
[Illustration: Prince Albert
F.X. Winterhalter
Photo Emery Walker Ltd.]
But all was not plain sailing for the Prince, who was still regarded,
if not with dislike, at any rate with some mistrust, as being a
foreigner. For a long time yet he felt himself a stranger, the Queen's
husband and nothing more. Still, "all cometh to him who knoweth how
to wait," and he set himself bravely to his uphill task. To use his
own words, "I endeavour to be as much use to Victoria as I can,"--this
was the keynote of his whole life.
The Prince took sides with neither of the political parties, and
first of all by careful economy he lessened the enormous household
expenses and proved that it was possible for royalty to live without
always being in debt. He established model farms at Osborne and
Windsor, introduced different and better breeds of cattle, and even
made a profit on the undertaking. He persuaded his wife to give up
the late hours which were still usual, and gradually, by kindness
and sympathy, won the household staff over to his way of thinking.
The Prince's life was an extremely full one. Soon after six o'clock
was his time for rising. Until nine he read and answered letters.
He then looked through all the principal newspapers and gave the
Queen a summary of the most important news. He found time also to
work and play with his children during his short intervals of leisure.
Consultations with ministers, reading and writing dispatches
followed, and then a short time was devoted to open-air exercise.
After lunch he often accompanied the Queen on a drive. More reading
and writing took up his time until dinner, after which there was
either a social evening or a visit to a theatre. He was "complete
master in his house, and the active centre of an Empire whose power
extends to every quarter of the globe. . . . No British Cabinet
minister has ever worked so hard during the session of Parliament,
and that is saying a good deal, as the Prince Consort did for 21
years. . . . The Prince had no holidays at all, he was always in
harness."[1]
[Footnote 1: Miss C.M. Yonge, _Life of H.R.H. the Prince Consort_.]
Louis Philippe, the first French king who had ever visited this
country, except King John, wrote of him: "Oh, he will do wonders;
he is so wise; he is not in a hurry; he gains so much by being known.
He will always give you good advice. Do not think I say so in flattery.
No! No! It is from my heart. He will be like his uncle, equally wise
and good. . . . He will be of the greatest use to you, and will keep
well at your side if a time of vicissitude should come, such as I
hope may never be--but, after all, no one can tell."
CHAPTER V: _Family Life
"Upon the good education of princes, and especially of those who are
destined to govern, the welfare of the world in these days very
greatly depends."
The love of children was always a strong connecting link between the
Queen and her people. No trouble was ever spared by her to obtain
the best possible advice on the training of her own family. The
nursery was as well governed as her kingdom.
Acting upon the advice of Baron Stockmar, the Queen determined to
have some one at the head on whom she could thoroughly rely, as her
many occupations prevented her from devoting so much time to these
duties as she could have wished. Lady Lyttelton, who had been a
lady-in-waiting, was appointed governess to the Royal Family in 1842,
and for eight years she held this post, winning the affection and
respect of her young pupils and the gratitude of the Queen and her
husband.
From time to time the Queen wrote her views upon the subject. "The
greatest maxim of all is," she declared, "that the children should
be brought up as simply, and in as domestic a way as possible; that
(not interfering with their lessons) they should be as much as
possible with their parents, and learn to place their greatest
confidence in them in all things."
Training in religion, to be of real and lasting value, must be given
by the mother herself, and in 1844 the Queen noted with regret that
it was not always possible for her to be with the Princess Royal when
the child was saying her prayers.
"I am _quite_ clear," she said, "that she ought to be taught to have
great reverence for God and for religion, but that she should have
the feeling of devotion and love which our Heavenly Father encourages
His earthly children to have for Him, and not one of fear and
trembling; and that the thoughts of death and an after-life should
not be represented in an alarming and forbidding view, and that she
should be made to know _as yet_ no difference of creeds, and not think
that she can only pray on her knees, or that those who do not kneel
are less fervent and devout in their prayers."
On November 21, 1840, the Queen's first child, Victoria Adelaide Mary
Louisa, the Princess Royal, was born. The Prince's care of his wife
"was like that of a mother, nor could there be a kinder, wiser, or
more judicious nurse." Only for a moment was he disappointed that
his first child was a daughter and not a son.
The children were all brought up strictly and were never allowed to
appear at Court until a comparatively late age. They were all taught
to use their hands as well as their heads, and at Osborne, in the
Swiss cottage, the boys worked at carpentering and gardening, while
the girls were employed in learning cooking and housekeeping.
Christmas was always celebrated in splendid fashion by the family,
and the royal children were always encouraged to give as presents
something which they had made with their own hands. Lessons in riding,
driving, and swimming also formed part of their training, for the Queen was wise enough to realize that open-air exercise was very necessary for the health of her children. |
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