The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life and Times of Queen Victoria; vol. 1 of 4, by Robert Wilson This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license Title: The Life and Times of Queen Victoria; vol. 1 of 4 Author: Robert Wilson Release Date: April 12, 2020 [EBook #61819] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK QUEEN VICTORIA, VOL. 1 OF 4 *** Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive) Contents. List of Illustrations (In certain versions of this etext [in certain browsers] clicking on the image will bring up a larger version.) (etext transcriber's note) {i} HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN. From a Photograph by Mr. Walery, London THE LIFE AND TIMES OF QUEEN VICTORIA. BY ROBERT WILSON. —— Illustrated. —— VOL. I. colophon C A S S E L L & C O M P A N Y, Limited: LONDON, PARIS & MELBOURNE. [ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.] EDITORIAL NOTE. The first Eleven Chapters of this Work are from the pen of the late Mr. Edmund Ollier, to whom the Publishers originally entrusted the commission to write it—a commission which he was compelled to resign by the illness which terminated in his lamented death. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I EARLY YEARS OF THE PRINCESS VICTORIA. PAGE {ii} {iii} A Remarkable Visit to Kensington Palace—Death of King William IV.—Details of his Last Days—Parliamentary Eulogies on his Character—Progress in the Last Half-Century—Ancestry of Queen Victoria—Her Descent Traced to Odoacer, King of Italy—Saxon Ancestors of her Majesty—Liberal Views of the Duke of Kent, Father of the Queen—State of the Succession after the Death of the Princess Charlotte—Marriage of the Duke of Kent, and Birth of the Princess Victoria—Christening at Kensington Palace—The Name “Victoria,” and its Associations—Death of the Duke of Kent—Kensington Palace in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries —Early Training of Victoria by her Mother—Child-Life of the Princess—False Rumours of Ill-Health—Anecdotes of Juvenile Years —The Princess and George IV.—Accession of William IV.—The Regency Bill—Prince Leopold and the Throne of Belgium— Studies of the Princess—Her Life of Retirement—Home Tours in Various Parts of England—Visit to the Cotton Mills of the Messrs. Strutt at Belper—Reception at Oxford and at Southampton—Benevolence to an Actress—Her Royal Highness Declared of Age on the 24th of May, 1837 1 CHAPTER II EARLY EVENTS OF THE NEW REIGN. First Council of the Queen—Her Address to the Assembled Dignitaries—Admirable Demeanour of the Young Sovereign—Proclamation of Queen Victoria—Condition of the Empire at the Time of her Accession—Character of Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister—His Training of the Queen in Constitutional Principles—Question of the Royal Prerogative and the Choosing of the Ministry—Removal of the Queen to Buckingham Palace—First Levee—Her Majesty’s Speech on the Dissolution of Parliament—Amelioration of the Criminal Laws—Results of the General Election—Meeting of the New Legislature—The Civil List Fixed—Relations of the Queen towards the Duchess of Kent—Daily Life of her Majesty—Royal Visit to the City—Insurrection in the Two Canadas—Measures of the Government, and Suppression of the Revolt—The Melbourne Administration and Lord Durham—Reform of the Canadian Constitution 19 CHAPTER III THE DIFFICULTIES OF A YOUNG SOVEREIGN. Decline in the Popularity of the Queen—Its Causes—Her Majesty Accused of Encouraging the Papists—Alleged Design to Assassinate the Monarch—Disloyal Toryism—Honourable Conduct of the Queen—Fatal Riots at Canterbury, owing to the Pretensions of John Nicholls Thom—Preparations for the Coronation—The Ceremony at Westminster Abbey—Incidents of the Day—Mismanagement at Coronations—Development of Steam Navigation and the Railway System—Prorogation of Parliament in August, 1838—Difficult Position of the Government—Rise of Chartism—Appearance of Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Disraeli in the Political Arena—Failure of Mr. Disraeli’s First Speech—“Conservatives” and “Liberals”—Capture of Aden, in Southern Arabia—Wars with China, owing to the Smuggling of Opium into that Country by the Anglo-Indians—Troubles in Jamaica—Bill for Suspending the Constitution—Defeat and Resignation of the Melbourne Government—Ineffectual Attempt of Sir Robert Peel to Form a Cabinet—The Question of the Bedchamber Women—Reinstatement of the Melbourne Administration 35 CHAPTER IV COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. English Chartism in the Summer of 1839—Riots in Birmingham—Principal Leaders of the Chartist Party—Excesses of the Artisans in Various Parts of Great Britain and Ireland—Chartist Rising at Newport, Monmouthshire—Conviction of Frost, Williams, and Jones —The Queen and Prince Albert—Early Life of the Prince—His Engaging Qualities—Desire of King Leopold to Effect a Matrimonial Engagement between Prince Albert and the Princess Victoria—First Visit of the Former to England—His Studies in Germany— Informal Understanding between Prince Albert and Queen Victoria—Difficulties of the Case—The Prince’s View of the Matter in the Autumn of 1839—Second Visit to England, and Formal Betrothal—Letter of Baron Stockmar on the Subject—Announcement of the Royal Marriage to the Privy Council and to Parliament—The Appointment of the Prince’s Household—Subjects of Difficulty and Dissension—Question of the Prince’s Religion—Reduction of his Annuity by a Vote of the House of Commons—Progress from Gotha to England, and Reception at Buckingham Palace—Marriage of Prince Albert to the Queen at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s 57 CHAPTER V THE FIRST YEAR OF MARRIED LIFE. Difficulties of the Early Married Life of Prince Albert—His Unpopularity in Certain Quarters—Attempt to Suppress Duelling in the Army—Position of the Prince in the Royal Household—Want of Supervision in the Management of the Palace—Introduction of Reforms, on the Initiative of Prince Albert—Duties Assumed by the Prince—Domestic Life—Post Office Reform—Defective State of the Service previous to 1840—Rowland Hill and the Penny Post—Opposition to the New Scheme—Introduction of the Lower Rate of Postage—General Features and Effects of the Change—Measure for the Protection of Children Employed in Chimney- Sweeping—Attempt of Edward Oxford to Shoot the Queen—Appointment of Prince Albert as Regent under certain Eventualities— Life and Studies at Windsor—Birth of the Princess Royal—Devotion of the Prince to her Majesty—Christmas at Windsor (1840)— Christening of the Princess—Accident to Prince Albert—The Eastern Question: Turkey and Egypt—Removal of the Body of Napoleon I. from St. Helena to Paris—Rise and Development of the Agitation for Free Trade 71 {iv} CHAPTER VI TROUBLES IN THE STATE, AND HAPPINESS AT HOME. PAGE Growing Unpopularity of the Melbourne Administration—The Stockdale Case—Approaching Fall of the Government—Financial Embarrassments—Lord John Russell’s Proposal with respect to the Corn Laws—Defeat of the Ministry—General Election, and Conservative Majority—Views of Prince Albert—Settlement of the “Bedchamber” Question—Wise Counsel of the Prince and Baron Stockmar—Visits of the Queen to Places of Interest—Troublesome Loyalty—Launch of the Trafalgar—The Melbourne Government and Free Trade—Speech from the Throne on the Meeting of the New Parliament—Vote of Want of Confidence in the Government—Resignation of Ministers—Final Years of Lord Melbourne—Formation and Chief Objects of Sir Robert Peels Administration—The High Church Movement in England—Disruption of the Church of Scotland—Lord Melbourne’s Opinion of Prince Albert—Sir Robert Peel and the Prince—Public Appearances of the Latter in Connection with Social and Artistic Questions— Birth and Christening of the Prince of Wales—Meeting of Parliament for the Session of 1842—Splendid Festivities at Court— Attempts of Francis and Bean to Shoot her Majesty 89 CHAPTER VII CONVULSIONS IN THE EAST. Approaches to a Great Tragedy—State of Afghanistan—Position of Dost Mahomed in 1836—Mission of Captain Burnes to Cabul in 1837—Afghanistan, England, and Russia—Determination of the Governor-General of India to Restore Shah Soojah to the Afghan Throne—Garbling of Burnes’s Despatches—Action of the Anglo-Indian Government against the Russians before Herat—British Invasion of Afghanistan in 1839—Difficulties, Dangers, and Successes of the Campaign—Cold Reception of Shah Soojah at Cabul —Operations in the Khyber Pass—Outbreak of Insurrections against the Restored Power—Actions with the British—Surrender of Dost Mahomed—Increased Turmoil among the Afghans—Massacre of November 2nd, 1841—Imbecility of General Elphinstone— Murder of Sir William Macnaghten—Agreement between the British Authorities and Akbar Khan—Retreat of the Army of Occupation—Horrors of the March, and Complete Destruction of the Army—Defence of Jelalabad by Sir Robert Sale—Operations of Generals Nott, Pollock, and Sale—Capture of Cabul—Release of the Prisoners, and Close of the War—Lord Ellenborough and the Gates of Somnauth—Murder of Stoddart and Conolly in Bokhara—Disturbed State of England in 1842—The Queen’s First Visit to Scotland—Receipt of Good News from the East—Position of Prince Albert towards the State—Discretion of his Private Life— Extent of his Labours—Colonisation in New Zealand and New South Wales 111 CHAPTER VIII THE ADMINISTRATION OF SIR ROBERT PEEL. Renewed Popularity of the Queen—Services of Prince Albert—A Volunteer Poet Laureate—Birth of the Princess Alice—The Whig Deficit, and how Sir Robert Peel Dealt with It—The Income Tax, and Reduction of Duties—The Sliding Scale—Advance of Free Trade Principles—Assassination of Mr. Drummond—The Question of Criminal Insanity—Sir Robert Peel and Mr. Cobden— Disturbances in South Wales: “Rebecca” and her Daughters—Condition of Women in Mines and Collieries—Lord Ashley and the Factories Act—Opinion of the Queen and Prince Albert on the Qualities of Sir Robert Peel—Levees held by the Prince—The Frescoes for the Houses of Parliament—Encouragement of Fresco-Painting by the Queen and Prince Albert—The Summer House in the Gardens of Buckingham Palace—Visit of her Majesty and the Prince to Louis Philippe at the Château d’Eu—The Duke of Wellington on the Necessity for a Council of Regency—Designs of France on the Succession to the Spanish Throne—Dishonest Engagement of the French King—English Opinion completely Misled—Royal Visits to Belgium, to Cambridge, and to the Midlands— The Prince as a Fox-hunter—Model Farming—Events in India: Wars in Scinde and Gwalior 131 CHAPTER IX IRELAND, RUSSIA, AND FRANCE. O’Connell and the Agitation for Repeal of the Union—Early Life of the Agitator—Character of his Oratory—Question as to the Purity of his Motives—The “Repeal Year” (1843)—Methods by which O’Connell worked on Irish Opinion—Open-air Gatherings on the Repeal Question—Extravagant Speeches of O’Connell—Crowning of the Liberator on the Hill of Tara—Prohibition of a Proposed Meeting at Clontarf—Arrest of the Chief Agitators—Trial, Condemnation, and Sentences—The Convictions Annulled by the House of Lords—Release of O’Connell, and Final Years of his Life—Effect of the Prosecution on the Government of Sir Robert Peel— Death of Prince Albert’s Father—Visit of the Prince to Saxe-Coburg-Gotha—His Presents to the Queen on her Birthday (1844)— Visits of the King of Saxony and the Emperor of Russia to England—Appearance and Manners of the Emperor—Political Objects of Nicholas in Visiting London—His Designs on Turkey—Memorandum of Agreement between the Czar and the English Government —Jealousy on the Part of the French—Ministerial Crisis in the Summer of 1844—Sir James Graham and the Opening of Letters at the Post Office—Disagreement with France with Respect to the Island of Tahiti—The Pritchard Affair—Queen Pomare and Queen Victoria—Anxieties of the English Court as to the Maintenance of Peace—The Ashburton Treaty with the United States 151 CHAPTER X DAYS OF PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS. Visit of the Prince of Prussia to England—Christening of Prince Alfred at Windsor Castle—Second Visit to the Highlands in the Autumn of 1844—Louis Philippe in England—His Reception at Windsor—Interchange of Courtesies between English and French Officers—Opening of the New Royal Exchange by the Queen—Letters of her Majesty and Prince Albert on the Occasion— Scientific Progress: the Electric Telegraph, Photography, Lord Rosse’s Telescope, the Thames Tunnel, and Arctic Exploration— Tractarian Difficulties in the Church—Purchase of Osborne by the Queen—Visits of her Majesty and the Prince to Stowe and Strathfieldsaye—Opening of Parliament by the Queen (Feb. 4th, 1845)—Financial Statement of Sir Robert Peel—Reduction and Abolition of Duties—Acrimonious Debates on the Proposed Queen’s Colleges in Ireland, and the Increase of the Maynooth Grant— Retirement of Mr. Gladstone from the Ministry—Admission of Jews to Municipal Offices—Results of Sir Robert Peel’s Financial Policy—Economy in the Royal Household—Project for Making Prince Albert King Consort—The Chief Command of the Army 170 CHAPTER XI ENGLAND IN 1845. Borneo and Sir James Brooke—Cession of Labuan to Great Britain—“Constitutionalism” in the Sandwich Islands—State of the Colonies—Unsuccessful Attack on Madagascar—Commencement of the Overland Route to India—Decline in the Popularity of Sir Robert Peel—Rise of Mr. Disraeli and the “Young England” Party—Generous Support of Peel by the Queen and Prince Albert— Offer of the Garter to Sir Robert, which he Declines—Position of the Premier towards the Aristocracy—Increasing Weakness of the Government—Dangerous State of Ireland—Prince Albert on the Political Situation—Visit of the Queen to Belgium and Prussia— Splendid Reception in the latter Country—Speech of the King of Prussia at Bonn—The Illuminations at Cologne—Prince Albert and Baron von Humboldt—Reception of the Royal Visitors in Bavaria, at Coburg, and at Gotha—The Queen at the Native Place of her Husband—Excursion to the Thuringian Forest—Other Incidents of the German Visit—Second Visit of the Queen and Prince Albert to Louis Philippe at the Château d’Eu—Duplicity of the King—Return of the Royal Party to England—Spread of Railway Enterprise in Great Britain—The Railway Mania and Panic of 1845-6—Increasing Strength of the Free Trade Movement—The Potato Disease in Ireland—Threatenings of Famine—Sir Robert Peel and Free Trade—Letter of Lord John Russell to the Electors of the City of London—Ministerial Crisis—Return of Sir Robert Peel to Power 187 CHAPTER XII THE MINISTRY OF RENUNCIATION. The Times Reveals a Secret of State—Mr. Sidney Herbert and Mrs. Norton and the Times—A Court Scandal—Peel’s Resignation— Lord John Russell’s Failure to Form a Ministry—Peel Resumes Office—The Ministry and the Queen—The Duke of Wellington and Peel—Disintegration of the Tory Party—Croker’s Correspondence with Wellington—Peel’s Instructions to the Quarterly Review— A Betrayed Editor—Peel and the Princess Lieven—Guizot’s Defence of Peel—The Queen’s Conduct in the Great Crisis—How she Strengthened the Position of the Crown—Her Popular Sympathies—Why Peel Changed his Policy—The Potato Rot—Impending Famine—Distress in England—The Campaign of the Free Traders—Scenes at their Meetings—The Protectionist Agitation and the Agricultural Labourers—Sufferings of the Poor—The Duke of Norfolk’s Curry Powder—Meeting at Wootton Bassett—The Queen and the Sufferers 205 CHAPTER XIII THE FREE TRADE PARLIAMENT. Opening of Parliament in 1846—The Queen’s Speech—The Debate on the Address—Sir Robert Peel’s Statement—Mr. Disraeli’s Philippics—Bishop Wilberforce on Peel’s Reception by the House of Commons—Peel’s Mistake—Lord George Bentinck’s Attack on Prince Albert—The Queen’s Explanations—The Court and the Peelites—The Corn Bill in the House of Lords—Lord Stanley’s Political Dinner-Party—The Duke of Wellington and the Peers—Triumph in the Lords and Defeat in the Commons—Peel’s Coercion Bill for Ireland—A Factious Opposition—Fall of the Government—Their Policy in India—War in the Punjab—Victories over the Sikhs—The Oregon Controversy and its Settlement—Lord Aberdeen’s Adroit Diplomacy—Resignation of the Ministry—The Queen’s Farewell to Peel—Her Suggestion of a Coalition—Wellington and Cobden Advise Peel to Dissolve—Reasons for his Refusal —The Queen and the Duke of Wellington—The Duke’s Letter to Lord John Russell—Lyndhurst and Reconstruction— Disintegration of the Tory Party—The Peelites in Opposition—A Hint from Aristophanes—Tory Persecution of Peel 220 CHAPTER XIV THE FIRST RUSSELL ADMINISTRATION. The Transfer of Ministerial Offices—The Whigs Patronise Mr. Cobden—A Radical in the New Cabinet—The Peelites Refuse to Take Office—Lord Campbell as Chancellor of the Duchy—Anecdote of his Installation—Lord John Russell’s Deportment to the Queen— His Modest Programme—The Abolition of the Sugar Duties—Bishop Wilberforce and Slave-grown Sugar—Outrages in Ireland— The Whigs become Coercionists—Their Arms Act—Mutiny among Ministerialists—The Bill Dropped—The Alternative Policy— Relief Works for Ireland—A Military Scandal—Indiscretion in the Country—Abuse of Corporal Punishment in the Army—“The Cat” in the House of Commons—The Queen’s Views on Military Punishment—The Queen and a Deserter’s Death-Warrant— Captain Layard’s Motion—The Duke of Wellington’s Interference—Restrictions on the Use of the Lash—England and the Colonies —Canada and Free Trade—Nova Scotia and the Potato Famine—The Halifax, Quebec, and Montreal Railway—The New Zealand War—The Caffre War—The Expedition to Borneo—End of the Anglo-Chinese Difficulty—The “Spanish Marriages” and the Treaty of Utrecht—Louis Philippe’s Intrigues with the Queen Dowager Christina—Secret History of the Conspiracy—M. Guizot’s Pretext —How the English Minister at Madrid was Deceived—Lord Palmerston’s Indiscreet Despatch—The Queen’s Cutting Letter to the Queen Marie Amélie—Metternich’s Caustic Epigram—Prince Albert’s Resentment against the King of the French—End of the Anglo French Alliance—Fall of the Republic of Cracow 244 {v} CHAPTER XV HOME LIFE AND SOCIAL EVENTS IN 1846. Prince Albert and the Home Farm—Royalty and the Windsor Vestry—The New Home at Osborne—The Birth of the Princess Helena —The Visit of Ibrahim Pasha—A Royal Christening—The Queen’s Loneliness—Visitors at Osborne—A Cruise in Summer Seas— The “Lop” of the Channel—In the Channel Islands—The Duke of Cornwall in his Duchy—Exploring the South Coast—The Queen Acts as the Family Tutor—Her Majesty among the Iron-miners—The House-warming at Osborne—Baron Stockmar’s Impressions of the Queen—Some German Visitors—A Dinner-Party at Windsor—The Baroness Bunsen’s Picture of the Scene—The Royal Visits to Hatfield and Arundel—Social Movements in 1846—Origin of Secularism—Dr. Hook’s Pamphlet on Education—The Triumphs of Science—Faraday’s Researches—The Use of Ether in Surgery—Laying of the First Submarine Cable at Portsmouth— Evil Tidings from Starving Ireland 259 CHAPTER XVI A DISTRESSFUL COUNTRY. The Irish Crisis—Famine and Free Trade—Evictions and Imports—Fiscal Policy and Small Holdings—Shocking Scenes among the Irish People—The Mistake of the Government—Lord John Russell’s Relief Measure Rejected by his Colleagues—An Autumnal Cabinet Meeting—Opening of Parliament—The Queen and the Distress—The Remedial Measures of the Government—Rival Schemes of the Protectionists—Lord George Bentinck’s Railway Subsidies Bill—A Rival Ministerial Scheme—The Attack on the Bank Act of 1844—The Currency Controversy—Peel on a Convertible Currency—The Effect of the Railway Mania—Blaming the Bank—The Education Question—Opposition of Dissenters—Colonisation and Emigration—Lord Lincoln’s Motion—Is Emigration a Remedy for a Redundant Population?—The Cabinet and the Ten Hours Bill—Mr. Fielden’s Victory—Opposition of Manufacturers— Evading the Act—The Budget—The Queen and the Duchy of Lancaster—Lord Campbell and the Queen—A Famous Duchy Dinner —Privy Councillors at “High Jinks”—Death of Lord Bessborough—Lord Clarendon Appointed Irish Viceroy—Death of O’Connell— Growing Weakness of the Cabinet—Prorogation of Parliament—Dissolution—The General Election—The State of Parties— Appalling Outrages in Ireland—Another Commercial Panic—Suspension of the Bank Act—The Queen and Sir Robert Peel— Parliament Summoned—A Coercion Bill for Ireland—Ireland and the Vatican—Lord Palmerston’s Correspondence with Lord Minto —Denunciations of the Queen’s Colleges—Projected Renewal of Diplomatic Relations with Rome—Lord Palmerston’s Objections— The Jews in Parliament—New Bishops—The Hampden Controversy—Baffled Heresy-hunters 272 CHAPTER XVII THE COURT AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Lord George Bentinck’s Imprudence—French Intrigues in Portugal—England and the Junta—A Vulgar Suspicion—The Duke of Wellington and National Defences—The Duke’s Threatened Resignation—The Queen Soothes Him—Famine in the Queen’s Kitchen —Royal Hospitalities—The Queen’s Country Dance—A German Impostor—Discovery of Chloroform—The Royal Visit to Cambridge—Prince Albert’s Installation as Chancellor of the University—Awkward Dons—Anecdotes of the Queen at Cambridge— Royalty and Heraldry—The Visit to Scotland—Highland Loyalty—A Desolate Retreat—Politics and Sport at Ardverikie—A New Departure in Foreign Policy—Lord Minto’s Mission—The Queen’s Views—Prince Albert’s Caution to Lord John Russell—The Queen’s Amusements at Ardverikie—A Regretful Adieu—Home Again 301 CHAPTER XVIII REVOLUTION. At Osborne—Beginnings of Revolution—The Reform Banquets in Paris—Lola Montes and the King of Bavaria—Downfall of Louis Philippe’s Government—Flight of the King—Establishment of the Second Republic—The Queen and the Orleans Family—The Chartist Movement—Its Secret History—Its Leaders—The Queen Retreats to Osborne—The Chartist Meeting at Kennington— London in Terror—The Duke of Wellington’s Precautions—Abortive Risings at Bonner’s Fields and in Seven Dials—Riots in the Large Towns—Collapse of Chartism—Ireland and the “Young Irelanders”—The Rebellion of “ ’48”—The Battle of the Cabbage Garden—Arrest of Smith O’Brien and the “Young Ireland” Leaders—Austria and Prussia in Anarchy—Flight of Metternich—The Berlin Mob and the King—Anxiety of the English Court—The Queen’s Correspondence with her Half-Sister—The Anglo-Spanish Quarrel—Sir H. Bulwer Expelled from Madrid—The Queen’s Indignation at Lord Palmerston—Conversation between the Queen and Lord John Russell—Palmerston’s Victory—The “Three Budget” Session—The Anti-Income-Tax Agitation—Blundering in Finance —“Scenes” in Parliament—Irish and Colonial Controversies—The Encumbered Estates Act—Repressive Legislation—Dawn of the Reform Agitation 322 CHAPTER XIX AT WORK AND PLAY. {vi} The Queen’s Administrative Work—The Condition-of-England Question—The Court and the Working Classes—Royal Plans for Ameliorating the Lot of Labour—Threatened Attacks on the Queen—The Demagogues Abashed—A Royal-Hearted Speech—The Queen’s Private Correspondence—A Pension Fund for the Working Classes—Pauperism among Domestic Servants—Prince Albert’s Relief Plan—The Court at Osborne—Birth and Christening of the Princess Louise—Removal to Balmoral—The Queen at Kirk—A Royal Geologist—Sir Charles Lyell’s Anecdotes of the Royal Family—An Accident in the Solent—Prince Albert as a University Reformer—Death of Lord Melbourne and Lord George Bentinck 357 CHAPTER XX DISCONTENTED DEPENDENCIES. Reaction in England in 1849—Attacks in Parliament on the Queen’s Speech—Gagging Parliament—The Last Dying Struggle of the Protectionists—Repeal of the Navigation Laws—The Tory Attack on the Bishops—Protectionist Plans for Reducing Local Taxation —Coercion for Ireland—Peel’s Generosity to the Whigs Explained—Irish Mendicity and English Grants in Aid—A Policy of Pauperism and Doles—Small Minds in a Great Crisis—Peel’s Comprehensive Plan for Relieving Ireland—The Break-down of the Poor Law—The Queen and the Irish Landlords—Prince Albert’s Project for Reforming the Irish Poor Rate—Scandals at the Colonial Office—Ceylon—Demerara and Canada—The Loyal Rebels of Canada—Riots in Montreal—Attacks on Lord Elgin—An Examination and Defence of his Policy—The Test of Results—“Be Just and Fear Not” 371 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Portrait of the Queen (Woodbury Process) Frontispiece Distant View of Windsor Castle 1 The Royal Arms ib. West Front of Kensington Palace 4 King William IV. 5 Claremont 8 Death of the Duke of Kent: Presenting the Commons’ Address of Condolence to the Duchess at Kensington Palace 9 Queen Caroline’s Drawing-Room, Kensington Palace 12 Queen Adelaide 13 The Duke of Kent 16 The Queen’s First Council (After the Painting by Sir David Wilkie.) 17 Cowes Harbour 18 Gateway of St. James’s Palace 20 Queen Victoria at the Time of her Accession 21 Lord Melbourne 24 Proclamation of the Queen at St. James’s Palace 25 Banquet to the Queen in the Guildhall (November 9, 1837) 29 President Van Buren 33 The Earl of Durham 36 The Throne-Room, Buckingham Palace 37 The Coronation Chair, Westminster Abbey 40 The Coronation of the Queen (After the Painting by Sir George Hayter) 41 The Queen Receiving the Sacrament at her Coronation (After the Painting by C. R. Leslie, R.A.) To face 44 The Duchess of Kent 45 Newark Castle 48 Mr. Disraeli in his Youth (After the Portrait by Maclise) 49 The Council Chamber, St. James’s Palace 53 Coburg (After a Sketch by Prince Albert) 57 Prince Albert 61 The Marquis of Lansdowne 64 Interior of the Chapel Royal, St. James’s 65 Courtyard of St. James’s Palace 68 Duke Ernest, of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prince Albert’s Brother 69 Marriage of Queen Victoria (After the Painting by Sir George Hayter, R.A.) To face 70 Buckingham Palace: Garden Front 73 Prince Albert’s Music-Room, Buckingham Palace 76 Mr. (afterwards Sir) Rowland Hill 77 Reception of the Queen in Hyde Park after the News of Oxford’s Attempt on her Life 81 Christening of the Princess Royal (After the Painting by C. R. Leslie, R.A.) 85 Richard Cobden 88 {vii} Hatfield House 92 The Queen at the Launch of the Trafalgar 93 Sir Robert Peel 96 Magdalen College, Oxford, from the Cherwell 97 John Keble 100 John Henry Newman ib. St. Mary’s, from the High Street, Oxford 101 King Leopold 104 St. George’s Chapel, Windsor 105 Ambassadors’ Court, St. James’s Palace 108 Costume Ball in Buckingham Palace 109 Eldred Pottinger at Herat 113 The Khyber Pass 116 Sir Robert and Lady Sale 117 The Remnant of an Army: Arrival of Dr. Brydon at Jelalabad (Sketch of the Picture by Mrs. Butler) 120 Dost Mahomed 121 Akbar Khan ib. Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh 124 The Queen’s Entry into Edinburgh 125 Lord John Russell (From the Statue by J. E. Boehm, R.A.) 129 Lobby of the House of Commons 133 “Rebecca” Riot in South Wales 136 Lord Ashley (afterwards Earl of Shaftesbury) 137 Westminster Hall 141 The Queen’s Visit to France 144 The Earl of Aberdeen 145 Prince Albert Hunting near Belvoir Castle To face 147 Chatsworth House, from the South-West 148 Lord Gough (After the Portrait by Sir Francis Grant, P.R.A.) 149 Daniel O’Connell 153 The Four Courts, Dublin 156 Old Parliament House, Dublin 157 The Emperor Nicholas 161 Cathedral of St. Isaac, St. Petersburg 164 Joseph Mazzini 165 The Marble Hall, Buckingham Palace 168 The Queen and the Reapers at Blair Castle 169 Reception of Louis Philippe at Windsor Castle 173 Burleigh House, Stamford 176 Osborne, Isle of Wight 180 The Duke of Wellington at Windsor Castle 181 Maynooth College 184 Lord Lyndhurst 185 Favourite Dogs (After Etchings by the Queen) 186 The Overland Route: Scene at Boulak 189 View in Malines 193 The Queen and Prince Albert at the Children’s Fête in Coburg on St. Gregory’s Day 196 The Castle of the Wartburg 200 George Wilson, Chairman of the Anti-Corn-Law League 201 The Houses of Parliament 205 The Irish Famine: Starving Peasants at a Work-house Gate 208 Lord George Bentinck 209 The Deputation from London and Dublin Corporations before the Queen 213 Meeting of Agricultural Labourers at Wootton Bassett 217 Dog’s Head (Drawn and Etched by the Prince Consort) 219 The Queen Opening Parliament in 1846 To face 220 Opening of Parliament in 1846: Arrival of the Royal Procession at the House of Lords 221 St. Stephen’s Cloisters, Westminster Hall 224 {viii} Lord Stanley (afterwards Earl of Derby) 225 Sir James Graham 228 View in Oregon: the Columbia River and Mount Hood 229 The British Army Crossing the Sutlej 232 The Battle of Ferozeshah 233 Sir Henry Hardinge 236 The Rival Pages (Reduced Facsimile after Punch) 237 Lord Campbell 240 The Horseguards, from the Parade Ground 241 Lord Macaulay 245 Pardoned: the Queen and the Deserter’s Death-Warrant 249 View in New Zealand: New Plymouth and Mount Egmont 252 View in Canton: the British Consulate 253 The Royal Palace, Madrid 257 Windsor Castle 261 The Queen Visiting a Cornish Iron Mine 264 On the Cornish Coast: Pradanack Point 265 The Municipal Dignitaries of Penryn introduced to the Prince of Wales To face 266 Arundel (After the Picture by Vicat Cole, R.A.) 268 Professor Faraday 269 The Lakes of Killarney 272 Glendalough Valley, Co. Wicklow: View in Glendalough 273 The Irish Famine: Interior of a Peasant’s Hut 276 Lord Brougham (1850) 277 The Bank of England 280 The Queen in the Royal Gallery, St George’s Chapel, 1846 (After the Portrait by G. E. Dawe) 281 Joseph Hume 284 The Woods Before the Emigrant: Virgin Forest in Canada 285 The Lower Ward, Windsor Castle 288 Lord Campbell’s Audience of the Queen 289 The Custom House, Dublin 292 The Grand Staircase, Buckingham Palace 293 Lord Palmerston 296 Queen’s College, Belfast 297 Prince Metternich 304 King’s College, Cambridge, from the “Backs” 305 St John’s College, Cambridge 308 The Prince-Chancellor of Cambridge University Presenting an Address to the Queen 309 Dr Whewell 312 The Queen in the Woodwardian Museum 313 Falmouth Harbour 316 The Royal Visit to Fingal’s Cave 317 Highland Cottages in Lochaber 321 The Revolution in Paris: Crowds Singing “Mourir pour la Patrie” 324 Landing of Louis Philippe at Newhaven 325 Bridge and Cattle, Newport, Mon. 328 Joseph Sturge 329 Feargus O’Connor 332 The Chartist Demonstration on Kennington Common 333 Chartist Agitation: the Police Force on Bonner’s Fields 336 William Smith O’Brien 337 Charles Gavan Duffy (1848) 340 The Irish Rebellion of 1848: Forging Pikes 341 The Exchange and Frederick’s Bridge, Berlin 344 The King of Prussia Addressing the Berliners 345 The Fountain of Cybele, Madrid 348 Baron Stockmar 349 Sir George Grey 353 From an Etching by the Queen 356 [Image unavailable.] THE ROYAL ARMS. The South-East Corridor, Windsor Castle 357 Thomas Carlyle (After the Medallion by T. Woolner, 1855) 360 Christening of the Princess Louise in Buckingham Palace Chapel 361 View in Lochnagar 364 Professor Anderson at Balmoral 365 Prince Albert Deer-Stalking in the Highlands To face 320 The Old Bridge, Invercauld 368 The Victoria Tower, Westminster Palace 369 Demonstration of Sailors in Favour of the Navigation Laws 372 The Earl of Clarendon, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland 373 Interior of the House of Commons 376 Lord Elgin, Governor-General of Canada 377 Riots in Montreal: Lord Elgin Stoned by the Mob 380 Riots in Montreal: Burning of the House of Assembly 381 Old French House, Quebec 384 [Image unavailable.] DISTANT VIEW OF WINDSOR CASTLE. THE Life and Times of Queen Victoria. CHAPTER I. EARLY YEARS OF THE PRINCESS VICTORIA. A Remarkable Visit to Kensington Palace—Death of King William IV.—Details of his Last Days—Parliamentary Eulogies on his Character— Progress in the Last Half-Century—Ancestry of Queen Victoria—Her Descent traced to Odoacer, King of Italy—Saxon Ancestors of her Majesty—Liberal Views of the Duke of Kent, Father of the Queen—State of the Succession after the Death of the Princess Charlotte— Marriage of the Duke of Kent, and Birth of the Princess Victoria—Christening at Kensington Palace—The name “Victoria,” and its Associations—Death of the Duke of Kent—Kensington Palace in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries—Early Training of Victoria by her Mother—Child-life of the Princess—False Rumours of Ill-health—Anecdotes of Juvenile Years—The Princess and George IV.— Accession of William IV.—The Regency Bill—Prince Leopold and the Throne of Belgium—Studies of the Princess—Her Life of Retirement—Home Tours in Various Parts of England—Visit to the Cotton Mills of the Messrs. Strutt at Belper—Reception at Oxford and at Southampton—Benevolence to an Actress—Her Royal Highness declared of Age on the 24th of May, 1837. In the dawn of June 20th, 1837, immediately after the death of King William IV., the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Howley) and the Lord Chamberlain (the Marquis of Conyngham) left Windsor for Kensington, to convey the tidings to his late Majesty’s successor. They reached the Palace about five o’clock in the morning, and knocked, rang, and beat at the doors several times before they could obtain admission. When at length the porter was aroused, the visitors were shown into one of the lower rooms, where a long time passed without any attention being paid them. Growing impatient, they rang the bell (as we read in the interesting narrative of Miss Wynn), and desired that the attendant on the Princess Victoria might be sent to inform her Royal Highness that they requested an audience on business of importance. Another long delay ensued, and again the bell was rung, that some explanation might be given of the difficulty which appeared to exist. On the Princess’s attendant making her appearance, she declared that her Royal Highness was in so sweet a sleep that she could not venture to disturb her. It was now evident that stronger measures must be taken, and one of the visitors said, “We have come on business of State to the Queen, and even her sleep must give way to that.” The attendant disappeared, and a few minutes afterwards the young sovereign came into the room in a loose white robe and shawl, her fair hair falling over her shoulders, her feet in slippers, her eyes dim with tears, but her aspect perfectly calm and dignified.[1] Lord Melbourne, the Prime Minister, was at once sent for, and arrived at nine o’clock, when, after an interview of half an hour with the Queen, he addressed himself to a rapid study of the ceremonials to be observed at the approaching Privy Council. Some time after, the Lord {1} {2} Mayor and other members of the Corporation reached the Palace, and the chief members of the Privy Council soon thronged the rooms. Although the final illness of the late King had been rather brief, William had for some time been in declining health, and the nation had only to hope that his life would be prolonged until his niece, the Princess Victoria, had attained an age which could be regarded as constituting her majority. This had occurred on the 24th of the previous month, when the Princess completed her eighteenth year, which had been declared by Act of Parliament to be sufficient. William IV. was a man of very moderate abilities; but a certain simplicity and geniality of character had secured for him the regard and respect of the people, and had carried him through the revolutionary epoch of the Reform Bill with no great loss of popularity, even at a time when he was supposed to be unfriendly to the measure. For the last two years he had ceased to take any interest in the political tendencies of the day, while discharging the routine duties of his high office with conscientious regularity. Brought up in the midst of totally different ideas, he could not, at his time of life, accommodate himself to the flood of novel principles which had recently set in, and which he was equally unable to accept and powerless to resist. The result was that, as a well-qualified observer records, “he submitted to what he could not help, but evidently with a sense of weariness.”[2] In the previous April he had been distressed by the death of his eldest daughter, Lady de Lisle, and of the Duchess-Dowager of Saxe-Meiningen, mother of Queen Adelaide. Great physical prostration ensued shortly afterwards, and by June it was evident that the end could not be far distant. His Majesty was attended by the Queen with the most affectionate devotion; but the weakness steadily increased, and soon reached a fatal termination. Owing to the state of the King’s health, the Duke of Wellington proposed to dispense with the usual Waterloo Banquet at Apsley House; but on the 17th of June the dying monarch sent a message to the illustrious Field-Marshal, desiring that the occasion should be observed in the customary manner, and wishing the host and guests a pleasant day. On the anniversary of the great battle (the 18th), the Duke transmitted to Windsor, in accordance with the prescribed form, the banner by the presentation of which he held his estates. Lord Muncaster presented it to the King, who, raising himself up, grasped the folds of the flag, and exclaimed, “Ah! that was a glorious day for England!”[3] The eulogies pronounced in Parliament on the character of the deceased sovereign may have been somewhat affected by the conventional or official tone inseparable from such utterances; but they probably contain a fair amount of truth, with no more than the usual omissions. The disposition of William IV. was certainly superior to that of his brother George; and the country recognised the difference with the true instinct of a free people. The Modern Age, in its most distinctive developments, is almost coeval with the reign of his successor. It is true that the Railway service had already begun; but it was still in its infancy when Queen Victoria ascended the throne, and had not yet effected any great revolution in the sentiments or habits of society. The Electric Telegraph, though fully born in the brains of scientific speculators, had received no practical application. Steam and machinery had still to achieve some of their greatest triumphs. The Postal system of those days seems barbarian to our modern eyes. The Newspaper Press was an insignificant force compared with what it is at the present day. Education, in the popular sense, hardly existed. Nation with nation held but little intercourse, and the prejudices of Englishmen were scarcely less gross than they had been in the days of Hogarth. Manners were far more coarse and brutal than they are now; the laws were more complicated and uncertain; social order was less secure; the arts had not attained so wide and general a culture; medicine, surgery, chemistry, geology, and other sciences, were less cultivated; taste was less diffused and less instructed; the luxuries, and even the comforts, of domestic life were almost unknown to the poorer classes; and political power was held by only a small proportion of the community. The England of 1837 was so different from the England we now behold, that the “Pickwick Papers,” belonging to that date, require explanatory notes for the benefit of a younger generation. The history of these vast changes—in which the personal character and influence of her Majesty have had no small share—must be of the deepest interest to all thinking men; and it is this history which we propose to relate. Alexandrina Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India, was born at Kensington Palace on the 24th of May, 1819. She is the daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, fourth son of King George III.; and her mother was Victoria Mary Louisa, daughter of his Serene Highness Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. The Duke of Kent was the second husband of this lady, who in 1802 had married Charles Louis, Prince of [Image unavailable.] WEST FRONT OF KENSINGTON PALACE. Leiningen—an ill-assorted match, productive of no happiness. The second marriage took place in 1818; but the Duke of Kent died in less than two years. Her Majesty’s descent is very illustrious. It may be traced (conjecturally, at least) up to Odoacer, a warlike chief of the Heruli, who, after defeating the forces of Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman Emperor of the West, in the year 476 of the {3} {4} Christian era, disputed the kingdom of Italy with Theodoric the Ostrogoth. One of the supposed descendants of Odoacer was Boniface, Count of Lucca and Duke of Tuscany, who lived in the early part of the ninth century, and from whom sprang Alberto Azzo II., Marquis of Italy and Lord of Este, who, in the first half of the eleventh century, married Cunegonda, of the House of Guelph, by whom he had Guelph, Duke of Bavaria, the ancestor of the House of Brunswick, and consequently of the present Royal Family of Great Britain, who are called Este-Guelphs. According to some accounts, however, the Guelphs are derived from a younger brother of Odoacer, whose son, Olfigandus, held a command in the army of Belisarius. But in truth [Image unavailable.] KING WILLIAM IV. these matters lie beyond verification, and are interesting only as affording a shadowy link between the present and the past. One of the most famous ancestors of the Duchess of Kent, and therefore of Queen Victoria herself, was Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony in the early years of the sixteenth century, who ranks among the first converts to Protestantism, and who befriended Luther when that great reformer stood in peril of his life. The Prince Consort was likewise descended from the same family, and the Queen’s children are thus doubly connected with one of the most distinguished German houses of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In later times, various members of the Saxon family have shown their prowess as warriors, or their capacity as rulers; but the father of the Duchess of Kent, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, was a man of pacific inclinations and retiring habits, with a taste for the fine arts. The Duke of Kent was remarkable as a generous supporter of popular government—even to an extreme bordering on democratic ideas—at a time when the Court and the ruling classes were fanatically enthusiastic on the Tory side. Tall and striking in aspect, trained to military service, irreproachable in private life, and exact in all his business habits, the Duke of Kent inherited the manly and sedate qualities of his father, George III., while superadding to them a breadth of intellect to which the King himself could advance no claim. As a commander in the British army, his Royal Highness incurred some temporary disfavour by his strictness as a disciplinarian; but this was afterwards removed by the liberal character of his political views. At a banquet, during which he replied to the toast of “The Junior Members of the Royal Family,” he said:—“I am a friend of civil and religious liberty, all the world over. I am an enemy to all religious tests. I am a supporter of a general system of education. All men are my brethren; and I hold that power is delegated only for the benefit of the people. These are the principles of myself, and of my beloved brother, the Duke of Sussex. They are not popular principles just now; that is, they do not conduct to place or office. All the members of the Royal Family do not hold the same principles. For this I do not blame them; but we claim for ourselves the right of thinking and acting as we think best.” Like some of the other Royal Princes, the Duke of Kent refrained from marriage until after the death of the Princess Charlotte, on the 6th of November, 1817. That ill-fated lady—the only child of the Prince Regent, afterwards George IV.—had been married, on the 2nd of May, 1816, to Prince Leopold, third son of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg, and brother of the Princess who was subsequently united to the Duke of Kent, and became the mother of our Queen. Leopold (who, several years later, was chosen King of the Belgians) was distinguished, from his earliest maturity to his latest days, by high character and distinguished abilities; and the English people hoped much from a union which seemed to promise so fairly. But, unhappily, the Princess Charlotte died in childbed; and, as the infant was still-born, the succession to the throne was left in a very precarious state. Accordingly, in the following year (1818), the Duke of Clarence, third son of George III., and afterwards William IV., the Duke of Kent, fourth son, and the Duke of Cambridge, seventh son, contracted nuptial alliances; but that of the Duke of Clarence, the elder brother of the Duke of Kent, was unattended by any issue that survived, so that the Princess Victoria soon became heiress-presumptive to the crown of Great Britain. For some time after their marriage, the Duke and Duchess of Kent resided abroad, chiefly from motives of economy, the allowance of the former being restricted within narrow limits by the servile Parliament of that day, owing to his political independence. In view, however, of an expected event, the Royal couple returned to England in the latter part of April, 1819, so that their child should be “born a Briton;” and, as we have said, the future Queen of England drew her first breath on the 24th of May. The Duke of Kent had been long estranged from his brother, the Prince Regent; but a reconciliation took place shortly after the birth of the Princess Victoria. The infant was christened on the 24th of June at Kensington Palace, where she had been born; on which occasion, the gold font was brought from the Tower, and the draperies were removed from the Chapel Royal, St. James’s. Chief among the sponsors were the Prince Regent and the Emperor Alexander of Russia, the latter represented by the Duke of York. It was in compliment to the Czar that the infant Princess received Alexandrina as her first name. In subsequent years, however, this Russianised Greek appellation {5} {6} {7} was wisely abandoned, as unfamiliar and unwelcome to English ears, and the far nobler-sounding “Victoria” took its place. The second name, now famous throughout the world, is of course pure Latin, and no more native to our race than Alexandrina. But in a certain sense we are all Latins—we of the West of Europe; and the accents of the Imperial tongue are familiar to our ears. The meaning and sound of “Victoria,” moreover, are strikingly appropriate to the sovereign of a great Empire; and the omen has, on the whole, been happily fulfilled under the sceptre of her Majesty, not merely in the triumphs of war, but also in the victories of peace. It is not generally known, that, so far as can be inferred from imperfect and obscure records, a monarch bearing the name of Victoria once before held sway in Britain. During the general weakness of the Roman Empire in the second half of the third century, several of the provinces detached themselves from the central authority, and for a while established separate governments. Spain, Gaul, and Britain formed a western realm of immense extent, the capital of which was at Trèves, on the Moselle, then a city of Gallia Belgica; and the sovereignty of this varied region passed in time to an ambitious and energetic woman named Victoria. She is mentioned in the great work of Gibbon; yet little is known of her acts or character. It is probable that she was a resolute and capable despot; but she appears in history as a name, and little else. For the brief remainder of his life, the Duke of Kent dwelt principally at Claremont, which, but a short time before, had been the residence of the Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold, and which was rendered sadly memorable by the death of the former. But the unusually severe winter of 1819-20 induced the Duke and Duchess to visit Sidmouth, for the sake of the mild climate of Southern Devonshire. At Salisbury Cathedral, to which he made an excursion during the frosty weather, the Duke caught a slight cold, which, after his return to Sidmouth, became serious, owing, it would seem, to neglect and imprudence. According to the medical custom of those days, the patient was copiously bled, and not improbably owed his death to the exhaustion thus occasioned. He expired on the 23rd of January, 1820, in his fifty-third year; and so small were his means that he left the Duchess and the Princess totally devoid of maintenance. Such was the statement made long afterwards by Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, who was with his sister during the days of her trial and bereavement. Soon after the fatal event, the Prince accompanied the widowed lady to London, where addresses of condolence were voted by both Houses of Parliament. The address of the Commons was presented by Lords Morpeth and Clive, when the Duchess of Kent [Image unavailable.] CLAREMONT. appeared with the infant Princess in her arms. The scene was one of the chambers in Kensington Palace; and that historic building can scarcely have witnessed a more affecting interview. The edifice in which Queen Victoria passed most of her early years, and which yet attracts the interest both of Englishmen and Americans, dates, as a palace, from the time of William III., though, at a rather earlier period, the Finches, Earls of Nottingham, had a mansion on the same spot, of which a small portion is believed to be still existent. The second Earl of Nottingham sold the house and grounds to the illustrious Dutchman who came to rescue us from the Pope and the Stuarts; and his Majesty caused additions to be made to the building by the greatest English architect of that time—Sir Christopher Wren. Successive {8} {9} [Image unavailable.] DEATH OF THE DUKE...