0341m
care was taken that his education should be such as to fit him for the position of consort to the Queen of England; and the next two years of his life were devoted to hard study under the guidance of some of the best professors in Germany.
A.D. 1839.When his cousin mounted the throne he was one of the first to congratulate her. He wrote: "Now you are queen of the mightiest land in Europe; in your hand lies the happiness of millions. May heaven assist you 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."
At last King Leopold took occasion, when Prince Albert was visiting him, to find out whether he loved the young queen, and was so well pleased with the result of the interview that he wrote Baron Stockmar, who was then in England: "If I am not very much mistaken, Albert possesses all the qualities required to fit him for the position which he will occupy in England. His understanding is sound, his apprehension clear and rapid, and his heart in the right place."
The prince was too young to marry yet, so it was decided that he should make a tour of Italy after he left the university where he had been pursuing his education. The queen had taken Baron Stockmar into her confidence, and told him how much she thought of her cousin. She now requested him to accompany the prince to Italy, and he consented. They spent part of the winter in Florence, where the prince took long walks about the country and continued his studies. He rose at six and worked until noon, dined at two o'clock, and went to bed at nine. Music occupied much of his time, for he played well on the piano and the organ; and he often went into society, though he was not fond of parties and balls,After visiting Rome and most of the other cities of Italy, the prince returned to Coburg; and the baron, who had been his companion, and who had watched him closely for many weeks, was more than ever convinced of his noble qualities and strength of character.
In October, 1839, the prince went to England again, in company with his brother. During the three years that had passed since his former visit Prince Albert had grown tall, and had developed into a handsome man. He had a sweet expression, a bright, intelligent countenance, broad forehead, and clear blue eyes. The young queen was perfectly delighted with the change that had taken place in him, and on the very day of his arrival at Windsor Castle wrote her uncle: "Albert's beauty is most striking, and he is most amiable and unaffected,—in short, veryfascinating. The young men are amiable, delightful companions, and I am very happy to have them here." Four days later she informed Lord Melbourne that she was going to marry her cousin Albert, and he expressed his entire satisfaction at a step which he felt sure would be acceptable to all her subjects. Then she wrote Baron Stockmar: "Idofeel so guilty, I know not how to begin my letter; but I think the news it will contain will be sufficient to insure your forgiveness. Albert has completely won my heart, and all was settled between us this morning. I feel certain he will make me very happy. I wish I could say I felt as certain ofmymaking him happy; but I shall do my best. Uncle Leopold must tell you all about the details, which I have not time to do. Albert is very much attached to you."
Prince Albert also wrote to the baron, and said: "Victoria is so good and kind to me that I am often puzzled to believe that I should be the object of so much affection. I know the interest you take in my happiness, and therefore pour out my heart to you."The princess returned to Germany in November, and stopped at Wiesbaden, where they met King Leopold and Baron Stockmar, who desired to make arrangements for Albert's establishment in England. Shortly after his arrival in Coburg his engagement was made public, and though the rejoicing was great, everybody felt sorry that the young prince, who was a general favorite, was so soon to leave them; and it was not without a great deal of regret that he himself thought of his departure from his native land, that he was so soon to leave forever.
A.D. 1839.General Grey, who went over with Lord Torrington in December to invest the prince with the Order of the Garter, and to accompany him to England, thus describes the final departure from Gotha: "It was an affecting scene, and everything shows the genuine love of all" classes for their young prince. The streets were densely crowded; every window was crammed with heads; every housetop covered with people, waving handkerchiefs and vying with each other in demonstrations of affection that could not be mistaken. The carriages stopped in passing the dowager-duchess's, and Prince Albert got out with his father and brother to bid her a last adieu. It was a terrible trial to the poor duchess, who was inconsolable for the loss of her beloved grandson. She came to the window as the carriages drove off, and threw her arms out, calling,
'Albert, Albert!' in tones that went to every one's heart, when she was carried away almost in a fainting state by her attendants."
A.D. 1840.Meanwhile the queen summoned her privy council and announced to them her marriage engagement, and, at the opening of parliament in January, she repeated the announcement from the throne. She had the satisfaction of finding that her choice of a husband was universally approved of, and time proved that she could scarcely havemade a wiser one; for there is probably no queen who ever had as happy a married life as Victoria.
Baron Stockmar was sent to England, as the prince's representative, to settle the terms of the treaty of marriage, and to arrange the prince's future establishment there. A letter to the queen concerning his household shows how sensible the prince was, especially in his determination to side with no party? He says: "I should wish particularly that the selection be made without regard to politics; for, if I am really to keep myself free from all parties, my people must not belong exclusively to one side. Let the men be of very high rank or very accomplished or very clever, or persons who have performed important services for England. It is necessary that they should be chosen from both sides,—the same number of Whigs as of Tories; and, above all, it is my wish that they should be men of high character and well educated. I am satisfied you will look upon this matter as I do; and I shall be much pleased if you will communicate what I have said to Lord Melbourne, so that he may be fully aware of my views."
Now arose three points of discussion in England before the marriage treaty could be signed. They were, first, religion,—a report having been circulated that the prince was inclined to Catholicism. It was soon shown that he and all his family were Protestants, and that there was no essential difference between the communion services of the German and English churches.
Second, the annuity,—which, after considerable debate between the two political parties, was fixed at thirty thousand pounds, though the queens of the three preceding sovereigns, as well as the Princess Charlotte when she married Prince Leopold, had been granted fifty thousand. The prince felt disturbed when he heard of this diminutionin his allowance, not so much because of his desire for money as because it struck him as a sign that the English people were not pleased with the marriage. However, Baron Stockmar, with his usual thoughtfulness, wrote a letter to the prince, explaining that it was only on account of the commercial distress throughout the country, and not from any personal motives, that parliament had decided as it did.
The third point of discussion was more a matter of feeling, particularly with regard to the bride, because it was a question of precedence and rank. The English Constitution made clear the position of the wife of a king, who had the highest rank next to her husband, but said nothing on this point about the husband of the queen-regnant. It was easily settled, however, and gave the prince the first place after the queen, although it was not until many years after the marriage that the title of prince-consort was formally granted to him.
An enthusiastic welcome awaited Prince Albert on his arrival in England, and the people streamed out of every town and village on the road to cheer him. The impression he made was most favorable, and all those who were not prejudiced by party feeling soon liked him thoroughly.
The marriage took place on the tenth of February, and thousands of the queen's subjects lined the roads between Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, to view the bridal procession on its way to and from the chapel. The young couple spent three days quietly at Windsor, and then returned to London.
Although the prince occupied the first position of any gentleman in the kingdom, a few members of the royal family disputed his right of precedency and that was a source of disquietude, which was felt also whenever he travelled on the continent with the queen. Then in hisown household his position was not at first clearly defined, and that was excessively disagreeable to a man of the prince's character. In May he wrote to his friend, the Prince von Lowenstein: "In my home life I am very happy and contented; but the difficulty in filling my place with the proper dignity is that I am only the husband, and not the master, in the house." It was his aim to become the queen's private secretary and chief adviser, and to assume control of the royal household. He desired no power for himself, but studied English law and politics, that he might be able to assist and advise his wife with regard to any difficult question that might be brought before her; in short, to be the head of his family and household. And he succeeded, not in a day, but in course of time, and by the exercise of great tact and self-control. He had decided opinions, and was never indifferent to the foreign or domestic relations of his adopted country; but he never directly interfered with the machinery of the government or the duties of the sovereign. He devoted himself nobly and unselfishly to the task of doing all the good in his power towards making his wife's reign a prosperous and happy one to the nation.
His path was made smoother by the queen's excellent judgment and warm affection; for she lost no opportunity of making it felt that she and her husband were one in purpose, as in heart and authority. The prince had an invaluable adviser in Baron Stockmar, whose knowledge of men and of politics made him thoroughly reliable. Lord Palmerston spoke of him "as one of the best political heads he had ever met with, and one of the first statesmen of Europe."
The royal marriage was succeeded by all sorts of public entertainments, which served to introduce the prince to court life; but they were a great strain upon him, for hehad lived so quietly and regularly all his life that the late hours he had to keep were hard to bear. Besides, the pressure of public duties obliged him to neglect his music and drawing for awhile, and this was a serious deprivation. The prince was an excellent musician, and played both the piano and the organ, but particularly the latter, with rare skill. When work became so planned out as to afford some leisure hours, the royal couple devoted them to etching and to music. To sing and play together was their chief amusement. So highly was Prince Albert's musical knowledge thought of that he was appointed one of the directors of a series of classical concerts, that soon became popular, and went far towards cultivating a taste for the best music. He was interested in all branches of art, and never failed to encourage painters and sculptors as well as musicians.
Several attempts have been made on the life of the queen during her reign. The first one occurred about four months after her marriage. She was driving in an open carriage, with the prince, up Constitution Hill, when a youth, seventeen years of age, named Oxford, fired two shots at her. Fortunately neither took effect, and the wretched creature was found to be insane, and confined in a lunatic asylum.
The prince could have no better proof of the high estimation in which he was held by both parties in parliament than when a bill was passed appointing him regent, in case the queen should die and leave minor children. There was only one dissenting voice, and that was the queen's uncle, the Duke of Sussex, who wanted the position himself, and thought he was entitled to it. Baron Stockmar then felt that his presence was no longer needed in England, and returned to his quiet home in Coburg, whence he kept up a regular correspondence with the prince, and alwayspointed out his line of conduct, and watched him at a distance with keen interest.
The queen had a daughter born on the thirteenth of November, at Buckingham Palace. She was baptized by the names Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa. The sponsors were the Duke of Saxe-Coburg, represented by the Duke of Wellington, King Leopold, the Queen-dowager, the Duchesses of Kent and Gloucester, and the Duke of Sussex. Lord Melbourne declared next day to the queen that the infant "looked about her quite conscious that the stir was all about herself;" but as she was only three months old when the ceremony took place, it is not probable that she recognized herself as the heroine of it. The prince wrote his father: "The christening went off very well. Your little grandchild behaved with great propriety."
The Christmas holidays were kept that year at Windsor Castle. This had always been a favorite festival with the prince, and the custom of interchanging gifts, which marks the day in Germany, was introduced into his home. Christmas trees were set up, and every member of the household was remembered in the pretty articles that surrounded them.
This year the queen received some beautiful presents from the Emperor of China,—consisting of a golden bedstead, ear-rings worth a thousand pounds each, an exquisitely wrought shawl, and some rare silks and embroidery. This was at the close of the Chinese war with England, of which it is not necessary to give here all the particulars. The English gained victories that opened several ports in China for them to carry on trade; but they acted with unpardonable injustice towards the Chinese, and their victory ought rather to have made them blush than rejoice.
A.D. 1841.The Melbourne administration had by this
0351m
time become unpopular, because the country had fallen heavily into debt, trade was in a depressed state, and pauperism and distress had increased. A fierce political struggle was pending; and it was very gratifying to the queen to find, when she made short excursions in the country, that, in spite of the discontent which prevailed, she was met with every mark of loyalty and affection by her subjects.
In August parliament met, and, after a fortnight's debate, decided to represent to her majesty the necessity of a change in the ministry. So Lord Melbourne had to resign, though he took leave of the queen with sincere regret. She was grieved with parting with her minister, whom she had seen every day for four years, and in whom she had found a warmly-attached friend; but Prince Albert was such a clever, able support that the trial was by no means so great as it would have been before her marriage.
The task of forming a new ministry was intrusted to Sir Robert Peel, who worked so quickly that all the appointments were made in less than a week. No sooner was the new cabinet fairly established than the Prince of Wales was born at Buckingham Palace. This event took place on the ninth of November, and during the following month the court removed to Windsor Castle. Here is a copy of the letter which the queen wrote King Leopold soon after:—
"We arrived here with our awfully large nursery establishment yesterday morning. To-day is very bright, clear, and dry, and we walked out early, and felt like prisoners freed from some dungeon.
"I wonder very much who our little boy will be like. You will understand how fervent are my prayers, and I am sure everybody's must be, to see him resemble his father inevery, everyrespect,—both in body and mind! Oh, my dearest uncle, I am sure if you knew how happy, how blessed I feel, and how proud in possessing such a perfect being as my husband, and if you think you have been instrumental in bringing about this union it must gladden your heart!"
A.D. 1842.King Frederick William of Prussia was invited to England to stand sponsor for the Prince of Wales. He arrived at Greenwich on the twenty-second of January, and was met by Prince Albert, who escorted him to Windsor Castle. There he was received by the queen with all the formalities of state. Three days later the baby-prince was christened at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Besides the King of Prussia, the sponsors were the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg, represented by the Duchess of Kent, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duchess of Saxe-Gotha, represented by the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Augusta of Cambridge, and Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg.
The ceremony was performed with unusual splendor; the chapel was hung with banners, lights shone upon the altar, and the music was very fine. An anthem had been composed for the occasion; but the prince objected to anything new, saying: "We will have something we all know—something in which we can all join—something devotional," and so the Hallelujah Chorus was substituted.
Shortly after the King of Prussia returned home Prince Albert received news of the approaching marriage of his brother Ernest with the Princess Alexandrine of Baden. He was urged to be present at the ceremony; but public affairs were in such a dreadful condition in England that he could not leave, though he was strongly inclined to do so.Insurrections were from time to time breaking out in the iron and coal districts, where there was a great deal of suffering and want. Ireland was still excited by the Chartist agitators, and the horrible war with Afghanistan, where the British troops suffered so dreadfully, was still going on. These are some of the circumstances—but there were others besides—which called for an increase of soldiers and large sums of money; and the Melbourne administration, as we have seen, had left the country in debt two million five hundred thousand pounds.
In the face of such troubles Prince Albert could not desert his wife to attend his brother's wedding. He worked hand-in-hand with Sir Robert Peel, and together they established an income tax, which worked with splendid results, and furnished two million pounds more than had been expected. Even the queen shared the burden of the taxation, which proved such an excellent remedy that confidence in the government was restored. The harvest was good this year, trade began to revive, and it seemed at last that a tide of prosperity had set in. The poorer classes had suffered so much that it was long before they could recover from the depression into which they had sunken; but reforms were going on in every branch of industry that effected their interest, and a brighter day had dawned for England.
In March an account of the massacre of the British troops at Cabul was communicated to the queen, but it was not until the following month that the shocking details of it reached England. But such scenes were fortunately not repeated, and when the war was over England retained a firmer hold on India than she had done before.
For the advancement of trade the court gave a series of dinners, concerts, and balls, which kept all sorts of shopkeepers busy. In May a grand ball was given for thebenefit of the Spitalfields weavers, which the queen and prince attended, and for the same purpose a fancy-dress party was given at Buckingham Palace. This was a magnificent entertainment, and the costumes were splendid. The prince was dressed as Edward III., the queen as Queen Philippa, and their ladies and gentlemen appeared in the court-dress of that period. The Duchess of Cambridge headed a procession of a hundred and twenty persons who represented France, Italy, and Spain.
Another attempt was made on her majesty's life this year. Here is an account of it as given by the prince in a letter to his father: "On Sunday, as we were returning from the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, at two o'clock, there was, as usual, a crowd of spectators under the trees, who bowed and cheered. Suddenly I saw a man step out from the crowd, and present a pistol full at me. I heard the trigger snap, but it must have missed fire. I turned to Victoria, who was seated on my right, and asked her, 'Did you hear that?' She had been bowing to the people on the other side, and observed nothing. I said, 'I may be mistaken, but I am sure I saw somebody take aim at us.' When we reached the palace I asked the footmen who had been at the back of the carriage if they had not noticed a man step forward and stretch his hand towards the carriage, as if he wanted to throw a petition into it. They had noticed nothing. I did not breathe a syllable about it to any one, except Colonel Arbuthnot, to whom I told what had happened, and directed him to make it known to the inspector of police, Sir Robert Peel, and Sir James Graham.
"I then ran out upon the balcony to see whether the man had not been seized, but all was quiet, and the people had dispersed, satisfied with having seen the queen. In the afternoon Sir Robert Peel came with the head of police,and took down my statement, in writing, together with a description of the man's appearance.
"Yesterday morning a boy of fourteen, named Pearse, came to Mr. Murray, and said that he had seen a man present a pistol at us as we were returning from church, but he did not fire, and afterwards exclaimed, 'Fool that I was not to fire!' We sent the boy to the home office, where his evidence was taken down. The police showed the greatest activity. We are naturally much agitated, Victoria very nervous and unwell. As the doctor wished that she should go out, we determined to do so; for we should have to shut ourselves up for months, had we settled not to go out, so long as the miscreant was at large. Besides, as he could have no suspicion he was watched, we felt sure that he would come again skulking around the palace, and that the numerous policemen in plain clothes, who were on the lookout for him, would seize him on the least imprudence or carelessness on his part. We drove out at four, gave orders to drive faster than usual, and for the two equerries, Colonel Wylde and Colonel Arbuthnot, to ride close to the carriage. You may imagine that our minds were not very easy. We looked behind every tree, and I cast my eyes around in search of the rascal's face. We, however, got safely through the parks, and drove towards Hampstead. The weather was superb, and hosts of people on foot. On our way home, as we were approaching the palace, between the Green Park and the garden wall, a shot was fired at us about five paces off. It was the fellow with the same pistol—a little swarthy, ill-looking rascal. The shot must have passed under the carriage, for he lowered his hand. We felt as if a load had been taken off our hearts, and, we thanked the Almighty for having preserved us a second time from so great a danger.John Francis (that is the man's name) was standing near a policeman, who immediately seized him, but could not prevent the shot. The culprit was instantly taken off to the police office. He is not out of his mind, but a thorough scamp. His answers were coarse and witty. He tries to make fun of his judges. Little Pearse identified him this morning as the same person he had seen on Sunday. He is twenty-two years old, the son of a machinist at one of the theatres;—a wretched creature."
Francis was tried and found guilty of high treason. There were circumstances which led to the belief that the pistol he had used was not loaded at all, and that he only wanted to make himself notorious. The queen interfered in his behalf, and had the death-sentence changed to transportation for life. Francis was greatly relieved when he found that he was not to be hung; but the leniency shown to him had a bad effect, for the very day after it was made public another attempt was made-on the queen's life by a hunchbacked boy named Bean.
Her majesty was driving to the chapel of St. James's Palace when Bean pointed his pistol, but it missed fire, and a youth named Dassett tore it out of his hand, and collared him, calling at the same time to the crowd to secure the assassin. He was promptly arrested, and the pistol was found to be loaded with powder, paper closely rammed down, and some scraps of a clay pipe.
Bean had left his father's house a week before, and had written that he would never see him again, because he intended committing a desperate, though not a dishonest deed, and signed himself, "your unhappy, but disobedient son." Now, the fact of the fellow's having deliberately set about a crime for which Francis was then lying under sentence of death in prison, proved that something was wanting in the laws for the punishment of such miscreants.Sir Robert Peel lost no time in introducing a bill in parliament, which, it was thought, would put a stop to such attempts. It made the offender subject to transportation for seven years, or imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for a term not exceeding three years—"the culprit to be publicly or privately whipped as often and in such manner and form as the court shall direct, not exceeding thrice." This bill became a law, and under it Bean was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment.
One point that gave the prince serious concern was the internal working of the royal household, which did not run smoothly by any means. It may seem easy to control such a matter, particularly when one observes the regularity and precision of the present day; but there was no system when Prince Albert undertook the reform. The whole management of the palace was in confusion; there were too many masters, and nobody's duties were clearly defined. With every change in the ministry the three principal officers of the household were changed, and their appointments were not due to special qualifications. They were regulated by politics, and, such being the case, no uniformity of system could prevail; there could be no order, comfort, or economy, for no one felt particularly responsible or knew how soon he might be called upon to make way for a successor. Certain officials were responsible for the interior of the palace, certain others for the grounds, woods, and forests, but they never worked in harmony. The consequence was, that as the inside cleaning of the windows belonged to the lord chamberlain's department, the outside was regulated by the officer who ruled over the grounds; and, unless a good understanding happened to exist between him and the lord chamberlain, it is easy to see what trouble might arise from that one matteralone. As Baron Stockmar says in his memoranda: "The lord steward finds the fuel and lays the fire, and the lord chamberlain lights it. The lord chamberlain provides all the lamps, and the lord steward must clean, trim, and light them." Before even the most trifling repairs could be made so many people had to be consulted that months elapsed, while the pane of glass, lock, bolt, or hinge was under consideration. Neither the lord chamberlain nor the master of the horse had his deputy residing in the palace; consequently, the servants went and came as they chose, did their work or left it undone as fancy dictated, and often absented themselves for several days without any notice being taken of it.
A.D. 1843.All this the prince was determined to change; but it would take time, and had to be done with extreme caution to avoid giving offence to the large number of people who would be affected by the reform. Sir Robert Peel was consulted, but he thought that ancient institutions ought not to be interfered with, and feared that any change in the household, that would seem to impair the authority of the great officers of state would make the distinguished members of the House of Peers less anxious to fill such positions.
The prince concurred with Sir Robert, but was, nevertheless, bent on improvement. "All I beg of you now, my dear Sir Robert," he said, "is your cordial assistance in combating the existing and crying nuisances. Much as I am inclined to treat the household machine with a sort of reverence from its antiquity, I still remain convinced that it is clumsy in its construction, and works so ill that as long as its wheels are not mended there can neither be order, regularity, comfort, security, nor outward dignity in the queen's palace."
The prince's persevering qualities were in course of timecrowned with success, and it was through the officers of state themselves, who agreed to confer on the master of the household absolute authority over all the internal affairs of the palace. This arrangement proved even more satisfactory than was at first expected, and relieved the prince of a multitude of petty cares.
Parliament opened this year with very exciting debates on the corn laws, which, of course, referred to all sorts of grain. Sir Robert Peel entered upon his office bound to maintain these laws, but five years later he repealed them. Such a change of policy brought down upon his head the most outrageous abuse, but he was probably convinced that the change was beneficial.
These laws made the price of all grain that was imported so high that few could afford to purchase any but English grain. This protected the English farmer, and gave him a chance to charge a good sum for his crops; which was all very well for the farmer, but the manufacturer rebelled. Foreign countries said: "If you refuse to buy our grain, we will manage to do without your woollen and cotton goods." This was ruinous to trade, and in consequence there was less manufacturing done. Many were thrown out of employment, and all wages were reduced. That the poor were forced to earn less and pay more for their daily bread struck some members of parliament as a most unjust state of affairs. They did not wonder at the riots that were becoming matters of daily occurrence, and sought for a remedy.
This was only to be found in free-trade,—which means relief from duty; but it would take time, thought, and debate before this remedy could be established. The nominalleader of the Free-trade party in parliament was Mr. Charles Villiers, a man of aristocratic family and rare ability, who had brought forward his views for several sessions in the House of Commons, and had worked hard to secure converts to the principle he advocated.
0363m
The real leader of the movement was Mr. Richard Cobden, a manufacturer of cotton goods in Manchester.
He was a man who saw and thought for himself, while he was willing to learn from everybody. He travelled a great deal, and thus gained a stock of information that proved of much value. He was not an orator, but his simple, honest, straightforward style of speaking was most convincing. He ruled men by appealing to their common sense, and showing them wherein lay their own interest;therefore was he most fitted by nature to succeed in his arguments against the corn laws.
His strongest ally was Mr. Bright, an orator of the most brilliant type. Mr. Bright had a commanding presence, a fine, broad head, a handsome, expressive face. He had not read many books; but those he had read he knew thoroughly, and the principal ones were the Bible and Milton. Mr. Bright was a Quaker and a manufacturer of carpets. His business was a prosperous one, and he had amassed a large sum of money; therefore, when he made his appearance in parliament, his eloquence had a disinterested ring; no one could accuse him of pleading his own cause alone.
Mr. Cobden and Mr. Bright met for the first time when both were interested in the question of education, and each was struck with the peculiar ability of the other. They became friends, and when Mr. Bright was in deep grief after the death of his young and lovely wife, Mr. Cobden made him a visit of condolence. After expressing what his heart dictated, it suddenly occurred to him that work would offer the greatest relief to his stricken friend,—work for the alleviation of other's misery. "Come with me!" he said, after a pause. "There are thousands and thousands of homes in England at this moment, where wives and mothers and children are dying of hunger. Come with me, and we will work for them, and never rest until the corn laws are repealed."
The invitation was cordially accepted; and these two men formed a bond of friendship so strong, so close that until the death of Mr. Cobden the name of one was scarcely ever mentioned without that of the other. Their gifts were exactly suited to each other; for each possessed something that the other needed, and together they became a power that stopped at nothing short of complete success.But before free-trade was fairly established many converts had to be made, and much opposition had to be put down. A favorable effect was produced by a letter from Lord John Russell, at the time of the potato-rot in Ireland, which threatened to produce a famine. This letter had a great influence on Sir Robert Peel, as it convinced him of the necessity of doing something for the advancement of trade, and prompted him to favor the repeal of the corn laws, for which he was, as we have said, so severely condemned. Before introducing another statesman, who became prominent at this time, a few pages must be devoted to the queen and her family.
On the twenty-fifth of April another daughter was added to the royal family. She was christened Alice Maud Mary, and her sponsors were the King of Hanover, Ernest, now Duke of Coburg, Princess Sophia Matilda, and Feodore. The queen wrote her uncle that the ceremony went off brilliantly, and that little Alice behaved extremely well.
The royal couple took a lively interest in the exhibition of cartoons, on subjects taken from English history and poetry, that was opened at Westminster Hall that summer. All classes of people, from the highest to the lowest, visited this exhibition, and this showed that a taste for art was developing itself.
The prince was a great admirer of fresco painting, and gave valuable instructions with regard to the decoration of both houses of parliament. After they were completed, he ordered eight pictures, for a pavilion in the garden of Buckingham Palace, illustrating Milton's "Cornus,"—one from each of the following artists: Landseer, Maclise, Uwins, Eastlake, Leslie, Ross, Dyce, and Stanfield.
The queen, with her husband, watched the progress of this work with real interest, and one of the artists thuswrote about them in a letter to a friend: "I have never met with any royal personages who have impressed me so favorably as our reigning sovereign and her young and interesting husband. They come to us twice a day unannounced, and without attendants, entirely stripped of all state and ceremony, and courting conversation in a way that has gained our admiration and love."
The Queen and Prince Albert had long been contemplating a visit to the court of Louis Philippe, so the day after the opening of parliament in August they embarked at Southampton on the "Victoria and Albert," a new yacht that had just been built for them. The French royal family were at Château d'Eu, near Tréport. After cruising about off the coast of the Isle of Wight for four or five days, the queen and prince crossed over to Tréport, and the French king came out in his barge to welcome them.
Her majesty describes it thus in her journal: "The landing was a fine sight, which the beauty of the evening, with the setting sun, enhanced. Crowds of people (all so different from ours), numbers of troops (also different from our troops), the whole court, and all the authorities were assembled on the' shore. The king led me up a somewhat steepish staircase, where the queen received me with the kindest welcome, accompanied by dearest Louise, Queen of the Belgians; Hélène, Duchess of Orleans, in deep mourning; Françoise, Prince de Joinville, and Madame Adélaïde. All this—the cheering of the people, and of the troops crying "Vive la Reine! Vive le Roi!"—well nigh overcame me. The king repeated again and again to me how happy he was at the visit, and how attached he was to my father and to England."
The visitors remained five days, and were received with so much affection by every member of the royal family and so splendidly entertained that it was with sincere regret that they parted from them at last.After stopping two or three days at Brighton, the queen and prince made a tour in Belgium, and visited their beloved uncle, King Leopold. The month succeeding this journey was marked by the prince's first visit to Cambridge, where he and the queen were received by the students with tremendous enthusiasm.
A.D. 1844.The first grief that darkened the home of the royal couple was caused by the death of Prince Albert's father, which occurred quite suddenly in January, 1844. This event was not entirely unexpected; nevertheless the prince was deeply shocked, for he had always entertained a warm affection for his father. The following month he decided to visit Coburg, and see those of his relations who remained.
Shortly after his return the King of Saxony arrived at Buckingham Palace on a visit, and two days later the Emperor of Russia appeared, having given only forty-eight hours' notice that he would do so. Meanwhile, the court removed to Windsor Castle, where the emperor was conducted by Prince Albert and received by the queen. The royal visitor was struck by the magnificence of the castle, and repeatedly declared that the English court was conducted on a grander scale than any he had ever seen.
A brilliant review was given in Windsor Park on the fourth of June in honor of the two royal guests, and they were delighted with the rapidity of the artillery movements. The whole royal party attended the Ascot races on the sixth, and returned to town on the seventh. Next day the emperor went with Prince Albert on an excursion in the country, and attended the opera with the queen in the evening. On the ninth he took his departure, having made a most favorable impression in England.
On the sixth of August the queen's second son was born, at Windsor Castle. He was christened at the end offour weeks in the private chapel, and received the names Alfred Ernest Albert. The sponsors were Prince George of Cambridge, the Prince of Leiningen, represented by the Duke of Wellington, the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, represented by the Duchess of Kent. The scene was very solemn. The Princess Royal and the Prince of Wales were present; and it was on that occasion that the former first beheld the father of the man she was to marry fourteen years later,—the Crown Prince of Prussia,—who was then on a visit to England.
In October grand preparations were made for the reception of King Louis Philippe. The Duke of Wellington went with Prince Albert to Portsmouth to receive him and accompany him to Windsor, and everything was done to make a favorable impression on both sides, because his visit was the first one ever made by a French to an English sovereign. The king was no stranger in England, for he had lived there for five years during his exile from France; and it gave him much pleasure to visit the old familiar scenes, and to reflect upon his improved condition. He could not forget how, under a feigned name, he had been glad to earn twenty pence a day while in exile,—and now he was King of France! His visit had a good effect, for it removed much of the angry feeling that had existed between his country and England, and established a bond of friendliness.
A.D. 1845.When the Queen and Prince Albert accompanied Louis Philippe to Portsmouth they saw Osborne, in the Isle of Wight, for the first time, and were so pleased with the prospect it offered for a quiet retreat that they purchased it. There were eight hundred acres at first, but more were added, until the estate comprised twenty-three hundred acres. The prince cultivated the whole place, and improved it year by year, until he made it one of the most delightful country-seats in the world.On the ninth of August the queen prorogued parliament; and the same evening she and the prince, attended by Lord Aberdeen, Lord Liverpool, Lady Gainsborough, Lady Canning, Mr. Anson, and Sir James Clark sailed from Woolwich for Antwerp in the royal yacht, their destination being Saxony. This is what her majesty wrote in her journal on the morning of her departure:—
"A very fine morning when we got up. Both Vicky and darling Alice were with me while I dressed. Poor, dear puss (the Princess Royal) would much have wished to go with us, and often proposed that she might go, and said,—'Why am I not going to Germany?' Most willingly would I have taken her, and I wished much to have taken one of dear Albert's children with us to Coburg; but the journey is a serious undertaking, particularly the first time, and she is very young still. But what chiefly decided us is the visit to the King of Prussia, where I could not have looked after her. All four children were with us at breakfast, after which I gave Lady Lyttelton my last instructions, and then with a heavy heart we bade them adieu in the hall. Poor little Vicky seemed very sorry, but did not cry. It was a very painful moment to drive away with the three poor little things standing at the door. God bless them and protect them; which He will! And they are in excellent hands. Our dear Osborne is so lovely and so enjoyable that we left it with the greatest regret."
Sir Robert Peel met her majesty at Buckingham Palace, and gave such a satisfactory report of public affairs that the royal travellers set out on their German tour with nothing to mar their pleasure.
They arrived at Antwerp on the tenth of August, and found the city illuminated in their honor. They were received by a guard of soldiers, and proceeded to Malines, where they were welcomed by King Leopold and hisqueen. They then proceeded to the Prussian frontier, where they were met by the English ambassador, the King of Prussia with several members of his family, many gentlemen in uniform, and a numerous escort. They were magnificently entertained, and shown all the sights of Cologne and other cities.
At Bonn a Beethoven festival was given, and afterwards all the professors of the university where Prince Albert had been educated were presented to her majesty. We need not follow the royal couple through all their travels, but will quote the queen's account of their arrival at Coburg, Prince Albert's birthplace.
"I began," says the queen, "to feel greatly moved,—agitated, indeed, in coming near the Coburg frontier. At length we saw flags and people drawn up in lines, and in a few moments more we were welcomed by Ernest in full uniform. We got into an open carriage of Ernest's, with six horses,—Ernest sitting opposite to us. The good people were all dressed in their best,—the women in pointed caps, with many petticoats, and the men in leather breeches. Many girls were there with wreaths of flowers. We came to a triumphal arch, where we were received by the land-director, who said a few kind words of welcome, to which I replied,—all those who accompanied him standing on either side, and the good people receiving us in such a warm, hearty, and really friendly way. We then drove to Ketschendorff, the pretty little house of our dear late grandmother, where we found uncle Leopold and Louise, who got into the carriage with us. Ernest mounted a horse and rode next to the carriage on my side, Alvensleben on the other. Then the procession was formed, which looked extremely pretty. At the entrance to the town we came to another triumphal arch, where the burgomaster addressed us. On the other side stood a number of girls, dressed in