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white, with green wreaths and scarfs, who presented us with bouquets and verses. I cannot say how much I felt moved on entering the dear old place, and with difficulty I restrained my emotion. The beautifully ornamented town, all bright with wreaths and flowers, the numbers of good affectionate people, the many recollections connected with the place,—all was so affecting.
"The palace was soon reached, and as the royal cortège approached it numbers of young girls, dressed like the others, threw wreaths into the carriage. The staircase was full of relations. It was an affecting, but exquisite moment, which I shall never forget."
Before they rose, the first morning after their arrival at the Roseman, the singers of the Coburg Theatre serenaded them. "Before breakfast," the queen writes, "we went upstairs to where my dearest Albert and Ernest used to live. It is quite in the roof, with a tiny little bedroom on each side, in one of which they both used to sleep, with their tutor. The view is beautiful, and the paper is still full of holes with their fencing; and the very same table is there on which they were dressed when they were little." After visiting the fortress that overlooks Coburg, and driving in the suburbs, the first day closed with a performance of the "Huguenots" at the theatre, where the royal couple were greeted as they entered with "God save the Queen," sung in German.
The twenty-sixth of August was the prince's birthday, and a number of gifts were spread out on a table for him, which the queen, with the assistance of the Duke and Duchess of Coburg, had arranged amidst beautiful flowers. Some of the peasants remembered the day, and came all decorated in ribbons and flowers and preceded by a band of music, to offer their congratulations.
The next day the royal couple left Coburg and travelledon, stopping frequently to visit various relations; each of whom vied with the other in the feasts that were prepared for the entertainment of their guests. After seeing and enjoying the numerous points of interest in the Thurin-gian forest, the travellers began to turn their attention homeward; but a flying visit had to be made at the Château D'Eu, so that Louis Philippe might not feel himself neglected.
On the evening of September 7 the royal couple left the Scheldt in their yacht, and at nine the next morning were off Tréport. The king was on the lookout for them, and soon appeared on board in full uniform. They were received with the same affectionate welcome that greeted them two years before from the whole French royal family, and conducted to the château. There a room was shown to her majesty, which had been fitted up in honor of her former visit, with pictures of the various incidents of it, as well as of the king's visit to Windsor, and among them full-length portraits of the queen and Prince Albert. The whole company of the Opéra Comique had been brought down from Paris that day, and in the evening they gave a performance in a tent erected for the purpose.
Next day the travellers returned home, and the prettiest sight that awaited them, as they approached Osborne, was the bright, chubby faces of their four little children, who were on the watch for them.
A.D. 1846.We must now take a look at the political struggle that was so bitter and so fierce this year. Sir Robert Peel had become a free-trader, and announced himself as such in parliament; but his downfall was at hand, even when victory seemed so near. This was brought about by a bill introduced for the purpose of checking assassination in Ireland, called the coercion bill.
It was at this exciting session that Mr. Disraeli rose into
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sudden prominence. He had been for many years in the House of Commons, and had made many speeches, but hitherto his political career had been a failure. His first speech was, perhaps, as clever as many later ones that won outbursts of applause, but he was ridiculed by the noisy members of the house to such an extent that most men with less courage would have been silenced forever. Not so Disraeli; he looked straight at the party that opposed him, and, raising his hands with theatrical effect, he exclaimed, in a tone of voice so powerful as to penetrate to every part of the house: "I have begun several times many things, and I have often succeeded at last; ay, sir, and though I sit down now the time will come when you will hear me." His prediction came true, and from the time—nine years after—when he rose to denounce Sir Robert Peel, until the day of his death, his career was one long brilliant success.
That night he made for himself a name, and for the Tory party, of which he became the leader, a new career. The man whom the House of Commons had ridiculed nine years before, now proved himself a great parliamentary orator, and, as time went on, a politician perfectly capable of assuming the control of his party. Sir Robert Peel had gone over to the free-traders, and now the "Protectionists," headed by Lord George Bentinck and the opponents of the coercion bill, would combine to turn him out of office. This was accomplished after a great deal of passionate, bitter debate, and three days later the great minister announced his resignation.
It was with a feeling of profound regret that the queen parted with her ministers, and the formal leave-taking was a severe trial on both sides. Her majesty wrote King Leopold: "Yesterday was a very hard day for me. I had to part with Sir Robert Peel and Lord Aberdeen, who areirreparable losses to us and to the country. They were both so overcome that it quite upset me, and we have in them two devoted friends. Never, during the five years that they were with me, did they ever recommend a person or a thing that was not for my or the country's best, and never for the party's advantage only."
Sir Robert Peel had done his duty to his country and his conscience, and the very measure which deprived him of power has proved a blessing, for which the British nation can never cease to be grateful.
Lord John Russell succeeded Sir Robert Peel as First Lord of the Treasury; Lord Palmerston became Foreign Secretary; Lord Grey, Colonial Secretary; and Sir George Grey, Home Secretary. Mr. Macaulay became Paymaster-General, with a seat in the cabinet, and the Earl of Bess-borough went to Ireland as Lord-Lieutenant.
Immediately after the formation of the ministry, and while the elections were going on, the court removed for a short time to Osborne, where, on the twenty-fifth of May, a princess was born. She was christened a couple of months later at Buckingham Palace, by the names of Helena Augusta Victoria, and the sponsors were the Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
The new Whig party were not in an enviable position; for they had, immediately on assuming power, to consider the disastrous condition of Ireland, caused by the failure of the potato crop. It is difficult to understand why people could not eat something else when potatoes were not to be had; but it becomes clear when we remember that the Irish peasant, with his wife and children, depended entirely on that root for subsistence. They had absolutely no other food, and, when deprived of that, they starved,—yes, literally laid down in their huts, or by the road-side, and starved
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to death. Not a county in Ireland wholly escaped the potato-rot, and with it came what was called the potato disease—a peculiar form of fever that was the result of sheer starvation, and caused the death of hundreds of people.
Of course such terrible suffering led to scenes of crime and violence, and the Irish hated the government that they firmly believedwouldnot help them. Such was not the case; for the government were doing the best they could, and were at their wits' end to find a remedy for the evil. Subscription lists were opened in the large cities, and many of the merchants put down their names for a thousand pounds. The sympathy of the whole civilized world was aroused, and relief began to pour in from different countries. The United States sent over their war-ships laden with grain and other food, and, as they arrived, one after another at one of the Irish seaports, the bells of the town rang out merrily to convey the joyful tidings to the famine-stricken inhabitants.
Starvation and disease had killed off two millions of people by the time the famine was over. Young Ireland became dissatisfied with a country where such misery could exist, and might be repeated, and their attention was turned westward. The United States had opened her arms for the oppressed, and offered them a welcome, a home, citizenship. To our hospitable shores, therefore, streamed a tide of Irish emigration until they formed a large part of the population of every city in the Union.
A.D. 1847.This year an evidence of Prince Albert's having gained in public esteem was shown by his being offered the chancellorship of Cambridge University. He accepted, and at his request William Wordsworth, then in his seventy-seventh year, wrote the ode for the occasion, which was set to music by Mr. Thomas Attwood Walmisley, and proved most effective. The ceremony of installationwas very impressive, and after it was over there was a fine banquet at Trinity Hall, followed by a reception.
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A.D. 1848.Early in the following year the Orleans dynasty in France was overthrown, and a republic was proclaimed. By the end of February King Louis Philippe, his queen, and the various members of his family were hurrying secretly and in disguise by different routes to England, their fortunes ruined, and they themselves anxious to escape from the fury of the revolution and the horrible scenes that were being enacted in their native land. This flight of King Louis Philippe with his queen, in the depth of a very severe winter, is a painful story. They were old, wretched, and deserted; and, although the king was responsible for the mistakes that brought about the revolution after a peaceful reign of eighteen years, who can fail to pity him?
It was but a sorry asylum he found in England, for he had lost the good opinion of the queen and the nation, andhe was tolerated merely as an object of compassion. In course of time his position and that of his sons was much improved, because they bore their adversity with so much dignity, manliness, and amiability. Great sympathy was excited in their behalf when Louis Napoleon, the man whose life the king had spared, hastened to France, seized the throne by conspiracy, and confiscated all the property of his benefactor and the entire Orleans family.
The French revolution had begun so suddenly that all the world looked on in astonishment. No sooner were the particulars of it known than it found an echo in Italy, Germany, and Austria; and all three of those countries rose in revolt, eager for improvements in their respective governments.
Prince Metternich, the Austrian minister, was another person of note who sought refuge in England at this period. This great diplomatist fell, after long years of service to his emperor, who abdicated his throne rather than fight for his rights; and with his wife, made his way through Germany under a feigned name, and with a price set upon his head. Then Louis Kossuth came forward with the determination to free Hungary from Austrian rule.
Tumults broke out in every state and principality of Germany, and a demand was made for freedom of the press, trial by jury, and representation of the people in government affairs. In small towns the peasants attacked the castles of their feudal lords, set fire -to them, and put their owners to flight. The work of destruction was going on everywhere.
Meanwhile in Paris business was at a standstill, the people were without employment or food, a reign of terror set in, and an armed mob held the provisional government at bay.
On the thirteenth of March a grand reform meeting washeld at Berlin, which ended in a conflict between the military and the populace. The promises held out by the king would no longer be listened to, and disorder reigned in the streets for many days. He issued a proclamation favoring the union of the German Confederation into one Federal State, with one flag, one army, one fleet, one ruler. Overjoyed at this proclamation, the crowd gathered to the square in front of the palace to cheer the king, when, by some terrible misunderstanding or preconcerted plan on the part of some violent politicians, shots were fired at the cavalry drawn up beneath the windows of the palace. They moved forward to clear the square. At that instant two muskets of the infantry were fired; a cry of "Treachery! to arms!" arose on all sides; and, as if by magic, barricades were erected in the principal streets, and then began a struggle that was carried on throughout the night. The heavens were illuminated by the burning houses set on fire by the mob, and the streets ran with blood. Two hundred and sixteen people and sixteen soldiers were killed in the fight. The king ordered the military to cease firing in the morning, and thus his leniency gave the revolutionary party the upper hand. But it was his aim to become Emperor of Germany, so he took the position of popular leader, and paraded the streets on horseback, wearing the German colors,—black, red, and yellow,—streaming from his left arm, followed by carriages containing the Polish prisoners that had just been released.
The Prince of Prussia, the king's brother and the present emperor, who did not appear to favor the progress of the nation, had to leave the city, and his palace was only saved from the fury of the mob by having "National Property" placarded on it. He too sought refuge in England.
In Belgium peace remained unshaken, and the nation
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felt what a blessing they had in the wise administration of King Leopold. "Belgium," wrote the queen to her uncle, "is a bright star in the midst of dark clouds. It makes us all very happy."
In April there was a monster meeting of the Chartists summoned to Kensington Common. They had been preparing for several weeks, and announced their intention to assemble to the number of one hundred and fifty thousand, and march with a petition to the houses of parliament. The law-abiding citizens determined to crush such a movement, and one hundred and seventy thousand enrolled themselves as constables to support the regular police force, and act in concert with the military, if it became necessary. Prince Louis Napoleon was of their number, as he had not yet gone to France.
Mr. Feargus O'Conner was somewhat disgusted when, after all his boasting, not more than twenty-three thousand of his followers assembled. Instead of storming the houses of parliament with their petition, they were glad enough to be permitted to send a deputation with it in a couple of common street-cabs, and make the best of their way back home, conscious of the ridicule they had brought about them. And this was the end of Chartism.
On the eighteenth of March, while the court were sojourning at Osborne, Princess Louise was born, and a couple of months later they returned to town. The christening took place in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace, and the princess received the names of Louise Caroline Alberta. Some years before Prince Albert had written a chorale, which was sung at this ceremony. A splendid state banquet followed, and throughout the month there was more than the ordinary number of court balls and receptions in honor of the queen's birthday.
Immediately after proroguing parliament the queen andPrince Albert, with their children, went to Balmoral, a new country-seat in Scotland, which they had just purchased from the Earl of Aberdeen. This became a favorite retreat with her majesty. Her first impression of it is thus given in her journal: "Looking down from the hill which overhangs the house the view is charming. To the left you look to the beautiful hills surrounding Loch-na-Gar, and to the right towards Ballater, to the valley, along which the Dee winds, with beautiful wooded hills, which reminded us very much of the Thuringian forest. It was so calm and so solitary it did one good as one gazed around, and the pure mountain air was most refreshing. All seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils. The scenery is wild and yet not desolate; and everything looks much more prosperous and cultivated than at Laggan. Then the soil is delightfully dry. We walked beside the Dee a beautiful, rapid stream, which is close behind the house. The view of the hills is exceedingly fine."
In this picturesque, wild highland home the queen and Prince Albert found great relief from the cares and anxieties of London life, though they were not without intelligence from the political world that sometimes marred their perfect happiness. While there they heard of the terrible doings in Frankfort, where a mob attacked the national assembly, and hacked to pieces two of its members in a most brutal manner; of the sudden death of Lord George Bentinck, of the election of Louis Napoleon in France, and of a rising of natives against British authority in India.
At the end of September the court left Balmoral for London, and, after resting there one night, proceeded to Osborne, returning in a fortnight to Windsor.
The year 1848 was one of bloodshed and misery, thatwill ever be remembered in Europe, and few were sorry to see it come to an end. The death of Lord Melbourne, which took place in November, was an event that caused the queen sincere sorrow; for she often said that during the first two years and a half of her reign he was almost the only friend she had, and we know how faithfully he served her and the country.
A.D. 1849.Another attempt on the queen's life was made in May, as she was driving down Constitution Hill in an open carriage with her children. The prince was riding in advance, and knew nothing of what had occurred until he heard it from the lips of her majesty. She did not lose her self-possession for a moment; but motioned her coachman to proceed, and engaged the children's attention to keep them from being alarmed. The man who fired proved to be an Irishman, named William Hamilton, who seemed to have no motive whatever for the deed. Had it not been for the intervention of the police he would have been torn to pieces. On examination the pistol was found to be charged only with powder. Hamilton was sentenced to seven years' transportation.
The time had arrived when it was thought proper to place the Prince of Wales under the care of a tutor, and Mr. Birch, a young man who had taken the highest honors at Cambridge, was selected for the office. The queen and prince had early settled on a plan of education; for they never forgot Baron Stockmar's saying, that "a man's education begins the first day of his life."
"To neglect beginnings," says Locke, "is the fundamental error into which most parents fall."
The royal couple had, therefore, given this important matter much thought; and as early as 1842 Lady Lyttelton had been installed as governess to the children. She filled her post with a devotion that won the respect andlove of her charges, and the entire approval of their parents. When she resigned it was because she thought herself old enough to rest, and this is what she wrote about it: "The queen has told me I may be free about the middle of January, and she said it with all the feeling and kindness of which I have received such incessant and unvarying proofs through the whole long twelve years during which I have served her. Never by a word or look has it been interrupted." On her last day in the palace, she writes: "In the evening I was sent for to my last audience in the queen's own room; and I quite broke down, and could hardly see or hear. I remember the prince's face, pale as ashes, and a few words of thanks from them both; but it is all misty, and I had to stop on the private staircase and have my cry out before I could go up again." This departure of Lady Lyttelton's did not take place until the princess royal was ten years old, and all the children were able to appreciate their loss.
In August the queen and prince, with their four older children, embarked for their first visit to Ireland. Nothing could have been more gratifying than the enthusiastic welcome that greeted them on their arrival at Cork and ateverystopping-place along their route. The spot where her majesty first set foot on Irish soil has ever since borne the name of Queenstown. As the royal party proceeded up the river Lee to the town of Cork crowds assembled along the shores, and the air was filled with wild shouts and cheers, ringing of bells, and firing of cannon. Even in the towns that had been foremost in rebellion the enthusiasm was great. The queen wrote thus of one feature of the Irish: "The beauty of the women is very remarkable, and struck us much; such beautiful dark eyes and hair, and such fine teeth; almost every third woman was pretty, and some remarkably so."
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When the royal squadron steamed into the harbor of Kingstown, the wharves were crowded and the scene was magnificent. A salute was fired from all the men-of-war in the harbor. "It was a sight never to be forgotten,—a sound to be recollected forever. Ladies threw aside the old formula of waving a white handkerchief, and enthusiastically cheered; while the men, pressing in so closely as to throng the very edges of the pavilion, waved whatever came first to hand,—hat, stick, or coat (for the day was very hot),—and rent the air with shouts of joy, which never decreased in energy till their sovereign was out of sight. The royal children were objects of universal attentionand admiration. 'Oh! queen, dear!' screamed a stout old lady, 'make one of them Prince Patrick, and all Ireland will die for you!'"
The same scenes of wild delight were repeated on the road to Dublin, and the four days spent in that city were a perfect jubilee. The most important public institutions were visited; a levee, attended by four thousand people, was held; there was a review of six thousand troops; addresses presented, and an exhibition of cattle and agricultural implements, in which the prince was particularly interested. All the other cities vied with Dublin in welcoming the royal party, and the effect of their visit on the country was most beneficial. The Irish were charmed with their sovereign's gracious manners, and felt their own importance greatly increased by the consideration she had shown them.
A.D. 1850.The new year found the health of Prince Albert by no means good. His physician advised change of air, but there were reasons why he could not leave England just then. Parliament assembled on the thirty-first of January, and the prince had, besides, the affairs of the grand exhibition on his hands. A preliminary meeting had been held at Buckingham Palace many months before; but now committees had to be organized and communications opened with all parts of the civilized world to get contributions. There was a building to be erected, and for that and other purposes money had to be raised, and distinguished men pressed into the service to insure confidence, and to do their share of the work. The prince felt that he had undertaken a formidable task when at every point his guidance was sought.
On the twenty-first of February the first of the great public meetings was held on account of the exhibition, all the representatives from the countries that were to sendcontributions being present. The following month a grand banquet was given at the Mansion House, to which the chief officers of state, the foreign ambassadors, the royal commissioners for the exhibition, and the chief magistrates of more than two hundred towns were invited. This gave Prince Albert an opportunity to make known the entire plan and purpose of the exhibition; and no man could have more thoroughly explained all the details.
The speech was received with such enthusiasm that Prince Albert felt confident of the success of his undertaking. Congratulations poured in upon him from all sides, and the newspapers were filled with words of encouragement and praise. Her majesty wrote King Leopold at this time: "Albert is, indeed, looked up to and beloved as I could wish he should be; and the more his rare qualities of mind and heart are known, the more will he be understood and appreciated. People are much struck by his power and energy; by the great self-denial and constant wish to work for others which are so striking in his character. But this is the happiest life. Pining for what one cannot have, and trying to run after what is pleasantest, invariably ends in disappointment."
As soon as parliament closed in the spring the court removed to Windsor Castle, where Prince Albert's health improved very much. On the first of May a prince was born, and, as he came into the world on the eighty-first birthday of the Duke of Wellington, it was decided to name him after that great general. Arthur William Patrick Albert were the names bestowed on the royal infant at his christening, the old duke and the present Emperor of Germany being sponsors. No doubt the Patrick was added in remembrance of the old woman's request to the queen when she visited Cork the previous year.
During the summer of this year there was a prospect ofwar with France on account of certain claims which England had against Greece that had been acknowledged, but never settled. Matters were brought to a crisis by an English admiral, who stationed himself off the Piræus, and prevented a Greek vessel from leaving. France and Russia took offence at this; but the first notice England had of such being the case was when, at the levee given on the queen's birthday, the ambassadors of the two countries failed to appear.
This event led to one of the most remarkable debates that ever took place in the English parliament. A question arose as to whether the Whig ministry, then in power, were free from censure in their dealings with the Greek government. Lord Palmerston, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, was put upon trial, as it were, with some of the most powerful of the representatives opposed to him. But he was undaunted. His speech on the occasion was considered a masterpiece. He explained the whole course of his policy, and ably defended it. The stand he took was one that appealed to the citizenship of the nation; for he contended that he had been prompted in his actions by a determination to protect the rights of even the poorest claimant to the name of Englishman against foreign oppression.
He spoke for five hours without a note, a pause, or a sign of fatigue, and held even his adversaries spell-bound with wonder and admiration. His success was complete. "No man," said Mr. Gladstone next day, "had listened with greater admiration than himself, while from the dusk of one day to the dawn of the next he defended his policy, before a crowded House of Commons, in that gigantic, intellectual, and physical effort." This, it must be remembered, was the generous remark of an opponent. Such another was made by Sir Robert Peel, who described Lord Palmerston'sdefence as "that most able and most temperate speech, which made us proud of the man who delivered it, and in which he vindicated with becoming spirit, and with an ability worthy of his name and place, that course of conduct which he had pursued."
Lord John Russell and Mr. Disraeli followed Sir Robert Peel in the debate, which terminated, after four nights, in the complete triumph of the ministry.
This does not prove, however, that the laws Palmerston had enforced were just, or even that the members of the cabinet who defended his action thought so. In private they condemned it; but for reasons which it would be difficult to explain to those not versed in diplomacy they felt bound to stand by the ministry. However, Lord John Russell, who defended the policy of Palmerston, declared that it would be impossible to remain in office with him.
It was during this memorable debate that Mr. Cockburn came into prominence. He defended the policy of Lord Palmerston, and his speech was remarkable for a grace and finish that was seldom heard. It was said by one of his hearers, "that when Mr. Cockburn concluded his speech one-half of the treasury benches were left empty, while honorable members ran after one another, tumbling over each other in their haste to shake hands with the honorable and learned member." Mr. Cockburn's reputation was made, and he sustained it for many years.
The speech made by Sir Robert Peel in this debate proved his last. It was daylight on Saturday morning, June 29, when he left the house of parliament, much fatigued. He could take only a short repose, for by twelve he had to attend a meeting of the Royal Commissioners of the Great Industrial Exhibition, and it was important that he should be present, because a dispute had arisen with regard to the site of the building. Hyde Park had been selected; but serious objections had been raised, and Peel's influence was so great that Prince Albert depended upon him to remove them. Therefore, though worn out with fatigue, he had to attend the meeting; and afterwards he set out for a short ride in the park, thinking the fresh air and exhilarating exercise would invigorate him. He called at Buckingham Palace, and wrote his name in the queen's visiting-book. As he was riding up Constitution Hill his horse suddenly shied and threw him. Peel clung to the bridle, and the animal fell with its knees on his shoulders. His injuries were so great that after lingering between delirium and consciousness for three days he died.
Never was a statesman more sincerely mourned. When announcing his death to the Duchess-dowager of Saxe-Coburg, the prince wrote: "We have lost our truest friend and trustiest counsellor, the throne its most valiant defender, the country its most open-minded and greatest statesman."
The queen wrote: "Peel is to be buried to-day. The sorrow and grief at his death are most touching, and the country mourns over him as over a father."
A warm tribute was paid to his memory by the Duke of Wellington in one house of parliament, and by Mr. Gladstone, in the other. "In all the course of my acquaintance with Sir Robert Peel," said the aged duke, "I never knew a man in whose truth and justice I had a more lively confidence, or in whom I saw a more invariable desire to promote the public service. In the whole course of my communications with him I never a knew an instance in which he did not show the strongest attachment to truth; and I never saw, in the whole course of my life, the slightest reason for suspecting that he stated anything which he did not believe to be the fact."Parliament desired to show their respect for the memory of Peel by burying his remains with public honors. This was proposed by Lord John Russell, but it was found that the great statesman had particularly requested in his will that his remains should be placed beside those of his parents at Drayton Bassett. A monument in Westminster Abbey was therefore substituted at the public expense. The offer of a peerage was made to Lady Peel, but she declined, saying, "that she desired to bear no other name than that by which Sir Robert Peel was known." At the same time she stated that her husband's wish, recorded in his will, had been that none of his family should ever accept any title, distinction, or reward on account of any service he might be supposed to have rendered his country. Peel earnestly desired that if his sons were to bear titles and distinctions given them by the state, they should win them by their own services and worth, and not simply put them on as an inheritance from their father.
On the twenty-sixth Prince Albert celebrated his birthday quietly at Osborne, surrounded by his family. It was, however, a day of mourning; for just before dinner news was brought of the death of King Louis Philippe. Two days later the queen and prince paid a visit to the afflicted family, and then proceeded by rail to Edinburgh. They were met at the station by the Duke of Buccleuch, at the head of the Royal Archers, who formed a body-guard, and accompanied the carriage to Holyrood Palace. This was the first time a queen had entered the old building since poor Mary Stuart had left it.
"We wandered out to look at the old ruined abbey, which adjoins the palace," says the queen's diary, "and which you see from our windows. It is beautiful inside. One of the aisles is still roofed in, but the others are not. It was originally an abbey, and the very old tombstonesare those of the friars. It was afterwards the Chapel Royal, and Queen Mary, my unfortunate ancestress, was married to Lord Darnley at this very altar, of which we see the remains. We saw the rooms where Queen Mary lived, her bed, the dressing-room into which the murderers entered who killed Rizzio, and the spot where he fell."
The next day the prince laid the corner-stone of the National Gallery, which is now one of the finest buildings in the city of Edinburgh. Thousands of people attended the ceremony, and the prince's speech was most satisfactory.
Scarcely had the court returned to Osborne from Scotland when news was brought of the death of the Queen of the Belgians. Although this sad event was not unexpected, it was a source of deep grief to Queen Victoria, who had loved her aunt devotedly. The two ladies were nearly allied in age, rank, sympathy, and culture, and they had been friends and confidants for many years.
Great excitement was occasioned in the autumn by the pope's issue of a bull, directing the establishment in England of bishops to bear the title of their sees. This was offensive, because the crown had maintained the right to bestow such titles. It was an assumption of power on the part of the pope that produced an outburst of passion such as has seldom been witnessed in England. The queen was indignant, the prime minister lost his temper, and wrote a letter that gave great offense to the Roman Catholics. Long, fierce debates followed the opening of parliament, and the "Ecclesiastical-Titles Bill" occupied the attention of its members for many months. Lord John Russell resigned, and was invited back to his post; the bill was wrangled over, and caused much bitterness of feeling, and then died a natural death. Both Catholicsand Protestants found that they had made a mountain out of a mole-hill, and that time and temper had been wasted, and both blushed for their lack of dignity and tolerance.
A.D. 1851.The attention of the nation was next turned towards the great International Exhibition, which opened on the first of May, in Hyde Park. Similar exhibitions have taken place since, and superior ones, but the one projected by Prince Albert was the first,—therefore the most remarkable. Two days before the opening of the exhibition the queen made a private visit to the building. We quote from her diary: "We remained two hours and a half, and I came back quite beaten, and my head bewildered, from the myriads of beautiful and wonderful things which now quite dazzle one's eyes! such efforts have been made, and our people have shown such taste in their manufactures! All owing to this great exhibition and to Albert,—all to him!We went up into the gallery and the sight from there, with the numerous courts full of all sorts of objects of art and manufacture, is quite marvellous. The noise was overpowering, for so much was going on everywhere, and from twelve to twenty thousand people engaged in arranging all sorts of things.
"May 1.—The great event has taken place,—a complete and beautiful triumph; a glorious and touching sight,—one that I shall ever be proud of for my beloved Albert and my country. Yes; it is a day which makes my heart swell with pride and glory and thankfulness!
"The park presented a wonderful spectacle, crowds streaming through it, carriages and troops passing, quite like the coronation day, and for me the same anxiety—no, much greater anxiety, on account of my beloved Albert. The day was bright, and all bustle and excitement. Athalf-past eleven the whole procession in state carriages was in motion. The Green Park and Hyde Park were one densely crowded mass of human beings, in the highest good humor, and most enthusiastic. I never saw Hyde Park look as it did,—as far as the eye could reach. A little rain fell just as we started; but before we came near the Crystal Palace the sun shone and gleamed upon the gigantic edifice, upon which the flags of all the nations were floating. We drove up Rotten Row, and got out at the entrance on that side.
"The glimpse of the transept through the iron gates, the waving palms, flowers, statues, myriads of people filling the galleries and seats around, with the flourish of trumpets as we entered, gave us a sensation which I can never forget, and I felt much moved. We went for a moment to a little side-room, where we left our shawls, and where we found mamma and Mary (Princess of Teck), and outside which were standing the other princes. In a few seconds we proceeded, Albert leading me, having Vicky at his hand, and Bertie holding mine. The sight as we came to the middle, where the steps and chair (which I did not sit on) were placed, with the beautiful crystal fountain just in front of it, was magical,—so vast, so glorious, so touching. One felt—as so many did to whom I have since spoken—filled with devotion,—more so than by any service I have ever heard. The tremendous cheers, the joy expressed in every face, the immensity of the building, the mixture of palms, flowers, trees, statues, fountains, the organ (with two hundred instruments and six hundred voices, which sounded like nothing), and my beloved husband, the author of this 'Peace Festival,' which united the industry of all nations of the earth,—all this was moving indeed, and it was and is a day to live forever. God bless my dearest Albert, God bless my dearest country, which has shown
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itself so great to-day! The only event it in the slightest degree reminded me of was the coronation; but this day's festival was a thousand times superior. In fact, it is unique, and can bear no comparison, from its peculiarity, beauty, and combination of such different and striking objects. .
"Albert left my side after 'God save the Queen' had been sung, and, at the head of the commissioners,—a curious set of political and distinguished men,—read me the report, which is a long one, and to which I read a short answer. After which the Archbishop of Canterbury offered up a short and appropriate prayer, followed by the 'Hallelujah Chorus,' during which a Chinese mandarin slowly and gravely made his way around the fountain, and made me a profound obeisance. Then the procession began. It was beautifully arranged and of great length,—the prescribed order being exactly adhered to. The nave was full, which had not been intended; but still there was no difficulty, and the whole long walk from one end to the other was made in the midst of continued and deafening cheers and waving of handkerchiefs. Every one's face was bright and smiling, many with tears in their eyes. Many Frenchmen called out, 'Vive la Reine!' One could, of course, see nothing but what was near in the nave, and nothing in the courts. The organs were but little heard, but the military band at one end had a very fine effect as we passed along. They played the march from Athalie. The beautiful Amazon in bronze, by Kiss, looked very magnificent.
"We returned to our place, and Albert told Lord Breadalbane to declare that the exhibition was opened, which he did in a loud voice: 'Her majesty commands me to declare this exhibition open,' which was followed by a flourish of trumpets, and immense cheering. All the commissioners,the executive committee, etc., who worked so hard, and to whom such immense praise is due, seemed truly happy, and no one more so than Mr. Joseph Paxton, who planned the building, and who rose from being a common gardener's boy."
The exhibition was a perfect success, and all those that have followed have certainly been a compliment to Prince Albert's enterprise. The building itself called forth much wonder and admiration, the beautiful structure being entirely of glass and iron. It was afterwards removed to Sydenham, where it now stands, and where few travellers fail to make a visit on purpose to behold this wonderful inspiration of Mr., now Sir Joseph, Paxton.
"I must not omit to mention an interesting episode of this day," writes the queen; viz. "the visit of the good old Duke of Wellington, on this his eighty-second birthday, to his little godson, our dear little Arthur. He came to us at five, and I gave him a golden cup and some toys, which he himself had chosen, and Arthur gave him a nosegay.
"We dineden famille, and then went to Covent Garden Opera. I was rather tired; but we were both so happy, so full of thankfulness! God is indeed our kind and merciful Father!"
Lord John Russell and Lord Palmerston were among the first to offer congratulations to the queen on the success of the undertaking; and Sir George Grey was able to report next day that, although twenty-five thousand people had been within the building, and seven hundred thousand along the route between Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park, not a single accident had happened, and not a case of bad behavior had been reported by the police.
While in Scotland the prince won the admiration of the Highlanders by his skill in deer-stalking, and by the energy and endurance with which he made his trampsover hill and heather. He and the queen returned to London in time to make one more visit to the exhibition, which closed in October.
This year was memorable for a visit from Kossuth, who sought to secure the intervention of England in the cause of Hungarian independence. He received a warm welcome, and his irresistible, passionate eloquence charmed thousands of people, even though they did not sympathize with him or his object. He spoke the purest English, and his powers of speech excited the wonder and admiration of his hearers everywhere; but he soon found that the peace with Austria was not to be broken. So the illustrious patriot came to America, where again he was doomed to disappointment.
Before the close of the year all England, and, indeed, the whole world, was taken by surprise by thecoup d'étatmade by Louis Napoleon, which placed him on the throne as Emperor of the French. This remarkable piece of intelligence reached the queen just before her departure from Osborne, and she immediately wrote Lord John Russell to request Lord Normandy, her ambassador at Paris, "to remain entirely passive, and to take no part whatever in what was passing, and to say no word that might be misconstrued into approval of the action of Louis Napoleon."
Lord Normanby's reply created quite a sensation. He wrote that when he called on M. Targot, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, to tell him that no change was to be made in England's relations with France, he was astonished to hear from that gentleman that Lord Palmerston had, two days before, called upon Count Walewski, the French ambassador in London, and not only expressed his approval of what the new emperor had done, but had declared that he could not have acted otherwise.When this was repeated to the queen she was unwilling to believe it, considering how explicit she had been in desiring strict neutrality on the part of her ministers. She wrote Lord John Russell desiring an explanation, and he at once opened a correspondence with Lord Palmerston on the subject. Many letters passed between the two statesmen before complete satisfaction could be obtained. Lord Palmerston had profound confidence in himself, and every man who differed from him was, in his estimation, a blockhead. He jumped at conclusions, acted upon them quickly, cared little for the opinion of the world, and regarded those more deliberate than himself as dullards. Thus had he often acted upon his own judgment and authority in deciding matters of state, and pledged the queen to a course of conduct of which she did not wholly approve. This was exceedingly aggravating, and her majesty chafed under it. With regard to thecoup d'etat, he wrote just as one of Louis Napoleon's ministers might have done in addressing a foreign court. He did not disguise the contempt he felt for Lord John Russell because he thought differently from himself in the matter, and obstinately refused to understand that it was not his favoring the action of Louis Napoleon that gave offense, but his openly expressing his approval of it in defiance of the queen's judgment and decision.
Lord John Russell was highly indignant, and declared that, while he admired the energy and ability of his colleague, he could not submit to being associated with one who was constantly creating misunderstandings and committing acts of imprudence. The consequence was that Lord Palmerston withdrew from office, and Lord Granville took his place.
Lord Palmerston's removal caused a sensation all overEurope, for he had shown himself to be a man of great ability and strong common sense; and it was generally believed that he had been sacrificed to government intrigue, though such was not the case. The cabinet met on the twenty-second of December, and condemned Lord Palmerston's conduct, and approved of the steps taken by Lord John Russell.