Volume I Part 33 (1/2)
[Footnote 6: The celebrated physician: he attended George IV.
and William IV., as well as Queen Victoria.]
[Footnote 7: Son-in-law of Lord Grey, as was also Lord Durham.]
_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _11th January 1839._
MY DEAR UNCLE,--The dreadful moment has arrived, and dear Marie[8] is no more to bless her loving relations with her presence on this earth of grief and troubles! It is a heavy dispensation, and one that it is difficult to comprehend, but we must submit.
I thought it best to write to my poor dear Aunt, for whom this will be a sad blow; but I abstained from doing so to the dear Queen of the French just as yet. I have no letters, and only learnt the melancholy event by the papers. Poor wretched Alexander! What a loss, what a change for him, poor fellow!
_You_ will, I am sure, regret that sweet amiable creature, as poor Marie was, very much, having known her so well, and her attachment to you was great.
I will not prolong this letter, but merely repeat _how_ much I feel for you all, and beg you to believe me, your most affectionate Niece,
VICTORIA R.
[Footnote 8: Princess Marie of Orleans, born 1813, sister to the Queen of the Belgians, had married Prince Alexander of Wurtemberg, in 1837.]
[Pageheading: HOLLAND AND BELGIUM]
_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._
LAEKEN, _18th January 1839._
... Your Aunt as well as myself are very anxious to be of use to poor Alexander. The dispositions of the whole family are extremely kind towards him, but he is shy and a little helpless; his present melancholy situation is of course calculated to increase this.
His position puts me in mind of mine in 1817.... He, besides, is surrounded by people who are kind to him. Of George IV., then Regent, it was observed that for years he had not been in such good spirits than by the loss of his daughter. She was more popular than himself--that was, since her mariage, her only crime....
I feel very grateful for Lord Melbourne's kindness on the subject of our sad loss. He is so feeling and kindhearted that he, much more than most men who have lived so much in the _grand monde_, has preserved a certain warmth and freshness of feeling....
Your cousins kiss your hands, and I remain, my dearest Victoria, your devoted Uncle,
LEOPOLD R.
_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._
STANHOPE STREET, _27th January 1839._
Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and returns to your Majesty the accompanying papers which he received from Viscount Melbourne. Your Majesty will have seen by Sir Edward Disbrowe's[9] despatches that the concentration of Dutch troops mentioned in these reports was purely defensive, and was the consequence of the military demonstrations previously made by the Belgians; and it appears, moreover, that the Dutch force is inferior in number to the Belgian force opposite to it; and that affords an additional security against the chance of an invasion of Belgium by the Dutch. It is, however, undeniable that when two armies are drawn up in face of each other, separated by a small distance, and animated by mutual hatred, the chances of collision become great and imminent.
But it is to be hoped in the present case that the communication made by the Conference to the two parties on Thursday last may avert danger of hostilities between the Dutch and Belgians.[10]