Volume III Part 31 (1/1)

In theI met Sir Robert Peel in the Park, and talked with hin He said that it was very desirable that the young Queen should appear as much as possible emancipated froe of her high functions; that the most probable as well as the most expedient course she could adopt, would be to rely entirely upon the advice of Melbourne, and she ht it incumbent on her to follow the example which had been set by her two uncles, her predecessors, Willia retained in office the Ministers of his brother, and George IV, although his political predilections were known to lean another way, having also declined to dismiss the Govern Leopold would be her great adviser If Leopold is prudent, however, he will not hurry over here at the very first moment, which would look like an impatience to establish his influence, and if he does, the first result will be every sort of jealousy and discord between hiue do not see in this embryo Court Besides the duchess of Kent and Leopold, and Conroy of course, Caradoc[8] is suspected of a design and an expectation to becoe; and Lord Durhaarded with no little curiosity, because he reat political part, and materially to influence the opinions, or at least the councils, of the Queen What renders speculation so easy, and events uncertain, is the absolute ignorance of everybody, without exception, of the character, disposition, and capacity of the Princess She has been kept in such jealous seclusion by herslept out of her bedroom, nor been alone with anybody but herself and the Baroness Lehzen), that not one of her acquaintance, none of the attendants at Kensington, not even the duchess of Northuoverness, have any idea what she is, or what she promises to be It is therefore no difficult matter to forainsay but by other conjectures equally uncertain and fallacious The Tories are in great consternation at the King's approaching death, froe which they foresee their opponents must derive from it as far as the extension of their ter to their custom, all sorts of dismal consequences, none of which, of course, will co_ will happen, because, in this country, _nothing_ ever does The Whigs, to do thereat decency; whatever they may really feel, they express a very proper concern, and I have no doubt Melbourne really feels the concern he expresses The public in general don't seem to care much, and only wonder ill happen

[8] [Colonel Caradoc, afterwards Lord Howden: died in 1873]

June 17th, 1837 {p403}

Yesterday the King was better, so as to proh not his recovery An intimation came from Windsor, that it was desired prayers should be offered up in the Churches for him; so the Privy Council asse the Bishop of London objected to the form which had been used upon the last and other occasions (an order made by the Lords to the Archbishop of Canterbury to prepare a for that _the Lords_ had no power to make such an order, and it was even doubted by lawyers whether the King hiy, or the use of the particular prayers; and adative, and as Head of the Church, but that _the Lords of the Council_ had no pohatever of the kind

They admitted that he was correct in this view of the case, and consequently, instead of an order to the Archbishop, his Majesty's pleasure that prayers should be offered up was conveyed to the Council, and a communication to that effect was directed to bethus conveyed, it is his duty to obey, and the Bishops have power to direct their clergy to pray for the King The Bishop of London would have preferred that a prayer for his recovery as for a sick person, buthim by name, should have been adopted, but the Archbishop was prepared with his form of prayer, and it was directed to be used

June 18th, 1837 {p404}

The King lingers on; yesterday he sent for the Archbishop of Canterbury to ade Head: LORD PONSONBY AT CONSTANTINOPLE]

An attack (but a feeble one) was han's appointment to relieve Lord Ponsonby at Constantinople, to which he made, as usual, a feeble and inefficient answer, but the real story did not come out The whole history of Lord Ponsonby is a remarkable example of what a man in favour or with powerful protectionbecause Palmerston is the most imperious of official despots, and yet has invariably truckled to Lord Grey's brother-in-law When Ponsonby was appointed Ambassador at Constantinople, the affairs of the East were in awould induce him to repair to his post, and he loitered away several ns upon Turkey, and when the presence of an English Ambassador was of vital importance This was overlooked, because to Lord Grey's brother-in-law everything was permitted The appointment of Mr

Urquhart as Secretary of the Ereatly displeased Lord Ponsonby, who resolved to hold no coly the Chancellerie at Constantinople has presented the a spectacle of an Ambassador and Secretary of Embassy who do not speak to each other, and the latter of whoo Lord Ponsonby applied for leave of absence, which was given to him, and the Government here hoped that when he ca, and secretly resolved that if they could help it he should not But as Mr Urquhart had been placed in this strange position, and besides, since his appointether fit for such a trust, it was ie d'affaires_ during his chief's absence, so they got Sir Charles Vaughan to go out on as called a specialmore in it than to meet this difficulty

Sir Charles was directed to proceed to Malta, and from thence to send a steamer to Constantinople, which was to announce his arrival and bring back Lord Ponsonby Sir Charles, accordingly, sent his Secretary of Embassy to announce him, hen he arrived off Constantinople, was met by an absolute prohibition from Ponsonby to land at all, and a flat refusal on his part to stir The Secretary had nothing to do but to return to his principal and report his reception, and he in his turn had nothing to do but report his ridiculous position to his employers at home, and await their orders The result has been that Sir Charles is ordered home, and Lord Ponsonby remains, so that Palmerston has knocked under Ponsonby has carried his point, and Vaughan has had a _giro_ to Malta and back, for which the public has to pay

June 19th, 1837 {p405}

Yesterday the King was sinking fast; the Sacrament was administered to him by the Archbishop of Canterbury He said, 'This is the 18th of June; I should like to live to see the sun of Waterloo set' Last night I met the Duke, and dined at the duchess of Cannizzaro's, who after dinner crowned him with a crown of laurel (in joke of course), when they all stood up and drank his health, and at night they sang a hymn in honour of the day He asked me whether Melbourne had had any communication with the Princess Victoria I said I did not know, but thought not He said, 'He ought I was in constant coe IV died George IV was for a , and I sent the Duke of Clarence the bulletins every day, and besides wrote to him the private accounts I received, and what is very odd, I had a quarrel with him in the course of this He constantly wrote to me, and in one of his letters he told me he meant to make me his Minister I felt this was a very aard subject forthe Minister of the King, with any propriety treat with his successor, so I resolved to take no notice whatever of this part of his letter, and I did not He was very indignant at this, and complained to his friends (to Lord Cassilis, for instance) that I had behaved very rudely to him

When I 's room--he was very cold in his manner, but I took no notice, and went on as before'

June 21st, 1837 {p406}

[Page Head: FIRST COUNCIL OF QUEEN VICTORIA]

The King died at twentyQueen ton Palace at eleven

Never was anything like the first impression she produced, or the chorus of praise and admiration which is raised about her manner and behaviour, and certainly not without justice It was very extraordinary, and so far beyond as looked for Her extrenorance of the world concerning her, naturally excited intense curiosity to see how she would act on this trying occasion, and there was a considerable asse the short notice which was given The first thing to be done was to teach her her lesson, which for this purpose Melbourne had hiave him the Council papers, and explained all that was to be done, and he went and explained all this to her He asked her if she would enter the room accompanied by the Great Officers of State, but she said she would come in alone When the Lords were asse's death, and suggested, as they were so numerous, that a few of them should repair to the presence of the Queen and inform her of the event, and that their Lordshi+ps were assely the two Royal Dukes, the two Archbishops, the Chancellor, and Melbourne ith hi room alone As soon as they had returned the proclamation was read and the usual order passed, when the doors were thrown open and the Queen entered, accompanied by her two uncles, who advanced to meet her She bowed to the Lords, took her seat, and then read her speech in a clear, distinct, and audible voice, and without any appearance of fear or e After she had read her speech and taken and signed the oath for the security of the Church of Scotland, the Privy Councillors were sworn, the two Royal Dukes[9] first, by themselves; and as these two old iance and kissing her hand, I saw her blush up to the eyes, as if she felt the contrast between their civil and their natural relations, and this was the only sign of eraceful and engaging; she kissed them both, and rose from her chair and moved towards the Duke of Sussex, as farthest from her and too infirm to reach her She seemed rather bewildered at the multitude of men ere sworn, and who came one after another to kiss her hand, but she did not speak to anybody, nor did she htest difference in her manner, or show any in her countenance, to any individual of any rank, station, or party I particularly watched her when Melbourne and the Ministers and the Duke of Wellington and Peel approached her She went through the whole cere at Melbourne for instruction when she had any doubt what to do, which hardly ever occurred, and with perfect calraceful ratiating When the business was done she retired as she had entered, and I could see that nobody was in the adjoining roo declared President of the Council (and I was obliged to write a declaration for hih it was not usual The speech was adham, who appeared in a considerable state of excite near, and ho), '_A_ht perhaps say _me_lioration, but improvement is the proper word' 'Oh,' said Peel, 'I see no harharammar' 'No,' said Peel, 'I don't object to the senties herself to the policy of _our_ Governham Peel told me this, which passed in the room and near to the Queen He likewise said how amazed he was at her manner and behaviour, at her apparent deep sense of her situation, her modesty, and at the same time her firmness She appeared, in fact, to be awed, but not daunted, and afterwards the Duke of Wellington told hter he could not have desired to see her perform her part better It was settled that she was to hold a Council at St James's this day, and be proclaimed there at ten o'clock, and she expressed a wish to see Lord Albemarle, ent to her and told her he was coive; you know all this so much better than I do, that I leave it all to you I a you to find ly, he went and fetched her in state with a great escort The duchess of Kent was in the carriage with her, but I was surprised to hear so little shouting, and to see so few hats off as she went by I rode down the Park, and saw her appear at the hen she was proclaimed The duchess of Kent was there, but not prominent; the Queen was surrounded by her Ministers, and curtsied repeatedly to the people, who did not, however, hurrah till Lord Lansdowne gave thenal from theAt twelve she held a Council, at which she presided with aselse all her life, and though Lord Lansdowne and ue had contrived between them to make some confusion with the Council papers, she was not put out by it She looked very well, and though so sracefulness of her ive her on the whole a very agreeable appearance, and with her youth inspire an excessive interest in all who approach her, and which I can't help feeling myself After the Council she received the Archbishops and Bishops, and after the to any of them, very different in this froue them all, and had a speech ready for everybody

[9] The Dukes of cue was in Hanover

[Page Head: QUEEN VICTORIA PROCLAIMED]

Conyngha's death, brought a request froht be permitted to remain at Windsor till after the funeral, and she has written her a letter couched in the kindest ter but her own health and convenience, and to re as she pleases In short, she appears to act with every sort of good taste and good feeling, as well as good sense, and as far as it has gone nothing can becan proh it would be rash to count too confidently upon her judghty reater than that between the personal dens at their respective accessions Williae of sixty-five, was so excited by the exaltation, that he nearly went ances of language and conduct, to the alare freaks; and though he was shortly afterwards sobered down intoof a blackguard and so more of a buffoon It is but fair to his ood-natured, kind-hearted, and well-htforward, if not always a sound and discreet, part The two principal Ministers of his reign, the Duke of Wellington and Lord Grey (though the former was only his Minister for a fewexpressions of personal regard and esteeht well be either dazzled or confounded with the grandeur and novelty of her situation, seems neither the one nor the other, and behaves with a decorum and propriety beyond her years, and with all the sedateness and dignity the want of which was so conspicuous in her uncle