Chapter I: Preface

These extracts from the early Journals of Queen Victoria have been edited by command of her son, King Edward VII., and under the gracious auspices of her grandson, King George V.

The Editor feels bound to express his humble gratitude to the King, and his deep obligation to the Queen, for the encouragement and assistance he has received from their Majesties in the preparation of these volumes.

Without the Queen’s help and exact historical knowledge of the period covered by the Journals, many imperfections in the editing of them would have passed unnoticed.

The Editor must also return his warmest thanks to H.R.H. Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, whose retentive memory of the persons mentioned in the text has been unreservedly and generously brought to bear upon the notes to these volumes, and to H.R.H. Princess Henry of Battenberg, to whose pious regard for her Mother’s memory, as Executrix of Queen Victoria’s Will, the publication of the Journals may be ascribed.

Furthermore, he is anxious to thank Lord Rosebery for his friendly co-operation in having read the proofs, and for many valuable suggestions.

And, finally, he cannot sufficiently acknowledge the care lavished upon the publication of this book by his friend John Murray, junior, whose inherited gifts have been placed unreservedly at the disposal of the Editor.

CONTENTS

PAGES

INTRODUCTION 1–41

CHAPTER I
1832

Journey by St. Albans, Dunstable, Coventry, and Birmingham
to Welshpool — Arrival at Powis Castle — At Beaumaris —
Visit to Baron Hill — Sir Richard and Lady Bulkeley — At
Plas Newydd — Journey to Eaton — Visit to Lord and Lady
Westminster — The Grosvenor family — Visit to Chatsworth
— The Cavendish family — Expedition to Haddon Hall —
Visit to Alton Towers — A hunting episode — Visit to
Wytham Abbey — A day in Oxford — Back to Kensington —
Christmas presents 42–62

CHAPTER II
1833

Arrival of “Dash” — Various lessons — At the Opera —
_Kenilworth_ ballet — Life at Kensington — Recreations
— Dinner party for the King; and the guests — The Opera
and Taglioni — Somerset House Exhibition — The Duke of
Orleans — Fourteenth birthday — Presents — A birthday
ball — Alexander and Ernest of Würtemberg — Paganini and
Malibran — Journey to Portsmouth — At Norris Castle — On
board the _Emerald_ — Visit to the _Victory_ — Journey
to Plymouth — Presentation of Colours — The Queen of
Portugal — Spanish affairs — At Drury Lane — A lecture on
physics 63–90

CHAPTER III
1834

The Order of Maria Louisa — At the Opera — _Anna Boulena_ and
_Othello_ — Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg — Feodore, Princess
von Hohenlohe-Langenburg and her children — Visit to
Windsor — The King and Queen — Portuguese affairs — At
St. Leonards — A carriage accident — Death of the Duke of
Gloucester — A fine sermon 91–106

CHAPTER IV
1835

At St. Leonards — A shipwreck — Lessons — Back to Kensington
— Death of the Duke of Leuchtenberg — Opera _Otello_
— Visit to Windsor — A concert — Grisi, Lablache, and
Tamburini — Sixteenth birthday — Presents — Eton Montem —
At the opera — Death of Countess Mensdorff — Confirmation
— Ceremony at St. James’s — First Communion — At
Tunbridge Wells — Races — Reading — Back to Kensington
— Duc de Nemours — Journey to Bishopthorpe — Harcourt
family — York Minster — At Canterbury — Ramsgate — The
King and Queen of the Belgians 107–139

CHAPTER V
1836

At Ramsgate — Back to Kensington — Change of rooms —
Marriage of the Queen of Portugal — A dinner party — The
theatre — Kemble and Macready — Helen Faucit — Charles
Mathews — Visit to Windsor — State ball — Princes
Ferdinand and Augustus — King Leopold’s _Directions_
— Visit of Ernest and Albert of Saxe-Coburg — Their
characteristics and charms — Seventeenth birthday — The
British Gallery — The Victoria Asylum — Lablache — At
Claremont — Portuguese revolution — Events in Lisbon
— King Leopold and Belgium — Death of Malibran — At
Ramsgate — Books read — A dinner party — Louis Napoleon
at Strasburg — A stormy journey — Rochester — Back to
Kensington — Claremont — A gipsy camp 140–182

CHAPTER VI
1837

Gipsies — M. Van de Weyer — Books read — Opera _I Puritani_ —
Death of Lady de L’Isle — The Drawing-room — An address
from Lincoln — Eighteenth birthday — Ball at St. James’s
— Stockmar — The King’s illness and death — News of the
Accession — The first Council — Lord Melbourne — The
Proclamation — Official business — Visit to Windsor
— Queen Adelaide — Addresses — Audiences — Household
appointments — The King’s funeral — Conferring Orders
— Leaving Kensington Palace — Settling into Buckingham
Palace 183–212

CHAPTER VII
1837 (_continued_)

Chapter of the Garter — Cabinet Council — Thalberg — State
visit to House of Lords — Order of St. Catherine —
Anxiety about elections — Trying horses — Windsor — The
King of Würtemburg — Visit of King Leopold — Talks with
Lord Melbourne — A game of chess — Departure of the
King and Queen of the Belgians — A review at Windsor —
Queen Adelaide — Perasi of Lord Melbourne — At Brighton
— Unfortunate state of Portugal — Changes at Buckingham
Palace — Lord Mayor’s Dinner — Popularity with the crowd
— The Queen’s Speech — State visit to the House of Lords
— Debates on the Address — Pensions — Lord Melbourne on
Education — Landseer’s pictures — Conversations with Lord
Melbourne — Lord Brougham’s attacks — Magnetism — The
Privy Purse — Character formation — Windsor 213–248