Chapter XXXI: Party Government and War

Stratford de Redcliffe Cooling Down--Tory Distrust of the French Alliance--The Queen’s Kindness to Lord Aberdeen--The Emperor Napoleon and Prince Albert--The Prince Visits France--The Queen at Balmoral--Her Feelings towards the Prince of Prussia--The Queen holds a Council of War--She Demands Reinforcements for Lord Raglan--Napoleon’s Alarm--Prince Albert’s Plan for an Army of Reserve--The Queen on the Austrian Proposals--Her Anxiety about the Troops--Raglan’s Meagre Despatches--The Queen and Miss Nightingale--At Work for the Soldiers--Extorting Information from Lord Raglan--Ministerial Changes--Lord John Russell’s Selfishness--A Miserly Whig Duke--The Queen’s Disgust at Russell’s Treachery--Resignation of Russell--Fall of the Coalition--The Queen and the Crisis--She holds out the Olive Branch to Palmerston--Palmerston’s Cabinet--Quarrel between Mr. Disraeli and Lord Derby--The Sebastopol Committee--Mr. Roebuck and Prince Albert--The Vienna Conference and the Death of Czar Nicholas--The Austrian Compromise--Parties and the War--Russell’s Humiliation--He Resigns in Disgrace--The Queen Quashes the Peace Negotiations--A Royal Blunder--The Queen tries to Gag the Peelites--Aberdeen Browbeaten by the Court--Canrobert’s Resignation--Crimean Successes--Failure of the Attack on the Redan--Death of Raglan 618