Chapter I: Lord Derby’s Second Administration. Page

A Commercial Crisis--Suspension of the Bank Act--The Fall of Lucknow--Sir Hugh Rose in Central India--Last Days of the Rebellion--The Operations in China--The Queen’s Personal Direction of Affairs--Palmerston’s waning Popularity--Attacks on Lord Canning--The Orsini Plot--French Menaces to England--The Conspiracy Bill--Defeat of the Ministry--The Second Derby-Disraeli Government--Abandonment of the Conspiracy Bill--The Queen’s Opposition to the India Bill--The Oudh Proclamation and Ellenborough’s “Secret Despatch”--A Tropical Summer and an Exhausted Legislature--Confirmation of the Prince of Wales--The Queen at Birmingham and Leeds--The Dispute between France and England about the Principalities--The Queen’s Visit to Cherbourg--The Royal Visit to Prussia--The Meeting with the Princess Frederick William--A Royal “Middie”--The Indian Proclamation--The Queen at Balmoral--Donati’s Comet--The Controversy over the Indian Army--Abdication of the King of Prussia--The Queen’s Letter to the Prince of Wales--France and Portugal--Failing Health of the Prince Consort 1

CHAPTER II.

THE ITALIAN REVOLUTION.

Napoleon’s New Year’s Reception--The Secret _Pacte de Famille_--Victor Emmanuel and the _Grido di Dolore_--The Queen’s Views on the Italian Movement--The Queen’s Letter to Napoleon--Meeting of Parliament--Cavour Threatens Napoleon--Appeal of Prussia to the Queen for Advice--Mr. Disraeli’s Reform Bill--Lord John Russell’s Amendment--Defeat of the Government--An Appeal to the Country--The Queen Criticises Austria’s Blunders--War at Last--The General Election--Reconciliation of Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell--Fall of the Derby-Disraeli Administration--The Palmerston-Russell Ministry--Austrian Defeats and French Victories--The Peace of Villafranca--Palmerston Duped--Illness of the Duchess of Kent--The Budget--The Queen and Palmerston--Triumph of the Queen’s Policy--The Holiday at Balmoral--Dancing in the New Year 28