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 |
| [CHAPTER VIII] January and February, 1838 | |
| Lord Melbourne’s family—Riding—Canadian difficulties—The Secretary at War—Lord Melbourne on music—Lord Durham and Canada—The State of Greece—Lord Melbourne on various people—And on Wellington—Punishments—Army difficulties—The Waverley Novels—Sir John Colborne—The Fitzclarence pensions—Lady Falkland—Lord Melbourne on historics—Whig doctrine—Lord Melbourne on recommendations—Charles Kean in Hamlet—Dolls—English Kings—Sheriff-pricking—Canada Government Bill—Shakespeare plays—Government difficulties—The Ballot question and Lord J. Russell—Wellington’s manner—Lord Tavistock—Troops in Canada—Lord Ellenborough—Peerage ceremonial—Princess Charlotte—Duchess of Sutherland—Public School education—Enthusiasm—William IV.’s dislikes—Ballot Question—Anecdote of George IV.—Children and relations—A Russian custom—A Levée—Pensions—Court etiquette—Lord Howe and Queen Adelaide—The question of Marriage | 249–290 |
| [CHAPTER IX] March, April, and May, 1838 | |
| Bulwer’s plays—Canadian prisoners—Jamaican slavery—An Investiture—Commission on Promotions—Portuguese affairs—A long ride—Lord and Lady Holland—Talk on railways—Lady Burghersh—Lord Byron—Duke and Duchess of Gloucester—Gallery of Portraits—Madame de Staël—Brougham’s oddities—Death of Louis—The Royal Family—Soult—Lady Charlotte Bury—The Hertford family—Carlton House and Court parties—Queen Anne—George IV.’s favourites—Artists—A State ball—The Church of Ireland—Useless motions—The Ponsonby family—Coronation preparations—Irish affairs—Government difficulties—Singing of birds—The Fitzclarence pensions—Election Committee Bill—Portugal and slavery—The Established Church—Parliamentary business—Audiences—Talleyrand’s death—Twentieth birthday—A State ball—Royal marriages—Eton customs—Coronation honours | 291–335 |
| [CHAPTER X] June, July, and August, 1838 | |
| Thunderstorms—Lord Durham—Don Giovanni—New Zealand—Eton Montem—Lord Barham—Miss Chaworth and Byron—Lord Melbourne’s household—Visit to Eton—King Leopold’s position—Lord Melbourne’s reminiscences—Public School education—Irish legal difficulties—O’Connell—Eton and Ascot—South Sea Co.—The Order of the Bath—Coronation Honours—Lord Melbourne and the Garter—Marshal Soult—Coronation Day—Procession to Westminster—The ceremony—The procession—After the Coronation—The peerage—Illuminations—Lord Melbourne on the ceremony—Kings and usurpers—Review in Hyde Park—Popularity of enemies—Soult at Eton—Family questions—Sir E. Lyons—Prince Royal of Bavaria—Dukedoms—The Sheridan family—Lady Seymour—Lord Shelburne’s marriage—A dinner party and reception—George III.’s sons—And his illnesses—Lady Sarah Lennox—Mehemet Ali—Lord Melbourne and King Leopold—Statues—The Queen’s Speech—Lord Melbourne on Lord Brougham—Wellington—Belgium and Holland dispute—The Irish—Persian affairs—Pozzo di Borgo—Lord Howick—Belgian affairs—Russian influence—Jewels—Duke of Sussex—Lord North—Mexican affairs—Concerning books—Lady Holland—George III.’s Prime Ministers—Colonial policy | 336–398 |
H.R.H. Princess Victoria & “Dashy”
from a picture by R. Westall R. A. at Windsor Castle