The Queen was just on the eve of her ninth birthday when, on May 19th, 1828, Sir Walter Scott dined at Kensington Palace with the Duchess of Kent. He records in his diary: “I was very kindly received by Prince Leopold, and presented to the little Princess Victoria, the heir-apparent to the Crown, as things stand.... This little lady is educated with much care, and watched so closely, that no busy maid has a moment to whisper, ‘You are heir of England.’ I suspect, if we could dissect the little heart, we should find some pigeon or other bird of the air had carried the matter.”
Sir Walter’s surmise, Mr. Holmes informs us, was not altogether without foundation; and two years later, when, by the death of her uncle, George IV., only the life of William IV. stood between her and the throne, she was formally made acquainted with her position.
“The early part of the year 1833 was passed at Kensington. There the course of study was kept up as before, but the Princess now went out more into society and was seen more in public.... The Princess’s amusements were her pets, and her walks and drives, and during the spring and summer she much enjoyed riding.”
It was at Kensington, in the summer of 1836, that the Queen first saw her future husband. The Prince in his diary recorded that his aunt, the Duchess of Kent, “gave a brilliant ball here at Kensington Palace, at which the gentlemen appeared in uniform and the ladies in so-called fancy dresses. We remained until four o’clock.... Dear Aunt is very kind to us, and does everything she can to please us, and our cousin also is very amiable.”
The Princess Victoria was at Kensington when she attained her majority, on the 24th of May, 1837. She was awakened by a serenade; she received many presents, and the day was kept as a general holiday at Kensington.
ESS than a month after, King William IV. died at Windsor at twelve minutes past two on the morning of June 20th. As soon as possible the Archbishop of Canterbury, with Lord Conyngham (the Lord Chamberlain), started to convey the news to Kensington, where they arrived at five o’clock in the morning.
“They knocked, they rang, they thumped,” says “The Diary of a Lady of Quality,” “for a considerable time before they could rouse the porter at the gate; they were again kept waiting in the courtyard; they hurried into one of the lower rooms, where they seemed forgotten by everybody. They rang the bell, desired that the attendant of the Princess Victoria might be sent to inform Her Royal Highness that they requested an audience on business of importance. After another delay, and another ringing to inquire the cause, the attendant was summoned, who stated that the Princess was in such a sweet sleep, she could not venture to disturb her. Then they said, ‘We are come to the Queen on business of State, and her sleep must give way to that.’”
“In a few minutes she came into the room,” says Mr. Holmes, “a shawl thrown over her dressing-gown, her feet in slippers, and her hair falling down her back. She had been awakened by the Duchess of Kent, who told Her Majesty she must get up; she went alone into the room where Lord Conyngham and the archbishop were waiting. The Lord Chamberlain then knelt down, and presented a paper, announcing the death of her uncle, to the Queen; and the archbishop said he had come by desire of Queen Adelaide, who thought the Queen would like to hear in what a peaceful state the King had been at the last.”