H.R.H. PRINCESS SOPHIA.
From a portrait by Sir W. Ross.
INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO CHAPTER II
When the Princess was fourteen years old she obtained her first sight of Osborne, that future home in the Isle of Wight where she was destined to spend so many happy years, and which was associated with the closing scenes of her life. Osborne Lodge was the residence of Sir John Conroy. It occupied the site of Osborne Cottage, now the residence of the Queen’s youngest daughter, Princess Henry of Battenberg. In spite of the changes made in the appearance of Osborne by the erection of Osborne House and the laying-out of the grounds round it, that portion of the estate where Osborne Cottage stands, and Whippingham Church, with its manifold associations, have much the same aspect as they had when first explored by Princess Victoria in 1833.
On her birthday, King William gave a children’s party at St. James’s in his niece’s honour, and the ball was opened by the little Princess and her cousin Prince George of Cambridge, then a boy of fourteen, who was afterwards to be the Commander-in-Chief of her armies. The Princess speaks of the ball-room. It is difficult to be sure which room is meant by this. The eastern end of St. James’s Palace had been destroyed by fire in 1809, and had only recently been rebuilt. The Palace was occupied by William IV. and Queen Adelaide, the Queen’s rooms being in that portion which is now called Clarence House, and the King’s apartments occupying the western end of what is now St. James’s Palace proper. It was probably the room hung with yellow silk, next but one to the Throne-room, so familiar to those who attend the King’s Levées, that the little Princess opened her first ball.
This was not her first introduction into Society. Three years before she had been seen at Court, and in 1831 she had attended a Drawing-room.
The Princess now acquired a habit (which she practised for many years) of making sketches from memory of the artists and scenes that struck her imagination during her visits to the theatre. There are many volumes at Windsor Castle full of the Princess’s recollections of the theatre, drawn in pencil or in water-colour. Although the technique may be faulty, these sketches are full of movement and quaintly descriptive. They indicate an absorbed attention on her part, and a vivid memory. They suggest a power of concentration upon the thing she was about, which became in after-life a marked characteristic. From her journals and her sketches as a child of fourteen, an inference might be drawn that little escaped the acute observation of the little Princess. There are many who remember how in later life very little escaped the observation of the Queen.
CHAPTER II
1833
Tuesday, 15th January.—I awoke at 7 and got up at 8. At 10 minutes to 9 we breakfasted. At ½ past 9 came the Dean till ½ past 11. Just before we went out, Mamma’s little dog, a beautiful spaniel of King Charles’s breed, called Dash, and which Sir John gave her yesterday, came and will now remain here. At a ¼ past 12 Lehzen and I went out walking in the park. We met Mrs. Talbot. When we came home I fed dear Rosy who was so greedy. At ½ past 1 we lunched. At 3 came Mr. Steward[51] till 4. At 4 came Mons. Grandineau[52] till 5. Little Dash is perfection, he is already much attached to Mamma and lies always at her feet. At 7 we dined. Aunt Sophia came at 8. Sir John dined here. I stayed up till ½ past 8....
Thursday, 31st January.—At 1 we lunched. At 2 I sat to Mr. Hayter[53] till 10 minutes to 4. At 5 we dined. Sir John dined here. At ½ past 6 we went with Lady Conroy, Jane and Victoire to the play to Drury Lane. It was the opera of The Barber of Seville. It is so well known that I need not describe it. The principal characters were Count Almaviva, Mr. Wood, who looked, sang, and acted extremely well; Rosina, Mrs. Wood; Figaro, Mr. Philipps, who sung very well; Dr. Bartolo, Mr. Seguin, who acted very well. It was in 3 acts and I was very much amused. The after piece called The Nervous Man is only amusing in parts, for Mr. Farren[54] and Mr. Power, two excellent comic actors. We did not see the end of it. We came home at 12....
Saturday, 9th February.—I awoke at 7 and got up at ½ past 7. At ½ past 8 we breakfasted. At ½ past 9 came the Dean till 11. At ½ past 12 we lunched. At I we paid a visit to my aunt the Duchess of Gloucester.[55] When we came home I fed dear little Rosa, and little Isabell. At ½ past 2 came Mr. Westall[56] till ½ past 3. At a ¼ past 5 we dined. Sir John dined here. At ½ past 6 we went to the play with Lady Conroy, Victoire and Lehzen as usual. It was the ballet of Kenilworth. The subject is taken from the novel by Sir Walter Scott, which being so well known I shall not describe. The principal characters were, Lord Leicester, Mons. Theodore Guerinot, who danced beautifully; Amy Robsart, Mdlle. Pauline Leroux, who danced and acted beautifully and looked quite lovely; Jenny, Madame Proche Giubilei, who acted very well and looked very pretty; Queen Elizabeth, Mrs. Vining; Varney, Mr. W. H. Payne; Earl of Sussex, Signor Rossi; Lord Shrewsbury, Mr. Bertram. Besides these, Mdlle. Adele and Mdlle. Chavigny danced a pas de trois with Mons. Theodore Guerinot. They danced very well. At 20 minutes past 9 we came home. I then took tea....
Friday, 5th April.—To-day is Good Friday. At 10 we went to prayers. Jane and Victoire also. The service was performed by the Dean, who gave us likewise a very good sermon. It was taken from the 8th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, 30th verse. At a ¼ past 12 we went out walking. When we came home I fed sweet Rosy. At ½ past I we lunched. At 3 came Victoire till 5. At 7 we dined. At 8 came Aunt Sophia. I stayed up till ½ past 8....
Saturday, 13th April.—I awoke at 7 and got up at 8. At a ¼ to 9 we breakfasted. At ½ past 9 came the Dean till ½ past 11. The Duchess of Northumberland[57] was present. At 12 we went out riding in the park with Victoire, Lehzen and Sir John. It was a delightful ride. We cantered a good deal. Sweet little Rosy went beautifully!! We came home at a ¼ past 1. At ½ past 1 we lunched. Neither of my masters came. At 6 we dined. The Duchess of Northumberland, Lady Charlotte St. Maur,[58] and Sir John dined here. At 20 minutes to 7 we went out with them to the Opera. We were very much disappointed for Taglioni did not make her début, nor Rubini. We had only one scene of Il Barbière di Siviglia, in which Signor Tambourini, who is a beautiful singer and actor, appeared, and Donizelli. After waiting for half an hour Laporte (the manager) was called out, and he said that Mlle. Taglioni was very unwell in bed, and Mad. Méric was likewise ill, so that Il Pirato could not be performed, but that Rubini would be there directly. After one act of Fidelio, which was shockingly performed, Rubini came on and sang a song out of Anna Boulena quite beautifully. After that there was the ballet of La Somnambula. The principal characters were Mdlle. Pauline Leroux, who looked quite lovely and acted prettily; Mdlle. Adele; Madame Proche Giubelei who looked very pretty; Messrs. Albert and Coulon. We only saw part of it. We came home at ½ past 11....