Thursday, 26th December.—I awoke at 7 and got up at 8. At 9 we breakfasted. At 1 we lunched. At ½ past 2 came Captain Burnes who has lately travelled over Northern East India. He gave us some very interesting accounts. He likewise brought with him to show us, his servant, a native of Cabul, dressed in his native dress. He is called Gulam Hussein; is of a dark olive complexion and had a dress of real Cashmere made in the beautiful valley of Cashmere.
Friday, 27th December.—At ½ past 2 came Mr. T. Griffiths to lecture on Physics. The plan of the lecture was: Introductory—Objects of Alchymy, viz. Transmutation of Metals, the Elixir of Life, and the Universal Solvent;—Objects of Chemistry, viz. the investigation of every substance in nature—Chemistry a science of experiment—Results of chemical action—Arts and Manufactures dependent on chemistry—Importance of Heat as a chemical agent—Its action on various substances—Conductors and Non-conductors of Heat—Nature of Flame. All these different subjects were illustrated by very curious and interesting experiments. It was over at ½ past 3. Lehzen, Lady Conroy, Victoire, the Dean, and Sir John were likewise present. I was very much amused....
Monday, 30th December.—I awoke at 7 and got up at 8. At 9 we breakfasted. At 1 we lunched. At ½ past 2 came Mr. Walker to lecture. The plan of the lecture was: Properties of Matter—Particles infinitely small, divisible, and hard—Cohesion—Capillary attraction, Magnetic attraction, &c., &c.—Repulsion exhibited in various ways, as counteracting the preceding influences—Recapitulation—Mechanics: Gravity considered, its effects on descending and projected bodies—National weights and measures—Vis inertia, momentum, what—Mechanical Powers, explained by various machines, applications, &c. &c.—Draft of horses—Defect of wheel carriages, road, &c. pointed out—Some improvements suggested—Removal of Great Stone of St. Petersburg. The lecture lasted till a ¼ to 4. Lehzen, Lady Conroy, the Dean, and Sir John were present besides ourselves. At a ¼ to 7 we dined. Sir John dined here. At a ¼ past 8 we went with Lehzen, Lady Conroy, and Sir John to the play to Covent Garden. We came in for the last scene of Gustavus, the Masqued Ball, and stayed the whole of the pantomime, which is called “Old Mother Hubbard and her Dog; or Harlequin and Tales of the Nursery.” The scenery was very pretty and the principal characters were: Venus, Miss Lee; Cupid, Miss Poole who appeared in three other dresses: as a peasant boy, as a drummer, and as Mother Hubbard, and she looked very pretty and acted very well indeed. Old Mother Hubbard, Mr. Wieland; Schock (her dog), Master W. Mitchinson. The Duchess Griffinwinkle Blowsabella (afterwards Pantaloon), Mr. Barnes. King Rundytundy O (afterwards Dandy Lover), Mr. W. H. Payne. The Princess Graciosa (afterwards Columbine), a very pretty person, Miss Foster. Prince Percineth (afterwards Harlequin) Mr. Ellar. Head Cook (afterwards Clown) Mr. T. Mathews. The panorama at the end was also pretty.
INTRODUCTORY NOTE TO CHAPTER III
The year 1834 was spent very quietly by Princess Victoria. Her education progressed in simple and placid grooves, but her visits to the opera and the theatre became more frequent. She became devoted to Italian opera, and formed an attachment to music of the Italian school from which even Prince Albert, steeped as he was in German music, never contrived to wean her. She accepted then, and ever afterwards, Giulia Grisi as the supreme singer and artist. From the month of June, when she was present at a Festival in Westminster Abbey, to the end of the autumn, she devoted herself, at St. Leonards and at Tunbridge Wells, to the study of music and singing and to practising upon the harp.
This year the Whig Ministry of Lord Grey tottered and fell. In July King William, much to the surprise of politicians on both sides, entrusted Lord Melbourne with the formation of a Government. The King wanted a coalition and made a tentative effort to achieve it, but he did not succeed in obtaining the co-operation of either Party. It was not anticipated that Lord Melbourne’s Government could last. In the month of November Lord Spencer died, and Lord Althorp, his son, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer, seized with unrestrained delight the opportunity to retire from public life. Lord Melbourne thereupon resigned, and Sir Robert Peel, returning hurriedly from Rome, formed an administration likewise destined to be short-lived.
If King William had some difficulty in finding a stable Ministry, his brother-monarch across the Channel was in no better plight. The Parliamentary difficulties in France reached a stage of such complexity, that it looked for a moment as if the French monarchy itself might succumb to the vehemence of political and partisan strife. The Citizen-King found it necessary to employ 100,000 troops to keep in awe the three cities of Paris, Marseilles, and Lyons. At this moment died Lafayette, one of the last links between the opening and concluding discords of the French Revolution. It was during this year that two foreigners of eminence, long resident in England, finally disappeared from London society. Princess Lieven left the Russian, and Talleyrand the French Embassy.
This year, too, saw the destruction, by fire, of the old Houses of Parliament, associated with so many historic memories. None of these events, however, caused a ripple upon the surface of the little Princess’s secluded life at Kensington.
CHAPTER III
1834
Thursday, 16th January.—About a fortnight or three weeks ago I received the Order of Maria Louisa, accompanied by a very flattering letter from Her Majesty the Queen Regent of Spain, in the name of her daughter Queen Isabel the 2nd. Having some time ago asked for the handwriting of Her Majesty for my collection, the Queen hearing of it, sent me the Order accompanied by a very gracious letter. The Order is a violet and white ribbon, to which is suspended (en négligé) an enamel sort of star, and in high dress one superbly studded with diamonds.[146]
Sunday, 13th April.—At 10 we went to prayers with Lady Theresa[147] and Lehzen. The service was performed by the Dean, who gave us likewise a very good sermon. It was taken from the 3rd chapter of Acts, 23rd verse: “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” At 1 we lunched. At 7 we 3 and Lady Theresa also dined. After dinner came Aunt Sophia. I stayed up till a ¼ to 9.
Monday, 14th April.—I awoke at 7 and got up at ½ past 7. At ½ past 8 we all breakfasted. As I am now about to return to my usual studies, I must not omit to mention how very anxious my dear Mamma was throughout my indisposition, and how unceasing dear Lehzen was in her attentions and care to me....
Saturday, 19th April.—I awoke at 7 and got up at 8. At 9 we breakfasted. At ½ past 9 came the Dean till ½ past 10. At 12 we went out walking. At 1 we lunched. At ½ past 2 came the Duchess of Northumberland. At 3 came Lady Robert Grosvenor[148] with her little girl Victoria. She is a dear little child, so clever and intelligent. At 4 came Mrs. Anderson till 5. At 6 we dined. At a ¼ past 7 we went with Lady Conroy, Lehzen and Sir John to the Opera. We came in just at the beginning of the Opera of Anna Boulena. The characters were: Anna Boulena, Mdlle. Guiletta Grisi.[149] She is a most beautiful singer and actress and is likewise very young and pretty. She sang beautifully throughout but particularly in the last scene when she is mad, which she acted likewise beautifully. Giovanna Seymour, Mrs. E. Seguin, who sings very well. Enrico, Signor Tambourini, who sang beautifully. Ricardo Percy, M. Ivanhoff, who sings very well. He has a very pleasing though not a very strong voice. Between the acts there was a divertissement, in which Mdlle. Theresa Elsler danced a pas de deux with Mons. T. Guerinot, and Mdlle. Fanny Elsler with M. Perrot. Mdlle. Fanny danced beautifully; she ran up the stage on the tips of her toes in a most extraordinary manner. She likewise made many other pretty little steps. M. Perrot (whom I had never seen before) danced likewise quite beautifully. We went away as soon as the 2nd act of the opera was over. We came home at 12. I was very much amused indeed!...