Saturday, 30th September.—Got up at a ¼ to 9 and breakfasted at 10 with Mamma. Saw Lord Albemarle. Wrote my journal. At a ¼ p. 11 Lord Melbourne came to me and stayed with me till a ¼ to 12. At a ¼ to 12 came the Queen with her sister the Duchess of Saxe-Weimar and stayed with me till 1 o’clock. The poor Queen was very much composed, though it must have been a very painful and severe trial for her, considering she had not been here since she left the Castle, the night after the poor King’s funeral. I showed her all my rooms with which she was much pleased; and she went by herself to see the room where the King died. I sang a little and Mamma also, while they were there....
Tuesday, 3rd October.—Got up at a ¼ to 9 and at a ¼ p. 10 I breakfasted with Mamma. Wrote to dearest Uncle Leopold and my journal. Saw Sir H. Wheatley. At ½ p. 12 Lord Melbourne came to me and stayed with me till 5 m. to 2. He read to me some Despatches from Canada which are not very satisfactory. Saw Princess Augusta. At ½ p. 3 I rode out with Mamma, Lord Melbourne, Lord Palmerston, Lady Mary, Lord Torrington, Mr. Murray, Mr. Brand, Col., Mrs. and Miss Cavendish, and Miss Murray, and came home at 6. We rode all round Virginia Water, a beautiful ride, and cantered almost the whole way home. It was the hottest summer evening that can be imagined, not a breath of air, and hotter coming home than going out. Alas! it was our last ride here! I am very sorry indeed to go! I passed such a very pleasant time here; the pleasantest summer I ever passed in my life, and I shall never forget this first summer of my Reign. I have had the great happiness of having my beloved Uncle and Aunt here with me, I have had very pleasant people and kind friends staying with me, and I have had delicious rides which have done me a world of good. Lord Melbourne rode near me the whole time. The more I see of him and the more I know of him, the more I like and appreciate his fine and honest character. I have seen a great deal of him, every day, these last 5 weeks, and I have always found him in good humour, kind, good, and most agreeable; I have seen him in my Closet for Political Affairs, I have ridden out with him (every day), I have sat near him constantly at and after dinner, and talked about all sorts of things, and have always found him a kind and most excellent and very agreeable man. I am very fond of him. Wrote my journal....
Brighton, Wednesday, 4th October.—... I constantly regret I cannot write down many of the pleasant and instructive conversations I have with clever people, such as Lord Melbourne, Lord Palmerston, Lord Holland, &c., &c. And many of the Foreign Despatches which I read, in particular some of the Private letters of the Ambassadors and Ministers to Lord Palmerston, are so interesting and well written that I wish I could note them down. I read one of Mr. Villiers’[342] from Madrid to-day, which is remarkably well written....
Tuesday, 24th October.—Got up at 25 m. p. 8 and breakfasted at a ¼ to 10 with Mamma, having signed &c. before breakfast. Wrote my journal &c. At 3 m. to 11 Lord Melbourne came to me and stayed with me till ½ p. 12. Talked over many things and gave him a letter I had received this morning from Uncle Leopold, to read; he took it with him. Sat to Sir David Wilkie. Before I left the painting room, I sent for Lord Melbourne to see the Picture, with which he was much pleased. It is to be my First Council,[343] and a great many Portraits will be introduced into the picture; Lord Melbourne will be painted standing near me. Wrote my journal....
Sunday, 29th October.— ... At a little after 3 I tried to drive out with Lady Mulgrave, Lady Gardiner and Miss Paget[344] following, but we were obliged to come home again almost directly as it rained the whole time. It is really most provoking weather. Finished my letter to Feodore, and wrote one to my Cousin Marie.[345] Saw Stockmar for one instant. At 7 we dined....
Wednesday, 1st November.—Got up at a ¼ to 9 and breakfasted at 10 with Mamma. Received before breakfast a letter from Ferdinand and one from Mary with a very pretty little ring in it. At ½ p. 10 my excellent, kind friend Lord Melbourne came to me and stayed with me till 12. Talked over many things; and talked over some disagreeable business about which Lord Melbourne is very kind (as he is about everything, for he is the best-hearted, kindest and most feeling man in the world) and very anxious. Showed him dear Ferdinand’s letter. Poor Ferdinand’s position and the unfortunate state of Portuguese affairs distress him much; he takes everything so much to heart, which is generally not the case with a Statesman. I observed to Lord Melbourne that there were not many very good preachers to be found; he replied in the affirmative and added, “But there are not many very good anything,” which is very true.... I then took leave of him, told him I was very sorry he went, to which he replied he was also very sorry. I shall see him again however on Saturday when I go to town. I am very sorry to lose his agreeable company (as I always like to have those who are kind to me, and my friends, with me) these last days here. And I am very sorry to think that the summer and autumn (the pleasantest I ever passed) are over! How time flies when pleasantly spent!! Lord Melbourne also was much better for this quiet life and liked it too. He is a great friend of Lehzen’s which makes me more fond of him still. I always saw Lord Melbourne in my little sitting-room; I being seated on a sofa, and he in an armchair near or close opposite me; the other ministers and visitors I saw in another little room just the same size as this one, where Lehzen always sits; it is close to the other, one little room only being between the two....
Buckingham Palace, Saturday, 4th November.—Got up at ½ p. 7. Wrote my journal while my hair was doing. Received a few lines from Lord Melbourne. At 9 I breakfasted with Mama. Saw Stockmar. At 10 minutes to 10 I left Brighton with Mama and Lady Mulgrave; Miss Dillon, Lady Mary Stopford, dearest Lehzen and Col. Cavendish following in another carriage. Lady Gardiner went in her own carriage. I took leave of Miss Paget before I went; both her and Miss Dillon’s waitings were out on Thursday, but I did not wish to give the other Maids of Honour the trouble of coming down only for two days and then going back again. Miss Paget is a very good, quiet, nice, unaffected girl. We changed horses first at Hickstead, 2ndly at Crawley, 3rdly at Redhill, and lastly at Croydon, and reached Buckingham Palace at 3. It is a journey of 52 miles.... I have changed my rooms, that is to say, I sit in my dressing-room, and make it both my sitting and dressing-room, which is much more comfortable and cheerful than the other rooms on the other side; and I shall see all my Ministers &c. in the former breakfast room,[346] next my dressing-room, which is now very prettily furnished and looks very nice and cheerful. Lehzen’s little sitting-room is next this room. At a few m. p. 4 came my good Lord Melbourne, whom I was happy to see well and in good spirits, though a little tired with the deal he has to do; he stayed with me till 10 m. p. 5, and we talked over various important things. I, of course, saw him in the new Ministerial Room....
Thursday, 9th November.—Got up at ½ p. 9 and breakfasted by myself in my room at ½ p. 10. Played on the piano and sang. Wrote my journal. Dressed for the Lord Mayor’s dinner, in all my finery. At 2 I went in the state carriage and 8 horses with the Duchess of Sutherland and Lord Albemarle; all my suite, the Royal Family, &c., went before me. I reached the Guildhall at a little before 4. Throughout my progress to the city, I met with the most gratifying, affectionate, hearty and brilliant reception from the greatest concourse of people I ever witnessed; the streets being immensely crowded as were also the windows, houses, churches, balconies, every where. I was then conducted by the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress preceding me, and my whole suite following me,—to a private drawing-room, where I found Mamma, the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Augusta, and all their Ladies. All my Ladies came in there. After waiting some little time, I sent for Lord Melbourne and Lord John Russell, to ask them some questions, and they came in for a minute or two, and then went away. After waiting a little longer, I was conducted by Lord Conyngham in the same way as before, the Royal Family and my Ladies &c. following, to the Council Room, where were the Dukes of Sussex and Cambridge and George,—all my Ministers, all the Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers &c., &c., the Lord Mayor, all the Aldermen, the Lady Mayoress and all the Aldermen’s wives. I was seated in a large arm-chair, all the others standing. The Recorder then read an Address, to which I read an answer; when the Lord Mayor was presented I said to Lord John Russell (what I had previously been told to do), “I desire you to take proper measures for conferring the dignity of Baronet on the Lord Mayor.” I then knighted the Sheriffs, one of whom was Mr. Montefiore, a Jew, an excellent man[347]; and I was very glad that I was the first to do what I think quite right, as it should be. The Lady Mayoress and all the Aldermen’s wives were then presented. After this we returned, as before, to the Private Drawing room and remained there till a ¼ p. 5 when we went to dinner.... I drank a glass of wine with the Lord Mayor (John Cowan) and the late Lord Mayor. The Lord Mayor is a quiet little old man of 70 (they say). When my health was given out, there was great cheering and applause. I left dinner in the same way I came in at about ½ p. 7; and we went as before into the Private Drawing room and waited there till the carriages were ready. All the Royal Family went away before me. I went at ½ p. 8 in a usual carriage (not a state carriage) with the Duchess of Sutherland and Lord Albemarle as before. We came back just in the same way as we went, only that each carriage had only a pair of horses, and there were no people on foot walking by the carriage. The crowd was, if possible, greater than it had been when I went in the day; and they cheered me excessively as I came along. The streets were beautifully illuminated on all sides, and looked very brilliant and gay. I got home by 20 m. to 10, and quite safely; I trust there have been no accidents. I cannot say how gratified, and how touched I am by the very brilliant, affectionate, cordial, enthusiastic and unanimous reception I met with in this the greatest Metropolis in the World; there was not a discontented look, not a sign of displeasure—all loyalty, affection and loud greeting from the immense multitude I passed through; and no disorder whatever. I feel deeply grateful for this display of affection and unfeigned loyalty and attachment from my good people. It is much more than I deserve, and I shall do my utmost to render myself worthy of all this love and affection. I had a very bad headache in the morning, but it went off during all the ceremonies; it was somewhat bad when I came home, but I went to bed immediately after I had signed a few papers....
Sunday, 12th November.— ... Saw Stockmar. Walked. Signed. Wrote my journal. Read Despatches. At a little after 7 we dined. Our whole party made only 12 in number, which were, us 10 (for Miss Davys and Col. Cavendish had gone home and Lady Mary was ill), Lord Melbourne and Mr. Cowper. Lord Melbourne led me in and I sat between him and Mr. Cowper. I was happy to see Lord Melbourne in very good spirits; he was very amusing about Theatricals and has peculiar tastes of his own about actors. He has such an honest, blunt, and amusing manner of coming out with his remarks and observations. After dinner I sat on the sofa with Mamma, and Lord Melbourne sat near me the whole evening. Mr. Cowper (who, as usual, was very amusing), and Lady Mulgrave sat near the table. Lord Melbourne does not, I think, look quite as well as he used to do when at Windsor and Brighton; he looks paler and tired often; and he says he feels the want of exercise. I fear since I have come to the throne he has still more to do than he had before; but he is always ready to assist me in every way, and will not admit that I trouble him. Stayed up till 11. It was a very pleasant evening.
Monday, 13th November.— ... I do not mention when I get communications from Lord Melbourne and when I write to him, for that occurs every day and generally 2 or 3 times a day, so that it would take up too much time; I also receive communications from all the other Ministers; the one with whom I communicate oftenest after Lord Melbourne is Lord Palmerston....