I was extremely sorry to hear the accident which befell dear Eos, a great friend of mine. I do not understand how your uncle managed it; he ought rather to have shot somebody else of the family. Ernest has then been going on fast enough; all I hear of the lady is very satisfactory.14 I don't yet know when he means to come here.
Now I must conclude. In haste, ever, my dear Victoria, your affectionate Uncle,
Leopold R.
Footnote 13: Lord Aberdeen wrote to Madame de Lieven: "I passed a great deal of time with the King of Prussia when he was in this country, and perfectly subscribe to the truth of the description you gave me of him before his arrival—intelligent, high-minded, and sincere. Like all Germans, he is sometimes a little in the clouds, but his projects are generous, and he wishes to do what is right."
Footnote 14: He married the Princess Alexandrina of Baden on 3rd May 1842.
Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians.
Windsor Castle, 8th February 1842.
My dearest Uncle,—I thank you de tout mon cœur for your kind letter of the 4th, which I received the day before yesterday. You have now seen our good, kind, amiable King of Prussia, for whom I have really the greatest affection and respect. We were quite sorry to lose him, and he was much affected at going. He is so open and natural, and seems really so anxious to do good whenever he can. His liberality and generosity here has been immense. He is very much displeased with his "helter-skelter cousin,"15 and quite unhappy at the state of things in that country....
BETROTHAL OF PRINCE ERNEST
Ernest's marriage is a great, great delight to us; thank God! I say, as I so ardently wished it, and Alexandrina is said to be really so perfect. I have begged Ernest beforehand to pass his honeymoon with us, and I beg you to urge him to do it; for he witnessed our first happiness, and we must therefore witness his.