I shall hope to follow you to town early next month, and look forward with great pleasure to seeing you so soon again. Forgive me my horrible scrawl, and with my best love to dearest Albert, believe me, ever, my dearest Victoria, your most affectionate and faithfully devoted Aunt,
Adelaide.
Pray tell your dear mother, with my affectionate love, that I will answer her letter to-morrow.
Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians.
INTERCHANGE OF VISITS
Windsor Castle, 14th February 1843.
My dearest Uncle,—Many thanks for your kind letter of the 10th, which I received on Sunday. I am only a little wee bit distressed at your writing on the 10th, and not taking any notice of the dearest, happiest day in my life, to which I owe the present great domestic happiness I now enjoy, and which is much greater than I deserve, though certainly my Kensington life for the last six or seven years had been one of great misery and oppression, and I may expect some little retribution, and, indeed, after my accession, there was a great deal of worry. Indeed I am grateful for possessing (really without vanity or flattery or blindness) the most perfect being as a husband in existence, or who ever did exist; and I doubt whether anybody ever did love or respect another as I do my dear Angel! And indeed Providence has ever mercifully protected us, through manifold dangers and trials, and I feel confident will continue to do so, and then let outward storms and trials and sorrows be sent us, and we can bear all....
I could not help smiling at the exactitude about Monday the 19th of June; it is a great happiness to us to think with such certainty (D.V.) of your kind visit, which would suit perfectly. À propos of this, I am anxious to tell you that we are full of hope of paying you in August a little visit, which last year was in so melancholy a way interrupted; but we think that for many reasons it would be better for us to pay you our first visit only at Ostend, and not at Brussels or Laeken; you could lodge us anywhere, and we need then bring but very few people with us—it might also facilitate the meeting with Albert's good old grandmother, who fears to cross the sea, and whose great wish is to behold Albert again—and would not be so difficult (pour la 1ère fois) in many ways. I could, nevertheless, see Bruges and Ghent from thence by help of the railroad, and return the same day to Ostend.
What you say about Peel is very just. Good Lord Melbourne is much better.
I hope soon to hear more about Joinville and Donna Francesca. Now, ever your devoted Niece,