Dearest Uncle,—I received your kind letter on Sunday, and thank you much for it. I am sorry that you could not take the children to Ardenne, as nothing is so good for children as very frequent change of air, and think you do not let the children do so often enough. Ours do so continually, and are so movable that it gives us no trouble whatever.
Our christening went off very brilliantly, and I wish you could have witnessed it; nothing could be more anständig, and little Alice behaved extremely well. The déjeuner was served in the Gallery, as at dear Pussy's christening, and there being a profusion of flowers on the table, etc., had a beautiful effect.
The King of Hanover arrived just in time to be too late. He is grown very old and excessively thin, and bends a good deal. He is very gracious, for him. Pussy and Bertie (as we call the boy) were not at all afraid of him, fortunately; they appeared after the déjeuner on Friday, and I wish you could have seen them; they behaved so beautifully before that great number of people, and I must say looked very dear, all in white, and very distingués; they were much admired.
We came here on Saturday. The news from Ireland continue to be very alarming. Hoping to hear soon, for certain, when you come, believe me, ever, your devoted Niece,
Victoria R.
I hope you will kindly answer my letter of last Tuesday.
Sir Thomas Fremantle41 to Sir Robert Peel.42
House of Commons, 9th June (1843).
My dear Sir Robert,—The King of Hanover took his seat at twenty minutes past four. He is now on the Woolsack with the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Wellington, and Lord Strangford; no other Peers are in the House, the time of meeting being five o'clock.