Footnote 17: A party of French Republicans entered Belgium with the intention of exciting an insurrection; the attempt signally failed.
Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston.
Osborne, 1st May 1848.
The Queen has this morning received Lord Palmerston's letter.18 She cannot see any reason for deviating from the established rules, and inviting to Court Frenchmen who are not recognised in their official capacity, and have no natural representatives to present them as private individuals. As an invitation cannot be claimed by them, the omission of it ought not to lead to any misrepresentation; whilst the contrary, under the fiction of their being private individuals, might lead to misconstruction and to most inconvenient precedents.
Footnote 18: M. de Tallenay had arrived in London with a letter from M. Lamartine, accrediting him as provisional chargé d'affaires of the French Government, and Lord Palmerston had suggested to the Queen that etiquette would not be violated by inviting him to a Court Ball.
Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians.
AFFAIRS IN FRANCE
Buckingham Palace, 9th May 1848.
My dearest Uncle,—Many thanks for your very kind letter of the 6th. How delightful it is to hear such good accounts of Belgium! If only dear Germany gets right and if all our interests (those of the smaller Sovereigns) are not sacrificed! I cannot say how it distresses and vexes me, and comme je l'ai à cœur. My good and dear Albert is much worried and works very hard....
I had a curious account of the opening of the Assemblée from Lady Normanby.19 No real enthusiasm, dreadful confusion, and the Blouses taking part in everything, and stopping the Speakers if they did not please them. The opinion is that it cannot last.