Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell.
AUSTRIA AND ITALY
On board the Victoria and Albert,
Aberdeen, 7th September 1848.
The Queen must send the enclosed draft to Lord John Russell, with a copy of her letter to Lord Palmerston upon it. Lord Palmerston has as usual pretended not to have had time to submit the draft to the Queen before he had sent it off. What the Queen has long suspected and often warned against is on the point of happening, viz. Lord Palmerston's using the new entente cordiale for the purpose of wresting from Austria her Italian provinces by French arms. This would be a most iniquitous proceeding. It is another question whether it is good policy for Austria to try to retain Lombardy, but that is for her and not for us to decide. Many people might think that we would be happier without Ireland or Canada. Lord John will not fail to observe how very intemperate the whole tone of Lord Palmerston's language is.
Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians.
Balmoral Castle, 13th September 1848.
My dearest Uncle,—I yesterday received your dear and kind letter of the 9th (it having arrived in London only the day before), which is very quick, and I thank you much for it. The Schleswig affair at Frankfort is very unfortunate, and there seems a lamentable want of all practical sense, foresight, or even common prudence.42
The poor Austrians seem now to accept the (to me very doubtful) mediation. It reminds me of the wolf in the lamb's skin. Nous verrons, how matters will be arranged....
My letter to Louise will have informed you of our voyage and our arrival here. This house is small but pretty, and though the hills seen from the windows are not so fine, the scenery all around is the finest almost I have seen anywhere. It is very wild and solitary, and yet cheerful and beautifully wooded, with the river Dee running between the two sides of the hills. Loch Nagar is the highest hill in the immediate vicinity, and belongs to us.