Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians.
A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
Buckingham Palace, 12th February 1861.
My dearest Uncle,—Many, many thanks for your dear letter of the 8th. Here we have cold again since the day before yesterday, and last night seven degrees of frost. On Sunday we celebrated, with feelings of deep gratitude and love, the twenty-first anniversary of our blessed marriage, a day which had brought us, and I may say the world at large, such incalculable blessings! Very few can say with me that their husband at the end of twenty-one years is not only full of the friendship, kindness, and affection which a truly happy marriage brings with it, but the same tender love of the very first days of our marriage!
We missed dear Mamma and three of our children,7 but had six dear ones round us—and assembled in the evening those of our Household still remaining who were with us then!...
In Parliament things go on quietly enough, and every one hopes for a short session....
Hoping that these lines will find you well, believe me ever, your devoted Niece,
Victoria R.
Footnote 7: The Duchess of Kent was at Frogmore; the Princess Royal, now Crown Princess of Prussia, was at Potsdam; the Prince of Wales had just entered upon his first term at Cambridge; and Prince Alfred had joined his ship, the Euryalus, at Plymouth.