Luncheon At Windsor Visits To Windsor And St James's
'BOSTON HOUSE, 'August 28 [1834],
WE have been absent a week visiting different friends, and on our
return this morning took a Royal luncheon at the Castle. Our dear Queen
received us most kindly, and we sat with her for half an hour before
luncheon. Her conversation was most interesting. I wish I could give it
you word for word. It showed such a feeling, religious, good mind. It
was about her loss in one
whom she termed a faithful servant, indeed a
friend--old Barton (only sixty-four, but he had a paralytic stroke two
years since, which had aged him very much), her treasurer. He was their
factotum at Bushey. The painful part of it, she said, was feeling that
she in a manner had been the cause; for the good old man was so
over-excited with joy at witnessing the enthusiastic reception she met
with on her return, he went out to meet her. The fatigue and excitement
were too much for him, and, after he got home, he had a stroke. He lost
all power of speech, but retained his senses, and, by pointing to
letters, made himself understood, and a dutiful and affectionate
message to the King and Queen was written and sent. The dear Queen
immediately wrote to him herself a letter, which was beautiful, so
kind, so pious. He answered his hour was come, and he was resigned.
Now, had you heard the manner in which she, in her pretty English,
described all this, you never would have forgotten it.
'I never saw her or the King look better. He had all his daughters with
him but Lady Mary Fox, who is abroad, and a swarm of grandchildren
running about the corridor, and Her Majesty playing with them, and
making them all happy and at ease.'
From the above we clearly see that Queen Adelaide had the power of
feeling and inspiring sympathy with dependents as well as friends, with
young as well as old. The following month the Clitherows again stayed
at the Castle in quite homely fashion.
'WINDSOR CASTLE, 'September 27, 1834.
'There is no company but ourselves and the Duke of Dorset;
consequently, we really enjoy the Queen. We set at her work-table in
the evening with the King, Princess Augusta, and the Duke of Dorset,
and really the cheerful, good-humoured conversation that goes on is
most agreeable. The Ladies-in-Waiting have two work-tables. The
gentlemen sit and chat with them, and there are generally four at
whist, the Queen's beautiful band playing in the anteroom.
'We came on Thursday. Friday we were on Virginia Water, with the
Guards' band playing in a barge moored. The weather was actual summer,
and we were rowed about for two hours--the King, Queen, and ten of us.
'To-day the Queen, Lady Isabella Wemyss, Mrs. Clitherow, and myself in
a barouche, my brother, with Miss Hope Jolynson, in a phaeton, drove
out for two hours in Windsor Park and Forest. The evening was lovely,
though we had heavy rain in the night and morning. The scenery is quite
magnificent, and the dear Queen's conversation was so interesting,
giving an account of her journey and adventures abroad. It was a drive
to be envied.
'We do not think the Queen looking well, though it is uncourtly to say
so. She is most miserably thin, and has a sad, wearing cough. However,
she assures us she is better. The oppression on her chest is removed by
a German medicine, which she has great faith in. I dread Brighton for
her, which never agrees.
'The King is uncommonly well. He is out all the morning inspecting his
farms, which they say he is getting into beautiful order, and to-day he
returned to them after luncheon, instead of driving out with the party,
as he generally does.
'Lady Augusta Kennedy and her four children are here. Lady Sophia
Sydney[*] and her three children live here. Sir Philip is backwards and
forwards. He is going on slowly at Penshurst, feeling, I suspect, that
it will be time eno' to live there should anything happen to prevent
their all living on "papa." Lady Augusta has a house at Isleworth near
us, which "papa" gave her, but lives a great deal here. Lady Falkland
is sadly out of health, and in town for advice. Her fine boy is left
here, and the King and Queen have all the children in the corridor
after luncheon to run about. It is so pretty to hear them lisp, "Dear
Queeny," "Dear King." She plays with them with such good-humour.
[*] The King's eldest daughter; born 1800, married, 1825, Sir Philip
Sidney, who was created Lord de Lisle and Dudley in 1835, his father
having in 1824 claimed that barony, though without success.
'Mademoiselle d'Este is here. Lord Hill is coming to-day. We are to
leave on Monday.'
The next letter reminds us that, about this time, there were several
political crises, more or less acute. The tide of enthusiasm, which had
carried many measures of social importance, was beginning to abate, and
the first signs of the reaction that was setting in showed themselves
in differences among the Ministers. Mr. Stanley (afterwards Lord
Derby), Sir J. Graham, and two others disagreed with Lord Grey as to
the Act to compensate the Irish clergy, while Lord Althorp opposed Lord
Grey on the question of coercion in Ireland. Lord Grey, who was an old
man, retired in July, and Lord Melbourne succeeded to his place. These
dissensions led the King to believe that there was a Conservative
reaction, so he determined to dismiss the Ministry and send for the
Duke of Wellington. In the end, on the Duke's advice, Sir Robert Peel
became Premier, but only held office till April, 1835, when Lord
Melbourne was recalled to power. Again rumour was busy with the Queen's
name, and many suspected that the dismissal of the Whigs was due
largely to her influence. The following letter deals plainly with this,
and incidentally mentions the constitutional practice of the King
respecting even the Court appointments:
'BOSTON HOUSE, 'November 23, 1834.
'How do you feel on the sudden change in the political world? I
rejoice, but cannot envy the party who have taken the reins in these
ungovernable times.
'It is very sad they will not let the dear Queen alone. I believe from
my heart she has no more to do with it than you or I. Mrs. Clitherow
sat half an hour with her at St. James's, and she, who, is truth
itself, declared the first she knew of it was the King coming to her
room and telling her the Duke of Wellington was to dine with them, for
there was going to be a change of Ministers.
'She has not named a single person for any appointment, and will not,
she is determined. Jane expressed her hope that the Duke of Dorset
would again be Master of the Horse. The Queen replied: "There never was
a better; but, in the present state of the country, favouritism must be
quite out of the question." They must select the most influential men
in a political point of view. She regretted extremely that the King's
children, instead of rallying round the throne, were the first to send
in their resignations and to show such strong opposition to their
father's wishes. And we do hear from every quarter their conduct is
abominable, and the manner in which they speak of the Queen
unpardonable. Lord Erroll[*] went on so bad in a public coffee-room
that a gentleman cried out: "Shame! shame!" As far as we have ever
seen, she has shown them nothing but kindness, and their return is
ingratitude. Poor soul! her cough continues to wear her sadly, and she
is hardly stout enough to contend with all her annoyances,
notwithstanding the support of a clear conscience.
[*] William George, the Seventeenth Earl, had married Lady Elizabeth
Fitz-Clarence, the King's third daughter, and was Master of the Royal
Buckhounds.
'The Bishop of London and Mrs. and Miss Blomfield dine here to-morrow.
I mean to get this franked.
'I hope you are not annoyed with your winter cough, and that your
family are all well. Accept a trio of best wishes, and believe me,
'Yours sincerely, 'MARY CLITHEROW.'