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CHAPTER X.

Ir had long been the desire of the Queen to visit King Louis Philippe, to make the personal acquaintance of his admirable Queen, and to see them and their family in their own home. The most cordial relations had for many years subsisted between their respective Houses,' and it was conceived that a friendly visit, made without any political object, might have a good effect in removing the lingering asperity which had been occasioned in France by the action of the English Government on the Eastern Question. A favourable opportunity for making this visit now presented itself. The country, with the gradual revival of trade and increased employment for its artisans, had regained its tranquillity, and the rising of Parliament after a comparatively quiet Session was close at hand. For many reasons,' Stockmar wrote to the Prince from Wiesbaden (18th August, 1843), 'I wish your contemplated excursion may be safely and pleasantly carried out, and in a way to cheer and gladden you.

The King, when Duke of Orleans, had been a most intimate friend of Her Majesty's father the Duke of Kent, as well as of the Princess Charlotte, and her husband Prince Leopold. This was the beginning of the intimacy, which led to the many alliances (four) between the Orleans and Coburg families. These naturally brought them into close connection with the Queen long before her marriage with Prince Albert, the Duchess of Kent being a Princess of Coburg, sister to King Leopold, and to the Prince Consort's father the late Duke of Coburg. A mistaken impression prevails very generally that the Queen's connection with the Orleans family began after her marriage, while, in fact, it had subsisted since the marriage, in 1832, of her uncle King Leopold with the Princess Louise of Orleans.

Any opportunity for observing real life, and for interrupting the monotony that attends an exalted position, is a great gain for Your Royal Highness. It gives fresh nourishment and vigour to the mind. Parliament, let us hope, will rise at the right time, and Ireland remain quiet.'

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The French Royal family were at Château d'Eu, near Tréport, a private domain of the King's, which could be reached in a few hours from Southampton; and the new yacht, Victoria and Albert,' which had just been built for the Queen, could not better initiate her career than in such an expedition. Parliament was prorogued on the 27th of August. On the 28th the Queen and Prince embarked at Southampton, and after cruising about the Isle of Wight and along the coast of Devon for a couple of days, they crossed to Tréport, where they arrived about 6 P.M. on the 2nd of September. Immediately the King came off in his barge to welcome them. The Prince de Joinville, who had met the Royal yacht off Cherbourg early that morning, and had then come on board, was on the lookout, and when he reported its approach, Her Majesty's Journal records: I felt, as it came nearer and nearer, more and more agitated. At length it came close, and contained the King, Aumale, Montpensier, Augustus' (Prince Augustus of SaxeCoburg and Gotha, first-cousin of the Queen and Prince, and married to the Princess Clémentine of Orleans), M. Guizot, Lord Cowley, and various officers and ministers. The good kind King was standing on the boat, and so impatient to get out that it was very difficult to prevent him, and to get him to wait till the boat was close enough. He got out and came up as quickly as possible, and embraced me warmly. It was a fine and really affecting sight, and the emotion which it caused I shall never forget. . . . The King expressed again and again how delighted he was to see me. His barge is a very fine one, with many oars, and the men in white, with red sashes, and red ribbons round their hats.'

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No time was lost in getting away from the yacht, and presently the novel spectacle was seen of the Royal Standards of France and England floating side by side over the Sovereigns of the two countries, as they were rowed in the French Royal barge to shore. The landing,' Her Majesty continues, was a fine sight, which the beauty of the evening, with the setting sun, enhanced. Crowds of people (all so different from ours), numbers of troops (also so different from our troops), the whole Court, and all the authorities, were assembled on the shore. The King led me up a somewhat steepish staircase, where the Queen received me with the kindest welcome, accompanied by dearest Louise' (Queen of the Belgians), 'Hélène, in deep mourning' (Duchess of Orleans), Françoise' (Princess of Joinville), and Madame Adélaide. All this-the cheering of the people, and of the troops, crying "Vive la Reine! Vive le Roi!"-well nigh overcame me. . . The King repeated again and again to me how happy he was at the visit, and how attached he was to my father and to England.'

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The visit, which lasted till the 7th, was one of unmixed pleasure on both sides. The Queen, in writing from Eu on the 4th, speaks of her delight at being in the midst of this admirable and truly amiable family, where we are quite at home, and as if we were one of them.' They, on the other hand, were not behind in reciprocating this feeling, and not less attracted by that charm of sincerity and ready delight in all simple pleasures which distinguished their guests.

Some further extracts from Her Majesty's Journal will be read with interest.

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'Rose at half-past seven. I felt as though it were a dream that I was at Eu, and that my favourite air-castle of so many years was at length realised. But it is no dream-it is a

pleasant reality. . . . The morning was lovely, and the distant ringing of the church bells (much prettier than ours) was the only thing to remind me of Sunday; for the mill was going, and the people were sweeping and working in the garden. The Château is very pretty. . .

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'Louise and Clémentine came out of their rooms to meet us. Dear, angelic Louise is so kind to us, and continually asking what we wish and like. They are all so kind and so delightful, so united that it does one's heart good to see it, and I feel at home with them all-as if I were one of them. At half-past ten the King and Queen and whole family, except poor Hélène (who only comes after dinner and after breakfast), took us to breakfast. The King has such spirits, and is full of anecdote. After breakfast we went upstairs into the Galerie des Guises. Poor Hélène joined us. Though not good-looking, she is certainly very pleasing and graceful-very tall, extremely thin, and in deep mourning, which it is most melancholy to see. I see how painful it is to dearest Louise, and how the sight of this interesting widow recalls their misfortune to her mind.

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'At half-past two the King and Queen, &c. came to fetch us, and took us over the greater part of the Château. The number of family pictures is quite enormous. The little chapel is beautiful, and full of painted windows and statues of saints, &c.-quite a little bijou. It is the first Catholic chapel I have seen. There are numbers of pictures and reminiscences of Mademoiselle de Montpensier. She built part of the Château, and there are some interior decorations still of her time. The rooms of the Queen, including a little cabinet de toilette, are charming. They contain many old family pictures, and pictures of their own family, and there are some of poor Chartres when a child, the sight of which, we see, is heartrending to the dear, excellent Queen. We then set out on a drive..

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The people are very respectable-looking and very civil, crying, "Vive la Reine d'Angleterre!" The King is so pleased. The caps of the women are very picturesque, and they wear also coloured handkerchiefs and aprons, which look very pretty. . . . It is the population, and not so much the country, which strikes me as so extremely different from England-their faces, dress, manners, everything.

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'Monday, September 4.

Up at half-past seven and breakfasted at eight. Good news from the children. The band of the 24th Regiment (Infanterie légère) played under my window, and extremely well. They are 55 in number. . . . At half-past ten the King and family came and fetched us to their delightful, cheerful breakfast. I sat between the King and Aumale. I feel so gay and happy with these dear people. . . . Later we saw M. Guizot, who came to express his great joy at our visit. It seems to have done the greatest good, and to have caused the greatest satisfaction to the French. . . . I hear that I should have been most kindly received at Paris even. The French naval officers give this evening a banquet on board the "Pluton" to our naval officers, and I trust that the "haine pour les perfides Anglais " will cease.'

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The Journal then records the features presented by the country and people during another drive to an adjoining forest, where a Fête champêtre had been prepared. 'I sat,' it proceeds, between the King and Queen. Poor Hélène sat next the King: it was the first time she had sat at table with them since her terrible misfortune. ... The King's liveliness and vivacity, and little impatiences, are my delight and amusement. We returned at a quarter to six. delightful Fête champêtre, and, as Albert said, much like the Fêtes in Germany. I feel very gay and amused, and the young people are so merry.

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