QUEEN VICTORIA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1605, 23 November 1912, Page 11

QUEEN VICTORIA.

SOME ENTERTAINING SIDELIGHTS. Much interesting matter about the home life of Queen Victoria in tho early years of her reign is contained in the '"Correspondence of Sarah Spencer, Lady Lyttelton, 1787-J870,"' which has been edited by the Hon. Mrs. Hugh Wyndham, and is just recently published. Lady Lyttelton, tho daughter of the second Earl Spencer, became Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria in 1838, and four years later was appointed governess to tho Royal children, by whom she was affectionately known as' "Laddie." In one of tho letters we see the Queen as a young woman. who was particular about the pronunciation of words (which differed_in many respects from our pronunciation to-day), and anxious to be regarded as an authority on such matters. Writing from Buckingham Palace in February, 1839, Lady Lyttelton 6ays:~ The Queen says '-'gold" open, not "goold"; also "Rome" open, not "Room." Also "Prussia"_ in my way (she was accustomed in childhood to the other way), rhyming to Russia/in spite of the Dean of Chester. She is particularly pleased at being reckoned an authority about accent, and takes great pains about it. , , , Card Losses "Honestly" Paid. There are, of course, .descriptions of the Queen's prorogation of Parliament, of her wedding, and such great matters. But it is for its account ot the familiar, not the public, life of the Queen that these letters are most valuable; Here, for example, is a realistic note on the amusements of the Royal household at Windsor in 1811: Played at ecarto last night. It is now for money, and I' won sixpenco, which the Queen paid very honestly. : A round game was played lately, after which Miss Paget had to pay Prince Albert twopence sterling, which she did, first washing them with yellow soap for his royal hands. . Here again is a- vivid picture of the Queen as a young mother: The Princess hid her head under the nurse's arm yesterday, and on tho Queen peeping round to see why she did it, H.R.H. was detected in that safe corner sucking her necklace, which is forbidden. Then tho Queen said, "Oh, fie! naughty! naughty!" upon which thq. child looked slily at her, and held up her mouth to - be kissed. It is lucky another is coming. Tho Queen is like all very young mothers, exigeante, and never thinks ■ the baby makes progress enough or is good enough. She has her constantly with ner. •A little later on we find Lady Lyttelton commenting on tho rather elevated tone' which the Prince Consort introduced at the dinner table: We have, I begin to notice, rather a raised tone of conversation of late— many bits of information, and naval matters, and scientific subjects come up, and are talked of very pleasantly at dinner. The Prince, of courso, encourages such subjects, and no gossip has been 6tirring since we have been here, but many things are said daily which I am sorry to forget. The Prince and Queen are reading Hallam's "Constitutional History of England" together, most carefully, and for"' a light book "St. l Simon's Memoirs.' Very pleasant to find him reading. aloud to her, while she was at crossstitch, as I did the other evening before j drossing-timo. Oh! what a blessing it is that'"Love rules the couVt" as he doeslPrince of Wales's Baby Courage. In .1844 we see the Prince of Wales hard put to it to keep up his. courage during the firing at ,a review: 1 was deeply interested in Princey, who sat on my lap in ecstasies till the firing, when he behaved most prettily. It was quite near. "I afraid! Soldiers go popping! No more! I cry!" with the most touching countenance and bursting heart; but he conquered'himself completely, did not cry a-'drop, and grew quite calm before it ceased—a real bit of courage on principle. ;.- -. There is %n entertaining description of how the Duke of Wellington embarrassed the Queen, one-evening by discussing Cabinet secrets at the top of his voice at tho dinner table: '..... Last evening was-amusing enough," thanks to the Duko of Wellington, who made a great joke by beginning to talk as loud as thunder 'to the Queen, by whom he sat, about a matter of such serious and critical and difficult State importance, that it ought only to have bien alluded to in Cabinet. He was evidently quite unaware how loud ho talked. The Queen blushed over and over, and at last succeeded in screaming out upon some other subject. But he went on: "Yes, Madam. That is what I am driving at, now. Whether .I shall carry my point I am not sure. Lord John ' Bays if-—" etc., etc. Prince Albert cuts an odd figure about the same time as he tries to keep himself warm ono winter day in Windsor Castle: We have been struggling through the coldest day in this winter; so far everybody, from the tailor to Prince Albert,has come in with red nose and tingling fingers. Such a hurricane of north-east wind,-.such dark clouds, absent sun, and hard obduracy. of black frost, I never saw. 'I said to the Prince: "Will your Royal Highness consent to look over the 'quarterly accounts which I have just brought down?" H.E.H.: "Yes, certainly, if you will consent to my doing reel steps all the timo to warm myself. (H.R.H. was actively so doing as he spoke.)' S.L.: "By all means, sir, provided your Royal Highness does not insist on my joining." So we were sportive. ... The Duke of Cambridge at Prayers. Very amusing, again, is the account of tho eccentric: habits of the Duke of Cambridge in his later days; as we' 6eo in a letter:from Osborno in 1850: I am again going, to dine down, to help, to work off the old Duke of Cambridge, who is said to-be-somewhat troublesome, by asking, in; his good Father's tone, such questions as: "How do you get. on here?. Rather; dull, hey?" within two chairs of the Queen at a small table. . . Tho Diike of Cambridge at Chatsworth the other day, on uis knees in fc middle of familv prayers, very loud before tho assembled' household, "A d d good custom this!" Lady Lyttelton is full' of praises for the Queen as a "womanly woman," as may be seen in the, following account of another cold evoning at Windsor Castle:— Tfie Queen'was cold (as indeed had long been all her Majesty's loving subjects and servants then with her) the other evening—tho great, drawing-room having but one of its fires burning, and few people in it. She said, "I am sadly cold. I should like the other firo lighted." Then low to me, "Tell Lai-d Poltimore to go and ask the Prince if he would like the other, fire .lighted." Of course the Prince did lilas it, but the thing, though small; struck mc as-a pretty bit of wifeism. .. . Tho .editor is to be-'thanked for giving in this volume one of the freshed and most entertaining books of 'the kind that have been Dublislied for a long time. .