NEW GLIMPSES INTO THE LATE QUEEN'S LIFE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 87, 8 May 1909, Page 4

NEW GLIMPSES INTO THE LATE QUEEN'S LIFE.

EXTRACTS FROM GIRLHOOD i DIARY. I The publication of the "Letters of ! Queen Victoria eighteen months ago caused many critics to relied on Hie euormous power the late yueeu wielded over her Ministers. Lord Esher, who t edited these letters, lately delivered a lecture at tfi e Royal Institute with the | object of showing the immense value to the nation of her late Majesty's inllu!enec. By permission ot the King, Lord Esher, who is keeper of the King's Privy Library, read hitherto unpublished passages from Queen Victoria's diary giving further glimpses of her personality. Queen Victoria's joumais had their birth in a small octavo red-bound volume which her mother gave her on her thir-1 tcenlh birthday. It had "Princess Vic-1 toria" stamped inside. Her first entry as a diarist was: "This book mamma gave mc that I might write the journaj of my journey to Wales.—Victoria." From that day, 24th May, 1832, as Princess and Queen, she wrote her doings and thoughl 6 day by day until within U few weeks of her death.

"Of the Queen's journals," said Lord Esher, "there are altogether over 100 Vfiuines all closely written in her small running hand. Tiie last entry was die- | tated and dated 12lh January, and the I Queen died en 22nd January, l'JOl. These ! I journals will never be seen hereafter in their entirety. Itv the Queen's express wish they have been carefully examined by her youngest daughter, who, with infinite labor, nas copied in her own hand many volumes of them, excising passages which the Queen desired should not be seen by any eye but hers." Iu thc archives' of Windsor, Lord Esher said, there were 1050 volumes of papers and correspondence oi Queen Victoria bound in large folio volumes. There would be another 200 volumes to be added when

the arrangements of the papers was complete. , M *

N !•;«' EXTRACTS FROM QUEEN'S DIARY.

The following ar P some of the new evtracts which Lord Esher read: "Thursday, February 21. 1533. - I awoke at seven and got up at eight. At nine we breakfasted. At 11.30 the dean came till half-past eleven. At ten minutes to twelve we went to pay a visit to Aunt Gloucester. After bnlfpast one we lunched. At two came the Duchess of Northumberland. At three came Mr. Steward till four. At four came Mine. Bourdin till half-past four. At seven we dined. "Atiiine we went to the play to Drnry Lane with Jane, Vietoire, and 'Lchzen' as usual. It was the 'Sleeping Beauty,' or 'La Belle an Bois Dormant,' for we came at the end of 'Don Juan.' The 'Sleeping Beauty' is a very pretty ballet iu three acts, but it would take Hie too much time to enumerate. The principal characters were Princess Iseult, Mile. Duveraav. who is a very nice person; she has a line figure and dances beautifully, so quietly and so gracefully, somewhat in' tile style of Tnglioni. . . We came home at one. I was soon in bed

and asleep." The Princess was only thirteen then. She was just a young, simple girl, enjoying the theatre and fine music with passion, galloping about on her pony, reading history with the Dean of Chester, washing iicr pet dog and making a short abstract of the sermon on Sunday. Three weeks before she was Queen she wrote in her journal:—

"Wednesday, May 2L—To-day is my eighteenth birthday. Ilo«- old! And vci. how far am I from being what I should Ire. I shall from this day take th e firm resolution to study with renewed assiduity, to keep my attention always well fixed on whatever I. am about, and to strive to become every day less trifling and mor c lit for what, if heaven wills it, I'm some day to be." Another entry is that made during the illness of her uncle, William IV.:—

/ "I just heard that the doctors think my poor uncle the King cannot last more than 48 hours! Poor man! lie was always kind to me, and he meant well, I, know. lam grateful for it, and shall ever remember his kindness with gratitude. He was odd, very odd and singular, but his intentions were oTlen ill--interpreted." Two days after her accession her journal strikes a more girlish note:— "Saturday, June 24.—Saw Lord John Russell, Wrote, I really have immensely to do; I receive so many communications from my Ministers, but I like it very much." The following entry refers to the day when she invested the Earl of Durham, Ambassador at St. Petersburg, with the Order of th 0 Grand Cross of the Bath:— "The Sword of State was so enormously heavy that Lord Melbourne, held il for me, and I only inclined it." Before her accession, continued Lord Esher. there was the weekly letter from her unclf. King Leopold, to be read, and perhaps a lecture to be heard in (he pre-

sence of her mother from Baron Stocking. She played with her dolls. There were hundreds of them small dolls. most of which she dressed herself, and ticketed with well-known names of illustrious persons whom she hail seen dining at Kensington Palace or whom she had watched-from th 0 Ducliess of Kent'*' box at the opera. "All these dolls arc carefully preserved, and are alive to this day, numbered ami catalogued in the young Princess's child-hand. "Then suddenly she was Queen. She was suddenly translated from the schoolroom to the most exciting spheres of politics and of regal state. Her companions were (henceforth .Ministers of State. She no longer dressed dolls, but presided at Councils. She. who had spent her mornings with the excellent Dean of Chester reading geography, nowspent her afternoons with Prime Ministers, discussing the affairs of Europe." Coming to the quest ion of her participation ill State affairs. Lord Esher said:-

"I can find no trace of any grave mistake committed by the Queen in her capacity as Sovereign. Perhaps the only fault was her seclusion from 18(11 to 1874, when she allowed her claim as a woman to take precedence to her position as Queen. "She thoroughly believed iu herself as the Sovereign of the realm. She 'took herself seriously,' as the saying f*or-e, She never doubted that the people were her people, that the Ministers' and Parliament, existed to assist her fo govern, and that the country was hers. The crown was not the coping stone but the foundation of the fabric of government." In conclusion Lord Esher said:--"What was the secret, of th,. Queen's innuencc? Her unfailing devotion to duty, her simple regard, and her narrow adhesion to the plain, uiivarni.,hed truth in every action of her long life."