The Education of a Royal Princess.
Volume 11, 1900, pgs. 247-251
[We have long wished to present our readers with some memorial of the early days of our beloved Queen, feeling that every mother would read between the lines, and learn something from the "Education" of this "Princess." A quaint little volume bound in green watered silk, published at the date of the Accession, has come into our hands, which appears to answer our purpose. It is called Victoria; An Anecdotal Memoir of Her Majesty.--Ed.] [Google dates this from 1838; an author's name has not been found.--Proofreader.]
(Continued from pg. 181.)
IV.
Journey to Malvern
"The Duchess of Kent having determined upon a residence at Malvern during the present season, the removal of their Royal Highnesses thither was attended with much more publicity and state than had hitherto been observed in their visits to Ramsgate or Tunbridge Wells. The Duchess arranged to halt for a day or two at Birmingham, in order to show the youthful Princess the various manufactures of that celebrated city, and nothing could be more gratifying than the manner in which this object was accomplished; or indeed, than the whole progress of this interesting journey. One feeling of delight animated the thousands assembled in the various towns to greet the royal ladies; and although all the streets through which they passed were literally thronged with spectators, the greatest order and good humour universally prevailed; whilst the joy-breathing shout that welcomed them in every direction, and the respectful demeanour of the assembled multitudes, appeared to reciprocate these feelings of heartfelt pleasure in the bosoms of the illustrious visitors.
"Their Royal Highnesses expressed themselves much interested in everything they saw at Birmingham; but the processes of glass-blowing and of coining seemed particularly to fix the attention of the youthful Princess; the respectable inhabitants were freely admitted, under proper regulations, to all these institutions during the progress of the royal visitors, and had thus an opportunity of observing, not only the person and manners of the heiress presumptive, but the intelligent interest with which she entered into the passing scene. It was remarked with pleasure, that she attended closely to everything that was offered to her notice, frequently asking very pertinent questions, and drawing shrewd conclusions. Her powers of attention appeared extraordinary for her age, and her memory extremely retentive, which, indeed, phrenologists would infer from the prominency of her eyes.
Residence at Malvern
"Their Royal Highnesses occupied Hollymount, the seat of Thomas Woodyatt, Esq., during their abode at Malvern, and here for ten weeks the young Princess enjoyed the invigorating air of these beautiful Downs, and free exercise unrestrained by the trammels of etiquette; their excursions, however, were by no means confined to the immediate vicinity of their residence, for they favoured Worcester several times with their presence, inspecting its far famed porcelain manufactories, making extensive purchases, attended its triennial music meeting in the Cathedral, the first appearance of the Princess in a large public assembly, and joined with much apparent zest in the amusements of its race-course; they also visited Hereford and Cheltenham, and condescended to partake of a dejeune (breakfast), in company with a select circle, at the seats of several of the nobility in the neighbourhood.
"On the route homewards their Royal Highnesses made a most agreeable tour, visiting Gloucester, Clifton, Bath, Devizes, Salisbury, Southampton and Portsmouth. At the latter place the young Princess was shown the Royal George yacht, and the St. Vincent man-of-war; and also, in company with her mother, took a lengthened survey of the Dock-yard establishment, every branch of which excited her highest interest.
Malvern Anecdote
"Walking one day on the downs, the Princess amused herself (as was her frequent habit) by running on before her mother and governess, accompanied by her beautiful dog, Pero, till she overtook a little girl of about her own age, of the peasant class, but neatly dressed, with whom probably she wished to enter into conversation, or otherwise really thinking that her dog was fatigued, she thus addressed her young companion, 'My dog is very tired, will you carry him for me if you please.'
"The good natured child, quite unconscious of the exalted rank of the applicant, immediately complied, and taking the dog in her arms, tripped alongside the Princess for some time in cheerful chat; at length she said, 'I am tired now, and cannot carry your dog any longer.'
"'Tired!' said the Princess, 'impossible, think what a little way you have carried him.'
"'Quite far enough,' was the unceremonious reply; 'besides, I am going to my aunt's, and if your dog must be carried, why cannot you carry him yourself?' So saying, she replaced Pero on the grass, and he again joyfully frisked beside his royal mistress.
"'Going to your aunt's,' said the Princess, 'and who is your aunt?'
"'Mrs. Johnson, the miller's wife.'
"'And where does she live?'
"'In that pretty little white house, which you see just at the bottom of the hill;' and the youthful pair stood still that the Princess might make sure she was right, thus giving time for the Duchess and the Baroness Lehzen to come up to them.
"'Oh! I should like to see her,' exclaimed the merry Princess, 'I will go with you, so let us run down the hill together.'
"'No, no, my Princess,' said the Baroness, taking her Royal Highness's hand, 'you have conversed long enough with that little girl, and now the Duchess wishes you to walk with her.'
"At the word Princess, the peasant child, blushing and trembling, earnestly begged pardon for the liberties she had taken, but was kindly thanked by the Duchess for her trouble in carrying the Princess Victoria's dog, and recompensed by the gift of half-a-crown. She curtsied her thanks, and ran briskly to her aunt's, where she related all that had passed, and particularly dwelt upon the apprehension she had felt, when she found that it was the Princess whom she had desired to carry her dog for herself. The half-crown was afterwards framed, and hung up in the homely parlour as a memento of this pleasing adventure.
The Regency Bill
"The first act of King William's new Parliament, was a provision for the government of the country in case of the death of the King, during the minority of his successor. This question, which had been discussed in all sorts of assemblies, both public and private, for some months past, was decided in the most satisfactory manner to all parties. The Duchess of Kent was invested with the regency solely, and without restriction, from the period of the King's death to that of the completion of the 18th year by the Princess her daughter. The testimony borne to the character and conduct of the Royal Duchess, by the most eminent men in both Houses of Parliament, and the perfect unanimity with which this act was passed, are proud records for the mother of our Queen to look back upon; and it is not too much to assert that every word uttered within those walls on the occasion was re-echoed by the country at large, which rejoiced in the opportunity of offering so worthy a tribute of gratitude to the illustrious lady for the unwearied assiduity and zeal, the tenderness and judgement she had hitherto evinced in that important and precious charge, the education of her royal daughter, for the almost fearfully exalted station to which it appeared that, in all human probability, it would ultimately please Providence to call her.
The Dean of Chester
"Soon after the accession of Earl Grey to office, his lordship proposed to the Duchess of Kent, by the King's desire, the appointment of a dignitary of the Church to preside over the education of the young Princess; and suggested to her Royal Highness's approbation, the Bishop of Lincoln, as a proper person to be entrusted with so important a charge. Her Royal Highness commissioned his lordship with her grateful thanks for the interest the King had graciously expressed in the welfare of her august daughter; and stated that she perfectly coincided in his Majesty's views as regarded the propriety of the Princess's establishment being headed by a dignitary of the Church, adding, however, that she felt the most perfect satisfaction at the progress of her education, under the able tuition of her present preceptor; 'But my Lord,' said her royal highness, with that dignity of manner for which she is so remarkable, 'there can surely be no difficulty in preferring Mr. Davys to the dignitaries of the Church.' In consequence of this conversation, Mr. Davys was very shortly preferred to the Deanery of Chester.
The Duchess of Northumberland
"The appointment of this high-born, amiable, and accomplished lady to the office of governess, afforded universal satisfaction to the nation; one more worthy of, or better qualified for, the important trust confided to her, could scarcely have been selected from the whole circle of British nobility. The Queen Adelaide and the Duchess of Kent united their efforts to prevail upon her Grace to accept the appointment, and having once succeeded in giving her consent to the arrangement, the attentions of the Duchess to her Royal Charge were unremitting. Every day, whilst resident in London, she passed several hours in the society of the young Princess, who soon became most affectionately attached to her; and during the absence of the Duchess on her annual visits to the North, an interesting correspondence was always kept up between them. The Baroness Lehzen, however, still retained her importance in the household of the Princess, and forwarded with assiduity and skill all the plans of the Royal Mother and the Duchess of Northumberland. On occasions of the public appearance of the Heiress Presumptive, the Duchess invariably attended her, forming a most dignified and appropriate addition to her suite.
Opinion of Queen Elizabeth
"It was when the Princess was about twelve years old, that the Bishops of London and Lincoln, at the especial request of the Duchess of Kent, examined into the progress of her Royal Highness's education, and they were enabled to send a most highly satisfactory report to the King of her proficiency in all those branches of study which were included within the limits of their inquiry. The good disposition and excellent discrimination of the Princess were eminently evinced in her answer to one of the Right Reverend Prelates, who, observing that her Royal Highness had been lately reading the history of England, asked what opinion she had formed of Queen Elizabeth? The Princess, with the modesty and timid deference which forms so interesting a part of her character, immediately replied, 'I think that Queen Elizabeth was a very great Queen, but I am not quite sure that she was so good a woman.' Their Lordships considered that her Royal Highness's capacity was extraordinary for her years, her facility at learning appeared to be very great, and her acuteness so remarkable, that in a company of fifty person she would have her eye upon all, and know how each was employed.
(To be continued.)
Proofread by LNL, Jul. 2011