endeavour to do himself
the honour of attending your Majesty's pleasure this evening; but it
is possible that he may not be able to find the means of crossing,[60]
in which case he trusts that your Majesty will honour him with an
audience to-morrow (Saturday) morning. Lord Derby trusts he need
not assure your Majesty how deeply he feels the inconvenience and
annoyance which this event will occasion to your Majesty, nor how
anxious will be his desire that your Majesty should be enabled with
the least possible delay to form an Administration possessing more of
the public confidence. He will never cease to retain the deepest and
most grateful sense of the gracious favour and support which he has
on all occasions received at your Majesty's hands, and which he deeply
regrets that he has been unable to repay by longer and more efficient
service.

[Footnote 59: This memorable debate and its sensational
ending, with the notable speeches from Disraeli and Gladstone,
has been repeatedly described. See, _e.g._, Morley's
_Gladstone_ and McCarthy's _History of our own Times_. The
_Times_ leader (quoted by Mr Morley) was cut out and preserved
by the Queen.]

[Footnote 60: To Osborne.]

[Pageheading: LORD DERBY'S RESIGNATION]

_Memorandum by the Prince Albert._

OSBORNE, _18th December 1852._

Yesterday evening Lord Derby arrived from Town formally to tender his
resignation. We retired to the Queen's room after dinner with him
to hear what he had to say on the crisis. He complained of the
factiousness of the Opposition, which he and his Party hoped,
however, not to imitate; was ready to support, as far as he could,
any Administration which was sincerely anxious to check the growth of
democracy. He said his calculations at the close of the Elections
had been found almost to a man verified in the late vote: 286 members
voting with the Government, and these were their regular supporters;
the other half of the House was composed of 150 Radicals, 50 of the
so-called Irish Brigade, 120 Whigs, and 30 Peelites. It was clear
that, if all these combined, he would be outvoted, though none of
these Parties alone numbered as much as half of his. However, he had
heard lately from good authority that the Whigs and Peelites had
come to an agreement, and were ready to form an Administration on
Conservative principles, to the exclusion of the Radicals, under the
lead of Lord Aberdeen. Although only 150 stron