ION AT CLAREMONT]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

CARLTON GARDENS, _3rd March 1848._
(3 P.M.)

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs
to state that General Dumas has just been with him to announce that
the King and Queen of the French landed this morning at Newhaven,
having been brought over in the Steam Packet Express, in which they
embarked at Havre yesterday evening about eight o'clock.

General Dumas says that till the morning of their arrival at Dreux the
King and the Queen imagined that the Comte de Paris had succeeded to
the Throne, and that the Duchess of Orleans had been declared Regent;
that when they heard that a Republic and a Provisional Government had
been declared they thought it unsafe to remain at Dreux; and that they
then separated in order to go by different roads to Honfleur, where
they were to meet at a small house belonging to a friend of
General Dumas. At that house they remained for some days, until Mr
Featherstonhaugh opened a communication with them. The King then
removed to Trouville in order to embark from thence in a manner which
Mr Featherstonhaugh had arranged, and he remained there two or three
days for that purpose; but the weather was too stormy, and prevented
his departure. In the meanwhile the people of Trouville found out who
he was, and their demonstrations of attachment became inconvenient.
He therefore returned to Honfleur, and the arrangements were altered.
Yesterday evening at seven o'clock the King, the Queen, and General
Dumas came to the ferry-boat which plies between Honfleur and Havre,
and were met by the Vice-Consul, who treated the King as uncle of
the Consul. On landing at Havre the King walked straight down to the
Express Packet, which was lying ready; the Queen went separately,
and after making a slight round through the streets of Havre embarked
also; the Packet then immediately started, and went into Newhaven in
preference to any other port, because no Packets start from thence
for the French coast. General Dumas says that the whole party were
unprovided with anything but the clothes they wore, and he was going
to the King's banker to provide funds to enable him to come to town,
and said that the King begged him to apologise for his not having
at once written to your Majesty to thank your Majesty for the great
interest which your Majesty has taken in his safety, and for the
assistance, which he has received for his es