ation to their misfortunes have met with
much sympathy! The Queen is consequently anxious to take the right
line; particularly desirous to do nothing which could hurt the
interests of the country, and equally so to do everything kind towards
a distinguished Royal Family in severe affliction, with whom she
has long been on terms of intimacy, and to whom she is very nearly
related. She accordingly wishes to know if Lord John sees any
objection to the following: She has asked her Cousin, the Duchess of
Nemours, to come for two or three nights to see her at Osborne when
she goes there, _quite_ privately; the Duchess of Kent would bring her
with her. The Duke will not come with the Duchess, as he says he feels
(very properly) it would be unbecoming in him till their fate (as to
_fortune_, for _banished_ they already are) is decided, to be even
for a day at Osborne. The Duchess herself wishes not to appear in the
evening, but to remain alone with the Queen and the Prince.

The Queen considers that when she is _staying_ in the country during
the summer and autumn, and any of the branches of the French Royal
Family should wish to visit her and the Prince, as they occasionally
do here, she might lodge them for one or two nights, as the distance
might be too great for their returning the same day. They are exiles,
and _not Pretenders_, as the Duc de Bordeaux and Count de Montemolin
are (and who are _for that reason only not received at Court_). In all
countries where illustrious exiles related to the Sovereign have been
they have always been received at Court, as the Duc de Bordeaux, the
Duchesse d'Angouleme, etc., etc., invariably have been at Vienna (even
on public occasions), there being a French Ambassador there, and the
best understanding existing between France and Austria. The Duke of
Orleans (King Louis Philippe) in former times was constantly received
by the Royal Family, and was the intimate friend of the Duke of Kent.
Probably, if their fortunes are restored to them, the French Royal
Family will go out into society in the course of time, and if the
state of France becomes consolidated there may no longer exist that
wish and that necessity for _extreme_ privacy, which is so obvious
now. What the Queen has just mentioned, Lord John must well
understand, is not what is _likely_ to take place (except in the case
of her cousin, the Duchess of Nemours) immediately, but only what
might occasionally occur when we are permanent