ay bring many things
round again.

The weather is beautiful, and I wish much we could fly over to pay our
respects to you on your dear birthday.

The papers are just come, and I see there is no doubt of Louis
Napoleon's election, which I am very glad of, as it is a sign of
better times. But that one _should have to wish for him_ is really
wonderful.

Now good-bye, dearest Uncle. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _19th December 1848._

MY DEAREST, KINDEST UNCLE,--Your dear letter, full of interesting
topics, which I received yesterday, gave me great pleasure, and
I thank you much for it. The success of Louis Napoleon[51] is an
extraordinary event, but valuable as a universal condemnation of the
Republic since February.

It will, however, perhaps be more difficult to get rid of him again
than one at _first_ may imagine. Nemours thinks it better that none
of themselves should be _called_ into action for some time to come.
I fear that _he feels_ now that they _ought_ to have _foreseen_ the
dangers in February, and _ought not_ to have yielded; when I said to
him that the Pope had declared that he would _never_ quit Rome, and
_did so do_ the _very next day_, he said: "Ah! mon Dieu, on se laisse
entrainer dans ces moments." Louise said to me that _her Father_ had
so _often declared he would never quit Paris alive_, so that when she
heard of his flight she always believed it was untrue and he must be
dead....

[Footnote 51: He was elected President on the 10th of
December, by an immense majority.]

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN AND PALMERSTON]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _22nd December 1848._

The Queen has been waiting to receive an answer from Lord John Russell
upon her last letter, and has therefore delayed sending the enclosed
letter from Lord Palmerston.[52] But lest any further delay might
cause future inconvenience, she sends it now without having received
Lord John's answer. The Queen is sure Lord John will feel that neither
Lord Palmerston nor Lord Normanby have shown a proper regard for the
Queen's wishes and opinion in this matter. Lord Normanby's Despatch
shows that the step to be taken with reference to an Ambassador to be
sent here is avowedly for the purpose of controlling the future action
of the Queen's Government, and to _oblige her_ to keep a _permanent_
Ambassador at Paris in the perso