g years. Also to the children, who I hope were
pleased with the prints, etc.

We have got young Prince Nicholas of Nassau here, a pretty, clever boy
of nineteen, with a good deal of knowledge, and a great wish to learn
and hear, which is a rare thing for the young Princes, of our day in
particular. I must stop now, as I fear I have already let my pen
run on for too long, and must beg to be excused for this voluminous
letter.

With Albert's love ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _30th December 1851._

The Queen has received Lord John Russell's letters of yesterday. She
quite agrees with him and his colleagues in thinking it of importance
to strengthen the Government, and she is pleased with his proposal to
communicate with the Duke of Newcastle as to what assistance he and
his friends can give to the Government.

The Queen expects better results from such a negotiation, with an
ostensible head of a Party, than from attempts to detach single
individuals from it, which from a sense of honour they always felt
scruples in agreeing to.

[Pageheading: THE _TE DEUM_ IN PARIS]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _31st December 1851._

The Queen sees in the papers that there is to be a _Te Deum_ at Paris
on the 2nd for the success of the _coup d'etat_, and that the Corps
Diplomatique is to be present. She hopes that Lord Normanby will be
told not to attend. Besides the impropriety of his taking part in such
a ceremony, his doing so would entirely destroy the position of Lord
John Russell opposite Lord Palmerston, who might with justice say that
he merely expressed his personal approval of the _coup d'etat_ before,
but since, the Queen's Ambassador had been ordered publicly to thank
God for its success.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

TO CHAPTER XXI

Early in 1852, the Whig Government, impaired in public credit by the
removal of Lord Palmerston, attempted once more a coalition with the
Peelites, office being offered to Sir James Graham; the overtures
failed, and soon, after the meeting of Parliament, the ex-Foreign
Secretary, whose version of the cause of his dismissal failed to
satisfy the House of Commons, succeeded in defeating the Government on
their Militia Bill, affairs in France having caused anxiety as to the
national defences. The Government Bill was for the creation of a