but perceived that his rank as
a Major-General and youth would hardly entitle him to such an
advancement. He would have carried no weight with the public, and we
must not conceal from ourselves that many attacks on the Army which
have been sleeping on account of the Duke will now be forthcoming.

Victoria wishes the Army to mourn for the Duke as long as for a member
of the Royal Family.

Lord Derby proposes a public funeral, which cannot take place,
however, before the meeting of Parliament in November. He is to find
out how this is to be accomplished on account of the long interval.

The correspondence here following[42] shows what doubts exist as to
the person in whom the Command of the Army is vested in case of a
vacancy. I consider Lord Palmerston's letter as a mere attempt
to arrogate supreme power for his Office,[43] which rests on no
foundation. The Secretary at War has no authority whatever except over
money, whilst the Commander-in-Chief has no authority to spend a penny
without the Secretary at War.

ALBERT.

[Footnote 42: These letters, which are of no special
importance, contained a statement from Lord Palmerston to the
effect that the appointment to the Commandership-in-Chief was
vested in the Secretary at War.]

[Footnote 43: Lord Palmerston had held the office of Secretary
at War from 1809 to 1828.]

[Pageheading: THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BALMORAL, _17th September 1852._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I am sure you will mourn _with us_ over the loss we
and this whole nation have experienced in the death of the _dear_ and
great old Duke of Wellington. The sad news will have reached you, I
doubt not, on Wednesday or yesterday. We had gone on Wednesday, as I
had mentioned, to our little Shiel of Allt-na-Giuthasach to spend
two days there, and were enjoying ourselves very much on a beautiful
expedition yesterday, and were sitting by the side of the Dhu Loch,
one of the severest, wildest spots imaginable, when one of our
Highlanders arrived bringing a letter from Lord Derby (who is here),
confirming the report which we had already heard of--but entirely
disbelieved--and sending me a letter from Lord Charles Wellesley,
saying that his dear father had only been ill a few hours, and had
hardly suffered at all. It was a stroke, which was succeeded rapidly
by others, and carried him off without any return of consciousness.
For _him_