An impressive religious ceremony might certainly be made of it at St.
Paul's, even if the actual Funeral Service should not be read on the
occasion....

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Derby._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _23rd October 1852._

Shortly after the formation of Lord Derby's Government, the Queen
communicated to him a Memorandum respecting the necessity of attending
to our national defences on a systematic plan. The Queen would now
wish to hear how far we have advanced in this important object
since that time. Lord Derby would perhaps call on the General
Commanding-in-Chief, the Master-General of the Ordnance, and the First
Lord of the Admiralty, as well as the Home Secretary, to make a report
upon this. It will soon be necessary to consider what will have to
be done for the future to complete the various plans. The Queen is
no alarmist, but thinks that the necessity of our attending to our
defences once having been proved and admitted by Parliament and two
successive Governments, we should not relax in our efforts until the
plans then devised are thoroughly carried out.

[Pageheading: LOUIS NAPOLEON]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _26th October 1852._

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--... I must tell you an anecdote relating to Louis
Napoleon's entry into Paris, which Lord Cowley wrote over, as going
the round of Paris. It is: that under one of the Triumphal Arches a
Crown was suspended to a string (which is very often the case) over
which was written, "_Il l'a bien merite_." Something damaged this
crown, and they removed it--_leaving_, however, the _rope_ and
_superscription_, the effect of which must have been somewhat
edifying!

It is not at all true that foreign Officers are not to attend at the
funeral of the dear old Duke; on the contrary, we expect them from
Prussia, Austria, and Russia, and the Duke of Terceira (whom we shall
see to-night) is already come from Portugal to attend the ceremony.

I must now conclude. With Albert's love, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Malmesbury._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _8th November 1852._

As we seem to be so near the declaration of the Empire in France, and
as so many opinions are expressed on the subject of the title to
be assumed by Louis Napoleon, the Queen is anxious to impress Lord
Malmesbury with the importance of our not committing ourselves on this
point, and not giving our allies to