nd justly to
make a handsome donation to all of them at the present moment, taking
care that this should be used by the different establishments for
their permanent extension. Five thousand pounds amongst them would
be by no means an unreasonable sum to give as a token of the interest
taken in the well-being of these brave men when no immediate return in
shape of service was expected for it.

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

OSBORNE, _21st May 1856_.

The Queen is very anxious about the fixing of our Peace establishment
both for the Army and Navy. Although Lord Hardinge's proposals are
before the Government already for some time, no proposal has yet been
submitted to the Queen; and on enquiry from Sir C. Wood, he stated
but two days ago that no reduction of the Navy was yet settled. On
the other hand, the Queen sees from the Chancellor of the Exchequer's
speech that he specifies the sums by which both Army and Navy
estimates are to be reduced. This _prejudges_ the whole question,
and will deprive the Government of all power freely to consider
these important questions. The Queen was, moreover, sorry to find
Mr Disraeli, Mr Gladstone, and Sir Francis Baring agreeing with the
doctrine of the _Times_ and Lord Grey that we ought _not_ to improve
our state of preparation for war; and if we had been better prepared
for the late war, we should have been still more disappointed.[29]

[Footnote 29: In the course of an elaborate reply, Lord
Palmerston stated that the country had never been in a better
condition of defence than at the present time, but he insisted
that the Militia, which from 1815 to 1832 had been allowed
to become extinct, must be maintained in an efficient
state--120,000 strong.]

[Pageheading: TITLE OF PRINCE CONSORT]

[Pageheading: PRECEDENCE OF PRINCE ALBERT]

_Memorandum by Queen Victoria._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _May 1856_.

It is a strange omission in our Constitution that while _the wife_
of a _King_ has the highest rank and dignity in the realm after her
husband assigned to her by law, the _husband_ of a _Queen regnant_
is entirely ignored by the law. This is the more extraordinary, as
a husband has in this country such particular rights and such great
power over his wife, and as the Queen is married just as any other
woman is, and swears to obey her lord and master, as such, while by
law he has no rank or defined position. This is a strange anomaly.