ubject, the Cabinet are of opinion that
your Majesty's choice could not fall upon any General Officer better
suited to that important position than His Royal Highness the Duke
of Cambridge, and Lord Panmure will have the honour of taking your
Majesty's pleasure upon the matter officially.

It seems quite clear that there is no General Officer senior to His
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge to whom it would in all respects
be desirable to intrust the duties of the command of the Army, and
there is no General Officer below him in seniority who has claim
sufficiently strong to justify his being preferred to His Royal
Highness....

_Queen Victoria to the Earl of Clarendon._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _13th July 1856_.

The Queen wishes to ask, before she sanctions this draft, whether the
Cabinet have fully considered the consequences of this declaration
to the Persians, which may be war;[35] and if so, whether they are
prepared to go to war with Persia, and have provided the means of
carrying it on? The draft itself the Queen approves.

[Footnote 35: The Shah, availing himself of the departure of
the British Minister from Teheran, laid siege to Herat, in
direct violation of a treaty of 1853.]

[Pageheading: THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

OSBORNE, _21st July 1856_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--... We had a delightful little _sejour_ at
Aldershot--much favoured by fine weather. The first day, Wednesday,
the wind was too high for _me_ to ride, but the second (Thursday)
we had one of the prettiest and _most_ interesting field days I ever
remember. I rode about everywhere and enjoyed it so much. On Thursday
and Friday morning we visited the Camp. The new Troops from the
Crimea which we saw were the 34th, 41st, and 49th, particularly fine
Regiments; the 93rd Highlanders, the 2nd Rifle Battalion, and three
Companies of splendid Sappers and Miners, all very fine; and the Scots
Greys and Enniskillen Dragoons. The Prussians[36] were _emerveilles_
at the looks of our Troops on returning from the Crimea! We came here
on the 18th, and have really _hot_ weather.

George has been appointed Commander-in-Chief. There was really _no
one_ who could have been put over him; though in some respects it may
be a weakness for the Crown, it is a great strength for the Army....

I fear I must end here for to-day. Ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 36: The Prince a