cult to
speak with certainty. He was under the impression that in the reign of
Queen Anne, Prince George had occasionally held Levees on the part
of the Queen during the Queen's indisposition, but on searching the
_Gazette_ of the time he cannot find any record of this.

_Queen Victoria to Sir Robert Peel._

CLAREMONT, _19th March 1843._

The Queen has received Sir Robert's letter, and quite approves of his
suggestions concerning the Levees. The Prince is quite ready to do
whatever may be thought right, and the Queen wishes Sir Robert to
act upon the plan he has laid before her in his letter of yesterday.
Perhaps it would be right before making anything public to consider
the question of Drawing-Rooms likewise, which are of such importance
to the trades-people of London. It would be painful for the Queen to
think that she should be the cause of disappointment and loss to
this class of her subjects, particularly at this moment of commercial
stagnation. The Queen conceives that it would be the right thing that
the same principle laid down for the Levees should be followed with
regard to Drawing-Rooms, the Prince holding them for her. The Queen is
anxious to have soon Sir Robert's opinion upon this subject. The Queen
on looking at the almanac finds that _only_ the _two_ next weeks are
available for these purposes _before_ Easter.

_Sir Robert Peel to Queen Victoria._

WHITEHALL, _27th March 1843._

Sir Robert Peel presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and hastens
to reply to your Majesty's note of this date.

Sir Robert Peel assures your Majesty that he does not think that there
is the slightest ground for apprehension on the occasion of the Levee,
but Sir Robert Peel will, without the slightest allusion to your
Majesty's communication to him, make personal enquiries into the
police arrangements, and see that every precaution possible shall be
taken.

He begs, however, humbly to assure your Majesty that there never has
reached him any indication of a hostile feeling towards the Prince.
It could only proceed from some person of deranged intellect, and he
thinks it would be almost impossible for such a person to act upon it
on the occasion of a Levee.

It may tend to remove or diminish your Majesty's anxiety to know
that Sir Robert Peel has _walked_ home every night from the House
of Commons, and, notwithstanding frequent menaces and intimations of
danger, he has not met with any obstruction.

H