he Duchess of Kent was an affectionate, impulsive woman, with more
emotional sympathy than practical wisdom in worldly matters. But her
claim on the gratitude of the British nation is that she brought up
her illustrious daughter in habits of simplicity, self-sacrifice, and
obedience.

As a testimony to the sincere appreciation entertained by the
politicians of the time for the way in which the Duchess of Kent had
appreciated her responsibilities with regard to the education of a
probable heir to the Crown of England, we may quote a few sentences
from two speeches made in the House of Commons, in the debate
which took place (27th May 1825) on the question of increasing the
Parliamentary annuity paid to the Duchess, in order to provide duly
for the education of the young Princess.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Robinson, afterwards Lord Ripon,
said:

"The position in which this Princess stood with respect to the
throne of the country could not fail to make her an object of
general interest to the nation. He had not himself the honour
of being acquainted with the Duchess of Kent, but he believed
that she had taken the greatest pains with her daughter's
education. She had been brought up in principles of piety and
morality, and to feel a _proper_ sense, he meant by that an
humble sense, of her own dignity, and the rank which probably
awaited her. Perhaps it might have been fit to have brought
this matter before Parliament at an earlier period."

Mr Canning said:

"All parties agreed in the propriety of the Grant, and if
Government had anything to answer for on this point, it was
for having so long delayed bringing it before the House. There
could not be a greater compliment to Her Royal Highness than
to state the quiet unobtrusive tenor of her life, and that
she had never made herself the object of public gaze, but had
devoted herself to the education of her child, whom the House
was now called upon to adopt."

[Pageheading: EARLY REMINISCENCES]

In the year 1872 Queen Victoria wrote down with her own hand some
reminiscences of her early childhood, the manuscript of which is
preserved at Windsor, and which may be quoted here.

"My earliest recollections are connected with Kensington Palace,
where I can remember crawling on a yellow carpet spread out for that
purpose--and being told that if I cried and was naughty my 'Uncle
Sussex' would hear me and punish me, for which