EHZEN]

Another person who had a large share in forming the Queen's character
was Louise Lehzen, the daughter of a Hanoverian clergyman, who came
to England as governess to Princess Feodore of Leiningen, Queen
Victoria's half-sister, shortly before the Queen's birth. In 1824
she became governess to the Princess Victoria. In 1827 George IV.
conferred upon her the rank of a Hanoverian Baroness. When the Duchess
of Northumberland, in 1830, was appointed the Princess's official
governess, she remained as lady in attendance. The Princess was
devoted to her, but "greatly in awe of her." She remained at Court
after the accession till 1842, without holding an official position,
and then returned to Germany, where she died in 1870.

[Pageheading: BARON STOCKMAR]

Baron Stockmar was another of the interesting personalities who came
into very close contact with the Queen in her early years. He was
forty-nine at the time of the accession, but he had come to England
more than twenty years before as private physician to Prince Leopold.
He endeared himself to the Princess Charlotte, who died holding his
hand. He afterwards became Prince Leopold's private secretary, and
took a prominent part as the Prince's representative in the successive
negotiations with regard to his candidature for the thrones of Greece
and Belgium. Upon the accession of Queen Victoria, Stockmar joined
the Court in a private capacity, and for fifteen months he held an
unofficial position as her chief adviser. There was a general feeling
of dislike in the minds of the English public to the German influences
that were supposed to be brought to bear on the Queen; and Lord
Melbourne found it necessary to make a public and categorical denial
of the statement that Stockmar was acting as the Queen's private
secretary. But the statement, if not technically, was virtually
true. Stockmar lived at Court, had interviews with the Queen and her
Ministers, and though he industriously endeavoured to efface himself,
yet there is no doubt that he was consulted on most important
questions. In 1838, he had been entrusted by King Leopold, with the
Queen's knowledge and consent, with a mission of great delicacy: he
was asked to accompany Prince Albert on a tour in Italy, with the idea
of completing his education, and in order to satisfy himself that
the Prince would be a worthy Consort for the Queen. This task he
discharged admirably, and became the most confidential and trusted o