enquire after him, and the answer was,
'He had had a restless night.' All the Privy Councillors seated
themselves, when the folding-doors were thrown open, and the
Queen came in, attired in a plain morning-gown, but wearing a
bracelet containing Prince Albert's picture. She read the
declaration in a clear, sonorous, sweet-toned voice, but her
hands trembled so excessively that I wonder she was able to read
the paper which she held. Lord Lansdowne made a little speech,
asking her permission to have the declaration made public. She
bowed assent, placed the paper in his hands, and then retired.

November 26th, 1839 {p.247}

The Queen wrote to all her family and announced her marriage to
them. When she saw the Duchess of Gloucester in town, and told
her she was to make her declaration the next day, the Duchess
asked her if it was not a nervous thing to do. She said, 'Yes;
but I did a much more nervous thing a little while ago.' 'What
was that?' 'I proposed to Prince Albert.'

The Duke of Cambridge hunted Brougham round the room, saying,
'Oh, by God, you wrote the letter; by God, you did it
yourself.'[11] Brougham is in a state of prodigious excitement.
He has had a reconciliation with Normanby, and another with
Durham--the first at Lady Clanricarde's, the other at Lady
Tankerville's, where they casually met. He was overflowing with
sentiment and eagerness to be friends with both.

[11] [Meaning the letter to Alfred Montgomery which
announced Lord Brougham's death.]

November 27th, 1839 {p.247}

The Queen settled everything about her marriage herself, and
without consulting Melbourne at all on the subject, not even
communicating to him her intentions. The reports were already
rife, while he was in ignorance; and at last he spoke to her,
told her that he could not be ignorant of the reports, nor could
she; that he did not presume to enquire what her intentions were,
but that it was his duty to tell her, that if she had any, it was
necessary that her Ministers should be apprised of them. She said
she had nothing to tell him, and about a fortnight afterwards she
informed him that the whole thing was settled. A curious
exhibition of her independence, and explains the apprehensions
which Lady Cowper has recently expressed to me of the serious
consequences which her determined character is likely to produce.
If she has already shaken off her dependence on Melbourne, and
begins to fly with her own wing