for _he insisted_ on a _Bourbon_, _because_ he declared he
would _not_ marry one of his sons to the Queen; and now he effects the
Queen's marriage with the worst Bourbon she could have, and marries
his son to the Infanta, who in all probability will become Queen!
It is very bad. Certainly at Madrid [Palmerston] mismanaged it--as
Stockmar says--by forcing Don Enrique, in spite of all Bulwer could
say. If our dear Aberdeen was still at his post, the whole thing would
not have happened; for he would _not_ have forced Enriquito (which
enraged Christine), and secondly, Guizot would not have _escamote_
Aberdeen with the wish of triumphing over him as he has done over
Palmerston, who has behaved most openly and fairly towards France, I
must say, in this affair. But say what one will, it is _he again_ who
_indirectly_ gets us into a squabble with France! And it is such a
personal sort of a quarrel, which pains and grieves me so; and I pity
the poor good Piat,[23] whom we are very fond of. One thing, however,
I feel, that in opposing this marriage, we are not really affecting
his happiness, for he has never seen the Infanta--and she is a child
of fourteen, and not pretty. The little Queen I pity so much, for
the poor child dislikes her cousin, and she is said to have consented
_against her will_. We shall see if she really does marry him.
Altogether, it is most annoying, and must ruffle our happy intercourse
with the French family for a time at least.

I was obliged to write very strongly and openly to poor dear Louise
too. You may rely upon nothing being done rashly or intemperately on
our part. Lord Palmerston is quite ready to be guided by us. In haste,
ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

We go into our new house to-day.

[Footnote 23: A name by which the Duc de Montpensier was
sometimes called in the family circle.]

_Baron Stockmar to Queen Victoria._

_18th September 1846._

Baron Stockmar has been honoured with your Majesty's kind note of the
17th instant. The very day the Baron heard of the Spanish news, he
wrote to a man at Paris, whom the King sees as often as he presents
himself at the palace. In this letter the Baron stated _fairly and
moderately but without palliation_ in what light M. Bresson's conduct
must necessarily appear _in London_, and what very naturally and most
probably _must be the political consequences of such conduct_.

The Baron's statement was read to the King, word for wo