being the chief rebel leaders. The British Fleet was ordered
to the Tagus to support the Queen against her subjects, with
the ulterior object of restoring Constitutional Government.]

[Pageheading: ETON MONTEM]

_Lord John Russell to Queen Victoria._

DOWNING STREET, _19th November 1846._

... Lord John Russell breakfasted with Dr Hawtrey yesterday, and had
much conversation with him. He finds Dr Hawtrey strongly impressed
with the evils of Montem, and he declared himself as decidedly against
its continuance. He thinks your Majesty would please the Etonians
equally by going to the boats once a year, which he said the late King
was in the habit of doing. The Chancellor of the Exchequer,[28] who
was at Eton, wishes to see Montem abolished. Lord Morpeth would prefer
seeing it regulated. Upon the whole, Lord John Russell thinks it would
not be advisable for your Majesty to interpose your authority
against the decided opinion of Dr Hawtrey, the Provost, and the
assistants.[29]

[Footnote 28: Mr (who a few weeks later became Sir) Charles
Wood.]

[Footnote 29: Montem, the triennial Eton ceremony, the chief
part of which took place at Salt Hill (_ad montem_), near
Slough, was abolished in 1847.]

[Pageheading: A PENINSULAR MEDAL]

_Queen Victoria to the Duke of Wellington._

OSBORNE, _25th November 1846._

The Queen has learned from various quarters that there still exists a
great anxiety amongst the officers and men who served under the Duke
of Wellington's orders in the Peninsula to receive and wear a medal as
a testimony that they assisted the Duke in his great undertaking. The
Queen not only thinks this wish very reasonable, considering that for
recent exploits of infinitely inferior importance such distinctions
have been granted by her, but she would feel personally a great
satisfaction in being enabled publicly to mark in this way her sense
of the great services the Duke of Wellington has rendered to his
country and to empower many a brave soldier to wear this token in
remembrance of the Duke.

[Pageheading: THE DUKE'S VIEW]

_The Duke of Wellington to Queen Victoria._

STRATHFIELDSAYE, _27th November 1846._

Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents his humble duty to your
Majesty.

He has just now received your Majesty's most gracious commands from
Osborne, dated the 26th instant.

He does not doubt that many of the brave officers and soldier