ence, and is in fact a natural thing; it is, however, impossible
to say if we _can_ get away even for so short a time.

The Queen concludes that there can be no possible objection to the Duc
de Nemours bringing or fetching the Duchess to and from Osborne? He is
the Queen's Cousin, and consequently in a different position to any
of the others; moreover, he does _not_ wish _at present_ to spend one
_night_ there even, but merely to pay a morning visit.

Lastly, the Queen wishes to know if the King and Queen and the other
Princes and Princesses _should themselves_ ask to come and pay the
Queen a morning visit at Osborne, and return again the same day (as
they do here), there would be any objection to it? The Queen merely
wishes to know, in _case they_ should ask leave to do so, what she can
answer.

[Pageheading: COMMISSIONS IN THE ARMY]

_Queen Victoria to Sir George Grey._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _14th July 1848._

The Queen has received Sir George Grey's letter of yesterday, and
has considered the proposed alteration in the mode of preparing
Commissions for Officers in the Army. The Queen does not at all object
to the amount of trouble which the signature of so many Commissions
has hitherto entailed upon her, as she feels amply compensated by the
advantage of keeping up a personal connection between the Sovereign
and the Army, and she very much doubts whether the Officers generally
would not feel it as a slight if, instead of their Commissions
bearing the Queen's sign-manual, they were in future only to receive
a certificate from the Secretary at War that they have been
commissioned.

She therefore prefers matters to remain on their old footing.

The Secretary at War speaks in his Memorandum of his responsibility to
Parliament with respect to allowing Appointments to go on; the
Queen apprehends that his responsibility does not extend beyond the
appropriation of the money voted by Parliament for the use of her
Army.

_The Princess Charlotte of Belgium to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _18th July 1848._

MY DEAREST COUSIN,--I have received the beautiful dolls' house you
have been so kind as to send me, and I thank you very much for it.
I am delighted with it; every morning I dress my doll and give her a
good breakfast; and the day after her arrival she gave a great rout at
which all my dolls were invited. Sometimes she plays at drafts on her
pretty little draft-board, and every evening I undress her and