the Duc de Berri, and known formerly as
the Duc de Bordeaux. (See _ante_, vol. i., 9th October, 1843,
note 72). The Duc de Nemours denied all knowledge of the
rumoured visit, and thought its importance had been exaggerated.]

_The Earl of Aberdeen to Queen Victoria._

LONDON, _17th January 1854._

... With respect to your Majesty's custom of seeing the French Royal
Family, Lord Aberdeen humbly thinks that there is no good reason
for making any change. It has always taken place without parade or
ostentation; and knowing, as Lord Aberdeen does, that no political
object is in view, he would feel ashamed to advise your Majesty to do
anything at variance with that sympathy which your Majesty has been
careful to keep within the bounds of prudence and moderation....

Lord Aberdeen hopes that he may venture to congratulate your Majesty
on the commencement of a change with respect to the newspaper attacks
upon the Prince. He observed the article, to which your Majesty
refers, in the _Morning Chronicle_ of yesterday; and he believes he
may certainly say that it was written by Mr Gladstone, although he
would not wish it to be known. There was also a very sensible letter
in the _Standard_ of last night, signed D. C. L. This is the signature
always assumed by Mr Alexander Hope,[6] in his contributions to the
Press, and Lord Aberdeen does not doubt that it is written by him.
It is only a wonder to find it in such a quarter; and it shows some
disposition on the part of that scurrilous paper to alter its course.
There is perhaps no great objection to the papers dealing with the
subject as they think proper, before the meeting of Parliament,
provided the _Times_ takes no part at present; for as this paper is
supposed to be influenced by the Government, this belief would injure
the effect of anything that might appear in its columns.[7]...

[Footnote 6: Mr. A. J. Hope (afterwards Beresford-Hope), at
this time out of Parliament, had written over the signature
"D.C.L." a series of letters to the Press on the Papal
claims.]

[Footnote 7: On the re-assembling of Parliament, the charges
against the Prince were at once refuted by the Prime Minister
and Lord John Russell; and his right to assist the Queen
completely established by those Ministers, with the
concurrence of Lord Derby and Mr Walpole, on behalf of the
Opposition, and Lord Campbell, the Chief Justice of the
Queen'