e to bless her loving relations with her presence on this earth
of grief and troubles! It is a heavy dispensation, and one that it is
difficult to comprehend, but we must submit.

I thought it best to write to my poor dear Aunt, for whom this will
be a sad blow; but I abstained from doing so to the dear Queen of the
French just as yet. I have no letters, and only learnt the melancholy
event by the papers. Poor wretched Alexander! What a loss, what a
change for him, poor fellow!

_You_ will, I am sure, regret that sweet amiable creature, as poor
Marie was, very much, having known her so well, and her attachment to
you was great.

I will not prolong this letter, but merely repeat _how_ much I feel
for you all, and beg you to believe me, your most affectionate Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 8: Princess Marie of Orleans, born 1813, sister to
the Queen of the Belgians, had married Prince Alexander of
Wuertemberg, in 1837.]

[Pageheading: HOLLAND AND BELGIUM]

_The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._

LAEKEN, _18th January 1839._

... Your Aunt as well as myself are very anxious to be of use to poor
Alexander. The dispositions of the whole family are extremely
kind towards him, but he is shy and a little helpless; his present
melancholy situation is of course calculated to increase this.
His position puts me in mind of mine in 1817.... He, besides, is
surrounded by people who are kind to him. Of George IV., then Regent,
it was observed that for years he had not been in such good
spirits than by the loss of his daughter. She was more popular than
himself--that was, since her mariage, her only crime....

I feel very grateful for Lord Melbourne's kindness on the subject of
our sad loss. He is so feeling and kindhearted that he, much more than
most men who have lived so much in the _grand monde_, has preserved a
certain warmth and freshness of feeling....

Your cousins kiss your hands, and I remain, my dearest Victoria, your
devoted Uncle,

LEOPOLD R.

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

STANHOPE STREET, _27th January 1839._

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and
returns to your Majesty the accompanying papers which he received
from Viscount Melbourne. Your Majesty will have seen by Sir Edward
Disbrowe's[9] despatches that the concentration of Dutch troops
mentioned in these reports was purely defensive, and was the
consequence of the military d