The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-10-07
How Queen Victoria Cut Up in Paris.

The purpose of the queen in proceeding to Swtzer-
land was to preserve complete incognito and there
fore she travelled under the title OF the Countess of
Keut Her intention was communicated to Lord Lyons
British ambassador in Paris, with intmation that,
having few hours to remain in that city, She her fam
ily and suite would rest the embassy house. wbc b
is palatial mansion situated in its own grounds, in
the Rue des Faubourg St. Forore, with the Champs
Eysees adjoining the back or garden facade. Napo- |
leon respecting her desire to avoid ostentaon pub
city, had proper arrangements made for her recep
ton ct Cherbourg, the port at Hhch she landed on
Wednesday, August 5. There is railroad thence to
Paris but its "rcing stock" does not include sleeping
car. To remedy this, Napoleon had one sent on from
the Paris and Havre line, and placed at her disposal
Napoleon himself was far away at Plombers, but tel
egran from him. expressing welcome and good wishes,
reached her landing. On arriving at the Paris ter
minus early next morning, Lord Lyons received her
and the moment she got into his carriage she pulled
down its blinds to prevent any seeing her. and in
this chulsn manner, driven to the British embas-
sy where rooms had been tastetuy prepared for her
accommodation Of course, certain account of what
occurred there has been published but there
has been much, gossip about it in Paris and
London 1t is stated that entering her room
at the embassy, the queen angriy but silently waived
every body out or it, and remained there, wholly soil
tay, uti breakfast, at which meal only such of her
children with her, allowed to join her
The moment that repast was ended Victoria betook
herself still entirely alone the garden OF the embas
sy, without making any change in her travelling Dress
and sitting beneath the shadow of great tree, applied
herself to book which had belonged to her late hus
band.
Napoleon was at Pomberes, which is one hundred
and ninety three miles distant from Paris But Eugene
was at Fonaineb!eau, and had ntmated through Lord
Lyons that she proposed to have the pleasure Of paying
visit to Victoria 1t is declared and has not been
contradcted that Victoria in very positive manner
| refused to change the dress, considerably rumped
which chad during her voyage Cherbourg and
| during her night Journey from Cherbourg to Paris
The empress paid her the promised visit, which lasted
about three quarters of an hour, and attred as
usual in elegant dress. The empress's carriage was
preceded by courier, and when he reached the en-
bassy word conveyed to fine queen who, throwing
down her book, went into the hall OF the mansion and
received her, Then their respective suites went into
drawing room, while the two soveregns conversed to-
gether by themselves in an adjacent apartment. The
children were sent for, and Victoria, when she intro
duced them to Eugene, is reported have said Use
your gracious influence on the emperor, madam, pre-
vent war which tears children from mothers.' This
hint rather damped the conversation, and Eugene re-
| turned after. Victoria returned to her book in
the garden, and Eugene returned to the Palais-de
IElysee Napoleon, which is within few doors of the
British embassy. There, it is alleged, Eugene, who
had changed her morning travelling for "a
dress of violet satin and black lace with bonnet of
lace and an agrette of feathers Zone portion Of our
readers may desire information ths) when che went
to call upon Victoria waited for an hour and twenty
minutes in expectation of visit from Victoria
and then her patience exhausted changed her dress
and returned to Fontaiuebleau. The leading Paris
journals complain Of Victorias marked ncyility and
! public opinion warmly sympathzes with Eugene.
Gaidnani's Messenger which is intensely British in
feeling, attempted to Victoria, the plea that
| etiquette prevented her, as countess of Kent, from
breaking her incognto by returning the imperial visit
La France sharply retorted: at would appear that
etiquette plays great part in the incognito of English
soEcrelgns, greater indeed than When they in the
| full and public exercise OF their royal power"
lie Gauios atiirtns that etiquette all the other
way, and commanded the return of the visit for
nothit could exceed the exquisite grace with which
the empress begged the queen, tatgued she with
| travelling not to the Elysee; and it was not
without difficulty that her imperial majesty obtained
from the queen, and personal favor to herself this
breach Of etiquette" But this is inconsistent with the
declaration that Eugene waited hour, in full
dress, tor Victoria whose residence, at the time was
only two three hundred yards distant If Eugene
had arranged that her visit be returned she
would not have done this. The Figaro says that the
incident Is of real Dportance;" but, amid all these
conflicting statements, the only fact to be positively
gathered is that preparations made receive the
queen at Eysee, and that she did not go the exact
reason why must be left to history La Presse positive
ly declares that the queen to have returned the
visit at the Eysee where every preparation had been
made fo- her, as announced But at the last mo-
ment an indisposltion, brought by the thunder
storm, which burst over Paris about O'clock pre-
vented her from going. The empress accepted this
excuse"
But this same Presse not being particularly strong
in its repororal Department. took it for granted that
the retain visit had been paid gave long and minute
description OF the queen and suite going to the Eysee
in four carriages of the empress receiving her majesty
the foot of the grand Staircase Of the dresses
By the queen and Processes the occasion of the
banquet in a state-room spenddly decorated with
flowers and tapestry, and Of the brannew dinner
vice brought for the festival. Next day it apollo
gsed for having allowed this imaginary report have
"spped into it's columns" 1t is further stated that
after the departure of Eugene, Lord Lyons ventured
to approach Victoria still in the garden, and to remind
her that the empress expected her visit, had pre-
vously been arranged and that Victoria replied very
petulanty, that the empress, who must have how
very i'll she (Fctorla was could not be so unreasona
bic to expect her, and that in word she would not
60 She then abruptly left the garden, retreated to
her room and remained there until summoned to din
ner to which meal, to breakfast on the same day
none but her children sat down with her. Even
| Lord Lyons her ambassador, her personal and
political representative to France was not asked to
join that very exclusive party After dinner they
started for Switzerland, taking the Srasburg which is
the longer route rather than the direct route by Lyons
1t is given a for this, that the Lyons railway
passes by Fontainebleau, where the empress resd
ing and that etiquette would have required the queen
to stop there.