The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-05-04
Queen Victoria.
An Englishnnan's Views of the Royal Fam
lily Of To-day.
London Letter to the New York Tribune.

London Letter to the New York Tribune.
The German idea of sovereignty was early
implanted in the queen. Her father was
kind of idiot with special tendency toward
military drin and uniform Her mother OF
the house of Leiningen had been first mar
ried to the prince of HohenIohe-Langenbu
and had children, which explains how Prince
Victor of Hohenlohe, better known as Couns
Gleichen, is her nephew. This amiabIe gen.
tleman, by the way, is an admiral in the
royal navy, and clever draughtsman and
sculptor. The queens mother was a decid-
| eddy clever woman, very masterful and ag-
| gressiVe. She easily outliYed both her hus-
bands, and was very fully impressed with
her dignity as mother of the heir apparent
to the English throne, and lived at daggers
drawn with William the Fourth, on whom
she looked with contempt which was rich
| ly merited, for he was quite as imbecile as
| the duke of Kent without being so respecta
BILE. Intellect and decency did not go to-
| gether among the children Of George the
Third; but idiocy and indecency we're com
| bined in. at least, the duke Of Clarence, af-
terward William the Fourth Charles Gre
vile, the "Gruncher" has told us that the
duke of York, whose whole life was a scan
dal, was the only one of the royal princes
who possessed the manners Of an English
gentleman; and 1t is significant that not one
| OF our present princes wears the title of
| York, Kent, or Clarence. Greville has told
| us Of the Indignation of old William at the
seclusion in which the duchess Of Kent kept
the Princess Victoria. This seclusion from
court full Of the kings Legitimate chill
dren was perhaps wisely maintained, but 1t
did not prevent the queens early romance
the Elphinstone affair, before Prince Al
berts time-and her jealousy of the latter,
which led to the crael treatment Of the I'M
fortunate Lady Florence Hastings. In ruth,
Victoria was kept entirelyin leading strings,
and German leading strings, until the death
of her husband. At first il was the duchess
of Kent, then Leopold Of Belgium and Stock
mar, and next the prince consort, who re.
lieved her OF the trouble of thinking on po-
litical subjects.
/ was too young at the time to know much
of the prince consort, but relative of mine
in WHOSE judgment have very great conf
dence tells me that the prince was simply
"pragmatical German schooImaster." In
stead Of listening to what Englishmen who
knew their country had to say, this conceit-
ed foreign prig laid down the law in the
dullest talk that can be imagined. Wit or
humor found no resting place in a dpll me-
thodic brain crowded with half truths and
dreary formulas The English mobiles whom
he had the nsolence TO treat with remote
hauteur felt toward him mixture Of hatred
and contempt. He said one stupid thing
aud did several which settled his place in
the English mind. His observation that In
country like England constitutional gov
eminent is on its trial." his interference In
the dispatch-box matter, and his attempt to
override Lord Palmerston decided English
opinion in spite of the army Of sycophants
who lifted their voices from South Kensing-
ton in solemn hymns Of praise.
There can be no doubt that the queen felt
his loss far more acutely than wives gener-
ally do the death of their husbands. She was
left absolutely alone, for the German diyi-
sion had completely segregated her from her
natural friends. 1t is absolutely certain
that. except to John Brown and Lord Bea-
consfield, she has never spoken unreserved-
ly to any person since Alberts death. She
found herself left alone in her despair, and
she remained alone. Her husbs nd, on whom
England looked as milksop because he
was a wretched horseman and cared little
for field sports, was unbearable as compan
ion, and had gradually driven away every
soul whose companionship was worth hay-
ing mus far a certain amount Of pity may
be felt for the queen; but bel ond this 1t can
hardly 90. When her husband died she was
Of mature years, but not too old TO form new
friendships. What did she do? For six or
seven years she dwelt in absolute seclusion,
signing indispensable papers but taking
part in no public ceremony She was In
1act absolutely dead to her subjects.