The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-23

corning her." says this writer, naturally
excited intense curiosity to see how she
would act on this trying occasion. and
there was a considerable assemblage at the
| palace. notwithstanding the short notice
which was given" She was taught by
Lord Melbourne how to proceed Bowing
to the lords. she took her seat, and thes
read her speech without apparent fear or
embarrassment. She was dressed in
mourning, and as plain as any young lady
OF the land would have been dressed on
meeting her lawyers or advisers in the
matter of an estate. At IL o'clock she
presided at the meeting Of the council
When the first occasion came for her to
sign her name, she wrote simply Victoria,
ignoring her other name. Alexandria.
1t is said. on the authority OF Mr.
Greville. that the Duke of Kent gave
his daughter the name of Alexandria in
compliment to the Emperor OF Russia.
Others of the dukes family and the royal
household had planned TO name her
Georgiana Victoria. out Of compliment
to her ancestors. the Georges, but her
father insisted on giving her the name
of Alexandria. The Georgiana was
omitted. because 1t was felt that the name
Of George could never be made second
airy to any other name. The fact that
she signed herself simply Victoria was
noted at the time by the members Of the
council and the attendants, and was
warmly approved by the nation. The first
signature attached to the article of al
legiance was that of the Duke OF Cumber-
land, the eldest surviving son of George
III, who, upon the accession of Queen
Victoria. took the crown of Hanover.
A year and eight days interviewed be-
tween the young Queens accession and
the formal ceremonies of coronation, the
latter taking place on June 2s, 1885, Dur
ing this time no change was made in the
administration. The Queen resided at
Windsor. and took only such part in the
Government as was absolutely necessary.
Miss Martineau, in her diary, writes as
follows Of the Queen at this period: 1T
SO happened that I never saw her when
she was not laughing and talking and
moving about. AT a tragedy, or going to
banquet. or to dissolve her predeces-
1t was not pleasant to see her when Ma
cready's Lear was filling all other
hearts and eyes, chatting to the Lord
Chamberlain, and laughing, with her
shoulder turned up to the stage. l was
indignant, like a good many other peo-
pie. but in the fourth act | saw her at
tention fixed. and then she laughed no
more"
From the vivacious girl. who was always
Laughing and talking and moving about, )"
she was greatly changed before the arst
two years of her reign were completed.
The cares and perplexities OF her new es-
tate reduced her in that time to refec-
tive woman, who seemed to be rapidly
OUTLYING the years OF her age. The critic
before quoted notes that "the expression
Of her face WAS wholly altered. 1t bad te-
Come bold and discontinued. That was, it
is supposed the least happy part OF her
life. Released from salutary restraints eff
youth. fattered and pampered by the elat-
ed Wings who kept her to themselves,
misled by Lord Melbourne, and not yet
having found her home, she was not like
the same girl she was before, nor the
same woman she has been since. Her
mother had gone off the scene, and Ter
husband had not come on. The Wings
about her made great boast OF the Obli-
cations she was under to Lord Melbourne,
but the rest of the world perceives that
all her serious mistakes we're made while
she was in Lord Melbourne's hands, and
that all went well after she was ,once