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Show THE YOUNG QUEEN VICTORIA. Her Maj saty's Actions on Being Notified cl the King' Demise. William IV was dead. The archbishop arch-bishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyng-ham Conyng-ham were dispatched to inform the Princess Victoria of the fact. It was a warm night in June. The princess was sleeping in her mother's room, her custom cus-tom from childhood, and had to be summoned sum-moned out of her sleep. The messengers messen-gers awaited her in the long, unlofty room, separated only by folding doors from that which was inhabited by the Duchess of Kent and her daughter. The young girl entered alone, in her nightdress, night-dress, with some loose wrap thrown hastily about her. The moment she was addressed as "Your majesty" she put out her hand, intimating that the lords who addressed her were to kiss it and thereby do homage. Her schooling and her instincts were admirable from the first. Self possession combined with perfect modesty came naturally to her. A few hours later, at 11 o'clock in the morning, the child queen met her council. In the corridor at Windsor there is a picture which commemorates the event. Never, it has been said by an eyewitness, was anything like the first impression she produced or the ! chorus of praise and admiration which was raised about her manner and behavior, be-havior, certainly not without justice. Her extreme youth and inexperience and the ignorance of the world concerning concern-ing her for she had lived in complete seclusion excited interest and curios-ity. curios-ity. Asked whether she wonld enter the room accompanied by the great officers of state, she said she would come in alone. Accordingly when all the lords of the privy council were assembled the folding doors were thrown open, and the queen entered, qnite plainly dressed and in mourning, and tool: her seat for the first time, a young girl among a crowd of men, including al the most famous and powerful of her subjects. She bowed and read her speech, handed to her by the prime minister, Lord Melbourne, Mel-bourne, in a clear and voice and then took the oath for tha security of the Church of Scotland. ' Immediately the priori' councilors were Rworn, the royal Duk6tr)f . Cumberland Cum-berland and Sussex fiftt by themselves. It was observed that as these two old men, her uncles, knelt before her, swear ing allegiance, she blushed np to the eyes, as if she felt the contrast between their civil and natural relations. Her manner was very graceful and engaging, engag-ing, and she kissed them both, and rising ris-ing from her chair moved toward the Duke of Sussex, who was too infirm to reach her. Fortnightly Review. |
