and cousin, Charles Monk. The house and park are charming--quantities of
large, comfortable rooms, and capital shooting. The gentlemen brought
down a great many pheasants yesterday. The party in the house are Lord
and Lady Abinger and Miss Scarlett, Sir George and Lady Chetwode, Mr.
Leveson-Gower, a brother of Lord Granville, with a most polished
courteous manner; a Mr. Price W. Powel, and a young Wm. Gladstone,
nephew of the Premier. Monk has no wife, and three unmarried daughters;
the eldest, Julia, does the honours very well and simply. I absolutely
declined the 9.30 breakfast and asked to have my tea sent up to me.
Yesterday I came down about 12, took a little turn in the garden until
one, and at 1.30 had luncheon. Then we went for a drive to Eastwood, the
Duke of Edinburgh's place. The house is not so large as this, but the
park is charming, with quantities of deer. We had tea when we came
in--some of the gentlemen appeared and we dined at 8, all the ladies
most gorgeous in satin, lace, and diamonds, the girls generally in
white. After dinner we talked a little, then some of them played whist,
and the young ladies sang. This morning the gentlemen have started again
shooting, and I shall sit in my room quite quietly until 12, which gives
me an hour and a half with the ladies before luncheon.
[Illustration: The Dining room of the French Embassy, London,
Showing its Two Famous Gobelin Tapestries]
Thursday, 29th.
W. is off again "running for partridges," whatever that may mean, and at
3 we go back to London. He has a big dinner somewhere to-night.
Yesterday two ladies came over to luncheon, and in the afternoon Julia
Monk and I took a drive in the pony carriage to meet the sportsmen, who
had a very busy day. In the evening we made a little music, Miss
Scarlett played very well. I expect to be very busy all this next week
in London. The workmen will be out of the drawing-rooms, and I shall get
all kinds of little odd tables and chairs and unpack my own bibelots.
The carriages arrive, too, and we must decide about horses. Two English
giants are engaged as footmen, of equal height, to go on the gala
carriage, and we have our own two Frenchmen, one of whom is very tall.
He and Adelaide came down here with us, and Adelaide is much entertained
at the respect with which she is treated. She looked quite a swell
yesterday with her black silk dress, but she says the other maids are
much more dressy, attired in black velvet and satin and open dresses.
Soon there will be nothing left for the mistresses.
I will stop now, as I must be down a little earlier this morning. I hope
you will soon be settled in Washington, and that the children will have
no more scarlet fever or measles complications.
_To H. L. K._
#French Embassy, Albert Gate#,
December 1, 1883.
I am gradually settling down, but everything, hours, service, habits,
servants, is so different that I still feel rather strange. I quite
sympathised with Francis, who was already unhappy at leaving Paris and
his dear "Nounou," and very much put out with his new German governess
who was deadly ill crossing. His woes culminated on arriving at Albert
Gate, when he was solemnly conducted upstairs by a very tall footman to
his room (a nice large nursery and bedroom giving on the Park), and he
wept bitterly and refused to eat any dinner or to have his coat and hat
taken off. A great many people have been to see us, and we shall have
some quiet dinners--and a shooting party at Mr. Monk's one of these
days.
The shooting party at Mr. Monk's was pleasant. He has a fine large house
and capital shooting. The ladies walked about a little and followed some
battues, and everyone assembled in the drawing-room for tea. All the
women in full dress and diamonds for dinner.
Our Harcourt dinner was pleasant. Sir William is charming--such an easy
talker, with no pose of any kind. It is decided that Lady Harcourt
presents me to the Queen. Lady Granville is away, and it falls upon her
as wife of the Home Secretary. Sir William had been to Windsor, and had
told the Queen of the curious coincidence--the French Ambassadress, an
American, presented by the wife of the British Home Secretary, also an
American,[8] and an amie d'enfance of Mrs. Waddington. I had some little
difficulty in finding out what I was to wear (as there is little
etiquette at the English Court upon these occasions), but they finally
told me ordinary visiting dress, so I shall wear my blue velvet. We go
down to lunch and see the Queen afterward.
[8] Lady Harcourt is a daughter of the late John Lothrop Motley, the
historian.
December 7, 1883.
I have had my audience to-day, and will write to you at once while I
still remember it all. First I must tell you about Francis. He heard
someone asking me the other day if I had been yet to see the Queen. I
saw his face change a little, so when we were alone, he said,
tremulously, "Tu vas voir la Reine?" "Oui, mon fils." "Est-elle toujours
si mechante?" "Mais la Reine n'est pas mechante, mon enfant." "Elle ne
vas pas te faire couper la tete?" Evidently his mind had been running on
the Tower of London, where we went the other day, and where the block on
which Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey had their heads cut off was of
course shown. When he heard I was going to see the Queen, his heart
failed him, and I had some difficulty in comforting him, and explaining
that sovereigns in these days didn't have recourse to such extreme
measures (at least in civilised countries. I suppose the Shah of Persia
wouldn't hesitate to dispose of a head that was in his way).
Lady Harcourt and I started for Paddington at 1 o'clock, and got to
Windsor a little before two. We found a landau with two servants in
plain black liveries waiting for us, and we drove at once to the Castle.
It was a beautiful bright day, but snow had fallen heavily in the
country, so that the old gray walls and round towers stood out
splendidly as we drove up. We drove through several courts and finally
drew up at an entrance where there were five servants in the royal red
liveries with crape on their sleeves (all the Queen's household are
always in mourning), a big Highlander in full dress, and a butler in
black who ushered us into a large drawing-room with an enormous
bow-window looking on the Park. Instantly there appeared Lady Erroll,
lady in waiting, and four maids of honour. Lady Erroll shook hands and
introduced the maids of honour, who made us low curtseys. Then came Lord
Methuen--Lord in waiting--and we went at once in to luncheon. Everything
was served on silver plate; there were four footmen and a butler, but
the repast was of the simplest description--an ordinary English
luncheon--roast mutton, fowl, pudding, apple-tart, etc. After luncheon
we talked a little, and then Sir Henry Ponsonby appeared to give Lady
Harcourt her last instructions. It was the first time she had presented
an Ambassadress in a private audience. Precisely at three a servant in
black appeared and said, "Will you come to see the Queen?" Lady
Harcourt, Ponsonby, and I proceeded down a handsome long corridor filled
with pictures, vitrines, of china principally, and old furniture, to a
room at one end where a footman was standing. Sir Henry opened the door,
Lady Harcourt made a low curtsey at the threshold, saying, "I have the
honour to present the French Ambassadress," and then immediately backed
herself out, and I found myself in the room. I made a first low curtsey,
but before I had time to make another the Queen, who was standing in the
middle of the room with Princess Beatrice, advanced a step, shook hands,
and said, with a very pretty smile and manner, "I am very glad to see
you." She asked me to sit down, and talked a great deal, was most
gracious, asked me if I was getting accustomed to the climate and the
stairs, whether I had seen all my "colleagues," and how many children I
had. When I said one little boy whom I had left in London, she asked me
what he was doing; I thought I would tell her about his fears for his
mother's head, so I replied he was trembling at home until his mother
should return. She looked a little surprised, but was really amused, and
laughed when I told her his preoccupations; said, "Poor little boy, how
glad he will be to see his mother back with her head on her shoulders."
Princess Beatrice took no part in the conversation. She looked smiling
and very intelligent. The Queen was very simply dressed in black, with
her white widow's cap and veil, no ornaments, but a gold chain and
pearls around her neck, and a medallion with a portrait of a man in
uniform, whom I supposed to be Prince Albert. I think the interview
lasted about fifteen minutes. Then the Queen arose, shook hands, and
said she hoped my husband and I would like the life in England. Princess
Beatrice shook hands--I backed myself out, and it was over. I was very
much impressed with the Queen's personality. She is short, stout, and
her face rather red, but there is a great air of dignity and
self-possession, and a beautiful smile which lights up her whole face.
I never could find out any minor details in dress, as to taking off
veil, gloves, etc., but I did as I had done with other Royalties and
took off veil and gloves, which I hope was right.
Lady Harcourt and Ponsonby were waiting for me in the corridor, and
seemed to think my audience had been longer than usual--were also
surprised that the Queen made me sit down. It seems she sometimes
receives standing all the time, at a first formal presentation.
As we had some little time before starting for the station, Ponsonby
showed us part of the Castle. The great halls, St. George's and
Waterloo, are very fine, and it was interesting to see the great
pictures which one has always seen reproduced in engravings--the Queen's
Marriage, Coronation, Reception of King Louis Philippe, Baptism of the
Prince of Wales, etc. One room was beautiful, filled with Van Dycks. We
went back to the station in the same carriage, and Lady Harcourt and I
talked hard all the way home. It was certainly a very simple affair; as
little etiquette as possible, but the Castle was fine. The old gray
fortress and its towers and crenellated walls, the home of the sovereign
who lives there with little pomp and few guards--guarded by her people,
in the same Castle, and the same surroundings as when she began her long
reign, a mere girl. When one thinks of all the changes she has seen in
other countries--kingdoms and dynasties disappearing--one can realise
what a long wise rule hers has been. It is such a contrast to my last
Royal Audience at Moscow, which now seems a confused memory of Court
officials, uniforms, gold-laced coats, jewelled canes (I can see one of
the Chamberlains who had an enormous sapphire at the end of his staff),
princes, peasants, Cossacks, costumes of every description, court
carriages, Russian carriages, the famous attelage of three horses, every
language under the sun, and all jostling and crowding each other in the
courts of the Kremlin--with its wonderful churches and domes of every
possible colour from pink to green--only soldiers, soldiers everywhere,
and the people kept at a distance--very unlike what I have just seen
here.
Sunday, December 16, 1883.
This afternoon we have had our audience of the Prince and Princess of
Wales--W. and I together. We got to Marlborough House a little before 4,
and were shown at once into a room on the ground floor, where we found
Miss Knollys and a gentleman in waiting. In a few minutes Sir Dighton
Probyn, comptroller of the household, appeared and took us upstairs to a
large, handsome salon. He opened the door, and we found the Prince and
Princess standing. The room was filled with pretty things. The Princess
was dressed in blue velvet (I too--I daresay Fromont made both dresses),
and looked charming, no older than when I had seen her in Paris three or
four years ago, and with that same beautiful slight figure and gracious
manner.
[Illustration: J J Jusserand Counsellor of the French Embassy, 1883
Recently appointed French Ambassador to the United States
From a photograph by Walery, Paris]
While the Prince and W. were talking she asked me a great deal about
Moscow and the Coronation, and particularly if the Empress was well
dressed always, as she had been rather bothered with the quantity of
dresses, manteaux de cour, etc., that she was obliged to have. The
Prince remembered that I was the granddaughter of Rufus King, who had
been United States Minister to London under George III. He was very
pleasant, with a charming, courteous manner. The Princess instantly
referred to Francis and his fears for his mother's head, of which she
said the Queen had told her.
Friday, 21st.
This afternoon we had tea with the Duke and Duchess of Albany. She is a
German Princess, and was rather shy at first, but when the tea came it
was easier. The Duke is very amiable, talks easily. He looks, and is, I
believe, delicate. We have a few dinners before us, and I am gradually
getting to know all my colleagues. Mohrenheim is Russian Ambassador;
Muenster German; and Nigra Italian. Muenster is practically an Englishman.
His second wife was Lady Harriet St. Clair, a sister of Lord Rosslyn. He
is evidently English in his tastes and habits, rides regularly in the
Park, and drives a coach with four chestnuts that are known all over
London. Mr. Lowell is United States Minister, and is much liked and
appreciated in England. Mrs. Lowell is in bad health and goes out very
little.
_To H. L. K._
#Albert Gate#,
January 5, 1884.
This afternoon we had our audience from the old Duchess of Cambridge. We
found her in handsome rooms in St. James's Palace, and one lady in
waiting with her. She was lying on a sofa--she is very old,
eighty-four--has seen and known everyone, and talks easily both French
and English. It really seemed a page of history to listen to her. She
asked us to come back, and Lady G. told us that when she felt well,
visits were a great pleasure to her, and also that she was always glad
to see any members of the French Embassy.
We got home to tea--and then I had various skirmishes with the servants.
It really is difficult to make French and English servants work
together. The butler is an Englishman, and directs all the men of the
house. It is not easy to make the Frenchmen take their orders from him.
They all want to be in direct communication with me. There are always
two together in the hall--one Frenchman and one Englishman, and the
result of that is that when anything goes wrong, and the bell is not
answered, the Frenchman tells me he was not there, it was the
Englishman's turn; and of course the Englishman the same--so now I have
told Holmes (the butler) to make me out a regular paper every Monday
with the men's names and their hours of service--Yves et George, 10-12;
William and Charles, 12-2--I hope that will work. As to Hubert he hasn't
driven me yet. He goes about London all day in a brougham, with one of
those non-descript English servants, half French, half English, that we
got from the British Embassy in Paris. I find the domestic part of the
Embassy rather a bore, but I suppose things will settle down. The
housemaids are a delightful institution, though I was amazed upon
inquiring one day from my own maid as to who was a young lady with a red
velvet dress, and a large hat and feathers, I had met on the stairs,
when she replied, "C'est Alice, Madame, la seconde fille de chambre." It
seems that my maid remonstrated with her for spending her money on
clothes, to which she replied that all housemaids in big houses dressed
like that, and that she herself would be ashamed if she dressed as
plainly as my maids. The two thrifty Frenchwomen were scandalised.
[Illustration: The Duchess of Cambridge
From a photograph by Walery London.]
#London#,
January 9, 1884.
I paid a visit to-day to the Dowager Lady Stanley of Alderley. I found
her at her tea-table in her drawing-room, with Mr. Gladstone having his
cup of tea with her, and talking easily and cheerfully about all sorts
of things (never a word of politics); no one would have imagined that he
was to make a great speech that evening in the House. He really is an
extraordinary, many-sided man. In the course of conversation the talk
fell upon the Roman Catholic religion, and its extension in many
countries, _particularly in America_. He said, turning to me, that a
great friend of his, an American, Mr. Hurlbert, certainly the most
brilliant talker he had ever heard, and one of the most intelligent, had
told him how much the Roman Catholic religion was gaining ground in the
Northern States of America. I rather demurred to his statement, even
though it came from Mr. Hurlbert. His intelligence and brilliancy are
undeniable, but I should have thought his views were a little fantastic
at times. "I rather agree with you," said Mr. Gladstone; "but I have
recently had letters from my friends Bishop P. of New York, Bishop A. of
Massachusetts, and other distinguished Churchmen in the United States,
who tell me that the Roman Catholic religion is making certain progress;
their preachers are so clever, and know so well how to adapt themselves
to the liberal views they must have in America." We then talked some
time about the various Bishops and clergymen he knew in America, the
slight difference between the two Prayer Books, etc. One would really
have thought it was a Church of England clergyman, who has passed all
his life studying theological questions. A few moments after something
turned his thoughts in another direction, and he was discussing with
Lady Stanley the translation into English of an Italian sonnet which he
thought was badly done. "Too literal, really not understanding the
poetry, and the beautiful imagination of the writer." It was
extraordinary. I was rather mortified when he asked if I knew the two
Bishops. I didn't, but it is fair to say he understood when I said how
many years I had been away from America.
Lady Stanley is a delightful old lady. She has seen and known everyone
worth knowing in Europe for the last fifty years, and it is most amusing
to hear her down-right way of talking. She was killing over the
"Professional Beauties," a style of modern woman she couldn't
understand. She asked me to come in again and have a cup of tea with
her, and I shall certainly go, as one doesn't hear such talk every day.
We dined with Mr. Childers, and there was a big reception in the
evening, with all the celebrities of the Liberal party, the Harcourts,
Hayters, Lord Northbrook, Tennyson (son of the poet), and many others,
but of course in a crowd like that one can't talk. I hope I shall
remember the faces. About 11 o'clock we went on to Lady Stanhope's,
where there was a big reception of the Conservative party. There I found
the Lyttons and some few people I knew, and many more were presented.
They were all talking politics hard; said the Ministry couldn't last
another week, as there is to be a vigorous attack on them in both Houses
on Tuesday. Everyone says the Lyttons are going to Paris when Lord Lyons
leaves. She will be a charming Ambassadress, and he is so fond of France
and so thoroughly well up in French literature that they will be
delighted to have him in Paris.
The political talk was exactly like what I have heard so often in Paris,
only in English instead of in French, and the men talking more quietly,
though they abused one another well, and with less gesticulating. Also
they don't carry politics into private life as they do with us; the men
of opposite sides lavish abuse upon each other in the House, but there
it ends, and they meet at dinner and chaff each other, and the wives are
perfectly intimate. In France there is a great gulf between parties,
even moderates, royalists, and republicans, and I was astounded when I
first mixed in political life in France to see people in society turn
their backs upon some perfectly distinguished, honourable gentleman
because he had not the same opinion as themselves in politics.
_To H. L. K._
#Sandringham#,
January 12, 1884.
We arrived this afternoon at two o'clock, and I am writing in my room,
as we have come up to bed, and the gentlemen have retired to smoke. We
came down at 2-1/2, found a saloon carriage reserved for us, and the
Mohrenheims installed--father, mother, and daughter. We got to Wolverton
at six, one of the Prince's gentlemen was waiting for us with two or
three carriages and footmen. We had all sent our servants and baggage by
an earlier train, as it had been suggested to us. The house looked large
and handsome as we drove up. The party was assembled in a great hall,
with a long low tea-table at which the Princess presided. It was easy
enough, and I should think a nice party. The Goschens, Lady Lonsdale,
the Master of Magdalen, Lord Carlingford, and others. The three young
Princesses, Prince Eddy, and the Prince were all there. We talked some
little time and then the Princess said Miss Knollys would show us our
rooms. I found two large comfortable English rooms opening into each
other, a blazing coal fire in mine, which I immediately proceeded to
demolish as much as I could. Miss Knollys had told us not to bring low
dresses--merely open bodices.
We went down to the drawing-room about 8-1/2, and a little before 9 the
Prince and Princess and Prince Albert Victor (better known as Prince
Eddy) came in. The dinner was handsome and pleasant, footmen in royal
red liveries, men in black in culottes and silk stockings, and a
Highlander in full dress, who stood behind the Prince's chair, and at
the end of the dinner walked solemnly round the table playing the
bagpipes. The evening was pleasant. The Prince showed us the new
ballroom just redecorated with Indian stuffs and arms, and at 11 we went
upstairs with the Princess, bidding her good-night at the top of the
stairs, and the men went to the smoking-room.
Sunday.
This morning we went to church, the ladies in an omnibus with the
Princess and her three daughters, and the gentlemen walked across the
Park, the Prince appearing as the sermon began. It is a pretty English
country church in the grounds. In the afternoon we walked about the
grounds; I was much interested in the large stables, where there are
certainly over fifty horses.
We had changed our dresses after lunch for walking, and the Princess
looked marvellously young in her short walking skirt and little toque.
One could hardly believe she was the mother of her big son, twenty-one
years old. After the walk we assembled again in the big hall for tea, a
substantial meal with every variety of muffin, crumpet, toast, cakes and
jam that can be imagined, but it seemed quite natural to consume
unlimited quantities after our long walk. The Princess and English
ladies were in very dressy tea-gowns, velvet and satin with lace and
embroidery; Madame de Mohrenheim and I in ordinary tailor costumes. The
evening was pleasant; I remarked the absence of the Highland piper at
dinner, and asked the Prince if he was not going to play. "Oh, no," he
said, "not on Sunday, he certainly wouldn't; I shouldn't like to ask him
to, and if I did I am sure he wouldn't do it." We all leave to-morrow,
the Prince going with us to London. We have enjoyed our visit very much,
the Princess always charming and lovely to look at, and the Prince a
model host, so courteous and ready to talk about anything.
Monday.
We got off this morning at 11 o'clock. There is one curious custom. The
Prince himself weighs everyone, and the name and weight are written in a
book. Some of the ladies protested, but it was of no use, the Prince
insisted. One young lady weighed more than her father, and was much
mortified.
I went downstairs to breakfast, which I don't generally do; I keep to my
old habit of a cup of tea in my room. It was a most informal meal. None
of the Royal family appeared, except Prince Eddy, who was going to hunt,
and his red coat made a nice patch of colour. All the rest of us sat
down anywhere, and the servants brought the menu. We travelled up with
the Prince in his private car, and had luncheon in the car, served by
two tall footmen, and everything on silver plate and hot. The Prince
himself quite charming, talking a great deal, and seeing that everyone
had enough to eat. I should think all servants, railway guards, and
small functionaries generally would adore him. He has always a pleasant
word and a smile.
_To H. L. K._
#Albert Gate#,
January 31, 1884.