THE PRINCESS IN HER TEENS.
Visits paid to many parts of England--Love of Cathedrals and Church
Music--Trip to North Wales and the Midland Counties--Visit to a Cotton
Mill--To Oxford--Gala Day at Southampton--Interview with the Young
Queen of Portugal--Confirmation of the Princess--Tour to the
North--York Musical Festival--At Ramsgate with the King of the
Belgians--A Noble Deed at Tunbridge Wells.
In the year subsequent to the coronation of King William, the Duchess of
Kent and her daughter spent much time in making visits to various parts of
England. We have already seen that they were in the Isle of Wight at the
date of the coronation. The same year, they spent some time at Worthing,
and visited Lord Liverpool and his daughters at Buxted Park, whence they
proceeded to Malvern, where their liberal relief of distress caused them
to be much beloved. While at Malvern, they visited the cathedral at
Worcester. Cathedrals were especial favourites with the Princess, and
Church music gratified her as much as ecclesiastical architecture. To the
public institutions of the cathedral cities which she visited she was an
invariable benefactress, and willingly beggared herself of all her
pocket-money that she might be the better able to meet the demands of art,
science, literature, and poverty upon her benevolence. This year they also
visited Hereford and Bath, and were magnificently entertained by the Earls
Somers and Beauchamp, at Eastnor Castle and Maddresfield Court.
[Sidenote: AN AUTUMNAL TOUR.]
In 1831, they sojourned for a time at Claremont, in the Isle of Wight, and
at Weymouth. The next year chronicled a more extensive autumnal tour than
any hitherto undertaken. To North Wales they repaired first. Having seen
its romantic beauties, they reached the ancient city of Chester on the
17th of October and on entering the cathedral were respectfully received
and courteously addressed by the Bishop. The Duchess of Kent thus replied
to the welcome of the Prelate:--"I cannot better allude to your good
feeling towards the Princess than by joining fervently in the wish that
she may set an example in her conduct of that piety towards God, and
charity towards man, which is the only sure foundation either of
individual happiness or national prosperity." From Chester they proceeded
to Eaton Hall, the palatial residence of the Grosvenors and thence to
Chatsworth, the still more splendid abode of the Cavendish family. From
Chatsworth they went to Belper, where they examined the cotton mills of
the Messrs. Strutt, and were most cordially received by the numerous
factory hands. Mr. James Strutt, by means of a model, explained to the
Princess the several processes of cotton-spinning, which she listened to
with keen attention and ready apprehension. The Queen retained a lively
and fragrant recollection of this visit; and, years after, she created the
son of her _cicerone_ a peer, by the title of Lord Belper. The week
following they visited Hardwicke Hall, Chesterfield, and Matlock. Thence
they proceeded to Shugborough, the seat of the Earl of Lichfield. Their
next honoured entertainer was the Earl of Shrewsbury, at Alton Towers.
While there, they visited Lichfield Cathedral and graciously received
congratulatory addresses from the clergy and corporation. Their next stage
was the seat of Lord Liverpool, who was one of the staunchest friends of
the Duchess of Kent, of whom his daughter, Lady Catherine Jenkinson, was
one of the Ladies-in-waiting. Proceeding homewards, they honoured with
successive visits Earl Powis, the Hon. R. H. Clive, M.P., the Earls of
Plymouth and Abingdon. From the seat of the latter they went to Oxford,
which city they entered with an escort of yeomanry. The Vice-Chancellor
presented an appropriate address in the Theatre, which was crowded with
the celebrities of the University. The Duchess of Kent made the following
answer:--
We close a most interesting journey by a visit to this University,
that the Princess may see, as far as her years will allow, all that is
interesting in it. The history of our country has taught her to know
its importance by the many distinguished persons who, by their
character and talents, have been raised to eminence by the education
they have received in it. Your loyalty to the King, and recollection
of the favour you have enjoyed under the paternal sway of his house,
could not fail, I was sure, to lead you to receive his niece with all
the disposition you evince to make this visit agreeable and
instructive to her. It is my object to insure, by all means in my
power, her being so educated as to meet the just expectation of all
classes in this great and free country.
Their Royal Highnesses returned to Kensington on the 9th of November.
In 1833, the rambles of mother and daughter did not extend beyond the
south coast; Portsmouth, Weymouth, and the Isle of Wight being the
respective halting-places. While residing at Norris, East Cowes, they
attended the ceremony of opening the new landing-pier at the fast rising
port of Southampton. A steamer towed the Royal yacht from Cowes into
Southampton Water, where were waiting a deputation, representing the
corporation of the town, in an eight-oared barge, with one of the
town-sergeants standing with the silver oar in the leads. The deputation
having stated the object of the day's ceremonial, the Duchess of Kent
replied to the effect that she desired her daughter early to become
attached to works of utility. They were then rowed ashore, amid the cheers
of 25,000 spectators, and entertained at luncheon; subsequently, being
requested to name the pier, the Duchess designated it the "Royal Pier."
Countless festivities followed in the evening, and "the townspeople were
almost as proud of the presence of the Princess, as of the completion of
their pier."
[Sidenote: THE PRINCESS AND A WIDOWED ACTRESS.]
The year 1834 was that in which the Princess was confirmed. This holy rite
was administered by the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the Chapel Royal, St.
James's, in July. Next month, mother and daughter visited Tunbridge Wells;
the month following they went northwards, visited the Archbishop of York
at Bishopsthorpe, and attended the grand musical festival in his
cathedral. On their homeward route, they were entertained by the Earls of
Harewood and Fitzwilliam, and the Duke of Rutland; passed some time with
the King and Queen of the Belgians, at Ramsgate, and finally visited the
Duke of Wellington at Walmer Castle. An incident which occurred during
their stay at Tunbridge, must not be omitted from our biography. The
husband of one of the actresses in the small theatre of the place died,
leaving an impoverished wife, who was just about to become a mother. The
fact came to the knowledge of the Princess, and she applied to her mother
for aid. She at once gave L10 to her daughter, who added an equal sum from
her own purse; she became her own almoner, hastened to the afflicted
woman, conversed with her, and continued to make inquiries about her
condition. Nor did this end her care. When she came to the throne, three
years later, she at once sent to the poor woman a kindly intimation that
an annuity of L40 would be paid to her for life.
Another series of visits, and renewed intercourse with the much-loved
uncle and his young Orleanist wife at Ramsgate, filled the autumnal months
of 1835.