THE QUEEN IN HER HIGHLAND HOME.
The Queen as an Author--"The Early Years of the Prince
Consort"--"Leaves from the Journal of our Life in the Highlands"--Love
for Children of all Ranks--Mountain Ascents on Pony-back--In Fingal's
Cave--"The Queen's Luck"--Salmon-spearing, and a Catastrophe attending
it--Erection of a Memorial Cairn--Freedom of Intercourse with Humble
Highlanders--Visits to Cottagers--"Mrs. Albert"--Travelling
Incognito--Highland Dinners--"A Wedding-Party frae Aberdeen"--A
Disguise Detected.
Early in January of the year 1868, Queen Victoria added her name to the
distinguished roll of Royal authors. In the year preceding, there had been
published a work entitled, "The Early Years of the Prince Consort," in
which the life of her revered and lamented husband is traced from its
beginning, down to the first period of their common wedded life. On the
title-page of this work appears the name, as author, of General the
Honourable Charles Grey, a gentleman who accompanied the Prince in a tour
to Italy before his marriage, and who has ever since remained attached, in
high capacities, to the Royal Household. This book, to which we have been
indebted for important materials reproduced by us at certain of the
earlier stages of our narrative, was published with the sanction of Her
Majesty, and its compiler received from his Royal Mistress most, if not
all, of the materials which he very tastefully combined. But the Queen
did not appear in it as author _in propria persona_, save in the instance
of certain occasional notes and addenda to which her imprint is attached.
The work published in 1868, on the other hand, "Leaves from the Journal of
Our Life in the Highlands," is entirely, save a brief editorial
introduction, from the Queen's pen. It is precisely, as its name imports,
a series of extracts from a journal kept from day to day, and extended
from Her Majesty's earliest married days far into those of her widowhood.
Special passages are, in addition, given from similar diaries, which
recorded yacht trips to the beautiful estuary of the Tamar, to the Duchy
of Cornwall, and to the Channel Islands. There is also furnished a very
sparkling and vivacious record of the Queen's first visit to Ireland, in
1849, which will be found duly recorded by us in a previous chapter.
Nothing charms more in these pages than the love displayed for all young
people--for the writer's own sons and daughters, who are described by
their home pet names; "Vicky," and "Bertie," standing, for example, for
Victoria and Albert--for the infant child of a ducal entertainer, depicted
as "a dear, white, fat, fair little fellow," and "such a merry,
independent little child"--or for the children of humble cottagers at
Balmoral, for "Mary Symons and Lizzie Stuart dancing so nicely; the latter
with her hair all hanging down." When the Queen and Prince and the
children land at Dundee, what charms the fond young mother most is, that
"Vicky" behaves like a grown-up person, and is "not put out, nor
frightened, nor nervous." And when a little grandchild of Lord Camperdown
presented the youthful Princess Royal with a nosegay, the reflection that
rose to the mother's mind was, that she could hardly believe that she was
travelling as a wife and a mother; for it seemed but as yesterday that
she, as a child, in the tours taken with _her_ mother through England,
used to receive similar childish tokens. She was at once put in mind of
the time when _she_ had been "the little Princess."
[Sidenote: HAPPY DAYS IN THE HIGHLANDS.]
Accounts of rides on shaggy Highland ponies to the tops of mountains, and
more lengthened _incognito_ excursions in whatever vehicles could be
procured at third-rate country inns, are thickly scattered over the pages
of the "Journal."
The Western Islands, as well as the Highlands, were at least on one
occasion visited. Anchoring close by wondrous Staffa, the Queen
disembarked, and was rowed in a barge into Fingal's Cave. This was the
first time that the British standard, with a Queen of Great Britain and
her husband and children, had ever entered the portals of this wondrous
freak of nature, and the Gaelic oarsmen gave three cheers, the echoes of
which from the inmost recesses of the cave were most impressive.
On another mountain ramble, the Queen seated herself calmly, the youthful
Prince of Wales lying among the heather by her side, while Prince Albert
went to stalk a deer. He brought down a "royal," that is, a stag which has
over a certain number of "tines" to his horns; on which the somewhat
superstitious Highland keeper at once said that "it was Her Majesty's
coming out that had brought the good luck." The Highlanders all believed
that the Queen had "a lucky foot."
[Sidenote: SALMON-SPEARING IN SCOTLAND.]
Amongst other Highland sports which curiosity and great love of adventure
led her to witness, was salmon spearing, or "leistering." While the
keepers were beating the waters, the Highland gentlemen wading in the
stream, and Prince Albert watching, spear in hand, on a boulder, the Queen
watched from the brink this, the most exciting of all river sports, save,
perhaps, otter hunting. Suddenly she was alarmed, and with most abundant
cause. Two of the men imprudently went into a very deep pool. One of them
could not swim, and he sank to the bottom. There was a cry for help, and a
general rush by the Prince and others to the spot. The Queen was much
frightened, and grasped the arm of the minister in attendance, Lord
Carlisle, in great agony. But Dr. Robertson, the Queen's "factor," or
agent over the Balmoral estate, swam in and got the too venturesome Gael
out safely. The Queen, after this "horrid moment," had the satisfaction of
seeing eight salmon speared or netted; and was further amused by a curious
piece of Highland courtesy--her own "men" carrying all the "men" of
Colonel Forbes, a neighbour, dry shod on their backs through the water.
They had come to see the sport, and the Queen's gillies at once insisted
on their conveying them to the most favourable side of the stream.
A great day was that on which a cairn was erected on one of the heights
overlooking Balmoral to celebrate the building of the new castle, which
the Queen raised in lieu of the mansion which had stood on the estate when
she was its tenant, and ere by its purchase she entered into proprietary
possession. The morning was a fine one, and at eleven o'clock the Royal
party started for the ascent of Craig Cowan, where already nearly all the
dependants were assembled. The Royal children, and all the ladies and
gentlemen, accompanied the Queen and Prince. All the children of the
Queen's neighbouring tenants, and of her servants, were already on the
top. The Queen laid the first stone, and the Prince the second, and then
their children according to their ages. Then all the ladies and gentlemen
of the Court placed a stone each. The pipers played the while, and whisky
was served out to every one. It took an hour to build the cairn, and
dancing and merry revels went on without intermission until its
completion; the very oldest of the women danced, and the youngsters were
wild with glee. An old favourite dog sat reflectively contemplating a
scene to which his veteran gravity prevented his indulging in any
responsive and sympathetic gambols. At last when the cairn, having
attained to the respectable height of some eight feet, was pronounced all
but complete, the Prince climbed to its summit and placed the last stone,
and three hearty cheers announced to the dwellers below the completion of
the enterprise and edifice. The Queen concludes her chronicle of its
erection in these words:--"It was a gay, pretty, and touching sight, and I
felt almost inclined to cry. The view was so beautiful over the dear
hills, the day so fine, the whole so _gemuethlich_. May God bless this
place, and allow us yet to see it and enjoy it many a long year!"
The Queen and her family have always made it a practice to enter into the
freest and most unrestrained conversation with the dignified, independent,
courteous, and truly well-bred Highlanders. As she rode along a hill-side
one day, "Alice and Bertie" accompanying her on foot, Prince Albert was
conversing very gaily with one of the gillies, upon which the one who led
the Queen's pony observed, "It's very pleasant to walk with a person who
is always content." And when the Queen, following up her attendant's
remark, said that he was never cross after bad sport, the gillie rejoined,
"Every one on the estate says there never was so kind a master; our only
wish is to give satisfaction." The Queen replied that that wish they
certainly succeeded in fulfilling. And at a future date the Queen thus
annotated that passage in her journal from which we have been
borrowing:--"We were always in the habit of conversing with the
Highlanders, with whom we came so much in contact in the Highlands. The
Prince highly appreciated the good breeding, simplicity, and intelligence
which makes it so pleasant, and even instructive, to talk to them."
[Sidenote: THE QUEEN AND SCOTTISH COTTAGERS.]
The Queen takes especial pleasure in visiting the old women's cottages, by
some of whom, we have been told, she is not unfrequently addressed--or at
least was so, when she was yet new to the north and the northerners new to
her--as "Mrs. Albert." One old dame of eighty-six, erect and dignified as
she sat at her spinning-wheel, received personally from Her Majesty the
gift of a warm flannel petticoat. This was her pious and eloquent form of
thanks: "May the Lord ever attend you and yours, here and hereafter, and
may the Lord be a guide to ye, and keep ye from all harm!" Another aged
pensioner, who was quite friendly, and shook hands with all her party of
visitors, chose this form of benediction: "May the Lord attend you with
mirth and with joy; may He ever be with you in this world, and when ye
leave it!"
[Sidenote: THE QUEEN IN DISGUISE.]
The Queen's mode of travelling as an _incognita_ has never gone beyond a
journey of three or four days' duration to some Highland district, in
which the very amplitude of her retinue, even when abridged of its usual
proportions, prevented her passing otherwise than as a person of
distinction, but in which it was possible to keep her _queenly_ rank
undiscovered. Sometimes the mask was successfully worn to the end of the
trip, to the great enjoyment of the Queen, her "gentle" attendants, and
her servants. On one or two occasions, recognitions, unfortunate for the
success of the very innocent plot, were made by persons to whom the
Queen's face was familiar. On one of these trips, two shabby vehicles
contained the whole party, which consisted of the Royal pair, Sir George
Grey, Lady Churchill, and a small complement of servants. It had been
arranged that the tourists should pass as Lord and Lady Churchill (the
Queen and Prince assuming these _roles_), Lady Churchill becoming Miss
Spencer, and Sir George Grey becoming "Dr." Grey. Once or twice the
servants, who were of necessity in the plot, forgot their instructions,
and blurted out "your Majesty," and "your Royal Highness;" but, luckily,
no one heard the _faux pas_. After a very long and fatiguing drive through
a district remarkably denuded of habitations, they arrived, at nightfall,
at an inn of very small pretensions. They alighted, Sir George Grey and
Lady Churchill, faithful to the necessities of the situation, giving no
indication, by any deference of manner, of the quality of their
fellow-travellers. Being ushered into small but tidy sleeping and dressing
apartments, they had their travel-stains removed, and sat down to such a
dinner as the resources of the establishment afforded. The two gillies in
attendance were to have waited at table, but their bashfulness prevented
their undertaking duties so entirely out of their line; so a damsel in
ringlets, attached to the inn, performed the necessary duties. The repast
consisted of a very delicate and delicious Scottish soup, known as
"hodge-podge"--which, to be tasted to perfection, however, must be
partaken of in early summer, when vegetables (of many kinds of which it is
composed) are young and tender--mutton broth, fowls, "good" roast lamb,
and "very good" potatoes. A bottle of wine the travellers had taken care
to bring with them. They were less fortunate on the occasion of another
similar trip, when all that could be procured was a couple of remarkably
small and lean fowls, the remnants of which were sent down to the
servants, with appetites rendered voracious by the keen mountain air. On
this latter trip, a commercial traveller was much annoyed at his exclusion
from the "commercial room," which was reserved for the servants. In answer
to his remonstrance, the landlady pacified him by stating that the guests,
who occupied her whole house, were "a wedding-party frae Aberdeen."
When the cavalcade of the two "shabby vehicles" drove away, on the next
morning, it was evident that "the murder was out," and that the inmates of
the inn had discovered the quality of their guests, and communicated it to
the scanty population of the village; for "all the people were in the
street, and the landlady waved a pocket-handkerchief, and the ringletted
maid a flag, from the window."