Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs to
suggest that if Sir Robert Peel presses for the dismissal of those of
your Household who are not in Parliament, you may observe that in so
doing he is pressing your Majesty more hardly than any Minister ever
pressed a Sovereign before.
When the Government was changed in 1830, the principal posts of the
Household were placed at the disposal of Lord Grey, but the Grooms and
Equerries were not removed.
When Sir Robert Peel himself became Minister in 1834, no part of the
Household were removed except those who were in Parliament.
When I became Prime Minister again in 1835, none of the Grooms or
Equerries were removed because none of them were in Parliament.
They press upon your Majesty, whose personal feelings ought from your
circumstances to be more consulted, a measure which no Minister before
ever pressed upon a Sovereign.
If this is put to him by your Majesty, Lord Melbourne does not see how
he can resist it.
B.—_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne. Buckingham Palace, May 9,
1839._
The Queen writes one line to prepare Lord Melbourne for what _may_
happen in a very few hours. Sir Robert Peel has behaved very ill, and
has insisted on my giving up my Ladies, to which I replied that I never
would consent, and I never saw a man so frightened. He said he must go
to the Duke of Wellington and consult with him, when both would return,
and he said this must suspend all further proceedings, and he asked
whether I should be ready to receive a decision, which I said I should;
he was quite perturbed—but this is _infamous_. I said, besides many
other things, that if he or the Duke of Wellington had been at the head
of the Government when I came to the Throne, perhaps there might have
been a few more Tory Ladies, but that then if you had come in Office
you would never have _dreamt_ of changing them. I was calm but very
decided, and I think you would have been pleased to see my composure
and great firmness; the Queen of England will not submit to such
trickery. Keep yourself in readiness, for you may soon be wanted.