Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians

THE KING OF SWEDEN

Osborne, 13th August 1861.

My beloved Uncle,—Since Saturday we have great heat. Our King of Sweden arrived yesterday evening. We went out in the yacht to meet him, and did so; but his ship going slow, the dress of the hohen Herrn only arrived at a quarter to nine, and we only sat down to dinner at a quarter past nine! The King and Prince Oscar are very French, and very Italian! I think that there is a dream of a Scandinavian Kingdom floating before them. The King is a fine-looking man.... He is not at all difficult to get on with, and is very civil. Oscar is very amiable and mild, and very proud of his three little boys. They leave again quite early to-morrow.

Our dear children leave us, alas! on Friday quite early, for Antwerp. It will again be a painful trial! Their stay has been very pleasant and gemüthlich, and we have seen more of and known dear Fritz more thoroughly than we ever did before, and really he is very excellent, and would, I am convinced, make an excellent King. The little children are very great darlings, and we shall miss them sadly.

On the 16th we go to poor, dear Frogmore, and on the 17th we shall visit that dear grave! Last year she was still so well, and so full of life; but it was a very sad birthday, two days after the loss of that dear beloved sister, whom she has joined so soon! Oh! the agony of Wehmuth, the bitterness of the blank, do not get better with time! Beloved Mamma, how hourly she is in my mind!

The King of Prussia will have great pleasure in visiting you at Wiesbaden; he will arrive at Ostend on the 16th....

Good-bye, and God bless you, dearest Uncle. Ever your devoted Niece,

Victoria R.

Footnote 28: Charles XV., who succeeded to the throne in 1859.

Footnote 29: Brother and heir to Charles XV., whom he succeeded, as Oscar II., in 1872; died 1907.

Footnote 30: The Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia, accompanied by their two children, were on a visit to the Queen.