GIRLHOOD DIARY OF QUEEN VICTORIA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 303, 19 December 1912, Page 8

GIRLHOOD DIARY OF QUEEN VICTORIA.

BETROTHAL SECRETS. 'The Girlhood of Qneea Vratoria,** pu-blisbed in two volumes, has nesithtea- i che reserve nor the formality of royalty. ' The book is not the journal of a queen, 1 but the diary of a girl. Edited hy Vis- • count Esher, and p_b!___ by authority of his Majesty the King, this «_rr__— e ' of the early imprea—io—l and e_cperi__ces of Queen Victoria rerveala the naive and timid thoughts of a yewmg girl born to great power and majesty. The book .is refreshing in its s__p_crty as it ia valuable in i_s records. The sudden and brilliant -raaskion from the obscure princess to the mighty queen is told with charming mod_ty: "I was awoke at six o'clock hy ____na, who told mc that the Archhisbop of Canterbury and Lord were here and wished to see mc. 1 got out erf bed and went into my isitting-room (onJy in my dressing-gown), and alone saw them. Lord Gonymghaan (the Lord Chamberlain) then acquainted mc that my poor uncle, the King, was no more, and had expired at twelve minutes past two this morning, and consequently that I am (Jueen. ... I shall do my utmost •to fulfil my duty towards my country. I am very young, and perhaps in many, though not in all, (things inexperienced, ■but 1 am sure that very few have more real gxrod will and more reaJ desire to do what is fit and right than I have." In her appreciation of the theatre the young Queen had certain prejudices, as eihcrwn in the following desecrip—on of a visit to Drury Lane: — "It was Shakespeare's tragedy of T"tich_rd m.' and Charles Kean's first appearance (in London) as Richard. It would be impossible for mc to attempt to describe the -drnirahle (manner in which Keaa delineated the fejrootons and fiendlike Richard It was quite a triumph, and the latter part particularly so. All the other parts were very .badly acted, and the three women were quite detestable. I just escaped being recognised, for as the curtain v_ dropping and I left the box they called out, Tiie Queen!'" Her enthusiasm for the arts and artists was generous as it was genuine. This is how she writes of Sigi_m_nd Thalberg, who was on the flood of his success at the period: — ''After dinner at ten o'clock came Thalberg, the most famous pianist in the world. He played four things, aU by heart. . . . Nervesr, never did I hear anything like him! He combines tSie most exquisite, delicate, and touching feeling with the most wonderful and powerful execution." Again the girl and not the Queen is speaking when she writes of her first speech to Parliament:— *T went and fetched the speech, and he (Lord Melbourne) read it to mc in his beautiful, clear manner, and with that fine voice of his, and full of fine expresesion. I always feel that I _n read it better when I have heard him read it. The speech is, a3 Lord Melbourne said, 'Not long, but safe.' . . . Lady Kormanby then practised putting my crown for to-imorrow. After this I read my speech over in my crown."' It is in her confidences relating to her marriage with Prince Albert that Qjaeen Victoria is at her -best. She writes like a shy hut warm-hearted girl, and blushing in every sentence reveals the esecret of her heart. She admits that at first she was averse from marriage. She told Lord Melbourne when, with an ingratiating, "Now. ma'am, for this other matter," he broached the (subject of -marriage: "At present my feeling » quite against every marrying.'' But, as she is ready to admit, the young ("hieen soon changed her mind and one cannot read the later pages of the book without realising £ha,t she had a great regard and de-p affection for her royal consort. The following d—criptwn s-peaks for itself:— "Albert really is quite csharmrnff and s-o excessively handsome, OTch beautifu] blue eyes, an nose, and such a pretty mouth, with delicate _ot_rt_caios and slight but very slight, whiskers; a beautiful figure, broad in tbe __o_lders. and a fine waist." rhapsod.es over the perfection* ofher future husband. "I _a± on the £_[ Albert. . . . g-ues of tactxs with dear Albert and two at fox and geese. Staved m +™ -»»- P- 11. A dJKftd Z&g? ™ Stayed up t_l twenty ___ a t_, -^ in the days of our grandfathers. ' And that is -the charm of the book mto the everyday _f e of Hr_2 Qneen, but it re-tells in guage the story of the day* __J *_Z%