QUEEN VICTORIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10515, 7 August 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

QUEEN VICTORIA.

INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES, THE QUEEN'S VOICE. fAKNY Kemble—no mean authority—who was present) when the Queen prorogued Parliament shortly after her accession, said, "The Queen's voice is exquisite. The enunciation was as perfect as the intonation was melodious, and I think it jg impossible to hear • more excellent utter ance than that of the Queen's English by the English Queen."

A HUMBLE NOSEGAY. Instances of the Queen's interesb in small affaire and her humbler subjects are innumerable. One afternoon she had been out driving in the London suburbs, and when about half-a-mile from the new Hammersmith Bridge she saw a decrepit elderly woman in her garden. The Queen stopped the carriage and asked the old lady to pluck her a nosegay. The poor old woman immediately picked her best raises and hobbled with them to the carriage door, and was rewarded witb a sovereign. STRAWBERRIES IN A CABBAGE LEAF.

Another woman, who had a small cottage opposite, nob to be outdone, immediately plucked some strawberries, put them in a cabbage leaf, and took them out to the Queen, who graciously received them. As she looked very worn and ill, Her Majesty questioned her as to the state of her health, and at once gave her a handsome present wherewith to procure herself comforts, at) the eame time offering good homely advice.

HER MAJESTY'S " TODKO MAN." Great amusement was caused by the recital of an incident which occurred soon after Her Majesty's accession to the throne. A grand dinner party was being given at Buckingham Palace. The probable husband the Queen might select was then a matter of much interest and speculation. Lord Melbourne, as Prime Minister, felt the matter to be one in which he was entitled to obtain information if possible. So he inquired of the Queen, as neatly ae he could, whether there was any individual for whom aho entertained a preference. Her Majesty was a little taken aback, and inquired whether be put the question as a matter of State policy. If so, she would endeavour to give him an answer. Lord Melbourne replied that he did, and that under no other circumstances would he have ventured to intrude in so delicate a matter. "Then,"said the Queen, "there is one person for whom I entertain a decided preference." " Yes?' said Lord Melbourne, expecting to hear a great secret. " And that is—thab is," said the Queen, "the Duke of Wellington!" The venerable hero of Waterloo was pasb his seventieth year, and the story used to be retailed by Lord Melbourne at his own expense. A LUDICROUS INCIDENT. In the course of the Queen's memorable visit to the city in the year 1857 a very ludicrous incident occurred. For the purposes of the reception at Temple Bar each alderman was mounted on horseback, and as this was a form of conveyance with which many of the riders were unfamiliar, the assembled crowd derived undisguised gratification from the spectacle. A soldier, in the character of "a squire," held the bridle rein, but this circumstance did little to facilitate the comfort of the civic body. Several members had a very bad seat, and the ironical compliments of the crowd— " Pretty rider I" " Whoa, my beauty !" and so on—rendered the situation excessively embarrassing. An eye-witness says: "How the respected fathers of the city performed the exploib of mounting is, perhaps, nob exactly a matter of history. However, with much care and pains bestowed by the troopers, their assistant squires, they were at last placed on horseback, and formed into procession. The aldermen stuck to their horses manfully, until one of them, in a moment of over-confidence, attempted to waft a kiss to a fair lady whom he espied at a neighbouring casement. The shifting of the balance immediately brought the gallant alderman to Mother Earth, amidst roars of laughter from the delighted multitude. Feeling that) gallantry, exhibited from the back of a horse, is a trying virtue, the good man lay etill while his well-bred horse Btepped over him. The alderman did not mount again, and remained obdurate to the public's entreaties that he would join a circus without delay." AN ELIZABETIUAN REVIVAL, The banquet given the Queen on this occasion was provided from the London Tavern at a cost ol £1400, in addition to the wine bill. Some sensation was caused by the " gorgeous " appearance of the Lady Mayoress, who was dressed in a gown of green velvet, lined with white satin, trimmed with gold fringe nnd a border of Brussels lace. Her petticoat was of llama and gold, and her stomacher of large opals and diamonds. On her neck was an Elizabethian ruff, and on her head a plume of feathers! This striking costume is reported to have quite eclipsed the glories of the new gas illuminations. the our wine. Although Her Majesty only just tasted the special vintage provided for her on this occasion, her relative, the Duke of Sussex, was loud in his praises of the sherry he had drunk. On leaving the Guildhall he remarked: " What fine jolly old citizens you are! Why, I have been drinking sherry more than 100 years old, and if I had known that we should have waited so long for Her Majesty's carriage, I would have had part of another bottle."

THE QUEEN'S DOUBLE. During the Queen's residence in Scotland much annoyance was frequently caueed by inquisitive tourists who thought it necessary to resort to every dodge to obtain a plisspse of Her Majesty, It is related that an American visitor once esteemed himself lucky in catching sight of a glimpse, of a lady, whom he considered to be the Queen, riding in a small trap, and with no attendants. Having mentioned the fact to some friends, they persuaded him that the Sovereign often drove about in this manner, and was specially delighted to be introduced to any American gentleman, holding the affability of " Brother Sam " to be quite unparalleled in its ease and elegance. He kept a strict look-out for a few days, and tvas at lastoverjoyed to catch sightonce more of the little trap. " Her Majesty" alighted at a humble dwelling, and went in. The courageous visitor immediately knocked at the door, and when the cottager opened it, presented her his card, and asked thab ib might be respectfully presented to Her W ajesty. Whereupon the houeekeeper was about to call for help, thinking the lunatic had paid an afternoon call. Between the broad accent of the States and the brpad accenb of tbe Highlands the conversation was conducted with difficulty. But when the good woman discovered that the doctor's wife had been mistaken for the Queen ehe roundly threatened the intruder with violence, by the medium of a broomstick, nnless he went off aboub his business, He we never introduced !

LIKED THE WILD BEASTS BEST. When a very little girl the Queen was taken to the Tower of London and shown ever thab historical establishment. The regalia, the shining armour (in which she could see hereelf), and the room where the young King Edward and tbe Duke of .York were murdered by their uncle, were *e»erally shown to the child. Ab this period a collection of wild beast? was kept in the Tower, and, agreeably "with the feeltags of every other child of such an age, tbe Princess, oblivious to the historical rooms, the relics, and the sad traditions, declared thab she liked the wild beasts tab. She would bare been less than a fcaman little girl bad ehe taken any other ww.

MISS' HEATH KNRW. Her Majesty, although a woman of deaided character and strong personal convictions, has never hesitated to pay due deference to those who, from their position and talente, were able to speak with authority. On one occasion a question as to pronunciation arose between herself and tbe Princess Royal, and Her Majesty decided thab it should be referred to her •■reader." " Mils Heath knew," said the Queen. This derer actress, now deceased, was afterwards the wife of Mr, Wilson Barrett. ■ . ' ,'■■.. ■ ■ THE WKONO KEY. . During a country wit of the Queen a' Jecal band, whose member* were suffering. from nervousnese by reason of the greatness of their illustrious visitor, itarted the National Anthem in a most erratic manner, . m thab the good old tnne fas. perfectly BDrMOfc'oieable, Tie bindeulw, ,; with

admirable presence of mind, tapped hie baton and observed, "My lads, we have begun in the wrong toy." This timely intervention somewhat reassured the players, who sets out on their task again with much more harmonious effect. NERVOUS WORKMEN.

The great faculty of Her Majesty for setting everybody at ease in the Royal presence is well known. Some of her Ministers, however, could never conquer a feeling of shyness, and, occasionally, when the Quetn has been visiting factories and shops, the effect upon the overwhelmed attendants has been disastrous. In one instance a shopman, being questioned as to the qualities of an article, was so overcome, that his tongue clove to the roof of his mouth, and he was utterly incapable of uttering a single word. A THIEF AT GUILDHALL. When the Queen visited Guildhall for the first time, there were three bills of fare, splendidly printed on white satin, with deep gold fringe and decorations. Two of these were intended for Her Majesty, nnd one for the museum of the city library. After the Royal departure, a person in the dreei of a gentleman took that which had been placed before the Queen, stating tlmt he claimed ib as a perquisite of the Lady Mayoress. Hβ obtained tho bill, and it was afterwards ascertained tbat the Lady Mayoress had given no such instructions to any person whatever. THE COACHMAN'S Will. In the course of this Royal visit the Duke of Sussex protected hi? head by wearing a black velvet cap while the banquet was proceeding. He told his friends that he preferred black velvet, and said that it pub him in mind of an incident which occurred when the Duke of Devonshire went to the Guildhall as a guest of Alderman Coombe. His Grace was in the habit of wearing a cocked hat indoors, and asked whether he could do so on the 9th of November. The committee respectfully informed him that he might cover his head with anything but a hat. Tho Duke took tho message in good part, and amazed everybody by taking his seat wearing his coachman's wig.

A SUITOR FOB THE QUEEN. The choice of a husband tor tho Queen— a difficulty Her Majesty pretty soon settled for herself in an incisive manner—was a matter which caused much perturbation at the commencement of the reign. Aβ throwing some light upon the character of such negotiations, the following letter, written to the Duchess of Kent by Lord William Russell, while on a visit to Berlin, will prove of interest: "Madam,—Will ib be agreeable to your Royal Highness for Prince Adalberb of Prussia, tho eon of Prince William, to place himself upon the list of suitors for the hand of Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria? Your permission, madam, would give great satisfaction to the Court at Berlin." To this the Duchess replied that the request should be addressed to the King, but she thought her child should not marry until she was older. " I have but one wish," she added, "and that is that in her choice her happiness and the interests of the country may be realised." AX ISIPOKTONATE LOVER. A gentleman of Tunbridge-wells brought himself into considerable notoriety before the commencement of the reign. He continually hung aboub Kensington Palace, and on one occasion was permitted to inscribe his name in the Royal register. A Court official coming to hear of this promptly struck it out, wliereupon the enraged gentleman "carried on" in a manner worthy of Sir Lucius O'Triggsr. After some time he obtained occupation as a working gardener near the Palace, and contrived to weed a piece of water nearly opposite the Princess' windows, so thab ho was enabled to procure periodical glimpses of her. When he met) the Princess—whom he called bis "little Princess "—in Kensington Gardens he would salute her in the moat graceful manner, and by manoeuvring when eho turned an angle of the park would got in front of her again. These tactics he repeated during the whole of the walk, AM IMITATION BAKODCHK. This eccentric personage—Hunnings by name—having considerable means, started a barouche, which resembled that of the Duchess of Kent, and was attended by a servant in undress livery—a dark pepper-and-salt coat and glazed hat, with a broad purple velvet band. Mr. Hunnings was particularly indignant because the police watched him and followed him aboub, A BOGUS LOVI-LETTEB, The heart of Mr, flunnings beat high one morning upon the receipt of a letter, which he understood to have come from the Princees Victoria. This breathed the language of most passionate detotion, and the writer bitterly complained that the Duchess of Kent would not permit hor to mike the acquaintance of one ehe adored. It is unnecessary to state that a practical joker had been playing havoc with tho mental peace of the devoted Mr. Hunnings, who was requested to place his answer under a certain tree. All these circurastances afforded equal delight to the witless suitor and his tormentors.