THE YOUNG QUEEN.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4263, 24 January 1901, Page 5

THE YOUNG QUEEN.

I They placed a Crown upon her fair young brow, They put a Sceptre in her girlish hand, Saying, "Behold! You are Sovereign Lady now "" Of this great land!" ACCESSION. ! William IV. died earb T on the morning of the 20th June, 1837. His councillor hardly waited for daylight before thej hurried to Kensington, and insisted 01 the young Queen being roused from hei slumbers and acquainted with her dignity. • Lord Melbourne was with her a 1 nine; the Privy Council assembled at eleven.; and itihe Lord Mayor of Londor Mid the Common Council paid their allegiance to her at twelve. Privy Councillors and Common Councillors were thus hastening to do homage to theii new sovereign. Old men, experience* ir. all the arts of a court, were quivering with excitement; and the only person who maintained her dignity and selfoosscssion was the young girl just emerg ing.froni her privacy,'rthe object of tlieii homage. Without the advantage of he) uncle's stature, she had dignity; without the gift of unusual beauty, she hac a "winning smile and engaging manners; whilst lier clear, musical voice—"soft gentle, and low, an excellent thing it sroman"—struck a responsive chord it every listener. .

I CORONATION. M 0 All that the young Queen did in 1837 and 81838 encouraged the loyalty of her subIjects; and on© event, a year after hei ■accession,.-stimulated its growth. On the 828th June, 1838, the Queen was crownled at Westminster. .The coronation wai Bless magnificent than that of George iIV. Discontented] Tory noblemen com■plained that the. splendid ceremony was ■shorn of some of its proportions, and ■that they had not the opportunity oi ■dining at the public cost in Westminstei ■Hall. The Ministers wisely refused tc iyield to their clamour, and insisted or ■saving the Queen from the fatigues, and Nthe public from the cost, inseparable 1 from such a banquet. But, with equal ■wisdom, they determined to abridge ■none of the splendour which could be ■enjoyed by the general public; and they ■added to the original programme ar [outdoor procession, which could be seen iby large masses of the people. Celebrated in this way, the coronation provec las great a holiday as had ever been obBserved in England. The railways helped the coaches to pour thousands of 1 sightseers from tbte provinces into London and 400,000 people are supposed to havt “come up to town” on the occasionWriting of the central scene in West, minster Abbey, Miss Martineau says: “The first peeress took her seat in the north transept opposite at a quarter tc seven, and l three of the bishops came ■next. Frcm that time the peers and ■their ladies arrived faster and faster. BEach peeress was conducted by two Gold KSticks, one of , whom handed her to hei Sseat, and the other bore and arranged iher train on her lap, and saw that hei ■coronet, footstool and book were comHfortably placed. About nine the first *gleame of the sun started into the Ab ■jbey, and presently travelled down tc ithe peeresses. I had never before seer stlhe full effect of diamonds. As the lighil St-ravelled each lady shone out as a rainShow. The brightness, vastness, and idreamy magnificence of the scene proiduced a strange effect of exhaustion and isleepiness. The guns told when the iQueen set forth; and there was unusual ■animation. The Gold Sticks flitted about H Ether© was tuning in the orchestra, ancH [the foreign ambassadors and their suites® I arrived in quick succession. At half-B ■past eleven the guns told that the Queer® ihad arrived; but as there was much (oH She done in the Bobing-room ’there was sH ■long pause before she appeared. -dH [burst from the orchestra marked her ap-Hj Epearanc© at the doors, and the anthemß ■T was glad’ rang through the Abbey.® ■Everybody rose. The ‘God Save the® ■Queen’ of the organ swelled gloriously® Sfordh, after the recognition. The acola-j|S amation when the crown was put on heiH ahead was very animated; and! in theja jimidst of it in an instant of time th«H were all ecroneted. TheH idoomage was as pretty a sight as any—o Strains ef peers touching her crown and® iithen kissing her hand.” H I THE BEDCHAMBER’ QUESTION. 1 || That the young Queen had a mind o' B ||her oivn was shown in the famous con-H || troversy known as the “Bodchambei|| which made a way back into® Kplace for the Whigs in 1839. When Lords ■• Melbourne resigned, the Queen sent foiH Sjbhe Duke of Wellington; who advisedß Sher to apply to Sir Robert Peel, for the® fflreason that the chief difficulties of ag |LConserva.tivc Government would be inß lithe House of Commons. The negotia-K Stions went cn very smoothly as to thejl ®colleagues Sir Robert Peel meant to ro-K Bcommend to her Majesty, until he hap-1 llpened to notice the composition of theE ii Royal household as regarded the ladies B iimost closely in attendance on the Queen.B ®The Queen thought be ineant to insist * lias a matter of principle, upon the re-| iimoval of all her familiar attendants anci ®household associates; Under this im I Slpression she consulted Lord John Rus.l fflsell, who advised her on what he under-1 Mstood to be the state of the facts. Orl

ghis advice the Queen stated in reply that I ishe could not consent to a course whits! | ishe conceived to be contrary to usage and! ■was repugnant to her feelings. Sir Roberts SPeel held firm to his stipulation; afadi athe chance of his then forming a Minis-1 a try was at an end. Lord Melbourne andl ■his colleagues had to be recalled. Thtl ■whole question was afterwards settled I ■by a sensible compromise which the! BPrince Consort suggested. It was agreecj ■that on a change of Ministry the Queen ■would listen to any representation from! Sfche incoming Prime Minister as to the! Igcomposition of her household, and wculc’i 9arrange for the retirement “of their owe' ■accord” of any ladies who were so closely grelated to the leaders of Opposition as to "render their presence inconvenient. '