MEMORIES OF QUEEN VICTORIA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 122, 15 July 1911, Page 5

MEMORIES OF QUEEN VICTORIA.

A recent numoor o i the Paris ‘ F'garo” contained some interesting reminiscences of Queen Victoria, communicated by M. Paoli, who was formerly tho special police commisary appointed hy the French Government to guard Royal visitors in Franco. M. Paoli describes the kindly sympathy of the late Queen, who used to say to him smilingly whenever ho met her at Cherbourg, “Always faithful to your post, my dear Paoli.” Her Majesty did not like her visits to be disturbed by politics. At the time of the Fashoda allair it had been arranged that she should spend week at Nice, and some of tho British newspapers were disposed to criticise the arrangements in view of the strained relations between tho two Governments. The Queen took a different view and decided that the situation in Africa made it “more indispensable than ever” that she should go to Franco that year. Tho international dispute was in its most acute phase when the British Sovereign reached Nice, and M. Paoli relates that in conversation with tho Empress Eugenie the- Queen said, “If war were to break out between Britain and Franco I should ask God to bo so merciful as to let me die.” The retired police officer gives many interesting details of the daily life of the august lady who was placed under his charge. Ho mentions that very great care was taken to keep from her any publications that might grieve or displease her and assigns this practice as a reason for her “imperturbable and candid optimism.” The generosity of the Queen made her very popular at Nice, and she had to be guarded at every turn from beggars and people who were seeking favours of one kind and another. “I know lam exploited sometimes,” she said to M. Paoli on one occasion, when ho explained to her that she was about to help a mere swindler. “But I would sooner make a mistake by giving than one by not giving. And who knows! This hogging letter-writer has, perhaps, a wife or a child who will benefit, indirectly by my charity.” Queen Victoria played no unimportant part in laying the foundations of the entente that was completed during tho reign of her son.