| Collection | Victorian Papers, Main Series |
| Description | Queen Victoria writes to Lord John on the shameful treatment of the exiled French Royal Family, who have lately received very discouraging accounts from the French Government about their private fortunes. Their situation is most cruel and distressing. It is a disgrace and infamy for France to treat an exiled Royal Family as none has ever been treated, and the excuse that the Family are dangerous is a base pretext for theft. The Queen has now, unwillingly, received the Minister of the French Republic, which she despises. France professes anxiety to do everything to cultivate the friendship of the British Government. The Queen feels herself justified in endeavouring to obtain something for her relations [the French Royal Family], although she cannot do anything for the King or even the Prince, beyond a general expression of astonishment that a nation like France should disgrace itself by leaving their former Monarch in penury in a foreign country. For her cousins (the Duchess of Nemours, Princess Augustus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Philip, son of Duke Alexander of Würtemberg, and the Queen of the Belgians), however, the Queen is anxious to urge a speedy answer as to their fortunes being returned. She wishes Lord John Russell to speak to M. Gustave de Beaumont [Plenipotentiary French Minister to London] about it, and to write to Lord Normanby [British Ambassador to France], who seems to be on close terms with the French Government, to speak seriously to Gen. Cavagnaic and M. Bastide on the subject. The Duchess of Nemours is in very great difficulties. |