From Queen Victoria to the Empress Frederick – 27 June 1894

From Queen Victoria to the Empress Frederick – Windsor Castle, 27 June 1894

You rejoice as I do, indeed, and as the whole nation does, at the birth of dear George’s¹ boy.² It is a great pleasure and satisfaction but not such a marvel, for if Alicky³ had not refused Eddy⁴ in ’89 I might have had a great-grandchild four years ago already. As it is, however, it is true that it has never happened in this country that there should be three direct heirs as well as the sovereign alive. I went over yesterday with Beatrice⁵, Nicky⁶, Alicky and Marie L⁷to see May⁸ and the baby, who is a very fine strong boy, a pretty child. May I did not see, as it was rather too soon and the doctor specially wished she should be kept very quiet, but she is perfectly well…

The newspapers have charmingly written articles. But oh, what a frightful contrast is this horrible assassination of poor Monsieur Carnot!⁹ The two events seem almost parallel and the contrast too awful. It is like the murder of Henri Quatre¹⁰ in 1610. They ought not to have allowed the people to crowd round the carriage. It is very unsafe. It is too shocking. He was a good man, and one feels so much for her. I fear it will mean bad feeling between France and Italy. Who, I wonder, will they elect? Dear Nicky is very amiable and quite at home with us…¹¹

1. The future King George V
2. The future King Edward VIII
3. Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine who became Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna later that year
4. Prince Albert Victor, who had died the previous year
5. Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Beatrice
6. The future Nicholas II of Russia
7. Marie of Baden, who married Ernst Leopold, 4th Prince of Leiningen, the son of Queen Victoria’s maternal half-brother
8. Mary of Teck
9. The President of France was assassinated the day before
10. King Henry IV of France
11. Beloved and Darling Child – Edited by Agatha Ramm