From Queen Victoria to the Empress Frederick – 31 July 1900

From Queen Victoria to the Empress Frederick – Osborne,  31 July 1900

I little thought when I wrote yesterday giving a bad account of beloved Affie¹ that the end was so near. It is too terrible and, I fear, must be a great shock to you. We have been kept quite in the dark and he, poor dear, in writing to poor dear Marie² never mentioned his health even though already some time ago he was very ill. The end was most peaceful. It is hard at 81 to lose a third grown-up child in the prime of life…

Poor Muther was finally very sorry to go, but he was determined to leave. I have got a very nice gentlemanlike and fähige (capable) successor, Herr von Pfiffer whom I like very much. In the midst of my great grief for our beloved Affie I omitted to say how dreadfully shocked and grieved I was at the murder of the dear king King of Italy, always a true and kind friend. It is awful, but he never took any sort of precautions. I always feared this happening. The poor, poor Queen, how I feel for her! God bless you, darling child, protect and guide you.³

1. Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Queen Victoria’s second son died on 30 July
2. Alfred’s wife Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
3. Beloved and Darling Child – Edited by Agatha Ramm