TALBOT8489

Cotehele ¹
Calstock
Tavistock
Dec^r 24^th 1861

My dear Henry

Who could have foreseen, at the time you wrote to me last, the dreadful misfortune, ² that was impending over the poor Queen ³ & her family!

How little did she herself imagine in how short a time the same sorrow would befall her, when she wrote me that touching & beautiful letter! There is but one universal feeling of pity & sympathy for her all over the Country – & also of sorrow for the Prince – for he will be a great public loss.

I wrote directly to Lady Augusta Bruce, ⁴ as soon as the news arrived – for I felt very anxious about the Queen – not knowing how she would bear such a shock – & she wrote me a few lines saying how wonderfully composed she was, after the first burst of grief – & how gentle & patient she was.

Today I heard that the Dean of Windsor, who was sent for shortly before the Prince’s death, said the had never scene he witnessed was quite heartbreaking. The Queen was sitting on the floor in an agony of grief, & all her children round her trying to comfort her. After it was all over she sent the Prince of Wales to L^d Palmerston ⁵ to say she knew she had a life of duty before her, & she intended to fulfil that duty to the utmost of her ability, but that she considered her worldly career as at an end. It is really too sad to think of.

I am so sorry too for the Princess R^{l 6} who had been the companion of her father before her marriage, & was so excessively fond of him – & for Prince Alfred ⁷ who is in the West Indies.

We came here on Saturday Ernestine ⁸ & I, to spend Christmas quite quietly – & shall probably stay over New Year’s Day.

I am thankful to say that Charlie’s ⁹ Reg^t has not been ordered abroad yet – The two that are gone are the 1^st Battalion of Grenadier Guards, & the 2^nd of Scots Fusiliers – Charlie’s is the 3^rd Battⁿ Grenadier G^ds. We have had a second very amusing letter from him, dated [Tuéret?], Province d’Oran – Amongst other things, he mentions a wood on the side of a mountain of the most magnificent Cedars of Lebanon of an enormous size. He went out hunting wild Boars in a thick wood of Arbutus & Myrtle, & they went on as far as the foot of Mount Atlas – I enclose you his first letter, as I think you may like to see it, & Amandier ¹⁰ too, Please return it when done with.

The Vals ¹¹ are still at Baron’s Court.

I hope you are all as flourishing as you say Matilda & her Baby ¹² are? Give my love to all, & best wishes for a happy Christmas & New Year –

Y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline

Ernestine begs me to send also her love & very best wishes for the Season to You, her Aunt & Cousins, ¹³ & Amandier.
You heard I suppose, that little Prince Leopold ¹⁴ was spending the Winter at Nice Cannes for his health, under the charge of Gen^l & Lady Bowater ¹⁵ – The poor General, who was very old, died soon after the Prince – & I hear that the Queen wrote a letter of condolence with her own hand, to Lady Bowater. How very good of her!
Finished Dec^r 25^th