TALBOT8708

Osborne ¹
Tuesday May 12^th 1863

My dear Henry

I took a walk round the grounds yesterday with M^r Toward the Bailiff – who was gardener here, & before that at Bagshot – & he shewed me a number of new trees & shrubs, at least new to me – & many of my old friends here so grown & in great beauty. In spite of the natural badness of the clay soil here, all evergreens seem to thrive remarkably well. The Prince Consort ² was so fond of all his shrubs & plants, & used to visit them every day – There are many young Stone Pines doing very well – probably those I gave him at Mount Edgcumbe ³ years ago. It seems curious – but to me very natural – that the Queen, ⁴ who never cared the least about these before, or knew any of their names, & left it all to the Prince, has begun to take a great interest in them since his death – & goes out every morning to study them & learn their names – It is no doubt from a feeling of wishing to keep up, & go on with, everything that he cared for.

Among other curious shrubs is one from New Holland, called Ebothrium ⁵ (or some such name –) Coccineum. It has stood out several years – & produced one flower last year – but now it is covered with beautiful blossoms. The flower is exactly like a bright scarlet honeysuckle, that is, to the vulgar eye – & the leaves are something similar. I enclose you one – so you will judge for yourself. The Queen was so kind as to ask Ernestine ⁶ to come here; She has been here a week, & enjoyed herself very much. The weather has been beautiful – & she has been constantly riding & walking with the Princesses – & yesterday drank tea with them at their Swiss cottage – where they had the great pleasure of washing up the tea things themselves. P^ss Helena ⁷ will be 17 in a few days – & P^ss Louise ⁸ is 15 – Yesterday little P^ss Beatrice ⁹ had a great misfortune – The keeper shot her favorite cat (How indignant that will make Rosamond! ¹⁰) She is only just six, poor little child – & she shed floods of tears. After a while she went to Sir Charles Phipps, ¹¹ & asked him to put her cat’s death in the newspaper – & she thought it would be a good opportunity to insert at the same time, the death of Prince Leopold’s ¹² cat, which occurred 4 years ago! How very innocent! The Queen intends leaving this on Thursday, if the weather moderates, for Windsor – & then she will start at 7 o’clock on Friday ev^g for Balmoral, & I shall return to my house 24 Charles S^t Berkeley Sq^re where I have not been settled yet.

Give my love to Constance & my nieces, & Amandier ¹³ –

Ever dear Henry Y^r very aff^te Sister
Caroline

Let me know when you are thinking of coming to London – because I could give you a bed – as I have a spare room.