VICTORIA (Queen of England, 1837 - 1901). Twelve autograph letters signed, including six (signed 'Deine treue Cousine VRg') to Count Arthur Mensdorff Pouilly and six (signed 'Ihre treue Nichte VRg') to her uncle, Count Emmanuel Mensdorff Pouilly, Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, Osborne and Balmoral, 25 April 1839 - 3 June 1896, in German (10), English (one) and French (one), sending news of her family and expressing her feelings on the political scene, in one letter complaining how incomprehensible the world has become, 'Ach! in was für einen Zustand ist die Welt seit uns trennten, - schrecklich, unbegreiflich, was wir damals zusammen erlebten war nur der Anfang von Allem. Gott sei Dank, hier ist alles sehr ruhig bis auf einige Chartist Meetings, die von keiner Bedeutung sind' (14 June 1848); thanking Arthur for his kind and consoling words about Prince Albert ('über meinen Engel Albert'); sending birthday wishes, commenting on the young Emperor who is highly spoken of ('Vom jungen Kaiser hört man nur Gutes; seine Aufgabe ist aber recht schwer') and in all the letters showing affection for and interest in her correspondents' family, altogether 50 pages, 8vo, on paper embossed with the Royal arms, one letter with pictorial vignette of Osborne, two letters on mourning paper, autograph envelopes (traces of paste on verso of letter in English); together with one autograph letter signed by Victoria, Duchess of Kent (1786 - 1861), mother of Queen Victoria, to Alphonse Mensdorff Pouilly (her nephew).Queen Victoria was deeply attached to her first cousins, the four sons of her maternal aunt, Princess Sophia of Saxe-Cobourg by her marriage to Count Emmanuel Mensdorff Pouilly, a French émigré who enlisted in the Austrian service. She once confided to her uncle, King Leopold, that they were 'out and out the nicest cousins we have', and habitually spoke and corresponded with them in German. The greatest intimacy and friendship existed between them and Prince Albert (also their first cousin) and it was to Arthur Mensdorff Pouilly that Albert first confided his hope of becoming engaged to Victoria in 1839. Arthur's brother, Alexander, had earlier that year made a most favourable impression upon Victoria, somewhat to the alarm of both her uncle King Leopold and Melbourne (Robert Rhodes James. Albert Prince Consort, 1983, p.79). The first of the letters, to Alexander's father, refers to the visit of 'Alexandre, que j'aime comme un frère', encouraging her uncle to visit her with all his family.Victoria writes later to Emmanuel Mensdorff Pouilly with birthday wishes and family news, on 15 January 1846 declaring that she is happy with the political situation ('Unsere politischen Angelegenheiten sind auch im Ganzen erfreulich') and can report only good news from her family ('unsere zahlreiche Familie befindet sich, so wie wir, Gottlob!, ganz besonders wohl'), and referring enthusiastically to a family holiday and reunion in Germany ('Es war Uns so eine Freude Sie und die lieben Nachkommen in Alberts lieber, schöner Heimath (zu der ich auch gehöre, und die mir unendlich gefiel) - zu sehen'). In several letters she mentions Alexander, and in 1852 thanks her uncle warmly for his birthday greetings, and congratulates him on the birth of a grandson. To Arthur she writes proudly of her daughter (Princess Victoria), who has become plump and independent, 'Ich wünschte ich könnte Dir die Kleine jetzt zeigen; sie ist so dick, und so independent geworden, ganz wie eine erwachsene Person, seit sie alleine laufen kann' (19 August 1842), and a few months after lamenting the incomprehensibility of the world, notes that in England the political situation is very quiet, 'Von Leopold möchten wir so gern Näheres hören. Von hier kann ich nur gute Nachrichten geben'. (13)

VICTORIA (Queen of England, 1837 - 1901). Twelve autograph letters signed, including six (signed 'Deine treue Cousine VRg') to Count Arthur Mensdorff Pouilly and six (signed 'Ihre treue Nichte VRg') to her uncle, Count Emmanuel Mensdorff Pouilly, Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, Osborne and Balmoral, 25 April 1839 - 3 June 1896, in German (10), English (one) and French (one), sending news of her family and expressing her feelings on the political scene, in one letter complaining how incomprehensible the world has become, 'Ach! in was für einen Zustand ist die Welt seit uns trennten, - schrecklich, unbegreiflich, was wir damals zusammen erlebten war nur der Anfang von Allem. Gott sei Dank, hier ist alles sehr ruhig bis auf einige Chartist Meetings, die von keiner Bedeutung sind' (14 June 1848); thanking Arthur for his kind and consoling words about Prince Albert ('über meinen Engel Albert'); sending birthday wishes, commenting on the young Emperor who is highly spoken of ('Vom jungen Kaiser hört man nur Gutes; seine Aufgabe ist aber recht schwer') and in all the letters showing affection for and interest in her correspondents' family, altogether 50 pages, 8vo, on paper embossed with the Royal arms, one letter with pictorial vignette of Osborne, two letters on mourning paper, autograph envelopes (traces of paste on verso of letter in English); together with one autograph letter signed by Victoria, Duchess of Kent (1786 - 1861), mother of Queen Victoria, to Alphonse Mensdorff Pouilly (her nephew). Queen Victoria was deeply attached to her first cousins, the four sons of her maternal aunt, Princess Sophia of Saxe-Cobourg by her marriage to Count Emmanuel Mensdorff Pouilly, a French émigré who enlisted in the Austrian service. She once confided to her uncle, King Leopold, that they were 'out and out the nicest cousins we have', and habitually spoke and corresponded with them in German. The greatest intimacy and friendship existed between them and Prince Albert (also their first cousin) and it was to Arthur Mensdorff Pouilly that Albert first confided his hope of becoming engaged to Victoria in 1839. Arthur's brother, Alexander, had earlier that year made a most favourable impression upon Victoria, somewhat to the alarm of both her uncle King Leopold and Melbourne (Robert Rhodes James. Albert Prince Consort, 1983, p.79). The first of the letters, to Alexander's father, refers to the visit of 'Alexandre, que j'aime comme un frère', encouraging her uncle to visit her with all his family. Victoria writes later to Emmanuel Mensdorff Pouilly with birthday wishes and family news, on 15 January 1846 declaring that she is happy with the political situation ('Unsere politischen Angelegenheiten sind auch im Ganzen erfreulich') and can report only good news from her family ('unsere zahlreiche Familie befindet sich, so wie wir, Gottlob!, ganz besonders wohl'), and referring enthusiastically to a family holiday and reunion in Germany ('Es war Uns so eine Freude Sie und die lieben Nachkommen in Alberts lieber, schöner Heimath (zu der ich auch gehöre, und die mir unendlich gefiel) - zu sehen'). In several letters she mentions Alexander, and in 1852 thanks her uncle warmly for his birthday greetings, and congratulates him on the birth of a grandson. To Arthur she writes proudly of her daughter (Princess Victoria), who has become plump and independent, 'Ich wünschte ich könnte Dir die Kleine jetzt zeigen; sie ist so dick, und so independent geworden, ganz wie eine erwachsene Person, seit sie alleine laufen kann' (19 August 1842), and a few months after lamenting the incomprehensibility of the world, notes that in England the political situation is very quiet, 'Von Leopold möchten wir so gern Näheres hören. Von hier kann ich nur gute Nachrichten geben'. (13)

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VICTORIA (Queen of England, 1837 - 1901). Twelve autograph letters signed, including six (signed 'Deine treue Cousine VRg') to Count Arthur Mensdorff Pouilly and six (signed 'Ihre treue Nichte VRg') to her uncle, Count Emmanuel Mensdorff Pouilly, Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, Osborne and Balmoral, 25 April 1839 - 3 June 1896, in German (10), English (one) and French (one), sending news of her family and expressing her feelings on the political scene, in one letter complaining how incomprehensible the world has become, 'Ach! in was für einen Zustand ist die Welt seit uns trennten, - schrecklich, unbegreiflich, was wir damals zusammen erlebten war nur der Anfang von Allem. Gott sei Dank, hier ist alles sehr ruhig bis auf einige Chartist Meetings, die von keiner Bedeutung sind' (14 June 1848); thanking Arthur for his kind and consoling words about Prince Albert ('über meinen Engel Albert'); sending birthday wishes, commenting on the young Emperor who is highly spoken of ('Vom jungen Kaiser hört man nur Gutes; seine Aufgabe ist aber recht schwer') and in all the letters showing affection for and interest in her correspondents' family, altogether 50 pages, 8vo, on paper embossed with the Royal arms, one letter with pictorial vignette of Osborne, two letters on mourning paper, autograph envelopes (traces of paste on verso of letter in English); together with one autograph letter signed by Victoria, Duchess of Kent (1786 - 1861), mother of Queen Victoria, to Alphonse Mensdorff Pouilly (her nephew).

Queen Victoria was deeply attached to her first cousins, the four sons of her maternal aunt, Princess Sophia of Saxe-Cobourg by her marriage to Count Emmanuel Mensdorff Pouilly, a French émigré who enlisted in the Austrian service. She once confided to her uncle, King Leopold, that they were 'out and out the nicest cousins we have', and habitually spoke and corresponded with them in German. The greatest intimacy and friendship existed between them and Prince Albert (also their first cousin) and it was to Arthur Mensdorff Pouilly that Albert first confided his hope of becoming engaged to Victoria in 1839. Arthur's brother, Alexander, had earlier that year made a most favourable impression upon Victoria, somewhat to the alarm of both her uncle King Leopold and Melbourne (Robert Rhodes James. Albert Prince Consort, 1983, p.79). The first of the letters, to Alexander's father, refers to the visit of 'Alexandre, que j'aime comme un frère', encouraging her uncle to visit her with all his family.

Victoria writes later to Emmanuel Mensdorff Pouilly with birthday wishes and family news, on 15 January 1846 declaring that she is happy with the political situation ('Unsere politischen Angelegenheiten sind auch im Ganzen erfreulich') and can report only good news from her family ('unsere zahlreiche Familie befindet sich, so wie wir, Gottlob!, ganz besonders wohl'), and referring enthusiastically to a family holiday and reunion in Germany ('Es war Uns so eine Freude Sie und die lieben Nachkommen in Alberts lieber, schöner Heimath (zu der ich auch gehöre, und die mir unendlich gefiel) - zu sehen'). In several letters she mentions Alexander, and in 1852 thanks her uncle warmly for his birthday greetings, and congratulates him on the birth of a grandson. To Arthur she writes proudly of her daughter (Princess Victoria), who has become plump and independent, 'Ich wünschte ich könnte Dir die Kleine jetzt zeigen; sie ist so dick, und so independent geworden, ganz wie eine erwachsene Person, seit sie alleine laufen kann' (19 August 1842), and a few months after lamenting the incomprehensibility of the world, notes that in England the political situation is very quiet, 'Von Leopold möchten wir so gern Näheres hören. Von hier kann ich nur gute Nachrichten geben'. (13)

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