She was the most powerful woman in the world. Victoria had ruled through more than six decades, watching her kingdom spread to become the world's biggest empire and witnessing massive change in society and leaps forward in technology. Many of her people had known no other monarch. It is little surprise, then, that her death resulted in chaos, shock and mass outpourings of grief across the world. Here author and researcher Stewart Richards has delved through the archives to put together the definitive view of Victoria in her drawn-out final days of illness, through the immediate reaction to and aftermath of her death, to the state funeral on 2 February 1901. Based entirely on fascinating first-hand accounts, Curtain Down at Her Majesty's offers a remarkable insight into the events of those tumultuous few days, and a truly unique perspective on the life and impact of one of history's great monarchs.
She was the most powerful woman in the world. Victoria had ruled through more than six decades, watching her kingdom spread to become the world's biggest empire and witnessing massive change in society and leaps forward in technology. Many of her people had known no other monarch. It is little surprise, then, that her death resulted in chaos, shock and mass outpourings of grief across the world. Here author and researcher Stewart Richards has delved through the archives to put together the definitive view of Victoria in her drawn-out final days of illness, through the immediate reaction to and aftermath of her death, to the state funeral on 2 February 1901. Based entirely on fascinating first-hand accounts, Curtain Down at Her Majesty's offers a remarkable insight into the events of those tumultuous few days, and a truly unique perspective on the life and impact of one of history's great monarchs.
Curtain Down at Her Majesty's: The Death of Queen Victoria in the Words of Those Who Were There
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Curtain Down at Her Majesty's: The Death of Queen Victoria in the Words of Those Who Were There
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Overview
She was the most powerful woman in the world. Victoria had ruled through more than six decades, watching her kingdom spread to become the world's biggest empire and witnessing massive change in society and leaps forward in technology. Many of her people had known no other monarch. It is little surprise, then, that her death resulted in chaos, shock and mass outpourings of grief across the world. Here author and researcher Stewart Richards has delved through the archives to put together the definitive view of Victoria in her drawn-out final days of illness, through the immediate reaction to and aftermath of her death, to the state funeral on 2 February 1901. Based entirely on fascinating first-hand accounts, Curtain Down at Her Majesty's offers a remarkable insight into the events of those tumultuous few days, and a truly unique perspective on the life and impact of one of history's great monarchs.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780750991018 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | The History Press |
| Publication date: | 01/02/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 256 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
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Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Act I
Another Year Begun
1–21 January 1901
Tuesday, 1 January
The Times
The Twentieth Century begins.
Osborne House
Queen Victoria
Another year begun, I am feeling so weak & unwell, that I enter upon it sadly.
Wednesday, 2 January
Queen Victoria
Rather a better night, but slept on late into the morning, which is so provoking.
I managed to get out for ½ an hour with Lenchen & went to look at the arch which has been put in honour of Lord Roberts. Drove in the afternoon with Louie & Mary H, getting home just in time before Lord Roberts arrived.
On Lord Roberts arrival here, I received him most warmly shaking hands with him, & he knelt down & kissed my hand.
Lord Roberts spoke with such grief of dear Christle's death & said he could not say how deeply he mourned him, & how he felt for all of us. It had been such a shock, as he had not had the slightest idea there was any danger, during Christle's whole illness, he had looked so well & been so cheerful.
I then gave Lord Roberts the Garter, which quite overcame him & he said it was too much. I also told him I was going to confer an Earldom on him, with the remainder to his daughter.
I felt a little tired, so rested & slept for a while.
Thursday, 3 January
Queen Victoria
Had a rather better night, though some broken sleep & was not up & dressed till 12. Signed some things & then went out in the garden chair.
Saw Sir A. Bigge about some War Office affairs. Had not much appetite. At ½ p.3 took a short drive with Lenchen & Ismay S.
Friday, 4 January
Queen Victoria
Had a better night & took less draught, but still unfortunately, I slept longer than I wished.
In the afternoon drove with Harriet P. & Evelyn Moore. A fine afternoon, but rather hazy. From not having been well, I see so badly, which is very tiresome.
Had a telegram from Ld Kitchener, which was satisfactory. Spent rather an uncomfortable afternoon & felt so weary & tired. Ismay S. read to me after my supper, & Beatrice came later & played to me a little on the piano.
Sir James Reid
To Marie Mallet
Dear Mrs. Mallet,
Just a line to tell you that the Queen is now much better. She has continued to improve ever since she consented to be treated as an invalid; and she now causes me no present anxiety. How far she may still improve it is impossible to say at her age: but I hope she may continue her invalid habits for some time longer, and so give herself every chance.
I have had rather an anxious time and have been very closely tied: so H.M. is to give me a little chance of air and exercise, and Sir F. Laking is coming here for a week or so.
Susan is in bed with a feverish chill and rheumatism but otherwise she is all right. I have been very little with her since she came, so I am longing for Sir F. Laking's arrival!
Saturday, 5 January
Queen Victoria
Had a bad & much disturbed night. Felt very exhausted. Beatrice went out with me for a short while late in the morning & in the afternoon I drove with Lenchen & Ismay S. to Newport & back. It was very fine, but cold. I was very drowsy, when I came home.
Sunday, 6 January
Queen Victoria
An improved night, though I wake often. Lenchen came & read letters to me after I got up. The accounts of dear Vicky are not at all satisfactory, which make me so sad.
It blew so hard & was so cold, that I did not go out in the morning. At 3 drove in a closed carriage with Lenchen & Beatrice.
Had my supper of Benger's food, which is very soothing & nourishing. Saw Sir Francis Laking, who is here to relieve Sir James Reid a little.
Lady Susan Reid
To her sister-in-law, Mary Reid
Laking's visit at Osborne is a great fraud! and does not relieve Jamie of any of his work! and all our beautiful hopes of a rest and Jamie living at May Cottage [while Laking was at Osborne] have been dashed to the ground. The Queen will not see him! at least not about her health, and she can hardly bear Jamie out of her sight!
She is no worse, but has ups and downs and gets very easily over tired, and when so, she gets into a nervous depressed hopeless state. However, she sleeps and eats well and Jamie says that is all one can expect just now, but her family and Miss Phipps will insist (in spite of Jamie's opinion!!) on thinking her much better than she is and it is all he can do to prevent them overtiring her, by too much talking.
The only difference Laking's visit has made is that Jamie was able to dine here twice. Last night he was to do so again but the Queen was in a nervous mood, so he gave it up, and she was so pleased and so grateful!! She does depend on him entirely now, and happily he is very well. I am quite pleased with his looks, and he is able to sleep well, now he is not disturbed at night. As things are at present Jamie thinks it is out of the question that the Queen should go abroad, and all the men of the Household are of that opinion. However, the family and Miss Phipps are still in favour of it, but I think gradually they will see for themselves that it is impossible.
Monday, 7 January
Queen Victoria
Had a much better night, but still slept on late. A very cold day with a very high wind. Took a short drive in a closed carriage, at 2.30. Dictated some letters to Lenchen.
Tuesday, 8 January
Queen Victoria
Had a restless night & woke very often. The ground was white with snow when I got up & it snowed off & on the whole morning. Got out in a closed carriage for a short while with Harriet P. I was so drowsy that I slept for 2 hours from 6 o'clock. Lenchen & Beatrice came up after their dinner.
Wednesday, 9 January
Queen Victoria
A bad night, & got up late. Did not go out till the afternoon, when I drove with Harriet P. It was fine & mild & all the snow disappearing fast.
Had some food & rested. Harriet P. read to me & later I dictated to Lenchen & then she & Beatrice wished me good night.
Thursday, 10 January
Queen Victoria
Rather a better night, but I slept on late. Only got out for a short time in the morning, & in the afternoon drove with Lenchen & Beatrice to Newport & back.
Rested when I came in, & had some food, then saw Mr Chamberlain for a little while. A good telegram from Ld Kitchener.
Friday, 11 January
Queen Victoria
A better night, but felt very tired. Out in the garden chair after 1, Lenchen, Beatrice walking with me. Very fine & like spring. Went as far as Barton & back.
Felt so weary that I did not go out again in the afternoon, but slept for more than 2 hours. Afterwards Lenchen & Beatrice played duets to me, very pretty things, the 'Gondoliers', Gounod's Ballet music from 'Faust', &c. Then dictated some letters. Harriet read to me after my supper, & then Lenchen & Beatrice came up to say good night.
Saturday, 12 January
Queen Victoria
Had a good night & could take some breakfast better. There was a dense fog & no ships could cross.
Took an hour's drive at ½ p. 2 with Lenchen. It was very foggy, but the air was pleasant. Had some food when I came in & rested. Afterwards little Leopold played charmingly on the violin. Took a 'lait de poule', then signed & dictated to Lenchen. Harriet read to me after my supper & Lenchen & Beatrice came up afterwards.
Sunday, 13 January
Queen Victoria
Had a fair night, but was a little wakeful. Got up earlier & had some milk. Lenchen came & read some papers. Out before 1, in the garden chair, Lenchen & Beatrice going with me.
Rested a little, had some food, & took a short drive with Lenchen & Beatrice.
Rested when I came in & at 5.30, went down to the Drawingroom, where a short service was held, it was a great comfort to me. Rested again afterwards, then did some signing & dictated to Lenchen.
This was the Queen's final entry in the journal she had kept for more than sixty-nine years.
Monday, 14 January
Court Circular
Field-Marshal Earl Roberts, K.G., Commander-in-Chief, arrived at Osborne, and had an audience of Her Majesty before dinner.
Randall Davidson, Bishop of Winchester
A favourite of the Queen. An enormously influential cleric described by the Queen as ' ... singularly pleasing both in appearance and manner, very sympathetic and evidently very intelligent'. Not a view shared by all. He married Edith, daughter of Archibald Tait, the former Archbishop of Canterbury – a position he was to fill himself in 1903.
* * *
When she saw Lord Roberts the Princesses told her she must not have too long & fatiguing a talk & that they send & interrupt by a message after twenty minutes.
She answered 'Do nothing of the kind. I have a great deal to say to him which I must say & a great deal to hear from him. I shall want plenty of time.' And she did have quite a long interview & was not a bit sleepy or confused.
Baron Eckardstein
A German diplomat serving as the German First Secretary in their London embassy. In 1898, he married Grace, the wealthy heiress of Sir John Maple of Maple's Furniture, an establishment much admired by the Queen.
While I was on a few days holiday at Cowes, rumours were current as to the serious illness of the old Queen who, as usual, had been spending Christmas at Osborne. I accordingly called there one day to enquire; and although her physician, Sir James Reid, told me her illness was by no means alarming, I learnt from various Court officials that her condition was extremely serious.
Tuesday, 15 January
Court Circular
Earl Roberts left Osborne this morning.
The Queen drove out accompanied by Her Imperial and Royal Highness the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Randall Davidson, Bishop of Winchester
She did feel a few days ago that she was losing grip and that she got sleepy when talking and forgot things & said 'They will want me to give in & to have a Regency to do my work. But they are wrong. I won't. For I know they would be doing things in my name without telling me.'
On Tuesday, though she drove out, she did get confused & since then she has attended to no business though she has had nothing of a regular 'stroke' sort, so far as I understand.
Wednesday, 16 January
Sir James Reid
The Queen had rather a disturbed night, but was very drowsy all forenoon, and disinclined to get up, although she kept saying in a semi-confused way that she must get up.
I saw her asleep in bed in the forenoon, as I was rather anxious about her, and the maids said she was too drowsy to notice me. This was the first time I had ever seen the Queen when she was in bed. She was lying on her right side huddled up and I was struck by how small she appeared. She looked well and her breathing was quiet and normal. She did not get up till 6 p.m. when she had a dress loosely fastened round her and was wheeled into the sitting room.
At 7.30 I saw her and found her complexion good, but she was dazed, confused, and aphasic. I asked her to see Laking, as he was going away next day, and she said yes, and I got the maids to remind her.
Accordingly, at 8 he was sent for, I having told him about the Q's dazed condition. And at 8.45 as I was going down to dinner I met him coming back, and to my surprise he told me the Queen was all right, that she had been speaking to him for ¾ hour on a great many topics and was quite herself, in fact that he did not believe she was as bad as I thought. I told him it was only an instance of how wonderfully she could pull herself together when she saw anyone but her maids or me, and that I should not wonder if she were quite confused again after he had left. 10 minutes later I was sent for by the maids and found H.M. quite exhausted and as confused as ever. She went back to bed at once.
I wrote tonight to the Prince of Wales and told him exactly what I thought about the Queen. I felt now so anxious about the Queen that I told Miss Phipps I should so much like to get Sir D. Powell to come and see H.M. with me, the difficulty being how to tell the Queen without frightening her. I had already written privately to Powell this morning telling him I was very anxious and might want him on short notice, and that he was to be ready to come at once.
Sir Frederick Ponsonby
Known as Fritz, he was a witty, resourceful and punctilious courtier with impeccable manners and a domineering personality. Following in the footsteps of his father, Sir Henry Ponsonby, who had been Private Secretary to the Queen until his death in 1895, Fritz became assistant Private Secretary to Sir Arthur Bigge, who had replaced his father as the Queen's Private Secretary.
* * *
In 1900 the Queen made a new arrangement which necessitated my sleeping at Osborne House instead of Barton Manor. The increasing number of telegrams in addition to occasional telephone messages that were often received at night made it necessary for someone who could deal with them to sleep at Osborne House. The Queen therefore decided that I was to sleep at Osborne House in future and deal with any emergency that might arise.
Once in February 1900, the Queen's health not being good, Sir James Reid asked me to take steps to ensure that no bad news should reach her by telegram. I had not found this quite so easy to arrange as I anticipated, for when I told Mr. Hiley, the telegraph clerk, to bring me any telegram that might come for the Queen before sending it in to her, he replied he had strict orders from her that all telegrams addressed to her were to be sent in at once to her and to no one else. I had spoken in a careless manner so that there should be no suspicion that anything was wrong, but I grasped that I should have to take him into my confidence. I therefore told him the Queen was unwell and that Sir James Reid had impressed on me the necessity of her not being worried by bad news, and I finally wrote down and signed instructions to him enjoining secrecy.
When, therefore, Reid came to me on January 16, 1901, and told me the Queen was not well, I did not think it serious, but repeated the former instructions to the telegraph clerk.
Thursday, 17 January
Sir James Reid
The Queen had a quiet night, but in the morning, was, when I saw her in bed, very confused, aphasic and drowsy. I did not at all like her condition, and thought she might be getting comatose, and might in fact die within a few days.
I at once saw Princess Beatrice and Princess Christian [Helena], and told them I was very anxious and that I wanted Powell at once, to which they consented, and I wired asking him to come by the first train he could catch. When I told Laking what I had done, he said he would like to stay another day to 'help' me.
Lady Susan Reid
Laking is no good. Last night he saw the Queen and thought her wonderfully well!!! and Jamie saw her after he did and thought her all wrong. By what Jamie said this morning (though I saw him so hurriedly) I fear there is not much hope. It is wonderful what he has been to her all these years, and now, if the end comes, I know it will be a wrench to him, and what a sensation in the world! The only consolation is that I don't think one could wish her to live in a state of childishness, which from the present state of her brain seems inevitable.
Princess Christian (Helena)
To the Marquess of Salisbury
January 17, 1901 1.30pm
Today The Queen has developed some difficulty of speech, mental confusion and drowsiness which Sir James Reid does not like and makes him very uneasy. We have sent for Sir D. Powell. Will keep you informed.
Sir James Reid
The Queen was fairly quiet all the afternoon but staid [sic] in bed till 7 p.m. when she got out of bed, and was wheeled to her sitting room, dressed as last night. She asked the Princesses if people were beginning to be frightened about her, as she had not been out for 2 days, and when Princess Christian [Helena] said the weather had been so bad that people would not be surprised, she replied that the people knew she always went out in rain!
In the evening I was rung up specially on the telephone by Mrs Tuck, who said the Q wanted to know how I was, as she was afraid I would break down and be ill, and that I must have help, and I must not be allowed to break down, as 'he is the only one that understands me'.
Being so anxious to prepare the public for what I feared was coming, and also thinking that her condition was too serious for it to be kept longer from the public, I thought a statement ought to be made in the Court Circular, and accordingly Bigge and I drew up a paragraph which we wished to be put in tomorrow's circular, and in it we mentioned that I had sent for Sir D. Powell. Before sending it off, Bigge telephoned it to Marlboro' House for the P. of W.'s approval, but got a reply saying H.R.H. wished no statement whatever to be made, so we were obliged to cancel it.
Powell arrived at 7.30, and I told the Queen that he was in the island and had called to see me, and, as he was in the house, I hoped she would see him. She expressed no surprise (as she would have done in her usual condition) and said certainly. So at 8.15 he saw H.M. with me for a few minutes. She was rather apathetic and did not pull herself together at all (for the first time) on seeing a stranger. She said nothing to him, except to answer rather incoherently the few questions he put to her.
(Continues…)
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Copyright © 2019 Stewart Richards.
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Table of Contents
Prologue,
Act I Another Year Begun,
Act II The Angel of Death,
Act III A Country in Mourning,
Act IV Chaos & Confusion,
Act V Rest in Peace,
Epilogue,
The Family of Queen Victoria in January 1901,
Sources & Permissions,
Acknowledgements,