Our special thanks, for aid in the preparation of these volumes, are due to Viscount Morley of Blackburn, who has read and criticised the book in its final form; to Mr J. W. Headlam, of the Board of Education, and formerly Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, for much valuable assistance in preparing the prefatory historical memoranda; to Mr W. F. Reddaway, Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, for revision and advice throughout, in connection with the introductions and annotations; to Lord Knollys, for criticism of selected materials; to Lord Stanmore, for the loan of valuable documents; to Dr Eugene Oswald, for assistance in translation; to Mr C. C. Perry and M. G. Hua, for verification of French and German documents; to Miss Bertha Williams, for unremitting care and diligence in preparing the volumes for press; to Mr John Murray, our publisher, for his unfailing patience and helpfulness; and especially to Mr Hugh Childers, for his ungrudging help in the preparation of the Introductory annual summaries, and in the political and historical annotation, as well as for his invaluable co-operation at every stage of the work. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I Ancestry of Queen Victoria--Houses of Brunswick, Hanover, and Coburg --Family connections--The English Royal Family--The Royal Dukes--Duke of Cumberland--Family of George III.--Political position of the Queen (Pages 1-7) CHAPTER II Queen Victoria's early years--Duke and Duchess of Kent--Parliamentary grant to Duchess of Kent--The Queen of Würtemberg--George IV. and the Princess--Visits to Windsor--Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld --Education of the Princess--The Duchess of Kent's letter to the Bishops--Religious instruction--Result of examination--Speech by Duchess of Kent--The Princess's reminiscences of Claremont--William IV. and the Princess--The accession--Queen Victoria's character and temperament--Her sympathy with the middle classes (Pages 8-21) CHAPTER III Queen Victoria's relations and friends--King Leopold's influence --Queen Adelaide--Baroness Lehzen--Baron Stockmar (Pages 22-26) CHAPTER IV 1821-1835 Observations on the correspondence with King Leopold and others--First letter received by Queen Victoria--Her first letter to Prince Leopold --Birthday letters--King Leopold's description of his Queen--His valuable advice--The Princess's visit to Hever Castle--King Leopold's advice as to reading, and the Princess's reply--New Year greeting --On autographs--The Princess's confirmation--King Leopold's advice as to honesty and sincerity (pages 27-42) CHAPTER V 1836 Visit of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg--Invitation to the Prince of Orange--Arrival of Princes Ernest and Albert--The Princess's appreciation of Prince Albert--King Leopold's advice as to conversation--Crisis in Spain--Farewell letter--The Princess and the Church--Death of Charles X.--Abuse of King Leopold--Revolution at Lisbon--The Princess's name--Newspaper attacks on King Leopold (pages 43-55) CHAPTER VI 1837