Another historic royal visit also took place in 1844, that of the Emperor Nicholas, who no doubt was so much impressed with his friendly reception, both by the Court and by Aberdeen, the Foreign Secretary, that nine years later he thought he could calculate on the support of England under Aberdeen (then Premier) in a scheme for the partition of Turkey. Lord Malmesbury, who a few years later became Foreign Secretary, states in his memoirs that during this visit, the Czar, Sir Robert Peel, the Duke of Wellington, and Lord Aberdeen "drew up and signed a Memorandum, the spirit and scope of which was to support Russia in her legitimate protectorship of the Greek religion and the Holy Shrines, and to do so without consulting France," but the Memorandum was in reality only one made by Nicholas of his recollection of the interview, and communicated subsequently to Lord Aberdeen. No events of special interest took place in other parts of Europe; the condition of affairs in the Peninsula improved, though the announcement of the unfortunate marriage of the Queen Mother with the Duke of Rianzares was not of hopeful augury for the young Queen Isabella's future; as a matter of fact, the marriage had taken place some time previously. CHAPTER XIII 1844 _Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._ WINDSOR CASTLE, _9th January 1844._ MY DEAREST UNCLE,--I had the pleasure of receiving your kind letter of the 4th, which is written from Ardenne, where I grieve to see you are again gone without my beloved Louise. Charlotte is the admiration of every one, and I wish much I could have seen the three dear children _en representation_. Our fat Vic or Pussette learns a verse of _Lamartine_ by heart, which ends with "le tableau se deroule a mes pieds"; to show how well she had understood this difficult line which Mdlle. Charier had explained to her, I must tell you the following _bon mot_. When she was riding on her pony, and looking at the cows and sheep, she turned to Mdlle. Charier and said: "_Voila_ le tableau qui se deroule a mes pieds." Is not this extraordinary for a little child of three years old? It is more like what a person of twenty would say. You have no notion _what_ a knowing, and I am sorry to say _sly_, little rogue she is, and so _obstinate_. She and _le petit Frere_ accompany us to dear old Claremont to-day; Alice remains here under Lady Lyttelton's care. How sorry I am that you should have hurt your leg, and in such a provoking way; Albert says he remembers well your playing often with a pen-knife when you talked, and I remember it also, but it is really dangerous.