1854 PAGES The Eastern Question--Attack on the Prince--The French alliance--The Orleans family--The Reform Bill--The Baltic command--The British ultimatum--Departure of the Guards--War declared--Cabinet dissensions--Austrian interests--The Sultan--Prussian policy--Marshal St Arnaud--Invasion of the Principalities--Separation of Departments--The Russian loan--Debates on the War--Prince Albert and the Emperor Napoleon--The Crimea--Battle of the Alma--Maharajah Dhuleep Singh--Attack on Sebastopol--Battle of Inkerman--Death of Sir G. Cathcart--A hurricane--Lord John Russell and the Premiership--Miss Nightingale's mission 1-62 CHAPTER XXIV 1855 Peace proposals--The Four Points--Offer of the Garter to the Premier--Sufferings of the troops in the Crimea--Resignation of Lord John--The Queen's disapproval--Lord Palmerston as Leader--The Ministry defeated--Lord Derby sent for--Lord Palmerston and the Leadership--Lord Derby's failure--Lord Lansdowne consulted--Lord John sent for--Disappointment of Lord John--Lord Palmerston to be Premier--Intervention of Lord Aberdeen--The new Cabinet--The Vienna Conference--Resignation of the Peelites--Death of the Czar--Lord Panmure at the War Office--Negotiations at Vienna--Visit of the Emperor--Russia and the Black Sea--Estimate of the Emperor--Retirement of Canrobert--Death of Lord Raglan--General Simpson in command--Lord John resigns--Battle of the Tchernaya--Visit to Paris--At the tomb of Bonaparte--Fall of Sebastopol--Life Peerages--Prince Frederick William of Prussia--Offer to Lord Stanley--France and Austria--Visit of the King of Sardinia 63-157 CHAPTER XXV 1856 The Conference--The Queen's determination--Russia accepts the terms--Sardinia and the Conference--Protection of neutrals--The Crimean enquiry--Incorporation of Oudh--Canning succeeds Dalhousie--Unclouded horizon in India--Future of the Principalities--Birth of the Prince Imperial--The Princess Royal--The Treaty of Paris--End of the War--Garter for Lord Palmerston--The Title of Prince Consort--Position of the Queen's husband--Retirement of Lord Hardinge--Appointment of the Duke of Cambridge--Lord Granville's mission--Coronation of the Czar--A Royal proposal--Russian procrastination--Death of Lord Hardinge--The Archduke Maximilian--Affair of Neuchatel--Death of Prince Charles of Leiningen--Dispute with the United States 158-222 CHAPTER XXVI 1857