Queen Victoria in Grasse: Recollections from Constance Flower, Baroness Battersea
We follow Queen Victoria as she frequent the south of France for her annual holiday. In her memoirs, Reminiscences, published in 1922 by McMillan & Co., society hostess, philanthropist, and feminist activist –but also formidable Rothschild heiress—Constance Flower, Baroness Battersea recollects her many encounters with Queen Victoria, her family, and the Royal Household, while in Grasse. She writes:
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| Alice de Rothschild. Image from waddessdon.org.uk |
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| Constance Flower, Baroness Battersea, nee Rothschild. Image from Wikimedia Commons. |
…I had the pleasure of meeting the Queen at Grasse, on the French Riviera, in the year 1891, when Princess Louise and I were the guests of my cousin, Alice de Rothschild, in her beautiful villa, which, after H.M.'s visit to Grasse, was named Villa Victoria. Her Majesty, with Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg and their suite, was settled in the Grand Hotel in the town, but within a few minutes' walk of the Villa. Thus it was almost daily that I had the privilege of seeing, and often of speaking with, the Queen, who seemed to be fully enjoying the beauties of the South. Her tall majestic Indian attendants, headed by the "Munshi" (as he was called), and the picturesque Scottish servants in their Highland dress, added to the romance of the scene.
One evening the
Queen sent for
my cousin and myself.
We found Her
Majesty sitting in
a small room at
the hotel, listening,
whilst at work,
to Princess Beatrice, who
was playing duets
on the piano
with the Queen's maid-of-honour and
private secretary for
the time being, Marie
Adeane, H.M. beating
time with her crochet
needle. She made
us be seated,
one on each side
of her, and
we had quite
a pleasant informal
talk. The Queen expressed
her delight at
all the arrangements that had
been so carefully
made for her
comfort and privacy ;
she was astonished
at Alice's energy
and capability, and called
her, in speaking
privately of her, " the All-Powerful."
We had sunshine
and also grey
weather, both literally and
metaphorically, during that
visit, for illness seemed
to haunt our
footsteps. To begin
with Prince Henry of
Battenberg was only
just recovering from an
attack of measles
contracted at Grasse. Then,
owing to an
epidemic of smallpox
in the town, we
were all vaccinated
by the Queen's
command. The Indians, who
had never gone
through this process before, suffered
considerably. Besides this,
many of the suite
complained of bad
sore throats — it was
thought owing to the
recklessness of those
who walked out at
sunset, this being
specially dangerous in
southern lands. Saddest of
all, one of
the Queen's housemaids,
who had been sent
in advance to
prepare for Her
Majesty's arrival, developed blood-poisoning from
the prick of a
needle, to which,
after some days
of great suffering, she finally
succumbed. The Queen
was most kind
and sympathetic throughout the
illness, and later
to the relatives of
the poor girl,
who came out
to Grasse at Her
Majesty's request. We
attended the funeral
service, which was held
in the hotel,
the Queen and
all her suite being
present.
On most days, even when the wind was cold and sharp Her Majesty would take her daily drive, always in an open carriage, often in the direction of the Alpine passes. On other days the favourite donkey-chair might have been in request, as I described in one of my home letters.
Villa Victoria, Grasse,
Alpes Maritime,
April 1, 1891.
.
. . We
had had a
delicious morning, with
air like crystal ; part of
it I spent
on the mountain
side, panting after
H.M.'s donkey chair. Off
goes the donkey
at a good
firm pace, led by
the groom, Randall.
H.M. in a
grey shawl, with
a mushroom hat, a
large white sunshade,
sits comfortably installed
in a donkey
chair ; then come
the two Princesses
close behind, walking like
troopers ; the two
Scottish servants not
quite so active ; beside
them romps the
collie " Roy," Lady
Churchill and I close
up the procession,
and the little
pug belonging to Princess
Beatrice toddles last
of all. The
Queen never stops, but
goes steadily on
to the end
of Alice's delightful mountain drive,
and then into
the gardens of
a villa belonging to
a great perfume
manufacturer. At the
entrance of this garden
Alice is continuing
her road as
a surprise to the
Queen ; but Her
Majesty's keen eyes
discovered signs and tokens
of the new
road and she
was informed of
Alice's plans. I told
Her Majesty that
it was a
state secret, and begged
of her not
to appear as
if she knew
anything about it when
Alice will conduct
her for the
first time on
the road, which is
being levelled, widened,
and straightened by
about fifty stalwart Provencal
peasants. " It is
a secret, a
secret," said H.M. with
a smile and a
twinkle, like a
child who thinks that
the great fun of a
secret is in
divulging it.
The Maharajah
Duleep Singh drove
all the way
from Nice to lunch
with the Queen,
and to beg
forgiveness for his disloyal
conduct. He is in a
crippled condition and dying.
Princess Louise was
present when he
arrived and was much
touched, for the
poor man sobbed
and cried bitterly. The
Queen, who had
always taken a
deep and affectionate interest
in the Maharajah
when he came
to England as a
boy, said, “I
forget the past ;
it does not exist."
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| View of Grand Hotel in Grasse. Photograph album commemorating Queen Victoria's stay March 25- April 28, 1891. Image © Royal Collection Trust |
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| View of gardens at Grand Hotel, Grasse. Photograph album commemorating Queen Victoria's stay March 25- April 28, 1891. Image © Royal Collection Trust |
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| Queen Victoria's sitting room in the Grand Hotel, Grasse. Photograph album commemorating Queen Victoria's stay March 25- April 28, 1891. Image © Royal Collection Trust |
The Carnival week
was duly kept
at Grasse, and
the "Battle of Flowers"
was the occasion
of much fun
and merriment.
The Queen took
her station upon
the balcony of the
hotel with the
Princesses and suite.
I stood behind
Her Majesty, holding a huge basket
filled with beautiful flowers sent
from the Villa,
with which I
supplied the Queen, who flung them
down to the
gaily-dressed populace
crowding the pathway
below. Some daring masqueraders, disguised
as pierrots, climbed
up to the balcony,
holding out money-boxes,
and were duly pelted
by Royal hands
with sweet-smelling blossoms, whilst from
Sir Henry Ponsonby
they received more
lasting tokens of favour. It
was a very
gay scene, and
afforded much amusement
to the Queen,
who demanded more and
more flowers, until
at last we
had to resort to
the trick of
having them picked
up and brought
back from the street
only to be
flung down again.
I could not help
expressing my amusement
at this scene
by frank laughter, which
was checked by
one of those
present. Later in the
day I was
cheered by hearing
that Her Majesty had
said, "I did
enjoy hearing Mrs.
Flower laugh."
There were some
pleasant visitors at
Grasse during our stay
there, amongst others
Sir Mackenzie Wallace, the interesting
author, and Lord
Lytton, then our Ambassador in Paris.
I had a
long chat with the
latter, whilst he was awaiting
Her Majesty's summons,
and found him most
entertaining and delightful. I met
him again when
I had the
honour of dining
with the Queen, who, I
remember, on that
occasion talked to me
of her
daily lessons in Hindustani with
the "Munshi," asking me
several questions concerning
the Hebrew alphabet, which
she was anxious
to compare with those of
other Oriental languages.
I was indeed
sorry when Princess Louise
reminded Her Majesty that
it was growing late,
and that she
ought to take her
well-merited rest before the
heavy work that
awaited her on the
morrow, and thus
ended that interesting
interview.
I had the
pleasure of seeing
Her Majesty several times
after her visit
to Grasse, but
never in so
informal and pleasant a
manner. Indeed I
am most grateful
for these more intimate
glimpses of a
Queen whose personality, if I may say
so, had always
greatly attracted me,
and whose influence on the political
and social life
of the nineteenth century
was so remarkable.
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| Villa Victoria. Image from Grasse Vintage Blog. |
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