CHAPTER III

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THE COURT AND THE CABINET.

The Queen’s Distrust of French Policy--Her Conferences with Lord Clarendon--The French Pamphlet on “The Pope and the Congress”--Palmerston’s Proposal of an Alliance Offensive and Defensive with France--Intriguing between Palmerston and Persigny--Recall of Cavour--Affairs in China--Mr. Cobden’s Commercial Treaty with France--Cession of Nice and Savoy to France--The Anglo-French Alliance at an End--Lord John Russell’s Reform Bill--Threatened Rupture with France--Russia Attempts to Re-open the Eastern Question--Garibaldi’s Invasion of the Two Sicilies--Collapse of the Neapolitan Monarchy--The Piedmontese Invade the Papal States--Annexation of the Sicilies to Sardinia--Meeting between Napoleon III. and the German Sovereigns at Baden--A New Holy Alliance--The Mahometan Atrocities in Syria--The Macdonald Scandal--Palmerston’s Fortification Scheme--The Lords Reject the Bill Abolishing the Paper Duty--The Volunteer Movement--Reviews in Hyde Park and Edinburgh--The Queen at Wimbledon--The Prince of Wales’s Tour in Canada and the United States--Betrothal of the Princess Alice--The Queen and her Grandchild--Serious Accident to the Prince Consort--Illness of the Queen 43

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