EXPANSIÓN DE SISTEMAS DE DISTRIBUCIÓN [9]

decided to cancel a planned visit of the Prussian Queen to Britain, as a result of “the mood of extreme irritation against Prussia which prevails at the present critical time.”^^^ This consideration of the British Queen reveals the negative disposition of the politically interested parts of the British public, since Prussia was perceived to be utterly belligerent.

In a last desperate attempt to influence German affairs. Queen Victoria used her traditional method of writing directly to the Prussian King. She pointed out to William I that “at this fearful moment I cannot be silent, without raising my voice, earnestly, and in the name of all that is most holy and sacred, against the threatened probability of war. It is in your power to avert the calamities of a war, the results of which are too fearful to be even thought of, and in which thousands of innocent lives will be lost, and brother will be arrayed against brother.” Although Loftus, the British Ambassador at Berlin, assured the Queen that her letter had “made an impression” on the addressee, the King’s response contained stereotypical accusations against Austria, which, however, was based on the fact that Bismarck had written this “deluded answer;” as a consequence. Clarendon advised Queen Victoria against another attempt to write directly to the Prussian King.^^^

The co-operation between the British sovereign and the British Foreign Secretary was unremittingly close during the months before and after the outbreak of the Prusso-Austrian war of 1866. Whereas Queen Victoria was the driving force, attempting to avoid a war. Clarendon was the voice of caution and of practical considerations. This is certainly understandable, since Clarendon had to consider the international situation before he could try any joint action, a situation that Palmerston

28 March 1866 Queen Victoria to the Crown Princess of Prussia. In: Ibid., p.311.

” ^28 March 1866 Queen Victoria to the Queen of Prussia. In: Bolitho (ed.). Further letters of Queen Victoria, p. 159. Queen Augusta eventually came to Britain in June 1867.

10 April 1866 Queen Victoria to the King of Prussia. In: Buckle (ed ). The letters of Queen Victoria, second series, vol.l, pp.317-8. The letter was drafted by Queen Victoria in Enghsh and then sent in a German copy. Both letters are in: RA 144/5.

14 April 1866 Loftus to General Grey. In: Buckle (ed ). The letters of Queen Victoria. second series, vol.l, p.318.

Longford, Victoria R.I.. p.350.

See: 14 May 1866 Clarendon to General Grey. In: Buckle (ed ). The letters of Queen Victoria, second series, vol.l, p.327.

had already encountered in 1848. Queen Victoria, on the other hand, viewed the conflict with a perspective restricted to the states of the German Confederation, and she only included France in her point of view when any other possibilities had proven unsuitable. As a consequence, she came to accept Clarendon’s belief that Britain should not interfere in the domestic affairs of the German confederation when she had no longer any other choice. Clarendon, in turn, appreciated the Queen’s personal approach to the Prussian King as long as it had a chance of being successful, but he strongly advised against a second attempt when the situation had changed in a way which made any peaceful settlement no longer likely.

The actual outbreak of the war in June 1866^^^ was regarded by the Times as “one of the least just and least necessary wars of modern t i m e s . Q u e e n Victoria herself judged the war to be “terrible, unforgivable,”^^"* and she observed: “I only wish it was all in a better cause and against real enemies and not against brother G e r m a n s . T h i s last statement showed the Queen’s difficulty in understanding how two states of the German Confederation could be fighting against each other in a war which saw her daughter in Prussia on the Prussian and her daughter in Hesse on the Austrian side. The war of 1866 was certainly the crucial turning-point in Queen Victoria’s image of Prussia, since it changed her hitherto positive perception of Prussia into a sceptical and increasingly negative one. However, this crucial modification in the Queen’s image of Germany did not correspond with the general opinion in Britain, where “not a ripple of anxiety was felt. (...) the enormous military strength which Bismarck was amassing in Prussia was hardly noticed, nor the fact that Prussia was now the leader of the German-speaking people.

Yet although Queen Victoria began to see Prussia’s political conduct with decreasing enthusiasm, she nevertheless expressed her hope towards Clarendon that ^ ^

A detailed account of the war can be found in: Medlicott, Bismarck and modem Germany. pp.53 ff.

The Times, 30 March 1866. The Times anticipated the outbreak of the war already in March.

27 June 1866 Queen Victoria to the Queen of Prussia. In: Bolitho (ed.). Further letters of Queen Victoria, p. 161.

14 July 1866 Queen Victoria to the Crown Princess of Prussia. In: Fulford (ed ). Your dear letter, p.79.

D.Newsome, The Victorian world picture, perceptions and introspections in an age of change (London, 1997), p.l 14.

VI: Continuity in grief 146