18Dec1861, Prince Albert Has Died

HAGLEY, Wednesday, December 18th, 1861.
—Sullen, dark, dark weather. Poor Granny received many sad and touching letters which took out of her grievously [FN: The Prince Consort had died on December 14th] ; and the service was strangely overpowering ; the familiar prayers for the Queen full of deep pathos ; the funeral Psalm, some parts of the 1st lesson curiously appropriate, and greatly moving one ; and then the missing of his name, and the Prince of Wales' coming alone, reminding one of his altered and responsible position now, left fatherless to be the stay and support of the desolate Queen. God enable him to be so ! We heard that Her Majesty is still calm and, thank God, can sleep, and cries much : finds consolation in her children ; and Prss. Alice, whose "life was bound up in her father's," is an Angel in the house. Miss Hildyard's letter one almost dwells most on ; none knew the Prince better than she and Granny, and accordingly there are none who so loved and looked up to him. But indeed, everyone does that in proportion as they knew him. Miss H. said that a hasty word was never heard from him. His last words to Prss. Alice were : "Good child." She will love to remember them ! When someone mentioned Granny to the Queen, she said, "Ah, she knew our happy, happy life." Most nobly and patiently she seems to be taking up the cross, set upon doing what would have pleased her husband, and saying : "I will do anything " —showing that she accepts the dreadful change with meekness and courage. I can't help going on about it all, for the cloud over the days is ever before me, and it is such a great, solemn, and awful thing.