17Jan1864, Dining With the Queen

OSBORNE, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, January 17th, 1864.
—Poured all the morning. After many vacillations of the Royal will, the upshot was that the Household went to church on its own account, Ly. Ch. and I being diddled out of half the service by the Queen's keeping us to go with her for the latter half. And she did not go. Mr. Prothero preacht on death. In the aft., however, the Queen went, and thus I saw her to speak to for the 1st time. She took my hand and kissed me so kindly before getting into the carriage. A very good thanksgiving prayer was read for the Prss. of Wales and her baby. The Dean preacht, with a beautiful allusion to the little Prince's birth close to his grandfather's tomb. There came off my great event of dining with the Queen, which was very much more pleasure than terror to me. There was much more conversation than I expected ; the Queen talking and laughing cheerfully. She and the Dean spoke about sermons and Presbyterian preachers ; and the Dean made no bones of making occasional hits at the Scotch reverends, which the Queen took as a good joke. Then came a good deal about the poor of the great towns ; and how I should have liked to have brought the Mission Women on the tapis ! But brazen as I was, I hadn't quite that courage. The Queen spoke to me 2 or 3 times very kindly. We stood talking in the dining-room for a little while afterwards, then the Queen vanished, and we went to the ladies' room and joined the others.