12Jul1880, An Ugly Waggish Mug

LONDON, July 12th-18th, 1880.
—Ly. Granville's 2nd son born prosperously on Sun. the 11th, a great blessing, the last poor little thing having died with water on the brain.

—Tuesday. Garden party at Marlborough House; the Queen there, looking her very best, walking round and very gracious. Still with perfectly perfect Royal dignity and grace, the more wonderful in a stout little great-grandmother drest in rather dowdy black.

Prince Edward of Wales very fair, noble-looking and handsome, and of tolerable height, but he doesn't look as well in a regular grown-up get-up, and has rather a weak face. Prince George a little fellow, with an ugly waggish mug. I believe he is a good deal the sharpest. The little Princesses are less scraggy than last year and are pretty chicks. Three good-looking Teck boys, the youngest a very jolly dark fellow: the only Royal creature not fair and blue-eyed. The Queen sent for Lucia Bagot and talked some time to her with a very sad, kind face about poor Constance Westminster, who is in terribly precarious health with heart attacks....

Pleasant afternoon (after a tremendous thunderstorm) at Wimbledon, taking Edith; Ly. Stanhope entertaining. Introduced to Mr. Lewis Morris, author of "The Epic of Hades"; not like a poet to look at or talk to. Dined in Great George St., meeting Farrars and Davidsons [FN: The present Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Davidson.] (she one of the Archbishop of Canterbury's daughters). He told me the Sun. Sch. Centenary splash at Lambeth was splendidly managed, and would have been a mighty success but for an hour's downpour, which drove 1,500 children home, and prevented the poor little creatures from sitting down. Also about 1,000 missed seeing the Royalties, who would not stay it out. But not a single accident or misadventure in getting the 20,000 children in and out of the gardens and home has been reported.

The unlucky Irish Bill staggering thro' the Committee; to-day's incident was that villain Eddy, not content with not voting at the outset, spoke in favour of dropping it ! Et tu, Brute !