Octoher 3, 193'1 Pqe Niae Queen Victoria's Remorkcble John Brown

• T b e first tbree instal. Her Mq;jesty ments of this story told of the rise 01 lobn Brown, grue Highlander, to the position Smiles at of cbief attendant to Queen Victoria in tbe loneliness that followed the deatb of Gossip ber prince consort. Brown Iccompanied tbe queen on all' By E. E. P. TISDALL her drives and waited upon (Reprinted by .rr •••• ement with the ber at'aU times. He treated LoDdon Expre •••) the bighest courtiers witb disdain and ordered tIM royal UST when all the tongues in children about. Scandalous the land we r e wagging stories about tbe queen and J about John Brown, Punch, her favorite companion began that inveterate leg- puller, put to circulate. In this instal· his wicked tongue in his cheek m'flnt tbe author describes and mocked at the scandalmon- the violent press campaign gers and their tittle- tattle. • g a i n s t Brown and tbe In the July 7 issue in 1866 ap- queen's reaction. peared: COURT CIRCULAR in the Fire," showing an Indian Balmoral, Tuesday. chief gaZing into the fire and Mr. John Brown walked on seeing among other things " The the slopes. He subsequently Mystery of the Season," John partook of a haggis. Brown leaning against the empty In the evening Mr. John throne. Brown was pleased to listen to The Tomahawk issued its final ...,. a bagpipe. number in June, 1870, and passed J v Mr. John B row n retired into the lim b 0 of forgotten early. things unmourned. But in its Th. qu•• n had much more fr•• dom at Balmoral than .h. had in London. In the form.r .h. could obtain the wake several papers appeared ..c1u.ion which p.rmitt.d h.r to b. gay and car.-fr... She could Yiaitthe nativ •• , comfort the .iclc. and make Admit that it was very imper- fri.nds with farm.rs and •• ",anta. (of a sort that would not be tol- tinent and very daring to issue erated now) which kept up the whatever may be done on this pensing with Brown soleJ.y on that the smoking room should under the heading of " Court Clr- John Brown stories, cular" the doings of a ghlllie single occasion. If when Lord public occasions. .Certainly it be closed and the lights put out raised to be an upper servant, ••• Charles arrives he would first must be admitted that the two by 12 o'clock, not later. but then Punch is Punch and go to Countess Blucher he will letters of Queen Victoria quoted II Lord Charles will no doubt Whether the queen saw these hear from her what has passed." have rather an amazing content. agree with the queen, and he was even more so in 1866 than pictures and articles or not we in 1937. It may truly have been A month later, from Osborne, In reading them one has be- will see that it is done quite do not know. Probably not, but Victoria again wrote to Lord fore him all the clews to a great quietly, but effectUally; some more a gibe at the gossip of the she knew of their existence. The day which revolved around John Charles on the burning question: human riddle, for as she wrote one coming to remind the prince effect of this on the national ". . . the queen cannot con- the grim, determined, lonely and gentlemen that the hour has Brown than an indication of any .•A Brown Study," on. of the cartoons which inflam.d the Briti.h people mind was to stir up a protest disrespectful feeling toward the clude this letter without telling little middle -aged queen was come when the lights must be again.t John Brown. against Brown being in attend- queen. Lord Charles that Sir Thomas thinking deeply -- seemingly a put out. If Lord Charles wishes ance on the queen during the The paragraph might have Biddulph told the queen only a woman at bay--about the man to speak to her about it she could coupled with the suggestion of quite intolerable, 11 n d so m e Hyde Park review in June, 1867. few days ago--when she spoke she intended to keep at her side. easily see him tomorrow morn- been forgotten after it had lived John Brown's probable restora- friends of mine who were near The whole. nation was roused a week or two as a clubroom jest, to him about 'the state of Lon- Yet nobody today can read the ing." tion to power before long. The Windsor fishing not long ago, on this occasion about the pres- don,' which had been described truth behind tho s e letters-- During the queen's stay at Bal- but unfortunately it was not. reason assigned for his dismissal who frequently saw the favorite, ence of the taciturn ghlllie, who We cannot pretend to know if to her as so dreadful--that he whether they express the petu- moral in the autumn of 1868 is an inordinate indulgence in not then disgraced, gave me the stood on the royal rumble. News thought it greatly exaggerated, lance of a haughty, obstinate, much comment was aroused in the queen saw Punch, or what the national taste for whisky, benefit of a good deal of local came that serious disturbances she said if she did. But the and that Inspector May of the self-centered woman in poor the neighborhood by the absence and the restraining of that appe- gossip about the lusty ghlllie. threatened in London. police, who had taken great health, or a deeper sentiment; for a whole week of Brown !rom story went the rounds that she tite is mentioned as a likely con- But I shall imitate Herodotus Apprehensions about the posi- did, and was greatly amused! pains to inquire, and who knew nor is it likely that the persons the queen's outdoor retinue. It ditton of his readmission to (perhaps I had better give him tion of the throne were felt in The story also runs that John more about the feelings of the to whom the letters were written was given out that he was sur- favor. his usual title, the Father of His certain h i g h quarters. The Brown saw that paragraph and people than anyone, had given were any wiser. fering !rom a chill. Soon it was " 'Far be it from me to ques- tory) and make an end of my queen, furiously indignant, was it as his decided opinion that not Rumor even said that the being whispered that the prince exploded with rage. tion Mr. Brown's powers of suc- He refused to dismiss it with only nothing would have oc- queen was married to him, and of Wales (Edward VII.) and one tion. They may rival those of curred of an unpleasant nature there were many who believed or two of his friends had hired a a laugh, there was a regular one of Dickens' characters, the row, and he made such a pother (such as a scuffle with Mr. Beales this unfounded and impossible brawny boxer from Aberdeen to elder Weller, I think, who would and his party on the occasion of story. pick a quarrel with Brown in about it that he was threatened have made an uncommon good with dismissal from the royal Oourt 0ir0U1&r. lI.r.or.-r, 2WIIIc1. the review in Hyde Park, which At the other extreme there order to give him a thrashing. oyster if he'd been born in that was foretold), but that he was were those who said Brown must The plot duly materialized and service. sphere of life, and it is easy to MB.loD BBOn walked on the Slopea. He nbaequent11 partook • of a haggia. l...... convinced that nothing whatever have some secret and extraordi· Brown was badly hammered in • • suppose that a Highland ghillie In tile eve$g :!b.. Ion :BBOn was pleued to liaten to a ••••••plpe. of any unpleasant nature would nary power over the queen, be- spite of his great strength and who has achieved a practical The report of Brown's rage MR. Jon BBOWlf retiredearly. , have occurred! Sir Rob e r t cause he smoked in her presence! agility. Whether the story was realization of his compatriot's reached the ears of the corre- Mayne said the same, and Sir Brown did smoke, but never near true or not, it is believed at Dee- wish, "a Loch Lomond of whis- spondent of the John 0' Groat's a.production of item in Punch which mock.d the .candalmong.r. and Thomas said he entirely believed the queen. side to this day, and a man who ky," will certain not be a tee- Journal, a Scot with a pawky th.ir tittl.-tattl •• this. Queen Victoria hated tobacco swore he witnessed the fight died totaler.' sense of humor, who gleefully " This completely corroborates smoke to such an extent that any only a year or two ago. "But Brown's fall has been sent all the news northward in story before I have rightly begun shaken, but stood immovable. all Lord Charles not only heard one who wished to smoke could more commonly ascribed to Mr. it. By the way, it is as well that She wrote to Lord Charles Fitz- his II London Letter." but said from the first, and what • • • Punch than to any shortcoming Then the Elgin Courant, which the descendants of the same roy: the queen always felt sure of. There was no forgiveness lor circulated in the Balmoral dis- of his own. A few weeks ago father did not implicitly follow ". . , Lord Charles Fitzroy While it is satisfactory to hear' smoking or keeping late hours trict, got hold of the story and Punch gave us the following as his example, or what a mass of having always been so kind to this, it' is the more provoking in the queen's household, but in a 'Court CircUlar': dished it up with the sauce of 'good things' would have been the queen in all, that concerns that the queen should have been the course of time Brown's pipe John Brown's whisky drinking. " ( Balmoral, T1U!sday .. lost to the world! " her convenience and comfort, so deeply annoyed (it will be became as celebrated as Mr. and having only lately informed The Courant (August, 1866) let ••'Mr. John Brown walked on • very long before she forgets all Baldwin's (t h e former prime itself go without restraint and the slopes. He subsequently par- • • her that the duke of Beaufort' the worry and uneasy sensations minister) is now, and he, Brown, published: took of a haggis. The ball had started rolling. so completely understood her it caused her), and that she kept a sort of open house in his '" In the evening Mr. John It might be worth mentioning wishes and entered her feelings should have been weak enough room for his cronies, smoking, "THE GREAT COURT that John Brown was not dis- respecting her faithful Brown, to let Lord D. [Derby) under- drinking, and talking until the FAVORITE Brown was pleased to listen to missed and that the queen knew and having also told her last stand she would listen to the "wee sma' hours." ••The London correspondent a bagpipe . ••'Mr. J 0 h n Brown retired nothing of what had been said year that several people quite , alarm.' But this was always done pri. of the John 0' Groat's Journal early.' in the Scotch papers until long understood his going as an upper "Sir Thomas considers it to vately, and, it should be added, says: afterward. servant with her carriage, and have been a 'mere panic.' And ••'I suppose all my readers ••These few lines gave rise to Brown never gave extra work to The better papers had, of he (Lord Charles) thinking there the queen must say she is much the servants, with whom he was have heard of the great court an immense deal of gossip, and course, nothing to say, but the should be no difference in Lon- shocked that Lord D. could have most popular. favorite, John Brown. His dis- in a' few days we heard that Tomahawk was anything but a don to the country, and more- listened to what must have been There is an engraving of the missal some weeks ago was gen- Brown was discharged. It is great paper. In its issue of May, over, having taken him every- merely the result of ill-natured queen, dated 1868, showing her erally talked about at the time, said his insolence to every per- (IDterDatiaDaJ photo.) 1867, the Tomahawk published a where with her for two years on gossip in the higher classes, seated on her pony. All her and I observe that the fact has son he came in contact with satirical notice of Sir Edwin public as well as private oeca- caused by the dissatisfaction at Qu•• n Victoria. youthful loveliness has gone. now found its way into print, about the court was latterly Landseer's painting of the queen stons, she is much astonished and not forcing the queen out and She is portrayed in a curiously on horseback, mocking at her shocked at the attempt being probably seizing hold of those only do so in the smoking room, dowdy hat, a little, tight-fitting widow's weeds by saying that made by some people to prevent wicked and idle lies about poor, and not in any other part of the coat, and a most voluminous and "all is black w h i chis not her faithful servant going with good Brown which appeared in castle. But even there it was formless skirt. At the pony's Brown." her to the review in Hyde Park, the Scotch provincial papers last only permitted within bounds, head is John Brown in his High. Then in the following June the thereby making the poor, nerv- year, which no one noticed or and Lord Charles Fitzroy, who land costume. Together they newspaper stated: ous, shaken queen, who is so ac- knew till long after, and which as master of the household had present a typical picture of solid, " In our first number we spoke customed to his watchful care probably have been fished up to a task that must have called for uninspiring, unemotional Victo- of Sir Edwin Landseer's paint- and intelligence, terribly nerv- serve the malevolent purposes of all the tact and diplomacy pos- rian respectability. ing of the queen at Balmoral as ous and uncomfortable. Ill-disposed persons. sible, received a letter on this Some have said that Queen a black picture of her majesty "Whatever can be done the "In addition to this the queen subject from the queen to ask Victoria asked for nothing more (' in which all is black which is queen does not know on this oc- has heard from a friend, who is him to see that the smoking in John Brown than unvarnished not Brown '). It gave us quite a casion, or what it all means she acquainted with some of the room was closed at midnight. truth, absolute obedience, un- thrill of satisfaction to see that does not know: but she would be most influential people connect- II This," so the letter ran, II was swerving fidelity--three virtues our old friend Punch has so far very glad if Lord Charles could ed with the press, that they all her original intention, as wei! as hard to find. She certainly did approved of our criticism as to come down tomorrow morning treat this 'talk' about this and that 11 o'clock should be the tlnd these in John Brown. reproduce it in the following any time before lunch, that she about the queen's unpopularity time for leaving the drawing form, apropos of a remark in may have some conversation as complete 'shameful rubbish,' room; but she hears that smok- the Saturday Review that the with him on this subject, not so not to be listened to for a mo- ing goes on till very late, a painting was of too black and much with a view as to what ment, and that the queen was thing which in her house she mournful a hue. The mention of can be done on this occasion, but just as popular and would be does not intend to allow. The the ghillie should have reminded as to what can be done for the just as well received as ever! servants (she has heard) feel the Reviewer that the picture future to prevent her being " The queen believes, however, these late hours very much (and cannot be all black, as a part of teased and plagued with the in. that good will come out of it all they are not wrong), and she it is Brown." terference of others, and more- --just as has so often been the must say that it is a bad thing Then the cartoons beg a n. over to make it completely un- case before with far more seri- for them, and a bad example, There was one showing a vacant derstood at OMe and lor all that ous and alarming, although especially in these days.

throne over which the discarded her upper Highland servant equally unfounded, •cries.' The II Perhaps Lord Charles will royal robes were thrown. Under (whether it be Brown or aneth- queen will quietly and formally draw up a short memorandum to this was the caption, "Where is er, in case he should be ill, re- continue to do what she thinks be handed over by one equerry Britannia? " places him) belong to her out- and knows to be right, though it to the other gentlemen who sue- In August a cartoon entitled door attendants on state as well will leave a painful and bitter ceed him. Lord Charles would " A Brown Study" showed John as on private occasions. feeling in her heart toward perhaps simply mention it to Brown leaning thoughtfully on " The queen will not be dictat- many, not easily to be eradl- Prince - --, without giVing it the empty throne, holding his ed to or made to alter what she cated.' as a direct order, that the queen WHERE I.' BHlT.\: J.·U ~ pipe in his hand, while the Brit- has found to answer for her com- Queen Victoria was not the felt it necessary for the sake of ish lion looked pleadingly at fort, and looks to her gentlemen sort of woman who would sub- the servants, who were kept up Anoth.r of the cartoons b.aring upon the qu•• n and John Brown which him. Then, more daring still, a and especially to her equerries mit to any kind of pressure, nor so late and who had to be up so Th. princ. of Wal••• lat.r King appear.d in the British pr•••. fortnight after came "Pictures setting this right for the future, would she be frightened into dts- early in the morning, to direct Edward VII.