But the Queen has royal strength
of nerve."[3]
[Footnote 3: The Duke of Argyll, _Queen Victoria_.]
In 1849 they paid their first visit to Ireland, and received a royal
welcome on landing in Cork. The Queen noticed particularly that
"the beauty of the women is very remarkable, and struck us much; such
beautiful dark eyes and hair, and such fine teeth; almost every third
woman was pretty, and some remarkably so."
The royal children were the objects of great admiration. "Oh! Queen,
dear!" screamed a stout old lady, "make one of them Prince Patrick,
and all Ireland will die for you."
In Dublin, the capital of a country which had very recently been in
revolt, the loyal welcome was, if possible, even more striking.
The Queen writes: "It was a wonderful and striking spectacle, such
masses of human beings, so enthusiastic, so excited, yet such perfect
order maintained; then the numbers of troops, the different bands
stationed at certain distances, the waving of hats and handkerchiefs,
the bursts of welcome which rent the air--all made a
never-to-be-forgotten scene."
Lord Clarendon, writing of the results of the Irish tour, said, "The
people are not only enchanted with the Queen and the gracious
kindness of her manner and the confidence she has shown in them, but
they are pleased with themselves for their own good feelings and
behaviour, which they consider have removed the barrier that
hitherto existed between the Sovereign and themselves, and that they
now occupy a higher position in the eyes of the world.
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