Advent Day 19: Christmas Eve 1855 – Queen Victoria’s Journals
- youngqueenvictoria
- Dec 19, 2025
- 2 min read
“Very mild & very bright, but a very high wind. — Already Christmas Eve! It comes round to quickly, — so much too fast, & yet how much has happened since last Christmas. — Very busy all the morning, & early afternoon with preparations, which I have been, since returning from Osborne, & indeed before we went. — Albert out shooting, & I, taking a short walk with the 2 dear little girls. —
Have been much grieved by the death of that excellent & worthy man, Mr Thomas Cubitt, which occurred on the 20th. Shortly after returning from Scotland, we had heard that he was very ailing, & he rapidly became worse. Fortunately his sufferings were not so great at the last. In his sphere of life, with the immense business he had in hand, he is a real national loss. A better, kinder hearted or more simple, unassuming man, never breathed & Osborne must ever be bound up to us with the memory of this excellent man, who executed & aided in carrying out all my beloved Albert’s plans, & he was so truly devoted to us. He used to come very frequently during the actual building of the Pavilion, & the other part of the house. We feel we owe much to him for the way in which he carried out everything. —
A very short walk after luncheon, & then put the last touches to all the arrangements of the tables. — At a little after 6 we took Mama, Ernest, & the 8 Children into the usual room, which was one blaze of light, & the whole was a very festive scene. After giving all their presents, of which there were a great number, we went into the next room where there was another tree & Albert’s & my present tables had been put. Received many fine gifts. — After 7 I gave the tree & presents to the Ladies & Gentlemen, & then we took them to see ours. — Vicky & the Phippses, the only addition to dinner.”
RA VIC/MAIN/QVJ (W) [24 December 1855] (PRINCESS BEATRICE’S COPIES), VOLUME 40, p354-356, RETRIEVED [30 November 2025]. Supplied by Royal Collection Trust / © HM King Charles III
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