Adieu! my beloved Uncle.
Ever your devoted Niece, VICTORIA R.
[Pageheading: APPROVAL OF KING LEOPOLD] _The King of the Belgians to Queen Victoria._ LAEKEN, _17th May 1839._ MY DEAREST VICTORIA,--I feel deeply grateful for your very kind and interesting letter, which reached me yesterday, inclusive of the papers.
You have passed a time of great agitation and difficulty, which will, however, contribute to enlarge the circle of your experience.

_I approve very highly of the whole mode in which you proceeded_; you acted with great _good faith_ and _fairness_, and when finally propositions were made which you considered you could not submit to, you were very right to resist them.

The march of the whole affair is very clear and fair, and does you _great credit_....

Peel in making his demand misjudged you; he remembered George IV., and even the late King, and dreamt of Court influence of people near the Sovereign.

You have the great merit, for which you cannot be too much praised, of being _extremely honest_ and honourable in your dealings.