Shooting Victoria

We had hardly proceeded a hundred yards from the Palace…when I noticed, on the footpath on my side, a little mean looking man holding something towards us; and before I could distinguish what it was, a shot was fired, which almost stunned us both, it was so loud and fired barely six paces from us. Victoria had just turned to the left to look at a horse, and could not therefore understand why her ears were ringing, as from its being so very near she could hardly distinguish that if proceeded from a shot having been fired. The horses started and the carriage stopped. I seized Victoria’s hands and asked if the fright had not shaken her, but she laughed at the thing. I then looked again at the man, who was still standing in the same place, his arms crossed, and a pistol in each hand. His attitude was so affected and theatrical it quite amused me. Suddenly he again pointed his pistol and fired a second time. This time Victoria also saw the shot, and stooped quickly, drawn down by me…the many people who stood round us and the man, and were at first petrified with fright on seeing what had happened, now rushed upon him. I called to the postilion to go on and we arrived safely at Aunt Kent’s. From thence we took a short drive through the Park, partly to give Victoria a little air, and partly also to show the public that we had not…lost all confidence in them….My chief anxiety was lest the fright should prove injurious to Victoria in her present state, but she is quite well….