英语名人故事-维多利亚女王与男仆的秘密恋情.pdfVIP

英语名人故事-维多利亚女王与男仆的秘密恋情 英汉对照 Widowed queens devotion to manservant and grief at his death revealed by letter in which she tells of so warm and loving a friendship. Ben Fenton reports The extent of Queen Victorias love for John Brown, her Highland manservant, is revealed in a letter published today in which she likens her feelings at his death to becoming a widow for the second time. Victorias relationship with the unconventional Scot was the subject of profound gossip in the Royal Family and court circles from the time that he began to console her after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861. Her daughters referred to Mr Brown as Mamas lover and he was also known in the royal household as her stallion, while her popular nickname became Mrs Brown after a rumour that she had secretly married the man who had been her husbands favourite ghillie. Until now nothing substantiated the rumours. The Queens own journal described her reaction to Browns death in March 1883 merely as being terribly upset by this loss. But in the recently discovered letter, written to Viscount (later Earl of) Cranbrook, a close friend and former Secretary of State for India, she wrote of her present unbounded grief for the loss of the best, most devoted of servants and truest and dearest of friends. Victoria, who usually wrote about herself in the third person, went on: Perhaps never in history was there so strong and true an attachment, so warm and loving a friendship between the sovereign and servant as existed between her and her dear faithful Brown. It is thought the phrase between the sovereign and servant was added as an afterthought. The letter goes on to praise Brown in a most personal way: Strength of character, as well as power of frame - the most fearful uprightness, kindness…combined with a tender warm heart…made him one of the most remarkable men who could be known. It adds: And