| Content Description | Wishes him and Lady Buchanan a merry Christmas and thanks him for his kindness when they were colleagues at Madrid and asks him for their photographs; states that 'this sad death' [of Prince Albert] had affected Lord and Lady Bloomfield, especially as Lady Bloomfield had recently spent time with the Queen; is expecting the announcement of war with America; states that his family is spending the winter in Rome; reports that the Austrian budget shows a large deficit and that Hungary is under military jurisdiction; is in touch with former colleagues in Madrid, including Mr Lawrence and George Brackenbury, who have been saddened by the departure of the Prestons. |