Opposition to Garibaldi's Visit, 1864

Description:However, numerous letters retained amongst the Duke’s papers, many anonymous, reveal that some people were opposed to Garibaldi’s visit.

One anonymous letter dated April 19th 1864 refers to the Duke as ‘contemptible as the friend of a Rebel’. The letter describes those who have offered Garibaldi ‘help’ as having ‘disgraced the name of England’. The writer goes on to criticise the conduct of Queen Victoria, commenting ‘I can tell you that it is alarming to hear the remarks made respecting Her Majesty, who certainly has done her part to make the people disgusted.’ The vitriolic letter asks ‘what is her mourning but a wicked mockery’ stating that the Queen has shown herself to be ‘a pleasure seeking heartless selfish woman’. In addition to his criticisms of the Queen, the writer refers to Prince Albert as ‘a man whom the “Times” used to tell us was a mere money grasping brute’, before calling the Duke of Sutherland ‘a weak minded man’, and expressing cynicism over the Duke’s ‘enormous wealth’. The writer concludes his letter by referring to Garibaldi’s plans as ‘villainy’, asking ‘why has he come to England?’. He concludes ‘England receives the vilest of the vile’.