Early in 1840 the young Queen, her present Majesty, sent Mrs. Fry a present of fifty pounds by Lord Normanby for the Refuge at Chelsea, and appointed an audience.  On the first day of February Mrs. Fry, accompanied by her brother, Samuel Gurney, and William Allen, attended at Buckingham Palace.  This was only a few days before Her Majesty espoused Prince Albert.  Mrs. Fry writes as follows in her journal, respecting that interview:—­

We went to Buckingham Palace and saw the Queen.  Our interview was short.  Lord Normanby, the Home Secretary, presented us.  The Queen asked us when we were going on the Continent.  She said it was some years since she saw me.  She asked about Caroline Neave’s Refuge, for which she has lately sent me the fifty pounds.  This gave me an opportunity of thanking her.  I ventured to express my satisfaction that she encouraged various works of charity, and I said it reminded me of the words of Scripture, “With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful.”  Before we withdrew I stopped, and said I hoped the Queen would allow me to assure her that it was our prayer that the blessing of God might rest upon the Queen and her Consort.

In January, 1842, the Lady Mayoress pressed Mrs. Fry to attend a banquet given at the Mansion House, in order principally to meet Prince Albert, Sir Robert Peel, and the different Ministers of State.  After a little mental conflict she decided to go, with the earnest hope and purpose of doing more good for the prisoners.  A summary of her sayings and doings at that banquet is best supplied in her own words:—­

I had an important conversation on a female prison being built, with Sir James Graham, our present Secretary of State....  I think it was a very important beginning with him for our British Ladies’ Society.  With Lord Aberdeen, Foreign Secretary, I spoke on some matters connected with the present state of the Continent; with Lord Stanley, our Colonial Secretary, upon the state of our penal colonies, and the condition of the women in them, hoping to open the door for further communications with him upon these subjects.  Nearly the whole dinner was occupied in deeply interesting conversation with Prince Albert and Sir Robert Peel.  With the Prince I spoke very seriously upon the Christian education of their children ... the infinite importance of a holy and religious life; how I had seen it in all ranks of life, no real peace or prosperity without it; then the state of Europe, the advancement of religion in the continental courts; then prisons, their present state in this country, my fear that our punishments were becoming too severe, my wish that the Queen should be informed of some particulars respecting separate confinement.  We also had much entertaining conversation about my journeys, the state of Europe, modes of living, and habits of countries.  With Sir Robert Peel I dwelt much more on the prison subject; I expressed my fears