The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-05-27 00:00:00

DEATH of the INFANT SON of PRINCE
AND PRINCESS CHRISTIAN.

Prince Frederick, the infant son of Prince and Prin-
cess Christian, died at half-past seven o'clock on Satur-
day morning at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great
Park. He was on'y eight days old, having been born
on Friday week, the 12th inst. He was taken ill with
convulsions on Friday morning. His critical condition,
it is understood, caused the Queen to hesitate about
proceeding to Balmoral, and for a few hours it was a
question whether her journey to the north would
not have to be postponed. The little patient,
however, rallied somewhat in the afternoon,
when he wae christened in the presence of her
Majesty, Princess Beatrice, and Prince Christian,
Lady Susan Melville and Colonel G. Grant Gordon
also being present at the baptism, which took place at
Cumberland Lodge, the Queen and Princess Beatrice
driving thither from Windsor Castle in order to attend
the ceremony, which was performed by the Rev. E. I.
Tuson, chaplain of Windsor Great Park. The infant
Prince received the names of Frederick Christian
Augustus Leopold Edward Harold. After the
christening was over the Queen and Princess re-
turned to Windsor Castle, prior to leaving for
Balmoral. In: the coarse of Friday night, after
her Majesty's departure for the north, the child
was again seized with convulsions, which continued till
half-past seven on Saturday morning, when he died.
Intelligence of the decease of the Prince was at once
sent to the Queen, who was at the time en route for
Scotland, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and other
members of the Royal Family. The bell at St.. George's
Chapel, Windsor Castle, was tolled in the morning.
The Princess of Wales, upon hearing the loss which
Princess Christian had sustained, immediately left
Marlborough House for Cumberland Lodge, accom-
panied by the Duchess of Rox-burghe, Sir W. Snollys,
and suite.

Early on Tuesday morning the remains of Prince
Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein, infant son of Prince
and Princess Christian, were interred in the Royal
vault beneath the Albert Memorial Chapel, Wind-
sor. The body of the Infant prince was removed
in one of her Majesty's carriages from Cumberland
Lodge to the Deanery, Windsor Castle, previous to in-
terment. The coffin was of polished oak, with silver'
handles and fittings, and on the plate was inscribed:
"His Highness Prince Frederick Christian Augus-
tus Leopold Edward Harold, Duke of Schleswig-
Holstein, born at Cumberland Lodge 12'h May, 1876;
died Cumberland Lodge 20th May, 1876 ;" and over
the coffin was a white satin pall, decorated with a
large violet cross. Prince Christian arrived at the
Deanery lo:tiv eon eight and nine o'clock, and pro-
ceeded to the Albert 'Memorial Chapel, where the
Burial Service was read by the Dean and Canon Pear-
son. The coffin was then deposited in the Royal
vault. The ceremony was private, the doors of the
cloisters being shut during the service.

In conFecinence of the death of the infant Prince,
her Majesty's State Ball, which was announced to
take place at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, the
23rd, was indefinitely postponed.

AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS ACT.

"A Farmer" writes to the Daily News :—" The
Agricultural Holdings Act seems at present to be very
much in the nature of a delusion, for it is found that
nearly the whole of the landowners have contracted
themselves out of its provisions. Make the Act corm
pulEory, and there are many reasons why it should be
of great benefit, alike to producer and consumer, and
until this fact is made clear to the great mass of con-
sumers, and their wishes and aid are brought to bear
on the question, it must eontinue a useless measure, and
the production of the country remain checked by the in-
security of the present yearly holdings, and I may add
the leases; for how frequently does it occur that a tenant
spends two or three of the first years of a lease to re-
plenish the exhausted condition of a farm, and then
two or three years' fair production, followed by another
two or three years of exhaustion cramping the energy
of the tenant, and carrying on this national waste from
term to term. Remove the difficulty referred to, by
making this or some better Act compulsory, giving
the required security, and you at once stimulate the
energy and induce the outlay that will give the greatest
result to the land this country Is capable of, and thus
add to the national comfort and wealth. But how
hopeless does the chance of such a measure at present
appear with the Houses of Parliament made up of such
a preponderance of the landowcers referred to.
Again, how certain is it, if the people will only see and
act in the common interest, that such men cannot long
represent them."