The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-05-19 00:00:00

DENMARK IN LONDON.

I The Anglo-Danish Hxhibition at South Kensington,
in aid of the rebuilding of the British Home for In-
curables at Clapham, was opened on Monday after-
noon by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the cere-
mony being performed in the Albert Hall in the
;presence of a large number of spectators. Their
Royal Highnesses arrived shortly after four o'clock,
accompanied by the Princesses Louise, Maud, and
IVictoria of Wales, Princess Mary of Cambridge
(Duchess of Teck), Princess Victoria of Teck, Prince
Karl of Denmark, and Prince George of Greece, and
In the unavoidable absence of the Duke of Cambridge,
President of the Exhibition, were received by Earl
Amherst, with whom were his Excellency M. de
Fall*, Danish Minister, Vice-President, and the
menibers of the Reception Committee. A guard of
horiur was furnished by the officers and crew of the
Danish man of war Dagmar, who were sent over spe-
cially for the occasion by the King of Denmark, and
who, or.. their arrival at Charing-cross from Graves-
end, were played to the exhibition by the band of the
Grenadier Guards. The Royal party were conducted
to a dais beneath the great organ, and the Princess
was here presented with a bouquet by four young
ladies—Miss Grofton-Salmond, Miss Deverell, Miss
Bax; and Miss Baptz, after which the National Anthem
was sung, the solo being taken by Madame Albani.
After the official guide and handbook to the exhibtion
had been offered for her Royal Highness's acceptance,
the treasurers of the home presented an album con-
taining 1500 collecting cards, representing £2210,
! collected in small sums from all parts of the United
Kingdom, to found the "Alexandra " Bed and Pension
in commemoration of the Silver Wedding of the
Princess. A Danish song for the Fatherland, "In Den-
mark stands the Home from which I sprung," was
next sung by Mdlle. Otte, Bronnum, a young lady
attired in Amager costume, and at its conclusion Earl
Amherst, President of the Charity, on behalf of the
Board of Management, presented to her Royal high-
ness a silver copy of an old Danish bell as a comme-
moration of the 25th year of the patronage by the
Princess of this charity, which was the first in
England to receive her support, and which, it may be
• Incidentally mentioned, in addition to the home at
• Clapham, maintains by pensions 280 incurable
sufferers in their own homes. After Madame Albani
had sung "Home, sweet ilome," with her usual
delightful pathos and finish, came a presentation of
purses to the Princess on behalf of the building fund,
and of a gold key by the Danish Minister, on receipt
of which the Princess declared the Exhibition open.
The Prince of Wales replied on behalf of her Royal
Highness, but the position in which the
representatives of the press were placed—as
usual when the officials of South Kensington
have the arrangement of functions of this kind—
rendered it impossible for them to hear his Royal
Highness's speech with anything like accuracy. The
Prince was understood to speak as follows: Lord
Amherst, Ladies and Gentlemen,—ln your address
you have expressed the hope that the exhibition will
be a success. We most sincerely hope it will be a
success in every sense of the word. The objects, as
you are well aware, are, first, to pay a compliment to
us in respect of the twenty-fifth anniversary of our
wedding-day, and, secondly, to aid an institution
which is much in need of funds, and one which is
most meriterious and useful. You are anxious that
money should be obtained in order to build a new
home for incurables. Very appropriately this exhibi-
tion has been connected with the institution which
was the rst with which the Princess became con-
nected when she came to this country. I sincerely
hope that thk) endeavours you have made will be sue-
I cessful, and that the exhibition will be instructive,
agreeable, and useful. It must be gratifying to you
to cee that the King of Denmark has sent over one of
his war-ships, manned by all those fine young men
who are around us, and it is gratifying to all of us, I
am sure, to welcome these ladies whose Amager cos-
tumes lend such picturesqueness to the scene. We
, thank you for your'very kind reception of us, and I
can only assure you that it has given us the greatest
pleasure to take part in this very interesting cere-
mony, and that we wish the exhibition the most
thorough success. His Royal Highness was loudly
cheered at the conclusion of his speech, and the Royal
party then left the hall, passing through the conser-
vatory to the grounds, which, after a brief visit to the
Danish village, they left by the Queen's-gate exit,
amidst cordial cheering from the crowds outside.