The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-27 00:00:00

A ROYAL MARRIAGE.

ROYAL marriages are always matters of interest for
the million as well as for the Court few, and the
greater the ceremony the more attentive the reader ;
for it is curious in these days to read of the exercise
of the strictest traditional etiquette upon such an oc-
casion. How the bride's toilette was according to
rule, even to the curls of her hair and the bodice of
her dress ;—how lacqueys, swinging censers of per-

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fume and braziers of incense, preceded the royal
procession;—bow after marriage the royal party seat
themselves at whist tables and play a " make-
believe" game, for the courtiers to pass through the
chamber and make obeisance, till supper is an-
nounced, for which everybody no doubt is well pre-
pared ;—how at supper distinguished generals cut up
the side dishes, and some great nobles carve the
chicken and tongue, while other great nobles assist
Royalty to soup ;—how all the courtiers stand by with
watery palates and a sensation of appetite alfecting
the epiglottis, till another great noble offers Royalty
a bowl of wine, when the King upstanding proposes
the health of bride and bridegroom amidst a flourish
of trumpets, anal the immediate " fall to" of hungry
couriers, for it is a signal that those who stand
may sup, not sit ;—and how, after supper, and cham•
pagne, and healths, and flourishes of trumpets, king,
queen, and princesses accomplish, in turn, a Polo-
naise with the bride and bridegroom ; and how, at
length, the new married couple retire into private
life, and the " bride's garter " is scrambled for by
ambitious courtiers ! All this, and more, occurred
at the marriage last Saturday of the Princess Louisa
of Prussia with the Grand Duke of Baden. The
marriage was fixed for seven p.m. The bride had
arrived at the Royal Schloss, where special dressing-
rooms were fitted up for her:

As the time drew on towards seven o'clock the various
members of the royal family assembled in the apartments
of King Frederic I. of Prussia, anti received there the
bride as she issued from her dressing-rooms, and the
bridegroom, too, who joined them there. It is here and
at this time that the boddice of the bridal dress, which
has been brought from the State jewel-office, studded
with diamonds, is brought by an offiver and two privates
of the Garde de Corps and officers of the household, into
the outer chamber, where the high officers of Court are
assembled, and there delivered into the hands of the royal
family. Together with these bodice jewels is delivered
in at the same time the crown, which all princesses of
Prussia wear at their wedding; it is circular in form, and
consists apparently of a hoop tilled in with crimson velvet,
and surmounted by two loops of brilliants, intersecting
each other at right angles in the centre, where they sup-
port a small cross of the same precious stones; as it is
only about five inches in diameter it forms rather a pretty
ornament for the head, and looks by no means cumber•
same to the wearer. The etiquette of Court toilette re-
quires, as I am told, that on these occasions the bridal
princess must wear ringlets dropping behind from oat of
the crown, and with this fashion the Princess Louisa com-
plied this evening ; nor was a miniature myrtle wreath
omitted, but instead of being entwined around the coronet,
w`lich would have been much prettier, it was fastened ou
to the back hair.—Times Berlin cor.

So soon as the procession was formed the King
gave the signal, and, preceded by the lacqueys with
perfume and incense, entered the picture gallery,
en route to the chapel. Some 2,000 persons were
0 'leered in the gallery. Chamberlains and pages
led the way :
At an interval of a few paces came the bridal couple.
The bridegroom wore the uniform of a Baden General,
which r...sembles that of the Prussian, in being of the
s one kind of blue; his was, however, more richly trimmed
strAli gold lace than the Prussian, and from his left shoulder
to the ri !lit hin there hung the yellow scarf of the Order
of the Black Eagle. (The Prussian Order and the. Baden
Order of Fidelity were the only orders the ribands of
which were allowed to be worn outside and prominently.)
Of the bride 1 have nothing to add to the remarks if made
tmy letter of this morning. Of the splendour of the
State diamonds and the richness of the robe of drop
d'artient I have nothing to say, from having remarked
nothing of them ; and I believe many years will pass over
h-r head before any man in the presence of the youthful
Grand lli.cheaa of Baden will have an eye at all for her
d .esta. The King then came, leading the Princess of
Prussia. The King looked healthier and younger than he
his any time since 1848, and his manner was the most
natural and unaffected of all those present. In the
anitenanee of the Princess of Prussia was to be read
the mother's conscious pride at the splendid ceremonial
In honour of this match of affection, which has been
brmed by her only daughter. Passing over the General
aid Fltigel Adjutants who followed the King, flanked by
the Minister of the Royal House and the Ladies of Honour
who bore the train of the Princess, the mother of the
bride then came next, the Prince of Prussia leading the
Qieen. Of the Prince one could well fancy that the feel-
in; uppermost in his mind was that he was about to give
away his daughter, as was evidenced in a alight shade of
sadness on his countenance; the Queen, on the contrary,
was unusually radiant and affable, apparently gratified by
the affectionately respectful salutations of the thick•set
rows of her female subjects she was passing through, and
in spite of the slight defect in her gait she moved as
thnu'gh she knew she was Queen, and at that moment a
happy one.
•

the ceremony of marriage was soon performed ;
the rings, according to German custom, were ex-
changed, a blessing was given, and the roar of a
royal salute signified the great fact to the loyal Ber-
-I.ners. The royal party retired for a short time to a
private apartment to receive congratulations :
After leaving the chamber of private congratulations the
ro)al party proceeded to the NN hite Saloon to receive the
congratulations of the. Court, the arrangements for which
are very peculiar, and carry one back to the times and
ciustmus of Louis XIV., or of Friedrich Wilhelm 1., who
was as fund of Court ceremony as the French monarch