The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-05 00:00:00

The Prince and Princess of Wales in

Sweden.

(Rom the limes' Special Correspondent.)
STOCKIIOLM, Sept. 297

The gratification—amounting to enthusiasm—felt
by the Court and people of Sweden at what they
regard as the very high compliment paid to their
country by the visit of the Prince and Princess of
Wales continues to evince itself in a succession of
brilliant fetes ; and but for the respect felt for the
incognito which has been deemed expedient to
maintain throughout this present tour, these mania
festations of friendly feeling in this part of Northern
Europe would be very outspoken indeed. Apart
from ties of original consanguinity, there are num-
berless bonds of sympathy and of common political
interest between England and Sweden, and nettle
rally at such a moment these considerations are
present to everybody's mind. Both are countries
enjoying representative institutions and the widest
amount of personal freedom consistent with good
government and respect for hereditary rights; both
possess great natural advantage. s,leading them to de-
sire the maintenance of peace and public order,with a
view to the development of internal prosperity ;
both again are Protestant nations, and both in an
especial manner are interested in preventing any
great nation from acquiring predominance singly in
the Baltic. Add to this that it is impossible to be at
the Court of Sweden for a single day without being
struck with the fact that, as in England, the public
weal is made the first coneideration,and that royalty
exists, not as an item in a great state pageant, but
as an active, intelligent trustee of public interests,
and it will be perceived what a substantial strength-
ening of the good relations already existing may be
effected through what appear outwardly to be mere
personal courtesies. The limited interval during
which it will be possible for their Royal Highs
nesses to remain in this country has led inevit-
ably to the crowding together into a very short
apace of a number of grand entertainments; so
much so, in fact, that to attend them all is vir-
tually to preclude oneself of the time requisite for
describing any with that care of which they are
eminently deserving.
The ball at Drottningholm last evening was a
reunion of the most brilliant character. Ulrikshsdal,
the chateau where the Royal party dined the even-
ing previously, is a residence owing its internal
glories altogether to the taste and outlay of the
present Sovereign; Drottningholm, on the contrary,
is in all respects a fitting home for the Royalty
of Sweden, and as the King, from choice, has
fixed his residence elsewhere, it is occupied per-
manently by the Queen Dowager, who gave
this splendid entertainment in honour of the
members of the English Royal family. The build-
ing, which is of great extent, and roofed somewhat
in the manner with which the Grosvenor Hotel has
made the residents of London familiar, etands on
the edge of the Maelar Lake, and is approached from
tocklaolm across a bridge more than half a mile in
lelogth, constructed with movable portions, so as to
admit of the passage of steamers plying on the lake.
Last night this bridge and the road for some dis-
tance at either end was lighted up in the effective
method that prevails in this country—that is to say,
with bowls filled with a blazing resinous mixture,
supported on pillars erected at regal. r intervals.
The grounds of the castle itself, constituting a park
of very large size, had their outlines and the prin-
cipal walks indicated by an illutniaatisn of a simi-
lar character, so that as one drove along through
the alternate glare and shadow induced by the fitful
breeze towards the building, in which every window
was radiant with light, it seemed as if some magi-
cian's castle of fire were being approached through
a blazing avenue. Arrived in front of the castle the
effect was not lass imposing. Steamers, to the
number of seven or eight, which had brought down
spectators or invited guests to the ball, lay off the
landing pier, introducing into the scene the unusual
adjuncts of steam and rigging, partly defined by
the signal lanterns. To the right, flights innumer-
able of stone steps gave admission to the first of the
series of terraces for which the architecture of
Drottningholm is remarkable. These are connected
by double staircases of exquisite green marble, wide
enough for eight persons to walk abreast, and every
terrace gives adrcission to a new series of apartments
right and left. It would be tedious to describe in
detail the portions of the Palace, magnificent as
these were which were thrown open for the evening.
Let any one imagine a series of princely rooms, fur.
nished in exquisite taste, and abounding with works
of art cf incalculable value, and he will have formed
an estimate not exaggerated of the interior of Drott-
ningholm. But the ball-room cannot be dismissed
with a mention equally brief. This is not only a
salon admirably adapted to its purpose, having a
ceiling painted by one of the best Swedish artists,
but it is distinguished from all the rest by the series
of valuable portraits to which it owes its title of the
" Salle des Contemporains du Roi Oscar." With the
exception of two half-length pictures, for which
places have been found above the doors of entrance
to the ball-room, these likenesses are all on the same
grand scale as that of her Majesty Queen Victoria
by Winterhalter, a copy of which occupies a promi-
nent place at the upper end of the room. The col-
lection owed its origin to a desire to commemorate
the treaty of 1854, which is regarded as a landmark
in the modern political history of Sweden, and, car-
ried out with the completeness which it has been, a
glance resells the circumstances of Europe as then
existing, and the wonderful changes which have
since taken place. Less than eight years have
elapsed from the time when several of the pictures
were completed, and already eight of those Sove-
reigns have been removed, either personally or poli-
tically, from the positions they occupied. " The
places that knew them know them no more." Queen
Victoria and the Emperor Napoleon it is true main-
tain the entente cordiale established at the epoch to
which the collection bears especial reference, but the
likeness placed intermediately with theirs, the mo-
narch at whose instaace these effigies were brought
together, Oscar of Sweden, has ceased to exist. It
was when King Frederick VII. of Denmark per-
force put off the uniform of which he was so fond
that the troubles began which led to the late me-
lancholy war; the power which Bonaba had abused
was not long continued to his successor ; and though
King Otho be still alive, and the troubles against
which he had to contend were of domestic, not of
foreign origin, he too must take his place with mo-
narchs that have passed away. The young King of
Portugal looks in his portrait as if in his figure there
were even then indications of incipient weakness;
and the Sovereigns of Russia and Prussia, though
cast in a different mould, have since, with the King
of Bavaria, succumbed to the lapse of time. Eight
out of 20 removed in the short interval since 1854 !
It is a high average, and even in a ball-room it
points a moral. Let the consolation be that those
who remain have been spared for wise and good
purposes; and let us turn from the walls of the
apartment to the goodly company it enfolds. A pro-
cession is on the point of entering the ball-room.
The Prince of Wales enters first, leading in the Queen
Dowager; then the King, having on his arm the
Princess of Wales; next, Prince Hans of Giuclaburg,
with the Queen of S weden ,and following them Prince
Oscar and a grand array of notables, embracing all
the personages of distinction at present included in
the Court circle at Stockholm. The Queen• Dowager
wore a del silk dress of deep mauve colour, trimmed
with white lace, and a tiara of cimeos and diamonds ;
the Queen, a sea-green dress, also having white lace
over, and a wreath in which white roses were up-
held by sprays of diamonds. The dress of the Prin•
cesa of Wales attracted general admiration ; it con-
sisted of a rich flameecoloured silk, trimmed with
the corresponding shade, and having falls of white
lace added. The necklace and headdress of diamonds
worn by her Royal Highness were drawn from the
rich store ftecunaulated on the occasion of her mar-
riage: With the exception of the officers belosging
to the British fgnadron, the guests universally pp,
peered in simple
evening-
costume—habits noirs
the i
cravat blanc—as invitations here frequently in.
eist upon explaining. His Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales wore, in addition, the usual star
upon his left breast, together with the riband of the
Order of the Seraphim. Among the ladies present
there were several with exceedingly handsome
shoulder ornaments. These did not, as in Den-
mark, imply connexion with any noble or elm-