The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-03 00:00:00

The Prince and Princess of Wales in

Sweden.

(From the limes' Special Correspondent.)
STOCKHOLM, Monday Night.

It is not surprising that the Prince and Princess
of Wales should have been willing to vary a little,
and to give new zest to the quiet happiness of their
stay in Denmark by an excursion of a few days to
Sweden—a country of which little is ever heard in
general conversation, and which yet holds out so
many inducements to travellers. In Denmark the
presence of their Royal Highnesses not only would
strengthen family ties, but prove successful, be•
pond the expectation of many natives, in smooth- '
ing away political bitterness. Before the journey
was undertaken the Princess had been well known,
and, what is more to the purpose, loved in Den- '
mark, Upon her husband a share of this cordial
feeling was reflected; but then he had to contend
against a counter-feeling at the moment uppermost
in the people's mind, and to his own personal quali-
ties he owed it, that in the rare opportunities which
a private visit afforded of meeting the inhabitants
of Denmark, he was enabled to overcome -political
prejudices and to elicit demonstrations of popular
approval whenever he came before the public. In
Sweden, happily, there are no strong political cure
rents to ruffle the satisfaction which the people of
the country and their illustrious visitors feel in
making each other's acquaintance. Indeed, the
unmistakeable enthusiasm with which their Royal
Highnesses were greeted upon landing is the hap-
piest augury of the feelings likely to be excited by
their stay.
The curious in such matters have often remarked
that bad weather is an accompaniment almost as in-
variable of any journey undertaken by the Prince of
Wales, as brilliant sunshine used to be of any public
appearance of her Majesty. If there be any truth
in the saying it certainly received confirmation on
Saturday last, when the departure from Copenhagen
which was expected to have been a very fine sight,
was spoiled as to effect by the rain. The wind sub.
sequently proved so unfavourable that the Royal
yacht was compelled to put into Dagoe, the southern-
most point on the coast of Zealand touched in its
course, and, after a delay there of several hours,
again put to sea, and succeeded in passing Falaterbo,
the souih.western extremity of Swden, at a quarter
past 5 o'clock on Sunday morning. The wind blow-
ing strongly from the northwestward those on
board had anything but a favourable passage, and
many of their number were for a time invalided.
The original calculation was that the yacht might
be expected to arrive in Stockholm in the course of
Monday forenoon, and accordingly at an early hour
a very distinguished party went on board the Val-
kyrien, the screw steam-yacht belonging to the
King of Sweden, which started from the end of the
Admiralty pier at a quarter before 10 o'clock, with
the view of meeting the Osborne at a distance of
some miles down the bay, and of returning with her
to the capital. The party on board the Valkyrien
included the Prince Oscar, heir presumptive to the
Swedish throne; Countess Piper, first lady in waiting
at this Court, and Madlle. la Countess Horn, who
are both to be attached to the suite of her Royal
Highness during her stay in Sweden ; the follow-
ing gentlemen intended to form part of the suite of
the Prince of Wales:—M. de Durdel, chamberlain;
M. de Fis•cherstrom, Ecuyer ; M. de Simdin, naval
aide-deicamp to the King; and M. de Gyllensam,
of the Swedish artillery ; Mr. Hamilton, charg€
d'affeires, and Mr. Menage, secretary, representing
the British Legation, with Mr. Hunt, the British
consul at Stockholm, &e. The sail from Stock-
holm towards the 1341 tie does not lie along a
river, nor is it by any means in the open sea, nor
yet among a chain of lakes. It is a eombination of
all three, consisting of a deep channel of sea-water,
wide as the Schelde below Antwerp, beautiful as
the Thames at Richmond, twining and turning
amid myriads of islands, most of them wooded,
many of tkem rising sheer blocks of granite from
the water's edge. At 12 miles distance from the
capital, through navigation of this description, the
banks in many parts being lined with villas, the
fortress of Waxholm is reached. This is the key to
the entrance to Stockholm, and. is built on a posies
lion made so strong by art and nature that every
ship bound for Stockholm must pass within 300
yards of its formidable armament. At this point,
about eleven o'clock, the Valkyrien encountered
her Mjesty's ship Aurora, which was waiting
to convoy the English yacht to Stockholm, and
for a long time b.qore the vessels acually crossed
the delicate tracery of their rigging respectively
had been plainly visible one to the other, and as the
hulls were shut out now and again by low lying
lands, and their courses apparently altered by the
curves of the channel, the yachts seemed to be
dancing a maze in and out between the inter-
vening islands. The frigate, upon discovering who
was on board the Valkyrien, fired a salute and
manned yards in her honour. The Swedish yacht
proceeding on her way arrived at what is known
as the man-of-war anchorage, two miles below
Waxholm. There the distinguished party, while
awaiting tidings of the Osborne, were entertained
at dejeuner by Prince Oscar. About 3.15 p.m. a
despatch was sent off by the governor of the Castle,
intimating that the ship containing their Royal
Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales had
pa.saedLandsort, the outer lighthouse of the entrance
to Stockholm, and about 60 miles distant from the
capital. It was therefore evident that it could not
be expected to arrive for some time longer, and the
Valkyrien accordingly retired to Waxholm, where
those on board were again entertained at dinner by
Prince Oscar. At 4 o'clock they steamed down again
to their old anchorage, and shortly afterwards
sighted the Osborne, upon which they lay to and
waited for the English yacht to come alongside.
Unlike the case of the Aurora and the Valkyrien,
the Swedish and English royal yachts had seen no-
thing of each other till they were close together.
On rounding opposite sides of an island they found
themselves face to face, and after so much waiting
the meeting came with the shock of a surprise. Be.
hind the Osborne glided the beautiful lines of the
Salamis. A little packet in attendance on the Swe-
dish yacht carried Prince Oscar and all those who
had come with him to the Osborne, the deck of
which was reached about half-past five, and the
members of the royal families respectively having
exchanged greetings, mutual introductions of the
English and Danish suites took place. It was just