The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-15 00:00:00

The Prince and Princess of Wales in

Denmark,

COPENHAGEN, Saturday Nigh.%
Interested as all the better classes here in their
own quiet hospitable fashion are that the visit of
the Prince and Princess of Wales should be produc-
tive of pleasure, and that not a word hurtful to
their feelings, or those of any
Englishman, should
as far as possible be spoken, it is evident that the
subject uppermost in their thoughts is the final
decision upon the Schleswig-Holstein question.
Their ears are strained to catch any rumours upon
this point ; and well they may be, for the result
must exercise a direct influence upon their very
existence as a nation. So much has been said and
written on this disastrous controversy already that
an apology for alluding to it farther might be neces-
sary, were it not that in the din of conflicting argu-
ments some are audible that well deserve to be
weighed by the English people. The Danes say,
and with great show of reason, that if a solemn
European settlement, guaranteed by the signatures
of all the great nations, be only valid for ten years,
at the end of which time, or earlier if they choose,
the contract is to be torn in pieces by bayonets,
there is no longer any
security for the existence
of small States. These will become, as Metternich
said of Italy, mere " geographical expressions,"
and a policy of invasion and annexation no longer
confined to one great empire, but condoned
by the action at least of all the Powers, will trail
itself like a great red dragon
all over Europe.
The Danes have made up their minds that no
extremity in which they may be placed will now
induce the English to lift a finger in their behalf.
With this conviction they fortified Copenhagen as
strongly as they could, and the guns even now re-
main in position. Some of the most enlightened
men go the length of admitting that, viewed from
a purely English point of view,
England, perhaps,
has not sufficient interest in the preservation of
Danish independence and the integrity of the
Danish monarchy to induce her to take up arms.
But, what a prospect, they add, does the action of
that country open up for the world at large! With
all the other giant States of Europe, conquest, an-
nexation, and; territorial re arrangements are day
dreams which their statesmen are ever striving to
fulfil. England was regarded as the unfailing guar-
dian of public order, by tradition, by sentiment,
and by natiosal interest, as the sworn supporter of
international good faith, Once she declares that
only pecuniary conditions are strong enough to in-
duce her to fight, and in a diplomatic sense-- n'y
a plus des Pyrennees. To the Danes, as well as to
many, doubtless, of the Germans, the conduct of
Prussia in the late war was a painful surprise.
Denmark believed, in common with all the rest of
the world, when the contest began, that she would
only have to deal with the troops of the German
Confederation. For these she believed herself to be
quite a match, and, moreover, she counted on the
support of Sweden. Between these two Scandinavian
kingdoms there is scarcely that amount of cordiality
which in many parts of Europe has been supposed
to exist. They are ancient enemies and rivals, and
entente cordiale be-
it was only in the lifetime of the late King of Den-
mark that familiar intercourse between the Sove-
rtewigeentst
tlaidhe people.the foundationed Sweden
of an
undoubtedly would have
been willing to aid the Danes against the Confede
ration ; but to wage war against Prussia and Aus
tria was a very different undertaking, even without
the hint asserted and reasserted to have been given
by Russia, notwithstanding the strongest denials.
Austria, in the course upon which she enters in the
event of any European convulaion, always exhibits
much of the fatal facility of the perfect gentleman
who is prevented by every courtesy from saying
" No." Prussia, on the contrary, dragged along by
sheer force of volition its obliging though half-
repentant colleague. But in achieving this object
Prussia abandoned its traditional policy, which con-
sisted in holding cut to Germany, but to Germans
only, the glitter and parade of military power, so at-
tractive to the minor States whose adhesion it was
desirous of securing. To the rest of Europe it was
anxious to appear solely in the light of a barrier,
whose strength existed, and was reserved for pur-
poses of defence. Disguise now is no longer pos-
sible ; the spirit of conquest has revealed itself toe
nakedly, and clear-headed bystanders see that the
real difficulties of Prussia will commence the Ten
moment that peace has been signed.
To-day was the first since the arrival in Denmark
of the Prince and Princess of Wales that there has
been anything like fine weather. The skies, it is
true, looked as regards the future decidedly unset-
tled, but still the sun shone a little, and no rain
fell, so that it was possible to
get about otherwise
than in closed carriages. The royal party had set
themselves vigorously within doors to counteract
the dispiriting influence of the continual rain. All
those expedients which in English country quarters
contribute so materially to while sway the tedium
of an enforced stay in the house, with others having
their origin in Denmark itself, were brought into
requisition. And probably in future domestic
gatherings held at home under similar circumstancee
the Scandinavian version of " hunt the slipper"—
for which a ring is here substitnted—will lose none
of its popularity, from the fact that it yielded plea-
sure to a large circle in which their royal high-
nesses were foremost in enjoyment of the sport
Some members of the circle at Frendensborg, among
others Lord Spencer, made short excursions in the
vicinity of the Castle, or fished in the Esrom Lake,
Between the officers of the Osborne and the Aurora
a cricket match took place,
in spite of the heavy
rain, which resulted in a victory for the Aurora by
17 runs.
This afternoon, about 1 o'clock, their royal high-
nesses and the different members of the roya
family availed themselves of a favourable change
in the weather to drive from Frendensborg
Castle as far as Elsinore, having of necessity been
able to give but a cursory glance at that point on
the day of their arrival. The distance, which takes
rather more than a hoar to drive, was performed in
open carriages, the first a capacious waggoneshaped
vehicle containing all the members of the Royal
families of England and Danmark at present stay.
ineatFrendensborg,their suites respectively follow-
ing in open barouches. The Prince of Wales and
the Crown Prince of Denmark wore undress uni-
forms
reef General
es o ce r s the i
eh are Princess
admire appead a the lffiight t hts h
soNVae
ably suited to her complexion. The coachmen and
and footmen were all arrayed in full Danish livery
of scarlet and gold, with gold laced hats.
The first point of interest visited was the Castle
at Kronborg, upon or near the site of which, from
the earliest period of history, a castle of some kind
was built for the protection of the Sound. That
which now exists was commenced in the year 1577,
and completed about
in
9 years. The monarch of
that day, Frederickhad Idetermined to re- erect
it on a scale of unprecedented grandeur, and this
he was well enabled to do, the proceeds of the sup-
pressed monasteries, church plate & having•
0. , just
come into his hands. The praises of Kronborg,
which is one of the most perfect specimens remain-
ing of that
of the architecture era, Were sung by
Bishop Kingo, the Scotchman, and by Tycho Brahe.
The hand of the renovator is visible here and there,
but, on the whole, few castles in the course of 300
years h eve been altered so little, At one time
there were paintings by Rubens in the chapel, but
these have disappeared. to Danish traditions
Kronborg owes its fame mainly
to the supposed
residence of llolger Dauske, iu one of the
case_
mates far down below which can hold upon a pinch
1,000 meth When the State is in danger he
COWS to the surface and heads its armies, but
mean 7411iile he steeps tranquilly with his beard grow-
ing into the marble table before him. Such is the
Danish legend ; but in English eyes the castle has
far greater interest from its connexion with the
sad story of Caroline Matilda, the Danish Merit-
Antoinette. Sister of George 111. of England and
wife of the weak, if not vicious, Christian VII of
Denmark, she fell the victim of a plot formed by
the Queen Mother to seize upon the Government.
Torn from her palace in Copenhagen, half-dressed,
in the middle of the night, and subjected to an in-
famous and unfounded charge, she was confined at
Elsiuore till au English fleet effected her release and
obtaiued her removal to Hanover, where she died
at the early age of 23. In the lest century every