The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-20 00:00:00

The Prince and Princess of Wales in

Denmark.

COPENHAGEN, Thursday.

Yesterday the Prince and Princess of Wales, ac-
companied by their Royal hosts and relatives, re-
moved from the Castle of Fredensborg, hitherto
their residence, to the quiet little house of Berns-
torf, where the next few days will be spent in per-
fect domesticity. This tranauil seat lies, as already
indicated, in a completely rural district; it is ens
circled and shut in by woods, bat in these are free
spent glades, and charming walks and drives. The
Royal deer park also juins the grounds immediately
beneath the Castle windows. The mansion was
erected by Count Bernstorff, whose name it bears,
as a pleasant retreat from cares of State, and over
its portals he placed the Latin inscription that
still remains, declaring it consecrated to the inter-
vals of honest ease due to a hardworking First
:Minister of the Crown. Since its erection a century
0,30 by the Danish Premier the Castle has several
aloes changed hands. Among other owners was once
an Engiishman, of whose house in the mother country
curiously enough, the Prince of Wales became an
occupant. Of late years it has been remarkable
chiefly as the country seat where Christian IX., be.
fore he ascended the throne of Denmark, brought
up that amiable and goodly family which, for its
extent, bids fair to include the largest number of
crowned heads in Europe. The return to this spot
of the entire Royal household, and especially of
the Princess of Wales. who seems to have been
almost idolized in Denmark, created no little sensa-
tion in the district. Its resources hardly admitted
of any extensive organisation. but such a display as
circumstances enabled the village of Gjentofie to
make was prepared with a heartiness and simple
elegance which municipal bodies occasionally might
any with advantage. The scene outside the gates
of Bernstorf formed as charming a little picture as it

was possible to conceive. It had not, indeed, the
wide background of the Elsinore reception, but the
rich shades of the autumn foliage quite compensated
for the absence of ships or houses. For more than
a stile from the gates of Bernstorf the road was
lined wine u. ileutio and Well-drcoacd
vehicles of every kind, from carriages and pair to
local omnibuses or " Holstein cars," with endless
rows of seats, were packed away in an avenue by
themselves. A few of the principal officers of police,
in costumes verging on the Windsor uniform, moved
about to keep the l:ue; a knot of cavalry officers
stood just outside the entrance, the bearskins of
the sentries placed within shot up above the level
of the bonnets, but with these exceptions
the gathering was strictly of the people. ;The
triumphal arch, draped with oak leaves, forest
flowers, and dahlias, was further embellished with
allegorical designs of Peace, and from its summit
were exhibited the arms and flags of Denmark and
of England. An instrumental band stood at one of
the flanks of the structure, the other side was
guarded by the choir of Gjtntofie, headed by its
Dean. This rev, gentleman, by name M. Bobjen,

wore the quaint costume of the Lutheran Church,
assumed by all its ministers in the performance of
Divine service and on occasions of great solemnity.
Upon the black gown, descending from the ruff,the
decorations bestowed on M. Bojsen became, of
ccurse, additionally prominent. In English eyes,
the carrying of orders of knighthood by a clergy-
mln has a strange appearance; but in Denmark the
cle.rgy, sharing in th© performance of secular duties,
are Also admitted to share in its distinctions. Thus,
Bishop Monrad guided the councils of the State.
Clergymen may enter its Lrgislative halls; and
when, as in the case of M. Bujeen, a pastor by long

service and great exertion has conferred bent fits in
the district where he is placed, the nation singles
him out and rewards him with a decoration. One
of the orders held by M. Bojsc:n was the Dannebrog ;
the other a badge called the Dannebrogsman, in it-
self no very high distinction, but acting retrospec-
tively and in a cumulative sense upon any honour
previously awarded. The Royal carriages left
Frddensborg at 3 o'clock, and after a picturesque
drive of two hours and a half, their approach to the
gates of Bernstorf was signalled by a hearty cheer.
Their way lay for some considerable distance
through a magnificent avenue of trees, remarkable
even in this thickly.wooded country; and at an
angle where this crosses another high road a pavilion
overlooking the drive, and belonging to a gentle-
man of Copenhagen, was transformed into a per-
fect bower of flags and flowers and evergreens.
General D Oxholm and a second officer of the
Royal household drove quickly up to the Castle
in the first carriage, and the Royal equipage with
its four horses was about to follow, when the King,
perceiving the preparation, cried with his own voice
"Halt," and stopped its progress just as it was about
to pass beneath the arch. The band played the Eng-
lish National Anthem in compliment to the Royal
visitors, and then, according to the programme, the
choir were have to sung the verses compo3ed in
honour of the Princess of Wales ; but so many voices
in the crowd were anxious to shout " Velkommen,"
and to lead off the acclamatory " nine times nine,"
which exists in its integrity in Denmark, that the
singers were obliged to bide their time. At last a
general " Hush, hush," gained for them a tolerably
clear start, and a fine chorus of 30 well-trained
manly voices sang to a national air the spirited COM.
position to which was attached the signature of
" Adolph Recker' The verses were of course in
Danish, but a free translation, preserving the sense,
and also, as nearly as -possible, the metre of the
song was volunteered and, with much courtesy,
written upon the spot for your correspondent by a
gentleman occupying a high position in diplomatic
circles, and author of works of proved utility in dis-
cussions upon the Danish question :
" Welcome Princess, from o'er the distant wave,
Welcome hare to Sealand's verdant shore,
To whom the old beloved forests wave,
And earnest hearts and tongues their greetings pour.
Well mot with him, whose love we know
Has shaped for thee a future glad and bright,
The faithful partner of thy weal or woe,
Thy first born's father, source of pure delight.

" How short the time since we last saw thee here ;
And yet how long ! Since teen we fought for very life
A mournful time, when Danes found bloody bier
And Denmark reeled in the unequal strife.
Though far away from us, you Bladed onr sorrow ;
You mourned our losses, and our hopes were yours.
To greet you now, this means we gladly borrow;
Oar thanks and blessings go with you indoors.

"And oh I Princess, recalling by thy beauty
The radiant time that smiled on us of yore,
Thou art our angel with a new prediction
Of happy times for Danmark yet in store I
We hail the promise of a day of fortune
When we again our fond regard shall prove.
Mean while. once more—Welkommen' Denmark's daughter.
God's blessing rest on you and all you love I"
A fresh outburst of cheering followed the con•
elusion of the song, and then M, Bojsen, advancing
towards the Royal carriage, and bending his snow
white locks before the Princess, addressed to her
some words of welcome in the national tongue.
Although, as often happens with extemporised ad-
dresses, the speaker was carried by the warmth of
his own feelings and the energy with which he
spoke to a length somewhat greater than he might
originally have intended, the Princess listened with
deep attention to every word, and the colour, as it
went and came upon her cheek, showed how deeply
she was impressed with the ceremony itself and all
the associations connected with the scene. At the
outset the Prince of \Voles evidently found some
ditll,!ulty in following t')e langtutge, spoken
eo fluently as it was in this instance, but the word
hustru, indicating the relation of marriage, was a
landmark which he caught at once, and from that
point appeared to comprehend the meaning of the
speaker. In substance the address of M. B.)j,,en was
an cebn cf the wish inscribed upon the triumphal
arch, that the rf callcct ions cif early cLiiddood cen-
tring in the house at IL-rnstorf might enhance the
piere of the happyW
wife end mother. hen she left
the Danish shores,hoaeQ'
to go where her heart
called her,
to that mighty land
w c'ely connected with
the Danes by race and sym-
pathy, the warmest ' the .Fondest hopes of the
whole nation followed her. And though, since
then, toe State had suffered heavily, and King and
Queen, w:th all their subjects, were
mourn in common, it was a co nso 1 a trieonhe compelled
fPeeellik'tdh that,
absent though she might have been,
Hopnaotuhry,
and thoughts were niwoyc with them.