The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-31 00:00:00

The Betrothal of the Princess Dagmar.

The preliminary steps in the marriage of the
Princess Dagmar of Denmark to the Czarewitch of
Russia have been celebrated with great pomp and
ceremony at St. Petersburg. On the 24th inst. (or,
according to Russian reckoning, on the 12th) the
princess was formally received as a member of the
Greek communion in the chapel of the Winter
Palace. The company formed a brilliant gathering,
the ladies arrayed in the national court costume,
with the kakoschnik and long train, while the men
wore military uniforms of great variety and splen-
dour. Shortly after ten o'clock the imperial family
appeared at the entrance to the chapel, and all eyes
were fixed on the heroine of the day, whom the
Emperor led by the hand and presented to the
Metropolitan. The Princess Dagmar was simply
dressed in a white robe trimmed with swansdown,
and a long train. She had no veil or ornament upon
her head, and not a single jewel glittered on her
person. The Metropolitan, surrounded by his
bishops, then went through the ritual of confirma-
tion, asking the prescribed questions as to the
creed, which the princess answered in a clear, dis-
tinct voice, showing a mastery of Russian pronun-
ciation which charmed the audience. Having been
duly anointed, the princess was conducted by the
empress to the altar, where she kissed the sacred
images and partook of the communion. It was
noon when the mass was over and the imperial
family received the congratulations of the chief.
clergy. The priest to whom had been confided the
spiritual instruction of the princess was the object
of especial attention on the part of the Empress.
On the following day, towards noon, the chapel
was again filled with a distinguished company. The
diplomatic circle, which had not been invited to the
former ceremony, was now present. The Em-
peror, with the other members of the imperial
family, arrived at half-past twelve. The Empress
took her usual seat near the sacred gateway,
where the Emperor rejoined her,, after having con-
ducted the Czarewitch and the Princess Dagmar to
the centre of the chapel. The ceremony of betrothal
was then performed, the young couple standing in
front of a desk upon which were laid the Holy
Gospel and crucifix. The bethrothal rings having
been taken from the golden salvers on the altar,
were handed by the Court confessor and the reli-
gious instructor of the imperial family to the Metro-
politan, who, after a prayer, placed them on the
fingers of the Czarewitch and Princess. Next the
Empress, advancing to the centre of the chapel,
exchanged the rings. Amid repeated salvos of
artillery the Emperor and Empress, toge-
ther with the bethrothed pair, received the
felicitations of the company, and a grand Te
Deum was chanted by the priests. At two
o'clock the imperial family returned to their own
apartments, and the religious part of the day's pro-
ceedings terminated. The rest of the day was spent
in festivity.

At half-past four o'clock in the afternoon a mag-
nificent dinner was served in the hall of Nicholas in
the palace. The Czarewitch and his bride sat in the
centre of a raised table at one end of the room, with
the Emperor on one side and the Empress on the
other. The grand duke and grand duchesses, with
other members of the imperial family, dined at the
same table. The rest of the guests were seated at
six long tables, which were placed at right angles to
the dais. At the banquet, as well as in the other
ceremonies, the Danish Minister and the other
representatives of that Court were of co se
treated with especial distinction. loasts were
drunk to-their Imperial Majesties, to the Czare-
witch and his fiancee, to the imperial family,
to the King and Queen of Denmark, and to the
clergy and all the faithful subjects of the Emperor.
The announcement of each toast was greeted with
a loud flourish of trumpets, quickly echoed by a
stunning discharge of artillery. Fifty-one guns
were fired in honour of the Emperor and Empress
and 31 guns for each of the other toasts. Various
overtures were played and selections from Russian
and Italian operas sung during the dinner.
A reception by the Czarewitch and the Princess
Dagmar followed, and the day's festivities were
wound up by a ball. The dancing consisted of only
a single polonaise several times renewed, in which
all the members of the imperial family joined,
and was concluded by ten o'clock. The Princess
Dagmar wore a handsome national costume, in which
delicate rosepink and white were harmoniously
mingled. A long veil with silver threads descending
from her hair floated around her, and garlands of
dainty little roses were draped round the petticoat
and train.