The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-03-13
Weddings of English Princesses.

Weddings Of English Princesses.
Remarking upon the recent royal mar
riage in England. the Cleveland Herald
takes glanca at the former weddings Of
English Royal Princesses.
Matilda, the daughter Of Matilda l., was
married at seven years of age to the Empe-
oor Henry '. of Germany. In order to
supply the brides dowry, the king levied
tax Of three shillings equal 10 SO Of the
present currency on every htde or sixty
acres Of land. This inaugurated the custom
Of the English nation providing the wedding
portions Of their prncesses. Mary, second
daughter Of Stephen, and the first English
Princess married on English soil. el0ped
from convent William Of Alsace. After
three years the Church forcibly separated
them, clapped the wife and her daughters
into convent, seized her property and ban
ished her husband. The first Lluful mar
rage Of aa'rncess RJyal, on English soil,
was that Of Joanna, daughter Of King John,
who married Alexander H. of Scotland.
The bridegroom was too poor to pay his
own expenses to and from York, (the place
Of wedding,) so the English people did it
for him In the reign Of Henry III, the
Princess Margaret woded another Scotch
king-Alexander H. The wedding also
took place at York, and the bridegroom,
Ike his predecessor, was sparng Of his "sil.
lcr," The English king made him knight,
but neither persuasion nor remonstrance
had the effect Of making the "canny Scot "
pay the accustomed fee, nor would he pay
his own expenses to and from York. The
wedding took place carly in the morning,
before the English and Scotch mobiles had
woke from a late sleep after nights de-
bauch and quarrel
Til" first love match OF Princess Royal
was that of Eleanor, eldest daughter Of
Edward l., with Henry, Duke of Bar The
bridegroom paI his own expenses, and en-.
do"ed the bride spIenpidly. When Joanna,
the brides sister, afterwards married the
Earl al Gloucester. she was furnished by
her Jetrothed with a splendid wardrobe,
but her sisters had to apgear in old dresses
which 1t took the Court tailors nine DAYS
to repair. After the ceremonies weoe over
the sisters spitefully took away the new
wardrobe, with the remark shat it would
suit the next sister capitaly. 1t was both
a seedy and rowdy wedding, for one of the
guests-Foulk St. Edmunds-got so drunk
that he smashed the tables, and otherwise
behaved very naughtily, before he was
borne of yelling TO bed. Margaret, after
all, did not need her sisters cast-of dresses.
as she married prince who spent money
Ike prince-or fool He changed his
dress three times during the ceremony, and
ike circus rider, every change exhibited
more spangles and jewelry than the last.
All night long the streets were filled with
oily mobiles and busy men and women sing
ing songs, probably a medieval sort Of
chant Ike our
I'VE won't go home till morning.
Elizabeth. daughter Of Edward ", wed
led the future Henry VII, thus ending the
- W aIs of the Roses" There were immense
rgolcings at the event, as there should be
at the happy termination OF so horrible
teud. Her sister on her second marriage,
married Low fellow" named Kyme, that
no one knew, and lived on love and small
income in a cottage. This was the Lowest
match ever made by a Royal Princess" but
she was content with it.
Margaret, daughter of Henry VII, mar
ried James " OF Scotland On the follow
ing morning her husband presented her
with lhe title-deeds Of the lands of Kilmar-
mock, and in return she caught UP pair of
scissors and clipped his beard.
Elizabeth, daughter Of James l., married
Frederick, Count Palatine, after regular
" publication of the bans in Church" The
expenses OF this unhappy marriage were
nearly half a million of dollars.
Mary, daughter of Charles !, when ten
years of age, was welded to the future
Prince of Orange, who was only eleven.
The whole affair was like a cdildren's romp-
ing party. In November, 1877, William Of
Orange, the son of the above couple, mar
ried Mary. daughter Of the future James II.
Charles II. made the husband drunk. and
induced him TO break the windows Of the
maids OF honor. This wedding took place
in the Princess bed-chambcr, at o'clock at
night, and the Merry Monarch" was ex.
ceedingly tipsy and uprorrious. In 1868,
the Princess Anne was weeded to George Of
Denmark, with great state and feastng. In
1898, the Prince Of Orange, who was hide
ously ugly, married the Princess Anne, who
was marked with the small pox. The we'd
ding took place at night, and at two in the
morning the couple sat up in bed for the
inspection of the crowd of nobility who
came reeling in from grand debauch.
The last wedding of Princess Royal
was in 1916, when the Princess Charlotte
of Wales married the present KING Of the
Belgians. Ii was solemn and stately affair.
The bridegroom looked around to see what
the people thought of him, and the bridr.
when asked the important question, respond
ed quickly, and distinctly, "Yes, will"