Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-04-06
CONFEDERATE STATES or AMERICA,
WAR DEPARTMENT,
THE LATE DUCHESS OF KENT-THE ROYAL
FAMILY OF ENGLAND

The death Of the Duchess of Kent mother OF Queen
Victoria, will place the courts of England Belgium,
Prussia Sax Cobourg and others in mourning
The death of this lady recalls to memory Of the
leading facts in the history OF the royal family OF Eng
land
Old King George the Third had fifteen and daugh
ters and yet in 1875 after the death Of the Princess
Charlotte there fears that there would be no nea
descendants Of his to the Only three Of his
sons we're then married. The Prince Regent had lost
his only child, and separated from bis wife. The
Duke of York separated from his Duchess the Duke
Of Cumberland divorced aud widowed and the mar
rage of the Duke OF Sussex being without the royal
sent availed nothing for the succession. So there
haste made marry the other surviving royal children
none of whom young. II thought d. SRA
bic to get husband for the Princess Elizabeth, who
fortyeigh years old and she married TO the Prince
of Hesse Homburg. The Duke Of Clarence late William
" married the Princess Adelaide of SAKE Meinngen
who bore him no children. The Duke of Cambridge
married the Princess Augusta of Hesse who still living,
and has three children. The Duke of Kent who
older than the Duke of Cambridge, married the lady
whose death is Just announced.
None Of the royal marriages thus arranged pleased the
English people, except that of the Duke Of Kent The
lady selected for him the daughter of the Duke of
Ssxe-Cobourg widow of the Prince OF Leiningen, and
sister of Prince Leopold the husband of the amened
Princess Charlotte, now King of the Be.gaDs. But the
married life of the duchess but short for in
less than two years the Duke Of Kent died. and she
u
Victoria At that time the accession OF this little child
to the British throne seemed bu. remote contingency.
George I'LL outlived hs son, the Pli.ce OF Wales,
while George ". aud William w., his other sons who
reigned after him. both died without issue thus the is
OF the next brother the deceased Duke of Kent be-
came heir to the British throne As this
tingency gradually resolved itself into probability and
then certainty the Duchess of Kent devoted her time
fitting her daughter for the high station she called
upon to occupy. Mental aud personal accomplishments
carefully attended to, as well physical require
The daughter throye under such judicous
ment and the mother had the satisfaction OF attending
the coronation and the marriage Of her child, Of
seeing her the mother of large family and of knowing
that her throne built upon the hearts of her sub
jects.
/. may be added that this is the first serious bereave
ment Queen Victoria has experienced. Her father
died before she old enough to know him. and she has
lost child An only child herself she had never
abrothcr sister TO lose mourn for and thus the
present bereavement must be peculiarly affecting to her.
On the accession Of Queen Victoria to the throne the
Duchess of Kent voluntarily assumed the demeanor of q
subject of her own daughter. She made it q rule never
to eater the royal presence without summons. that
at every meal became necessary to send special
senger command her attendance table and she
er would talk affairs of State. Some think this
pretty stiff for mother, and so it was yet there
ever toe warmest attachment. between her and her child
When in London, the Qleen scarcely passed day with
out going vs. her. and the Duchess frequently
the palace. The latter great reader and
to everything in the shape of osentaon She of
charitable disposition but her limited for she
to pay of her husbands debts Her Majesty how
ever after her accession discharged that pous Of
fee and notified it the Duchess who had been pre-
viou,y ignorant of her intenion by placing packet of
receipts her plate morning at breakfast These
proved 10 be receipts for all the debts OF the Duke.