The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-08-10

ed by most OF her children and grand
children.n .H
THE PRINCES INTRODUCTION TO VIC
ToRIA.
In 1885 the Prince and his brother
made little German tour, and in the
following year paid their first visit to
London, whence Prince Albert reported
home of the Princess Victoria, "Our
cousin is very amiable." In April,
1887, the princess went to the Universi-
ty of Bonn, where they remained for
the next year and hall. 1t was on the
10th of June, 1887, that Princess Yicto-
ria, at the age OF eighteen, and but
three months older than the cousin,
who was even then pointed to az her fu-
ture husband, became Queen OF Eng
land.
ALBERT's CONGRATULATIONS To THE
QUEEN.
Here, dated from Bonn, is Prince Al
bert's letter written to the Queen on her
accession, the first letter written by
him in English: a..
.aa ...4. "BoNN, 26th June, 1887.
"My dearest cousin 1 must write
you few lines to present you my sin
cerest felicitations on hatgreat change
which has taken place in your life.
NOW you are Queen of the mightiest
land of Europe, in your hand lies the
happiness OF millions. May Heaven
assist you and strengthen you with its
streng tn In that high but difficult task.
81 hope that your reign may be long,
happy, and glorious, and that your
efforts may be rewarded by the thank
fulness and love OF your subjects.
May pray you TO think likewise
sometimes of your cousins in Bonn,
and to continue to them that kindness
you favored them with till now. Be
assured that our minds are always with
you.
~ will not be iudiscreet and abuse
your time. Believe me, always, your
Majestyis most obedient and faithful
servant, ALBERT"
On the Both of July of the same year
the Prince writes thus to his father:
"Uncle Leopold has written 10 me a
great deal abOuttEngland and all that
is going on there. United as all par
ties are in high praise of the young
Queen, the more do they seem TO ma
nnuvre and intrigue with and against
each other. On every side there is
nothing but network of cabals and
intrigues, and parties are arrayed
against each other in the most inexpli-
cable manner"
MARRIAGE TALKED OF.
That the marriage was long contem-
plated by the Princes friends from his
infancy, is obvious from many passages
in this volume. And though, as the
Queen says more than once, nothing
had passed between her and her future
husband till after the second visit of
the Prince in 1899, 1t is clear that the
project had been made familiar to both
some time before. A tour to SwltZer-
land and Italy (undertaken in May,
1885, was recommended by the King of
the Belgians in order to divert public
attention from the matter. Further on
H.. II H. . NI,..s ..-I.v
part of that year that the King, in wri-
ting to the Queen, first mentioned the
idea of such a marriage; and the propo-
sal must have been favOrably received,
for in March, 1888, the King writes to
Baron Stockmar, and gives an account
of the manner in which Prince Albert,
had received the communication which
(ofcourse with the Queens sanction, he
had made to him." The King writes
al have had long conversation with
Albert, and have put the whole case
honestly and kindly before him. He
looks at the question from its most ele-
waited and honorable point OF view. He
considers that troubles are inseparable
from all human positions, and that
therefore, If one must be subject to
plaques and annOyances, it is better to
be so for some great or worthy object
than for tritles and miseries. l have
told him that his great youth would
make it necessary TO postpone the mar
riaRe for few years. l found
him very sensible on all these points.
But one thing he observed with truth.
Il am ready he said, TO submit to this
delay, If l have only some certain as
surance TO so upon. But II, after wait
ing, perhaps, for three years, should
find that the Queen'no longer desired
very ridiculous position, and would, to
a certain extent, ruin all the prospects
of my future life." Ei
The Queen, it would seem, wished for
delay. She "did not wish to marry for
some time yet, ," and she adds, writing
of herself: "She thought herself still
too young, and also wished the Prince
to be older when he made his appear
ance in England. In after years she
always regretted this decision on her
part, and constantly deplored the con-
sequent delay of her marriage. Had
she been engaged to the Prince a year
sooner than she was, and had she mar
ried him at least six months earlier, she
would have escaped many trials and
troubles of different kinds"
THE DECISIVE VISIT.
IA delay, however, was fixed upon,
and 1t was during this delay that Prince
Albert paid a visit to Italy. The Prince
returned to Coburg in June, 1889, and
in October of that year paid his second
anu ueCl5lN6 NlAlL 10 .EuRlduu. ne
seems to have feared that the Queen
was likely TO change her mind, and
that when she asked for delay she per-
haps pleaded for release from the en-
gagement altogether. The Queens
own words, emphatic and not to be
read without deep interest, are as fol-
lows:
1.-THE Queen says she never entertain
ed any idea OF this, and she afterwards
repeatedly informed the Prince that
she would never have married any one
else. She expresses, however, great re-
gret that she had not, after her acces-
sion, kept up her correspondence with
her cousin, as she had done before it.
Nor can the Queen now think with
out indignation against herself, of her
wish to keep the Prince waiting for
probably three or four years at the risk
of running all his prospects for life, un-
til she might feel inclined to marry!
And the Prince has since told her that
he came over in 1899 with the intention
OF telling her that If she could not
then make up her mind, she must un-
derstand that he could not now wait for
II decision, as he had done at a former
period when this marriage was first
talked about. The only excuse the
Queen can make for herself is in the
fact that the sudden change from the
secluded life at Kensington to the indie
pendence of her position as Queen Reg
nant, ut the age of eighteen, put all
ideas OF marriage out of her mind,
which she now most bitterly repents.
1.A worse school for a yonng girl, or
one more detrimental TO all natural
feelings and affections, cannot well be
imagined than the position of a queen
at eighteen, without experience, and
without "a husband to guide and sup
-.