Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-09-26
5ttistellaneplls Artitles.
QUEEN vICTORIA's COURTsHIP.

Wl5feIIanRoM5 AElMW5.
J QUEEN vICToRIA's COURTsHIP.
Queen Victoria has published life of Prince
Albert, her late husband, much of which was
written by herself We have seen in the newspa-
pers, several extracts from this book, which has
not yet been printed in this country Its whole
tenor, so far as we have read, proves Victoria to
have been faithful and loving wife. She seems
to take melancholy pleasure in recalling and dwell
ling upon the incidents of her husbands life, and
to cherish fond regard for his memory. The
character of Prince Albert, too, appears to great
advantage. He was man who filled every sta
ton and duty to which he was called, without re-
proach. Few men of his high position in life,
have left memory so blameless.
From the published extracts we select the follow
ing, as perhaps most interesting, and because it
illustrates how differently queens love affairs are
managed from those of less exalted maidens
~r#a FIRST ACQUAINTANCE.
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 report
ed home of the Princess Victoria, "Our cousin is
very amiable." In April, 1887, the princes went
to the University of Bonn, where they remained
for the next year and half 1t was on the 10th
Of June, 1887, that Princess Victoria, at the age
Of eighteen, and but three months older than her
cousin, who was even then pointed to as her future
husband, became Queen Of England. ...
PROPOSED ALLIANCE .
That the marriage was long contemplated by the
Prince 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 af'
ter the second visit of the Prince, in 1889, it is
clear that the project had been made familiar to
them both some time before. A tour to Switzer-
land and Italy undertaken in May, 1888, was re-
commended by the King of the Belgians in order
to divert public attention from the matter. Fur
ther on, we read TT was probably in the early
part of that year that the King, in writing to the
Queen, first mentioned the idea Of such a marriage;
and the proposal must have been favorably receiv-
ed, for, in March, 1888, the King writes to Baron
Stockmar, and gives an account Of the manner IN
which Prince Albert had received the communica-
ton which (of course with the Queens sanction)
he had made to him. The King writes
II 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 elevated and honorable point Of view. He
considers that troubles are inseparable from all hui
man 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 tr
Aes and miseries. have told him that his great
youth would make it necessary to postpone the
marriage for few years, l found him very SEN
sible on all these points. But one thing he OBJ
served, with truth. lam ready, he said, to sub
NIT to this delay if have only some certain assu
rance to go upon. But if, after waiting, perhaps
for three years, I should find that the Queen nc
longer desired the marriage, it would place me in
very ridiculous position, and would to certain ex
tent, ruin all the prospects of my future life.
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 though
herself still too young and also wished the Prince
to be older when he made his appearance in Eng
land In after years she often regretted this deci
sion on her part, and constantly deplored the conse
quent delay of her marriage. Had she been en-
gagged to the Prince year sooner than she was
and had she married him at least six months ear
lier, she would have escaped many trials and trou
bles Of different kinds.
4 THE DECISIVE VISIT
A delay, however, was fixed upon, and it wa'
during this delay that Prince Albert paid visit tt
Italy. The Prince returned to Coburg in June
1889, and in October of that year paid his secont
: and decisive visit to England. He seems to hay'
feared that the Queen was likely to change he
mind, and that, when she asked for delay, she
perhaps, pleaded for the release from the engage
ment altogether. The Queens own words, em
phatic and not to be read without deep interest
are as follows.
''The Queen says she never entertained any ide'
of this, and she afterward repeatedly informed tn
; Prince that she never would have married any on
else. She expresses, however, great regret tina
she had not, after her accession, kept up her cor
; respondence with her cousin, as she had done be
fore it.
/ "Nor can the Queen now think, without indig
nation against herself, of her wish to keep tn
Prince waiting for probably three or four years,
the risk of running all his prospects for lite, unit
she might feel inclined to marry! And the Prlne
has since told her that he came over in 1889 witt
the intention of telling her that if she could no
then make up her mind, she must understand tina
he could not now wait for decision, as he hat
done at o former period, when this marriage wa
first talked about The only excuse the Queen cal
make for herself is in the fact that the sudde1
change from the secluded life at Kensington to tn
. independence of her position as Queen Regnant
at the age of eighteen, put all ideas Of marriag
out of her mind, which she now most bitterly re
lpents.
] "a worse school for young girl, or one NOR
detrimental to all natural feelings and affections
cannot well be imagined than the position OF
Queen at eighteen, without experience, and with
out husband to guide and support her. This tn
!, Queen can state from painful experience, and sh