The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-07-15
A Royal Romance.

1t was IN OCtOUeT VI tuo NSdI 1909
that the two youngC oburg princes came
to England. They brought with them a
letter from King Leopold, which raa as
follows:
My DEAREST VICTORIA Your cous'
ms will themselves be the bearers of these
lines. l recommend them to you. They
are good and honest creatures, deserving
YOUR kindness-hot pedantic, but really
sensible and trustworthy. l have told
them that your great wish is that they
should be quite at their ease with you.
The young men arrived. Their cousin,
no longer the little girl of kensington,
in The homely old-fashioned house, but
a great queen, received them at the top
of the royal staircase, amidst all the
macnifcence of Windsor Castle, as If
these two wandering knights had been
emperors. But after this grand recep-
ton, the commonest Of incidents brings
back the princely travellers and the
royal circle into the sympsthies of home
lier life. Their rortmanteaus, 1t is to
he supposed, had gone astray, as happens
to so many of us-or at least did not
arrive in time-and the DINER hour
was near. Their clothes not having
arrived" the queen writes in her jour
nal, "they could not appear at dinner,
but came in after it, in spite OF their
morning clothes" There was a circle
of visitors assembled, and no doubt
some little tremor in the air-wonder-
lngs and whisperings and close watching
of all the looks and words interchanged
between the cousins. Prince Albert
was now full grown, in all the freshness
of twenty, the age at which a handsome
youth is handsomest, before any OF the
bloom has been rubbed off. 'There was
in his countenance a gcntleness of ex-
preston, and Il peculiar sweetness in his
smile, With a look of deep thought n
high intelligence III his clear blue eyes
and expansive forehead that added a
charm to the effect he produced in those
who saw him, far beyond that derived
from mere regularity or beauty of fea-
lures" He was as good as he was
handsome, full Of high purpose and most
delicate conscientiousness.
And the life in the beautiful old cas-
tie in those mellow Autumn days was
CAV and bright as heart could desire.
The head of the house was young and
light-hearted, the visitors all proud and
happy to contribute to her amusement
and to keep the palace gay. The way of
life in Windsor during the stay OF the
Princes was much as follows: The
Queen breakfasting in her own room,
they afterward paid her a visit there,
and at . o'clock had luncheon with her
and the Duchess of Kent. In the after
roon they all lode, the Queen ane
Duchess and the two Princes, with Lord
Melbourne and most Of the ladies and
gentlemen in attendance, forming a large
cavalcade. There was q great dinner
every evening, with a dance after it
three times a week. The brothers had
arrived on the Sth, Prince Albert and
Queen Victoria being then both of a
mind Ito believe their own statements)
that the tacit understanding between
them was over, and they would not
marry-not thev-for years to come.
But before the 18th had come something
had changed the notions of the young
pair. Yet the wooing was not all easy
and plain before them, as before other
pairs. These were 10 the days in which
any noble knight, even a prince, would
address a queen. What had to be said
must be said by her, not by him-a
strange necessity. But no doubt it
seems i more different matter in talking
of it than it was in the doing of it. When
the young Prince was summoned alone
to the young sovereisn's presence no
doubt the first glance, the first word, was
enough to tell him that his cause was
won. After a few minutes conversation
the Queen told him why she had sent for
him. \ happy mist falls over all that
was said and done. When the young
pair emerge from it and are seen again
of ordinary men, there is a maze Of glad
ness about them which finds expression
In the same words all unawares: These
last few days have passed like a dream
to me, aud | am so much bewildered by
it all that | know hardly how to write,
but l do feel very happy writes the
Queen to her uncie-he TO whom this
good news would be SO welcome. And,
more | can't write TO you, for at this