Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-01
A ROYAL ROMANCE.
The WOoinx OF Victoria and Prince
Albert of COburN.


she must assume the crown, 1t became
time to bring together the two who had
been trained for each other. Whether any
knowledge had yet reached the Prinoess's
| mind OF this family hope We are not in
formed but the young Prince Albert of
Coburg could not be entirely ignorant that
his fate hung in the balance when, In the
month of May, 1886, handsome and nobly
gifted boy of seventeen. he came with his
father and brother, with no fear of the
event, but some of the sea and the terrible
crossing which lay between them and Eng
land, to pay visit TO the aunt and cousin
whom he had never seen. With what ex
element and suspense the elder people
must have watched this first encounter ,
The young people were of the same age
agreeable, and attractive in looks, two
blue-eyed human creatures, looking their
great life frankly in the face, rs hopeful,
as unclouded, rs became their years. What
the Princess WAS will be seen from the
youthful portrait with which by this time
even those who remember it of old must
have grown Misunderstanding the fair,
young, candid eountenance In the msturer
face so familiar touB. What Prince Albert
was is described by Baron Stockmar in a
letter written, on the eve of this eventful
meeting, to the anxious uncle, King Leo
pold, whose long. cherished plans were
now to be put to the test
"Albert is fine young fellow, well
grown for his age, with agreeable and
valuable qualities, and who, if things go
we'll may in few years turn out strong,
handsome man. of II kindly, simple, yet
dignified demeanor. Externally, therefore,
he possesses all that pleases the sex, and
at all times, and in all countries, must
please"
The boy was merry and light-hearted,
as became his age, full of youthful
laughter as well as youthful wisdom, and
as capable of keeping his fellow-students
in roar of genial fun as of winning the
appreciation of the elders. The Duke of
Sake Coburg and his sons arrived at
kensngton Palace in the end OF May, and
there is no record of the meeting except
in the brief letters of the Prince, published
in his Memoir, which give few details.
His aunt and cousin were very kind"
and "most aniable." The father and
sons staid some weeks in London, and
and were at levees, and court dinners,
and concerts, long prolonged, during
which the young visitor had many 'hard
battles to fight against sleepiness, so
young was he, aud 30 untried in fashion
able dissipation. On one evening, at
least there WAS "a brilliant ball at
Kensington Palace at which the young
Gesmans unused to such late hours,
remained till four o'clock in the morning.
The curious reader would like to know
how often the cousins danced together,
and il each threw chance 10 the other,
as happens sometimes, over all the music
and the mirth. There were stories going
which we remember to have heard some
cite, of flowers bestowed and looks,
exchanged gossip of the ballroom;
but these are not things likely to be
specified in letters to the mother at home.
When the Prince left England, however,
anxious King leopold ia the background,
who was still, as always. watching over
| everything, broke the silence, and wrote
to his niece. The Princess replied
warmly, with frankDess which must
have made the heart of her careful and
anxious guardian rejoice, entreating her
uncle to take into his special protection
lone now so dear TO me"
| This, however, was not revealed to the
world, nor even, it would seem, to the
chief person concerned, who, still linked
| in thought and fancy to the pretty cousin
of whom all his attendants had spoken to
him all his life, thought of her still as he
went forth upon his travels, sending her
such token of remembrance rs an Alpine
rose gathered on the Right, book of
prints TO show his route from time to time
very natural, simple tokens Of the
delicate amity ripeuing into warmer
emotion, such as pass every day between
youth and maiden on the verge of love
1t was in October of the year 1899 that
the young Coburg Prince, accompanied
by younger brother again visited Eng.
land. The brothers brought with then
a letter from King Leopold, which ran u,
follows:
MY DEAREST yIcToRIA,-Your cousins will
themselves be the bearers OF these lines ! recon.
mend them to you. They are good and honest
creatures, deserving your kindncss-nut prllantlc
but really sensible and Trustworthy. | have tod
them that your great wish is that they should b,
quite al their ease with You.
The young men arrived. Their cousin
no longer tine little girl of keIsngton il
the homely old fashioned house, but
great Queen, received them at the top Of
the royal staircase amidst ali the magnih
cence of Windsor Castle, as if these two
wandering knights had been emperors
But after this grand reception the com
monest of incidents brings back the
princely travellers and the royal circle
into the sympathy of homelier life
Their portmanteaus, it is to supposed
had gone astray, as happens to SO many
of us--or at least did not arrive in time
and the dinner hour was near. 'Ihei
clothes not having arrived the Queer
write in her journal, they could no
appear at dinner but came in after it, il
spite of their morning clothes. Their,
, was a circle of visitors assembled and M
doubt some little tremor in the alr--wOn
| behring's and whisperings, and close watch
ings of all the looks and words inter
changed between the cousins. Prime
J Albert WAS now full grown IN all tn
, freshness of twenty, the age at which
handsom youth il abandonment, before au,
of the bloom has been rubbed oil
. There was in his countenance gentlenes
of expression, and peculiar sweetness il
| his smile, with Il look of deep though
s and high intelligence in his clear blu
: eyes and expansive forehead that added
4 charm to the effect he produced in ,hos
n who saw him, far beyond that derive
- from mere regularity or beauty @
y features" He was III good al he Wa
Q handsome, fnll of high purpose ard tn
/ most delicate cOnscientiousness
+, And the life III the beautiful OLD CaAtl
. III those mellow autumn days was gay am
e bright as heart could desire. TIE heltd @
T. the house Was young and light hearted
r the visitors proud and happy to contribut
t to her amusement, and to keep the palac
l. gay. The way Of life in Windsor durn
= the stay of the Princes was much u
e follows The Queen breakfasting in he
e own room, they afterward paid her Wis
is there, and at two O'Clock had luncheo
p with her md the Duchess of Kent.
y the afternoon they all rode, the Queen an
& Duchess and the two princes, with Lor
10 Melbourne and most of the ladies an
h gentlemen in attendance, forming larp
d eavalcade. There wax great dinner ever
r, evening, with dance after it three time
D. a week. This pleasant reaction went O
ID for week. The brothers had arrived o
3, the Sth Prince Albert and Queen Victori
o being then both of mind Ito beiey
id their own statements), that the tao
ly understanding between them WAS owe
and they would not marry-not they-ft
III years to come. But before thel5th ha
lie come something had changed the notions
st the young pair Yet the wooiug was not O
I'd easy and plain before them, as befoi
re other pairs. These were not the DAYS
It. which any noble knight, even prime
er would address d queen. What had to
he aid must be said by her, not 10y him
is strange necessity. Rut no doubt it seen
oe q more difficult matter in talkiI
g. of it than it was in the doing
he it. When the young prin
rv was summoned alone to the Young soyt