The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-03-14
QUEEN vIoroRIns BOUQUET.

A few weeks ago Queen Victoria complet.
ed the esd year of her age, and las now en-.
tered upon the forty-sixth year of her reign.
Since the Norman Conquest only eleven
English soveregns have lived that long, and
but three have reigned that length of time.
OF the first, If we have it jotted down cor
recsly, were the two Henrys, two Edwards,
one Elizabeth, one James, al the four Geor
gcs and the Fourth William. The captain
of one of the Queens dispatch boats that
ply between Osborne, on the Isle of Wight.
and Portsmouth, told me something about
how Queen Victoria mace love to Albert.
AS we all know, on June 20, 1887, William
Nv. died, and England's Queen, who was
then blushing maiden of sweet l6,n as
cended the throne. In diplomatic circles it
had been arranged that she should marry
Alexander, the brother Of the King of the
Netherlands, but at the critical moment
Prince Albert of Cobourg came in like q
dark horse" and won the heart of Eng
lands Queen. 1t was on the 14th of Octo-
Der, 1889, that Lord Melbourne, then Prime
Minister, was informed of the very import
ant, but none the less delicate fact, that her
Majesty was in love. With characteristic
frankness she told him so herself The day
following this acknowledgment the Prince
had an audience with the Queen, and then
she told it to him also But why and how
These two royal lovers were placed in a
rather peculiar position Albert was to be
wooed, Victoria was to be won't The social
position of the Queen was very much SUPER
Tor to that of the Prince He could not
make the first advance, he could not offer
the lady his hand. He must have felt like
fool. The prize must strike her flag before
being challenged. The proposition was to
be made, ami the hand to be offered to her.
The difficult and unusual task was accom-
plished in 3 skillful manner. With true
womanly grace and a fascinating smile she
handed small bouquet of flowers to the
Prince, who placed them as near as possible
to his heart. In that region of his close-At
ting uniform he had no button-hole, but
quickly taking out his knife the gallant cut
q slit and inserted the precious token. Then
after expressing his pleasure at having been
so well received at the court Of St. James,
and dwelling with ill-concealed emotion
upon his reception by the Queen, he turned
to leave, when Victoria asked the tell-tale
question, IF the country pleases your
highness SO WELL perhaps you would not oh.
jsct to remain with us ?n The Prince al
once mounted to the occasion, and replied
that it was the great desire of his life. The
decisive moment for the Queen was at hand,
and quivering with maidenly reserve and
womanly delicacy, she confessed with honest
and childlike simplicity her great love foi
him. She assured the Prince that IL he
would make the sacrifice necessary to be-
come the husband of the Queen of England,
that it would be the cause of her lifelong
happiness. Prince Albert, who had antici.
pated all that was said, yielded uncondition.
ally. 1t was purely love match, and cal
umny and intrigue never poisoned the sweet.
ness of their welded life. He did not, he
could not, take part in the political affairs Of
the country, he was but the husband Of
, Great Botain's Queen, and his empire was
tat Iarniiy cir'ole, .-..ta H.; -t jS~ts we're MI
children.