Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-31
Birth and Majority Of Prince Albert
Victor Of Wales.
From the New York Sun.

Victor Of Wales.
| From the New York Sun
LONDON, Jan. S.-Twenty-one years ago, on
Sunday afternoon, a lady of exalted rank, very
young, very beautiful, worshipped by all, not
only for her high position, but for her own per-
sonal destinations went out with her attendants
to watch the gay scene of skaters gliding in and
out of the sheltered ponds Of royal enclosure.
That year the Christmas time had come with all
| the brilliancy OF frost, the crispness of snow,
the cheeriness of bright winter weather, now
| so rarely seen In London save in the deuding
and apOcryphal devices Of Christmas cards and
| ANIMALS. When the lovely woman had walked
| tor while around the shore of the mimic frozen
| lake, she returned to the stately pile in which
she was one of the fairest guests, and little
later assisted at the ceremOniOus dinner pre-
sided over by her imperiOus mother-in-law.
She retired early, with the gracious smile and
gentle words with which she was wont to part
from all who surrounded her in those FIRST days
OF her welded life in a foreign land. CSC - -
few hours later the silent streets Of the
| royal borough of Windsor were startled by the
sound of hurrying hoofs and camorOus, anxious
| voices breaking upon the hushed stiffness of the
| Wlntry night. An QUILTING shop was hastily
| opened by half-dressed assistants bundle of
| tiny articles of clothing summary put together
| and carried off by an impatient horseman. Mean
while doctors and nurses, reused from their mid
night slumbers, rushed with fear and awe up the
steep and slippery approach to the castle, while
| somewhere in the town woman who was also
a mother, was found willing to leave her own
| young baby to take charge of the infant at the
castle. who, In the midst of regal splendor, had
| come into the world with as little preparation
| for its reception the miserable waif born to
| starvation and misery under the arches of a
bridge or in some foul den of Seven Dias That
| Child was the Prince Albert Victor eldest son of
the Prince of Wales, grandson ofQueen Victoria
| prospective sovereign of Great Britain and Ire
land and Emperor of India.
Ushered into the world under circumstances
| so incompatible with the formalities OF ETH
| quette. most of them had to be omitted and 1t
was only on the morrow that the little Royal
Highness entered into possession of the gOr-
geOus cradle, the costly layette. and the access
series that had been waiting for him at MARI
borough House, and which came down in an
express train with the nurses and cabinet min
listers, the tcourt physicians and other digni-
tarieS who do homage at the birth of rOyal
babes. However, the Windsor lady who had so
promptly offered her services on that memOra-
Die night was retained with grateful courtesy
and to her care the little Prince was for some
time longer intrusted over and beyond his al
lOtted attendants; and she has ever since re-
| tanned the affection Of the Princess of Wales.
The majority Of Prince Albert Victor, which
he attains to-day, is celebrated with pomp and
rejoicing. though he enters on the fulflment of
his manhood with none of the untoward haste
and accompanying mishaps which attended his
introduction into the world.
He is as gracious and pleasant hammered
as his mother who still keeps much of the
youthful charm OF twenty-one years ago, and he
has the ready tact and easy bonhO1nie of his
father An education commenced at home.
strengthened by life on board ship, perfected by
foreign travel and spell at a university, has
developed the Inherent faculty OF tactful adap-
tatiOn which seems the apanage of all iDdiyid-
uals born on or near the thrOne-a faculty which
stands its pOssessOr in lieu of higher powers
and wins tor him more popularity than the
greater gifts and qualities which lit men to be
rulers.
Prince Albert Victor and Prince George bis
brother, spent some months in Switzerland.
near Lausanne. 1t was at first given out that
their visit was only for the purpose of acquir-
ing conversational French, and that they would
not mix i'll society," This was considered by the
residents as diplomatic way OF stating that
what society there was was not considered good
enough for them. However, after a short time
1t was borne in upon those around the princes
that the faculty of expressing themselves with
ease and facility in the French language was
not fostered by limiting them to English in
tercourse; that the contemplation of the beau
ties OF lake and mountain was not all-suffi-
cient for active, cheerful, intelligent, grega-
nous youths; perhaps, also, that In the austere-
looking houses in the steep streets or the pic
turesque villas and chateaux dotted on the hill
sides dwelt families dating from the crusades |
ana whose genealogical roots had struck deeper
and bore wider branches than any of which
British aristOcracy could boast. So, for one or
all OF these reasons, it was accidentally rumored
that should parties be given and should their !
Royal Highnesses be asked, they would accent |
the invitations. Thus it came to pass that one |
or two OF the grave half-mediayal houses in |
the Rue de Bourg opened their portals and dis |
closed interiors that wed in elegance and COM
fort with the choicest apartments of the Eau
bourg st. German that sounds of revelry and |
music echoed in the old brocade-hung rooms |
that the young princes danced and firted lit. |
tie and enjoyed themselves immensely and
that on the drawing room table of those houses |
can be seen personally inscribed cabinet pho
tOgraph OF the two still bOysh-loOking faces
They both have that unmstakable family like |
ness which is common to all the scons Of the |
house OF Hanover, mixture of frankness. good
nature, and stOlidity, blending English and
German characteristics with relentless fidelity.
The stamp Of the two races bids fair not to be
lost. Even the last "ewe lamb" of the Queen. |
the faithful companion of her eternal walks,
the unrepining younger daughter, who has
never lett her side but once (when nominally
rheumatism. but presumably hopeless ennui.
drove her to the salubrious but mild recreation
of AK lie Bains), WEEDS with one Of those princi-
piculg whose only mission in the order Of Gre
ated beings is to mate with the daughters Of
the royal house of England. These s.serene"
consorts, when taking their marriage VOWS.
not only assume the heavy burden of matri-
mony with one who by birth and law never
ceases to be Princess Royal Of Great Britain.
but they abdicate, IL not q sovereignty thew
never possessed, at least all liberty of will and
power of action. Some, like Prince Teck, the
handsomest man OF his day, sink promptly
into utter insignifcance and contented seryi-
tage, and, after years of accomplishing de-
pendence. manage in middle age to lure their
wives to the cheaper freedom of life in
Continental cities Others, like Prince Chris
tan, after the wedding ceremony Is over. are
never heard OF again in any shape, form, OF as
In literary pursuits and even in Temporary
exile solace from the singular degradation Of
being his wife's subject, and unable to rise to
the manlier position Of husband It Is not vet
certain what attitude Prince Battenberg viii
take at the English court, now that he has
sworn AWAY his indie nandanca In nonaonfInnr