New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-03-31
a ROYAL COURTsHIP.
Victoria and Prince Albert-How the
Queen of England Was Wooed, Won and


Queen of England Was Wooed. Won and
Married.
London Modern Society.
Less loyal souls than ourselves may
haveforgotten that the Queen celebrat-
ed the forty sixth anniversary OF her
marriage with the Prince Consort on
Wednesday, February 10. That day
is Her Majesty's golden letter day; its
annual recurrence is a fearful Joy to
her, and she is suspected then OF ten
derly spreading out beforehe sundry
faded mementoes of that happy day
-mementoes which she has jealousy
guarded for nearly hall century.
Present-day lovers may derive
comfort from the knowledge that the
course of true love did not at first
run altogether smoothly, even the
case OF such august personages as
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
The distractions of ruling put mar
riage out of the royal maiden's head
for a time, it seems; but the Queen
has herself said that she never had
any idea that if she married at all it
would be any one else than the Prince.
1t was in 1888 that her uncle Leo
pold-a pitiful old profigate, to have
been one of the guardians of pure
young girl-urged her to fix upon a
husband. More sensible than most
at her age, she thought herself and
Albert too young for marriage. More
over, her lover knew England very
imperfectly and she wisely reasoned
that this would not do at all. In
the autumn of thefollowing year Prince
Albert and his brother Ernest visited
the young queen. Poor young men!
They arrived before their clothes, and
had to appear in the drawing-room
after dinner in their travel-stained
suits. Throughout October, Windsor
castle and it's surroundings were the
scene of love passages of ever.increas-
ing tenderness, and two illustrious
young people had some difficulty in
preserving etiquette at the dances that
were given three times week after
dinner, for inclination led them to
dance together oftener than was expe-
dent.
There is a, pretty story extant that
at one OF the never o-be-forgotten
dances, the queen presented the prince,
who dared not venture to ask for
her hand, with a flower. The
significance of the act was not lost
upon him. He wore close-fit-
ting uniform, buttoned up to the
throat; but wishing to wear the pre-
cious gift upon his heart he cut a slit
in his coat with penknife and placed
the blossom in it. How to let him
know that her heart had gone out to
him was a source CT genuine distress
to Her Majesty. He wouldn't pro-
pose, so she must. And she did in
this way. The Prince on one occasion
was thanking her for the gracious re-
ception she had accorded him and ex-
pressing the delight his visit was Civ
ing him, when the Queen replied shyly,
"lf indeed your highness is so much
pleased with this country, perhaps
you would not object to remaining in
it and making it your home?" The
hint was unmistakable. What fol-
lowed concerned only the happy pair,
and Her Majesty has never divulged
it; but the sweetness. of it can be
imagined.
After the young people had had
month together, Prince Albert returned
to Germany, and the counting had to
be continued through love letters. To
tell her privy councillors and Parlia-
ment her love story was the Queens
next trouble; but she got overit brave
ly, seeking courage on these trying oc-
.caslons from a bracelet containing a
portrait of the Prince that she wore
clasped on her arm When Her Mai
esty tremblingly made the statement
in the House OF Lords every voicerose
in congratuIation. But vexatious
incidents followed. A rumor got
abroad that the queens fance was
a Roman Catholic, and it was not cas-
lily disposed of. Greater unpleasant
ness still arose out of the question of
the annuity to be settled on the prince,
for he was portionless, like nearly all
the Germans who have come after
him. In the end, 100000 year was
voted him.
Various snubs took off the bloom
and brightness of the young mans
hopes considerably, but he wrote to his
beloved, Cali l have to say is, that
while l possess your love they cannot
make me unhappy" and on arriving
at Dover he was pleasantly surprised
at receiving a warm welcome. He
reached Buckingham palace on Sat-
urday afternoon, February 8, and
found his understanding with her moth
er at the door to be the first to meet
and greet him. Thefollowing Monday
was the wedding day. The morning
was cold, foggy and wet, but it's in
clemency damped nobody's ardor, the
crowds in St. James park being dense
indeed.
The wedding was celebrated with all
due magnifcence in the Chapel Royal,
st. James, the altar of which was
made to look something between
florists shop and goldsmith's, so
great was the profusion of flowers and
plate. -Four imposing state chairs were
set, being one each for the bride, BRIDE
groom, queen dowager and duchess of
Kent, who, by the way, gave herself
over to copius weeping and refused to
be comforted, her behavior contrast
L >