The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-01-20
QUEEN WcToRIA's GARDEN.
Memorial Trees and a House That the
Prince of Wales Built

Prince of Wales Built
Queen Victoria considers herself |
really at home in the private garden of |
Osborne only. says the London Figaro.
For in this little corner of the Isle of |
Wight alone does the sovereign whose
possessions cover one-seventh of the !
globe have powers absolute. Else
where, and especially in the parks of
the royal residences, she is under the
restraint of the officials of a constitu-
tional monarchy.
The commissioner of public build
ings and works treats the crown as an
institution of which the rights are
strictly limited. Her majesty can not
cut tree without the consent of the
proper official. To escape this vigil
ance the queen has bought in the
neighborhood of her castle at Osborne
some acres of ground where she may
have a gardener not subject to changes
of administration. She has even gone
so far as to disregard for once her po-
sition of political impartiality and has
chosen former gardener of Lord Bea-
consfield, man accustomed to the
growing of tory flowers. But any im-
prudence which he might commit will
| not easily reach the public. For while
it is easy to get permission to roam
about the grounds of the castle this
| little garden is carefully shut off from
visitors. A correspondent of an Eng
| lish paper recently had the good for
tune to get into the Swiss chalet. which
her majesty has made into family
| museum, and to walk about the aisles
! of trees where each tree commemo-
rates an episode in the history of the
royal house and recalls day of hap
| piness or sorrow.
A short distance from the entrance
to this private garden is a wooden
PLAYHOUSE, built with their own hands
by the prince of Wales and the duke
of Edinburgh in 1857. The heir to the
crown has missed his vocation. He
clearly had in him the making of a
notable carpenter. Even to the pres
ent day the prince is very proud of his
work, and. whenever he visits Os-
borne, he goes straightway to see if
the playhouse is still standing. Not e
nail has fallen, not plank has sprung.
The house, after thirty-four years. is
as solid as at first.
In the little house are preserved the
playthings of the royal children. Each
of the children had little carriages of
his own, and all are here preserved
with the initials of the owners upon
them.
The duke of Edinburgh was jack
of all trades. He was a carpenter
with his elder brother. a mason with
his younger brother. the duke of Con-
naught. The miniature fortress they
built together is still preserved in this
same garden. 1t is made of stone and
brick, and is at least strong enough to
brave the seasons. The princes work
ed under the eyes of their father. who
was trying to teach them the art OF
forti6cation.
This fortress has undergone some
assaults. The prince of Wales, having
his five sisters and the youngest of his
brothers under his command, attacked
| its garrison, the dukes of Edinburgh
and Connaught. Almost always the
heir apparent carried the parapet and
drove the two dukes into q casemate
where they had plenty of arms ano
whence hunger alone could dislodge
them.
Nowadays the children of the duch
ess of Albany and of the Princes!
Beatrice attack and defend the for
which their parents, their uncles ant
, their aunts have so often captured will
great valor after long and glorious
sieges.
, The day of her oldest daughter
wedding Victoria took sprig of myr
tie from the brides bouquet and plant
ed it in this garden. It rooted itsel
so firmly that now it is grown into {
. great bush. Every time one of th
grandchildren marries the myrtle busl
at Osborne is called into requisition.
Not far from the matrimonial busl
is row of mourning trees. In Feb
ruary, 1862, every member of tn
royal family planted tree to perpetu
ate the memory of the prince consort,
who died in December just before. o
the eight trees, those of the prince o
Wales and the Princess Alice have
,, grown most luxuriantly. A little dis
tance away the queen planted the par
asol pine which is her memorial of hel
husband.
In another place are the trees com
memorating marriages-the trees O
| the prince and princess of Wales, @
/ the duke and duchess of Edinburgh
/ of the duke and duchess of Connaught
8 of the duke and duchess of Albany
and of the Princess Beatrice and Henr
VI DdICeuOeIS' IL 10 III lue Sudue U
: these trees, whose foliage murmur
, the memories of happy times, that tn
] queen likes to take tea during the he
} days of August.
! Now it is the new generation whic
\ is taking its turn at tree planting i
this garden devoted to royal high
6 nesses. The children of the prince c
l Wales and of the duke of Edinburg
: have the place of honor. But the in
!. vading family of Prussia casts not
! little of its shade upon soil whic
= = should remain exclusively for British
Although the children of the queen
daughters are not represented. tn
0 descent of the Empress Frederick ha
s taken root there. The Princess Viz
| toria of Prussia, her sister, the Prir
8 cess Sophia. and the Prince Waldemal
who died in 1879 have each tree
t The collection lacks nothing but th
< tree of the Emperor William.
After visiting this private garden g
i Osborne one can explain the dislik
y which Mr.. Gladstone inspires in tn
e queen. The great statesman find
: pleasure in cutting down trees; tn
n queen gets her enjoyment in the plan
. ing of them.