The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-01-20
IN General.
How Heirs to Thrones Courted.

e0Ce anu ETlDCeSS MARY Oh IeCk re-
calls the love stories OF some of the
other members of the royal family.
Prince Albert was an occasional visitor
at Windsor in his single days, and it is
related that 1.-THE queen danced with
him and Showed him many attentions
which she never showed to others"
AT one of the balls her Majesty pre-
scented him with bouquet, but his uni
form jacket fastened up to the chin,
and he had no buttonhole wherein to
place the gift But in the very spirit
of Sir Walter Raleigh, he seizt d pen
knife and Immediately slit an aperture
in his DIRE s. next his heart, and there
triumphantly deposited the royal flow
ers."
1t was the queen who proposed TO
the prince, and there are various ac-
counts OF the actual popping Of the
question. Oue says that her Majesty
endeavored TO encourage her lover by
asking him how he liked England, to
which he replied: every much"
Next day there was the same query
and the same answer. On the third
day the maiden monarch, blushing,
asked if he would like TO live in Eng
land" and, emboldened by her Maj
esty's demeanOr, con this hint he
spoke" and the affair was settled.
Another account is to The effect that
when the queen asked The prince if he
liked Eng and he replied, Exceed
ingly." "Then," added the queen,
sit depends on you to make it your
home"
The prir ce, writing to his grand
mother at Gotha, gives this account of
the engagement: " The queen sent for
me alone to her room, the other day,
and declared to me, in a general out
break of affection, that / had gained her
whole heart, and would make her in
tensely happy if | would make her the
sacrifice of sharing her life with her, for
she said she looked on it as sacrifice;
the only thing which troubled her was
that she did not think she was worthy
of me-"
The queen, shortly before this, had
told BarCn Stockmar that she did not
intend to change her unmarried state
for long period. But now she wrote;
" l do feel so guilty l know not how 10
begin my letter, but | think the news it
will contain will be sufficient to insure
your forgiveness. Albert has COM
pletely won my heart, and all was set
tied between us this morning. | feel
certain he will make me happy. l wish
| could feel as certain of my making
him happy"
The circumstances attending the en-
gagement of the princess royal have
often been related. Prince Frederick
William of Prussia was spending a holt
day at Balmoral at the time, and the
queen herself has told the story:
He prince Frederick) had already
spoken to us of his wishes, but we were
uncertain, on account of her extreme
youth, whether he should speak to her
himself or wait till he came back again.
However, we felt it was better he
should do so; and during our ride up
Craig-na-Ban this afternoon he picked
piece of white heather (the emblem of
good luck }, which he gave TO her, and
this enabled him to make an allusion to
his hopes and wishes as they rode down
Glen Goinocb, which led to this happy
conclusion"
The Prince of Wales first met The
princess in Germany in 1861. He at
tended the military movements in the
Rhenish provinces, and it had been ar
ranged that he should there make the
acquaintance of the princess, who was
then on visit TO Germany. The re-
suit was so much to the prince consort's
satisfaction that he wrote in his diary;
1--WE hear nothing but excellent ac-
counts of the princess Alexandra. The
young people seem to have taken a
warm liking for each other"
The official announcement of the
marriage, which came later, stated that
sit was based upon mutual affection
and the personal merits of the young
princess.
On her arrival in England the prin-
cess beauty and sweetness of DISPOSE
ton gained all hearts, and an attach
ment sprang up between her and the
people which has only deepened as the
years have rolled by.
The Princess Louise was engaged to
Lord Lorne in October, 1870. The
event took place at Balmoral, and dur
ing walk from the Glassalt She'll to
the Dhu Loeb The princess, on her
"Lorne had spoken of his devotion TO
her and proposed to her." and that she
bad accepted him, knowing that her
Majesty would approve. Though !
was not unpre pared for this result"
NIOle Iue queen dltSl warn. leit
painfully the thought of losing her.
But l naturally gave my consent, and
could only pray that she might be
happy"
OF the Duke and Duchess of Fife, it
is related that the duke was often a
visitor at the Prince of Wales when
the duchess was quite little girl, and
that her affection for her future hus-
band sprang up early. The duke even
then took great deal of notice of her,
and "begged her off when she got
! into scrapes, and frequently had sur
reptitious bonbons in his pocket for
her, though her mother had rigidly for
hidden him. The little princess ador ed
him, and used to prick all the ends of
=. her royal fingers making pin-cushions
and pen-wipers for his birthday.
: When the princess grew up, tai
plain girl of sixteen, she adored him
still, but in a different fashion now
and, conscious of this feeling, she grew