The San Francisco call., 1896-01-23
Queen Victoria Grieves Over the
Loss of Her Favorite
Son-in-Law.
TRAINING TO BE A SOLDIER.
He Had Joined the AShantee Ex.
pedition to Gain Military
Experience.

LONDON, Eng, Jan. 22.-The Standard
announces that Prince Henry of Batten-
berg, who was taken i'll while accompany
ing the British expedition against the
Ashantees, died of coast fever on the
return voyage from Cape Coast Castle to
Sierra Leone.
A later dispatch says that he died on the
night of January 20, on board the British
cruiser Blonde. 1t had beep his intention
TO recruit his health at Madeira.
After Prince Henry died the news of his
death was Immediately cabled 10 the
Queen and Princess Beatrice and also to
the Admiralty and the War Office. The
Queen was intensely agitated and Princess
Beatrice almost crazed. The Queens re-
view of the flying squadron off the Isle of
Wight, which was postponed yesterday on
account of fog, has now been abandoned
in consequence of Prince Henry's death.
Prince Henry was a younger brother of
the present head of the Ba:tenberg lam
lily. He was born at Milan, October 5,
1858, and was consequently not quite 50
years of age. He was married TO Queen
Victoria 5 youngest daughter. Beatrice, at
Osborne, July %, 1895, and four children
have been born, Alexander Albert, Victoria
Eugene Julie Eve. Leopold Arthur Louis
and Maurice Victor Donald.
Prince Henry has always been the
Queens favorite son-in-law, and, with his
wife, has accompanied her on most of her
travels and been present at many of
the social functions. When the war in
Ashantee broke out Prince Henry decided
TO accompany the expedition for the pur-
pose of gaining military experience. The
u1cbsritable hinted that the programme
was for Prince Henry to see enough
actual experience to give the Government
an excuse for appointing him to some
lucrative position in the military service.
Prince Henry was stricken down with
fever before he had seen actual service
and was obliged to leave the unhealthy
coast. 1t was while on his way back that
he died.
All the battle-ships in the Solent, the
royal yacht Osborne and the clubhouse of
the royal yacht squadron are flying
flags at half-mast as a mark of respect to
the memory of Prince Henry and flags are
haf-masted upon public and private
buildings in London and all of the great
towns, in which the church bells were
tolled when the news of Prince Henry's
death was received.
At the desire of the Queen George ].
Goschen, First Lord of the Admiralty, has
cabled instructions to Commander Henry
c. Testing, commanding the British
cruiser Blonde, to bring the body of Prince
Henry to England with the least possible
delay.
Manifestations OF sorrow at the death of
Prince Henry are everywhere visible, and
expressions of sympathy with the Queen
and Princess Beatrice are heard upon all
sides.
The court circular referring to the death
OF Prince Henry of Battenberg says a ter
rible blow has fallen upon her Majesty and
Princess Beatrice. Then follows brief de-
tails of the Princes illness and death,
after which the circular says: 'The
Queen is very deeply affected by seeing
her beloved daughters happy life crushed
and by losing a most amiable and affec-
tionate son-in-law, to whom she was much
devoted. The Princess Beatrice is bearing
the awful shock with great fortitude and
resignation"
Prince Henry Maurice of Battenberg
was son of Prince Alexander of Batten-
berg (Hesse) and the Countess Won Lauck,
daughter of former Polish Minister of
War, who was raised to the rank of
Princess on her inorganic marriage with
the ruler of Hesse. He was born Octo-
Der 6, 1858, and married. on July %,