Middletown transcript., 1897-06-26

AOutbh GuSious Luz WuilO OtoOu 10
thicker Than water spirit is more po.
tent than blood, and in spirit the
Queen is true English woman.
Born ION English soil, within the cid
brick walls of the Palace Of Kensink-
ton, size was English from her earliest
breath. aud English in all her associa-
tions Of her childhood and educ. ton.
She was born OH May "a, 1919. and
chr:steued Gu June "a following, her
sponsors being the Emperor of Russia
and the Prince Regent.
THE MEETING WITH PRINCE ALBERT.
When the Princess was seventeen
years old she first met the Prince, whom
her mother and uncle Leopold had ST
lected as her future husband. The
young cousins were nearly of an age,
and had been ducated III the same way.
They saw much of each other, danced
together at balls in Kensington Palace
and were so strongly attracted each to
the other that the matchmakers hardly
needed to exert any influence upon
them. Prince Albert, when he left
England, wrote frequently TO the Prin-
cess and sent her many tokens of his
travels. The Princess soon confessed
that she was warmly attached to him,
and when, soon after, she succeeded to
the throne, his congratulations affected
her more deeply than any other. But
after ascending the throne. her Uncle,
Leopold, who was anxious to arrange
tbs match, found her indisposed to
think seriously of marriage. Sheliked
Prince Albert we'll enough, she said,
but they were both too young. More
over, his mastery of the English Ian
guage was imperfect and he ought to
remedy that defect before marrying The
English Queen. When her friends and
relatives persisted in urging her to be
married, she wrote abruptly 10 her
uncle that she wished the affair 10 be
broken off altogether, as she would not
consent TO think of marriage for at
least four years. Prince Albert, fer bis
part, dt claItd that he would withdraw
entirely from the engagement.
Thereupon Leopold, like a wise
man, determined to bri ng the young
people together again and let them set
tie the matter between them. So he per-
suaded theQueen 10 invite Pri ice Albert
and his brother to visit her at Windsor
Castle. A week later the Queen and
Prince were formally engaged. Eth
quette required that The Queen should
make the proposal, and she seems 10
have acted her part with modesty and
humility, for she recorded in her jour-
nal her confession to him that she knew
it would be great sacrifice for him to
marry her. The engagement was not
publicly announced until month later
1t was popular marriage, because it.
was known to be a love match.
She was married February 10th,
1S40, to Albert, Prince of Sake -Coburg
Golha, and later, in the same year, a
Princess Royal was born. During tie
next eighteen years nine children came,
following each other in such rapid sue
:ssion that any other woman would
have begged to be excused; and no
Queen serving her country less faith
fully than Victoria would have well
coined them. But there was always
room for a baby at Windsor, the Queen
feeling that Englsnd's prosperity de-
manded all of her. When her eldest
child, ~ cky," married Frederick of
Germany, the Queen c,nsoled herse +
by playing with Beatrice. than only a
few months old.
The number of the Queens descend
ants was increased on April 25 of this
year by the birth Of another princess
of the House of Yolk. This little
lady is the twenty great-grand-
child of the queen now living. Her
Majesty bad had children, grandchil-
dren and great-grandchildren to the
number Of sevent y-six. of whom nine
have died. Thus it would be possible |
for sixty even of her direct descend
ants TO take in the jubilee procession.
Four generations of the royal family
were in that procession. Their chief
representatives were the Queen
herself, age seven,y-eight; the Prince Of
Wales, aged fifty, the Duke of York,
aged thirty-two, al Prince Edward of
York. aged three.
Victoria has cost England an inn
mphse sum ef money during the sixtv
years Of her re ign. She has worked
faithfully and has demanded the highest |
sum for her services. She has given
nothing away, but is supposed to have
boarded t:e money paid her by the |
British public until she is now. in pop
ular estimation, one OF the richest |
women IN the world. The amounts |
paid former suvertigns were paltry CON-
naired tn Vtefsiriafs vearlV salarv Tho