The Bourbon news., 1901-01-25

tone OF paternal interest and affection.
The effect, however which 1the royal
utterances produced was alarming The
queen looked in deep distress, the prin-
cess burst into tears, the duchess of
Kent said not a word, but soon after
leaving the room announced her immedi-
ate departure, and ordered her carriage.
There was but one event which his
majesty wished to live to witness in his
"GOd-forsaken realm" He devoutly
prayed that he might live till the Prin-
cess Victoria was of age. His prayer
was just granted, but only just.
1t was not until she was L years old
that the Princess Victoria was permitted
to know the high destiny reserved for
her, and even then the knowledge came
in an almost accidental manner.
Meanwhile the future husband Of the
princess and her cousin was growing up
the duke OF COburg was born at Rose
nau in the August of the same year as
Princess Victoria, and iC is q curious COIN
cidence, considering the future cOnnec-
ton of the children that Mime. SieboId.
the accoucheuse who attended the duch-
eS3 OF COburS at the birth of the young
tended the duchess Of Kent at the birth
Maytiower,' writes the grandmother both
of Albert and Victoria. the dowager
duchess of Coburg, to the duchess of
Kent, will be when 1 see it in years
| time. Siebold can not sufficiently de-
scribe what a dear little love it is The
Mayfiower above spoken of was of
course, the Princess Victoria. From
very early period the dOwager duchess
permitted herself to entertain the hone
that her two grandchildren would there
after become man and wife.
On February 25, 1881, when not quite l.
years of age, she attended her first draw
ing room. Lady Jersey writes the
amusing Mr.. Greville. made a scene
with Lord Durham. Sne got up in q cor
ner of the room and said: Lord Dur
ham, 1 hear that you have said things
about me which are not true, and [ de-
sire that you call upon me tomorrow
with witness to hear my positive de-
nial, and l hope that you will not re-
peat such things about me- She was in
q fury, and he in q still greater. He
muttered that he should never set foot
in her house again. which she did not
hear, and after delivering herself Of her
speech she fiOunced back again to her
seat nightly proud of her exploit. 1t
arose out of her saying that she would
make Lady Durham demand an audi
cnce of the queen to contradict the things
which Lady Jersey said of her, and to
which party spirit ran high, and penc-
trated the whole fabric of society in Eng
land. Within two or three years of this
time Princess Victoria had taken her
place in that society as the heiress to the
English throne.
For national purposes the princess COM
pleted her majority on the 18th anniver-
sary of her birth
On June ,, nine days after the event
had taken place, the king was desperate
/ ly i'll and died on June 20.
The king died at 2:20 on the morning
of June 20, and the young queen met her
council Mt Kensington palace at II 4. m.
the same day. After having received the
/ two royal dukes the two archbishops
the chancellor and the prime minister
/ Lord Melbourne-the proclamation was
! read TO the council, the usual order pass
! ed, the doors were thrown oDen and the
/ young queen entered
/ Of the proceedings the clerk Of the
council wrote: After she had read her
/ speech, and taken and signed the oath
Tor the security Of the Church of Scot
/ land the privy councillors were sworn,
the two royal dukes first by themselves,
/ and as these two old men, her uncles
knelt before her. swearing allegiance
and kissing her hand, | saw her blush
up to the eyes, as if she felt the con-
trast between their civil and natural re-
latiOns, and this was the only sign of
emotion which she evinced. Her man
ner 10 them was very graceful and en-
Saging. She kissed them both and rose
from her chair and moved toward the
duke of Sussex, who was furthest from
seemed rather bewildered at the multi
tude of men who were sworn and who
came, one after another, to kiss her
hand, but she did not speak to anybody,
nor did she make the slightest differ
ence in her manner, or show any in her
tceurienancc TO any individual Of any
watched her when Lord Melbourne and
/ the ministers and the duke of yelling
ton and Peel approached her. She went
! through the whole ceremony, OCCASION
ally looking at Melbourne for instruction
when she had any doubt what to do,
which hardly ever occurred, and with
/ perfect calmness and self-pOssession, but
/ at the same time with q graceful mod
! eSty and prOpriety particularly interest
ing and ingratiating."
/ On October II, 1S39-that is, four days
after her lover had reached Windsor
the queen informed Lord AIeIOournc that
she had made up her mind as TO her mar
/ Baron StOckmar:
Il do feel so guilty I know not how to
begin my letter but l think the news it
wlil contain will be sufficient to insure
your forgiveness. Albert has complete
/ ly won my heart, and all was settled
/ between us this morning. ] feel
certain ne Will make me very happy. [
wish j could say / felt as certain of
making him happy, but [ shall do my
/ best Uncle Leopold must tell you all
about the details, which L have not time
/ to do"
The official and public announcement of
the betrothal was not made either in
year. -f->- f--
The prince arrived in England for his
marriage on February 6, lSf0. The mar
riage took place on February 10 in the
! chapel of st. James palace. THE morn
! ing" writes Theodore Martin in his Life
Of the Prince Consort had been wet
Ioggy and dismal but the day was not
10 want the happy omen of that sun
shine which came afterward to be prov
erbially known as queens weather.
! Soon after the return of the bridal party
/ from the chapel the clouds passed off. the
sun shone out with unusual brilliancy
and the thousands who lined the roads
from buckingham palace to Windsor cas-
tie TO see the sovereign and her husband
as they passed were more fortunate than
! those who had crowded the avenues Of
ST. James palace IL the morning, heed
/ less of rain and cold, to witness the bri-
dial procession on its way to and from
the chapel
Notwithstanding the hearty efforts of
the queen TO identify herself with her
subjects and To promote their welfare,
three attempts have been made upon
her life. An insane post boy, Edward
Oxford, fired pistol at her majesty as
she was driving on Constitutional hill.
/ The attack was repeated by one Francis
/ with a similar weapon on nearly the
same spot. The pistol ball passed under
1.-THE carriage. About two months after
this Il hunchback named Bean similarly
/ essayed the Gssassin's role. but was pre-
vented from accomplishing this object by
a boy, Dassett, who happened TO be
meas
OVER NIAGARA.
Two Men Attempted to Cross the