Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-01-22

ham palace, and the honeymoon, which
only lasted three days. was spent at Wind
sor castle.
The marriage proved an exceptionally
happNQne. Prince Albert turned out to be
AN absolutely ideal husband, being man
of singularly stainless and irreproachable
character. Queen Victoria's domestic bliss
Was absolutely unclouded long as her
husband lived, and she was guilty of no
exaggeration when she declared that the
only sorrow which he had ever caused her
was when he died.
People in this country will remember him
as warm friend of the United States. His
amicable feelings with regard to America
were manifested on numerous occasions.
never more so perhaps than at the time
when, with the shadow of death already en-
composing him, he brought all his power
full influence into play against the cabinet
of the day to prevent the transmission of an
|ultimatum to the Washington government
on the subject of the Trent controversy. II
has since been recognized on both sides of
the Atlantic that had the dispatch drawn
|uP by the Russell- Palmerston administers
ton been sent war between the United
States and Great Britain would have inevi-
tably resulted therefrom. That it was
withheld and message of far more friend
ly and conciliatory tenor, drafted by the
prince consort, substituted in its stead is
entirely due to the enlightened and saga
cious husband of Queen Victoria who died
deeply lamented both by his family and by
the whole English people on Dec Il, 1861.
Only in one respect was it perhaps well
that he died just at that time, for had he
lived to see his eldest son, the Prince of
Wales. attain his majority an awkward and
unpleasant question of precedence would
have arisen which could not but have be-
come source of pain and modification to
The royal family The father would have
been forced to yield the pas TO the son, who
vouid have been forced to take the pre-
cedence over the prince conscrt everywhere.
Americans who have visited the British
house of lords will remember that on either
side of the throne there is chair of state.
The one on the right is very magnificent,
being decorated with the three feathers of
the heir apparent.
It is the stool occupied by the Prince of
Wales at the opening of parliament by the
queen. The stool on the left, a far meaner
looking object of furniture, is the seat for
merly occupied by the prince consort, and
had the latter survived his wife he would
have become the subject of his own son.
Persistent Grief.
FROM the time of her husband death the
queen was scarcely ever seen in public until
the year 1872, when she proceeded in state
together with the entire royal family, to
st. Paulis cathedral TO join in a national
thanksgiving service for the recovery of the
Prince of Wales from the dangerous illness
which had brought him so very near deaths
door the year before. The queen and the
Prince and Princess of Wales passed from
buckingham palace to st. Paul's along
streets literally alive with people Foot
ways, shop windows and the very roofs
were teeming with shouting, hurrahing and
enthusiastic crowds, and the popular dis
play of loyalty was beyond all description.
In the cathedral the prince sat between
his mother and his wife, the vast fame
thronged TO the utmost with good subjects
of the qneen. who were anxious to show
now entirely they sympathized with her
joys as well as with her sorrows. 1t was a
remarkable scene, especially to foreigners,
since it furnished evidence of the existence
of that kind of family feeling that prevails
between the English royal house and the
people at large 1t is due to the existence
OF this sentiment that the queen and her
children go to the trouble of themselves
notifying the citizens of London through
the lord mayor ard the remainder of her
people through the home secretary of all
domestic events. such as births. marriages
and deaths, that take place in their family.