The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-23

Kensington Gardens in the hope Of OBJ
tanning a sight of her Charles Dickens
was one Of the youths who had a severe
attack Of queen fever; happily, he recov-
cred"
advent of Prince Albert
Regarding Prince Albert the mother of
the future queen seemed to have been dis
posed to furnish the two young people
with opportunity TO form their own i'm
pressions Of each other. when in 1896 she
invited the prince and his elder brother
to visit Kensington Palace. It may be
conjectured that thte guardians of both
the boy and the girl saw good reasons
for a possible union If there should be
mutual attraction, for there certainly
were such reasons on both sides. Two
years afteFward King Leopold Prince
Alberts uncle, proceeded to call the
queens attention to her cousin, but her
answer showed no special interest in the
subject She brought forward the fact
that they both were too young; also that
the prince needed more knowledge Of the
English language, more experience and
more self-reliance. a letter from the
prince to friend at that time showed
that he considered the affair at an end
Meanwhile the situation in England
showed an urgent necessity thate the
young queen should have some one to
trust intimately and to lean upon in the
discharge Of the duties whose weight and
Importance were crushing to one whose
regard for duties was so conscientious.
British politics also were entering a phase
Of embarrassing complications.
At this stage King Leopold determined
to bring his nephew and his niece to-
gether. IF each could have opportunity
to see in the other the rare excellencies
that he saw in both they would fall in
love He sent the prince and his brother
OF cousiniy visit TO Windsor Castle
The three years since the prince and the
queen had met wrought great changes
IN both. but especially in him The shy
and awkward boy had gained frank and
manly bearing.
Tt was gay and happy visit The
young queen evidently was surprised into
admiration at the beginning; for she
wrote King leopold on the second day
that Albert was "most amiable and I'M
afected-in short very fascinating" In
a few days it was evident that the case
was serious for both parties concerned.
To be a regnant queen under such cir
cunstances is to be IN an awkward posi-
ton One who Is not q sovereign IS net
permitted to propose marriage to q SOW
eretgn; the monarch must speak first
However, the sovereign here concerned
had those natural gifts Of directness and
saving common sense which can make
trying situations tractable.
Proposal by the Queen.
General Grey. in his Early Days OF the
Prince Consort." IS brief on the subject
saying only that on October 10 "the
prince had been out hunting early with
his brother. bur returned 1T u. and hal'
an hour afterward obeyed the queens
summons to her room. wherehe found her
alone. After a few minutes conversation
on other subjects the queen told him
why she had sent for him"
on November % the queen read for
nal declaration to the council of her pro
posed marriage. The day previous. her
aunt. the. Duchess Of Gloucester asked
her il she was noe onrvous IN The pros
poet q making this public announce
ment.
The queen replied: "yes; but did
-mueh more trying Thing little while
aeo8
"What was that2''
II proposed te Priacs Albert"
II the queen letter 70 her uncle king
LEOPOLD. on the dag Of her betrolhal, she
sIsea35s - her modification n her cool
reception 81 her ANGLES suggestion a year
before, and says - Albert
tFie seems psrfectlon. and think
have the prospect = great happiness
iorz aim more thar can sav. sn5
SHAH - ele-ything is my power -
make tlis sacrifice Cog such IL my o1ir-
aa. g - - small IS can. He seems
90 have Ereat tact. 3 aeeessarv thtiuz "a
l-s position Tlesa las- few 5ars have