The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-03

In an initial chapter we are reminded
that Queen Victoria on her fathers side
belonged TO the House Of Brunswick, which
undoubtedly was one Of the oldest and
claimed to be actually the oldest OF Ger
man p~rincely families. On her mothers
side she belonged to the HOUSE OF Sake
Coburg-Gotha. with which she was TO he
even more intimately connected by her mar
rage and which was one of the numerous
branches into which the ancient and cele-
brated House Of Victim had been broken
up BY the first marriage Of her mother.
who by her second nuptials became the
Duchess of Kent. Queen Victoria was also
connected with a third class Of German
princes. the mediatized. as thoss were
called who during the Revolution had
lost their sovereign power but who still
retained important privileges guaranteed
by the Congress Of Vienna. most important
of which was the right 20 contract equal
marriages with royal houses, which would
be recognized as valid for the transmission
OF rights Of inheritance. IL was possible.
therefore. for the Queens mother, a prin-
cess Of Saxe-ooburg, to marry for her
first husband the Prince Of Leiningen
without losing caste. Her elder daughter.
the Pfinccss Feodore, Queen Victoria's
half sister. married Ernest, Prince OF Ho-
henlohe-Langenburg, and thus established
an interesting association with perhaps
the mcst widely spread and most distin-
guished of the mediatized families.
Thus 10 will be seen that Queen Victoria
wa intimately connected with all classes
that are to be found among the ruling
families Of Germany. though naturally
with tho Catholic families which looked to
Austria and Bavaria for guidance she had
no close ties. II must no borne in mind.
however. that her connection with Germany
always remained a personal and family.
not a political matter.
Alexandrina Victoria. Queen Of Great
Britain and Ireland and Empress Of India.
was born on May "a, 1919. at Kensington
Palace. Her father. Edward, Duke Of Kent
and Strathearn Cwho died about a year
after his daughter was born. was the fourth
son of George III. and a man Of considerable
ability. humane, piOus. punctual. with a
strict sense Of duty and enlightened ideals.
He was a devoted soldier: as Queen Victoria
once said. he was proud Of his profession,
and / was always taught to consider myself
q soldiers child" He had a wide military
experience, having served at Gibraltar. in
A8Dhud anu III II AAlAlCbs 1AN CNVh
tually he became a Field Marshal. He
was a man of advanced Liberal ideas.
thereby being sharply distinguished from
his brother, the Duke Of Cumberland. He
had spoken in the House Of Lords In favor
Of Catholic emancipation and had shown
himself Interested in the abolition Of slavery
and in popular education. His tastes
were literary. Ind toward the end Of his
ffe he had even manifested a strong sym
patty for sOcialistic theories. But for his
premature death-he died n week before
his father. George UI.-he would doubtless
have exercised a profound influence upon
his daughter. The Duchess Of Kent. who
as we have said had been born a Princess
OF Saxe-Coburg -Gotha and had become the
widow of a Prince Of Leiningen. was an
affectionate, impulsive woman. with more
intellectual ability than practical wisdom
in worldly matters. Her claim on the
gratitude Of the British nation is that she
brought up her illustrious daughter in
habits of simplicity. self -sacrifice and
obedience.