Year: 1869

say respecting the marriage--can neither


approve or disapprove it (I mean in a


manner which might affect it)--it is now


proposed that as soon as my cousins are


gone { which they now intend to do on


the 18th Of November, as time presses,
I should assemble oil the Privy Council,
and announce my intention to them"


Though the intention of waiting till the
meeting of Parliament to announce the
marriage had been thus abandoned, it was
still thought necessary to conceal it for
some time, till the declaration could be
made to. the Council lin the mean
time the Queen and Prince saw q great
deal of each other, and often discussed his
future position-what his title should be
whether or not he should be peer
(though to this both he and the Queen
objected.) He was, however, naturally
to take precedence of every one else.


On the 9th of November the Prince al
ludes to the coming change in his position
in few lines to his step-mother, SO char
acteristic of his great and noble nature
that they must by no means be omitted
here; for they show simple. unaffected Ian
guage, his yearning for the power to do
good, which may be said to have been the
one great object Of his life. AS his first
thought in writing to the Queen on the oc-
casiop of her ACCESSION to the throne had
been the influence this would give her over
the happiness of millions. SO now his
mind was at once occupied by the thought
of the power he would himself obtain by
his marriage Of promoting the good of SO
many"


"DEAR MAMMA" he writes to his
mother" With the exception of my re-
Iations toward her" the Queen, :" my
future position will have its dark sides,
and the sky will not always be blue and
unclouded. But life has its thorns in
every position, and the consciousness of
having used ones powers and endeavors
for an object SO great as that of promo
ting the good of so many will surely be
sufficient to support me !"


But another letter had to be written
before he left England, from which he
shrank, with natural disinolination to
give pain. He had yet to announce his
intended marriage to his grandmother,
and how would she bear to hear Of an
event that involved separation from one
whom she loved SO dearly, and over whom,
from his earliest infancy, she had watched
so anxiously and tenderly? 1t had to be
done, however, and on the 11th he nerved
himself to write her the following touch
ing letter:


dear II trcmble as l
take up my pen, for / can not but fear
that what am about to tell you will at
the same time raise thought which can
not be otherwise than painful to you. and
oh which is very much so to inc also,
namely. that of parting The subject
which has occupied us SO much Of late is
at last settled.


1.-The Queen sent for me alone to her
room few days ago, and declared to me
in genuine outburst of love and affection
that l had gained her whole heart, and
would make her intensely happy if would
make her the sacrifice of sharing her life
with her, for she said she looked on it as a
sacrifice; the only thing which troubled
her was that she did not think she was
worthy of me. The joyous openness of
manner in which she told me this quite
enchanted me, and l was quite carried a.
way by it. She is really most good and
and I am quite sure heaven has
not given me into evil hands, and that we
shall be happy together.


''Since that moment Victoria does what
ever she fancies should wish or like, and
We talk together great deal about our flu
ture life, which she promises me to make
as happy as possible. Oh, the future
does it not bring with it the moment when
shall have to take leave of my dear, dear
home, and Of you!


''I cannot think of that without deep
taking possession of me.


at was on the 18th of October that Vic
Ioria made me this declaration, and have
hitherto shrunk from telling you; but how
does delay make it better? .s4.


1.-THE peroid of our marriage is already
close at hand. The Queen and the min
sters wish exceedingly that it should take
place in the first days Of February, in
which acquiesced after hearing their rea-
sans faF il. sa


"We have therefore 6xed our departure
for the l4th inst. so as to have still as
much time as possible at home. We shall
therefore follow close upon this letter.
my position here will be very pleasant,
nasmuch as have refusaa all tho offered |
titles. keep my own name, and remain
what / was. This will make me very in
makes it easy for me to run
over occasionally to see all my dear rela-
ions.


"But IL is very painful to know that
here win be the sea between US. |


II now take leave Of you again. Vic
'oria is writing to you herself to tell you |
III she wishes. IN


II ask you to give me your grandmoth-
,rly blessing in this important aud decis-
We step in my life !; il will be . talisman |
o me against all the storms the future may |
rave in store for me.


"Good-by, dear grandmamma, and do
lot take your love from me.