Year: 1867

that the Queen should tell h1m ana snow
him everything connected with pnblc al
fairs He did not at this time take
part in the transaction of business


" Nor were there wanting those who
would gladly have kept him permanently
estranged from it, and not only so, but
would have denied him, even in domestic
circles, that authority which in private
families belong to the husband, and with
out which, it may be added, there cannot
be true comfort or happiness in domestic
life. The Prince himself easily saw the
necessity of asserting that authority. In
my home hfe,' he writes to Prince Lowen-
stein, in May, 1910, Z am very happy and
contented, but the difficulty in filling my
place with proper dignity is, that I am only
the husband, not the master in the house.


THE PRINCE AND LORD MELBOURNE.


i" Fortunately, however, for the country,
and still more fortunate for the happiness
of the royal couple themselves, things did
not long remain in this condition. Thanks
to the firmness, but at the same time gen.
tleness, with which the Prince insisted in
filling his proper position as the head of
the family-thanks also to the clear judg-
ment and right feeling of the Queen, as
well as her singularly honest and straight
forward nature-but thanks more than all,
to the mutual love and perfect confidence
which bound the Queen and Prince to each
other, 1t was impossible to keep up any
separation Or difference of interest or duties
between them. To those who would urge
upon the Queen that, as sovereign, she
must be at the head of the house and fami-
ly, as we'll as of the state, and that her hus-
band was, after all, but one of her subjects,
her Majesty would reply that she had
solemnly engaged at the altar to obey, as
well as love and HONOR and this sacred
obligation she could consent neither to
limit nor refine away.


stF'rom the first, too, the Queen, acting
on the advice of Lord Melbourne, commu-
nicated all foreign dispatches to the Prince.
In August, 1910, he writes to his father:
Victoria allows me to take much part in
foreign affairs, and think have already
done some good. [ always commit my
views opaper, and then communicate them
to Lord Melbourne. He seldom answers
me, but I have often had the satisfaction
of seeing him act entirely in accordance
with what I have said And again, in
April, 1861: 'AIl [ can say about my poll
tical position is, that I study the politics of
the day with great industry, and resolutely
hold myself aloof from all parties (forydh-
re mich ron allen Pa1tien t1'ei su kaLten.) [
take active interest in all national institu-
tions and associations. Ispeak quite open
ly with the ministers on all subjects, so as
to obtain information, and meet on all sides
with much kindness. : \ X l endeavOr
quietly to be of as much use to Victoria in
her position as l can.


"Here we have the first announcement
of that princicle by which the whole Of his
future life was guided, and to which many
years later he gave noble expression already
o1 Of inl- nd l1o1
tence in that of the Queen.


"Slowly, but surely acting on that prin
ciple did he establish his position and SO
entirely was it recognized by the Queen
herself, so unreservedly and confidingly
did she throw herself upon her husbands s
support, relying in all questions of difficult
ty on his Judgment, and acting in all things
by his advice, that when suddenly bereav
ed of that support her sense of the loss
which she had sustained as Queen found
expression in the pathetic words, That it
would now be, in fact, the beginning of a
new reign =


THE QUEENS PARTIsANSHIP.


cit has been already stated that the
Queen, up to the period of her marriage,
had indulged strong feelings of political
partisanship. Among the happy conse-
quences Of the marriage may be included
the gradual extinction of any such feeling.
The Prince had already shown, in the dis
cussions and correspondence respecting
the formation of his household, his own
determination to stand clear from all poll
tical parties Lord Melbourne now, most
honorable to himself, supported the Prince
in pressing the same course upon the
Queen. He told the Prince that he
thought the time was come when Her Ma
iesty should have general amnesty fo1
the tories ; and on being spoken to by the
Queen, to whom the Prince had reported
what he had said, repeated that such was
his opinion.


"On another occasion the Queen records
that Lord Melbourne, speaking OF the
Prince. said, looking at him with tears in
his eyes, There is an amazing feeling fo1
him-every one likes him ; and then adds,
speaking of the tories, against whom the
Queen was very irate, Lord Melbourne
said: you should now hold out the olive
branch q little"


| THE FIRsT-BoRN.


When the Princess Royal was born, ''fol
a moment only" the Queen says, 4" was he
disappointed at its being daughter and
not son. During the time the Queen was
laid up his care and DEVOTION" the Queen
EoCOTuS, were Su1Go UoyOuO 0APICoo1Oh'
He was content to sit by her in darkened
room, to read to her, or write for her. A
memorandum of her Majesty says:


"No one but himself ever lifted hel
from her bed to her sofa, and he alway:
helped to wheel her on her bed or sofa in,
to the next room. For this purpose he
would come instantly, when sent for, from
any part of the house. Asyears went on, ano
and he became overwhelmed with work (fol
his attentions we're the same in al the
Queens subsequent continements) this was
often done at much inconvenience to him
self, but he ever came with sweet smile
on his face. In short, the Queen adds,


his care of her was like that of mother
nor could there be kinder. wiser or more
Ijudicious nurse.


PERSONAL HABITS OF THE PRINCE.


One passage describes the personal hab'
|. it's of the Prince


"From the moment of his establishment
in the English palace as the husband OF tht
Queen, his object was to maintain and, i
possible, even raise the character of thu
court. With this view he knew thatit was
not enough that his own conduct should b.
. in truth free from reproach-no shadow o