Year: 1869

ration of the intended marriage had been
necessarily delayed till it should have
been officially communicated to the Privy
Council but on the 18th, the day after
the departure of the princes. the Queen
mentions in the memorandum from which
the account of her betrothal has been
chiefly taken, that she wrote letters 10 tho
queen dowager, and to the other members
Of the English royal family. announcing
her intended marriage. and received kind
answers from all.


On the goth Of November tho Queen.
accompanied by the Duchess Of Kent,
came up from Windsor to buckingham
Palace, and on the same day Lord Mel
bourne brought for her approval copy Of
the declaration which it was proposed to
make to the Privy Council.


The Queen relates that she had much
conversation with him at the same timc
on the various arrangements to be made,
and the steps to be taken with regard To-
the marriage. 100000 was the amount
of annuity which it had been proposed to
settle on the Prince; and in this Lord
Melbourne said that the cabinet most
enormously as it turned out) anticipated
no difficulty whatever. except perhaps in
case Of survivorship.


The Privy Council met on the 23d.
when upwards of eighty members assem-
bled in the bow room on the ground
floor in Buckingham Palace. Precisely
at two" (the Queen records in her Jouf..
naD II went in. The room was full, but
| hardly knew who was there. Lord Mel
bourne | saw looking kindly at me With
tears in his eyes, but he was not near me-
my hands shook. but l did not make one
mistake. ! felt most happy and thapkful
when it was over. Lord Lansdowne then
rose, and, in the name Of the Privy Couu-
cilr asked that this most gracious and
most welcome communication might be
printed / then left the room. the whole
thing not lasting above two or three min
utes. The Duke of Cambridge came into
the small library where was standing
and wished me joy"


The Queen always wore bracelet with
the Princes picture. and sit seemed" she
adds in her journal, Ito give me courage
at the Council" She returned the samo
evening, with the Duchess of Kent, t.
Windsor.


The declaration made by the Queen is
thus recorded in the Gazette, Nov. 23d,
1889;


II have caused you to be summoned at
the present time in order that l may 40.
quaint you with my resolution in a matter
which deeply concerns the welfare Of my
people, and the happiness Of my future
life


at is my intention to ally myself in
marriage with the Prince Albert of Sake
Coburg and Gotha. Deeply impressed
with the solemnity Of the engagement
which am about to contract, have NOT
come TO this decision without mature con-
sideration, nor without feeling Q strong
assurance that. with the blessing of Az
mighty God. it will at once secure my do
mestic felicity, and serve the interests Of
my country.


II have thought fit to make this rcsolu-
ton known to you at the earliest period. in
order that you may be apprised Of a mat.
ter so highly important to me and to my
kingdom, and which, I persuade myself,
will be most acceptable to, all my loving
subjects"


The marriage was celebrated on, the
10th of February, 1910. at St. Jamess
Chapel, the bridal party returning to
Buckingham PALACE after the ceremony
was ended. The account Of the wedding.
as given in the Lopdap Timea. of the
11th of February, would probably he in
teresting to many of our readers, and we
may publish it in future number,