Year: 1875

hancy of the position into which thi love had raised him, blinded him for { moment to it's sterner features. "Tre, und fest" (True and frm) was the motto of his house, and he was prepared tt grapple with difficulties and face opposi tion with manly heart. "With the ex ception of my relations to the Queen, he wrote to his step-mother, "my future position will have it's dark side, and the sky will not always be blue and un clouded. But life has it's thorDs in every position, and the consciousness of hay ing used one's powers and endeavors fol an object so great as that of promoting the welfare of so many will surely bt sufficient to support me-"

 The announcement of the betrotha caused great reioicings in England and among the Prince's own people. But when the question of the annuity to be settled upon him on his marriage came before Parliament there was squabble which must have been very disagreeable to him and to the Queen. Her cabinet proposed $50, ,000 year, the same that had been granted to Prince Leopold or his marriage with the Princess Char lotte; but after an acrimonious debate this sum was reduced to 1000. The Prince took 1t in manly manner, merely remarking to Baron Stockmar that his only regret was to find that his ability to help artists and men of science, to which he had been looking forward with delight, would be more restricted than he had hoped.

 A thousand times more vexatious were the questions as to the rank and pre- cedence he was to enjoy as the husband of the Queen. There is no provision in the English constitution for the title and precedence of the husband of queen regnant, while the wife of q king has the highest rank and dignity, after her hus- band, assigned her by law; and while it is no doubt always in the power of a queen regnant to give her consort pre- cedence at home over all her subjects by placing him next her person, her power stops there. The status is due te her personal favor alone, and, if acknowl edged by other royal personages, it is so merely by courtesy. A bill was in troduced in Parliament giving the Prince precedence for life next after the Queen in Parliament or elsewhere as her Majesty might think proper; but after much debate Parliament refused to give him any distinctive title, and left the question of precedence to the royal pre- rogative. It was not until 1857 that the title and dignity of Prince Consort were conferred upon him by royal letters patent. This omission gave rise to end- less vexations, especially when the Queen and her husband were abroad. The position accorded to him at foreign courts the Queen always had to acknowl- edge as grace and favor bestowed upon herself by the sovereigns whom she visited. Several sovereigns positively refused to gratify her wishes in this re- spect, and the only one who was courte- show of doing favor was the late Elm annoyances constantly arose from the want of Parliamentary action on this question. The Princes right to occupy the seat next the throne when Parlia- ment was opened or prorogued was questioned by the Duke of Sussex and others; but the Queen, supported by the Duke of Wellington, quietly ignored the interference. '' Let the Queen put the Prince where she likes," he said. The great Duke had not much toleration for the traditions of court etiquette when they conhicted with the dictates of common sense. The late Lord Abe marie, when Master of the Horse, was very sensitive about his right in that capacity to sit in the sovereign s carriage on state occasions. "The Queen" said the Duke, when appealed to for his opinion, "oan make Lord Albemarle sit at the top of the coach, under the coach, behind the coach, or wherever else her Majesty pleases." ..-.

 The marriage took place at the chapel of St, James's Palace on the 10th of February, 1840. It was very popular, with the people, because it was not one of political convenience, but of pure affection, and thousands lined the roads from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle to see the Queen and her husband as they passed. The morning of the day had been wet, foggy, and dismal, but there was not wanting soon after the ceremony the happy omen of that sun- shine which came afterward to be pro- verbally known as "Queen's weather. '' Whatever annoyances came to the Queen and her consort from that day to the hour of the Princes death came from the outside. Their home life was always happy. From the day of his betrothal to the Queen, Prince Albert held un, waveringly to the high course of life he had marked out for himself-a course that gained him the confidence and af, lection of the people and the name ot "Albert the Good"