Cheshire Observer

THE DISTRICT AND THE NEWS.\ i AUDLEM. i I At a gathering of the parishioners, a tele-; S gram WHB despatched expressing loyal and respectful sympathy with the members of the,; ? Royal Family. The Rev. Stapleton Cotton, «(vicar) has received the following letter ot? ?acknowtedgment:—"The Private Secretary isj lcommanded to convey the thanks of the King! |for the kind expressions of loyalty andj sympliby contained in the message which you} [have forwarded to his Majesty." I ? FRODSHAM. « At the Parochial Committee meeting on l I Friday, Mr. C. E. Linaker feelingly alluded to | Ithe death of the Queen. She had set a wonder- |ful example, and when the history came to be | ?writtfn slie would be represented as everything ?that was good and noble.-Mr. Youd was o? ?opmion that something should be done ini |memory ot the Queen. They had got the trees | t?but be would like to have a fountain erected att the corner of Church-atreet.-The Chairman ?stated that if the Queen could have been askedf ? what ought to be done she would have replied? ?" Take care of my noble soldiers, their wive8, and their children. Let these have your first care.

slN THE CHAPELLE AKDENTE. 1 IMPRESSIVE SPECTACLE. ? A special correspondent of the i. writing on Sunday, saysYesterday I was privileged, with other representatives of the Press, to be conducted to the mortuary chapel. Of this an accurate description in general terms s has already been given, but it was something for' i. one to reflect on, something to recall in after life,' i; to have reverently bowed the head in that room, I where lay all that was mortal of the Queen- Mother of our Empire. No heart could fail to be touched by the simple and dignified pathos of [ the scene. There was not the pomp of outward show to appeal to the imagination. No monarch ever rested in chapelle ardente with so little of £ ostentation. The surroundings simply breathed an atmosphere of religion. Wherever one looked 1 one saw evidences of the Christian faith-in the altar, the cross, the pictures and the tapestries on the walls. The Queen was the Defender of that faith. Her devoutness at all times in its' observance was an example to her own subjects and a pattern to the pious men and women of the whole world. What more fitting, then, than that this hallowed chamber of death should teach the greatest of all lessons for the human race! It was by the King's own command that we were permitted to gaze on this scene of Death in its true solemnity. Since there was to be no public lying-in-state his Majesty decreed that the; public might fitly be represented by its Press.' We were a company of journalists of many nationalities, British, French, German, Russian, American, and Norse. Superintendent Fraser received us at the Lodge at the Prince of Wales's Gate and conducted us to Osborne House. It ■■ was a dull, bleak winter day with the wind f whistling dismally among the leafless trees as we [ passed through the spacious doorway known as; ii. the Queen's Entrance. THE SWEETNESS OF MANY FLOWERS. I | A few steps along the central corridor, a turn, to the right, and we stand at the entrance to the mortuary chapel. Three men guard the portal, ■ a sergeant of the Metropolitan Police, an Indian and a Scottish servant. Silently and softly we, file into the room. There is a sweetly fragrant odour-the aroma of flowers from the many, wreaths deposited around the bier. The comn itself is in the centre, but we can only see its! outlines, it is so hidden amid the drapery. We know, however, that the catafalque rests on ai base on which is spread the Royal Standard, and, it is patent to all beholders that the drapery is; t of white satin bordered in gold, with beautiful! white lace spreading outward and covering the] floor on either side. Most striking of all is the' crimson mantle lined with ermine which forms the central fold of the drapery, extending almost from head to foot of the bier. This carries thel mind back to the far-off days when the fair Girl-ij Queen held her first Investiture of the Order of the Garter. This is her mantle of the Order of the Garter, made for her more than sixty years ? ago. Its lustre has somewhat faded, and the ermine is not now worn as it was then. Yet itij seems to remind us of the long and glorious i reign of the Queen, for her Majesty at the time'. of her death had borne the insignia of the Garter j which now lie across her bier for a longer period than any other member of the Order, an Order; reserved for monarchs and the great ones of the), land. On the head of the coffin there rests the; small crown sparkling with jewels worn by the, departed Queen on occasions of state. k S SOME OF THE WRBATHS. R r There are no wreaths on the coffin itself, but » they lie around in profusion, tributes of love and affection from those whose relations have brought them near the Royal presence, and tokens of j f heartfelt gratitude from others whose privilege it j I has been to serve the most gracious of mistresses, J ii Three wreaths I not in particular. They bear] the initials "H," "L," and "B," and are respec-.j ■ tively the tributes of her devoted daughters; Helena Princess Christian, Louise Duchess of4 k Argyll, and Beatrice Princess Henry of a i. Battenberg. There is something strikingly ap-0. propriate in those wreaths of the daughters of: the Queen. They represent the Red, White, and tBlue of the British flag. Princess Christian's is ø. a circlet of scarlet azaleas, tied with red ribbons, J i Princess Louise's wreath is of choice white) ( flowers, and Princess Henry's is of blue hyacinths, I nestling in dark foliage. Wreaths from his ¡ f Majesty the King and Queen Alexandra, i from the German Emperor, and others of the Queen's nearest relatives are notl f at the moment visible by the bier, [ but I note a modest tribute of newly-gathered f: flowers with the inscription in childish hand, I Dearest Gangan." Elizabeth of Hesse, "jj There are, too. a laurel and violet wreath with i the writing on purple ribbon, "To my most" beloved and dearest aunt, from her ever faithful,, Stephanie," Countess Lonyay, once Crown { Princess of Austria; a cross 7ft. high of ivyi leaves with the inscription on broad black ribbon" j "Helene, -reconnaissance eternelle"; and a[\ i beautiful floral tribute from the Royal Warranti Holders Association, "In respectful memory of her Majesty Queen Victoria." < I THE WATCHERS IN THE CHAMBER. B g Six tall candelabra are fixed, three on each ? side of the catafalque. Their subdued light casts j 'sombre shadows across the bier and electric ] lights partially masked add to the dimness which pervades the chapel. Four privates of the King's Company of the Grenadier Guards stand, one k at each corner of the catafalque, with a corporal St i at the doorway which leads to the drawing-room l ;,and thence to the terrace. To these men belongs i the duty of keeping watch and ward over the remains of their beloved Sovereign. Day and night they guard the coffin. The watch is- changed every hour. As the men stand there, rigid and motionless, they look like statues carved out of the stone. Their rifles are reversed, the muzzle resting on the left foot; their hands are | clasped over the stock of the rifle, while their (heads are inclined slightly forward in reverential Jj attitude. They remind one of the half-drooping | figures on the Guards' monument at Waterloo- place, and they look equally void of jj animation. I have said that the whole aspect of the chamber is symbolic of the Christian faith. There at the foot of the j coffin is the altar with its tall Greek cross and its frontal of rich red velvet, on which stand forth conspicuously the sacred initials I.H.S. Above the altar is the circular picture, set in a frame of I J black and gold, of the "Virgin and Child," painted by the famous artist of the Florentine ] school Andrea del Verrocchio. The treatment of ] the immortal theme is sombre and in strict keep- ing with the surroundings. Not less appropriate r and symbolic are the Gobelins tapestries depict- mg the Annunciation and the Visitation, and bearing the mottoes Ecce ancilla Domini" and 5 Magnificat anima mea." The head of the coffin I is toward the mantelpiece, the outline of which is invisible amid its wealth of flowers and moss. i Beneath it are tall glass vases filled with arum i lilies and lilies of the valley with trailing sprays of ivy. Arching above the catafalque are palms, i which form a natural canopy. No sound is heard to break the moving solemnity of the scene. H I Silently, in one corner, stands Sir John M'Neill, I V,C., one of the trusted equerries of the late Queen, and presently he is joined by Admiral Sir (Harry Rawssn. I THE EYES OF MANY NATIONS. I  Very slowly we who have been bidden to repre- | sent the great world without, the world of mighty millions which for more than sixty years has en- doyed the beneficent sway of our Sovereign Lady ithe Queen, pass around the bier. The choking emotions that rise within us make it painful to pause for long. We have seen and we are content to have reverently gazed on this sacred t spectacle. The veil must now be drawn. One lingering moment on the threshold, and we say ?our mute farewells and pass outward to the ?beautiful terrace of Osborne House-to the scene [beloved by our Sovere ign in life, where the waters | of the Solent on this sad day roll restless and is6mbre beneath a dark and murky sky.

I GERMAN CROWN PRINCE I ARRIVES. The Press Association special correspondent at East Cowes telegraphs that the German Emperor was astir early on Saturday. His Imperial Majesty left Osborne House soon after seven, drove to East Cowes embarked on the Royal yacht Alberta, and crossed to Portsmouth to meet the German Crown Prince. The Crown Prince crossed from Flushing to Port Victoria, where he arrived at 6.45 o'clock. The Crown Prince, who was met by representatives of the King, left by special train, and travelled to Portsmouth via Waterl Junction. The German Imperial yacht Hohen- zollem has arrived at Cowes and dropped anchor. The Hohenzollern is specially connected with Osborne House by cable. The Imperial Crown Prince, on reaching Portsmouth, at once drove to the Dockyard where the Kaiser affectionately welcomed hie son. Nearly an hour was spent by the Royal party in the Dockyard, during which the Commander-in-Chief pointed out to them various objects of interest. The Imperial party then proceeded aboard the Royal yacht Alberta, and crossed to East Cowes, whence they drove to Osborne, accompanied by the Duke of Connaught.

THE ARMY AND THE NATiON'Sl LOSS. t I LORD KITCHENER'S MESSAGE. I Pretoria, Friday. Lord Kitchener, in a Special Army Order, states that the news of the Queen's death was received with the greatest grief by the Army in South Africa, and in their name he expresses sincere condolence with the Royal Family on the great loss sustained both by them and the nation. ":<>- \I;I'¡t, '<<I; :'>)

A DAY OF MOURNING. ti S ROYAL COMMAND. i fThe King has been pleased to direct that| Saturday next be observed as a day of general? ?-I"mourning, and that banks be closed and? ?business suspended under the provisions of the| I*'Act 34 Vic., C3p, 17. An Order in Council will? be issued to proclaim his Majesty's commands. | ? An Order issued from the Earl Marshal's Office gives notice that it is not desired or | expected that the public should wear deep mourning after March 6, but that half-mourn-1! ?ing should be worn until April 17. |

iPOSlTlON OF QUEEN CONSORT.1 vi The question of the constitutional position of a £ Queen Consort once more becomes of interest. ft The status of a Queen Consort always differed ? from that of married women in general. She was considered in law as a feme sole. By an Act of Henry VIII., passed in 1540, she was em-1 powered to take grants from the King, and to i W: sue or be sued in her own name, with the addition of "Queen of England." The power of acquiring r and disposing of property conferred on her byi j £ that statute was confirmed by 39 and 40 Geo. III., r; c. 88, ss. 8 and 9. The Queen Consort is a B" public person," and the Courts take judicial, 1VQnotice of Acts of Parliament relating to her. .t, She has a separate Court, and ceremonial offices fe and officers distinct from the King. She appears I in the Courts by her own Attorney and Solicitor General. Although she is only a subject, the compassing or imagining her death is high } treason. Provision was formerly made for her S by certain reservations and rents out of the demesne lands of the Crown, and out of what was 4" known as "Queen gold"—the portion of any sum I paid by a subject to the King for a grant of office or franchise.—But this matter is now regulated %by statute.—"Law Journal." ?

A STORY OF THE LATE QUEEN. i — f1 Preaching at the Park Chapel, Crouch End, on; Sunday, the pastor, the Rev. Alfred Rowland, Jj f ex-chairman of the Congregational Union, said J he was allowed by a member of the congregation ji to tell the following characteristic anecdote of r: the late Queen Victoria: -A district secretary of the London City Mission visited a small cottage at Windsor, with an old-world garden of sweet- :< smelling flowers in front. Upon taking a seat on g a chair which was brought to him he was told Y: that it was the Queen's chair. It seemed that one of the Royal Princesses stopped her carriage t to look at the flowers, and on learning that the mother of the house was ill went in to see her. i: Next day the Queen herself called, "and of course," said the daughter who told the story, we were greatly lfurried." But the Queen said, L" Don't be put out. I have come to-day not as a t Queen, but as a Christian lady. Have you got a Bible?" She was given a copy of the Scriptures, v and sat down on the chair and said: "I heard y from my daughter of your long and sad illness, and I came to comfort you." She took the sick woman's wasted hand in hers, and said, "Put your trust in Jesus, and you will soon be in a & land where there is no pain. You are a widow,: I" so am I. We shall soon meet our loved ones." d The Queen then read the 14th chapter of the Gospel of St. John, beginning "Let not your; heart be troubled," and then knelt down on the.; r floor and prayed for the sick woman. rt- ——————————————— t

^PROCLAMATION BY THE! 3 HIGH SHERIFF. I S HISTORIC CEREMONY. I The proclamation of the accession of the King was read by the High Sheriff of the, county (Mr. B. C. Roberts) at Chester Castle at1 noon on Saturday. As on the previous' day the weather was inclement, but where-r [as the sun fitfully shone during thej proceedings at the Town Hall, during! Saturday's ceremony at the Castle rain ?feU, and a piercingly cold wind 8wept ,?across the Castle Square. A platform had been? ? speciaHy erected under the handsome colonnade? in front of the Castle, and it was draped with| | black and royal purple, with white rosettes. l ?The High Sheriff, who wore his uniform, made? {his appearance upon this structure punctu- any at noon, being accompanied by? ?the Acting Under Sheriff (Mr. Johni ?CuHimore) and the Under Sheriff (Mr? g Reginald Potts). At the same timej ?tbe Royal Standard, which was floating over tbe? ?Castle at half-mast was raised mast high. Not-! ?withstanding the unpropitious weather a.E ?crowd numbering sevaral hundred people had? ? assembled en the Castle Square, and an air of? ^dignity was given to the proceedings by the! presence of the men from the dep6t? ?who wore their greatcoats and were ] ?drawn up in double line facing thel platfolm. They were under the command of |jCol. Sheringham, and the other officers on parade were Majors Cooke and Towley, LieutsJ ?Napier Nunn, Jackson, and Roberts (of the | volunteers), and Quartermaster Gott. On feither side of the platform the High Sheriff's javelin men, in their picturesque costumes, andl' |a few of the county constabulary, were drawn ?up. The magistrates sitting in the adjoining ?court adjourned in order to participate? in the historic ceremony, and the members |of the Standing Joint Committee postponed I ?tbeir meeting for a few minutes for the same? ^reason. Among those present were-Sir Philips !Grey Egerton, Bart., Sir Horatio Lloyd (chair-| ?man of the Quarter Sessions), Colenel Dixon?  (chairman of the County Council), Colonel France- Hayhurst (chairman of the Standing? Joint Committee), the Rev. J. F. Howson? (chaplain to the High Sheriff), the Rev. C.? |Wolley-Dod, Colonel Evans Lloyd, Colonel? Miller, Mr. James Tomkinson, M,P., Dr. Hodgson, Alderman T. Beeley (Hyde), | Alderman James Smith (New Brighton), Messrs. Christopher Kay, H. D. Trelawny, R. | | T. Richardson, Hugh Lyle Smyth, W. Congreve,% H. C. Yates, John Thompson, T. Comber, T.? H. Sykes, John Elliot (Hoylake), A. T. Wdght (Wallasey), J. Pover, C. H. Booth (Dukin- ?fid), George A.- Dickson, T. Davies? (Needwood), T. Ruseell Lee (Bikenhead), H. Bratt (Northwich). Atfred? Thomas? (Prodsham), F. J. Norman (Runcorn),f jDr. Butt, the Chief Constable (Col. Hamersley), ?i the Deputy Chief Constable (Col. Cope), the! clerk to the Chester Castle magistrates (Mr. | ?W. H. Cburton), the county accountant (Mr. J.? Williams), the county architect (Mr. H Beswick), the county surveyor (Mr. H. Bull),I the chief inspector of weights (Mr. D. Laird), | Supt. Leah, Mr. C. Hibbert, Mr. J. Higgins, &c.l The ladies present included Miss Swaine, Mrs. f Reginald Potts, Miss Potts, Miss Greenall, &c. | Among those on the outskirts of the crowd were Mr. J. J. Cunnah, Col. T. J. Smith, Col. | Sheriff Roberts, Mr. C. Cooper, Mr. Leonard P.l Smith, Capt. Nevitt Bennett, Dr. King, Mr.? Trubshaw, and many others. g On the last stroke of twelve the High Sheriff's. trumpeters sounded a fanfare, and then the [High Sheriff in a distinct voice read the pro-? clamation, and at the conclusion called for ? Three cheers for the King," which were? heartily given. The gathering next loyally aang God Save the King to the accompani-? ment of the band of the depot, and the historic| ceremony came to an end. 3 Mr. J. H. Leche, of Carden Park, the oldest? deputy-lieutenant in the county, was unable to || be present. (The above appeared in our last Saturday Evening I Edition.) ?

I PROCLAMATION ABROAD. I IIMPRESSIVE CEREMONY AT PRETORIA. 1 I" SUPREME LORD OF THE TRANSVAAL."3 The ceremonies at Pretoria on Monday in con- nection with the proclamation of the accession of King Edward VII. to the throne of Great 11 Britain were of a very impressive character. $ Long before noon, which was the time appointed 4 for the ceremony, a large crowd had gathered in the Church Square, which was lined by repre- 1 sentative companies from the Norfolk, North- uinberland, and Hampshire Regiments. A special flagstaff had been erected against the Dutch f Church. General Maxwell, the Military Governor, t t ary Governor, t, was mounted on horseback in the centre of the Square, and behind him was a group of the lead- ing civilians. Punctually at noon Lord Kitchener and his? Staff rode up, and took up a position round the fl staff, General Maxwell then read the proclamation, which proceeded as follows: "We therefore, theS Military Governor of Pretoria, representing the Administration of the Transvaal, assisted by the civil and military authorities and the principal s- inhabitants of the colony, hereby, with one voice v and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the high and mighty Prince Albert Edward is now, by the death of our late Sovereign 'R become our only lawful and rightful liege lordii Edward VII. by the grace of God King of the l United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India,g$ Supreme Lord of and over the Transvaal." The band of the Norfolks played the National 1 Anthem, and the Royal Standard was hoisted. ? Lord Kitchener then called for three cheers for the King, which was heartily responded to by thej! soldiers and civilians. Nj The ceremony was concluded by a salute nred? from the fort. ji

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—■■iimni■—11111 ii i mil in ii mini minu—i—miwuii  'UBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT II'. KING EDWARD VH. AND HIS QUEEN. I I TPH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE. I I BY PHILIP GIBBS, I ? Author of "The Queen's Reign," &c., &c. I I [COPYRIGHT.] I I The eyes of the whole world are turned 1 S upon the new King, and in every mind has r. arisen the questions What manner of man ? is he ?" How will he respond to the enor- i? i mous responsibility bequeathed to him ?" I How will he follow in the footsteps of one £ who was a pattern of sovereigns, whose life t was so noble and whose reign was so glorious that to emulate her is an ambition that can hardly be attained ?" "What has been the [ career of rhe Prince who has become a King, and does that career give his subjects en- | couragement to hope that tho highest j v traditions of the British crown will be faith- fully upheld and honourably cariled on," We have only to glance back at the record of the King's life to answer these questions t satisfactorily. I ♦

1 THE PRINCE OF WALES. | Albert Edward; Prince of Wales, heir- apparent to the British Crown, and eldest son of our late and revered Queen and her faithful Consort, was born on November 9th, 1841. The story has been told before ■ in the biographies of her late Majesty, but • will bear repeating again, that the Prince Consort, beaming with happiness at the birth of his heir, came to the Queen with the bulletin which he proposed to issue an- nouncing the happy tidings to the people. It ran thus: « The Queen and Prince are progressing tavourably," but the Queen gested an amen d j with a merry smile suggested an amend- n?m. You must say the Queen ? and infant Prince are progressing fe qv,,iirnbly Tn This form tb. bulletin was issued to the public, and the bells of all the churches throughout the Empire rang joyously to herald the birth of the babe who would one day be a King. And now those same bells have tolled for the death of that dear mother who pressed her r babe to her breast sixty years ago, and have Y rung again to herald the reign of her son. | The young Prince of Wales was brought up with the simplicity which Queen V ic- i; toria knew was the right training for her u children. Like any other British child of gentle parents the boy nestled on his t'i mother's lap and listened to her words of good counsel and to her stories of brave men and true, and with his curly head | pressed against the bosom of the mother of ? a great people he learnt the secret of that ? love which wins the hearts of all men born ? of women. Like other British children, the ? lad romped with bis brothers and sisters in ? the fields and play-ro?ms, where he learned ? the priceless lessons of give-and-take, hardi- ? hood, love of sport and respect for the rules f. of a game. His early education was en- ■j trusted to the care of Mr. Gibbs (afterwards | Sir Thomas Gibbs), barrister-at-law, the | Rev. M. Birch, lector of Prestwich, the Rev. | C. F. Tarver, and Mr. W. H. Fisher. Upon | arriving at a suitable age he studied for a session at Edinburgh, and afterwards en- | tered Christ Church, Oxford, where he lis- 1 tened to the lectures of Charles Kingsley | and others, and was under the discipline of S. Dr. Whewell, old Billy Whistle," as he was -tffccticnately termed. He stayed at Oxford for a year only, and afterwards resided for three or four terms at Cambridge. His | Majesty looks back on those old under- j| graduate days with affection. He made m,-i,tty a good friend and joined in many a | college spree with a lack of all priggish- « nes, or aloofness, that made him a general jf favourite. Many a time His Majesty com- fe ments with a smile on those careless, happy- go-lucky days of young manhcod, "Ah, we i have heard the chimes of midnight!" |j In the slimmer of 1860 the Prince went on 5 a tour tfrough the United States and 6 Canada, where he was received with a bound- 1 less enthusiasm. The handsome lad, so full £ of spirit and vivacious life, eager to see the « wondrous sights of the New World, with an 1 enormous capacity of enjoyment, and an I oveiflowing sympathy, the heir to that great I Motherland to which Canada was still proud to cwn herself a part, and in which the United States recognised her dearest hi, torical associations, and the closest ties of blood, captivated the hearts of every man f and maid on the other side of the water. 1 They grew wild with enthusiasm when the | young Prince, the great-grandson of George I TII., stood bareheaded and reverent before | the statue cf Washington, who had rebelled against that King, and this tactful act was | regarded by the Americans as washing out i the stains of blood between the two nations I sprung from one mother. | The Prince stood by the great falls of r Niagara, gazing with wonder at the moun- F tain of rushing water, and when Blondin, ? the famous tightrope walker, volunteered to ? carry the Prince in a wheelbarrow across the ? falls, the lad was eager to accept the offer ? without a thought of the peril. Of course ? the heir to the British throne was not ? allowed to take such a risk, but his pluck ? was none the less admired by young ? Amer i ca. j ? In 1858 the Prince was gazetted to a 1 F colonelcy, and joined the camp at the ? Curragh in June of 1861. The following | year His Royal Highness accompanied by I Dean Stanley, travelled in the East and ? visited Jerusalem. He greatly enjoyed the ? companionship of the wise and witty scholar, ? who interpreted the historical associations ? and the poetry of the Eastern land, and he X learnt something of the deeper mysteries of Christianity when he followed in the foot- | steps of the Founder and journeyed to those ? places which have been for ever sanctified by j ? Christ's life and death. I ? By this time the Queen and her Consort ? were seriously considering matrimonial | projects for their son, and there was much | talk of a German alliance, but" the best-laid ? '.schemes o' mice and men gang aft a-gley." j 2 The Prince was oonversing one day with a 1 party of companions of sufficiently high rank t to permit of familiar intercourse when one of them dc-iired to show him a photograph i | of hiq fiancee. Opening his pocket-book he ■ i produced a carte-de-visite and handed it to j } the Prince, but he had made a mistake, for f it was not the photograph of his fiancee, but of a lady whose pretty face had struck his ? si fancy and whose likeness he bad placed next ] f to that of his own sweetheart. The Prince ] f looked with considerable interest at the card. j It bore the picture of a charming girl wean* | ? ing a simple white gown and loose jacket, I with a black velvet ribbon round her throat, j [ Her eyes had an expression of sweet modesty j and frankness, and a bewitching smile ] hovered about her mouth. Who is this lovely girl?" asked the Prince, with the greatest curiosity. "It is Alexandra. I" I; Princess of Denmark," was the answer. | "Tell me all about her," said the Prince, | [ and then his companions told how she had f [ the reputation of being a delightful girl, full of charm and grace, and yet so homely and simple that it was a treat to speak to her jj t after the artificiality of so many modern |' f. maids. The Prince's interest was so much J aroused that he sent one of his most intimate i i\ friends with credentials to the Court of j ? | Denmark on a secret mission to discover if J | the Princess Alexandra was really so pretty a I and fascinating as people made out. The jj j; English courtier proceeded at once to Den- t | mark, and was invited to dine at Prince I j;' Christian's modest palace at Copenhagen, j I where he was intrciluced to the Princess j] I and her sisters.

I "THE DAUGHTER OF THE SEA-KING." I ¡ Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte 3 | Louise Julie was the second daughter of j | Prince and Princess Christian of Schle?wig-? t Holstein, who did not become King and J ? Queen of Denmark until shortly after the marriage of their first daughter. She was <] ? born December 1st, 1844, in the Gule Plais, ] l, one of the four Royal palaces on the Amali- J F enborg Square, Copenhagen. On her | S father's side she was descended through ? eleven generations from Christian I., Count i of Oldenburg, who was elected King of Den- j mark in 1443, and successively made King I of Norway, King of Sweden and Duke of ] So chleswig-Holstein. She is allied to Ger- many on the side of her mother, Princess Louise, second daughter of William, Land- graf of Hesse Cassel. and therefore niece of > 1& .¡¡; y" '0"" r' IlL bo., the late Duchess of Cambridge, who was the youngest daughter of the Landgraf William It is not many people who are aware that the Princess came over to England, when a ( littlal girl, to visit her aunt. During this stay she went to one of the Queen's parties | at Buckingham Palace, but she did not meet her future husband at this time, who was j then studying. The Queen was much taken k by the bright-eyed modest child, and gave her r the pet name of "the Fairy," by which she ? frequently called her when she came to her ? in later years as a daughter. In these days, however, there was no thought of a matri- ■> monial alliance, and as we have already seen | it was the Prince himself who first had any idea of the kind. The life of the Princess in her Danish home was extremely simple. The household was conducted on rules of the strictest f economy, for Prince Christian was poor, i and could indulge in no extravagances. In- 1 deed, at one time it was commonly believed that when a young man he used to eke out ■ his slender income by giving drawing-lessons, 1 and the little house was pointed out where he held his classes; but this story is now discredited. The tale in itself, however, is s (Sufficient to prove how small were the means t on which the Prince had to maintain his ■ t postion. I f Princess Alexandra had several brothers < t and sisters-Prince Friedrich, now Crown t Prince of Denmark Prince George, King of Greece; the Princess Dagmar, who became ? the Empress of Russia, and Prince Walde- I mar, who married the Princess Marie of I Orleans. Their father and mother brought | them up on strictly domestic lines, and the I |r. girls had to sew and take their share in all household duties. Nor was their education ? neglected. I had to leafn," said the t Princess orce we were always taught that it was necessary." The atmoophere of the i | home was one of great refinement, notwith- standing its domesticity. Princess Christian ] played on the harp, and from her our own 1 Queen inherits her passion for music. The j Queen plays the piano and zither with great taste, and has a thorough knowledge of the 1 theory of music. Many a time, while Prin- cess of Wales, she has slipped quietly into j the Church of St. Anne's, Soho, during the Passion music in Lent, and listened with a | ? rapt attention that proved her great love f II for the art. But to us now it is intensely 1 ? interesting to think of the days when the J young Princess lived the simple life of a > Danish maid, making her own frocks, re- < modelling her old ones, and trimming her I hats with that taste \for which she has always been famous. She has, indeed, that perfect taste which discourages all extra- vagancies or eccentricities of fashion, but knows how to show a figure to advantage by the excellence of form, material and har- mony. It is well known that when an I attempt was recently made by Society dress- j makers to introduce again the obnoxious hoop, the Princess of Wales resolutely re- fused to allow even the thin end of the wedge! Her childhood in Denmark was a healthy and vigorous one. She and her brothers and sisters were constantly out in the open air romping in the fields during summer and skating in the winter. An amusing story is told by one of her companions of those days, how they all go* into a labourer'! cart one day, and Pegged him to let them travel with him to and from a great pile of stones and the ground where they bad to be-dumped. The labourer had no objection, and so these future royalties of Europe spent some merry hours, and returned home to the Castle, with their clothes much soiled by mun. Another story is also told how the Prin- cesses-Alexandra, Dagmar and Thyra— were sitting one day in the fields after a hearty romp, and as young girls will, were discussing their future and the things they would like best to have and to do. I," said Princess Dagmar, should like to have 9 all the best things that the world can give, so that I could do much good." And I," said Princess Thyra, should like to be very clever and wise and good." Princess Alexandra was thoughtful, but presently she added quietly, And I should like best to be loved." That wish has been fulfilled as much, we think, as the Princess could have I desired, for now that Queen Victoria has | t been taken from us, no lady so holds the j ? affection of the British people as the daugh- j ? ter of the See?King." A? Mr. Gladstone j ? once remarked, in his courtly manner, ? Her I Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales, has j £ permitted the nation to love her." j <• I

I THE PRINCE'S COURTSHIP. I |p In her 17th year Alexandra of Denmark 1 went for a Continental tour, and one fina 1 day happened to visit the Cathedral of | Worms. It happened also, by a coincidence | that was not entirely due to chance, that the | Prince of Wales was also at Worms, and waa I studying the frescoes in the Cathedral with | ? an interest that surprised those in his com- | pany who were not also in his secret. i Naturally upon the arrival of the Princess | ? and her suite, the Prince and his companions | joined their company and very soon the 1 i young people were engaged in animated con- y versation. The Cathedral of Worms must A always be associated in the minds of our !? countrymen with that scene where the young j Prince of Wales began his wooing. r pon > his return to England he informed his J mother that he desired to marry the Prin- | cess of Denmark, and that no other lady v would satisfy his heart's desire. The Queen, i | before giviag her consent, journeyed to Den- i mark to judge whether her son's choice was in every way suitable. Naturally, her con- > i sent was speedily gained, and the prelimi- S ;i¡ naries of the marriage were arranged between ( the Court of Great Britain and Denmark. 3 I The Princess Alexandra was then invited to j stay with Her Majesty, and shortly after- ) wards arrived at Windsor. The young girl j ;¡ quickly won the Queen's heart, and Her J | Majesty was charmed with her modesty, v? ? simplicity and vivacity. The Prince pro- ? ceeded with his wooing ardently, and a ? defmite date for the marriage was arranged ¡'i before his sweetheart returned to Denmark. | The Danes were prodigiously enthusiastic J ? over the forthcoming marriage of their y ? Princess with the heir to the British throne. "ij ? No less than 100,000 kroners were subscribed ? ? as the peopled dowry, and presents poured | i* upon the young girl from the richest to ■ ? the poorest of her countrymen and women. > The peasants round the Bernstorff Palace ■ | made her presents of vases of porcelain—not | very, beautiful and not at all costly""bvt ? designed by loving hearts and wrought by lovinc hands, so that the Princess regar c 3 tnmu as i?r ??t choce souvemrs. They  were presented by a deputation of ppssante  headed?bv their old pastor, who gave them ] to the young girl with his blessing uttered in ¡ a trembling voice, while the tears welled into ] his eyes. The Princess who had formerly g made her own frocks was now busy over her Wedding trousseau, paid for by the generous contributions of the Danish people. My trousseau," she is reported to have said, g "cost twice as much as my futbers-whole [ income for a year." The Princess's last act 1 before leaving her native shore was to pro- S vide dowriop for SIT nonr Danish maids who 1 were to -be married on the same day as her. I self. She left Copenhagen on February 1 28th, 1863, amid the mighty cheers and the | concord of blessing of her people. Her way S to the quay was strewn with choice flowers, | and the bells of the town rang out in joyful I peals, while guns boomed out a Royal salute, | 1 and military bands clashed out triumphant symphonies. At Antwerp the Queen's I yacht, the,, Victoria and Albert," was wait- | ing to carry the bride to England, with an I escort of eight men-of-war. The Princess 1 fepent two nights in the Royal yacht, and on each night the harbour was lit up with bril- 1 liant illuminations, which lined every yard- | arm of every vessel. At last the "Víotoria g and Albert" neared the white coast line of 9 Britain, and hugged the shore so close that S) the people of Margate and Ramsgate, and all the towns and villages on the coast, came ■ out in thousands to greet the coming bride ■ with volleys of hearty cheering. H In the meanwhile the Prince was waiting ■ impatiently at Gravesend for his ladv-love, | surrounded with the flower of the British H nobility, with a background of hundreds of g thousands of enthusiastic people who were ? eager to do honour to their Prince's bride. 9 At last th& Royal yacht was perceived ap- | proaching slowly, md the eyes of all the ? watchers caught sight of a blim young girl in j white standing beside an elderly lady. 'mm I such a volume of cheering rolled across the <! water, like low peals of thunder, or the roar B of breakers, that the girl in white waa seen ? to shrink timidly to her mother, as if frightened by the noise of her greeting. | I When the vessel ran alongside the quay ? the Prince sprang across the gangway with ? all the ardour of a youthful Romeo, and y. saluted his blushing sweetheart on both oheeks with hearty kisses, before the assembled multitude. The people were im- im- mensely pleased with this demonstration so | much after their own hearts, and a renewed H thunder of cheering arose.. Upon the Prin- ij cess's landing sixty Kentish girls strewed flowers in her way, and she thanked them :i with bright smiles and eyes that beamed | affection and gratitude. The drive through J; the streets was a slow one, owing to the 11 tremendous crush. But the people were in h. > the best of spirits, and Lord Alfred Paget, who rode before the Royal carriage, had a J | winning way that cleared all obstacles. ? "Now, my good fellows," he would say a > £ hundred times, making his horse curvet and > '1 dance very near the people's toes; we 1 want to get to Windsor to-day, pray let us S pass!" "All right, young man," cried the f people, with hearty goodwill, we ain't;! ii going to stop you." Justin McCarthy, the author of that bril- | liant "History of Our Own Times," de- i scribes the impression made by the Princess £ during her entry: On a certain day in j t March, 1863, I stood on a platform in "j Trafalgar Square to see a bright, beautiful -i | young face smiling and bending to the crowd on either side, and I, like everybody else was literally struck with admiration of the «• S beauty, the sweetness and the grace of the i | Princess Alexandra of Denmark.' I think ? | something like the old-fashioned chivalric, J, chimerical passion of personal loyalty must ? have flamed up for the moment that day in ? the hearts of many men who perhaps would have been ashamed to confess that their first experience of such an emotion was due to but i a passing glimpse of the face of the pretty ? tremulous girl." ?• ? On that day the Prince, glowing with joy  and pride at the possession of his bride and ? her reception by the people, said with g genuine emotion, I assure you I know now what it is to feel happy. If I can make the e|| f future life and home of the Princess a happy ? one, I shall be content." |

I THE WEDDING. I g The marriage took place in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, and was a scene of great magnificence and beauty. There were re- presentatives from every European Court, g and the Danish, Prussian, Belgian and Ger- man guests especially were very imposing in their gorgeous uniforms. Among the most interesting of the guests were the Crown Princess of Prussia, afterwards the Empress Frederick, with the present Ger- 1 jj man Emperor hanging upon her arm, with his merry black eyes dancing about in every g direction, and his body never still for a gj minute at a time. St. George's Chapel was S decorated with lovely flowers, and the light jj » gleamed upon the banners, tattered' And J a torn, which had passed through many a J i hard-fought battle in the Crimea and Indian | S Mutiny. The Prince stood at the altar wait- n ing for his bride, while the eyes of all the ? S guests were fastened upon him. It was a i S trying ordeal, and he was very nervous, but B he gazed steadily in the direction of his | mother, as if seeking support from the sight i | of her calm face. There was a time of ? | breathless waiting for the Princess, but at 1 1 last the curtains were thrown back, and the ? bridal procession moved into the chapel. i | Then the choir bur?t out into joyful melody, 1 and Jenny Lind's incomparable voice filled I j the chapel with glorious music. At this N moment the Queen could not hide her js emotion, but hid her face in her hands and ■ | sobbed. Fortunately the Prince had now ? turned to face the bride, and she came up I the nave with her eyes upon the ground. In ] S her beautiful bridal dress she looked very j j lovely, but she was very nervous, and seemed | timid and shrinking. Her face Wa6 very j pale, and she walked wonderfully slowly— jj B so slowly that the procession seemed hardly n to move and the breathless onlookevs were S filled with a kind of a.we they could not g explain. g The newly-married couple spent ten days' I I | honeymoon at Osborne. Just before setting ? out they received a telegram from »ome } ? English schoolboys in Germany, which ) 1 caused them much amusement. It was J | worded as follows:— ? I Ten loyal English boys in Bonn | ? Can ne'er restrain their hoaxt?s dedre g I To end their future King and Queen |I g Their wishes with their hearts therein K S That beat for them taU they expire. l? Th Prime'and-Prinom replied wm th?t? and told the boys to ask for a day's holiday | at their request. This, of course, was | granted, and was exactly what the boys had | wanted. g On the 20th of March a large receptMHt | was held at St. James's Palace to present | the Princess to the Court. Not lem than | two thousand of the noMHiy were prommt, « I and there were Rve hundred presentgtiom to | the Princess. Her Royl Highness, in ,Atg | of her simple upbringing and domedtic life, | 3 was so full of maidenly charm and-sweet |j aciousness that -sbe created an immense § impression, and from the v?ry day of Ja Brst reception was acclaimed as the pride of 1 the English Court. ? The Royal couple occupied Marlborough $ Hou?e. and Londoners were delighted to see ?  them constantly riding and driving through | | the streets and in the park, or at the theatre « ? and opera.. The pretty face of the young S bride soon became quite familiar, and her I | appearance was everywhere hailed with | affectionate acclamation. g 1 On July 16th, J864, the Prince and Prin- i W cess visited Oxford, when the former had | | degrees conferred upon him. The "under- g grads" were boisterous in their enthusiasm, S and the Princess, especially, was greatly 9 ■ amused by the ludicrous comments with § which as a. mutter of nreeedent and divine jg g right" they greeted the efforts of the public g 5 orator. Mind your stops, sir," they cried, | I or Don't look so timid, old boy," and so on. a | The following year the Prince and Princess M S had the same experience at Cambridge. g

I MARRIED LIFE. I ? During her first year of marriage the ? Princess was worried by the importunities of j ? portrait painters and photographers, who J | were naturally anxious to satisfy the crav- 3j ? ings of the public in this respect. The a Princess, however, was not a good sitter, and || ? distracted the artists by moving continually 1 | before they had even had time to dash off & J ? rapid sketch or take a photograph. An j| ? amusing story is told in connection with ? ) Mr. Frith, R.A., who had been commis- g ? sioned to paint her portrait. The Prince ?) ? came to him one day and said, Well, Frith, u 5 how is the painting progressing." The artist f| ? shook his head sorrowfully. Very slowly, £ | f your Royal Highness, The Princess is a | ( bad sitter." Gibson, the sculptor, who was f| ? also executing a portrait of the Princess, ra ? groaned in unison and added his testimony in | to his friend's assertion. "What are we to j| z do?" they asked. You must scold her," jg | said the Prince, with a smile. At this S i moment the Princess appeared for her sit- <8 ) ting, and the Prince with an eye for sport g f. turned to the two friends and said, (i weu, j gentlemen, I hope Her Royal Highness is 9 | well behaved. Is she a patient sitter?" 8 Frith and Gibson looked at each other | dubiously, not knowing what to say, and | then they and the Prince burst out laugh- 1 ing, while the Prince explained the situation | to his wife, and said she ought to sit | patiently. The Princess pouted like a child jj receiving a scolding. I do—I do," she cried you are bad men!" But in future ]' she was not so troublesome, and the artists were able to complete their portraits ■ satisfactorily. | On the 8th of January, 1864, the Royal pair were blessed with their first child. The birth was somewhat premature,, and some alarm was felt, but the Prince was able to report the usual bulletin that "mother and child are progressing favourably," and the nation's anxiety was relieved. The child was christened under the name of Albert Victor, on the 10th of March, in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace. Everybody was amused and touched at the pride of the young mother, who as soon as she was able hurried across to Denmark to show off her babe to her parents and people. In June of the following year George, afterwards Duke of York, was born, and while the Prin- cess was still unwell a fire occurred suddenly | at Marlborough House. It threatened to i spread rapidly, but the Prince with great presence of mind stripped off his coat and set to work with some members of the household to fight the flames, which their j united efforts managed to extinguish. The Prince's endeavours resulted in an accident that might have had a serious ending, for he stepped through the plaster of one of the-floors, which gave way. but fortunately | managed to save himself from injury. | In 1863 the Prince had taken his seat in I the House of Lords under the title of the I Duke of Cornwall, and in t-IJitton to this f title he was also created Duke of Rothesav. ri SkW" -It.' Baron of Renfrew, and Lord of the Isles, in Scotland, and Earl of Dublin and Carrick in Ireland. He also enjoyed the patronage of twenty livings, chiefly as owner of the v Duchy of Cornwall. In April, 1867, he » C became President of St. Bartholomew's j< Hospital, and has always taken a keen in- £ terest in the prosperity of that institution. | I t ♦ § I

S ILLNESS OF THE PRINCESS. I g In the same year the Princess of AValei4 | was taken seriously ill with rheumatic fever. £ The whole nation was filled with alarm, ? which was intensified at the news of the ? birth of the Princess Louise (afterwards ? Duchess of Fife). The Queen of Denmark ? at once hastened over to tend her daughter, 5 and when she sent for her husband all the 11 world feared the worst. Happily this great 5 fear was not fulfilled, but the Princess was ill for many months, and even when she re- gained something of her old strength could only walk with the aid of crutches. When these were abandoned she was left with a limp which is still perceptible, though in a > minor degree; Such was the social popu- larity of Her Royal Highness that ladies S who prided themselves on being in the j. height of fashion cultivated the Royal limp, ?• and took to wearing bustles which gave them S the slightly stooping appearance of the v; Princess. It is worth recording that a warm affection ? existed between the Princess of Wales and Princess Alice, who nursed her most ten- j derly during her illness. Princess Alice had J a most enthusiastic admiration for her Danish sister-in-law, and was constantly writing and speaking about "dear Alex. ) It was one of the Princess of Wales' greatest griefs when her friend was taken from her by an attack of diphtheria, which she ] £ caught when nursing her c.Ud. j In 1868 the Prince took his wife to Ire- | land, where they received an enthusiastic reception. With the usual happy invention 1 of the Irish, they named their Royal visitor ]| | "the Rose of England." An amusing | r anecdote is told about a race which was attended by the Prince and Princess. A l young Irish lady, mounted on a. wiry little s pony, 'charged the guards in front of the I Royal carriages with great spirit. The sol- | diers fell back before her onslaught, and she | dashed up to the carriage. Then after a ) ? triumphant gaze at the Royal couple, she | ? cried out, Oh, thank you, all, I ha?e seen | them, and can go home happy now!" This jj ? incident greatly amused the Prince, who | raised his hat graciously to the ardent young j admirer. g | The following year the Prince and Princess |1 | visited Napoleon HI. at Compi?gne, and J afterwards journeyed to Berlin, Stockholm, J ? Copenhagen and Egypt. In the latter j ? country they had many interesting adven- J tures, wandering over the deserts and visit- | i, ing the great pyramids. At the latter the 1 ( Prince created a diversion for the amuse- | ment of his wife, by sending up rockets j f which had a very weird and enchanting- effect in the transparent darkness of anl Eastern night. After this they journeyed up the Nile to Cairo, where the Princess visited the harem of the Khedive. The numerous ladies of the harem were wonder- ■; fully astonished at the clothes, appearance | f and manner of their visitors, and not a little t- shocked at their freedom. Indeed, thooghl they pretended to laugh, when in a merry J mood the Princess suggested they should come out and be introduced to her husband, 5jj r they were in reality very much scandalised. $ Thp Princess afterwards expressed her pity for these poor creatures, mewed up in a con- | I fmoment which was so hereditary ass not to J | be irksome to them, but utterly ignorant, t and having no other means of breaking the | rn onotony of things than by squabbling. The next place to which the Royal party iC journeyed was Constantinople, where the | Sultan received them with lavish magnifi- | cence. From thence they visited the 1 Crimea, and went over the battlefields of the | IVcent war, and then returned home via | Athens, where the Princess had the pleasure | of meeting her brother, King George. I ♦ s

I 1" FAMILY LIFE. « I iThe Prince and Princess now settled down to family life, which they enjoyed far more than the splendour of foreign recep?ori?. The PrLnmw,- says the nurse, Mn. BlwJE- burn, wa? in her glory if she could find time to run up to the nursery, put on a flannel tpron, wash the children and see them asleep in their little beds." The Prince also ww 1 an ideal family man, always eager for a | romp with his little ones, and never tired 1 of telling them stories on his knee or play- ing with them in the fields. A familiar sight i to the neighbours of their home at Sandring- ] ham was the whole family huddled together in a waggonette, rumbling along the coun- ] try roads, with a merry din of tongues and I shouts of laughter. JS The Princess brought up her children with the same simplicity that has characterised ■ the upbringing of all the Royal Family, and { taurrht them lessons of obedience, considera- ? tion for others and self-denial. A good ;tory ? is told of Princess Maud, when quite a baby- | girl. She was about to put a piece of bread i | and butter in her mouth when she noticed ? one of the ladies at the Court looking at her ? very hard, surprised at the size of the J ? mouthful. The child held out the piece, | 8 generosity overcoming reluctance. "You ? can have it, as you want it so very much," she said. A general laugh ensued, and the 1. lady was about to disclaim all desire for the J morsel when the Princess of Wales whiao J pered, "Take it; she must learn to be | thoughtful. The Prince has always had a great affec- s tion for his home at Sandringham. He bought the place from Mr. Spencer Cooper 1 for ?220,000 nearly forty years ago. It was i I then a straggling unkempt stretch of ground |s of more than 7,000 acres, but the Prince has I quite transformed it, with well-made roads, H splendid paddocks and kennels, good coverts, ffl gardens and well-planned grounds. He has fj also built some excellent model schools, in || which both he and the Princess have always 1 taken a keen interest. There is also a fj spacious dairy, in which the Princess and her daughters used to learn butter-making— c. not because they were ever likely to need 3 the knowledge from a practical p<Út of view, but because the Princess rightly con- i sidered that all girls should have healthy exercise in domestic duties. The inhabi- 1 tant? of the village of Sandringham were ? I lucky people, and in sickness or in health a were constantly being looked after by the  family," as they were affectionately called. On winter nights there was often a dance at 1 the house, to which all the tenants were in- 1 vited, and the Royal children mixed with them freely, taking an interest in their per- sonal affairs, and vying with each other in J. their efforts to amuse their guests. And d when any of them were ill the princess and I her daughters were quick to bring cheering words and good things, to sit at the bedside j reading, and generally tending to their | wants. The cricket and football field were the scenes of much good sport, in which the ii Prince's boys joined heartily, and the people I of Sandringham were so proud of their privi- | leges that they would cheerfully lay down | Oeir lives to do a service to one of the a family. f I am a bit of a fanner myself in a small way," said the Prince once, and this was $ a modest way of expressing the management 9 of his Norfolk estate. Every day while at 3 Sandringham, wet or fine, the Prince could j) be seen trudging about the fields, giving in- < structions about the crops, visiting the pad- i docks and stables, where he bred some of the most splendid animate in England, torn- into the dog kennels, or feeding some of the j pet animals belonging to one or ot;her of the j family- Like any other Norfolk squire, the 3 King can discuss the value of land, the | price of a good crop, the points of a horse or 3 a dog, or the milking qualities of a Short- ffi horn.

I THE PRINCE'S GREAT PERIL. I I In 1871 the Prince was seized with the 1 I illness which so nearly proved fatal. It was j I an attack of scarlet fever, and for some j § weeks his life was despaired of. The Princess j I and the Queen suffered terribly during that I period of suspense, and the Empire held j I their breath, as bulletin after bulletin was j issued, telling of his critical condition," of | I an unfortunate relapse," of a slight j I change for the better," and so on, until he 1 graduallv shook off the disease and regained ] | strength. On Feb. 27, 1872, he was sufti- I ciently recovered to take part in the great I Thanksgiving Service" at St. Paul's, when I all eyes were upon him, and sincere prayers S | were offered up in thanks for his recovery. ji In 1874 be was elected Grand Master of the Freemasons in England in succession to s > the Marquis of Ripon. On May 5th, 1875, bp va" installed at the Freemasons' TTall OR L..¡¡.g,¡¡£,ç?""i, 11.0040 First Principal of the Royal Arelir Free- ( masons. In 1875-6 His Royal Highness visited India, and Anglo-Indians still look ? £ back upon that time of festivity and remem- | ber the almost miraculously gorgeous recep- tions of the native Princes, when all the S wealth of the Eastern Empire seemed to b( lavished upon rendering the Prince a magni » ficent homage. The Paris Exhibition ot e 1878 owed a good deal of its success to tht I presence and interest of His Royal Highness, In 1883 he attended the "silver wedding' B of the Crown Prince of Germany with th( | Princess Royal of England, and he was thee | nominated Field Marshal of the German I Army. In 1885 the Prince and Princess | again visited Ireland, and in 1889 went to I the new Paris Exhibition. In 1892 their 9 Royal Highnesses were inexpressibly grieved a by the loss of their eldest son. the Duke of Ciarence, at Sandringham House. From. 1 this sad blow they have not yet recovered, K and the cold hand of death has chilled the | perfect gladness which had previously been 8 theirs. But a Royal Family must not in- S dulge in grief to the same extent as in hum- ■ bler spheres. The following year their R second son, Prince George, married the bean- | tiful Princess May of Teck, and the children ■ with whom they have since been blessed have 8 been a source of joy to their grandparents. I And now grim death has again been busy, R and Victoria, the Queen-Empress, has been s taken from her people. The Prince of Wales, jl now by the grace of God King Edward Vll., 9 grieves silently for the mother who was so ■ dear to him, but he has set his face resolutely 9 towards the great task and the great respon- !R sibilitv which are now his. From the 9 throne in his Council Chamber his manly a words have rung across the length and |g breadth of the Empire: n In undertaking the heavy load which K now devolves upon me, I am fully deter- 3 mined to be a constitutional Sovereign in ji the strictest sense of the word, and as long S as there is breath in my body to work for, 1 the good and amelioration of my people. 1 It remains to Parliament and the I nation to support me in the arduous duties « which now devolve upon me by inheritance, | and to which I am determined to devote my 3 whole strength during the remainder of my I life." ———— ♦

I KING EDWARD VTI. The King has many of the qualities which go to the making of a really great monarch* He has an ardent love for his country and 9 i reverence for its noblest traditions. He hat I intense sympathy for the people of all I classes, and his life has been a long record of I wor k on behalf of the hospitals and ebarit, I able institutions of the nation. He ha( I never spared himself in helping these instifcu- tions by timely speeches and appeals Gnt4eir | behalf, and such questions as the housing s of the poor have always had his warm sym- pathy and interest. Ho is an excellent I business man, audit is well known that as -a £ chairman he is almost unrivalled. But j above all, he has that exquisite courtesy 3 which comes from a warm heart and refined lj maimers. His tact is proverbial, and no s one need fear a faux pas or an indiscretion 3 which is likely to cause political complica- ? tions. His great mastery of many foreign I languages and his frequent and extensive foreign travels have given him a cosmopoli- tan mind that does no injury to his patriotism, but gives him an insight into the ideals and ambitions of other countries.' His close relationship with the Sovereigns of many foreign Powers is no slight guarantee of friendliness to this country, whatever the sensational newspapers may say to the contrary. His Majesty is also a generous patron and admirer of the fine arts. He is especially conversant with music, hav- ingi^riginated the Royal College of Music. There can be no doubt that His Majesty is a faithful disciple of his great and jjood mother, and we have his own guaran in the words which he spoke to his first Council: I need hardly say that my con- stants-endeavour will always be to walk in I her footsteps." y In spite, then, of the great grief of thef nation at the death of our beloved Queen, we can all look forward with hope and con- fidence to the new reign, in which we trust the British Empire will continue to advance in the march of civilisation and progress. Nor can there be any doubt that the Queen Consort will help His Majesty valiantly and graciously as before in the responsible dutief laid upon him. With all our heartache* we can give our dutiful homage to the new Sovereigns and cry with sincere enthusiasm I GOD BLESS THE KING AN'ID QUEENI

[AUTHOR EESEBVBS ALL BIGHTSJ IN MEMORIAM PEKPETUAM. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thoa excelledst them all."—PROVERBS xxxi., 29. The land mourneth."—JOEL i., 10. As when, at eventide, and o'er the sea, The sun sinks slow to rest, We watch, till, glory-hidden, he is lost In the great golden west: I So has an Empire watched a sunset-scene, In years and honour dressed- The while its Sovereign-Sun of light and lova Sank, peaceful, to her rest. And now, as they who for a mother mourn. By orphanhood oppressed, We, orphans, mourn a Mother-Queen beloved, Heart-sorrow in each breast. How poor our aims ? how small each little life Beside that life revered That soul so pure, so noble, wise, and good, That soul to all endeared. Eternal type of queenly, womanly, and true. And wifeliest, and best Though hearts be riven, each but joys to know Thou bast thy well-earned rest. For-in the words of Israel's wisest king- Thou, thou, excellest all The daughters who have done full virtuously In cot or royal ball. Nor change, nor place, nor aught in years unborn, Will wipe away our debt Of gratitude and rev'rence to our Queen, » < Nor make one heart forpei. V God rest thee, soul beloved. Thy mourning days. Are ended-ours begun God, with thy loved ones, rest thee, in the Home I Which knows no setting sun. B AixnzD MOORB. 1 Northbourne, Deal. a ALFRED MOORE.

I GERMAN CROWN PRINCBl I INVESTITURE OF THE GARTER. a SPEECH BY THE KING- ■ King Edward on Monday invested the OIwvq Prince of Prussia with the Onler of the Garter. The ceremony took place in the Council Chamber at Osborne House. The King's speech on the occasion was as follows:-ffir in conferring on your Imperial and Royal Highness the ancient and most noble Order of the Garter, which was founded by my ancestor many centuries ago, I invest you with the Order of Knighthood not only as "the heir to the throne of a mighty empire, but ae a ear relative. It was the wish of my hejpved mother the Queen to bestow it upon you as a mark of her favour, and I am only carryincout her wishee-and am glad to do so—towards the son of my illustrious relative the GMrman ■ Emperor, to whom I wish to express my sincere thanks for having come at a moment's notice to this oountry and assisted in tending and watching over the Queen, and for remaining with her until her last moments. I desire to express the hope that my action in conferring on you this ase j ent DU th'' ??'t.tb. Order may yet further cement and strengthen the good feeling which exists between the two great countries, and that we may go forward hand in hand with the high object of ensuring peace and Bpromoting the advance of the civilisation of the world. S

1 BRADLEY'S sell AH-fnr Elastic PELT HATS, at 3:9, in any shape: as comfortable as a cap, r}""? ?46 ?ooda.—Foregate-Btreet (oomprofSeUer-atreet -la?d 70, Brook-street.

A?? to the subjects of such a great queen. Azid then we think of the future. It is the 1 Q'n ?Q's son who reigns: he who has been heri Pride and her joy. Although we cannot sing God save the Queen" any more, yet in the? ton." God save the King," there still dwells^ a Whett,nant of affection for our beloved QueenJ ? Bow. we bumblv believe, lives with God. S VJUEEN STREET WELS-H WESLEY AN. I  ??' J. Wesley Hughes (minister), in | tb? ?*'? of his sermon, said She was the besf monarchs, admired by all other nations,?  ?ored by the people whom she governed. J j £ &oyal influence always affected her COu ry and dominions for good. She was > aJs a lover of, and advocate for, peace, and | repeated wish in the declining days of her? "19'4 v'aR that it might conclude in peace. Shea *a's "?? and considerate. Many are the? 'Geo e<^ incidents which go to prove her un- § eUb n kindness and consideration for her? Gub 3ts, without regard for station or title, | Tht ??hes of her humblest subjects received? t? °? the same attention as those of hi?b? <Je„ Her motto was "The good of tbe? t,whhole .As a woman she was most attentive to^ e cl ill Claim, Of her sex. Queen Empress, more? tb 8'rl Empress or than Queen, the Lady of the ^orJlH ?? high enthroned." She was a woman? <?? ?? OQten. President McKinley ordered the a& 9 of the United States of America? ?,"e ? half-masted, not because Queens Vw J*Ia was Queen of Great Britain,? Vl* et,o ria, of Queen of Great Britain, £ Ut beca.use of her greatness as a woman.t All 9, m°ther she was an example to all the 7?4 "ther. of the land. She was gentle and? Pnid? ? always seeking the healthy develop- ^ejj °" her children in mind and character a8 ,Wella' Ill body. As a wife she was an ideal.S  highest ambition was to be in the truest* hr husband's helpmate and companion. | Ij0 ^as to her the most sacred treasure* ?Ot? ?sted by God to woman. As a Christiana ? ??"?sbrightty. She was truly a religious? 'Wonle'n but no religious bigot. Our late Queen? ?? ,? broad mindod christian. A ZA")OUB ? ?ber of the Church of England, but always?? into 'e8ted in, and full of sympathy for. the great v 'Work carried on by the other sections of Fl8t's Church in the Empire. How beauti-? ,y ?racteristic of her liberality of mind is the8'0ry recently told by one of our ministers. | 8jle attended a Methodist class-meeting in Ord ? to be able to decide as to its value as a? ,t4ealla of grace' for one of her servants, and tgQje(^ to that servant on her return, never j, zi Nlect ?" class-meeting. I only wish that'. ?t!) servants would go also.' Gracious Sot ?°' Nohle woman! Gentlest of mothers! ???" loving wif4! Beautiful christian Rest in J  UI1bl the trumpet shall sound,' and thy rt 41 re ains shall put on immortality and ? S0 '?? united to thy pure soul, ever bIde in the presence of the Lord. Amen." i r. WELSH CONGREGATIONAL. un Sunday morning the Rev. Ivor Jones? Pte^v. ^^the Welsh Congregational Chapel^ fro 01 Ii< fro the text, The Lord hath done great :l1l1gs for ? (Psalm cxxvi.. 3.) He said, thef 'Yord h ^or<tjery appropriateness, might be? Bain 8i.nd°m in her present grief a? the loss of our beloved Quean. Th news of. ^er death «=« reached all the civilised nations *ftd t e grief was universal. Victoria did no? ?y ?Xf 1 ? ? ?'?" but as a woman and f? .oth"r d .t ?oth? aD Jt was impossible for them to over-i: look fi,??" qualities. She was ?reativ? M?? vnh.? ? with God-fearing parents, and HHS( ad bean 'mportant factor durihg her who life, ?"? Queen was fortunate in ber'-?. ^rria ^e- As a mother she excelled, and. tAarria,, 'e U^ As a mother she excelled, God.| brrj!4,- bt up her children in tbe fear of God. ?., S? ), in the early days of her married tife? & "riel, f ,reat troubles, and deaths frequently! ?ter ? the gates of the palace; neverthe ess,? h?p Avrapat by was ever ready for all classes in?-? her g ^InPathy was ever ready for all classes in-' tr0tlL She visited the poor and the sick,|- ?Cr t?? portions of the scripture and praying? \>r.ttn. She shed many a bitter tear wben? 8?S1tlng the widows of our land. She supported evQj. .?ovemeat which had for its object tbe? bett?? ?g of her people. The temperance? ?( ^^t had her entire sympathy, Queen j ieent had her entire sympathy, Qneen '? leto ri* a ??self being a total abstainer. The? late Q of a peaceful disposition, an d ;f ?ces?'? ?? ?? a peaceful disposition, andi !nor essfully avoided wars, and her great? ra'I -'i'?'ie, ? their influence on the Court. Cd bl, ;d the country during her reisn? ,,thbgareat,i.1 moral, and political reforms.? PAal!.RH OF CHRIST, SALTNEY. B ing -wr ..1:(,. Dobson, preaching on Sunday even- l ?8 in flT 6- Church of Christ, Curzon-street? Salto? ?? ??? 'ever in the history of  ?orld never iu the history of the | worid ad the demise of a great personage! evoked such genuine and spontaneous? expression °f 80rrow as had the death off Queen V' Ii! o sorrow as had the death of: Queen v ? ???" It was almost impossible to? over-fR?? the high qualities possessed in | such a arked degree by her late Majesty.? ?er a ? ?? intellectual attainments, ifk ^^Qeralt > would command the admira- tion of all. She was so retiring in her habitat an,j ],at a so averse to display that it was | omv to get a glimpse into her real? ar4cter. But the veil was occasionally lifted? So a? to ive a view of a character as beautiful | 1%81as great. In the selection of her l c?oh"?? sellors and friends her preference had? be for tbe good rather than the great, and It 11a, lnlght be truly said that upon those who? (? d been called to assist her by their counsels, rbD ?? enjoyed her confidence and? ?te? '? ?' not the shadow of a suspicion of r4?0,rat tain^ had ever rested. We should honour! ??e n ??een's memory for our children's sake. What an object lesson for the present genera-1 | ti0n Was the ?'?? life just yielded back t | iGrod f^ people, alas, were only too rare. and? ■ ''hen ? appeared who was pre-eminently? I good 18 mosb wise and proper to bold such up? jfts a ???''°' so that those who were following o? »^t emulate the example thus set before? the least one ruling sonreign, the young? bQy uee 1° of Holland, has been greatly infiuenced £ 6 Qoble example of our late beloved Queen ? thaf ??Ostitutionai monarch, for it was reported? 8 a C Olistitutional monarch, for it was reported-o,.  Queen Victoria once wisely told the youth- tn, .t?oen that the duty of a constitutional? ?? "??h was not to govern but to set an? eXa>ie- To future generations Queen Victoria? Tv0 U d. appear more glorious and more great, as l {tqH? ? ?'e, mother, Christian, benefactor, and § n' t an she did to the people among whom she liv and died. Were it needed, grateful ?d ^»V Uer°U8 and admiring souls would rear to| her "memory a monument more magnificent S th? the world bad yet seen. But she needed ?OQe ?.? church was suitably draped ini Ihlk,I'd among the congregation mourning j ?? s? ?neral. Suitable hymns were sung. § I ^«IMITIVE METHODIST, LITTLE I I 11 NESTON. B &v *??K in this place of worship on Sunday! &Ve °? from Gen. V., 24, Rev. H. ??nport ?id ? glowing tribute to the character and ? ?h of the late Queen. Her death, he said, Peered to have been needed to reveal to the 68 of men how really great she was. Many *'lM them had thought of her merely as the ruler j i Lj Jf*6 greatest empire on earth, but her decease ail demonstrated that her rule was cosmopoli- i ? In a very real sense she reigned in the h6a of men everywhere. Hence this lament-! ?1 ? %vout had done more than overwhelm her in; people with unutterable grief; it had et a keen sense of loss on every civilised ?ttn "?'' Heaven. As Mr. Balfour said in ?R ??ae of Commons, Nations that did not g ^°ve l? nS*and, loved her." So during the past ^eet fthe world had stood by her corpse bathed ? ~a spectacle absolutely without afi taran in history. What was the secret of if ?ia ??vellous spell which she threw over men ? e ,4t 'Over.v clime and race? He ventured to say it was 1t1.1.\ the exceptional brilliance of her genius as a ^Ule r' though even in that respect she was, H %1^ natural endowment and education, [ ??Oh? ??y fitted for the high office to which 8he ?? called. Necessarily in the Government ?t great nations a good deal of secrecy had to be 0b 'erved and perhaps all we owed to her '?8n ?nce in the Council Chamber might never ,?own. Hints, however, had been dropped reep,?.ible statesmen, which clearly pointed the conclusion that the preservation of the 118 peace at critical junctures, as well as ? t? Own marvellous progress as a nation during ■he ^t half century was attributable in no .W^il tneasure to her wise and sagacious state-  ?t after all it was her unpretentious ?? ""?Iterated piety that was her greatest ihar' and the main factor in the unique ?? ?d the main factor in the unique tle'lce she exerted over men. Whether the ?rid T? conscious of it or not the homage ? ?dRt?<? was homage paid to goodness. For first tin,, in history the Court during her 1. 1?la a<r been distinctly Christian. The real ?onJ? ?"? subjects were so willingly and ?ola "?-?y loyal to her was that she, hi ?ra te um^le and loyal subject of Him Jho i. «? ? nimble and loyal subject of Him rou? ??? ?'°gs, and Lord of Lords.' Th ro'ugbout  Jesus Christ was enthroned in and reigned without a rival there. ^bat w aa the prolific root whence sprang the glorj0u ?°P of graces and virtues that ?on Von for her the admiration and love of the w. That it was which inspired het inf? y 'deal of life, and stirred her to such a chiv °Us devotion to duty, and enabled her t 0 setall example that every man might copy ^ithoYi reserve. We had only to alter the ?der °f the pronouns in his text to make tt ? a?? ?.? to Queen Victoria as it was to t ? ?e o?)?orld patriarch and saint, 11 She walk ^ith « ° and she was not, for God took bi. i *^° dav mourning her loss, we had to F ??ak God for her long and beneficent reign, tb Pfay that to him who succeeds her upon [ ? ??a th? ??? of these realms a double portiou ofj t ??P R"Phfit may be give.. ? t'lt"lt may be given.