ROMANCE OF THE QUEEN'S PARENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11949, 24 January 1901, Page 2

ROMANCE OF THE QUEEN'S PARENTS.

; There is something of romance in the storv of lion' the Duke of Kent canto to marry : the widowed Princess of Leininßon. She was a sister of that Prince Leopold who had ; married the iH-fatcd Princess Ohr'otte, and thus the powerful family influence of the small German -duchy of Saxe-Coburg come : into Iwijhsh history. The Duke of Kent hud ; secri a .our military service in the English force? in Canada, at- Gibraltar, and elsei where. He had tb.r? reputation of a mnn of j liberality and justice. Eventually the burden) of his lank and pbsiiion overwhelmed his : small income: he retired to Brussels. and S either in the course of a visit to Saxe-Coburg I or 011 a special jonrnoy lo Leiningen he made ( the acquaintance of Victoria, daughter of | Duke Franz, of Saxe-Ooburg. the widowed j Princess of Leiningen. She ivas born in 1786; | and her husband's death left her with two E children. The wooing seems to have been nrdent, for soon they were married and took b up their residnneo at tl;o Castlq of Amori; Inch, in I'n.varia. The Duke of Kent'was i firmly convinced that his child would succeed ; to the throne, and the Duke and the Duchess | ramo to England for her accouchement, which took place at Kensington Palace on the 24th I May. 1819, the child being a daughter. A c month Inter she was baptised, when her name | nave rise to a quarrel. The Prince Regent | having' been piqued that the name " Geort giana" should not come first, declared he 3 would not have it sccond to any, and said: | •" Give her her' mother's name alter that 6f if the Emperor "; and Alexandria Victoria' | she was named, after the Emperor of Russia, | her sponsor, and her mother. Soon the first ;j name wa's disused, and t-ho Prinecss Victoria | became.the accepted style of the little maidep.