HOW THE QUEEN AND H.R.H. PROPOSED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2240, 4 February 1897, Page 49

HOW THE QUEEN AND H.R.H. PROPOSED.

Interesting Stories of Royal romance.

It was at a ball at Windsor Castle that the late Prince Consort had from the Queen ths first real proof of Ihe favour she bore towards him. We know from his own words that he bad long loved her ; but it wan not bis privilege to propose, but hers, on account, of her high station. . Whilst dancing with him the Queen took from her own dresg ▲ SPRAY OF WHITE LILAO ! and gave it to the Prince. As he was wearing his uniform, he had no buttonhole in wbioh to insert It; but with old-world oonrtesy and obivalry, he at once took oat his pon-knife, made a slit in the close-fittiDg I coat, and placed therein the pretty flowed. We learn how the Qaeen some time-after-wards sent for him privately into her room at the castle, and offered him — well, we may truly say her hand »nd heart. The Prinoe accepted both, and in 1810 was celebrated that union which lasted so happily for 21 | years. I When the Qaeen, then a girl of 20, told the Duchess of Gloucester of her announcement of her betrothal to Princa Albert to the Privy Council, the Duchess asked her if It was a nervous thing to do. She said " Yes ; but I did a much more nervous thing a little while ago." " What was that 7 " "I proposed to I Prlnoo Albeit." : It was well known in 1862 that the Prince < of Wales was thinking of carrying out what : fae country desired, and taking unto himself ; a wife. But few knew On whom his ohoice was likely to fall, and those few only his very nearest relatives. With that good sense that has always distinguished his Royal Highness, he looked for real, solid, wifely qualities ie the woman he was to marry, and hie ohoic* fell upon TUB LITTLE-KNOWN PRINCESS ALEXANDBA \ OF DBNMABK. I This Princess was then simply worshipped \in her own country. Is it too much to say i that now she is still worshipped in her adopted oountry 1 The two future lovers first met, it is said, by accident at a cathedral in a continental town which they were both visiting, the Princess being with her parents. From the first the Prince of Wales paid Alexandra the greatest attention. Reports of her beauty, goodness, and noble charaoter had for once not belied the reporters, and the : Princo was charmed. A farther meeting was arranged, and afterwards he visited the King and Qaeen of Denmark at Copenhagen. Here he proposed to the Princess in that most graoeful, courteous manner for which he has always been no noted, and here she agreed' to beoome \ Princess of Walts. In 1857 the Crown Prince of Germany oame to this oountry looking for a wife in the person of our Sovereign's eldest ohild, tho Princess Royal, as she was called. She was not yet 18, but the young man was bunt on winuing her and marry Id g her as soon as possible. ' j HIS METHOD OF PROPOSING was most delioate. For gome days at Balmoral it had been patent to evei7body that he waß on the point of co doing ; but no very favourable opportunity arose till one day he and the fair Princess became separated — no doubt willingly— from the re«t of the party as they were crossing ono of the moors. Seeing a piece of white heather growing uoar the path a% they walked along, tho Crown Prince picked it up aad gallantly presented it to his pretty companion, who gracefully accepted it. Now came his longexpected words, and they also were favourably received. When the two arrived home the Queen learned with pleasure of the first engagement in her own family. Under the date of October 3, 1870, the Qaeen writes in her book " More Leaves from the Journal of a Life in the Highlands" : — 11 This was an eventful day. Our dear LOUISE WAS ENGAGED TO LORD LORNE. " The evenc took place during a walk from the Glasaalt Sbiel to the Dhu Loch. She had gone there with Janie Ely, the Lord Chancellor (Lord Hatherley), and Lome. I had driven with Beatrice and the Hon." Mrs Ponsonby to Pannanich Wells, two miles from BaUater, on the south side of the Dee, where I had been many years ago. Unfortunately, almost all the trees which covered the hills have been cut down. " We got out and tasted tho water, wbioh is strongly impregnated with iron, and looked at the bath and at the humble but very clean accommodation in the curious little inn, which used to be very much frequented. The same perfectly cloudless sky as on the two preceding days. We got hooae by 7. Louise, who returned some time after we did, told me that Lome had spoken of his devotion to her and proposed to her, and that she bad accepted him, knowing that I would approve. Though I was not unprepared for this result, I felt painfully the thought of losing her. But I naturally gave my consent, and could only pray that she would be happy." The Dowager Czarina of Russia (Princess Dagmar of Denmark) had arranged in her own mind that her son, THE HEIR TO THE RUSSIAN THRONE, should espouse the Princess Helene of Montenegro, a princess of religion, race, and education eminently fitted for the position of Czarina. But " Nicky " himself had from boyhood loved Princess Aliz of Hesse, and as he got older this love grew stronger; so that when he succeeded his father a year or. two ago on the Russian throne he made it pretty plain to all his relatives that if they were willing to arrange a meeting he would propose te the Princess Alii of Hesse, daughter of the Princess Alice, and that if they were not — well, he should arrange a meeting himself. . At the same time he began sending the Princess very valuable presents as tokens of big favour, which of course she could only interpret one w*y. The relatives evidently thought they bad better " endure what they could not cure," and hence was arranged that obarming family gathering in 1894 at Copenhagen, , where the Czar went to see hia Grandparents,

1 and manngc^ u!>; quiet afternoon In m secluded jurt ot; cfao pretty gardens to" asjt All* of House to become Czarina of RuisM ) That *he accepted sweetly cannot fW doubted, seeing that it was long after the others were gathered in the tea-room befor* j the two truants returned.