Volume Iii Part 110 (1/2)

[Pageheading: A BRILLIANT CEREMONY]

[Pageheading: DISTINGUISHED GUESTS]

_The Crown Princess of Prussia to Queen Victoria._

KoNISBERG, _19th October 1861_.

MY BELOVED MAMMA,--Last night I could not write to you as I would have wished, because I felt so knocked up that I went to bed. I have got such a very bad cold on my chest, with a cough that leaves me no rest, and of course cannot take care of myself, and am obliged to stand and sit in every sort of draught with a low gown and without a cloak, so it is no wonder to have caught cold. I have not had a cough since I don't know when. I should like to be able to describe yesterday's ceremony to you, but I cannot find words to tell you how fine and how touching it was; it really was a magnificent sight! The King looked so very handsome and so n.o.ble with the crown on; it seemed to suit him so exactly. The Queen, too, looked beautiful, and did all she had to do with perfect grace, and looked so _vornehm_; I a.s.sure you the whole must have made a great impression on everybody present, and all those to whom I have talked on the subject quite share my feeling. The moment when the King put the crown on the Queen's head was very touching, I think there was hardly a dry eye in the church. The _Schlosshof_ was the finest, I thought--five bands playing ”G.o.d save the Queen,” banners waving in all directions, cheers so loud that they quite drowned the sound of the music, and the procession moving slowly on, the sky without a cloud; and all the uniforms, and the ladies'

diamonds glittering in the bright sunlight. I shall never forget it all, it was so very fine! Dearest Fritz's birthday being chosen for the day made me very happy; he was in a great state of emotion and excitement, as you can imagine, as we all were. Mr Thomas[39] was in the chapel. I hope he will have been able to take down some useful memoranda. The Grand Duke of Weimar,[40] the King and ourselves, have ordered drawings of him.

The _coup d'[oe]il_ was really beautiful; the chapel is in itself lovely, with a great deal of gold about it, and all hung with red velvet and gold--the carpet, altar, thrones and canopies the same. The Knights of the Black Eagle with red velvet cloaks, the Queen's four young ladies all alike in white and gold, the two Palastdamen in crimson velvet and gold, and the Oberhofmeisterin in gold and white brocade with green velvet, Marianne and Addy in red and gold and red and silver; I, in gold with ermine and white satin, my ladies, one in blue velvet, the other in red velvet, and Countess Schulenberg, together with the two other Oberhofmeisterin of the other Princesses, in violet velvet and gold. All these colours together looked very beautiful, and the sun shone, or rather poured in at the high windows, and gave quite magic tinges.

The music was very fine, the chorales were sung so loud and strong that it really quite moved one. The King was immensely cheered, wherever he appeared--also the Queen, and even I.

There were illuminations last night, but I did not go to see them, as I was too tired and felt so unwell. There are five degrees of cold (Reaumur), and one is exposed to draughts every minute.

Sixteen hundred people dined in the Schloss last night! The King and Queen were most kind to me yesterday; the King gave me a charming little locket for his hair, and only think--what will sound most extraordinary, absurd, and incredible to your ears--made me Second _Chef_ of the 2nd Regiment of Hussars! I laughed so much, because really I thought it was a joke--it seemed so strange for ladies; but the Regiments like particularly having ladies for their _Chefs!_ The Queen and the Queen Dowager have Regiments, but I believe I am the first Princess on whom such an honour is conferred.

The Archduke addressed the King yesterday, in the name of all the foreign Princes present, in a very pretty speech.

It is such a pleasure to see good Philip here, and the two Portuguese cousins. Juan[41] is very nice, but he does not talk much; he has a very fine, tall figure, and is nice-looking. I should think he must be like his father. Prince Hohenzollern [42] is become Royal Highness, and the t.i.tle is to descend to his eldest son. Half Europe is here, and one sees the funniest combinations in the world. It is like a happy family shut up in a cage! The Italian Amba.s.sador sat near Cardinal Geisel, and the French one opposite the Archduke. The Grand Duke Nicolas is here--he is so nice--also the Crown Prince of Wurtemberg,[43] Crown Prince of Saxony,[44] Prince Luitpold of Bavaria,[45] Prince Charles of Hesse[46] (who nearly dies of fright and shyness amongst so many people), and Heinrich; Prince Elimar of Oldenburg,[47] Prince Frederic of the Netherlands,[48] and the Grand Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Weimar, who wish to be most particularly remembered to you and Papa.

The King and Queen are most kind to Lord Clarendon, and make a marked difference between their marked cordiality to him and the stiff etiquette with which the other Amba.s.sadors are received.

I think he is pleased with what he sees. The King has given the Queen the Order of the Black Eagle in diamonds. I write all these details, as you wish them, at the risk of their not interesting you, besides my being, as you know, a very bad hand at descriptions. I shall make a point of your having newspapers.

I am unable to appear at the _cour_ this morning, as my cough is too violent: I hope to be able to be at the concert this evening, but I own it seems very doubtful. The state dinner looked very well; we were waited on by our _Kammerherren_ and pages--the King being waited on by the _Oberhofchargen_--and our ladies stood behind our chairs. After the first two dishes are round, the King asks to drink, and that is the signal for the ladies and gentlemen to leave the room and go to dinner, while the Pages of Honour continue to serve the whole dinner really wonderfully well, poor boys, considering it is no easy task.

To-morrow we leave Konigsberg for Dantzic--we have not had one day's bad weather here, nothing but suns.h.i.+ne and a bright blue sky. I was so glad that Heaven smiled upon us yesterday, it would have been so sad if it had poured; it looked a little threatening early in the morning and a few drops fell, but it cleared completely before nine o'clock.

Fritz would thank you for your dear letters himself, but he is at the University, where they have elected him _Rector Magnificus_, and where he has to make a speech. We have all got our servants and carriages and horses here _every_ day--300 footmen in livery, together with other servants in livery, make 400. All the standards and colours of the whole Army are here, and all the Colonels. Altogether, you cannot imagine what a crush and what a scramble there is on every occasion; there was a man crushed to death in the crowd the other day, which is quite dreadful. I must say good-bye now, and send this scrawl by a messenger, whom Lord Clarendon means to expedite. Ever your most dutiful and affectionate Daughter,

VICTORIA.

[Footnote 39: George Housman Thomas, artist (1824-1868). The picture he produced on this occasion was ent.i.tled, _Homage of the Princess Royal at the Coronation of the King of Prussia_.]

[Footnote 40: Charles Alexander, 1818-1901, grandfather of the present Grand Duke.]

[Footnote 41: Prince John, brother of King Pedro, was making a tour with his elder brother, Louis, the Duc d'Oporto.]

[Footnote 42: Prince Charles Anthony of Hohenzollern was the father of the young Queen Stephanie of Portugal, who had died in 1859.]

[Footnote 43: Prince Charles Frederick, 1823-1891.]

[Footnote 44: Prince Albert, who became King in 1873.]