The Life of King Edward VII
controlled the incident--and that the picture of the lovely young girl,
smiling from out of simple surroundings and a simple costume, had an
immediate effect. He kept the photograph, and a little later saw a
miniature of the Princess at the home of a friend. In a surprisingly
short time the Prince had heard that the original of the picture was
"the most beautiful girl in Europe," and was on his way to Prussia to
attend the military manoeuvres of the season. The Crown Prince and
Princess of Denmark happened to be travelling in the vicinity at the
time.
THE PRINCE MEETS PRINCESS ALEXANDRA
On September 24th, 1861, the Prince of Wales and his party met the
Danish Royal party in the Cathedral of Worms, and the former had a first
glance at his future wife. Then followed a few days at the Castle of
Heidelberg, where they were all guests together, and about which a note
in Prince Albert's _Diary_ of September 30th says that "the young people
seem to have taken a warm liking for each other." Less than three months
after this entry the writer had passed away, but the sad event only made
the widowed Queen more anxious for her son's marriage. Further meetings
occurred at the Princess Frederick's--the English Crown Princess--and
elsewhere, and on September 9th, 1862, the betrothal took place;
although it was not publicly announced until November 8th. The Prince
was then just twenty-one and the Princess not yet eighteen, and it was
understood that some months would elapse before the marriage. Meanwhile,
in August, Queen Victoria had first met and been charmed by her future
daughter-in-law at the Laacken Palace of the King of the Belgians. The
Danish people were naturally delighted at the news, and, poor as they
were in a national sense, they at once subscribed a total sum of L8,000
to constitute what was called the People's Dowry. This the Princess
accepted with cordial thanks to the nation, but asked that a substantial
portion of it be allotted to provide a dowry for six poor girls whose
weddings should take place on the same day as her own.
THE COMING OF THE PRINCESS
Meantime the English people were expressing their pleasure at the news
in various ways. The House of Commons voted the Prince of Wales a yearly
income of L40,000 and his bride-to-be L10,000 for herself. Including the
L40,000 from the Duchy of Cornwall this made a reasonable sum, while
Sandringham and Marlborough House were allotted as Royal
residences--requiring, however, much remodelling and improvement.
Preparations of the most elaborate and splendid sort were made to
welcome the lovely Danish Princess and into these arrangements the whole
people seemed to throw themselves with mingled excitement and pleasure.
In the little Copenhagen palace this turmoil was hardly known; the
preparations certainly were not comprehended; and the quiet family were
preparing in the most simple way for the great occasion--not the least
excitement of the moment being the fact of their all going to England
together. The wedding day was fixed for the 10th of March, and a few
days before this the Princess left Denmark for her new home; passing
over carpets of flowers strewn in her way by pressing and cheering
crowds of affectionate people; receiving addresses everywhere, and
smiles and tears and good wishes from simple peasants, who had decorated
even their hedgerows and who made the departure look like a triumphal
procession. Then King Frederick VII., presented her with a necklace of
diamonds and a facsimile of the Dagmar Cross--that precious relic of
early days and of the first Christian Queen of Denmark.
The Princess arrived in the Thames on board the _Victoria and
Albert_--which had been escorted from Flushing by a squadron of
war-ships--on the morning of March 1st, and was welcomed at Gravesend by
an outburst of enthusiasm which literally astounded her. A stately and
formal reception she had, of course, anticipated but the splendour of
what actually appeared, the elaborate character of the preparations, the
surprising interest shewn by the people, were indeed revelations of the
changed conditions into which the bride of the Heir Apparent had come.
At Gravesend the dense crowds which lined the shores, or at least some
portion of them, saw a sight which has been well described as pretty--"A
timid girlish figure, dressed entirely in white, who appeared on the
deck at her mother's side and then retiring to the cabin, was seen first
at one window then at another, the bewildering face framed in a little
white bonnet; the work of her own hands."
HER RECEPTION IN ENGLAND
When the Prince's yacht approached and he was seen to rush across the
gangway, catch his bride in his arms and kiss her, the delight of the
onlookers was unconstrained. As the Royal couple landed, girls strewed
flowers under their feet. Then followed the glittering procession from
Gravesend to London and thence to Windsor through long lines of
decorated houses, garlanded and festooned roadways, flashing sabres and
gorgeous uniformed soldiers. In London the streets were packed with
people; triumphal arches, banners and devices were everywhere. In the
poorer streets, in the homes of the artisan and the factory girl, there
was the same effort to show pleasure in the happiness of the Princess
and appreciation of her grace and beauty as there was in the great
residential squares. At Eton there was a triumphal arch and a loyal
gathering of enthusiastic boys; at Windsor the Queen received the
Princess and conducted her to the suite of rooms which had been lately
occupied by the Princess Alice. The first part, the popular reception,
was over and it had proved how accurately the Poet Laureate had grasped
the situation when he wrote of "the sea-king's daughter from over the
sea" and gave that lordly command to the nation:
"Welcome her; thunders of fort and of fleet!
Welcome her; thundering cheer of the street!
Welcome her; all things youthful and sweet!
Scatter the blossoms under her feet."
CELEBRATION OF THE MARRIAGE
The marriage was celebrated in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on March
10th, the ceremony being performed by Dr. Longley, Archbishop of
Canterbury, assisted by the Bishops of London, Winchester and Chester
and by Dean Wellesley of Windsor. The Queen, owing to the Prince
Consort's recent death, took no part officially but looked on from the
Royal closet. The historic Chapel was a blaze of colour and jewels and
the wedding guests numbered nine hundred of the highest rank and station
and reputation in the land. Mr. Speaker Denison, afterwards Lord
Ossington, in his _Diary_ gives a description of the scene. "It was a
very magnificent sight--rich, gorgeous and imposing. Beautiful women
were arrayed in the richest attire, in bright colours, blue, purple,
red, and were covered with diamonds and jewels. Grandmothers looked
beautiful: Lady Abercorn, Lady Westminster, Lady Shaftsbury. Among the
young, Lady Spencer, Lady Castlereagh, Lady Carmarthen, were bright and
brilliant. The Knights of the Garter in their robes looked each of them
a fine picture. As each of the Royal persons, with their attendants,
walked up the Chapel, at a certain point each stopped and made an
obeisance to the Queen--the Princess Mary, the Duchess of Cambridge, the
Princess of Prussia, the Princess Alice of Hesse, the Princess Helena,
the Princess Christian, etc., each in turn formed a complete scene. The
Princess Alexandra, with her bridesmaids, made the best and most
beautiful scene. The Princess looked beautiful and very graceful in her
manner and demeanour." The bridesmaids were eight in number--Lady
Victoria Scott, Lady Victoria Howard, Lady Agneta Yorke, Lady Feodora
Wellesley, Lady Diana Beauclerk, Lady Georgina Hamilton, Lady Alma
Bruce, and Lady Helena Hare. They represented many of the noblest houses
in England and wore dresses described as being of "white tulle over
white glace silk" and trimmed with roses, shamrocks and white heather.
Each of them also wore a locket presented by the Prince of Wales and
composed of coral and diamonds so as to represent the red and white
national colours of Denmark. It is interesting to note that, in 1898,
all these ladies were still living.
During the ceremony, the Prince of Wales was supported by his uncle, the
Duke of Saxe-Coburg, and his brother-in-law, the Crown Prince of
Prussia. He wore the uniform of a British General, the Collar of the
Garter, the Order of the Star of India and the rich, flowing purple
velvet mantle of a Knight of the Garter. Princess Alexandra was given
away by her father and wore a white satin skirt trimmed with garlands of
orange blossoms and puffings of tulle and Honiton lace, the bodice being
draped with the same lace, while the train of silver moire antique was
covered with orange blossoms and puffings of tulle. She wore also the
diamond and pearl necklace, earings and brooch, given her by the
bridegroom and the _riviere_ of diamonds presented by the Corporation of
London, as well as three bracelets given, respectively, by the Queen,
the ladies of Leeds and the ladies of Manchester. Her beautiful hair was
very simply dressed and on it lay a wreath of orange blossoms covered
by a veil of Honiton lace. The bridal bouquet was composed of orange
blossoms, white rosebuds, orchids and sprigs of myrtle. The actual
ceremony was a very short one, the Prince giving his responses clearly,
though the Princess was at times almost inaudible. The whole function
had been a brilliant one--the first marriage celebrated in this Chapel
since that of Henry I. in 1122--and no touch of mourning was allowed to
mar the pageantry of the scene and the bright colours of uniforms and
dresses.
The wedding breakfast was held in the State dining-room and in St.
George's Hall and, while it was proceeding, the King of Denmark was
lavishly entertaining both rich and poor in the home country of the
Royal bride. Throughout Great Britain that night bon-fires blazed, bells
rang, houses were illuminated, balls and festivities were held, school
children treated and banquets spread. Edinburgh excelled itself and some
one has said that a pen of fire dipped in rainbow hues would have been
needed to describe its pyrotechnic display. Meanwhile, the Prince and
Princess of Wales had taken their departure for Osborne, which had been
lent them by the Queen, and there the brief honeymoon was spent. At
Reading, on the way thither, thirty thousand people met the train and
presented the Princess with a bouquet. Writing of this most popular of
historic weddings Canon Kingsley said in a private letter, dated March
12th, that "one real thing I did see, and felt too, the serious grace
and reverent dignity of my dear young Master, whose manner was perfect.
And one other real thing--the Queen's sad face. I cannot tell you how
auspicious I consider this event or how happy it has made the little
knot of us (the Prince's Household in which he had recently become a
Chaplain) who love him because we know him. I hear nothing but golden
reports of the Princess from those who have known her long." A few days